##### *2004-2005 No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon Schools Program*

*U.S. Department of Education*

**Cover Sheet** Type of School: [X]{.underline} Elementary \_\_ Middle
\_\_ High \_\_ K-12

Name of Principal [Dr. Christine A. Heisler]{.underline}

(Specify: Ms., Miss, Mrs., Dr., Mr., Other) (As it should appear in the
official records)

Official School Name [Washington Elementary School]{.underline}

(As it should appear in the official records)

School Mailing Address\_[735 Washington
Road]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_       

(If address is P.O. Box, also include street address)

\_\_\_\_[Pittsburgh]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_[Pennyslvania
15228-2044]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_        

City State Zip Code+4 (9 digits total)

County
\_\_[Allegheny]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_School
Code Number\* [  103026402-000000245          ]{.underline}

Telephone [( 412 ) 344-2141]{.underline}

Website/URL [www.mtlsd.org]{.underline} E-mail
[cheisler@mtlsd.net]{.underline}

I have reviewed the information in this application, including the
eligibility requirements on page 2, and certify that to the best of my
knowledge all information is accurate.

Date\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

(Principal's Signature)

Name of Superintendent\* [Dr. George D. Wilson]{.underline}

(Specify: Ms., Miss, Mrs., Dr., Mr., Other)

District Name [Mt. Lebanon School District]{.underline} Tel. [( 412)
344-2076]{.underline}

I have reviewed the information in this application, including the
eligibility requirements on page 2, and certify that to the best of my
knowledge it is accurate.

Date\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
(Superintendent's Signature)

Name of School Board Mrs. Carol Walton

President/Chairperson

(Specify: Ms., Miss, Mrs., Dr., Mr., Other)

I have reviewed the information in this package, including the
eligibility requirements on page 2, and certify that to the best of my
knowledge it is accurate.

Date\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

(School Board President's/Chairperson's Signature)

*\*Private Schools: If the information requested is not applicable,
write N/A in the space.*

**PART I ‑ ELIGIBILITY CERTIFICATION**

The signatures on the first page of this application certify that each
of the statements below concerning the school\'s eligibility and
compliance with U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights
(OCR) requirements is true and correct.

1.  The school has some configuration that includes grades K-12.

2.  The school has not been in school improvement status or been
    identified by the state as \"persistently dangerous\" within the
    last two years.

3.  The school has been in existence for five full years, that is, from
    at least September 1999 and has not received the 2003 or 2004 *No
    Child Left Behind -- Blue Ribbon Schools Award.*

4.  The nominated school or district is not refusing the OCR access to
    information necessary to investigate a civil rights complaint or to
    conduct a district‑wide compliance review.

5.  The OCR has not issued a violation letter of findings to the school
    district concluding that the nominated school or the district as a
    whole has violated one or more of the civil rights statutes. A
    violation letter of findings will not be considered outstanding if
    the OCR has accepted a corrective action plan from the district to
    remedy the violation.

6.  The U.S. Department of Justice does not have a pending suit alleging
    that the nominated school, or the school district as a whole, has
    violated one or more of the civil rights statutes or the
    Constitution\'s equal protection clause.

7.  There are no findings of violations of the Individuals with
    Disabilities Education Act in a U.S. Department of Education
    monitoring report that apply to the school or school district in
    question; or if there are such findings, the state or district has
    corrected, or agreed to correct, the findings.

**PART II ‑ DEMOGRAPHIC DATA**

**All data are the most recent year available.**

1\. Number of schools in the district: [     7    ]{.underline}
Elementary schools

[      2   ]{.underline} Middle schools

[      1    ]{.underline} High schools

[      10   ]{.underline} TOTAL

2\. District Per Pupil Expenditure: [\$11,969.00]{.underline}

Average State Per Pupil Expenditure: [\$10,761.00]{.underline}

3\. Category that best describes the area where the school is located:

> \[ \] Urban or large central city
>
> \[ \] Suburban school with characteristics typical of an urban area
>
> \[X \] Suburban
>
> \[ \] Small city or town in a rural area
>
> \[ \] Rural

4\. [8]{.underline} Number of years the principal has been in her
position at this school.

If fewer than three years, how long was the previous principal at this
school?

5\. Number of students as of October 1 enrolled at each grade level or
its equivalent in applying school only:

  ----------- --------- ----------- ---------- --------- -- ----------- --------- ----------- ---------
  **Grade**   **\# of   **\# of                **Grade      **Grade**   **\# of   **\# of     **Grade
              Males**   Females**              Total**                  Males**   Females**   Total**

  **PreK**                                                  **7**                             

  **K**       21        19                     **40**       **8**                             

  **1**       25        27                     **52**       **9**                             

  **2**       20        24                     **44**       **10**                            

  **3**       36        20                     **56**       **11**                            

  **4**       37        35                     **72**       **12**                            

  **5**       38        34                     **72**       **Other**                         

  **6**                                                                                       

                                    **TOTAL                                                   336
                                    STUDENTS                                                  
                                    IN THE                                                    
                                    APPLYING                                                  
                                    SCHOOL**                                                  
  ----------- --------- ----------- ---------- --------- -- ----------- --------- ----------- ---------

6\. Racial/ethnic composition of [90]{.underline} % White

the students in the school: [3]{.underline} % Black or African American

2 % Hispanic or Latino

4 % Asian/Pacific Islander

[1]{.underline} % American Indian/Alaskan Native

**100% Total**

7\. Student turnover, or mobility rate, during the past year:
\_\_[7]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_%

  ------------------------- --------------------------- ------------------
  **(1)**                   Number of students who      7
                            transferred ***to*** the    
                            school after October 1      
                            until the end of the year.  

  **(2)**                   Number of students who      16
                            transferred ***from*** the  
                            school after October 1      
                            until the end of the year.  

  **(3)**                   Subtotal of all transferred 23
                            students \[sum of rows (1)  
                            and (2)\]                   

  **(4)**                   Total number of students in 349
                            the school as of October 1  

  **(5)**                   Subtotal in row (3) divided 0.0659
                            by total in row (4)         

  **(6)**                   Amount in row (5)           6.8%
                            multiplied by 100           
  ------------------------- --------------------------- ------------------

8\. Limited English Proficient students in the school:
[      2       ]{.underline}%

[       5       ]{.underline} Total Number Limited English Proficient

Number of languages represented: [        4        ]{.underline}

Specify languages: Chinese, Serbian, Turkish and Spanish

9\. Students eligible for free/reduced-priced meals:
[        4        ]{.underline}%

Total number students who qualify: [       13        ]{.underline}

10\. Students receiving special education services:
[         13      ]{.underline}%

[        45        ]{.underline}Total Number of Students Served

> Indicate below the number of students with disabilities according to
> conditions designated in the Individuals with Disabilities Education
> Act.

\_\_\_\_Autism [    1  ]{.underline}Orthopedic Impairment

\_\_\_\_Deafness [     8  ]{.underline}Other Health Impaired

\_\_\_\_Deaf-Blindness [   14  ]{.underline}Specific Learning Disability

[    1  ]{.underline}Hearing Impairment [   25  ]{.underline}Speech or
Language Impairment

\_\_\_\_Mental Retardation \_\_\_\_Traumatic Brain Injury

\_\_\_\_Multiple Disabilities \_\_\_\_Visual Impairment Including
Blindness

\_\_\_\_ Emotional Disturbance

11. Indicate number of full‑time and part‑time staff members in each of
    the categories below:

    **Number of Staff**

**[Full-time]{.underline}** **[Part-Time]{.underline}**

Administrator(s) [        1       ]{.underline} \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Classroom teachers [        16     ]{.underline}
[       11     ]{.underline}

Special resource teachers/specialists [          4     ]{.underline}
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Paraprofessionals [           2     ]{.underline} \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

> Support staff [           1      ]{.underline}
> [          4     ]{.underline}
>
> Total number [           24     ]{.underline}
> [        15      ]{.underline}

12\. Average school student-"classroom teacher" ratio:
[           21:1        ]{.underline}

13\. Show the attendance patterns of teachers and students as a
percentage.

  ------------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
                            2003-2004   2002-2003   2001-2002   2000-2001   1999-2000

  Daily student attendance  96 %        96 %        96 %        96 %        95 %

  Daily teacher attendance  2 %         2 %         2 %         2 %         2 %

  Teacher turnover rate     4 %         4 %         11 %        0 %         0 %
  ------------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

**PART III -- SUMMARY -- Narrative Snapshot of the School**

"Washington: Where Good Things Happen" is our joint PTA/school theme.
Washington Elementary is located in the heart of the Mt. Lebanon
business district. Built in 1923 as a high school, Washington Elementary
School is highlighted on the Mt. Lebanon Walking Tour for its unique
architectural features. We are fortunate to be a walking community where
students and parents walk to and from school. We promote the "Washington
Way," where the entire Washington team strives to be respectful in all
of our actions, our thoughts and our words. Our vision for this school
year is to enhance our students' writing skills through Writers Workshop
and to connect writing to all curricular areas on a daily basis.

The team spirit shines through from the start to the finish of the day
at Washington. Every morning fifth grade safety patrols and the
principal greet all students and parents entering the school. A friendly
welcoming reminder to "Have a nice day!" can put a smile on any
visitor's face. Students hustle to the classroom where teachers meet and
greet them at the door. The day begins with the morning announcements,
as the principal and the fifth grade announcer share the message of the
day, school news, student birthdays, and the character education
attribute of the month before reciting a school-wide Pledge of
Allegiance.

Lunch time has a variety of options. Students may walk home for the
lunch hour, walk Uptown for a special lunch or have a brown bag lunch in
our lunch room. Washington PTA provides a wide range of lunch time clubs
that enrich the education of our students. Students can play chess,
learn a foreign language, operate a school store, get physically fit
and/or participate in Junior Great Books. Once a month, students join
the principal for a special birthday social, eating lunch, enjoying an
ice cream treat and listening to a short story or fun poems.

Washington Elementary students are engaged in active participation and
higher level learning every day. Academics are centered on Pennsylvania
and national standards, so that all students achieve at the highest
level. Writers Workshop and reading are district-wide initiatives that
are at the core of our building vision. Our classrooms and hallways are
adorned with the student writing of many genre, especially responses to
literature, our most recently taught mode of writing. Specific writing
standards and elements of the genre are displayed in each classroom to
highlight each grade level's writing goals. Technology is integrated
throughout the curriculum via the Internet, interactive PowerPoint,
Smart Boards, Alpha Smarts, and computers connected to monitors via aver
keys. Our teachers are facilitators in the classroom, providing students
with the appropriate levels of support based on individual learning
needs. Resource personnel work within the regular classroom and
separately to provide extra support to students. Students can be seen
coming and going for music lessons, extra support and special subject
classes. All year long our students enjoy our outdoor learning garden
that our PTA designed and planted.

Our connection to the community is important. We keep our Washington
community "in the know" about our school's activities through our
numerous window messages, frequently up-dated website and weekly flyers.
Our PTA and parent volunteers are highly visible in the school. Parents
work in the classrooms supporting both teachers and students with the
many school initiatives we have in place. We value our parents and
community members for their active involvement and participation in the
school. We average between 30 and 50 visitors/volunteers a day.

Washington Elementary is really the heart of a caring community. We take
literally our theme "Where Good Things Happen." Each week of the month
we contribute to a cause and we support any and all families who need
us. The entire Washington community rallies around our causes, and both
students and teachers contribute in some way. Students reflect in
writing about our service learning projects which can be found on our
website and classrooms. Regardless of the activity or focus, we always
have a writing connection.

**PART IV -- INDICATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS**

1.  Meaning of the school's assessment results in reading and
    mathematics.

Washington's math scores in 2003-2004 indicated that 99% of our students
were at or above the *Proficient* level compared to 62% at the State
level. Eighty-seven percent of these students were advanced. This
represents almost twice as many students that were *Advanced* in
2002-2003. In reading, Washington had 95% of its students at
*Proficient* or above compared to the State's 62%. Once again,
Washington almost doubled the percentage of students in the *Advanced*
range from 2002-2003 to 2003-2004.

As indicated in our assessment charts, the Washington population is
quite homogenous. Therefore, subgroup analysis is not possible.

For additional information on the PSSA refer to our Pennsylvania
Department of Education's website at
[www.pde.state.pa.us](http://www.pde.state.pa.us/).

Washington also administers the Stanford Achievement Test to students in
grades one through five in the spring of each year. Our results indicate
that our students are performing significantly above the national mean.
For example, Washington's fifth grade mean score was at the 88^th^
national percentile in Total Reading and at the 95^th^ national
percentile in Total Mathematics. Therefore, this represents another
measure of our academic excellence.

2.  Show how the school uses assessment data to understand and improve
    student and school performance.

On-going assessment occurs in all areas in order to provide
differentiated instruction for all levels of learners. At the start of
each school year the building principal and the grade level teams use a
variety of data to set building-based and grade-level achievement goals.
Achievement goals are aligned with the Pennsylvania standards and are
used to help make curriculum decisions and guide instruction.

Our reading instruction is data driven. Three times a year every child
in grades K-3 is individually evaluated using the DIBELS assessment.
Students who are not meeting the benchmarks receive individual
instruction either by the reading specialist or Instructional Support
Teacher. Progress is monitored on a weekly basis to determine the
appropriateness of the instruction and to measure the program's
effectiveness.

The building principal is continually involved in student progress. She
reviews all student report cards every nine weeks and uses this
information to help the classroom teachers make sound decisions about
student academic growth. Students needing extra support based on their
academic achievement or social or emotional welfare are referred to the
Instructional Support Team (IST). The Instructional Support Team, which
includes the parents of the child at risk, uses student assessment data
to determine appropriate interventions to help the student improve
academically or socially. Additionally, the guidance counselor and
inclusion specialist are available to support the classroom teacher and
use data from their observations to make recommendations for classroom
accommodations.

The Stanford 10 Achievement Test data, DIBELS assessments, Pennsylvania
System of School Assessment (PSSA) test results, Otis-Lennon School
Ability Test, and the students' classroom performance are methods used
by the principal and teaching staff to determine eligibility for
specific programming for students. For example, a student may qualify
for Title I reading services based on his or her reading test scores.

3.  Describe how the school communicates student performance, including
    assessment data, to parents, students, and the community.

The Washington faculty frequently shares student performance with all
necessary parties and believes it is an important part of the
home-school connection. It is also our belief that the information that
we share with parents and students is clear and at their level of
understanding. Twice a year parent teacher conferences are scheduled so
that teachers and parents have a personal contact to discuss the
academic and social progress of individual students. Student portfolios
with work samples are used during the conferences to support the grades
earned on the student report cards. Every nine weeks, report cards are
provided to parents and students to show progress.

Teachers have clear expectations and guidelines that are shared with
their students. Rubrics are shared with the students so that they
understand the lesson objective and strive to meet the highest level.
Students are able to articulate the standard that they are learning as
well. The principal also shared the writing rubric with parents via a
principal's coffee and newsletter.

The Washington School Report Card can be found on our website as well as
in the principal's office. Listed on our report card are test scores and
general information about our school. Also, in the principal's opening
letter on the website, current information about our PSSA test scores is
highlighted as well as samples of proficient student writing.

All individual test results are shared with parents. Classroom teachers
send home student class work as well as test results in the different
subject areas. Communication is on-going between the teacher and the
parents and parents can request a conference or IST meeting at any time.
All standardized test results are sent home accompanied with a letter
from the principal to assist parents in understanding and interpreting
results. Once a year at a televised presentation to the Mt. Lebanon
Board of School Directors district test data are shared with the
community. Also, every household in Mt. Lebanon is mailed an annual
performance report which includes the district assessment results and
additional information.

4.  Describe how the school has shared and will continue to share its
    successes with other schools.

During a "walk-through," Washington Elementary teachers had the
opportunity to share their early successes with Writers Workshop with
the seven elementary principals, the superintendent, the curriculum
director, language arts supervisor and Writers Workshop professional
development trainer. During a November visit, the team of visitors
toured all of the classrooms to see how Washington was implementing the
new writing program. First, the principal shared how teachers organized
mini-lessons and set up their classrooms. Then during observations
teachers modeled writing lessons for the visitors. The team provided
feedback on the building's approach, and then returned to their
buildings to share Washington's successes with their classroom teachers.
The Washington principal was able to share the steps she had taken with
teachers to support the Writers Workshop model in the classroom. The
Washington Elementary writing coach worked with second grade teachers
across the district to share Writers Workshop suggestions and
recommendations. A second grade criteria list was generated from this
meeting.

Washington Elementary applied for and received a grant to train all
kindergarten through third grade teachers and resource teachers in the
Pennsylvania's K-3 Reading Initiative. All of the training sessions were
held at Washington school (180 hours of in-service) and elementary
reading specialists joined the Washington faculty. During district-wide,
grade-level team meetings, Washington teachers shared information about
the K-3 Reading Initiative, with the reading specialist and classroom
teachers modeling the DIBELS assessment process for other K-3 teachers.
Washington was one of two schools that gained this training and used
this method of assessment and data gathering information in the area of
reading.

**PART V -- CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION**

1.  Describe the school's curriculum.

The Mt. Lebanon elementary curriculum is comprehensive and
standards-based. Curricular areas other than reading and writing will be
described in this section. [Social Studies:]{.underline} The curriculum
uses the "expanding horizon design." The present content framework was
developed directly from the Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Civics
and Government, Economics, Geography and History. Students learn how
people live in social groups and make the decisions necessary to carry
out human activity. The program is structured to provide the students
with geographic concepts and skills, historical perspective and process,
economic principles and their application, and the roles,
responsibilities and values of being a citizen in our country.
[Mathematics:]{.underline} National, state, and district standards serve
as the framework for the curriculum.  Students at every grade level
address the mathematical topics of number systems, computation,
estimation, measurement, reasoning, problem solving, statistics,
probability, algebra, and geometry.  Our instructional program promotes
students' abilities to reason mathematically, communicate effectively,
and make connections across academic disciplines.  The teachers ensure
that student progress goals and academic standards are being met by
utilizing assessment anchors to align student assessment to the
standards. [Science:]{.underline} The approach to teaching elementary
science is one of inquiry and discovery through investigative
experiences.  A state and national standards-aligned curriculum
incorporates technology across the disciplines of life, physical, earth,
and space science.  A "Focus-Explore-Reflect-Apply" learning cycle model
infuses research-based instructional strategies into instruction.
 Instruction is focused through the uncovering of ideas students have
about the content. Students then engage in hands-on explorations of the
phenomena to be investigated.  Small and whole group discussion and
writing are utilized to help the students reflect upon their discoveries
and to construct a system of understanding that is scientifically
acceptable, can be shared with others, and finally, applied to new
situations.  Through this process, students construct an understanding
of scientific concepts at a developmentally appropriate pace, develop
critical thinking skills, and increase their ability to understand and
problem solve.  [Guidance:]{.underline} Students participate in a
comprehensive and developmental school counseling program.  Monthly
classroom guidance lessons focus on specific attitudes, knowledge and
skills to support student learning in the classroom.  Students with a
common concerns engage in small group and individual counseling as
needed.  The school counseling program implements the standards
established by the American School Counseling Association to maximize
each student's academic, career and personal/social development.
[Computer Technology:]{.underline} The role of technology is to enhance
student learning by providing powerful opportunities to support problem
solving and higher-order thinking skills through constructivist
activities. Technology assists students with the construction of
knowledge through active, tactile learning in all disciplines.
[Spanish:]{.underline} Students in grades one and two receive Spanish
instruction. The curriculum is based on the National Standards for
Foreign Language Learning and focuses on developing communicative skills
and a multicultural perspective. The program is a content-related world
language which reinforces and supports grade-level curriculum and social
values in addition to teaching language and culture. The [Special
Subject Areas:]{.underline} Students meet with certified teachers weekly
who use course guides that follow professional standards in the areas of
art, vocal and instrumental music, health, physical education and
library science.

2a. Describe the school's reading curriculum.

The faculty at Washington Elementary School is committed to the
Pennsylvania Standards of Reading: learning to read independently;
reading critically in all content areas; reading, analyzing and
interpreting literature; developing a variety of written responses to
literature; developing listening and speaking skills; and learning to do
research.

The Mt. Lebanon School District's reading program is based on scientific
research summarized in the National Reading Panel report. This panel
made recommendations regarding successful teaching practices which
include the Five Big Ideas. These are designed to teach these critical
areas both explicitly and systematically to all students. The Five Big
Ideas are phonemic awareness, alphabetic principle (phonics), fluency,
vocabulary, and text comprehension. At Washington Elementary School,
primary teachers devoted 80 hours of in-service time to learning,
analyzing and implementing this critical information in a K-3
Pennsylvania Reading Initiative workshop.

Students in primary grades are actively working to master the basic
decoding skills. Differentiated instruction, progress monitoring, and
small group reinforcement of skills permit students to be successful in
early reading at their instructional level. Daily opportunities to read
decodable texts and to listen to quality children's literature enhance
the child's fluency, vocabulary, comprehension and the critical analysis
of literature. In the late primary and throughout the intermediate
grades, children are involved in the understanding of and responses to
literature. Responses to literature help to create the critical
integration of all aspects of literacy: writing, speaking, listening,
viewing and developing critical thinking skills. Our students engage in
a variety of reading experiences such as literature circles,
dramatizations, reader's theater, letter writing and oral presentations.

It takes a village to develop readers and encourage a lifelong love of
reading. Washington Elementary School children are motivated to read
through a variety of opportunities and resources: the Accelerated Reader
Program, Washington Reads One Million Words Program, parent reading
volunteers, and the Principal's Book of the Month where students also
demonstrate their comprehension of this piece of literature by
practicing their skills in the response to literature writing genre.

3.  Describe one other curriculum area.

During the year since its inception in our school, Writers Workshop has
become the centerpiece of our challenging curriculum. Although a
district-wide commitment to writing in the 1980s brought the work of
Donald Graves to the elementary writing program, other curricular
initiatives at the elementary level caused a loss of focus on the
critical skill of writing. Using national standards as the framework,
teachers received four days of intensive training during the first
semester of its implementation in the fall of 2003. The model for
Writers Workshop is an uninterrupted one-hour time frame that includes:
a five to ten minute mini-lesson that focuses on strategies for
achieving the elements of good writing as they are outlined in the
standards, an extended independent writing time of approximately thirty
minutes, and a ten minute closing activity entitled Author's Chair where
students share their writing and receive feedback for revision.
Classrooms are set up to support the writing initiative. A writing
bulletin board in each classroom displays the writing standard with
student work and accompanying teacher and/or student commentary. The
gathering area of the room is where the students learn the mini-lesson
of the day, returning at the end of independent writing time to share
and listen to student writing pieces. Individual and small group
instruction is provided and progress monitored through skillful
conferencing. Each gathering area in each classroom has a special
Author's Chair. Unique to Washington are the specially designed Author's
Chairs created by the school custodian. He has designed chairs that
reflect the personality of the classroom teacher. His chairs were
featured in our local newspaper and our township's publication *Mt.
Lebanon Magazine*. Each nine weeks, grade level teams focus on a
specific writing standard and genre, including narrative account,
narrative procedure, report writing and response to literature. In its
commitment to high achievement and active engagement, Writers Workshop
has provided an important focus for learning at Washington Elementary
School.

4.  Describe the different instructional methods the school uses to
    improve student learning.

At Washington Elementary School many instructional methods and learning
strategies are used to improve student learning. Grade level teams use
flexible grouping to meet the needs of all learners. These groups are
formed based on academic need or student interests. Flexible groups
change when the objective for the group has been mastered. Grade level
teams plan instruction and methods according to the different subject
areas.

Mathematics instruction begins with pre-testing which enables teachers
to plan according to the best practices necessary to teach the math
objectives. Students learn through hands-on materials, modeling,
investigation, discovery approaches and paper-pencil activities. In
language arts, teachers use leveled readers, literature circles, and
practice materials at the students' reading and writing levels to ensure
success and reinforcement at the same time. Enrichment and remediation
instruction are a staple within the curriculum. In many classrooms there
is a menu of enrichment and remediation activities from which students
may choose. Teachers guide students so that the activity is at the
appropriate level of challenge. In addition to flexible groups, teachers
plan for whole and small group instruction as well as cooperative groups
and peer tutoring. In science class, students work in cooperative groups
experimenting, researching and using inquiry methods to accomplish a
project or make discoveries based on a hypothesis. Technology is also
incorporated into all subject areas. Students frequently use computers
for practice, research, composition and publishing; Alpha Smarts to word
process; Smart Boards as an interactive teaching tool; and hand-held
devices are beginning to be used as an alternative to paper-pencil type
assessment.

Students' needs and levels of understanding dictate the methods a
teacher uses to teach a lesson.

Teachers may use a variety of methods throughout a particular lesson.
The teacher models the concepts to be taught and facilitates learning in
a way that supports all students to learn and achieve at their highest
possible level.

5.  Describe the school's professional development program and its
    impact on improving student achievement.

Each year the district provides eight full days of in-service for staff
development. There are also early dismissal times for professional
development twice a year. Staff development is either district-wide or
building-based. For district-wide initiatives teachers meet as a whole,
usually in grade level teams to guarantee consistency throughout the
district by discussing commonly-developed academic achievement goals.
New initiatives are a priority for staff development. The district plans
a comprehensive time line so that the teaching staff has the support
they need to implement new programming. At Washington, teachers are
furthered supported in their progress in district initiatives. Exciting,
recent district initiatives and professional development opportunities
are Writers Workshop, research trends in reading, Smart Board training,
differentiated instruction, technology integration and the impact of
state and national standards.

All in-service programs center on making an impact on student
achievement. The Washington teaching staff contributes to the
professional development of the faculty by holding lunch time meetings
once a month on a topic of interest or need. For example, the last
"Lunch Bunch" topic was making appropriate accommodations for gifted
youngsters. The Washington faculty has been engaged in this additional
learning for the past seven years. Also, built into our professional
development guidelines, all teachers must earn thirty credit hours of
in-service outside of the school district.

**PART VII - ASSESSMENT RESULTS**

**[STATE CRITERION-REFERENCED TESTS]{.underline}**

The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) is a mandated state
assessment in reading and mathematics. Student scores are reported as
the percentage of students tested whose performance was Below Basic,
Basic, Proficient, and Advanced. These categories are defined as
follows:

**Advanced**-Superior academic performance indicating an in-depth
understanding and exemplary display of the skills included in
Pennsylvania's Academic Standards.

**Proficient**-Satisfactory academic performance indicating a solid
understanding and adequate display of the skills included in
Pennsylvania's Academic Standards.

**Basic**-Marginal academic performance work approaching, but not yet
reaching, satisfactory performance. Performance indicates a partial
understanding and limited display of the skills included in the
Pennsylvania's Academic Standards, and the student may need additional
instructional opportunities and/or increased student academic commitment
to achieve the Proficient level.

**Below Basic**-Inadequate academic performance that indicates little
understanding and minimal display of the skills included in
Pennsylvania's Academic Content Standards. There is a major need for
additional instructional opportunities and/or increased student academic
commitment to achieve the Proficient level.

**PENNSYLVANIA SYSTEM OF SCHOOL ASSESSMENT**

**FIFTH GRADE MATHEMATICS**

**Edition/Publication years 2000-2004 Publisher: Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania**

  ------------------------------------ ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
                                       2003-2004   2002-2003   2001-2002   2000-2001   1999-2000

  Testing month                        March       April       April       April       April

  **SCHOOL SCORES**                                                                    

  \% At or Above Basic                 99          93          100         98          100

  \% at or Above Proficient            99          83          89          90          92

  \% Advanced                          87          46          51          68          67

  Number of students tested            60          83          78          81          51

  Percent of total students tested     100         100         99          99          100

  Number of students alternatively     0           0           1\*         1\*         0
  assessed                                                                             

  Percent of students alternatively    0           0           1           1           0
  assessed                                                                             

                                                                                       

                                                                                       

  **STATE SCORES**                                                                     

  \% At or Above Basic                 80          78          75          78          78

  \% at or Above Proficient            62          56          53          53          52

  \% At Advanced                       37          28          26          23          27
  ------------------------------------ ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

**PENNSYLVANIA SYSTEM OF SCHOOL ASSESSMENT**

**FIFTH GRADE READING**

**Edition/Publication years 2000-2004 Publisher: Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania**

  ------------------------------------ ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
                                       2003-2004   2002-2003   2001-2002   2000-2001   1999-2000

  Testing month                        March       April       April       April       April

  **SCHOOL SCORES**                                                                    

  \% At or Above Basic                 98          95          97          99          98

  \% at or Above Proficient            95          78          86          84          88

  \% Advanced                          75          40          37          48          57

  Number of students tested            60          83          78          81          51

  Percent of total students tested     100         100         99          99          100

  Number of students alternatively     0           0           1\*         1\*         0
  assessed                                                                             

  Percent of students alternatively    0           0           1           1           0
  assessed                                                                             

                                                                                       

                                                                                       

  **STATE SCORES**                                                                     

  \% At or Above Basic                 81          78          80          77          78

  \% at or Above Proficient            62          58          57          56          55

  \% At Advanced                       34          27          18          20          29
  ------------------------------------ ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

\* This number represents students who took the State's alternate
assessment (PASA) due to the recommendations of the IEP team. There are
no subgroups reported due to insufficient numbers to disaggregate the
data. The population of Washington school is quite homogenous.