**REVISED**

**DATE: May 22, 2005**

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

*U. S. Department of Education*

**Cover Sheet**

Name of Principal \_[\_\_\_\_\_\_Ms. Patrice Renea
Shipp\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

Official School Name \_[\_\_\_Delano Elementary
School\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

School Mailing Address \_[\_\_\_\_1716 Delano
Rd.\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

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

[\_\_Memphis\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_TN\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_38127-8699\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

City State Zip Code +4 (9 digits total)

County \_\_\_\_\_[Shelby]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ School
Code Number
[\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_0145\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

Telephone [(901) 416-3932\_\_\_\_]{.underline} Fax [(901)
416-3934\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

Website/URL
[http://www.memphis-schools.k12.tn.us/schools/delano.es/index.html]{.underline}
Email [\_Shippp@mcsk12.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. Carol
Johnson\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

District Name [Memphis City Schools\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}
Tel. [(901\_)
416-5300\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.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

President/Chairperson [\_\_\_\_\_\_\_Ms. Wanda
Halbert\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

(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)

**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.
    (Schools with one principal, even K-12 schools, must apply as an
    entire school.)

2.  The school has not been in school improvement status or been
    identified by the state as "persistently dangerous" within the last
    two years. To meet final eligibility, the school must meet the
    state's adequate yearly progress requirement in the 2004-2005 school
    year.

3.  If the school includes grades 7 or higher, it has foreign language
    as a part of its core curriculum.

4.  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.*

5.  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.

6.  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 the findings will not be considered outstanding
    if the OCR has accepted a corrective action plan from the district
    to remedy the violation.

7.  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.

8.  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, that state or district has
    corrected, or agreed to correct, the findings.

**PART II-- DEMOGRAPHIC DATA**

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

**DISTRICT**

1\. Number of schools in the district: [\_112\_\_\_]{.underline}
Elementary schools

[\_\_25\_\_\_]{.underline} Middle schools

[\_\_4\_\_\_]{.underline} Junior high schools

[\_\_31\_\_\_]{.underline} High schools

[\_\_19\_\_\_]{.underline} Other

[\_191\_\_\_]{.underline} TOTAL

The above category designated as "Other" includes six career and
technology schools, seven special schools, and six charter schools.

2\. District Per Pupil Expenditure:
[\_\_\_\_\_8,326\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

Average State Per Pupil Expenditure:
[\_\_\_\_6,997\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

**SCHOOL**

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

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

4.  [\_\_2\_\_]{.underline} Number of years the principal has been in
    his/her position at this school.

> \_\_[1]{.underline}\_\_ 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:

+-----+-------+-------+-------+---+------------+-------+-------+-------+
| **G | **\#  | **\#  | **Gr  |   | **Grade**  | **\#  | **\#  | **Gr  |
| rad | of    | of    | ade** |   |            | of    | of    | and** |
| e** | Ma    | Fema  |       |   |            | Ma    | Fema  |       |
|     | les** | les** | **To  |   |            | les** | les** | **To  |
|     |       |       | tal** |   |            |       |       | tal** |
+-----+-------+-------+-------+---+------------+-------+-------+-------+
| **  | 0     | 0     | 0     |   | **7**      |       |       |       |
| Pre |       |       |       |   |            |       |       |       |
| K** |       |       |       |   |            |       |       |       |
+-----+-------+-------+-------+---+------------+-------+-------+-------+
| **  | 26    | 26    | 52    |   | **8**      |       |       |       |
| K** |       |       |       |   |            |       |       |       |
+-----+-------+-------+-------+---+------------+-------+-------+-------+
| **  | 25    | 23    | 48    |   | **9**      |       |       |       |
| 1** |       |       |       |   |            |       |       |       |
+-----+-------+-------+-------+---+------------+-------+-------+-------+
| **  | 19    | 19    | 38    |   | **10**     |       |       |       |
| 2** |       |       |       |   |            |       |       |       |
+-----+-------+-------+-------+---+------------+-------+-------+-------+
| **  | 19    | 20    | 39    |   | **11**     |       |       |       |
| 3** |       |       |       |   |            |       |       |       |
+-----+-------+-------+-------+---+------------+-------+-------+-------+
| **  | 22    | 21    | 43    |   | **12**     |       |       |       |
| 4** |       |       |       |   |            |       |       |       |
+-----+-------+-------+-------+---+------------+-------+-------+-------+
| **  | 17    | 19    | 36    |   | **Other**  |       |       |       |
| 5** |       |       |       |   |            |       |       |       |
+-----+-------+-------+-------+---+------------+-------+-------+-------+
| **  | 12    | 24    | 36    |   |            |       |       |       |
| 6** |       |       |       |   |            |       |       |       |
+-----+-------+-------+-------+---+------------+-------+-------+-------+
|     |       | **    |       |   |            |       |       | 292   |
|     |       | TOTAL |       |   |            |       |       |       |
|     |       | STU   |       |   |            |       |       |       |
|     |       | DENTS |       |   |            |       |       |       |
|     |       | IN    |       |   |            |       |       |       |
|     |       | THE   |       |   |            |       |       |       |
|     |       | APP   |       |   |            |       |       |       |
|     |       | LYING |       |   |            |       |       |       |
|     |       | S     |       |   |            |       |       |       |
|     |       | CHOOL |       |   |            |       |       |       |
|     |       | →**   |       |   |            |       |       |       |
+-----+-------+-------+-------+---+------------+-------+-------+-------+

6.  Racial/ethnic composition of \_\_[.4]{.underline}\_\_\_\_ % White

the students in the school: \_\_[99.2]{.underline}\_\_ % Black or
African American

[\_\_\_.4\_\_\_]{.underline} % Hispanic or Latino

\_\_\_\_[0]{.underline}\_\_\_ % Asian/Pacific Islander

\_\_\_\_[0\_\_\_]{.underline} % American Indian/Alaskan Native

7.  Student turnover, or mobility rate, during the past year:
    \_\_\_[5]{.underline}\_\_\_\_ %

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

  **(2)**   Number of students who transferred         14
            ***from*** the school after October 1      
            until the end of the year.                 

  **(3)**   Subtotal of all transferred students \[sum 16
            of rows (1) and (2)                        

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

  **(5)**   Amount in row (5) multiplied by 100        5
  --------- ------------------------------------------ ------------------

8.  Limited English Proficient students in the school:
    [\_\_\_\_.4\_\_]{.underline} %

> [\_\_\_\_1\_\_]{.underline} Total Number Limited English Proficient

Number of languages represented: \_\_[1]{.underline}\_\_\_\_

Specify languages:

9.  Students eligible for free/reduced-price meals:
    \_\_[78]{.underline}\_\_\_\_ %

> Total number of students who qualify: \_\_[228]{.underline}\_\_\_

10. Students receiving special education services:
    \_\_\_[12]{.underline}\_\_\_\_ %

> \_\_\_[35]{.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.

\_\_[0\_\_]{.underline} Autism [\_\_1\_\_]{.underline} Orthopedic
Impairment

\_\_[0\_\_]{.underline} Deafness \_\_[0]{.underline}\_\_ Other Health
Impaired

\_\_[0]{.underline}\_\_ Deaf-Blindness \_\_[0]{.underline}\_\_ Specific
Learning Disability

\_\_[0]{.underline}\_\_ Emotional Disturbance \_\_[5]{.underline}\_\_
Speech or Language Impairment

\_\_[0]{.underline}\_\_ Hearing Impairment \_\_[0]{.underline}\_\_
Traumatic Brain Injury

\_\_[0]{.underline}\_\_ Mental Retardation [\_\_1\_\_]{.underline}
Visual Impairment Including Blindness

\_\_[0]{.underline}\_\_ Multiple Disabilities \_\_[0\_]{.underline}\_
Emotional Disturbance

11. Indicate the 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}\_\_\_\_
> \_\_\_[0]{.underline}\_\_\_\_

Classroom teachers [\_\_\_16\_\_\_]{.underline}
[\_\_\_0\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

Special resource teachers/specialists [\_\_\_ 0\_\_\_]{.underline}
[\_\_\_3\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

Paraprofessionals [\_\_\_ 5\_\_\_]{.underline}
[\_\_\_0\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

Support staff [\_\_\_ 5\_\_\_]{.underline} [\_\_\_1\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

Total number [\_\_\_27\_\_\_]{.underline} [\_\_\_4\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

12. Average school student-"classroom teacher" ratio:
    \_\_[18:1\_\_]{.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         98%         97%         97%         97%         97 %
  attendance                                                            

  Daily teacher         97 %        98 %        96 %        98 %        97 %
  attendance                                                            

  Teacher turnover rate 22 %        .09 %       18 %        32%         18%
  --------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

**PART III-- SUMMARY**

Delano Elementary was built in 1957 to be used as a Shelby County
School. The school became a Memphis City School prior to its opening
when the Frayser community was annexed to the City of Memphis. Serving
grades one through six, the school opened its doors in 1958.
Desegregation laws led to the addition of Delano's first kindergarten
classes in 1973. Four years later, in 1977, the Southern Association for
Colleges and Schools accredited the school. During the fall of 1979,
Delano was designated as a magnet/optional school with an emphasis on
fundamental/basic skills. This designation as a magnet/optional school
eliminated neighborhood boundaries as a criterion for attendance at
Delano.

By 1985, as the country was moving into the information age, Delano
began to shift its emphasis from a school that focused on basic skills
to a school that emphasized learning through the use of technology. In
1991, seven teachers and seven parents petitioned the Optional Schools
Office at Memphis City Schools to designate the school as a school for
computer technology. This designation was granted in 1994, and the
school acquired its first computers, along with other technological
devices. With the granting of the petition to make Delano Elementary a
school for computer technology, the school became one of the first
groups of schools to be designated a Twenty-first Century School.
Shortly afterward, computer workstations were installed in all
classrooms. In 2001, Delano received an honor for being one of the top
100 wired schools in the United States by PC magazine.

Today, Delano Elementary continues to be a leader among elementary
schools. The school's population consists of 99.2 percent
African-American students, 0.4 percent white students, and 0.4 percent
Hispanic students. There are no attendance boundaries for the school.
The facilities of the school include twenty-one classrooms, an office
suite, a teacher's lounge, a cafeteria, a computer lab, and three
portable buildings. Two of the portables are used as regular classrooms
while the other portable is used as a music classroom.

Delano's success is deeply rooted in the faculty and staff's commitment
to achieving the school's mission. In carrying out its mission, Delano
seeks to prepare all students to be successful citizens in the 21^st^
Century. It is believed that this objective will be accomplished by
educating all students to read with comprehension, write clearly,
compute accurately, think, reason, and use information to solve
problems. The school's mission is embodied in the school's strategic
initiatives to help students excel academically and socially. The
results of staff efforts have been above average performance on the
state achievement test in reading and language and one hundred percent
proficiency on the state writing exam for two consecutive years.

Delano also accomplishes the goal of strengthening students' verbal,
written, and analytical skills through its academic initiatives. The
Arts Education Program helps students develop reading analysis skills
that facilitate success in reading. Music classes which include band,
strings, chorus, and piano help students learn to read music which
allows them develop important analytical skills needed to be successful
on reading achievement tests. An additional benefit of music classes is
the increased concentration that students exhibit in activities that
require great attention to detail. The primary benefit of Delano's
Problem-Based Learning Initiative is the regular involvement of students
in authentic learning experiences. Authentic learning experiences enable
students to learn subject content in context and promote the acquisition
of higher-order thinking skills among students. Students also encounter
authentic learning experiences through the school's computer lab and
daily television broadcasts via the school's closed-circuit network.

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

**Assessment Results**

The TCAP/AT Criterion Referenced assessment results for Delano
Elementary indicate that students at Delano are performing substantially
above others across the state on both the Reading/Language Arts and
Mathematics subtests. For every grade level/subject combination there is
a greater percent of Delano students who are proficient/advanced than is
the case statewide. In most instances the differential favoring Delano
students is 10 or more percentage points. Given that Delano is almost
100% black, the same positive differential exists for black students.
The economically disadvantaged students at Delano also consistently
outperform students across the state.

Specific examples of particularly outstanding performance are seen in
the results fifth graders on both Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics.
For the 2003-04 school year, 100% of Delano students were
proficient/advanced in Reading/Language Arts whereas the statewide
percentage is 83. For Mathematics, 98% of Delano students were
proficient/advanced whereas the statewide percentage was 80.

Nationally, second- (80 percent) and third-grade students (78 percent)
at Delano Elementary demonstrate some extent of proficiency in
mathematics. Minimally, the majority of second graders can read numbers
to 1000, compare and order numbers to 100, and identify half of a set.
Students can also add and subtract numbers without regrouping, add coin
values, and add and subtract to solve one-step problems. Third graders
show some degree of content mastery when compared to third graders
nationally. A substantial number of students know ordinal numbers, solve
coin combination problems, add whole numbers with regrouping, and have
basic estimation skills.

Both fourth graders (100 percent) and fifth graders (100 percent) show
some extent of mastery of the mathematics content area. Students have a
strong propensity for the manipulation of ordinal numbers, problem
solving that involve coin combinations, whole numbers with regrouping,
and basic estimation skills. Ninety-four percent of sixth-grade students
demonstrate some degree of mastery in mathematics. At a minimum,
students can compare and order decimals and solve one-step world
problems using whole number operations.

Over the past few years, Delano has maintained a record of outstanding
academic performance in the academic content areas of reading and
mathematics. On a national level, ninety-three percent of second graders
at Delano Elementary show some degree of proficiency in reading. Most
second-grade students can read and understand grade-level words and read
beginning-level and first-grade books without assistance. The vast
majority of second-grade students are also able to use details to draw
conclusions. Nationally, eighty-four percent of third-grade students at
Delano show some degree of mastery of reading content. At a minimum,
students can identify synonyms for grade-level words and use context
clues to define common words.

Fourth- (98 percent), fifth- (100), and sixth- (97 percent) grade
students show some extent of mastery in the reading content area when
compared to other students at their grade levels nationally. Like third
graders, fourth-grade students can identify synonyms for grade-level
words, use context clues to define common words, identify characters'
feelings, provide limited support for their answers, and transfer
information between text and graphic sources. Fifth-grade students show
some degree of mastery in reading by demonstrating their ability to use
context clues and structural analysis to determine word meaning,
recognize homonyms and antonyms in grade-level text, and identify
important details, sequence, cause-and-effect relationships, and lessons
embedded in the text. Sixth graders demonstrate some degree of
proficiency on reading content by demonstrating their capacity to
determine word meanings and the meaning of some idiomatic expressions.
Students identify author's purpose, extract information from simple
graphic forms, and paraphrase text information.

Supporting information can be found on the Tennessee Department of
Education's website
(http://evaas.sas.com/tn_reportcard/welcome.jsp?Main=1&ID=791&School=145).

**Use of Assessment Results**

Maintaining an integrated approach to school improvement demands that
our faculty and staff fully understand school assessment data.
Understanding such data helps us to maintain the integrity of our system
of instruction, plan appropriate professional development, and refine
the school's operations. Assessment data is used not only for ranking,
sorting, classifying student information but also for modifying
instruction to obtain desired performance results. Familiarity with the
school's assessment data also allows the school to establish clear,
measurable goals/outcomes. The curriculum is designed and/or adjusted to
help students reach these outcomes. Regular assessments allow us to
determine the extent to which the students are achieving the learning
outcomes.

In addition to focusing on student-learning outcomes, the faculty and
staff at Delano strive to build a professional learning community, where
administrators and teachers share a common and reflect on daily teaching
practices. To meet this end, the faculty and staff engage regularly in
data-driven dialogue, which requires participants to practice norms of
collaboration and gain skills in data analysis. All participants learn
to distinguish data from inference, to test out interpretations of data
with additional data and relevant research, and to explore possible
causes of performance problems. Such collaborative inquiry lays the
groundwork for school decision-making and the establishment of a
school-wide action plan. Collaborative inquiry also helps us to identify
strengths in teacher performance and generates a forum for shared
practices among teachers. Sharing best classroom practices is
particularly important for novice teachers or teachers with below
average performances.

Information obtained from data-driven dialogue allows the school to
establish appropriate teacher-performance scaffolds for less experienced
teachers in order to meet school-wide performance goals. Data-driven
dialogue identifies veteran teachers who can offer support to
new/inexperienced teachers. Data analysis is used to assess the efficacy
of the support structures, and adjustments are made accordingly.

**Communication of Assessment Results**

Delano employs a number of strategies to keep stakeholders informed of
student performance. The school provides parents with frequent
documentation of students' academic performances. This information is
reported in a variety of documents such as daily reading reports,
biweekly progress reports, report cards, P. T. A. meetings, and monthly
calendars. Daily reading reports helps students and parents to identify
strengths and weaknesses in reading accuracy and lays the initial
groundwork for further communication between parents and teachers.
Biweekly progress reports is another communication tool employed to keep
students and parents informed about community progress. Like daily
reading reports, biweekly progress reports set the stage for
communication between teachers and parents while allowing parents the
opportunity to seek further academic consultation. Parents are provided
such consultation by the school during parent-teacher conferences.
Additional communication is published in the school's monthly calendar.
This document informs students and parents about upcoming school events.

Other communication strategies used by the school include descriptive
measures of student performances. Report cards contain student grades,
work habits, and conduct. This information keeps parents abreast of
student progress. P. T.A. meetings provide an additional form of school
communication. Such meetings allow the school to establish a forum for
discourse with the surrounding community while giving all stakeholders
the opportunity for free expression. PTA meetings also present an
occasion where the school can share school successes and the school's
initiatives. In addition to P. T.A. meetings, the school's site-based
leadership council meetings provide a forum for communication between
the school and community members. During such meetings, members of the
council voice opinions and concerns.

**The Sharing of Best Practices with Other Schools**

The faculty and staff at Delano are committed to sharing the school's
best practices with teachers throughout school districts across the
United States and abroad. We gladly open our doors to educators that are
seeking ideas for practice in their unique educational settings. To meet
this aim, we have opened collegial meetings to visitors. Such meetings
often take the form of spontaneous, informal chats or formal
interactions; however, we believe that more formally structured meetings
enable everyone's participation. Each year, teachers make district
presentations to conscientious professionals who are looking for
solutions to problems. Teachers share new teaching ideas, classroom
experiences, and academic literature.

Although teacher time is often limited, our teachers always take time
the share the school's successes. Classroom observation is one manner in
which teachers share the school's best practices. Through collaboration
with local colleges and universities, pre-service teachers observe
classes on a continuous basis throughout the school year. While we share
our best practices with educators outside of our workplace, we make it a
point to interact with colleagues in our work environment. We feel that
regular interaction with colleagues creates and maintains a support
structure for our teachers. In addition to sharing our best practices
with district colleagues and educators from other districts, we make it
a point to share our practices with community stakeholders. For
instance, it is quite commonplace for teachers in our work environment
to demonstrate classroom practices at P. T. A. meetings and at
site-based leadership meetings.

In the near and distant future, the faculty and staff at Delano
Elementary will continue to share the school's best practices with
educators who are looking to improve their teaching skills. Teachers
will continue to share teaching strategies in faculty meetings. Such
strategies add a wealth of knowledge to teachers' repertoires of
instructional strategies. District-wide presentations are other sharing
methods that our teachers will continue to employ. When our teachers
present at district events, knowledge of our best practices become
available to a wide audience of educators. Journal publications will be
a likely venue for our teachers to share best practices in the future.

**PART V -- CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION**

**School Curriculum**

I.  **[English/Language Arts]{.underline} --This content area ensures
    that students can communicate with a variety of audiences, derive
    meaning from information sources, and use literary knowledge to
    understand themselves and society.**

    A.  Students are constantly engaged in research projects that lead
        to the delivery of authentic presentations.

    B.  Students perform research through the use of research tools as
        web browsers, journals, and books.

II. **[Mathematics]{.underline} -This content area ensures that students
    can use mathematical reasoning, language, symbols and technology to
    produce authentic projects and to solve theoretical and real-world
    problems that require various approaches to investigate, understand,
    and apply theoretical concepts.**

```{=html}
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A.  Students create and conduct surveys among peers in order to generate
    slide presentations on problems that affect their lives such as
    obesity.

B.  Students create and deliver slide presentations on measurements of
    food content so that students can make decisions about healthy
    eating choices.

```{=html}
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```
III. **[Social Studies]{.underline} --This content area ensures that
     students are able to analyze, interpret and discuss the social
     systems of different cultures, based on a knowledge of their arts,
     religions, governments, and philosophies and understand the
     influences of human interactions, geography, and economy on social
     systems across time.**

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```
A.  Students create cultural posters that feature the governments,
    religions, economies, and geographies of individual countries.

B.  Students create slide presentations on timelines of historical
    events and information on the economy structures of individual
    countries.

```{=html}
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```
IV. **[Science --]{.underline}This content area ensures that students
    are able to solve real-world problems through scientific inquiry,
    the application of scientific concepts, and the use of appropriate
    technology that allow students to communicate ideas and solutions
    effectively.**

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```
A.  Students entered a local waste management contest and created
    projects that encouraged local residents to keep their city clean.

B.  Students proposed unique solutions to pollution concerns in their
    community and used computer-generated graphics to demonstrate their
    perspectives.

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```
V.  **[Wellness (Health & P. E.)]{.underline} --This content area
    ensures that students are able to effectively demonstrate knowledge
    and skills for good mental, social, and physical health and make
    sound judgments about the social influences that jeopardize
    personal, family, and community health.**

    A.  Students use computer-generated artwork to create posters in an
        effort to affirm their commitment to remaining drug-free as they
        display information on the harmful effects of using drugs.

    B.  Students create projects to propose drug-free alternatives such
        as skating, dancing, and swimming for their peers.

VI. **[Arts (Music & Art)]{.underline}-This content area ensures that
    students are able to communicate ideas, feelings, personal
    judgments, and attitudes through one or more arts disciplines
    (dance, music, theater, and visual art) and make connections to
    other disciplines (math, social studies, etc.).**

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A.  Students attend several aesthetic performances throughout the school
    year and are invited by teachers to engage in discussions about the
    performances.

B.  Students attend assemblies where they learn different cultural art
    forms that involve African drums and rhythms and Brazilian dance.

**Pedagogical Rationale for Reading Curriculum**

The reading curriculum at Delano Elementary was chosen to ensure a
holistic approach to reading instruction. Such an approach demands that
all components of a reading program (phonemic awareness, fluency,
vocabulary, etc.) are addressed. Phonemic awareness, word recognition,
and fluency in the primary grades form the cornerstone of our reading
program. Students learn to recognize and decode printed text in order to
develop the fundamental skills needed for independent reading. Primary
students learn the alphabetic principle that helps them to sound out new
words and build a repertoire of sight words that help them read quickly
and accurately with comprehension. By the end of third grade, students
demonstrate fluent oral reading, intonation, and timing as appropriate
for given texts. Students acquire vocabulary through exposure to
language-rich situations that involve reading books and conversing with
adults and peers. Reading books help students develop word analysis
skills that help students build their vocabulary.

Another feature of Delano's reading program is its focus on acclimating
students to the reading process. This process involves introducing
students to concepts of print and aiding students in the acquisition of
comprehension and self-monitoring strategies. Beginning readers learn
how books work and remain engaged with texts while strategic readers
learn to self-monitor their comprehension by asking and answering
questions about the text, self-correcting errors, and assessing their
own understanding. Such strategies are applied to assigned and
self-selected texts read in and out of the classroom.

An extension of fundamental reading strategies across disciplines
enables students to learn from a variety of text sources. Students learn
to apply the reading process to various genres of literature (fables,
folk tales, short stories, novels, poetry, etc.) while learning to
explain, analyze and critique literary text to achieve deep
understanding. The reading process is also applied to various types of
informational texts that include essays, magazines, newspapers,
textbooks, and instructional manuals. Students learn to attend to text
features such as titles, subtitles and visual aids to make predictions
and build text knowledge. They learn to read diagrams, charts, graphs,
maps and displays in text as sources of information.

**Presence of School Mission in Mathematics Curriculum**

The mission of Delano Elementary is to prepare all students to be
successful students in the 21^st^ Century. Meeting this goal means
preparing all students to read with comprehension, write clearly,
perform calculations with accuracy, think, reason, and use information
to solve problems. The curriculum content area that most clearly
demonstrates the school's efforts to achieve all facets of the school's
mission statement is mathematics. In the 21^st^ century workplace, it is
imperative that students have the ability to reason, think critically,
and make sound judgments. For this reason, we focus our efforts on
assuring that students learn to compute accurately and make reasonable
estimates using technology-supported and mental methods. Using
appropriate units, tools, and technologies, students estimate and
measure to a required degree of accuracy and precision.

In an effort to prepare all students for the performance-based workplace
that awaits them, the core of our work in the mathematics content area
focuses on assuring that all students can pose questions and collect,
organize, represent, interpret and analyze data to answer those
questions. Likewise, the future workforce will require students to
develop and evaluate inferences, predictions and arguments that are
based on data. In this respect, it is extremely critical that daily
practices of faculty and staff reflect the ideas embedded in the
school's mission statement. Such ideas guide our efforts to prepare
students for a society that is rapidly becoming increasingly complex.
The involvement of students in abstract tasks that involve algebra and
geometry is another example of Delano's commitment of preparing students
for the 21^st^ century. To meet the critical-thinking requirements of
the future workplace, we provide opportunities for students to employ
spatial reasoning, examine properties of geometric objects, and explore
transformations in order to analyze mathematical situations and solve
problems. Students also use patterns, relations and functions to model,
represent and analyze problem situations that involve variable
quantities. Other mathematical tasks cross academic disciplines,
requiring students to analyze, model and solve problems using various
representations such as tables, graphs and equations.

**A Variety of Instructional Methods**

At Delano Elementary, teachers employ a number of instructional methods
to improve and maintain an environment for student learning.
Questioning, a valuable teaching strategy when thoughtfully implemented,
is an instructional method used frequently to meet this end. Teachers
engage in collegial planning to formulate key questions to provide
structure and direction for students. Questions pertain to material that
is fundamental to the concepts or principles being taught. Lower-level
cognitive questions evaluate student preparation and comprehension
through review and summarization techniques. High-level cognitive
questions encourage critical thinking, problem solving and stimulate
students to assume greater responsibility for seeking information on
their own. While it is important to utilize questions of all cognitive
levels, the greater proportion of questions aims to develop the
cognitive skills of comprehension, application, analysis, and synthesis.
Such questions are implemented in both large and small groups and help
students understand the broadest implications of the content presented.

Modified lectures, while used minimally, are additional techniques that
our school employ to increase student achievement. Guided lectures help
our students synthesize lecture material, enhance their listening
skills, and develop their note-taking skills. Feedback lectures,
designed around a supplementary study guide, are used to provide
students with learning objectives, assigned readings, and pre- and
post-tests. Using this instructional method requires students to form
dyads or triads to discuss questions provided by the teacher or the
study guide. Although quite effective, feedback lectures require
extensive planning and preparation for teachers. The disadvantage to the
instructor is the extensive planning and preparation required to
implement this teaching strategy. Responsive lectures provide a forum in
which students generate open-ended questions for the teacher on topics
pertinent to the subject content. These sessions are held on a weekly
basis depending upon available class time.

Teachers use brainstorming techniques to ensure that students
participate in and help create the instruction. While this technique is
less time efficient for information transfer than other methods, it
actively engages our students in the learning process. During the
process, the ideas are categorized or placed in groupings by the teacher
with the students\' guidance. The benefit of using this technique is
that students spend their time thinking about and organizing the salient
concepts and points of the topic as opposed to simply recording
information.

**Impact of Professional Development on Student Learning**

The desired results for student learning form the cornerstone of our
professional development program. The Delano School Improvement Team
works with the staff, administrators, parents, and community
representatives to develop a shared vision for student learning. This
team begins its work by reviewing the school's beliefs and mission
statements, as well as the latest findings in educational research and
future trends related to defining expectations for student learning. We
also review our state standards for student learning and our current
district instructional objectives. Survey and achievement test data are
compared to state and local standards in order to analyze teacher needs
for training and initiate the annual redesign of our professional
development plan. The annual redesign of our professional development
program provides a clear indication to all of our staff of our
priorities for improvement involve.

Our professional development program begins with critical needs for
student learning identified in the school improvement plan. Teachers
attend workshops to build an understanding of research-based
instructional strategies to promote students' achievement of target
goals for their learning. Peer coaching and guided practice are used to
support the implementation of the recommended strategies. Collegial
planning sessions further refine the application of the strategies by
teachers sharing ideas and clarifying any difficulties that teachers may
encounter in implementing the strategies.

The 2003-2004 school year is the clearest example of the impact of our
professional development program on student learning. During this
period, Delano Elementary received straight A's in the state's value
added assessment, which highlights the schools performance gains, and
was 100 percent proficient for student writing on the state writing
assessment. The progress made in recent years is indicative of the
success of the School Improvement Team and school personnel in
identifying critical needs for student improvement. Without a doubt, our
needs analysis-to-action approach to school improvement and the planning
of professional development form the fabric of our academic program.

**STATE CRITERION-REFERENCED TESTS**

Subject \_\_\_[Mathematics]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Grade
[\_\_\_\_3\_\_\_\_]{.underline} Test
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_[TCAP]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Edition/Publication Year \_\_\_\_[1997]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
Publisher \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_[CTB McGraw
Hill\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

  ---------------------------------------- --------------- ---------------
  Testing month                            April           April

                                           2003-04         2002-03

  SCHOOL SCORES                                             

                                                           

  \% At or Above Proficient                89              95

  \% At or Above Advanced                  40              40

  Number of students tested                45              42

  Percent of total students tested         100             100

  Number of students alternatively                          
  assessed                                                 

  Percent of students alternatively                         
  assessed                                                 

                                                            

  SUBGROUP SCORES                                           

  1\. Black                                                 

                                                           

  \% At or Above Proficient                89              95

  \% At or Above Advanced                  40              39

  Number of students tested                45              41

                                                            

                                                            

  2\. Economically Disadvantaged                            

                                                           

  \% At or Above Proficient                87              94

  \% At or Above Advanced                  41              38

  Number of students tested                39              34

                                                            

                                                            

  STATE SCORES \*                                           

                                                           

  \% At or Above Proficient                80              79

  \% At or Above Advanced                  30              31

                                                           

  \* State percentages for 2003-04 were                    
  not                                                      

  disaggregated by grade. Percentages                      
  given are                                                

  for grades k-8.                                          
  ---------------------------------------- --------------- ---------------

**Note:** Three years of CRT/NRT data does not exist for comparison. The
federal accountability model changed from NRT to CRT beginning in the
2002-2003 school year and the state followed suit; therefore, this
document contains two years of CRT data and one year of NRT data. For
federal accountability purposes, the state reports data for grades three
and five.

**STATE CRITERION-REFERENCED TESTS**

Subject \_\_\_[Reading\_\_\_]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Grade
[\_\_\_\_3\_\_\_\_]{.underline} Test
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_[TCAP]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Edition/Publication Year \_\_\_\_[1997]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
Publisher \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_[CTB McGraw
Hill\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

  ---------------------------------------- --------------- ---------------
  Testing month                            April           April

                                           2003-04         2002-03

  SCHOOL SCORES                                             

                                                           

  \% At or Above Proficient                91              95

  \% At or Above Advanced                  31              24

  Number of students tested                45              42

  Percent of total students tested         100             100

  Number of students alternatively                          
  assessed                                                 

  Percent of students alternatively                         
  assessed                                                 

                                                            

  SUBGROUP SCORES                                           

  1\. Black                                                 

                                                           

  \% At or Above Proficient                91              95

  \% At or Above Advanced                  31              22

  Number of students tested                45              41

                                                            

                                                            

  2\. Economically Disadvantaged                            

                                                           

  \% At or Above Proficient                90              95

  \% At or Above Advanced                  36              21

  Number of students tested                39              34

                                                            

                                                            

  STATE SCORES \*                                           

                                                           

  \% At or Above Proficient                83              80

  \% At or Above Advanced                  31              31

                                                           

  \* State percentages for 2003-04 were                    
  not                                                      

  disaggregated by grade. Percentages                      
  given are                                                

  for grades k-8.                                          
  ---------------------------------------- --------------- ---------------

**STATE CRITERION-REFERENCED TESTS**

Subject \_\_\_[Mathematics]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Grade
[\_\_\_\_5\_\_\_\_]{.underline} Test
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_[TCAP]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Edition/Publication Year \_\_\_\_[1997]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
Publisher \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_[CTB McGraw
Hill\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

  ---------------------------------------- --------------- ---------------
  Testing month                            April           April

                                           2003-04         2002-03

  SCHOOL SCORES                                             

                                                           

  \% At or Above Proficient                98              100

  \% At or Above Advanced                  50              44

  Number of students tested                40              34

  Percent of total students tested         100             100

  Number of students alternatively                          
  assessed                                                 

  Percent of students alternatively                         
  assessed                                                 

                                                            

  SUBGROUP SCORES                                           

  1\. Black                                                 

                                                           

  \% At or Above Proficient                98              100

  \% At or Above Advanced                  49              44

  Number of students tested                39              34

                                                            

                                                            

  2\. Economically Disadvantaged                            

                                                           

  \% At or Above Proficient                100             100

  \% At or Above Advanced                  53              45

  Number of students tested                32              22

                                                            

                                                            

  STATE SCORES \*                                           

                                                           

  \% At or Above Proficient                80              80

  \% At or Above Advanced                  30              31

                                                           

  \* State percentages for 2003-04 were                    
  not                                                      

  disaggregated by grade. Percentages                      
  given are                                                

  for grades k-8.                                          
  ---------------------------------------- --------------- ---------------

**STATE CRITERION-REFERENCED TESTS**

Subject \_\_\_[Reading\_\_\_]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Grade
[\_\_\_\_5\_\_\_\_]{.underline} Test
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_[TCAP]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Edition/Publication Year \_\_\_\_[1997]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
Publisher \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_[CTB McGraw
Hill\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

  ---------------------------------------- --------------- ---------------
  Testing month                            April           April

                                           2003-04         2002-03

  SCHOOL SCORES                                             

                                                           

  \% At or Above Proficient                100             100

  \% At or Above Advanced                  37              53

  Number of students tested                40              34

  Percent of total students tested         100             100

  Number of students alternatively                          
  assessed                                                 

  Percent of students alternatively                         
  assessed                                                 

                                                            

  SUBGROUP SCORES                                           

  1\. Black                                                 

                                                           

  \% At or Above Proficient                100             100

  \% At or Above Advanced                  36              53

  Number of students tested                39              34

                                                            

                                                            

  2\. Economically Disadvantaged                            

                                                           

  \% At or Above Proficient                100             100

  \% At or Above Advanced                  37              59

  Number of students tested                32              22

                                                            

                                                            

  STATE SCORES \*                                           

                                                           

  \% Proficient                            83              79

  \% Advanced                              31              31

                                                           

  \* State percentages for 2003-04 were                    
  not                                                      

  disaggregated by grade. Percentages                      
  given are                                                

  for grades k-8.                                          
  ---------------------------------------- --------------- ---------------

**ASSESSMENTS REFERENCED AGAINST NATIONAL NORMS**

Subject [\_\_\_\_\_Mathematics\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline} Grade
\_\_\_[3\_]{.underline}\_\_\_ Test
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_[TCAP\_\_\_\_]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Edition/Publication Year [\_\_\_\_\_1997\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}
Publisher \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_[CBT
McGRAW-HILL\_\_\_]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Scores are reported here as (check one): NCEs
[\_\_√\_]{.underline}\_\_\_ Scaled scores \_\_\_\_\_\_ Percentiles

  --------------------------------------------------- -------------------
  Testing month                                       April

                                                      2001-02

  SCHOOL SCORES                                        

  Mean NCE                                            54

  Number of students tested                           49

  Percent of total students tested                    100

  Number of students alternatively assessed            

  Percent of students alternatively assessed           

                                                       

  SUBGROUP SCORES                                      

  1\. Black                                            

  Mean NCE                                            54

  Number of students tested                           47

                                                       

  2\. Economically Disadvantaged                       

  Mean NCE                                            54

  Number of students tested                           47
  --------------------------------------------------- -------------------

**ASSESSMENTS REFERENCED AGAINST NATIONAL NORMS**

Subject [\_\_\_\_\_Reading\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline} Grade
\_\_\_[3\_]{.underline}\_\_\_ Test
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_[TCAP\_\_\_\_]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Edition/Publication Year [\_\_\_\_\_1997\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}
Publisher \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_[CBT
McGRAW-HILL\_\_\_]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Scores are reported here as (check one): NCEs
[\_\_√\_]{.underline}\_\_\_ Scaled scores \_\_\_\_\_\_ Percentiles

  --------------------------------------------------- -------------------
  Testing month                                       April

                                                      2001-02

  SCHOOL SCORES                                        

  Mean NCE                                            54

  Number of students tested                           49

  Percent of total students tested                    100

  Number of students alternatively assessed            

  Percent of students alternatively assessed           

                                                       

  SUBGROUP SCORES                                      

  1\. Black                                            

  Mean NCE                                            54

  Number of students tested                           47

                                                       

  2\. Economically Disadvantaged                       

  Mean NCE                                            54

  Number of students tested                           34
  --------------------------------------------------- -------------------

**ASSESSMENTS REFERENCED AGAINST NATIONAL NORMS**

Subject [\_\_\_\_\_Mathematics\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline} Grade
\_\_\_[5]{.underline}\_\_\_ Test
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_[TCAP\_\_\_\_]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Edition/Publication Year [\_\_\_\_\_1997\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}
Publisher \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_[CBT
McGRAW-HILL\_\_\_]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Scores are reported here as (check one): NCEs
[\_\_√\_]{.underline}\_\_\_ Scaled scores \_\_\_\_\_\_ Percentiles

  --------------------------------------------------- -------------------
  Testing month                                       April

                                                      2001-02

  SCHOOL SCORES                                        

  Mean NCE                                            49

  Number of students tested                           45

  Percent of total students tested                    98

  Number of students alternatively assessed           0 

  Percent of students alternatively assessed           0

                                                       

  SUBGROUP SCORES                                      

  1\. Black                                            

  Mean NCE                                            49

  Number of students tested                           45

                                                       

  2\. Economically Disadvantaged                       

  Mean NCE                                            49

  Number of students tested                           31
  --------------------------------------------------- -------------------

**ASSESSMENTS REFERENCED AGAINST NATIONAL NORMS**

Subject [\_\_\_\_\_Reading\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline} Grade
\_\_\_[5\_]{.underline}\_\_\_ Test
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_[TCAP\_\_\_\_]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Edition/Publication Year [\_\_\_\_\_1997\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}
Publisher \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_[CBT
McGRAW-HILL\_\_\_]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Scores are reported here as (check one): NCEs
[\_\_√\_]{.underline}\_\_\_ Scaled scores \_\_\_\_\_\_ Percentiles

  --------------------------------------------------- -------------------
  Testing month                                       April

                                                      2001-02

  SCHOOL SCORES                                        

  Mean NCE                                            53

  Number of students tested                           46

  Percent of total students tested                    100

  Number of students alternatively assessed            0

  Percent of students alternatively assessed           0

                                                       

  SUBGROUP SCORES                                      

  1\. Black                                            

  Mean NCE                                            53

  Number of students tested                           46

                                                       

  2\. Economically Disadvantaged                       

  Mean NCE                                            51

  Number of students tested                           31
  --------------------------------------------------- -------------------