ABRAHAM LINCOLN SCHOOL
2016-2017 HIGHLIGHTS
Mission: The Bangor School Department will offer high quality instruction and comprehensive programs to provide academic excellence for all students.
Academic Excellence
**Preliminary Data—Comprehensive analysis to follow
**ELA–Reading
- Reading School-wide we went from 65% proficient in the Fall to 76% proficient in the spring.
Kindergarten—71% of our students met the new EOY benchmark
87% proficiency with the old benchmark
*Grade level coaching cycles and team meetings.
**Stretch goal of an “G”
- 92% of our second grade student cohort were proficient in F&P
- **84% of those students were above grade level**.
**Math
- 88% of our Kindergarten students scored 80% or higher on the EOY math assessment.
- 3 of our third grade students took 4th grade math EOY assessment and scored 75% or better. Notes on these students have been shared with Mary Snow.
- 17 students receiving special education services scored 80% or better on the EOY math assessments.
- Implementation of Math Running Records
Professional Excellence and Quality Instructional Programs
Professional Development in the 2016-2017 school year:
- 8 Staff members were involved in taking advanced course work
- ReadyGEN – Implementation guides, pacing, 4 literacy components, assessment (scoring PBA’s)
- Constructed Response – text-based and self-based prompts, helping students understand questions being asked, the CR framework, planning for CR instruction, acceleration of students in the area of CR
- Words Their Way – scoring, grouping students for instruction, planning independent activities, reflecting on independent time
- Kindergarten – assessment
- Coaching – reading workshop, writing workshop, ReadyGEN – scheduling & 4 literacy components, Words Their Way, Constructed Response, guided reading, and small group instruction
- Exciting conversations around texts (multiple genres)
- Students finding direct evidence at all grade levels – close reading
- Continued use of HOT questions with ReadyGEN
- Continued implementation of workshop model using ReadyGEN
- All classrooms using turn and talk
- All students have access to grade level material through language study
- Using data to support small group instruction for spelling
- Acceleration for students in spelling using WTW
- Students at all grade levels responding to reading in reading notebooks
- Coaching in grade level teams to promote collaboration and instructional leadership
- Strong communication between principal and building coach
- Ongoing communication with K teachers and building coach around guided reading and accelerating students through reading levels
- A team approach to the RTI process (SE, Title I, Coach, Classroom teachers)
- Title I providing K Lit support
- A flexible and fluid schedule for students who receive Title I support
- Flexibility in moving students across classrooms and grade levels to provide acceleration
- An emphasis on “read to self” and book boxes at all grade levels to promote independent reading
Next Steps:
- Create a plan for “coaching teams” of teachers who have similar needs for students
- Coaching around Guided Reading in K and small group instruction in PreK
- Work with principal to build instructional leadership among the staff
- Continued Calibration of scoring CR at the building level
Coaching Cycles:
- All classroom teachers have completed a coaching cycle
- Next year a goal is to include SE and Title I in a coaching cycle
Environment for Success
School Information:
- 96% of students in grades 1-3 participated in at least two before and afterschool activities.
- Walking School Bus Implemented—Maxed at 18 students was our peak. Only one canceled day!
- Teen Trendsetters—Partnership with the Cohen School to promote mentoring and literacy.
- SNAP Food and Nutrition Program—PreK and Second Grade
Special Events:
- Bangor Rams Football Night
- Frog town Mountain Puppeteers Performance
- Treat Parade
- Visiting Artist
- Bangor Symphony Orchestra Field Trip—Third Grade
- 2 Book Fair—Theme nights on the final night
- Title 1 Parent Compact Night
- Parent Teacher Conferences
- Literacy Night
- College Gear Day
- Bangor Day
- Third Grade Winter Concert
- Academic Showcase (STEM Focus)
- Healthy Kids Night/Family Dance
- Participation in Kindness Week—Created a Kindness Chain
- Third Grade All City Concert
- Kindergarten to the Phillip Strickland House for the May Pole
- Third Grade Wax Museum
- Architect Mike Pullen Presentation on Downeast to Bangor
- Spring Fair
- Field Day
- Third Grade Step-Up Day
- Bangor High School Graduates March
Community Schools:
- Reading Intervention
- Reading/Writing Enrichment
- Math Intervention
- Homework Club
- Art Club
- Physical Education Club
Chess Club ABRAHAM LINCOLN SCHOOL
2015-2016 HIGHLIGHTS
Mission: The Bangor School Department will offer high quality instruction and comprehensive programs to provide academic excellence for all students.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
The Abraham Lincoln School will continue to thoroughly dissect data to improve achievement. I have shared some of our highlights that show our performances throughout the 2015-2016 school year.
QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM
The Quality Instructional Program is a vital piece in achieving academic excellence for all students. Our school has reaped the benefits from a researched-based quality instructional program.
Teachers at the Abraham Lincoln School are proficient in the use of Promethean Boards. These interactive white boards were used to enhance instruction, engage learners, and promote higher-order-thinking. This year we were able to successfully implement Chrombooks into all third grade classrooms. The use of IPADS and laptops continue to provided a greater opportunity for students to work with technology.
TECHNOLOGY
-Chromebooks in all third grade classrooms (1:1 student ratio)
-Promethean Boards
-iPads
-Laptops
We will continue to be life-long learners and sharpen our craft as educators. The Workshop Framework in ELA and Math are evolving and will continue to improve. We are exceptional with the reading and writing workshop. We will continue to grow our framework within the Envision math program. The posting of learning targets has helped us understand Zaggle’s number one way to improve achievement is through self-reporting. Posting learning targets have helped students “know what they are learning and why they are learning”. Time is a priority and integrating across curriculum is essential to meet needs in all content areas. Data drives instruction!! We must continue to analyze data and apply what we have learned to accelerate student learning.
BEST INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICE
-Workshop Model Implementation (Reading, Writing, Math)
-Team Teaching in Math
-Whole Group, Small Group, Individualized
-Posted Learning Targets
-Integration across the Curriculum
-Data Analysis Drives Instruction
A balanced inclusion model has continued to thrive. During the 2015-2016 school year, the Abraham Lincoln School was able to implement a team teaching model in a first and a third grade classroom. This model was extremely successful and dovetailed nicely with our inclusion model. We are finding the right balance and allocating resources appropriately in the mainstream setting. We are able to “double up” in reading and math where appropriate. RTI continues to be strength at Abe. A school-wide initiative was included for 15 minutes each morning at the start of the school day. This focus was to draw attention to math and used to generate enthusiasm for our school community regarding math. All students at Abe have been participating in Tuesday/Thursday Math Facts to start the day. This is a school-wide intervention to accelerate the learning of math facts. Over the intercom we announce the start and stop times and play music related to math at the conclusion.
INTERVENTION AND ACCELERATION
-Team Teaching
-Math Emphasis to Start the Day
-Response to Intervention (RTI)
-Balanced Inclusion Model
-Enrichment and Support Community School
-Tuesday/Thursday Math Facts
-Kindergarten Literacy
-Title One
Teachers continue to use resources to enhance instruction and develop professionally. The data wall meetings are always exciting because we are able to visually see, student growth over time.
RESOURCES
-Title Funds
-Literacy Center
-Data Wall
-District/Building Level Collaboration
ENVIRONMENT FOR SUCCESS
The Abraham Lincoln School has created an Environment for Success for staff, families, and most importantly students. As a means to engage families in the Abraham Lincoln School experience, we provided multiple opportunities to support, enrich, and excite our school community.
The Community Schools Program provides an opportunity for support and enrichment in reading and math. Teachers would make recommendations throughout the year on students they felt were in need of extra support or acceleration. The Physical Education Club was a big hit for all of the students that participated.
COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
-SIGN LANGUAGE
-MATH SUPPORT
-READING ENRICHMENT
-READING SUPPORT
-HOMEWORK CLUB
-PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLUB
Our PTO has been fabulous! They have provided us with support in a variety of areas. The Math and Literacy Night were a highlights. These PEAK events were supported by 100% participation from teachers and provided valuable take home ideas for families. The PTO events are always well attended and build a sense of community. The Abraham Lincoln School continues to have strong relationships with our neighbors.
PTO EVENTS
-Treat Parade
-Healthy Kids Night
-Family Literacy and Math Night
-Spring Fair
-Book Fair
-Phillip Strickland House Kindergarten May Pole
The Abraham Lincoln School participated in building level and district level events to promote a wide-range of opportunities to enhance academic excellence, support the community, and showcase our work. Our Beginning and End of Year assemblies were the bookends of our successful school year. The Beginning of Year was essentially our whole group mini-lesson. We set the expectation for the year and built upon it throughout the year. At our EOY assembly we reviewed our year with a slide show and wished our third graders well as they transition to Mary Snow. Our school had great participation in College Gear Day and Bangor Day. We promoted post-secondary education and wore our colors to support the great City of Bangor. The third grade Wax Museum is always a highlight and did not disappoint. Students earned awards by being compassionate, respectful, responsible, honest, and ambitious. The term that signified the reason for earning the award was highlighted.
SCHOOL EVENTS
-Beginning of Year Assembly
-Rick Charette Performance
-Bangor Day
-College Gear Day
-Proud Panda Awards
-End of Year Slide Show
-Third Grade Wax Museum
-District Showcase
-Field Day
***We had over 96% of our students participate in at least two after-school activities during the 2015-2016 school year.
PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE
The staff at the Abraham Lincoln School continued to sharpen their craft, during the 2015-2016 school year, in a variety of ways to meet the needs of all learners. Staff members have participated in book studies, professional development opportunities, committee work, and continued to promote an expectation of excellence.
As is the case in at the beginning of each school year, I started the year with a letter I had delivered to each staff member about legacy. Teachers have bought into this piece and I am proud to say we have five staff members who are in the process of enrolling to pursue advanced degrees! Teachers have participated in course work, in-service, grade/staff meetings around professional development, and aligning vertically as an eastside feeder school.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
– Course Work
– District In-service
– Staff/Grade Level Meetings
-Eastside Principal meetings
-Sped. Transition Meetings with Mary Snow Staff
-Posted Learning Targets
***Five teachers will be enrolling in advanced degree programs next year!
EXPECTATION OF EXCELLENCE
-SMART Goals
-H-O-T Every Day, Every Lesson, Every Student
-Instructional Best Practice
-Expertise in the BSD 10 year Strategic Plan
COMMITTEE WORK
-ReadyGen Reading Committee
-Science Committee (Water Unit)
-Evaluation Committee
-Writing Committee
-Grade Level Math Committee
Overall, we did some tremendous work throughout the 2015-2016 school year. We have a lot of work to do and will build upon our success and improve in areas of need. As we continue to sort through our data and analyze student progress we will use this information to drive our instruction and school-wide goals. As always, the Abraham Lincoln School will continue to strive for excellence in all that we do.