School Improvement Plan

Consolidated School Improvement Plan

Title I, Part A, Schoolwide, Title I, Part A Targeted Assistance, and School Improvement

The following information is included in the 2023-2026 School Improvement Plan for Royal Intermediate School.  A complete version of this plan is in the link below. Please contact the school office at 509-346-2226, if you have any questions. 

Consolidated School Improvement Plan.pdf


Section 1: Building Data

  • 1a. Building: Royal Intermediate School
  • 1b. Principal: Angela Baldus
  • 1c. District: Royal School District
  • 1d. Board Approval Date: June 2023
  • 1e. Plan Date: 2023-2026
  • 1f. Washington School Improvement Framework (WSIF) Support Status:  Targeted 3+
  • 1g. Grade Span: 4-6
  • School Type: Intermediate
  • 1h. Building Enrollment: 408
  • 1i. F/R Percentage: District-wide free & reduced lunch
  • 1j. Special Education Percentage: 12.4 %
  • 1k. English Learner Percentage: 42.7%


Section 2: School Leadership Team Members

Parent-Community Partners:

Emily Christensen, Instructional Coach
Bree Andra, Librarian/parent
Chris Palmer, STEM Specialist/ parent
Elise Holm, Special Ed Teacher
 Emelda Alvarado, Mental Health Specialist
Liesel Hill, 4th grade teacher
Rebecca Burke
, 5th grade teacher
Kori Russell, 6th grade teacher/ parent


Section 3: Vision and Mission Statement

Welcome to our school! We are thrilled to be at Royal Intermediate School and are excited to teach, encourage, challenge, and inspire students this year. This connects to our mission – “This Student, This Place, This Day – It Matters!”
As always our goal is to continue to foster a challenging and supportive climate for all to be successful. We embark on this journey with a pledge to you, our students, and parents, that our school will be a place of engaging, meaningful, and rigorous work in our classrooms, combined with special events and opportunities.


Section 4: Comprehensive Needs Assessment ( Component #1- Needs Assessment Summary) 

Student Populations

What key takeaways does your school have about how student groups are performing on state (e.g., Washington School Improvement Framework) and locally determined indicators of learning and teaching success?

WIDA: Our 2021-22 results were dismal and we only had 4 students pass and exit bilingual services.  We increased the level to intermediate and advance in the Systematic ELD classes.  We had 10 students pass and exit services during the 2022-23 school year.

SBAC: About 60% of our students score below grade level in math and reading.  When compared to other schools with our same demographics in poverty, we are out performing them on the SBAC.

i-READY: The i-Ready test is administered 3 times yearly.  In math, 60% of our students are scoring below grade level.  In reading, 50% of students are scoring below grade level.

DIBELS: We have a team that progress monitors our students that scored intensive on the i-Ready Fall test. 

CEE: Our student perceptual data decreased in all of the 9 areas--with monitoring of teaching and learning AND supportive learning environment showing the greatest decrease.  Our strongest score for students is "My teacher believes student learning is important."

 What are some possible root causes your team has identified? Consider both identification of areas of strength and what it will take to build strength in other areas.

  • MTSS - Yellow and Red cards - consistency amongst - Greg Brenner being utilized across. Behavior flowchart.
  • RTI - enrichment and tutorial
  • PBIS - House System; consistency
  • SEL - Digital Citizenship and Character Strong, is it utilized to it's fullest potential.
  • Root causes: high bilingual, poverty, double working families, single parent homes

A central element of quality improvement work is being centered on our learners. Describe typical student at your school that you think is a representational example of the student population (Do not include identifiable information!).

What strengths do they possess?

  • Bilingual/ Bicultural
  • Ability to learn in two languages (English not necessarily the preferred language).
  • Large Hispanic population students (they can relate to each other)
  • Community resources

What challenges do they face?

  • Language barriers (for some students, but mainly adults, this limits the ability for parent to teacher or teacher to parent communication).
  • Racism within the Hispanic population. (the color of the skin, what parts of Mexico their families come from & also social economics).
  • Acceptance or Lack of religion, whether they belong to the “have or have not group”.
  • Financial limitations (unable to join sports/ clubs etc. due lack of funds).
  • Social Media
  • Respect

What are some important relationships in their life?

  • Family
  • Extended family
  • A Sense of belonging “their created families” (such as gangs)
  • Loyalty
  • Spiritual /Religion
  • Teachers / Staff (connections beyond reading and math)
  • Respect

Title I, Part A, Targeted Assistance Program Requirement: Answer the following questions to satisfy the requirement of Component Two - Identification of Students

Please describe how you select students for the program based on multiple criteria, e.g., Student Data, Teacher Referral, Previous Placement, etc.

  • We use student data.
  • Our school uses the iReady program.
  • We use the iReady program benchmark tests to identify students in need of intervention, the data is gathered and analyzed by the instructional coach and interventionist teacher.
  • We have data dives where we take into account teacher concerns. 

We are planning on continuing the services next year based on end of year data from iReady, SBAC and progress monitoring

Describe the process used to create the rank-order list of students identified to receive services, e.g., grade level, age, failing or at risk of failing, not meeting standards, etc.

  • We use iReady data that is ordered by percentile ranking
  • We group kids based on IEP identification first, then we rank-order the remaining students by grade level based on overall iReady scores for reading and math.
  • We were able to include students up to the 20th percentile and lower in intervention groups for 30 minutes each day. These students were at least two grade levels below.
  • After students were identified, lists were presented to staff to get teacher feedback.

How will you use student data to monitor progress, at what intervals will you monitor progress, and how will student data be used to determine if a student is ready to exit services?

  • We use iReady diagnostic scores three times a year .
  • We collect DIBELS data three times a year as well as progress monitoring once a month.
  • We use growth indicator scores for iReady and DIBELS to determine if students are making progress.
  • Students will exit when they score higher than two grade levels below.
  • Program assessments are used as well: Reading Mastery (Reading) and Bridges (Math).

Educators

  1. Describe the degree to which your vision and the equity statement are reflected in the actual building culture and day to day activities of your school?

Our vision statement/equity statement is reflected in the building culture and day to day activities because at each meeting our students are at the forefront of our focus. Because our vision is “this student, this place, this day, it matters” it emphasizes our motto of always doing what’s best for kids.

  1. What professional learning and support have you identified that the school’s staff (e.g., administrators, educators, counselors, paraprofessionals, support staff, etc.) need to strengthen the implementation of evidence-based practices for both teaching and learning, as well as intervention supports (e.g., positive behavior interventions)?

We have identified that our students need social emotional learning. The evidence shows that it will improve learning. Another support we identified is the need for a tier 2 behavior flowchart. The evidence shows an improved learning environment for all students. Staff have been watching the Whole Child to support our professional learning on social emotional learning and behavioral strategies.

  1. What professional learning and support have you already implemented that is proving to be powerful and effective? What are your metrics for identifying them as successful?
  • consistent data and universal tracking-we have that with Dibels
  • Reading Mastery training with data tracking and re-teach lessons
  • We go off grade level expectations OR a set amount of growth
  • iReady w/ training and universal data.

4. Title I, Part A, Targeted Assistance Program Requirement: Answer the following questions to satisfy the requirement of Component 6 - Professional Development

    a. How do the opportunities for professional development you plan to provide align to the needs of teachers and paraeducators who work with students who receive targeted assistance?

Professional development is planned for the programs we are using (Reading Mastery and Bridges). Both of these programs are intervention programs where the students take placement tests and are placed in groups according to instructional needs.

    b. How will the professional development activities benefit the students receiving targeted assistance services?

Students will have consistent instruction from research based intervention programs that will be systematic and explicit.


Systems of Support

  1. Consider the degree to which your school’s system of support is grounded in meeting the behavioral, social-emotional, and academic needs of students: Identify areas of the strength for your school’s system of support and how other areas will be strengthened.

STRENGTH: Our certificated and certified staff have participated in a number of trainings and presentations centered on social and emotional topics that impact both our students and families. Furthermore, the majority of our certificated staff has undergone training for Character Strong and Purposeful People curriculum which strives to meet the needs of our students in the social and emotional realms. Other positives in this topic are that we have regularly scheduled Parent and Community (PAC) Involvement meets, a PTO organization, and our full time parent liaison who all help bridge the gap between the school, students, and their families.

GROWTH: In order to facilitate growth in this area we need to have further trainings offered to ensure all new staff has been able to learn and participate in the important work of social and emotional development. It needs to be continually emphasized that as we meet the social and emotional needs of our students we will see the benefits of raised academic performance.

  1. How did your school identify these areas of strengths and improvement?

These areas of strengths were mainly gathered through two methods. The first method was through a district wide CEE survey which was completed by staff, students and parents. In addition data was gathered from multiple one on one meetings with a set of predetermined questions. These meetings were an opportunity for every staff member regardless of their role to communicate areas of celebration and areas of improvement in a personal conversation with an administrator, a colleague, or an instructional coach.

3.  How well do school and community systems interact to assure continuity of supports for students? Provide at least one example.

Our school and community systems interact moderately well to assure continuity of support provided for students. RENEW currently helps us provide a larger interaction with the community. Also the WISE team provides wrap around services between the school and the community with meetings that are held monthly. One specific example we recently had was with a student struggling with major mental health concerns. Through the team work within the WISE group we were able to get her the specific help she needed including housing in a health facility.

4. What areas have you identified as areas of the strength, and where do you hope to strengthen and build further family and community engagement and partnership(s)?

STRENGTHS: PAC meetings where community resources are provided for interaction, district contracts with RENEW and WISE.

AREAS FOR GROWTH; PAC meetings could benefit from greater attendance and participation from school staff members. This would entail staff members having a greater understanding of what these programs are and what they entail. The same holds true for PTO meetings. A greater connection needs to be created between school and community. 

5. Title I, Part A, Targeted Assistance Program Requirement: Answer the following questions to satisfy the requirement of Component 4 - Coordination and Transitions

a. How does your targeted assistance program coordinate with core and additional programs in the school?

Students will have consistent instruction from research based intervention programs that will be systematic and explicit.

b. How have you aligned your targeted supports to ensure students falling in WSIF identified student groups are receiving required services to ensure growth and proficiency?

Students are chosen by data analysis using district screening test such as Iready ready and math as well as DIBELs. We keep track of progress monitoring data to ensure growth and proficiency. We meet with teachers at least 3 times a year to make sure we are not missing any students who need additional help and to get teacher input on students' progress in the classroom.

c. How do you support transitions between grade spans?

We have vertical alignment meetings at the end of the year to inform the next grade level on what supports their new students have received and what services need to continue. Instructional coach and intervention teacher meet weekly with other teachers and admin to get information on students from other schools. End of year tests are used to help plan intervention programs for the following year.

dAre the students in your targeted assistance program able to participate in electives/enrichment time that pique their interest?

Yes students are able to attend elective classes during the school day and are the first to be invited to after school programs to enrich their learning.

 

6. Title I, Part A, Targeted Assistance Program Requirement: Answer the following questions to satisfy the requirement of Component 5 - Parent and Family Engagement

    a. How does your parent and family engagement strategy align to your targeted assistance practices and strategies?

We invite parents and community members into our school throughout the year to help with things like Amazing Shake competition and family math game time.  We have family night every year where parents get to meet the teachers and learn about what our school programs are as well as parent teacher conferences after grading periods to discussion the needs and success of their student. 

    b. How will you evaluate your parent and family engagement strategies? How will you know if they are working?

We send out the CEE parent survey every year and evaluate the results to find out what is working and where we can make changes to improve.