Learn Well Initiative United Way of Tarrant County

Transcription

______ Learn Well Initiative United Way of Tarrant County ______

United Way: Learn Well, Year 4
____________
Learn Well Initiative
United Way of
Tarrant County
____________
Year 4: 2013-2014
Annual Report
August 15, 2014
Cynthia Williams, Ph.D.
Kim Nimon, Ph.D.
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Table of Contents
The Learn Well Initiative Program Overview....……………………………………………………………………….5
Executive Summary .............................................................................................................. 7
Reach: Numbers of Children and Parents Served ................................................................. 7
Participant Impact: Key Findings ........................................................................................ 8
Participant Impact: Key Findings Continued......................................................................... 9
Collective Impact .............................................................................................................10
System Change................................................................................................................10
United Way Bold Goal or Conclusion Statement ..................................................................12
Dashboard ......................................................................................................................12
AISD Learn Well Initiative ....................................................................................................13
Student Participation in United Way-Sponsored Programs (Target 1) ....................................15
Student Performance on C-PALLS Assessment (Target 2) ....................................................15
Acquisition of Age-Appropriate Literacy Skills (Target 3) ......................................................15
Progress on the DRA-2 during Kindergarten (Target 4) .......................................................16
Parents and Caregivers Participation in United Way Programs (Target 5) ..............................16
Parent Engagement in Oral Language Activities (Target 6) ..................................................17
Parent Attendance at Early Childhood Education Events (Target 7) ......................................17
Pre-K Teacher Training (Target 8) .....................................................................................17
Summary and Conclusions ................................................................................................18
BISD Early Learning Program ...............................................................................................19
Student Participation in United Way-Sponsored Programs....................................................21
(Target 1) .......................................................................................................................21
PreK Student Performance on mCLASS Assessment (Target 2).............................................21
Health Screenings and Referrals (Target 3) ........................................................................22
Parent Engagement in Children Development (Target 5) .....................................................22
Parent Participation in United Way Programs (Target 4) ......................................................23
Parenting Skills of PAT Families (Target 6) .........................................................................23
Partner Childcare Classroom Mentoring (Target 7) ..............................................................24
Childcare Teacher Certification (Target 8) ..........................................................................24
Summary and Conclusions ................................................................................................25
3
FWISD Leveled Literacy Intervention Program .......................................................................26
Participants (Target 1) .....................................................................................................26
Parental/Caregiver Involvement (Targets 4-5) ....................................................................26
Progress Toward United Way and LLI Program Targets in Year 4 .........................................27
Reading Proficiency and Growth (Targets 2-3) ....................................................................28
Volunteers (Target 7) .......................................................................................................31
LLI 2013-2014 Summary and Progress Toward United Way Bold Goal ..................................31
FWISD Middle School Transitions Interventions Program ........................................................32
Participants (Target 1) .....................................................................................................32
Academic Coaching (Target 7) ..........................................................................................32
Parental/Caregiver Involvement (Target 9) ........................................................................33
MSSI Program Targets .....................................................................................................33
Achievement (Targets 2-4) ...............................................................................................35
Absences (Target 5) .........................................................................................................36
Community Partners (Targets 10-11) .................................................................................36
Changes in Attitudes (Target 8) ........................................................................................36
Discipline Referrals (Target 6) ...........................................................................................37
MSSI 2013-2014 Summary and Progress Toward United Way Bold Goal ...............................37
References .........................................................................................................................38
Appendix A: Maps of Partner Campuses by Program ..............................................................39
Appendix B: MSSI Student Survey Items, 2013-2014..............................................................43
Appendix C: Grade Levels, Reading Levels and Numerical Codes .............................................45
4
List of Tables and Figures
Table A1. Summary of Progress for AISD’s Learn Well Program, 2013-2014. ............................14
Figure A1. CPALLS+ Overall Phonological Awareness Comparisons ..........................................15
Table A2. EOY DRA-Results for AISD UW Kindergarteners ......................................................16
Table A3. Parent and Caregiver Participation by Quarter (N =826) ..........................................16
Table A4. Parent Engagement Criteria by UW Participation .....................................................17
Table A5. Parent Engagement in OLA by UW Participation ......................................................17
Table B1. Summary of Progress for BISD’s Early Learning Program, 2013-2014. .......................20
Table B2. Student Participation by Quarter and Program ........................................................21
Table B3. mCLASS Growth by Program .................................................................................21
Figure B1. Mean mCLASS BOY and Growth Scores by Program ...............................................22
Figure B2. # Parents by Reading Criteria and Time of Year (N =177) ......................................22
Table B4. Parent Participation by Event .................................................................................23
Table B5. Parent Engagement Criteria by UW Participation (N = 108) ......................................23
Table B6. Mentoring Hours by CC Classroom and Quarter .......................................................24
Table B7. Certification by Childcare Center ............................................................................24
Figure C1. Annual LLI Student Enrollment by Program Year ....................................................26
Table C1. Examples of LLI Reading Target Modifications by Program Year ...............................27
Table C2. Summary of Progress for FWISD’s LLI Learn Well Initiative Program, 2013-2014. ......28
Table C3. Number and Percentage of LLI Students Approaching or Meeting Grade Level
Expectations by the End of Year 4* ......................................................................................29
Figure C2. Year-End Longitudinal Progress In Approaching Grade-Level Reading Proficiency as
Measured by Fountas and Pinnell (2012) ...............................................................................29
Figure C3. Comparison of Actual and Expected Reading Proficiency Development Across Year 4:
1st Grade* .........................................................................................................................30
2nd Grade* ........................................................................................................................30
3rd Grade* .........................................................................................................................30
Table D1. Trends in MSSI Coaching During 2013-2014 ...........................................................32
Table D2. Number of Parents/Caregivers Attending At Least One MSSI Related Event By Academic
Cycle. .................................................................................................................................33
Figure D1. Longitudinal GO Center Target and Actual Participation Growth...............................33
Table D3. Summary of Progress for FWISD’s MSSI Learn Well Initiative Program, 2013-2014. ...34
Figure D2. Trends in Core Pass Rates. ..................................................................................35
Figure D3. Change in Averages for STAAR Scores Between Year 3 and Year 4 ..........................35
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The Learn Well Initiative Program Overview
The Learn Well Initiative is utilizing three key strategies to reach the bold goal of increasing ontime graduation rates by 20% at selected schools. These strategies represent a cradle to career
model to help low-income students from participating schools graduate on time, and include early
learning, early grade reading and middle school transitions.
Strategy One:
Increase kindergarten readiness by targeting families with children aged 0 to 5
AISD Early Childhood Program: The program is delivered in 19 elementary schools that will
ultimately feed into Sam Houston High School. Program components include:
 Toddler Time sessions target parents of children birth to age 3 and are designed to increase
home awareness of oral and print language development.
 Lee y Serás sessions target parents of children birth to age 3 and are designed to increase
their skills and understanding of their role in supporting their child(ren)’s academic success.
 Parent/family engagement sessions target parents of PreK students and cover topics such as
literacy and dental health.
 Library field trips target PreK students between the ages of 3 and 4. Participating PreK
students are introduced to the Arlington public library by experiencing a storyteller read a
book, touring the children’s area of the library, receiving a literacy bag with a book, as well as
receive an Arlington public library card.
 Weekly summer reading classes target PreK students and their parents and younger siblings
and are designed to prevent summer regression.
BISD Early Childhood Program: BISD targets families with children aged 0-5 and childcare
programs in the 76117 zip code. The children attending schools in this zip code will feed into
Haltom High School. Program components include:


Parents As Teachers: The PAT program utilizes the Parents as Teachers Foundational
curriculum to provide parent education including information, support, and encouragement
parents need to help their children develop optimally during the early years of life and become
school ready. The PAT program includes personal visits, group meetings, screenings, and a
resource network.
Child Care partnerships: The CC program provides continuing education scholarships, training,
and mentoring for childcare teachers; child screenings for vision, hearing, and development
delays; PreK curriculum approved by the Texas Education Agency.
Strategy Two:
Promote 3rd grade reading proficiency through early grade reading skills enhancement
Fort Worth ISD Early Grade Reading Program: The program is delivered in 11 elementary
schools in an after school reading camp, three days a week for 26 weeks. The program uses the
Leveled Literacy Intervention curriculum to support and enhance literacy development.
Strategy Three:
Promote the successful transition from middle school to high school through college and career
readiness coaching
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Fort Worth ISD Middle School Success Interventions: The program is delivered to at-risk
students in 11 middle schools and includes the following program components:






Intentional Interventions: Intensive work between a College and Career Readiness
Coach(CCR) and students who are identified as very at-risk due to repeated course failures,
excessive absences and/or discipline referrals. These students receive one-on-one support.
Innovative Learning Opportunities: At risk students are offered supports and innovative
learning opportunities to participate in activities focused on college and career readiness.
Other activities include personal growth sessions, goal setting, mentoring and family support
referrals.
GO Centers: College and Career Readiness Coaches are housed in GO Centers on each middle
school campus. GO Centers are the hub of the school and provide resources to expose
students to post-secondary opportunities. To promote a culture of college and career
readiness targeted students as well as the general student body may utilize the GO Center.
Parent Engagement: CCR Coaches work with school faculty to host events that promote
college and career awareness among students and parents.
Summer Camp: Select students are invited to participate in a college and career readiness
summer camp that exposes them to colleges and universities.
Community Partnerships: The program partners with Big Brothers Big Sisters to facilitate the
Beyond School Walls program to establish mentoring relationships with middle school students
and local business employees. The program also contracts with a number of organizations to
provide goal setting, volunteers and resources for the middle school students.
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Executive Summary
The United Way of Tarrant County’s Learn Well initiative was launched in July of 2010. Its bold
goal states “8,000 students at risk of dropping out of school will have graduated on time by 2020”
and its initiatives target at-risk pre-school, elementary, and middle school students within Tarrant
County, Texas. This report highlights annual findings associated with the 2013-2014 academic
year, otherwise referred to in following narrative as Year 4. This report also highlights select
program-to-date trends, 2010-2014, for the Learn Well initiative.
Reach: Numbers of Children and Parents Served
Reach Performance
Targets, Year 4
Year 1
Total*
Year 2
Total*
Year 3
Total*
Year 4
Total
Year 4 Quarterly
Progress
Arlington Early Childhood Program: Arlington Independent School District (AISD)
2,100 unduplicated children
aged 0-5 will participate in
United Way sponsored
educational programs.
1,800 unduplicated parents &
caregivers will participate in
1067
2088
2015
90%
(1897)
106
2141
1587
46%
(826)
Q1:
Q2:
Q3:
Q4:
Q1:
Q2:
Q3:
Q4:
242
1482
1650
1897
228
430
633
826
Birdville Early Childhood Program: Birdville ISD (BISD)
688 unduplicated children aged
0-5 will participate in United
Way sponsored educational
programs
300 unduplicated parents &
caregivers will participate in
103
144
204
113%
(780)
211
440
376
133%
(399)
Q1/2: 699
Q3: 737
Q4: 780
Q1:
Q2:
Q3:
Q4:
56
239
315
399
Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI): Fort Worth ISD (FWISD)
366 unduplicated children will
be enrolled in afterschool
reading program
By year-end, 50% (n = 223 of
446) of students will have one
parent attend two events.
68
383
366
122%
(446)
**
**
**
117%
(262)
Q1/2: 445
Q3: 446
Q4: 446
Q1/2: 40
Q3: 160
Q4: 262
Middle School Success Interventions (MSSI): FWISD
FWISD Coaches will target 900
at-risk Middle School Students
50% (n =467) of Year 4’s 934
students’ parents/caregivers
will participate in MSSI
activities
405
824
813
104%
(934)
***
55
146
81%
(380)
Q1:
Q2:
Q3:
Q4:
Q1:
Q2:
Q3:
Q4:
353
793
922
934
15
212
275
380
*information lifted from United Way Year 2 and Year 3 Annual reports and target numbers varies by year; **parent involvement
targets were very different during Years 1-3; ***parent participation data was tracked aggregately until Year 2/Q3
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Participant Impact: Key Findings
Participant Impact
Program Targets, Year 4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Total
% Target
Met
Early Childhood, AISD
55% of Pre-K-4 students will meet the
district average on the end-of-year
(EOY) Circle Phonological Awareness
Language and Literacy System (CPALLS – English and Spanish)
Assessment.
75% of participating students will
have arrived at AISD kindergarten
with age-appropriate literacy skills as
measured by the DRA-2 (English and
Spanish).
43%
(552/1289)
78%
English
71% (425/596)
English
95%
Spanish
91% (519/571)
Spanish
121%
During kindergarten, all children who
participated in the Early Learning
program will be at Level 3 on the
DRA-2 by the end of the year.
English
92% (533/580)
English
92%
Spanish
95% (520/543)
Spanish
95%
Early Childhood, BISD
RLN
89%
(50/56)
85% of childcare/PAT
prekindergarten children (four
years of age as of September 1,
2013) will demonstrate growth in
letter knowledge (RLN),
vocabulary development (RVN),
and phonological awareness (PA)
55% of participating children will
arrive at BISD kindergarten with
age-appropriate literacy skills
RVN
80%
(45/56)
PA
88%
(49/56)
18%
RLN
105%
RVN
95%
PA
103%
33%
Participant impact for the Early Childhood initiatives appears generally positive. More than half of
participating AISD PreK students completed the 2013-2014 school year with at least one
C-PALLS+ score that met or exceeding the district average. In addition, over 90% of participating
AISD kindergarten students completed the year with target scores on the DRA-2 (i.e., 3 or above).
In the case of BISD, over 80% of the assessed PreK children who participated in the CC and PAT
program demonstrated growth in letter knowledge, vocabulary development, and phonological
awareness. However, as no benchmarks for growth or EOY scores were established, it is clear if
the observed growth was beyond what would be expected from natural maturation. Additionally,
for students that participated in the 2012-2013 BISD program only 18% arrived at kindergarten
with age-appropriate literacy scores as compared to the 55% target goal set.
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Participant Impact: Key Findings Continued
Participant Impact
Q1
Q2
Q3
-
-
-
-
Q4
Total
% Target
Met
LLI Program, FWISD
By year-end, 100% of students
participating in 26 weeks of
intervention will demonstrate an
average increase of 5 reading
levels.
By year-end, 29% of
participating students will
demonstrate grade level reading
proficiency based on District
standards for the Fountas and
Pinnell (2012) Reading
Assessment.
35%
(76/215)
24%
(83/347)
35%
(76/215)
24%
35.3%
(76/215)
83%
(83/347)
(83/347)/29
60%
101%
(558/513)
66%
120%
(617/513)
MSSI Program, FWISD
55% of the MSSI students will
pass all core courses
show a decrease in core course
failure rate or maintenance of
zero failures
show a decrease in the absence
rate or maintenance of zero
absences
55% of MSSI students will show
a decrease in discipline rate or
maintain zero discipline referrals
between Cycle 1 and Cycle 6
GO Centers will report 7,000
student visits
5% (n = 47) of the 934 show
improvement in student attitudes
toward school, graduation, and
college/career readiness as
measured by the MSSI College
and Career Readiness Survey
-
–
–
55%
(438/793)
59%
(465/793)
51%
52%
(480/922)
61%
(565/922)
56%
60%
(558/934)
66%
(617/934)
45%
(407/793)
(520/922)
(424/934)
–
-
-
-
1,412
2,303
2,558
1,800
-
-
-
218a
(558/934)
(617/934)
45%
(424/934)
61%
113%
(424/375)
111%
(570/934)
(570/513)
8,073
115%
(8073/7000)
24%
958%
(47.9/5)
(218/934)
Participant impact for the LLI program was linked to reading proficiency at the end of the school
year. Although this target was not met, evaluators felt the target related to increasing 5 reading
levels may not have been developmentally appropriate for any or all grade levels (1st-3rd). Data
collected for increases in reading level were not linked to the Dashboard. Of the 347 LLI students
who had year-end reading proficiency information, 24% scored at “Approaches Grade Level”
expectation or higher. It is recommended the LLI revisit the developmental appropriateness of
targets associated with reading level gains and proficiency during Year 5.
10
Participant impact for the MSSI program was great. Targets related to decreasing discipline
referrals, improving attendance, and improving core grades were all exceeded. Further,
preliminary analysis of the College and Career Readiness survey were extremely positive. MSSI
may want to consider raising this target from 5% to 25% in Year 5.
Collective Impact
Collective Impact
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Total
% Target
Met
Evaluators were unable to determine whether the key conditions for collective impact exist in the early
learning area (aligned leadership, aligned outcomes, aligned action, aligned data systems and aligned advocacy)
Evaluators were unable to determine whether the key conditions for collective impact exist in the early
learning area (aligned leadership, aligned outcomes, aligned action, aligned data systems and aligned advocacy)
LLI Program, FWISD
Over the course of the year and
in each quarter, three volunteers
per campus will participate in a
volunteer activity (n =33).
-
61%
(20/33)
167%
(55/33)
136%
(45/33)
Q2=20
Q3=55
Q4=45
Q2:61%
Q3: 167%
Q4: 136%
0
10%
(3/31)
0
0
10%
(3/31)
100%
12.5%
(1/8)
250%
(20/8)
37.5%
(3/8)
0
300%
(24/8)
300%
MSSI Program, FWISD
10% (n = 3) increase in the
number of community partners
(31 partners beginning of Q1)
8 community partners will attend
at least 2 collaboration meetings
System Change
The opportunity for system change among Early Childhood initiatives appears to vary by district.
AISD may have demonstrated more breadth and BISD more depth in facilitating system change in
parents and teachers. Nearly all AISD parents surveyed reported regular engagement (4x per
week) in oral language activities (OLA) with children: reading, singing, and telling stories. While
in the case of BISD PAT parents, less than two-thirds reported regular engagement (4x per week)
in OLA with their children, however the activity surveyed was limited to reading.
The difference between breadth and depth is also evident in the interaction with teachers. In
AISD, 100% of the AISD PreK teachers associated with the initiative received 6 hours of training
in research-based practices to support the development of age-appropriate development skills.
Similarly, BISD’s program included training of teachers. However, the training provided was more
comprehensive in that it provided for continuing education to support certification and included at
least 8 hours of mentoring/quarter, although the full impact of the program’s potential was limited
to a few classes and a subset of childcare teachers and directors.
Although the MSSI parent involvement target was not met in Year 4, the MSSI program gained
momentum throughout the year among parents. In addition, narrative from MSSI teachers and
students provided evidence that GO Centers had become a vital part of the academic culture at
11
MSSI campuses and throughout FWISD. Evidence of system change with regards to parents
attending events is most apparent in the LLI program. Note that LLI parents were provided with
snacks or meals at LLI events and/or incentives to attend events. Other programs may want to
explore the feasibility of incorporating similar parent incentives to encourage more parents to
attend program events. Additionally, FWISD are changing the way they work with community
partners. For example, they have entered into data sharing agreements with United Way
evaluators.
System Change
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Total
% Target
Met
99%
141%
100%
105%
A minimum of 70% of parents will report
engaging their children in oral language
activities such as reading, singing, and
games with color and shapes at least
four times per week.
A minimum of 95% of Pre-K teachers will
receive a minimum of six hours of
training in research-based best practices
in supporting the development of ageappropriate developmental skills.
98%
(285/290)
98%
(227/231)
98%
(172/176)
100%
(431/432)
100%
(49/49)
(1114/
1128)
(49/49)
75% of PAT parents will report
reading to their children at least four
times per week**
38%
68%
(79/209)
90%
(121/179)
80% of PAT families will show an
increase in parenting skills
97%
122%
(105/108)
90% of partner classrooms will have
4 or more hours of mentoring/month
42%
(5/12)
50%
(6/12)
58%
(7/12)
31%
(4/13)
23%
(3/13)
26%
75% of teachers/directors will hold
their CDA or ECMI credentials in
Year 4
68%
(15/22)
63%
(12/19)
59%
(10/17)
63%
(10/16)
70%
(16/23)
93%
72%
143%
(319/223)
59%
117%
(262/223)
85%
141%
(378/268)
41%
81%
(380/467)
LLI Program, FWISD
By end of each quarter, 50% of LLI
students will have one parent attend
one event
By year-end, 50% of LLI students
will have one parent attend two
events
By the end of each quarter, 60% of
targeted LLI parents will complete
and return a reading log with time
spent reading and the book(s) read
-
-
-
30%
(132/445)
9%
(40/445)
59%
(264/445)
61%
(271/446)
36%
(160/446)
85%
(378/446)
72%
(319/446)
59%
(262/446)
85%
(378/446)
(319/446)
(262/446)
(378/446)
MSSI Program, FWISD
50% of MSSI students’ parents
and/or caregivers will participate in
MSSI activities
5%
(15/353)
27%
(212/793)
30%
(275/922)
41%
(380/934)
(380/934)
12
United Way Bold Goal & Conclusion Statement
Overall, the evaluators are encouraged by the progress that Learn Well programs made during
Year 4 and believe the impact of United Way’s support continues
Year 4 Impact:
to move in the right direction. Areas of particular strength in Year 4
Goal- Touch 13,794 lives
include: the indication that GO Centers associated with the MSSI
program are now a vital part of the academic culture of MSSI
Achieved- 14,193 lives touched
campuses, the breadth of involvement of community partners
102% of Goal
among MSSI and LLI programs, the evidence of parent impact
associated with AISD’s Early Childhood and the LLI program, and
the number of students served exceeding targets for BISD and both FWISD programs.
In looking ahead, areas which the evaluators believe warrant discussion among program teams
include: revisiting academic related targets to ensure they are developmentally appropriate and
evidence-based; revisiting reach and collective impact targets for feasibility; and, meeting with
district technical and/or evaluation personnel to ensure data is being collected and compiled in a
manner where sustainability and system change can be effectively explored from a data-driven
perspective. Further, as Year 5 begins, program teams should discuss past, present and future
program initiatives in light of sustainability and progress toward the United Way bold goal of 8,000
at-risk students graduating on time by 2020.
Dashboard
Each year, the Learn Well initiative as a whole is assigned a “traffic light” value to indicate
whether or not it appears to be progressing in a favorable direction. Additionally, each strategy is
assigned a grade to assess performance on the following measures:
1. Reach: How well did Learn Well reach their target populations?
2. Participant Impact: Who is better off? What is the impact of the United Way
investment on participants?
3. Collective Impact: To what extent has the United Way and Learn Well partners
engaged the community to ensure success and sustainability?
4. System Change: Are we seeing evidence of system or culture changes(s)? Are they
starting to do things differently to effectively address underlying problems?
Is the Overall
Learn Well
Initiative on
Target?
Strategy
District
Reach
Participant
Impact
Collective
Impact
System
Change
AISD
C-
A
?
A+
BISD
A+
B-
?
B
Elementary
Reading
FWISD
A+
B-
A+
A+
Middle School
Transition
FWISD
A
A+
A+
B
Early Childhood
13
AISD Learn Well Initiative
During Year 4, the AISD Learn Well Initiative program delivery consisted of Lee y Serás
sessions, Toddler Time sessions, parent/family engagement sessions, library field trips, and
summer reading. According to AISD:
 Toddler Time sessions were targeted to parents of children birth to age 3 and are
designed to increase home awareness of oral and print language development.
 Lee y Serás sessions were targeted to parents of children birth to age 3 and are
designed to increase their skills and understanding of their role in supporting their
child(ren)’s academic success.
 Parent/family engagement sessions were targeted to parents of PreK students and
cover topics such as literacy and dental health.
 Library field trips were targeted to PreK students between the ages of 3 and 4.
Participating PreK students were
introduced to the Arlington public library
by experiencing a storyteller read a book,
“Eric Litwin, the author of Pete
touring the children’s area of the library,
receiving a literacy bag with a book, as
the Cat I Love My White Shoes
well as receive an Arlington public library
delivered an engaging and
card.
entertaining performance for our
 Weekly summer reading classes were
Pre-K students and families.
targeted to PreK students and their
Large numbers of children and
parents and younger siblings and were
their families waited with great
designed to prevent summer regression.
Participation of unduplicated children in AISD’s
Early Childhood program has gained momentum
over time. In fact, at the end of Year 1 there
were 1067 children in the program. During Years
2 & 3, annual participation totals were 2088 and
2015 respectively for AISD. However, most
recently we saw a somewhat smaller cohort,
with a total of 1897 children participating during
the 2013-2014 academic year.
anticipation to enter the
auditorium of Hutcheson Jr. High
to experience Mr. Litwin’s
dynamic and interactive
performance.” AISD Early
Childhood Program Personnel
Parent participation has varied by program year with the largest number of unduplicated
parents participating in Year 3 (n = 1776) and the smallest number of parents participating in
Year 4 (n = 826).
The AISD programs were primarily delivered in 19 elementary schools that will ultimately feed
into Sam Houston High School. A map of these campuses can be found in Appendix A. The
daytime programs (Lee y Serás and Toddler Time) were primarily marketed to parents and
caregivers of enrolled PreK students of the 19 targeted elementary schools, but were open to all
neighborhood parents of children ages 0 to 3.
Progress toward United Way targets associated with the AISD Learn Well Initiative program is
documented in Table A1. Progress towards program targets varied from 46% to 141%.
14
Table A1. Summary of Progress for AISD’s Learn Well Program, 2013-2014.
2013-2014
Program Targets
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
2,100 unduplicated children
educational programs.*
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Total
%
Target
Met
242
242
1404
1482
340
1650
693
1897
1897
90%
55% of Pre-K-4 students will
meet the district average on
the end-of-year (EOY) Circle
Phonological Awareness
Language and Literacy
System (C-PALLS – English
and Spanish) Assessment.
75% of participating students
will have arrived at AISD
kindergarten with ageappropriate literacy skills as
measured by the DRA-2
(English and Spanish).
43%
(552/1289)
English
71% (425/596)
English
95%
Spanish
91% (519/571)
Spanish
121%
During kindergarten, all
children who participated in
the Early Learning program
will be at Level 3 on the
DRA-2 by the end of the
year.
1,800 unduplicated parents
and caregivers will participate
in United Way sponsored
educational programs.*
A minimum of 70% of
parents will report engaging
their children in oral
language activities such as
reading, singing, and games
with color and shapes at
least four times per week.
7)
A minimum of 25% of
parents of three- and fouryear-old children will attend
two or more early childhood
education events.
8)
A minimum of 95% of Pre-K
teachers will receive a
minimum of six hours of
training in research-based
best practices in supporting
the development of ageappropriate developmental
skills.
78%
228
228
98%
(285/290)
347
430
98%
(227/231)
292
633
98%
(172/176)
English
92% (533/580)
English
92%
Spanish
95% (520/543)
Spanish
95%
281
826
100%
(431/432)
826
46%
99%
141%
(1114/1128)
Unable to determine;
Requires caregiver data to
be linked to student data
100%
(49/49)
100%
(49/49)
105%
Note. *Top numbers indicate number of participants in each quarter. Bottom numbers are running totals
of unduplicated participants across relevant quarters.
15
Student Participation in United Way-Sponsored Programs (Target 1)
A total of 1,897 uniquely identified children participated in the UW AISD learning initiative. With
a target of 2,100 participating students, AISD was 90% within reach of Target 1. When
considering gender differences, there was an equal distribution of female (49.4%) and male
(49.4%) students (1.2% not reported). Students came from a range of races/ethnicities
including Hispanic/Latino (53%), African American (13%), Caucasian (4%), Asian (3%), and
multi-racial (1%) (26% not reported).
Student Performance on C-PALLS Assessment (Target 2)
The C-PALLS+ assessment given by AISD measures a number of young children’s literacy and
language skills including overall phonological awareness (PA), rapid letter naming (RLN), and
rapid vocabulary naming (RVN). Across AISD, students scored 72% on RLN and RVN. Of the
1,289 PreK students who had participated in at least one UW sponsored activity, 43% met or
exceeded the district’s average on RVN and RLN, thereby achieving 78% of the target
goal of 55%. Note that when considered separately, 62% and 60% of UW students scored
equal to or higher than the district average on RVN and RLN scores, respectively.
Because the district average for PA scores
(Spanish and English) were not provided to
the external evaluator, progress toward
target goals on PA could not be assessed.
However, as documented in Figure A1, it
appears that, overall United Way students
are slightly outperforming their counterparts
in AISD who have not participated in United
Way AISD programs. Across AISD, 87% of
assessed PreK students (n = 4,120) were
identified as making adequate progress
(MAP) on PA. For United Way participants,
90% of the assessed PreK students (n =
1291) were identified as MAP on PA.
Figure A1. CPALLS+ Overall
Phonological Awareness Comparisons
100%
80%
523
135
388
3597
1156
2441
AISD
UW
NonUW
60%
40%
20%
0%
Needing More Assistance (NMA)
Making Adequate Progress (MAP)
Acquisition of Age-Appropriate
Literacy Skills (Target 3)
“I wish I would have known about
what to do with my older kids.
They LOVE Pete the Cat and all the
kids and I read the book every
night before bedtime. “ AISD Early
Childhood Parent
Target 3 indicates that 75% of participating
students will arrive at AISD kindergarten
with age-appropriate literacy skills as
measured by the DRA-2 (English and
Spanish). As benchmarks for DRA-2 based
on age were not provided to the external
evaluator and could not be located, a
benchmark score of 15 across three DRA-2
subscales (reading engagement, oral
reading, printed language concepts) was
used in order to be consistent with
16
evaluation reports from Year 2 and Year 3. Across the AISD kindergarten students who
participated in at least one UW activity in 2012-2013 with DRA-2 English (N=596) and Spanish
(N=571) BOY scores, 71% and 91% had a total score of 15 across the three identified DRA-2
subscales, thereby achieving 95% of the target goal for students who completed the
English version of the DRA-2 and exceeding the target goal of 75% for students
who completed the Spanish version.
Progress on the DRA-2 during
Kindergarten (Target 4)
Target 4 indicates that during kindergarten,
all children who participated in the Early
Learning program will be at Level 3 on the
DRA-2 by the end of the year. For 20132014, there were 580 English and 543
Spanish end of year (EOY) DRA-2 scores for
AISD students who had participated in at
least one UW sponsored activity in the
2012-2013 school year. Of those 580 and
543 students, 92% and 95% achieved level
3 or higher on the DRA-2 by the EOY,
thereby achieving 92% (English) and
95% (Spanish) of the 100% target
goal, as documented in Table A2.
Parents and Caregivers
Participation in United Way
Programs (Target 5)
A total of 826 uniquely identified parents
and caregivers participated in the AISD
learning initiative. With a target of 1,800
participating parents and caregivers, AISD
was 46% within reach of Target 5. Of
the UW sponsored events, literacy nights
and toddler time sessions had the most
participation, as documented in Table A3.
“Thank you for EVERYTHING…the
food, the books, getting to eat with
the whole family, and activities I
can do at home with all of my
kids.” AISD Early Childhood Parent
Table A2. EOY DRA-Results for AISD
UW Kindergarteners
DRA-2
English
Spanish
A
5
1%
3
1%
1
16
3%
8
1%
2
26
4%
14
3%
3
220
38%
104
19%
4
168
29%
138
25%
6
58
10%
95
17%
8
26
4%
73
13%
10
22
4%
52
10%
12
14
2%
31
6%
14 or
higher
25
5%
25
5%
Total
580
100%
543
100%
Table A3. Parent and Caregiver
Participation by Quarter (N =826)
Program
20132014
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Literacy
Nights
32
120
119
127
387
47%
Toddler Time
147
174
114
11
332
40%
Lee y Serás
56
66
65
26
144
17%
End of Year
Celebration
0
0
0
132
132
16%
Dental
Health
0
0
0
0
0
0%
Library Field
Trips
0
0
0
0
0
0%
17
Parent Engagement in Oral Language Activities (Target 6)
Across parents surveyed (1128), 99% reported engaging in 4 or more oral language activities
(OLA) per week, thereby exceeding the program target goal of 70%. Note, however, that
not all parents had documented participation in UW programs. As identified in Tables A4 and
A5, documented participation in UW sponsored activities did not seem to be a substantive factor
in parent/caregiver engagement in oral language activities.
Table A4. Parent Engagement Criteria
by UW Participation
Engagement
Criteria
Participant
Met
Not Met
Total
539
8
547
99%
1%
100%
NonParticipant
575
6
581
99%
1%
100%
“I am so happy I get to come
again to class. What are we
going to have to eat today?”
AISD Early Childhood Student
Participant
Table A5. Parent Engagement in OLA by
UW Participation
# Days Per
Week
Participant
(n=547)
NonParticipant
(n=581)
M
SD
M
SD
Told Stories
3.5
2.1
3.6
2.1
Books Read
3.7
2.0
3.5
1.8
Sang Songs
4.3
2.2
4.2
2.2
Discussed
Colors and
Shapes
4.4
2.2
4.5
2.0
4.6
2.1
4.6
2.0
4.7
2.2
5.1
2.0
25.2
9.5
25.5
8.6
Discussed
Letters
Pointed Out
Things
All OLA
Activities
Parent Attendance at Early Childhood Education Events (Target 7)
Target 7 indicates that a minimum of 25% of parents of three- and four-year-old children will
attend two or more early childhood education events. This target could not be assessed as the
parent participation data did not contain the age of children and could not be linked to the
child/student participant file.
Pre-K Teacher Training (Target 8)
Target 8 indicates that a minimum of 95% of Pre-K teachers will receive a minimum of six
hours of training in research-based best practices in supporting the development of ageappropriate developmental skills. As indicated by the AISD sign-up sheet for Course#
SDEV81904 entitled Elementary Districtwide Staff Development, 100% of the 48 UW Pre-K
teachers completed six hours of training, thereby exceeding the program target of 95%.
18
Summary and Conclusions
The AISD Learn Well Initiative appears to have done a good job in reaching their targeted child
population and be working towards meeting their targeted parent population. Note however, at
the time of the compilation of this report, data were not available to determine which programs
(e.g., Lee y Serás sessions, toddler time sessions, literacy nights) children attended and how
often they participated in each program. All that can be concluded from the current data is
whether or not participation occurred each quarter. As it relates to parents, further work may
be needed in order to ensure that participation is documented, as the level of participation
seems low given the level of child participation. Perhaps, parents could be incentivized in order
to document their attendance (e.g., raffle at end of event). Note that additional data is needed
to link parent data to participant data in order to assess to what degree parents of children
between the age of three and four are participating in sponsored events. Further technical work
and database modifications may also be required in order to track toddlers and their parents as
UW participants enter AISD.
Concerning progress towards United Way’s bold goal, results are promising. More than half of
participating PreK students completed the 2013-2014 school year with at least one
C-PALLS+ score that met or exceeding the district average. In addition, over 90% of
participating kindergarten students completed the year with target scores on the DRA-2 (i.e., 3
or above).
Another positive outcome that supports United Way’s bold goal is the level of parent
involvement, with nearly all parents reporting regular engagement with their child(ren). Finally,
full participation of PreK teachers in research-based practices training has the potential to help
future students graduate high school on-time and may also lay the foundation for systematic
change as teachers use the training to employ evidence-based teaching practices in their
classrooms.
19
BISD Early Learning Program
The BISD Early Learning primarily focuses on two central elements: Parent as Teachers (PAT)
and partnerships with childcare centers (CC). According to BISD:
 The PAT program utilizes the Parents as Teachers Foundational curriculum to provide parent
education including information, support, and encouragement parents need to help their
children develop optimally during the early years of life and become school ready. The PAT
program includes personal visits, group meetings, screenings, and a resource network.
 CC program provides continuing education scholarships, training, and mentoring for
childcare teachers; child screenings for vision, hearing, and development delays; PreK
curriculum approved by the Texas Education
Agency.
Participation in BISD’s early childhood program has
gained momentum over time. During Year 1 there
were as many as 103 students enrolled in Parents
as Teachers and 315 children were active in
mentored childcare (some children were in both
programs). By the end of Year 4 the number of
participants had grown to a total of 780 children,
encouragingly exceeding the program’s annual
target by 13%.
Target goals have varied over time for the BISD
early childhood program. For example, in Year 4
BISD targeted that 85% of childcare/PAT
prekindergarten children (four years of age as of
September 1, 2013) would demonstrate growth in
letter knowledge, vocabulary development, and
phonological awareness. In Year 3 this target was
set to 80%, and in Year 2 was more formatively
written as, “75% of PAT children will show healthy
development in 4 of 5 areas.” For a holistic review
of trends in the development of BISD program
targets by program year, see previous annual
reports.
“In June, 2014, two of our
partner childcares received
notification from Tarrant
County CCMS that they have
been awarded the Texas Rising
Star Certification for their
facilities. Jack and Jill
Preschool was awarded the
Four Star Status Certification
and Jack and Jill Too received
Three Star Certification. This is
a huge achievement and is
awarded to facilities that
display developmentally
appropriate materials,
interactions and quality care to
all of their children enrolled.”–
BISD Program Personnel
Partnering elementary schools include Birdville,
David E. Smith, W. T. Francisco, Major Cheney, O.H. Stowe, and the Academy @ West Birdville.
Partnering childcare centers include Jack & Jill, Jack & Jill Too, Happy Time, and Starlight. A
map of these campuses and centers can be found in Appendix A.
Progress toward United Way targets associated with the BISD Early Learning program is
documented in Table B1. Progress towards program targets varied from 26% to 133%.
Note that raw data provided to the external evaluators by BISD were used to assess progress
towards targets for related activities during Quarter 1 (Q1), Quarter 2 (Q2), Quarter 3 (Q3) and
Quarter 4 (Q4).
20
Table B1. Summary of Progress for BISD’s Early Learning Program, 2013-2014.
2013-2014
Program Targets
Q1
1) 688 unduplicated children
educational programs*
Q2
Q3
Q4
Total
% Target
Met
699
699
704
737
716
780
780
113%
2) A. 85% of childcare/PAT
prekindergarten children
(four years of age as of
September 1, 2013) will
demonstrate growth in letter
knowledge (RLN), vocabulary
development (RVN), and
phonological awareness (PA)
2. B. 55% of participating
children will arrive at BISD
kindergarten with ageappropriate literacy skills
RLN
89% (50/56)
RVN
80% (45/56)
PA
88% (49/56)
18%
5) 75% of PAT parents will
report reading to their
children at least four times
per week**
PA
103%
Screened
PAT -184
CC – 88
Referred
PAT-47
CC-50
56
56
135
239
159
315
38%
239
399
399
68%
(79/209)
97%
(105/108)
42%
(5/12)
50%
(6/12)
58%
(7/12)
31%
(4/13)
133%
90%
(121/179)
6) 80% of PAT families will
show an increase in
parenting skills
7) 90% of partner classrooms
will have four or more hours
of mentoring per month
RVN
95%
33%
3) BISD will report the number
of PAT children and children
under age four in partner
childcare centers who receive
health screenings and/or
referrals to needed support
services
4) 300 unduplicated parents
and caregivers will participate
in United Way sponsored
educational programs*
RLN
105%
23%
(3/13)
122%
26%
8) 75% of teachers/directors
68%
63%
59%
63%
70%
will hold their CDA or ECMI
93%
(15/22) (12/19)
(10/17) (10/16)
(16/23)
credentials in Year Four
Note. *Top numbers indicate number of participants in each quarter. Bottom numbers are running totals
of unduplicated participants across relevant quarters. **Reading frequency measured at BOY and EOY.
21
Table B2. Student Participation by
Quarter and Program
Student Participation in United
Way-Sponsored Programs
(Target 1)
A total of 780 uniquely identified children
participated in the BISD Early Learning
Program during the 2013-2014 academic
year. With a target of 688 participating
children between the ages of 0 and 5, BISD
exceeded Target 1. As documented in
Table B2, the majority of students (n = 346,
44%) were PreK followed by CC (n = 225,
29%) and PAT (n = 209, 27%) students.
20132014
Program
Q1/Q2
Q3
Q4
Parents As
Teachers
(PAT)
190
190
186
209
27%
Childcare
(CC)
145
169
185
225
29%
76117
PreK
334
345
345
346
44%
Total
669
704
716
780
PreK Student Performance on mCLASS Assessment (Target 2)
The mCLASS assessment measures a number of young children’s literacy and language skills
including overall phonological awareness (PA), rapid letter naming (RLN), and rapid vocabulary
naming (RVN). For 2013-2014, there were 56 PreK students with mCLASS BOY and EOY
scores. Seventy percent of the 56 were in the CC program. Although no specific EOY scores or
growth targets were identified, 88% and 89% demonstrated some growth on PA and
RLN scores, thereby exceeding the target goal of 85%. RVN scores were within
95% reach of Target 1, as 80% of assessed children demonstrated some growth
across the school year. As documented in Table B3, a greater percentage of CC students
demonstrated growth on PA, RLN, and RVN than their PAT counterparts. Figure B1 depicts the
mean BOY and growth that was obtained by EOY by
program for RVN, RLN, and PA.
Table B3. mCLASS Growth by Program
Program
N
PA
RVN
RLN
Parents As
Teachers
(PAT)
17
30%
13
76%
11
65%
15
88%
Childcare
(CC)
39
70%
36
92%
34
87%
35
90%
Total
56
100%
49
88%
45
80%
50
89%
“It was so wonderful to
see how the teacher
was reflecting the
activities from the
family Olympics and
made a great follow up
learning experience.”
BISD Early Childhood
Observer
22
CC PAT PAT PAT
RVN
CC
RLN
Tot. Tot. Tot. CC
Figure B1. Mean mCLASS BOY and Growth Scores by Program
PA
10
RLN
10
BOY
5
Growth
11
PA
20
RVN
8
19
2
12
9
27
RVN
13
RLN
5
4
11
10
PA
23
0
5
10
7
15
20
25
30
Health Screenings and Referrals (Target 3)
No targets were identified for health screenings and referrals other than reporting. Across the
2013-2014 school year, 184 PAT children were screened. Of those 47 (26%) were referred for
needed services. Across the 88 CC children that were under 4 as of September 1, 2013 that
received health screening, 50 (51%) were
referred for needed services. An additional
Figure B2. # Parents by Reading
35 CC children that were 4 or older as of
Criteria and Time of Year (N =177)
September 1, 2013 also received health
screening, of which 18 (51%) were referred
119
120
109
for needed services.
Parent Engagement in Children
Development (Target 5)
Among the parents of PAT children
reporting at the EOY how many times they
read to their children (N = 179), 68%
reported reading at least four times per
week, 90% within reach of the 75%
program target. When considering
parents who reported both BOY and EOY
reading frequency (N = 177), 37% went
from reading less than four times a week to
reading at least four times a week by the
EOY, as depicted in Figure B2.
100
<4 books
80
68
58
60
40
20
0
BOY
EOY
23
Parent Participation in United Way Programs (Target 4)
A total of 399 unique parents participated in United Way sponsored educational programs,
thereby exceeding the target goal of 300. As documented in Table B4, the Strong Fathers
Event/Parent Group Meeting and Family Field Day event had the greatest attendance and the
Family & Me Art Night had the least.
Table B4. Parent Participation by Event
Event
Quarter
Strong Fathers Event/Parent Group Meeting
Block Party
ESL (English Literacy and Civics)
Attendance
(% of 399)
1
1
1&2
139
72
24
35%
18%
6%
Strong Fathers Reading Night
Family Dinner Night
Family & Me Art Night
Strong Fathers Science Night
Strong Fathers Math Night
Wild About Reading
2
2
2
3
3
3
24
12
5
54
49
28
6%
3%
1%
14%
12%
7%
Dental Class
Family Field Day
Women Wellness Class
PAT Graduation/Family Dinner
Bilingual/ESL Informational Class
3
4
4
4
4
17
133
42
29
8
4%
33%
11%
7%
2%
Parenting Skills of PAT Families (Target 6)
The Life Skills Progression (LSP) is assesses a variety of parental life skills. Mean scores on the
LSP can range from 0 to 5. Of the 108 parents assessed with the LSP, 97% increased their
scores on one or more skills, thereby exceeding the target goal of 80%. The greatest
number of parents reported growth in skills associated with Health & Medical Care and the
smallest number of parents reported growth in skills associated with Education & Employment,
as documented in Table B5.
Table B5. Parent Engagement Criteria by UW Participation (N = 108)
Growth
Mean
BOY
Mean
EOY
Mean
Delta
Education & Employment
1.6
1.7
.1
n
50
%
46%
Basic Essentials
Relationship with Supportive Resources
Relationships with Children
Relationships with Family and Friends
Health & Medical Care
One or more skill
3.6
4.1
4.0
3.9
3.9
NA
3.8
4.4
4.3
4.2
4.3
NA
.2
.3
.3
.3
.5
NA
53
65
67
71
77
105
49%
60%
62%
66%
71%
97%
Skill
Partner Childcare Classroom
Mentoring (Target 7)
Target 7 indicates that 90% of partner
classrooms will have four or more hours of
mentoring per month. Across the 20132014 year, 3 of the 13 partner classroom
(23%) received four or more hours of
training per month, thereby achieving
26% of the target goal of 90%. The
three classes that did achieve the target
goal were Jack & Jill PK4, Jack & Jill Too
PK4, and Starlight PK4, as documented in
Table B6. BISD provided prioritized
mentoring hours based on observed need.
Childcare Teacher Certification
(Target 8)
Target 8 indicates that 75% of
teachers/directors will hold their CDA or
ECMI credentials. By the EOY, 70% of the
23 teachers/directors that were active in the
2013-2014 year held a CDA or ECMI
certification, 93% in reach of the target
goal of target goal of 75%. Note that
with the exception of the Happy Time
childcare centers, all remaining childcare
centers achieved the target goal, as
documented in Table B7.
“…It should be noted that Jack
& Jill Too went from almost
closing down (when under
former owners and center
name) to being recognized as a
Rising Star Certified facility!”
BISD Program Personnel
24
Table B6. Mentoring Hours by CC
Classroom and Quarter
Childcare
Classroom
Q
1
Q
2
Q
3
Q
4
4+hrs/
month
Happy Time
Toddler
11
15
18
15
No
Happy Time PK
classroom
17
14
12
10
No
Jack & Jill
Toddler
10
11
15
11
No
Jack & Jill PK3
20
15
12
11
No
Jack & Jill PK4
21
14
13
13
Yes
Jack & Jill Too
Toddler1
10
8
9
11
No
Jack & Jill Too
Toddler2
11
10
10
9
No
Jack & Jill Too
PK3
9
8
9
9
No
Jack & Jill Too
PK4
12
14
12
13
Yes
Starlight Baby
9
10
11
8
No
Starlight
Toddler
9
NA
NA
9
No
Starlight PK3
NA
9
11
9
No
Starlight PK4
12
12
12
12
Yes
Table B7. Certification by Childcare
Center
Childcare
Center
Teachers
Directors
CDA/EC
MI
Certified
%
Certified
Jack & Jill
8
7
87%
Jack & Jill
Too
5
4
80%
Starlight
6
5
83%
Happy
Time
4
0
0%
25
Summary and Conclusions
The BISD Early Learning programs appears to have done an excellent job in reaching their
target child and parent population. In both populations, target goals were exceeded for 20132014. However, at the time of the compilation of this report, data were not available to
determine how PAT, CC, and 76117 PreK children and their families took advantage of the
program. What that can be concluded from the current data is limited to whether or not
participation occurred each quarter. It may be helpful to collect additional data in Year 5 in
order to assess the degree of participation for children and their families.
Concerning progress towards United Way’s bold goal, results are mixed. While over 80% of the
assessed PreK children who participated in the CC and PAT program demonstrated growth in
letter knowledge, vocabulary development, and phonological awareness, no benchmarks for
growth or EOY scores were established. It is therefore not known if the observed growth was
beyond what would be expected from natural maturation. Additionally, for students that
participated in the 2012-2013 program only 18% arrived at kindergarten with age-appropriate
literacy scores as compared to the 55% target goal set.
The PAT parents seemed to excel in the program, with over 60% reporting reading regularly to
their children and nearly all of them reporting an increase in at least one parenting skill by the
end of the year. The sustenance of such parent involvement and growth should be a positive
factor as their children continue to mature and grow academically.
Finally, support provided for the teachers and directors of childcare centers has the potential to
lay the groundwork to help future students graduate high school on-time. The certification
process may serve as a foundation for systematic change as teachers begin to use what they
learned through the certification process and employ evidence-based teaching practices in their
classrooms. Similarly, although mentoring was limited and target goals only achieved in a
select few classrooms, the mentoring that was provided is likely to help teachers reflect on their
own practices and improve their skills which has the potential to help students succeed.
26
FWISD Leveled Literacy Intervention Program
During Year 4 FWISD’s Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI) program continued to support and
enhance literacy development at a number of district elementary campuses. Participating
campuses in 2013-2014 included: Harlean Beal, William M. Green, Van Zandt Guinn, South Hills,
Springdale, Sunrise McMillan, Sellars, Woodway, Terrell, Lowery Road, and Clifford Davis
elementary schools.
Participants (Target 1)
During the 2013-2014 academic year, there
were a total of 446 elementary students
who participated in the LLI program. This
number exceeded the original annual target
of 366. Encouragingly, participation in
the LLI program has grown
considerably each year. In Year 1 there
68 participants, in Year 2 there were 187,
and in Year 3 there were 366. Figure C1
provides a visual demonstrating enrollment
growth by program year.
The majority of LLI participants in Year 4
were Hispanic (54.4%, n = 243) and African
American (41.6%, n = 186). There were
242 males (54%) and 204 females (46%).
With regards to at-risk identifiers, 93% of
Year 4 LLI participants qualified for free or
reduced lunch, 9.4% carried a special
education status, and 44% were identified
as LEP/ELL.
Figure C1. Annual LLI Student
Enrollment by Program Year
500
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Year 1
Year2
Year 3
Year 4
A breakdown of Year 4 LLI participants by grade is as follows: 17.3% (n = 77) were 1st graders,
28.5% (n = 127) were 2nd graders, and 53.9% (n = 241) were 3rd graders. Further, 80.9% (n
= 361) participated in the program for the first time during 2013-2014. At the end of the
academic year, as many as 96.9% (n = 433) of Year 4 participants were still enrolled.
Parental/Caregiver Involvement (Targets 4-5)
During 2013-2014, the LLI program drew parents and caregivers to participate in a variety of
events. One of the ways parents/caregivers were invited to get involved in their child’s literacy
development was by reading to/with their child and keeping a log of their reading time
together. During the 2013-2014 academic year, the total number of parents that had returned
LLI reading logs to FWISD grew as follows: by the end of Q2, 59.2% (n = 264) of parents had
submitted at least one reading log, and by the end of Q4 this number had grown to
84.8% (n = 378), exceeding target. In addition, both program targets associated with
parent attendance at LLI events were exceeded as 319 parents attended one LLI event, and as
many as 262 parents attended two LLI during Year 4. Note: LLI did not indicate to the
evaluator if parents who attended 2 events
were also tallied as parents who attended
one event in Year 4 data, so duplication of
parent information is possible.
The LLI program offered a number of
program-wide and campus-wide events
designed to engage and involve parents in
Year 4. At these events parents were
generally offered a meal or snack, and
incentives such as gift cards. Further, parents
were provided with handouts highlighting
ways to enrich their own reading skills,
suggestions on reading activities with their
child a home, and/or information about their
own child’s behavior.
27
“As a teacher, you work every day
hoping to make a difference and
rarely are present to see it
materialize. Sometimes it takes
weeks or months for all the
working parts to come together. In
this one night (and the next week),
I saw parents get excited about
reading and students feel
empowered to select and ‘buy’ their
own books.” LLI Dual Language
Teacher, Lowery Road Elementary
Examples of events involving parents included “Read and Rise” offered at Morningside, and
“Build a Book” at Williams. In addition, several campuses engaged LLI participants and their
parents/caregivers by offering family reading night events, end of year celebrations, book fair
events, and central library hunts.
Progress Toward United Way and LLI Program Targets in Year 4
Table C1. Examples of LLI Reading
Target Modifications by Program Year
Year
Targets
Reading Level Gains
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
No target specific to gains in reading
levels.
70% of enrolled students will
increase reading proficiency by 2
reading levels per quarter (minimum
10 week participation)
By year-end, 100% of students
average increase of five reading
levels.
Grade Level Proficiency
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Increase the number of LLI students
reading at grade level.
35% of students will demonstrate
grade level reading proficiency
By year-end, 29% of participating
students will demonstrate grade level
reading proficiency based on District
standards for the Fountas and Pinnell
(2012) Reading Assessment.
There were 7 annual enrollment, achievement,
and participation target goals set for the LLI
Program during the 2013-2014 academic year.
Several these targets were modified from
previous annual expectations. Examples of these
changes over time can be found in Table C1.
The continued dedication to and support of the
LLI program by FWISD during Year 4 was
evident as most United Way targets for the LLI
program were met or exceeded during the 20132014 academic year. Areas that may warrant
additional discussion or review by LLI
stakeholders are the targets #2, “By year-end,
100% of students participating in 26 weeks of
intervention will demonstrate an average
increase of five reading levels,” and #3, “By
year-end, 29% of participating students will
demonstrate grade level reading proficiency
based on District standards for the Fountas and
Pinnell (2012) Reading Assessment. Progress
toward 2013-2014 United Way program targets
associated with the Learn Well Initiative program
can be found in Table C2.
28
Table C2. Summary of Progress for FWISD’s LLI Learn Well Initiative Program,
2013-2014.
2013-2014
Program Targets
1) 366 unduplicated children will be
enrolled in afterschool reading
program
2) By year-end, 100% of students
average increase of 5 reading
levels.
3) By year-end, 29% of participating
students will demonstrate grade
level reading proficiency based on
District standards for the Fountas
and Pinnell (2012) Reading
Assessment.
4) By end of each quarter, 50% of LLI
students will have one parent
attend one event
5) By year-end, 50% of LLI students
will have one parent attend two
events
6) By the end of each quarter, 60% of
targeted LLI parents will complete
and return a reading log with time
spent reading and the book(s) read
Q2
Q3
Q4
Total
% Target
Met
445
446
446
446
122%
(446/366)
-
-
35%
35.3%
(76/215)
-
-
24%
83%
(83/347)/29
72%
143%
(319/223)
59%
117%
(262/223)
85%
141%
(378/268)
30%
(132/445)
9%
(40/445)
59%
(264/445)
61%
(271/446)
36%
(160/446)
85%
(378/446)
35%
(76/215)
24%
(83/347)
72%
(319/446)
59%
(262/446)
85%
(378/446)
(76/215)
(83/347)
(319/446)
(262/446)
(378/446)
7) Over the course of the year and in
Q2=20
Q2:61%
each quarter, three volunteers per
61%
167%
136%
Q3=55
Q3: 167%
campus will participate in a
(20/33)
(55/33)
(45/33)
Q4=45
Q4: 136%
volunteer activity (n =33).
*based on students who enrolled in the program anytime in the Fall of 2013, did not withdraw or exit
early (n = 24) during Year 4, and had complete Fountas and Pinnell (2012) scores
Reading Proficiency and Growth (Targets 2-3)
Fountas and Pinnell (2012). Similar to previous years, the LLI program used the Fountas
and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment Scale as a means of measuring reading proficiency during
Year 4. To expand on overriding results presented about regarding Target 2 and 3, the
evaluators reviewed reading proficiency by grade. The Fountas and Pinnell (2012) includes both
“Approaches Expectations” and “Meets Expectations” benchmarks. Also similar to previous yearend reports, the “Approaches Expectations” benchmark was of primary interest to LLI
stakeholders, but outcomes for both are displayed in Table C3.
Overall, 83 (24%) of the 347 students who had year-end data were identified by Fountas and
Pinnell (2012) as approaching, meeting or exceeding grade level reading expectations in Year 4.
29
Of these, 2nd (n = 36) graders fared better
in approaching reading level expectations
than 1st (n = 13) or 3rd (n = 34) graders.
As many as 59 of the 3rd graders reported a
reading level proficiency of “N,” which is
just one reading level below the
“Approaching Expectations” grade
benchmark. Combining those 59 students
with the 34 students who approached, met
or exceeded grade level proficiency
expectations would have accounted for half
of all 3rd graders in Year 4. A table outlining
Fountas and Pinnell (2012) reading levels
and grade alignment standards, which are
also accepted as FWISD/LLI standards, can
be found in Appendix C*.
Table C3. Number and Percentage of LLI
Students Approaching or Meeting Grade
Level Expectations by the End of Year 4*
Standard or
Expectation
# of Students
Approaching, Meeting
or Exceeding Grade
Level Expectations
# of Students Meeting
or Exceeding Grade
Level Expectations
Total # of Students
with Year-End Reading
Level Data by Grade
1st
Grade
2nd
Grade
3rd
Grade
13
(21%)
36
(37%)
34
(18%)
10
(16%)
28
(29%)
8
(4%)
63
97
187
2013-2014 Total Students With
Year-End Reading Level Data: 347
In considering the trend of progress toward the reading proficiency target between Years 1-4, it
should be noted that 24% of Year 4 LLI participants, 27% of Year 3 LLI participants, 13% of
Year 2 LLI participants, and 3% of Year 1 LLI participants were identified as approaching,
meeting or exceeding grade level proficiency by the end of Year 4. In addition, there were 24
students who exited the LLI program early, but information regarding supporting reasons for
exiting the program early was not available for review at the time of the compiling of this
report. Further, dates for beginning, middle, and end of year Fountas and Pinnell (2012)
inventories were administered on a rolling basis. FWISD may want to collect data on testing
dates for these assessments in moving forward. Figure C2 provides a visual of this trend.
Figure C2. Year-End Longitudinal Progress In Approaching Grade-Level Reading
Proficiency as Measured by Fountas and Pinnell (2012)
30
27%
24%
25
“ …She went from reading
passages in 4 ½ minutes to
reading them in 2 minutes. She
is very proud of herself and so
are her peers and teachers like
me. Thank you.” LLI Teacher,
South Hills Elementary
20
15
13%
10
5
3%
0
Year 1
Year2
Year 3
Year 4
First Graders. Reading proficiency among LLI
1st graders appears to have paralleled the rate
of expected development between beginning
and middle of year reading assessment time
points, but tapers off somewhat between
middle and end of year proficiency
assessments. Expected annual growth for 1st
grade was progression from level 5-9, but
actual average growth for LLI students in Year
4 was from level 2.23 to 5.59.
Second Graders. In contrast, reading
proficiency gains among 2nd graders appeared
to consistently narrow the gap between
expected and actual Fountas and Pinnell
(2012) outcomes throughout Year 4.
Expected annual growth for 2nd grade was
progression from level 10-12, but actual
average growth for LLI students in Year 4
was 6.27-10.21.
Third Graders. We see that 3rd grade LLI
students narrowed the gap between
beginning and middle of year reading
assessments, but levelled off after that. One
possible reason for this leveling may have
been STAAR preparation and testing activities
which took place in between middle and end
of year assessment periods as well. Expected
annual growth for 3rd grade was progression
from level 14-15, but actual average growth
for LLI students in Year 4 was 9.09-12.75.
Looking ahead. In Year 5 LLI stakeholders
may want to (a) explore factors contributing
to the sustained growth in proficiency among
2nd graders in Year 4 to see if any gradespecific strategies may apply to 1st and 3rd
grade cohorts, (b) discuss possible factors
contributing to changes in growth trends for
3rd graders in Year 4, and (c) consider
strategies which may be instrumental in
narrowing the reading proficiency gap among
1st graders in moving forward.
* Note: Alignment of reading level numbers to
Fountas and Pinnell (2012) letters are found in
Appendix C; expected reading levels lifted from
Year 3 United Way Final Report
30
Figure C3. Comparison of Actual and
Expected Reading Proficiency
Development Across Year 4: 1st Grade*
10
8
6
4
2
0
Beginning of Middle of End of Year
Year
Year
Expected
Actual
Development Across Year 4: 2nd Grade*
15
10
5
0
Beginning Middle of End of Year
of Year
Year
Expected
Actual
Development Across Year 4: 3rd Grade*
20
15
10
5
0
Beginning Middle of End of Year
of Year
Year
Expected
Actual
31
In addition, program stakeholders should consider whether or not an expectation of 5 reading
levels or reading at grade level is developmentally appropriate for all grades associated with the
LLI program, especially if children are significantly delayed. The literature supports that children
should be challenged and positively engaged in reading, but the literature also provides
evidence that children’s literacy development can be stunted if expectations are too great and
frustration takes root within the child. While it may be developmentally appropriate for 1st grade
participants to jump up several reading levels where there are multiple reading levels associated
with the Fountas and Pinnell instrument, it may not be appropriate for 2nd or 3rd grade
participants where fewer reading levels exist. For example, the expectation that a child will
progress 5 reading levels during 2nd grade when beginning the 26 week program in 2nd grade at
Level J (“meets 1st grade expectations”) would mean that child would be expected to read at
Level N (“approaches 3rd grade expectations”) by the end of the 26 week LLI program in 2nd
grade. In other words, that child would be expected to progress up two grade levels within the
26 week program. It is recommended that the LLI program team consider norm-referenced
expectations for growth trajectories among at-risk children when setting program targets.
Volunteers (Target 7)
Involvement of volunteers gained momentum over the course of the 2013-2013
academic year and exceeded target expectations during both Q3 and Q4. Note that the
summary toward progress, Table C2, identifies quarterly progress as its measure of annual
progress rather than reports cumulative annual totals. During Year 4 volunteers came from the
following community partners: Cook Children’s Medical Center, Cornerstone Baptist Church,
Dunbar Middle School, Fort Worth Public Library, FWISD Health & Physical Education
Department, FWISD Volunteer Coordinator, James Martin High School Key Club, Literacy
Connexus, Scholastic, Score a Goal, Tarrant Net, TCU Athletics, United Community Centers,
United Way, and Wild About Reading.
LLI 2013-2014 Summary and Progress Toward United Way Bold Goal
Encouragingly, the FWISD LLI Program met or exceeded several of its annual student,
parent, and community-partner involvement/participation goals during Year 4.
Although LLI did not meet Target 2 & 3, associated Year 4 data indicates LLI initiatives were
somewhat instrumental in improving reading proficiency among participants, particularly among
2nd graders. Further, select qualitative feedback from teachers and students supports the
positive impact of the LLI program during 2013-2014. The evaluators encourage LLI
stakeholders to revisit the developmental appropriateness and feasibility of reading proficiency
and reading level targets, as well as strategies geared to address those targets, during Year 5
program preparation discussions.
A particular strength of the LLI program is that of parent involvement. All targets
associated with parents were met or exceeded in Year 4. Supporting narrative from FWISD
indicates parents were offered snacks, food and/or incentives in an attempt to boost parent
attendance/participation in LLI initiatives. Given the socioeconomic challenges that are often
associated with at-risk student populations, these incentives may have, in fact, be seeds that
grow into system change over time.
32
FWISD Middle School Transitions Interventions Program
During Year 4 the FWISD Middle School Success Interventions (MSSI) program continued to
include GO Centers and College and Career Readiness (CCR) coaches. Participating campuses in
2013-2014 included: Daggett, Dunbar, Forest Oak, Glencrest 6th, Handley, Kirkpatrick,
Meacham, Meadowbrook, Morningside, Rosemont, and Rosemont 6th. Morningside was added
as a new MSSI campus in 2013-2014. A map of participating campuses in the MSSI program
can be found in Appendix A.
Participants (Target 1)
During the 2013-2014 academic year, there were 934 middle school students who participated
in the MSSI College and Career Readiness coaching program. Of those, 28.9% (n = 270) were
6th graders, 34.4% (n = 321) were 7th graders, and 36.7% (n = 343) were 8th graders. Further,
637 (68.2%) were participating in MSSI for the first time in 2013-2014, 208 (22.3%) were
second year participants, 87 (9.3%) were third year participants, and two had been in the
program for four years. At the end of the academic year, as many as 92.8% (n = 867) of Year
4 participants were still enrolled.
“At my old school, we didn’t
really have anything like this.
Like anywhere where you
prep for college and learn
about careers and real life
experience and financial aid.”
(8th grader, Meadowbrook)
Academic Coaching (Target 7)
Table D1 displays the number of students
who received coaching time by academic
cycle and the average number of hours
students received coaching. Target 7 was
not only exceeded, but students who
visited GO Centers often returned for
additional coaching.
GO Centers had more student visits during Q2
and Q3. It should be noted that students
were not allowed to visit GO Centers during
core-course times. In addition, students were
somewhat limited in opportunities to visit GO
Centers during Q4 because of STARR testing
and related campus-wide activities.
The majority of 2013-2014 MSSI participants
were Hispanic (56.6%, n = 529) or African
American (35.4%, n = 331). There were 532
males (57%) and 402 females (43%). With
regards to at-risk identifiers, 86% of Year 4
MSSI participants qualified for free or
reduced lunch, 14.5% carried a special
education status, and 24.5% were identified
as LEP or were in their first or second years
of LEP monitoring. Most participants had
been promoted up a grade at the end of the
2012-2013 academic year (99.3%, n = 927).
Table D1. Trends in MSSI Coaching
During 2013-2014
2013Number of
Average # of Hours
2014
Students
Students Received
Academic
Receiving
Coaching by Cycle
Cycle
Coaching*
Cycle 1
394
1.39 hours
Cycle 2
436
2.30 hours
Cycle 3
423
2.05 hours
Cycle 4
462
1.71 hours
Cycle 5
281
2.77 hours
Cycle 6
399
2.27 hours
*note these numbers may include duplication of
students across cycles
33
Parental/Caregiver Involvement (Target 9)
During 2013-2014, the MSSI program drew parents and caregivers to attend and participate in
a variety of events. These included district events such as the Middle School College and Career
Expo, community events such as the mentor luncheon held at the Mercado Event Center and
sponsored by Comerica Bank, and school-specific activities such as the College and Career Day
events held at several individual MSSI campuses. An exhaustive list of Cohort IV MSSI related
events can be found in FWISD’s internal final report for 2013-2014. A total of 380 unduplicated
parents attended at least one MSSI event during Year 4.Table D2 displays parental attendance
at MSSI events by academic cycle.
Table D2. Number of Parents/Caregivers Attending At Least One MSSI Related
Event By Academic Cycle.
2013-2014
Academic Cycle
Cycle 1
Cycle 2
Number of
Parents
Attending 1
Event
55
96
Number of
Parents
Attending 2
Events
6
48
Number of
Parents
Attending 3 or
More Events
0
9
Total Number
of Parents
Attending
Cycle Events*
61
153
Cycle 3
77
14
18
Cycle 4
27
11
9
Cycle 5
25
1
1
Cycle 6
102
29
18
* Note duplication of parents may exist across/between cycles, but not within cycles
109
47
27
149
MSSI Program Targets
Progress toward 2013-2014 United Way
program targets associated with the Learn
Well Initiative program can be found in
Table D3 on the following page. Note that
many of these targets were modified
or set higher than in previous year(s).
For example, the number of students
targeted to be served by the MSSI program
has grown over time. Figure D1 shows how
Target 7 has grown over time. Also, the
United Way Targets 3, 4, & 6 have
progressively been raised from previous
years to 55% in current year. The continued
dedication to and support of the MSSI
program by FWISD during Year 4 was
evident as most United Way targets for the
MSSI program were met or exceeded during
the 2013-2014 academic year.
Figure D1. Longitudinal GO Center
Target and Actual Participation
Growth.
10000
8073
8000
7000
6115
6000
5500 5430
4500
4000
2000
0
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Target Number of Student Participants
Actual Number of Students Participating
34
Table D3. Summary of Progress for FWISD’s MSSI Learn Well Initiative Program,
2013-2014.
2013-2014
Program Targets
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Total
% Target
Met
1) FWISD Coaches will target 900
at-risk Middle School Students
353
793
922
934
934
104%
2) 90% students will be promoted
on time
97.1%
3) 55% of the MSSI students will
pass all core courses
-
show a decrease in core course
failure rate or maintenance of
zero failures
show a decrease in the absence
rate or maintenance of zero
absences
6) 55% of MSSI students will show
a decrease in discipline rate or
maintain zero discipline referrals
between Cycle 1 and Cycle 6
7) GO Centers will report 7,000
student visits
–
–
Available Q1 of Year 5
55%
(438/793)
59%
(465/793)
51%
52%*
(480/922)
61%**
(565/922)
56%**
60%#
(558/934)
66%##
(617/934)
45%##
(407/793)
(520/922)
(424/934)
–
-
-
-
1,412
2,303
2,558
1,800
60%
101%
(558/513)
66%
120%
(617/513)
(558/934)
(617/934)
45%
(424/934)
61%
113%
(424/375)
111%
(570/934)
(570/513)
8,073
115%
(8073/7000)
8) 5% (n = 47) of the 934 show
improvement in student
attitudes toward school,
958%
24%
graduation, and college/career
218a
(218/934)
(47.9/5)
readiness as measured by the
MSSI College and Career
Readiness Survey
9) 50% (n =467) of the 934
81%
41%
41%
students’ parents/caregivers will
15b
212b
275
(380/934)
(380/934)
(380/467)
participate in MSSI activities
10) 10% (n = 3) increase in the
10%
10%
number of community partners
0
0
0
100%
(3/31)
(3/31)
(31 partners beginning of Q1)
11) 8 community partners will
12.5%
250%
37.5%
300%
attend at least 2 collaboration
0
300%
(1/8)
(20/8)
(3/8)
(24/8)
meetings
Note: *Based on Cycle 4 Core Grades; **Based on improvement from Cycle 3 to Cycle 4; #Based on Cycle 6; ##
a
Based on change between Cycle 5 and Cycle 6; Based on 455 students who had both pre- and post-survey data,
b
with 218 of those showing improvement on select survey items (218/455 = 47.9%); Values provided to by FWISD
but not verified by the external evaluator.
35
Achievement (Targets 2-4)
Core Course Pass/Fail Rates. During the 2013-2014 academic year, the United Way target
was examined by comparing the number of core courses failed from one academic cycle to the
next. Encouragingly, the target was met or exceeded in all quarters of Year 4. Figure D2
displays the quarterly information regarding the percentage of students who either passed all
their core courses, or who failed fewer courses from one academic cycle to the next during both
Year 3 and Year 4. Overall, MSSI participants were more successful in core classes
during 2013-2014 than in previous years.
Figure D2. Trends in Core Pass Rates.
70
60
50
40
39%
66%
61%
58%
41%
34%
30
20
10
0
Q1/Q2
Q3
Year 3
Q4
Year 4
Further, it should be noted the 2012-2013
United Way Target stated that 50% of
students would show a decrease in or
maintain zero core failures, and this target
was raised to 55% during 2013-2014. Data
for 2012-2013 was pulled from the United
Way annual report for Figure D2.
Percentages for 2013-2014 were calculated
based on the total number of participants in
each quarter:
Q1/Q2 (n =465/793),
Q3 (n =565/922), and
Q4 (n =617/934).
Texas Standardized Achievement Testing. Beginning in the spring of 2012, performance
on State of Texas Assessments of Academic Achievement (STAAR) was adopted as the state
achievement testing system. Prior to 2012 the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills
(TAKS) was administered. STAAR results in
Figure D3 provide additional evidence of the
Figure D3. Change in Averages for
impact the MSSI program has on program
STAAR Scores Between Year 3 and
participants over time.
Year 4
Additional analyses of STAAR scores
revealed that MSSI 2013-2014 outcomes
were statistically significantly higher than
MSSI 2012-2013 outcomes. The MSSI
program may be one factor positively
contributing to this difference, though it
should be noted that STAAR was
administered for the first time statewide in
Texas during 2012-2013, so there may have
been a testing/history effect that
contributed to gains in 2013-2014 as well.
Year 3
Year 4
1681
1675
1639
1616
Average STAAR
Reading Score
Average STAAR
Mathematics Score
36
Absences (Target 5)
School attendance was examined through the lens of the average number of days students
missed during the school year. Absence rates were generated for each of the 6 academic cycles
and were based on the number of school days missed per cycle divided by the total number of
school days per cycle for each student. An annual absence rate was then generated for each
student by summing the cycle absence rates and dividing by 6. Averages were then run on
these annual absence rates. Overall, MSSI participants had an absence rate of 6.6% (SD =
.06994) during the 2012-2013 academic year, and an absence rate of 7.2% (SD = .06946)
during the 2013-2014 academic year.
At the time of the compiling of this report, the state average absence rate for Texas public
schools during the 2011-2012 academic year was the most recent available for comparison at
4.1%, and FWISD’s district absence rate during 2011-2012 was 5.1% (TEA, 2013). Though the
MSSI absence rate was higher in 2013-2014 than state and district averages, it should be noted
that the MSSI targets students who are at-risk whereas district averages encompass attendance
trends associated with all students in the district.
Community Partners (Targets 10-11)
There were a total of 33 community partners involved with MSSI initiatives in Year 4. Of these,
3 were new partners in 2013-2014 which met the target of “10% (n = 3) increase in the
number of community partners.” Although Target #11 states, “8 community partners will attend
at least 2 collaboration meetings” and reports a 0 value for Q4, it should be noted this target
did not capture the fact that 11 community partners attended a MSSI event in Q4 for at least
their 3rd time in 2013-2014. The number of events
individual community partners attended in Year 4
ranged from 0 to 12.
Changes in Attitudes (Target 8)
Changes in attitudes toward school, graduation, and
college/career readiness associated with Target #9
were measured by the MSSI College and Career
Readiness Survey by administering a pre-survey upon
entry into the MSSI (Q1, Q2, or Q3), and a post-survey
in Q4. The survey was most often administered via
Survey Monkey, but some coaches offered students a
paper-pencil opportunity to participate in the survey.
There were 79 likert-scale items associated with this
survey where responses range from “not at all true” to
“completely true.” There are also two items focusing on
personal expectations with this survey: “How far do you
expect to go in school?” and “How far do your parents
want you to go in school?” An exhaustive list of survey
items can be found in Appendix B.
“(MSSI) changed the way
I think about college. I
never thought I would go
to college. I was just
going to go straight to
the (military). I still want
to go to the Air Force, but
now I want to do both.”
7th grader, Meadowbrook
(lifted from FWISD Year
4, Quarter 4 MSSI
District Report)
37
A comprehensive analysis of survey results will be available during Q1 of Year 5. Preliminary
analyses in conjunction with Target 9 were based on were based on total scores for the
subscales of college/career questions and school connectedness questions. For the 455 students
who had both pre- and post- survey results, 218 of those students showed an increase in
positive attitudes toward school, graduation, and college/career readiness. The original MSSI
target was that there would be 5% gain in attitudes, but preliminary results
encouragingly show almost half of MSSI participants (47.9%) developed more
positive attitudes towards school, college and their career over the course of Year 4.
Discipline Referrals (Target 6)
Another purpose of the MSSI program was to decrease the number of discipline referrals among
participating students, or to maintain zero discipline referrals, throughout the school year.
During Year 4 as many as 91 (9.7%) students decreased the number of discipline referrals they
received, and as many as 479 (50%) maintained zero discipline referrals throughout the school
year. The 2013-2013 program target stated that 55% of MSSI participants (513 of the 934)
would meet this target. Promisingly, this
target was in fact exceeded as 570
(111%) met this goal.
MSSI 2013-2014 Summary and
Progress Toward United Way Bold
Goal
“…this program helped me. I
remember coming to Ms. Anderson
crying and I was like, ‘I cannot do
it’… That’s the thing about Ms.
Anderson… She’s not going to lie to
you and tell you what you want to
hear, she’s going to tell you the
truth. That’s the most important
thing a person can do.” 8th grader,
Meacham (lifted from FWISD Year
4, Quarter 4 MSSI District Report)
The only target potentially warranting
discussion of improvement during Year 5 may
be that of parent involvement. Although a total
of 765 parents were counted as present at all
MSSI events during Year 4, many (41%, n =
380) of the same parents attended multiple
events throughout the school year. In other
words, there were 554 MSSI students who did
not have a parent/caregiver attend any MSSI
event in Year 4. It may be meaningful for
stakeholders to consider additional ways to
reach out and involve parents in MSSI events
who have been hesitant, uninterested, or unable to attend events in years past.
Encouragingly, the FWISD MSSI Program met or exceeded all of its student-focused and
community-partner goals in Year 4. The GO Centers and MSSI mentoring events continued to
take root at participating campuses. Overall, 2013-2014 data largely indicates MSSI initiatives
were successful in nurturing “college and career ready” academic cultures on campuses and
effectively connecting campuses with community partners. Further, qualitative feedback from
teachers and students supports the positive, holistic impact of the MSSI program during Year 4
that may, in fact, be evidence of the type of sustainable, system change Learn Well is striving
to attain.
References
AISD (2013). Learning and Playing Together in Kindergarten: A Parent Handbook. Retrieved
from www.aisd.net
Fountas, I.C., & Pinnell, G.S. (2012). Instructional level expectations for reading. Portsmouth,
New Hampshire: Heinemann.
Texas Education Agency. (2013). 2012-2013 Texas academic performance report: Fort Worth
ISD. Retrieved from
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/tapr/2013/static/district/d220905.pdf
38
Appendix A: Maps of Partner Campuses by Program
Arlington ISD’s Learn Well Initiative
39
Birdville ISD’s Early Learning Program
40
Fort Worth ISD’s MSSI Program
41
Fort Worth ISD’s LLI Program
42
Appendix B: MSSI Student Survey Items, 2013-2014
Pre-Survey Administered in Q1, Q2, or Q3; Post-Survey Administered in Q4
I like being motivated and taking risks.
I like having a stable position.
I like working to help others.
I like experiencing exciting new things.
I like working in a routine with predictable tasks.
I like making a useful product.
I like positively influencing others.
I appreciate beautiful things.
I like controlling my own activities.
I like having a high income.
I like using my imagination.
I like doing things by myself.
I like being known and recognized by others.
I like working with others.
I like performing different activities.
Adults in my life are helping me to go to college or get a job.
I would be upset if I could not get a job.
I think having a job is very important.
I care about the type of job I will get in the future.
I do not need to go to college to get a good job.
I think going to college will help me get a better job.
Doing good in school will help me go to college.
I would be upset if I did not go to college.
I feel I will go to college someday.
I think going to college is important.
Teachers at my school are unfair to students.
I care about my teachers' opinion of me.
Adults at my school are interested in how students are doing.
I like going to school events.
I would feel comfortable asking most of my classmates for help with a problem.
People I care about tell me that school is important.
I feel like I fit in with the other students at my school.
I would rather go to a different school.
I often daydream or goof off in class.
I wish my teachers would leave me alone.
I fight with my classmates.
Teachers at my school care about their students.
I feel comfortable around the other students at my school.
I feel lonely at school.
I argue a lot with my teachers.
Students at my school bully each other.
I like spending time with my classmates.
43
I think my classmates like me.
I like to make my teachers happy.
My teachers give me extra help when I need it.
People I care about say bad things about my school.
I talk back to teachers.
I feel stupid cheering for my school.
Adults at my school ask students how they are doing.
I am very involved in activities at my school, like clubs or teams.
I only go to school because I have to.
I wish my classmates would leave me alone.
Students at my school help each other.
I usually feel bored in class.
I think school is important.
When I have a problem, I ask my friends at school for help.
I usually get along with the other students at my school.
I think my teachers are stupid.
I feel like this school is the right place for me.
I talk to my friends at school about how I am feeling.
I can always find a friend to sit with at lunch.
I do things that support my school.
Adults at my school are friendly to students.
Sometimes I skip class.
My classmates ignore me.
I encourage other students to get involved in school activities.
I think the things I learn at school are useless.
Adults at my school care more about punishing students than helping them.
My teachers care about me.
I often talk with an adult at my school about things that are important to me.
I always try to do my best at school.
My teachers only notice me when I do something wrong.
I think my classmates are stupid.
I think my school is a safe place to be.
I try to make my teachers happy.
I care what my classmates think about me.
I would feel upset if someone said bad things about my school.
When I have a problem, there is at least one adult at my school I can trust.
I help my friends at school with their problems.
Date Test was administered
How far do you expect to go in school?
How far do your parents want you to go in school?
44
45
Appendix C: Grade Levels, Reading Levels and Numerical
Codes
Grade
Reading Level
Reading Level
Numerical Code for
Analysis
K
GS (Getting
Started)
0
K
A
1
K-1
B
2
K-1
C
3
1
D
4
1
E
5
1
F
6
1
G
7
1-2
H
8
1-2
I
9
Approaches Expectations (Grade 1)
2
J
10
Meets Expectations (Grade 1)
2
K
11
2-3
L
12
2-3
M
13
3
N
14
3-4
O
15
3-4
P
16
Reading Proficiency*
(Fountas & Pinnell, 2012)
*FWISD grade level standards are the same as Fountas & Pinnell (2012) grade level standards

Learn Well Initiative United Way of Tarrant County

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