Kollasch Preview 2

1) St. Elizabeth School provides a Christ centered, child focused learning environment where Catholic ideals and a tradition of excellence
are instilled.

2) The mission of Professional Development is to improve student achievement and success through the creation of a professional
learning community that provides opportunities and resources to ensure that all staff is highly qualified and supported in the work of
teaching and learning. These opportunities will:

 promote student achievement and a positive learning environment
 promote more effective teaching and learning
 explore current research and best practice in education
 facilitate the adoption and implementation of Diocesan standards
 foster personal and professional growth
 integrate technology to enhance and extend learning
 provide for safe and well managed classroom environments
 integrate the use of assessment data to drive instructional decision making and foster individual student progress

3) School Improvement Goals:
- Improve student performance and achievement, especially in the area of spelling accuracy through the creation, utilization and

analysis of common assessments and focusing on like vocabulary and universal spelling strategies (ongoing)
- Provide opportunities for staff to acquire and apply effective teaching, communication, and safe classroom management

strategies, especially focusing on the effective and appropriate use of technology (ongoing)
- Provide opportunities for staff to acquire and apply effective teaching, communication, and safe classroom management

strategies, utilizing data in brain research, special education, and child development
- Provide training in crisis management that promotes a safe school environment (ongoing)
- Implement the school-wide 6+1Trait Writing Process to Instruct and assess students (accreditation goal #1)
-Implement benchmark reading assessments to provide systematic and student centered measures of reading achievement

along with a clearly defined data collection system ( understand and apply new Diocesan ELA curriculum standards and FA’s – on
going)

-Utilize the school wide process of teaching and assessing computation skills, achieve benchmark computation mastery levels,
and provide systematic and targeted re-teaching opportunities ( understand and apply new Diocesan math curriculum standards and
FA’s) (accreditation goal # 2)

- Establish positive school and classroom environments by implementing well designed and implemented routines and
procedures; ie “Tools for Teaching” in addition to anti-bullying programs, the adoption of the Second Step curriculum (Pre-8th), Love
and Logic and other behavior and management resources, and C.L.A.S.S. structures (ongoing)

- Develop educational leadership within our faculty by membership on Building Leadership team and various school focused
committees (ongoing)

- Utilize a variety of Professional Development resources as tools in acquiring skills in best practice, student engagement,
integration of technology, assessment practices, data collection and encourage school wide achievement of goals and provide
individual opportunities for targeted teacher improvement (ongoing)

-Improve student knowledge of the Four Pillars of the Catholic Faith: Creed, Liturgy, Sacraments and Morality as demonstrated by
increased proficiency scores on the ACRE assessment. (accreditation Goal #3)

-Adopt Science Fusion materials as our primary resource in grade K-5 and GO Math materials as our primary resource in grades
K-8 in order to facilitate delivery of the Diocesan Math and Science Curriculum Standards and FA’s.

4) Methods for determining professional development goal:
- Diocesan directives – Year long planning through the Brain to Brain program – C.L.A.S.S.
- Teacher SMART goals
- Analysis of student data (Iowa Assessments and common assessments)
- Adoption of Diocesan ELA and Math Standards and curriculum alignment to all diocesan standards
- Student achievement
- Teacher, student and parent surveys
- Current research on educational best practice

5) Statement of goals for school-sponsored and/or school supported professional development activities: On-going
 Faculty members and administrators will increase their ability to integrate the use of technology into their classroom
instruction carrying out integrated technology based projects within their grade level curriculum
 Faculty members and administrators will increase their knowledge of effective teaching and classroom management
strategies, including brain based instruction, implementation of consistent expectations in classroom and school wide
routines and procedures, differentiated instruction, Love and Logic etc. as indicated by current research.
 Faculty members and administrators will increase their understanding, use and application of assessment data as applies
to instructional practices and decision making, and individual student progress

 Faculty members and administrators will expand their knowledge and understanding of best practices in all curricular
areas to enhance student learning, student engagement and achievement; incorporating differentiated instruction and
intervention strategies including a focus on special needs students.

 Students and faculty will work with Parish Stewardship and Development director to carry out our baptismal call of service.
Students, families, and staff will participate in school, family, and individual service opportunities. A Service day will be
planned annually.

6) Evaluation methods for determining the effectiveness of professional development activities:
- Classroom walk-throughs
- Teacher evaluations, teacher goals and reflections
- PLC meeting minutes
- Student achievement in improvement areas as noted by ITBS scores, student grades, and evaluation of student growth in
common assessments and benchmark testing
- Student, Parent, and teacher surveys
- Evaluation of individual student data identifying student growth and performance levels

Approved long range goals for 2015-2019 accreditation cycle;

1. Teachers, staff and administration will create a rigorous program of writing instruction utilizing the 6 +1 Trait Writing Process
focusing on the implementation and analysis of the Four Square method of paragraph formation. Eighty-five percent of all
students will achieve scores of 80% or better on two or more work samples at the end of year four by applying the Four Square
Method. Scores will be analyzed using the Four Square rubric appropriate for each grade level.

2. Students in grades 3-8, will demonstrate fluent and accurate computation skills as evidenced by scoring a student norm composite
score of 80% or higher in the computations section of the ITBS, (or other standardized measure) and 85% or better in time grade level
benchmark assessments by the end of year four.

3. Improve students’ knowledge of the Four Pillars of the Catholic Faith; Creed, Liturgy and Sacraments, and Morality, and Prayer as
demonstrated by increased proficiency levels on the ACRE assessment. 60% of all 5th and 8th grade students will score in the advanced

quartile of the ACRE assessment by the end of year four. Teachers, students, and administration will support student learning and
application of knowledge in vocabulary specified in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and as stated in Diocesan Standards.