Vision: The vision of the Ashdown School District is to unite
parents, community, and staff in creating an environment of
excellence and pride where students will choose to be
successful.
Mission: We will be a district with an unrelenting focus on
learning. All students are expected to succeed; failure is not
an option.
| Grade Span: |
Title I: Title I Schoolwide |
School Improvement: |
Table of Contents
Priority 1: Administrative Support
Goal: The Ashdown School District will provide support
to all schools in the district by providing professional
development, additional staff, and resources necessary to improve
teaching and learning.
Priority 2: Drug, violence, and character education
Goal: To provide a quality instructional program that
addresses drug prevention, violence prevention, and character
education.
Priority 3: Special Education
Goal: To maintain a proportionate number of students in
special education within our district
Priority 4: Wellness
Goal: The school district will provide support for all
schools as they implement the wellness standards in order to
improve the health of all students.
Priority 5: Corrective Action Priority
Goal: The Ashdown School District will provide support
to the two schools as they implement the actions required under
Corrective Action.
| Priority 1: |
The central office will provide administrative support to
all campuses in order to improve the academic achievement of
all students. |
| Supporting Data: |
- N/A
- N/A
- N/A
|
| Goal |
The Ashdown School District will provide support to all
schools in the district by providing professional
development, additional staff, and resources necessary to
improve teaching and learning. |
| Benchmark |
All students in the Ashdown School District will meet AYP
as prescribed by the Arkansas Department of Education or
decrease the number of students below proficient by 10% in
order to meet Safe Harbor. |
| Intervention: Administrative Support |
| Scientific Based Research: |
| Actions |
Person Responsible |
Timeline |
Resources |
Source of Funds |
Work will continue during the summer on the following
initiatives of the district: writing on demand and open
response questions, curriculum alignment, AP/Pre AP
Institutes, Literacy Lab project, ELLA, ELF, Reading
Recovery, EAST, Writing Across the Curriculum, AR Teacher
Institute, software training, AR Comprehensive Literacy
Model, research-based mathematics, language development,
Laying the Foundation, and instructional strategies. Staff
will receive stipends for attending training during the
summer.
Action Type: Alignment
Action Type: Collaboration
Action Type: Professional Development
|
Judy Dowdy |
Start: 07/01/2009
End: 06/30/2010 |
- Administrative Staff
- Outside Consultants
|
| Title II-A - Employee Benefits: |
$5413.00 |
| Title II-A - Employee Salaries: |
$25000.00 |
|
| ACTION BUDGET: |
$30413 |
|
Funds will be set aside to provide extensive
professional development for the three elementary schools
in school improvement. Literacy coaches will be
trained through University of Arkansas at Little Rock with
the Comprehensive Literacy Model. Training fees and
expenses for travel will be paid from professional
development funds. Administrators and teachers will attend
leadership training through the AR Leadership Academy and
participate in a district leadership retreat during the
summer. Teachers in grades K-3 will attend professional
development related to a more complete implementation of
Reading First. The professional development will be
evaluated through reflection and improved test scores.
Action Type: Collaboration
Action Type: Professional Development
|
Judy Dowdy |
Start: 07/01/2009
End: 06/30/2010 |
- Administrative Staff
- Outside Consultants
|
| Title I - Purchased Services: |
$38916.00 |
|
| ACTION BUDGET: |
$38916 |
|
The school district will contract with the local
educational cooperative to provide professional
development during the school year.
Action Type: Professional Development
|
Judy Dowdy |
Start: 07/01/2009
End: 06/30/2010 |
|
| PD (State-223) - Purchased Services: |
$20000.00 |
|
| ACTION BUDGET: |
$20000 |
|
Central office staff and other instructional leaders
in the district will attend professional development on
the most effective trends in education and then provide
training for all staff. Funds will be used for travel
expenses, registration fees, and supplies needed for
training. Funds will also be used for purchasing books,
videos, and periodicals to enhance learning for all
leaders in the district. Consultants will be provided to
train staff on effective trends. The professional
development that teachers attend will be evaluated through
the use of the Classroom Walkthrough and through
discussion in team meetings and on professional
development days. The professional development that
administrators attend will be evaluated through the use of
the district evaluation form and through discussion at
weekly principal's meetings.
Action Type: Collaboration
Action Type: Professional Development
Action Type: Program Evaluation
|
Judy Dowdy |
Start: 07/01/2009
End: 06/30/2010 |
|
| Title II-A - Purchased Services: |
$26000.00 |
| Title II-A - Materials & Supplies: |
$9646.96 |
| PD (State-223) - Purchased Services: |
$20000.00 |
| PD (State-223) - Materials & Supplies: |
$9138.84 |
|
| ACTION BUDGET: |
$64785.8 |
|
NSLA funds will be used to fund the following
positions: Three(3.0 FTE) Reading Recovery Teachers, 1 and
3/5 (1.6) Instructional Facilitators in math, 1 (1.0 FTE)
Literacy coach for grades 6-8, an additional counselor
(1.0 FTE) above state-mandated requirements, and a
half-time (.5 FTE) Director of Instruction. The director
of instruction trains all administrators and instructional
facilitators in the classroom walkthrough protocol. She
then works with the group on how to use the data to make
instructional changes in the classroom. She also provides
training on high-yield instructional strategies to all
staff and visits classrooms to determine implementation.
The additional counselor works with students grades K-1.
Students at that age face many obstacles at home, and the
counselor works with students individually and in small
groups. The counselor works with classroom teachers on
providing information on safety issues such as bus safety,
fire safety, and stranger issues. Many of our students do
not receive this kind of information and it helps them to
be more safe when there are maybe no adults around to
help.
Action Type: Collaboration
Action Type: Technology Inclusion
|
Judy Dowdy |
Start: 07/01/2009
End: 06/30/2010 |
|
| NSLA (State-281) - Employee Benefits: |
$62152.75 |
| NSLA (State-281) - Employee Salaries: |
$365223.00 |
|
| ACTION BUDGET: |
$427375.75 |
|
Title I funds will be used to continue to support the
Community Enrichment Center. The funds will be for needed
supplies in order to provide a place for parents and
community to come to receive extra support for their
children and families.
Action Type: Collaboration
Action Type: Equity
Action Type: Parental Engagement
Action Type: Professional Development
|
Judy Dowdy |
Start: 07/01/2009
End: 06/30/2010 |
- Community Leaders
- Outside Consultants
|
| Title I - Materials & Supplies: |
$1000.00 |
|
| ACTION BUDGET: |
$1000 |
|
A .50 FTE secretary will be funded with Title I funds
to handle paperwork and clerical requirements. Funds will
also be used to purchase supplies such as books, dvds, and
periodicals in order to provide site-based professional
development. Professional development will be provided for
the Title I coordinator and other key staff members.
Action Type: Collaboration
Action Type: Equity
Action Type: Professional Development
|
Judy Dowdy |
Start: 07/01/2009
End: 06/30/2010 |
|
| Title I - Materials & Supplies: |
$2000.00 |
| Title I - Employee Salaries: |
$12000.00 |
| Title I - Employee Benefits: |
$1598.33 |
|
| ACTION BUDGET: |
$15598.33 |
|
Title I funds will be used to help students who are
identified as homeless the help so that they may function
the in the regular school environment and eliminate any
barriers to learning.
Action Type: Collaboration
Action Type: Equity
Action Type: Parental Engagement
|
Judy Dowdy |
Start: 07/01/2009
End: 06/30/2010 |
- Administrative Staff
- Central Office
|
| Title I - Purchased Services: |
$1000.00 |
| Title I - Materials & Supplies: |
$1000.00 |
|
| ACTION BUDGET: |
$2000 |
|
Students who have difficulty functioning successfully
in a regular classroom may be referred to ALE. Students
will not be place in ALE based on academic problems alone.
A student admitted to ALE will be sent with the proper
documentation of the recurring incident or behavior. ALE
will provide that it will not be punitive, but should
provide the guidance, counseling, and academic support
needed to help students succeed academically. An exit plan
will be developed to help move the ALE student back into
the regular classroom setting. In addition, an agreement
with the parent or guardian and ALE director will be
developed and will provide assurances that the student
will be successful. A plan to provide a curriculum
including math, science, social studies, and language arts
aligned with regular classroom instruction will be
developed and followed. ALE funds will be used to fund two
full-time teachers (2.0 FTE) at the alternative school.
Salary and benefits will be paid for a licensed social
studies teacher and a licensed math teacher. Two
paraprofessionals (2.0 FTE) will also be paid with ALE
funds. Salary and benefits will be paid. These
paraprofessionals work with the teachers to provide a
positive learning environment for the students.
Action Type: Collaboration
Action Type: Equity
|
Mike Walker |
Start: 07/01/2007
End: 06/30/2008 |
|
| ALE (State-275) - Employee Salaries: |
$63000.00 |
| ALE (State-275) - Employee Benefits: |
$12482.56 |
|
| ACTION BUDGET: |
$75482.56 |
|
20% of Title 1 funds will be set aside for
Supplemental Educational Services and transportation since
two schools are in Year 2 of School Improvement and one
school is in Year 3.
Action Type: Title I Schoolwide
|
Judy Dowdy |
Start: 07/01/2009
End: 06/30/2010 |
|
| Title I - Purchased Services: |
$77833.00 |
|
| ACTION BUDGET: |
$77833 |
|
Parent involvement will be a priority at the district
level. Schools will be required to develop parent
involvement plans and determine the best ways to involve
parents in their children's education. The district web
site will be utilized to keep parents informed of upcoming
events. Parents will be involved in committees at the
district level. Parent involvement will be evaluated
through perceptual surveys.
Action Type: Parental Engagement
|
Judy Dowdy |
Start: 07/01/2009
End: 06/30/2010 |
|
|
A needs assessment was conducted by reviewing
achievement data and professional development training
throughout the district. The needs that were identified
were more professional development in higher level
questioning, the use of interim assessments to make
instructional changes, and training in creating open
response questions that mirror the state required open
response questions. Student achievement data continues to
show that students are low in answering open response
questions and multiple choices questions that require
higher level thinking. The district continues to collect
data based on interim assessment, the use of technology in
the classroom, and the variety of instructional strategies
used based on CWT data.
Action Type: Collaboration
Action Type: Professional Development
Action Type: Program Evaluation
|
Judy Dowdy |
Start: 07/01/2009
End: 06/30/2010 |
- Administrative Staff
- Central Office
|
|
| Total Budget: |
$753404.44 |
|
| Priority 2: |
Drug education, violence education, and character
education will be taught to all students in the Ashdown School
District. |
| Supporting Data: |
- Margaret Daniel Primary identified the following data
for the 2008-2009 school year: the office disciplinary
report documents 67 incidents of disrespectful behavior. The
counselor documented working with 6 students for fighting, 3
students for stealing, 4 students for lying, 6 students for
ugly talk, 48 students for generally bad behavior, and 10
students for bullying. The top 3 discussions in the
counselor's office concerned home and family problems, bad
behavior and breaking rules, and playground issues.
- C.D. Franks Elementary School which houses students in
grades 2-3 identified the following data: The counselor
documented working with 28 children for disrespect, 55
students for being insubordinate, 5 students for fighting,
26 students for lying, and 22 student for anger problems.
- L. F. Henderson Intermediate School which houses
students in grades 4-5 identified the following data: The
counselor documented working with 11 students for problems
with being friends, 17 students for lying, 23 students for
being disrespectful, 12 students for threatening others, and
6 students for anger problems.
- Ashdown Jr. High School identified the following data
based on the Arkansas Prevention Needs Assessment: 6th grade
- 19% of 6th graders say they have used alcohol. 9.2% report
they have tried some type of drug within the past 30 days.
9.9% of 6th graders have been suspended from school, and 17%
report they feel unsafe at school. 14% report that they have
used alcohol on a regular basis. 8th grade - 28% of 8th
graders have used alcohol before. 33% report that they have
used some type of drug. 13.9% report that they have used
alcohol within the last 30 days. 12% of 8th graders have
been involved in fights, and 22% feel unsafe at school. 10%
of 8th graders have used marijuana.
- Ashdown High School identified the following data based
on the Arkansas Prevention Needs Assessment: Over 60% of
10th graders and and over 80% of 12th graders have used
alcohol. Over 50% of 10th graders and 40% of 12th graders
indicated having depressive symptons, and over 40% of 10th
graders and over 50% of 12th graders indicated they have
used some type of drug.
|
| Goal |
To provide a quality instructional program that addresses
drug prevention, violence prevention, and character education. |
| Benchmark |
Based on the Arkansas Prevention Needs Assessment,
students in grades 6, 8, 10, & 12 will show a decrease in
participating in harmful behavior each year. |
| Intervention: To provide drug education,
violence education, and chracter education to all students
in grades K-12 (Kagan, "Teaching for Character and
Community", Educational Leadership, vol. 59, Oct. 2001,
Weissboard, "Moral Teachers, Moral Students", Educational
Leadership, vol. 60, March 2003 |
| Scientific Based Research: |
| Actions |
Person Responsible |
Timeline |
Resources |
Source of Funds |
Implementation: Safe and drug-free school funds will
be used to enhance the drug prevention and violence
education curriculum in the district. A special emphasis
will be given to educating all students about the dangers
of bullying. Curriculum materials will be purchased that
focus on violence and drug education and character
education. DVDs that illustrate the dangers on drugs and
violence will be purchased. Counselors will purchase
materials that address the issues dealt with at particular
campuses. The Second Step, A Violence Prevention
Curriculum will be purchased for students at grades 4 & 5.
The counselors will utilize the resources available from
the Mid South Prevention Library in Little Rock. Books
that are used for read-alouds will be purchased so that
counselors and teachers can read to students about the
dangers of drugs and violence. Guest speakers and
innovative programs will be provided for the students.
Action Type: Collaboration
Action Type: Equity
|
Judy Dowdy |
Start: 07/01/2009
End: 06/30/2010 |
- Central Office
- Community Leaders
- Outside Consultants
|
| Title IV-A - Materials & Supplies: |
$9578.54 |
| Title IV-A - Purchased Services: |
$700.00 |
|
| ACTION BUDGET: |
$10278.54 |
|
Professional Development: Professional development is
provided through several avenues. The counselors attend
the state conference and receive information about drug
and violence education. The school resource officer
provides training on current issues related to drug use in
this area of the state. Parents are invited to meetings
sponsored by the resource officer.
Action Type: Equity
Action Type: Professional Development
|
Judy Dowdy |
Start: 07/01/2009
End: 06/30/2010 |
|
|
Evaluation: The success of the drug, violence, and
character education programs of the schools will be
measured by a decrease in the number of students at grades
6-8-10-12 showing a decrease in participation in
destructive behaviors based on the Arkansas Prevention
Needs Assessment. Other evaluation tools will include
disciplinary referrals and suspensions, both out-of-school
and and in-school suspension. Data from 08-09 indicates a
slight decrease in disciplinary referrals to the office.
Action Type: Program Evaluation
|
Judy Dowdy |
Start: 07/01/2009
End: 06/30/2010 |
- Community Leaders
- Teachers
|
|
| Total Budget: |
$10278.54 |
|
| Priority 3: |
The Arkansas Department of Education - Special Education
-has not identified the Ashdown School District as being
disproportionate in African American students with
disabilities in comparison to the district's total population
of African American students. |
| Supporting Data: |
- The African American population of the district is
30.56% while the special education population is 35.03%. The
White population of the district is 65.66% while the special
education population is 62.71%.
- The Special Education Focus Monitoring Data from the
2005-06 school year indicated that the difference between
the representation of the African-American students in the
district's overall school population (32.77%) and the
representation of African American Students in special
education (42.92%) is an area of concern because the
difference exceeds the state's average of one standard
deviation of 6.71% by 3.49%, or a difference of 10.14% by
the district. The percentage of special education students
dropped during the 2005-06 school year indicating the
interventions are beginning to have some success.
-
|
| Goal |
To maintain a proportionate number of students in special
education within our district |
| Benchmark |
To decrease disproportionality within the district to
within one standard deviation of the state benchmark |
| Intervention: To add an interventionist to
maximize student achievement through response to
intervention and differentiation of instruction |
| Scientific Based Research: The RTI Guide:
Developing and Implementing a Model in Your School, John
Cook, 2006. Response to Intervention, National Association
of State Directors of Special Education, 2005. |
| Actions |
Person Responsible |
Timeline |
Resources |
Source of Funds |
A part-time interventionist will be employed to
maximize student achievement through response to
intervention and differentiation of instruction. This
staff member will assist with professional development
activities, work with classroom teachers on interventions
to ensure proper use and accountability and assist
teachers with differentiating instruction within the
classroom. She will also assist teachers with IRIs and
AIPs. The interventionist will also encourage the use of
positive behavioral interventions and supports and model
teaching strategies to enhance learning. Direct
interventions will also be provided to identified
students. The interventionist will have the opportunity
for on-going professional development through ADE and
other agencies. Materials will be purchased as needed.
Formative assessment will include on-going assessment of
student needs as measured through DIEBELS and literacy and
math assessments, target testing, observation and
classroom performance. As part of as summative assessment,
an end of the year report will be compiled showing pre and
post testing data from students designated as needing
interventions in addition to a school report showing
progress toward benchmarks.
Action Type: Collaboration
Action Type: Equity
Action Type: Special Education
|
Jan Ueckert |
Start: 07/01/2009
End: 06/30/2010 |
|
|
| Total Budget: |
$0 |
|
| Priority 4: |
Providing support for the schools in implementing wellness
standards |
| Supporting Data: |
- N/A
|
| Goal |
The school district will provide support for all schools
as they implement the wellness standards in order to improve
the health of all students. |
| Benchmark |
Healthier BMI results will be evident in all students by
the end of the current school year. |
| Intervention: The Ashdown School District
will implement policies, procedures, and stratgies that
encourage a healthier life style for students and staff.
(Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act of 2004 - Public Law:
108-265; Act 1220 of 2003) |
| Scientific Based Research: |
| Actions |
Person Responsible |
Timeline |
Resources |
Source of Funds |
Board Policy: The health and physical well-being of
our students directly affects their ability to learn.
Childhood obesity increases the incidence of adult
diseases occurring in children and adolescents such as
heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. The
increased risk carries forward into their childhood.
Research indicates that a healthy diet and regular
physical activity can help prevent obesity and the
diseases resulting from it. It is understood that the
eating habits and exercise patterns of students cannot be
magically changed overnight, but at the same time, the
Ashdown School District Board of Education believes that
it is necessary to strive to create a culture in our
schools that consistently promotes good nutrition and
physical activity........
Action Type: Collaboration
Action Type: Parental Engagement
Action Type: Professional Development
Action Type: Wellness
|
Mike Walker |
Start: 07/01/2009
End: 06/30/2010 |
- Community Leaders
- District Staff
|
|
Nutrition education, physical activity, and other
school-based activities will be implemented into the
curriculum at each school.
Action Type: Wellness
|
Jan Ueckert |
Start: 07/01/2009
End: 06/30/2010 |
|
|
Nutrition guidelines will be followed in selecting all
foods available to students in the district.
Action Type: Wellness
|
Stacy Adams |
Start: 07/01/2009
End: 06/30/2010 |
|
|
| Total Budget: |
$0 |
|
| Priority 5: |
Corrective Action Priority |
| Supporting Data: |
- Two schools are in Year 3 of School Improvement. L. F.
Henderson is in Targeted Improvement - year 3 - corrective
action, and Ashdown Jr. High is in Whole School Improvement
-year - corrective action.
|
| Goal |
The Ashdown School District will provide support to the
two schools as they implement the actions required under
Corrective Action. |
| Benchmark |
L. F. Henderson and Ashdown Jr. High School will meet AYP
in each sub population for the 2009-2010 school year or
decrease the number of students below proficient by 10% in
order to meet Safe Harbor for the 2009-2010 school year. |
| Intervention: The Ashdown School District
will provide support to Ashdown Jr. High School and L. F.
Henderson Intermediate School as they implement the
actions required under corrective actions as listed in the
district checklist. |
| Scientific Based Research: |
| Actions |
Person Responsible |
Timeline |
Resources |
Source of Funds |
20% of Title 1 funds are set aside for Supplemental
Education Services at L. F. Henderson Intermediate School.
SES will begin in January and will be open to all students
on free and reduced lunch. Ashdown Jr. High School will
offer supplemental services through extended time in
language arts and math at the 6th grade level. At the 7th
grade and 8th grade, all students not proficient are
enrolled in developmental math and reading which focus on
intervening in areas where students have not reached
proficiency. After-school tutoring is also available at
jr. high. School choice is not feasible since there is
only one school for each grade level. The district
supports these actions by providing needed resources and
managing funds as needed.
Action Type: AIP/IRI
Action Type: Collaboration
Action Type: Equity
|
Judy Dowdy |
Start: 07/01/2009
End: 06/30/2010 |
|
|
All parents are notified prior to the beginning of the
school year of AYP status. The district supports this
action by requiring that copies of the notification are
sent to the district administration office and maintained
on file.
Action Type: Parental Engagement
|
Judy Dowdy |
Start: 07/01/2009
End: 08/15/2009 |
|
|
All math teachers in grades 4-7 have been trained in
Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI). This program extends
student's thinking about math and integrates into the
present curriculum that we have adopted, Growing with
Mathematics and Math in Context. The district supported
this action by funding registration fees for all teachers.
New employees were hired for two literacy positions due to
resignations. Professional development funds are delegated
to both schools in corrective action.
Action Type: Collaboration
Action Type: Equity
Action Type: Professional Development
|
Judy Dowdy |
Start: 07/01/2009
End: 06/30/2010 |
|
|
The school district is supporting the two schools that
are in corrective action by providing funds for
professional development, funding the positions of
instructional facilitator at both campuses, providing
extensive technology for teacher and student use, and
purchasing software-driven assessments to determine the
need for interventions.
Action Type: Collaboration
Action Type: Equity
Action Type: Professional Development
Action Type: Technology Inclusion
|
Judy Dowdy |
Start: 07/01/2009
End: 06/30/2010 |
|
|
The school district provides classroom space for 4 ABC
preschool classrooms. Eighty (80) students are enrolled.
Professional development funds are provided for one school
through categorical professional development funds and
Title 1 funds. The other school receives professional
development funds through Title IIA and categorical
professional development funds. Additional time for math
and literacy are provided to students at both schools
through developmental classes and intervention time. The
district supports this action by funding necessary staff.
Action Type: Collaboration
Action Type: Equity
Action Type: Professional Development
|
Judy Dowdy |
Start: 07/01/2009
End: 06/30/2010 |
|
|
The school district will seek input from community and
outside specialist in determining the best way to meet the
needs of all students so that all students will be
successful.
Action Type: Collaboration
Action Type: Parental Engagement
|
Judy Dowdy |
Start: 07/01/2009
End: 06/30/2010 |
|
|
| Total Budget: |
$0 |
|
Planning Team
| Classification |
Name |
Position |
Committee |
| Community Representative |
Carolyn Castleman |
Retired teacher |
District Steering Committee |
| District-Level Professional |
Jan Ueckert |
Special Services Director |
District Steering Committee |
| District-Level Professional |
Judy Dowdy |
Curriculum Director |
District Steering Committee |
| District-Level Professional |
Mike Walker |
Superintendent |
District Steering Committee |
| Non-Classroom Professional Staff |
Korillene Harris |
Counselor |
District Steering Committee |
| Non-Classroom Professional Staff |
Quincy Rayfield |
Counselor |
District Steering Committee |
| Non-Classroom Professional Staff |
Susan Fleming |
Counselor |
District Steering Committee |
| Non-Classroom Professional Staff |
Vi Winters |
Counselor |
District Steering Committee |
| Non-Classroom Professional Staff |
Yvonne Bond |
Counselor |
District Steering Committee |
| Parent |
Robyn Needham |
Parent |
District Steering Committee |
| Parent |
Sherry Grimes |
Parent |
District Steering Committee |
| Principal |
James Jones |
Principal |
District Steering Committee |
| Principal |
John Crowder |
Principal |
District Steering Committee |
| Principal |
Kay York |
Principal |
District Steering Committee |
| Principal |
Keith Fricks |
Principal |
District Steering Committee |
| Principal |
Linda Walker |
ALE Principal |
District Steering Committee |
| Principal |
Teresa Wake |
Principal |
District Steering Committee |
|