##### U.S. Department of Education September 2003

**2003-2004 *No Child Left Behind---Blue Ribbon Schools Program***

**Cover Sheet**

Name of Principal [Mrs. Linda Collie]{.underline}

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

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

(As it should appear in the official records)

School Mailing Address [503 Shadybrook Road]{.underline}
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

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

[High Point North Carolina]{.underline} \_\_
[27265-1902]{.underline}\_\_\_\_

City State Zip Code+4 (9 digits total)

Tel. [( 336 ) 819-2950]{.underline} Fax [( 336 ) 869-1575]{.underline}

Website/URL
[http://schools.guilford.k12.nc.us/spages/shady/index.htm]{.underline}
E-mail[colliel@guilford.k12.nc.us]{.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. Terry Grier]{.underline}

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

District Name [Guilford County Schools]{.underline} Tel. [( 336 )
370-8100]{.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 Mr. Alan Duncan

(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**

**\[Include this page in the school's application as page 2.\]**

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 2003-2004 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 1998.

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

**PART II ‑ DEMOGRAPHIC DATA**

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

**DISTRICT** (Questions 1‑2 not applicable to private schools)

1\. Number of schools in the district: \_\_\_[64]{.underline}\_\_
Elementary schools

\_\_\_[19]{.underline}\_\_ Middle schools

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Junior high schools

\_\_\_[22]{.underline}\_\_ High schools

> \_\_\_\_[2]{.underline} \_ Other (Briefly explain) Two schools serve

physically handicapped students.

\_\_[107\_]{.underline}\_ TOTAL

2\. District Per Pupil Expenditure:
\_\_\_\_[\$2,136.87]{.underline}\_\_\_

Average State Per Pupil Expenditure: \_\_\_
[\$4,143.85]{.underline}\_\_\_\_

**SCHOOL** (To be completed by all schools)

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

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

4\. [2.5]{.underline} Number of years the principal has been in her/his
position at this school.

[6]{.underline} If fewer than three years, how long was the previous
principal at this school?

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

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

  **K**       47        38                     85           **7**                             

  **1**       37        46                     83           **8**                             

  **2**       49        45                     94           **9**                             

  **3**       57        45                     102          **10**                            

  **4**       42        41                     83           **11**                            

  **5**       44        44                     88           **12**                            

  **6**                                                     Other                             

                                    **TOTAL                                                   535
                                    STUDENTS                                                  
                                    IN THE                                                    
                                    APPLYING                                                  
                                    SCHOOL**                                                  
  ----------- --------- ----------- ---------- --------- -- ----------- --------- ----------- ---------

6\. Racial/ethnic composition of [60.6]{.underline} % White

the students in the school: [29.0]{.underline} % Black or African
American

[5.2]{.underline} % Hispanic or Latino

[5.2]{.underline} % Asian/Pacific Islander

\% American Indian/Alaskan Native

**100% Total**

7\. Student turnover, or mobility rate, during the past year:
\_\_\_\_[25.6]{.underline}\_\_\_\_%

> (This rate includes the total number of students who transferred to or
> from different schools between October 1 and the end of the school
> year, divided by the total number of students in the school as of
> October 1, multiplied by 100.)

  ----------- ---------------------------------- ------------------------
  **(1)**     Number of students who transferred 76
              ***to*** the school after October  
              1 until the end of the year.       

  **(2)**     Number of students who transferred 69
              ***from*** the school after        
              October 1 until the end of the     
              year.                              

  **(3)**     Subtotal of all transferred        145
              students \[sum of rows (1) and     
              (2)\]                              

  **(4)**     Total number of students in the    565
              school as of October 1             

  **(5)**     Subtotal in row (3) divided by     .256
              total in row (4)                   

  **(6)**     Amount in row (5) multiplied by    25.6
              100                                
  ----------- ---------------------------------- ------------------------

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

\_\_[34]{.underline}\_\_\_\_Total Number Limited English Proficient

Number of languages represented: \_\_\_[15]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_

Specify languages: Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, French, Guariti, Japanese,
Khmmu, Lao, Portugese,

Serbo-Croacia, Spanish, Swedish, Urdu, Vietnamese, Yoruba

9\. Students eligible for free/reduced-priced meals:
\_\_\_[32.3]{.underline}\_\_%

\_\_\_[173]{.underline}\_\_\_Total Number Students Who Qualify

> If this method does not produce a reasonably accurate estimate of the
> percentage of students from low‑income families or the school does not
> participate in the federally‑supported lunch program, specify a more
> accurate estimate, tell why the school chose it, and explain how it
> arrived at this estimate.

10\. Students receiving special education services:
\_\_\_\_[10.8]{.underline}\_\_\_%

\_\_\_\_ [58]{.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.

\_\_[4]{.underline}\_\_Autism \_\_[0]{.underline}\_\_Orthopedic
Impairment

\_\_[0]{.underline}\_\_Deafness \_[15]{.underline}\_ Other Health
Impaired

\_\_[0]{.underline}\_\_Deaf-Blindness \_[19]{.underline}\_\_Specific
Learning Disability

\_\_[0]{.underline}\_\_Hearing Impairment \_[12]{.underline}\_\_Speech
or Language Impairment

\_\_[8]{.underline}\_\_Mental Retardation \_
[0]{.underline}\_\_Traumatic Brain Injury

\_\_[0]{.underline}\_\_Multiple Disabilities \_
[0]{.underline}\_\_Visual Impairment Including Blindness

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}\_\_\_
\_\_\_\_[0]{.underline}\_\_\_

Classroom teachers \_\_ [24]{.underline}\_\_\_
\_\_\_\_[0]{.underline}\_\_\_

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

Paraprofessionals \_\_ [12]{.underline} \_\_
\_\_\_\_[0]{.underline}\_\_\_

> Support staff \_\_\_[5]{.underline} \_\_\_ \_\_\_ [2]{.underline} \_\_
>
> Total number \_\_[46]{.underline} \_\_ \_\_\_ [6]{.underline} \_\_\_

12\. Average school student-"classroom teacher" ratio:
\_\_[22:1]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_

13\. Show the attendance patterns of teachers and students as a
percentage. The student dropout rate is defined by the state. The
student drop-off rate is the difference between the number of entering
students and the number of exiting students from the same cohort. (From
the same cohort, subtract the number of exiting students from the number
of entering students; divide that number by the number of entering
students; multiply by 100 to get the percentage drop-off rate.) Briefly
explain in 100 words or fewer any major discrepancy between the dropout
rate and the drop-off rate. (Only middle and high schools need to supply
dropout rates and only high schools need to supply drop-off rates.)

  ------------------------ ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
                           2002-2003   2001-2002   2000-2001   1999-2000   1998-1999

  Daily student attendance 95.61       95.8        94.96       95.24       94.74

  Daily teacher attendance 94.42       93.08       93.75       \-\--       \-\--

  Teacher turnover rate    19%         27%         8%          11%         17%

  Student dropout rate     N/A         N/A         N/A         N/A         N/A

  Student drop-off rate    N/A         N/A         N/A         N/A         N/A
  ------------------------ ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

**PART III ‑ SUMMARY**

Shadybrook Elementary School is located in the northwest corner of High
Point, North Carolina and is one of 107 schools in the Guilford County
School system. Our mission is to nurture and involve students in an
environment that emphasizes cooperation, discovery and enjoyment. Our
staff strives to develop educated and responsible citizens who possess a
positive self-esteem, show respect for others and have an interest in
lifelong learning. We believe that students achieve greater success when
teachers, parents and the community work together. With an eagle as our
mascot, our motto is "Soaring High...Touching the Future."

Prior to the current school year, Shadybrook's student population was
approximately 53% minority, with 49% of students qualifying for
free/reduced meals. Students from several subsidized housing community
areas in High Point were assigned to the school, along with children who
lived in the surrounding neighborhood. Because of the high percentage of
economically disadvantaged students, Shadybrook qualified for Title I
funding.

During the past five years, the Guilford County School system has
implemented various phases of a redistricting plan designed to assign
students to schools closer to their homes. Phase V of this plan was
implemented at the beginning of the 2003-2004 school year, which
resulted in the reassignment of almost 100 students from our subsidized
housing community, to other schools in High Point. The redistricting
plan also moved approximately 80 students from a higher socioeconomic
area to Shadybrook. Because our school is designated as the opt-out for
three of the magnet schools in High Point, slightly more than half of
the students who were reassigned were able to choose to remain at
Shadybrook. The overall make-up of our student population, however, has
greatly changed this year because of the redistricting plan and we are
no longer designated as a Title I school.

During the past five years, student achievement has significantly
increased at Shadybrook, primarily because of the implementation of best
practices on a daily basis in every classroom and an increased awareness
and focus on closing the achievement gap. Our overall school proficiency
has increased from 78% to 94.1% during this period. In each of the past
two years, more than 90% of our students in grades 3-5 have scored at
the proficient level on state assessments. Our school also achieved high
growth both of those years, which means that students scored at least
10% higher than expected. As a result of having at least 90% of our
students on grade level, we were named as a North Carolina "School of
Excellence" for both the 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 school years. We also
met each of our 19 target goals, as defined by the No Child Left Behind
Act, to achieve Adequate Yearly Progress in 2002-2003.

We are very fortunate to have a stable, highly qualified staff, as well
as an abundance of active parent volunteers, working together to help
our students continue to achieve academic success. By effectively
utilizing all of our resources, we hope to ensure that every student is
able to reach his/her potential.

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

**1. Meaning of assessment results:**

In 1995, the General Assembly of North Carolina passed a law directing
the State Board of Education to establish a new accountability plan that
would provide a system of clear rewards and consequences for individual
public schools. In response to this legislation, a statewide testing
program emphasizing the basic skills that all students should master was
developed. The ABCs Accountability Program was initially implemented in
grades 3-8 during the 1996-97 school year. High school accountability
standards were implemented the following year.

At the elementary level, students in grades 3-5 are administered end-of
grade multiple choice tests in Reading Comprehension and Mathematics
Applications and Computation during the final three weeks of each school
year. These standardized tests measure the achievement of curriculum
competencies described in the *North Carolina* *Standard Course of
Study.* These competencies are also closely aligned with national
curriculum standards.

The ABCs accountability model sets growth and performance standards for
each elementary, middle and high school in the state. Each student
receives a developmental scale score and an achievement level score in
both reading and math. Scale scores are used to chart the average
educational growth of students as they progress through the grades.
Growth standards are benchmarks set annually to measure each school's
progress. An individual school's "expected growth" is based on its
previous performance and statewide average growth. "Expected growth" is
the amount of growth that would be reasonably expected over a year's
worth of time, while "high growth" refers to growth that exceeds by at
least 10% the amount designated by the State Board of Education. For the
past five years, Shadybrook has met its "expected growth" each year and
achieved "high growth" during the 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 school years.

Achievement levels (cut scores) are used to show the percentage of
students scoring at the proficient level. Students scoring Level III or
IV are considered proficient by demonstrating consistent to superior
mastery of grade level knowledge and skills. The tables on pages 14-19
show the percentage of Shadybrook Elementary students performing at or
above grade level for each of the past five years. Achievement scores
have risen significantly at each grade level in both reading and math,
especially during the past few years. We are especially proud that our
focus on reducing the achievement gap has greatly increased the
percentage of minority and economically disadvantaged students who are
performing on grade level. At several grade levels, there has been more
than a 30 point increase in the percentage of minority students scoring
Level III or IV over the past five years.

The ABCs accountability model provides special recognition to schools
that meet their performance and growth target goals. Shadybrook was
recognized as a "School of Distinction" for the 2000-2001 school year,
which meant that at least 80% of our students were proficient. We
received designation as a "School of Excellence" for the 2001-2002 and
2002-2003 school years for having at least 90% proficiency and making
"high growth."

**2. Use of assessment data to improve student and school performance:**

Analyzing and utilizing data to drive instruction and improve student
achievement is a major focus at Shadybrook. A variety of assessments are
used during the school year to monitor student progress. Each quarter,
students in grades K-2 are administered literacy and math assessments,
which are based on the North Carolina grade level Language Arts and Math
competencies. Students are also given Literacy First assessments on an
on-going basis. These assessments identify specific weaknesses that
students have in the areas of decoding, fluency and comprehension. Based
on the results of these assessments, students are placed in flexible
skill groups for reading instruction.

Students in grades 3-5 are administered quarterly benchmark assessments
in reading and math that are based on the pacing guides for each
subject. Teachers scan these assessments and receive detailed student
and class reports to help them effectively plan for instruction. In
grades 1-5, students and teachers also utilize a Curriculum Based
Measurement program called "Yearly Progress Pro" that assesses progress
across the entire math curriculum on a weekly basis.

At the end of each quarter, the principal conducts individual
conferences with each teacher to review assessment results. The progress
of individual students, as well as the overall class performance, is
discussed and teachers are asked to identify strategies that will be
used to improve student achievement during the next quarter.
Personalized Education Plans are reviewed and revised each quarter for
those students who have been identified as working below grade level.

**3. How the school communicates student performance:**

Within the first month of school, a parent meeting is held to give
teachers the opportunity to share grade level expectations and to
explain the assessments that will be used to evaluate student progress.
At the end of the first quarter, teachers hold individual conferences
with the parent and student to discuss specific areas of strengths and
weaknesses. The teacher, parent and student sign a compact that outlines
their responsibilities in helping ensure a positive learning environment
in both the home and school. Our school social worker makes home visits
to review the home/school compact and to share academic concerns if
parents are not able to come in for a conference.

Report cards are sent home to parents each quarter and interim progress
reports are given to all students at the mid-point of the grading
period. Weekly envelopes containing graded student work are sent home
each Monday and parents are asked to review the work with their child.
Teachers maintain regular contact with parents, especially if a child is
not making adequate progress.

Our newsletter and Shadybrook website are used to communicate
school-wide assessment results to our community. The North Carolina
Report Card, which shows our school's performance in comparison to the
district and state, is posted on the website. Our School Improvement
Plan, which shows disaggregated test results for the past three years,
is also posted on our website.

**4. How the school will share its successes:**

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction recently selected
Shadybrook as one of twenty-nine model schools in the state. This
selection was based on the fact that we have had one of the best records
in the state over a three year period for successfully improving the
academic performance of our students. Two teams from the Department of
Public Instruction visited our school to gather information about best
practices/strategies in the areas of fiscal management, administrative
practices and instructional programs. Information about our school will
be distributed statewide to assist other school systems in improving
student achievement and will be used to create models specific to each
of the subgroups of the No Child Left Behind Act. This will provide us
with an excellent opportunity to be able to share our successes with
other North Carolina schools.

Our principals' meetings provide an additional opportunity to share
strategies that have been successful in improving student achievement.
Shadybrook is one of 13 elementary schools in a cohort group that meets
monthly with our Instructional Improvement Officer to network and share
best practices with each other. Four of the schools in the cohort did
not make Adequate Yearly Progress and could especially benefit from
collaborating with our teachers.

The Shadybrook staff is very open to having teachers and administrators
from other schools visit our classrooms. Several schools in Guilford
County have already sent staff members to talk to our teachers,
curriculum facilitator and principal about the strategies we have in
place for improving student achievement. We also have a number of staff
members who are willing to make presentations to local schools and at
state or national conferences to share the story of our academic
success.

**PART V -- CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION**

**1. Description of the school's curriculum:**

The curriculum at Shadybrook is based on the goals and objectives
identified by the *North Carolina Standard Course of Study* (SCS). The
SCS is the legal document that defines the programs of study in each of
the subject or skill areas required to be offered and available in each
public school. Each elementary school is responsible for providing
instruction in arts education, computer skills and information skills,
language arts, guidance, healthful living, mathematics, science and
social studies.

In Guilford County, the state curriculum has been prioritized by
"Essential" and "Important" objectives. Using the Prioritized
Curriculum, Shadybrook teachers have mapped the objectives to form
quarterly pacing guides for each grade level. These curriculum maps are
valuable tools that keep classroom teachers on pace with instruction,
help specialty teachers integrate their areas with topics and themes
used in the classrooms and keep parents abreast of current and upcoming
content being studied. Each grade level's curriculum maps are posted on
our website for easy access by teachers and parents.

Teachers at Shadybrook utilize the Learning Focused lesson plan format
when planning lessons and units of study. Each lesson begins with an
essential question that is based on the objective of the lesson and
should be answered by all students at the end of the instructional
period. This format encourages the use of graphic organizers for each
lesson and promotes high academic learning time for students through
active engagement.

A large block of uninterrupted time is designated daily for teachers to
focus on the two major core curriculum areas: Language Arts and
Mathematics. The SCS for Language Arts includes reading (cognition,
interpretation, critical stance and connections), spelling and writing.
Mathematics instruction focuses on number sense, numeration, numerical
operations, spatial sense, measurement, geometry, patterns,
relationships, functions, data, probability and statistics. Science,
social studies and health are integrated into the Language Arts block
though the use of thematic units.

In addition to teaching the core curriculum areas, we provide
opportunities for students to have weekly instruction in art, music,
physical education, media, technology and guidance. These classes are
taught by a certified specialist and reinforce the skills that are being
taught in the regular classroom. Giving students access to these special
classes allows them to see the connections between the various
curriculum areas.

Character Education is also a major area of focus at Shadybrook and is
incorporated into classroom instruction. One of the eight cornerstones
of good character (respect, caring, responsibility, courage, integrity,
determination, self-discipline and giving) is featured monthly.

**2. Reading curriculum and why it was chosen:**

Approximately six years ago, the Guilford County School System
encouraged schools to adopt a modified version of the Four Blocks
literacy framework developed by Pat Cunningham and Dottie Hall. We have
continued using this model, as it provides a balanced approach to
teaching reading and has proven beneficial to our students.

Our "four blocks and a ball" model provides numerous and varied
opportunities for all children to learn to read and write. The teacher
directed reading block exposes all children to grade level material and
focuses on comprehension. Through whole group instruction, teachers
model "think alouds" and utilize graphic organizers to guide students
through content area readings. During the self-selected block, children
choose to read books that are at their independent reading level.
Teachers hold weekly, individual conferences with students during this
block and work on both fluency and comprehension. The Working with Words
block focuses on developing students' word attack skills and increasing
their knowledge of basic sight words. The Writing block is multilevel,
in that students work at their own individual pace and are in different
stages of the writing process each day. The teacher may give the
students a topic to write on or they may write on a topic of their
choosing. A key component of our reading model is the guided reading
block. Students are placed in flexible groups, based on their mastery of
reading objectives, and receive instruction through a variety of reading
genres. Additional staff members are used during this block to reduce
the size of our groups for below level readers. This enables the needs
of individual students to be more effectively addressed.

The Literacy First process is also an important part of our total
reading program. Through focused staff development and on-site visits by
our Literacy First consultant, our teachers have learned the importance
of using diagnostic information to drive their instructional decisions.
They have also learned research-based strategies for increasing academic
learning time and improving students' decoding, fluency and
comprehension skills.

**3. Writing curriculum:**

The implementation of a new writing program has been a major focus for
our school this year. Helping teachers move from a benchmark approach to
that of a Writer's Workshop has required extensive staff development. As
teachers' attitudes have changed about their approach to writing
instruction, the increase in the level of student enthusiasm has been
evident. Because students are allowed to choose what they want to write
about, rather than having to write on a topic always chosen by the
teacher, they have also shown an increased interest in becoming a
writer.

Some of the major components of the Writer's Workshop include a
mini-lesson, status of the class, time for writing, conferencing and
sharing. A mini-lesson is usually a 5-10 minute whole class activity
that focuses on various topics related to writing, such as how to get
ideas for a story or how to punctuate dialogue. After the mini-lesson, a
few minutes are taken to determine the status of the class or how
students are progressing with their writing. Time is then given for
students to work on an unfinished piece of writing or to possibly begin
a new story. Students are given sustained blocks of time for writing to
enable them to gain the experience needed to improve their skills. As
students are writing, the teacher conducts individual conferences, which
is considered the "essential act" in the Writer's Workshop. Conferring
with students enables the teacher to provide writing instruction that is
specific to the needs of individual students. Providing opportunities
for students to share their work at the end of the class period helps to
build a learning community and enables children to see the importance of
giving feedback to each other.

Students at the fourth grade level are administered a state writing test
during March of each year. In order to give these students additional
opportunities to strengthen their writing skills, fourth grade classes
are scheduled into the computer lab each week to utilize electronic
graphic organizers and word processing tools. The opportunity to use
these tools reinforces and enhances the skills that are taught in the
classroom.

**4. Different instructional methods to improve student learning:**

The Shadybrook staff works very hard to ensure that instruction is
provided that will meet the different ability levels of our students. We
believe that the implementation of best practices on a daily basis
benefits our entire student population. Examples of instructional
strategies that are used include activators, summarizers, graphic
organizers, think alouds, collaborative pairs, tiered lessons and
literature circles.

In order to meet all of the children's needs within a classroom,
teachers use a combination of whole group, small group and
individualized instruction. Flexible groups are formed across the grade
level during the guided reading block. These groups are formed after an
initial assessment of students' reading levels and are continually
reconfigured, based on individual progress. Flexible skill groups are
also formed that are based on students' mastery of phonemic awareness
and phonological skills.

On-going assessments provide teachers with valuable information about
the progress their students are making. For those students who are
working below grade level, intensive remediation is provided. Retired
teachers, peer tutors and parent volunteers are used to work with
individual or small groups of students who are having difficulty
mastering specific reading and/or math skills. "Success Maker" is a
software program that is also utilized to help our below level students.
Personalized Education Plans, outlining specific strategies that will be
used to improve academic weaknesses, are developed for each student that
is working below grade level. This year, we are focusing extra attention
on our third grade special needs students in reading, as that is the one
area where we have seen a decrease in test scores over the past few
years.

The number of students in our school working above grade level has
increased in recent years, requiring teachers to develop strategies to
more effectively differentiate instruction. Some of these strategies
include tiered assignments, individual projects, literacy centers and
the use of off-grade level materials. Providing extension activities for
our upper level students helps ensure that they will be able to make at
least one year's academic growth, not just simply maintain their level
of proficiency.

**5. Professional development program:**

On-going professional development that is based on the needs of our
staff members has been an essential part of our efforts to improve
student achievement. At the end of each school year, our School
Improvement Team reviews testing data and survey results to determine
areas where staff development is needed. A plan is developed to target
those areas that are most likely to result in the improvement of our
total instructional program.

Throughout the school year, teachers meet with the principal and the
curriculum facilitator during grade level common planning times. These
meetings are used to disseminate new curriculum information, to revise
and refine curriculum maps, to share strategies that are working well in
individual classrooms, to review assessment data and develop remediation
and enrichment plans and to address specific grade level issues and
concerns.

Professional development sessions for all staff members are held after
school once each month and focus on topics that impact the total school.
Examples of in-service sessions that have been held this year include
strategies for working with our increasing ESOL population,
understanding and dealing effectively with ADHD students, brain based
learning, identifying characteristics of a learner centered classroom
and differentiating instruction to meet the needs of diverse learners.
Daily classroom observations by the principal and curriculum
facilitator, followed by oral and written feedback, helps to ensure that
teachers have the necessary support to implement new instructional
methods.

Opportunities are also provided for teachers and assistants to sign-up
for special in-service activities that may not be applicable to all
staff members. Examples of sessions that have been held this year
include strategies for improving guided reading instruction and using
multimedia resources to support and enhance classroom instruction.

A major staff development focus during these past two years has been the
implementation of the Literacy First process. All classroom teachers,
resource teachers, the curriculum facilitator and principal have
participated in this intensive training. As a result of this training,
our teachers have learned to more effectively work with students who
have reading difficulties, instead of depending on a specialist to pull
their students out of the regular classroom.

**State Criterion-Referenced Tests**

**Test:** [North Carolina End-of-Grade Assessment]{.underline}
**Grade/Subject**: [3^rd^ Grade Reading]{.underline}

**Edition/publication year:** [First Edition 1993]{.underline}
**Publisher:** [NCDPI]{.underline}

[Second Edition 2003]{.underline}

  --------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
                        2002-2003   2001-2002   2000-2001   1999-2000   1998-1999

  Testing Month         May         May         May         May         May

  **GRADE LEVEL TOTAL**                                                 

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  97.8        100         93.3        98.0        95.9

  At or Above Level III 87.6        87.0        85.6        84.7        77.6

  At Level IV           55.0        52.0        42.2        40.8        42.8

  Number of students    89          100         90          98          98
  tested                                                                

  Percent of students   100         100         100         100         100
  tested                                                                

                                                                        

  **SUBGROUP SCORES**                                                   

  **White**                                                             

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  97.4        100         100         100         98.2

  At or Above Level III 97.4        98.2        100         96.2        89.1

  At Level IV           82.1        72.7        62.7        59.6        58.2

  Number of students    39          55          51          52          55
  tested                                                                

  **African American**                                                  

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  97.6        100         82.4        95.1        92.1

  At or Above Level III 78.6        71.9        61.8        70.7        57.9

  At Level IV           28.6        21.9        11.8        17.1        18.4

  Number of students    42          32          34          41          38
  tested                                                                

  **Low Socioeconomic**                                                 

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  95.8        100         85.4        93.9        88.6

  At or Above Level III 79.1        74.5        68.3        63.6        65.7

  At Level IV           33.3        23.3        22.0        12.1        14.3

  Number of students    48          43          41          33          35
  tested                                                                

                                                                        

  **STATE SCORES**                                                      

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  96.1        95.8        94.3        93.8        93.1

  At or Above Level III 82.6        79.8        76.4        74.4        73.6

  At Level IV           45.5        41.0        38.0        36.4        36.9
  --------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

**State Criterion-Referenced Tests**

**Test:** [North Carolina End-of-Grade Assessment]{.underline}
**Grade/Subject**: [3^rd^ Grade Math]{.underline}

**Edition/publication year:** [First Edition 1993]{.underline}
**Publisher:** [NCDPI]{.underline}

[Second Edition 2003]{.underline}

  --------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
                        2002-2003   2001-2002   2000-2001   1999-2000   1998-1999

  Testing Month         May         May         May         May         May

  **GRADE LEVEL TOTAL**                                                 

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  98.9        100         96.7        98.0        92.9

  At or Above Level III 93.2        89.0        77.8        85.7        72.4

  At Level IV           55.0        44.0        45.5        35.7        29.6

  Number of students    89          100         90          98          98
  tested                                                                

  Percent of students   100         100         100         100         100
  tested                                                                

                                                                        

  **SUBGROUP SCORES**                                                   

  **White**                                                             

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  100         100         100         100         98.2

  At or Above Level III 100         98.2        100         96.2        89.1

  At Level IV           82.1        63.6        68.6        57.7        47.3

  Number of students    39          55          51          52          55
  tested                                                                

  **African American**                                                  

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  97.6        100         91.2        95.1        84.2

  At or Above Level III 85.7        68.8        41.2        70.7        44.7

  At Level IV           26.2        15.6        5.9         7.3         0

  Number of students    42          32          34          41          38
  tested                                                                

  **Low Socioeconomic**                                                 

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  97.9        100         92.7        93.9        82.9

  At or Above Level III 89.6        79.1        53.7        72.7        51.4

  At Level IV           33.3        18.6        22.0        18.2        5.7

  Number of students    48          43          41          33          35
  tested                                                                

                                                                        

  **STATE SCORES**                                                      

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  98.9        96.8        95.8        94.4        93.7

  At or Above Level III 88.8        77.3        73.6        71.8        70.0

  At Level IV           42.9        34.2        30.3        31.8        29.8
  --------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

**State Criterion-Referenced Tests**

**Test:** [North Carolina End-of-Grade Assessment]{.underline}
**Grade/Subject**: [4^th^ Grade Reading]{.underline}

**Edition/publication year:** [First Edition 1993]{.underline}
**Publisher:** [NCDPI]{.underline}

[Second Edition 2003]{.underline}

  --------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
                        2002-2003   2001-2002   2000-2001   1999-2000   1998-1999

  Testing Month         May         May         May         May         May

  **GRADE LEVEL TOTAL**                                                 

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  96.9        97.8        96.6        93.3        92.5

  At or Above Level III 91.8        86.0        83.1        79.8        77.4

  At Level IV           52.0        48.4        27.0        34.8        32.2

  Number of students    98          93          89          89          93
  tested                                                                

  Percent of students   100         100         100         100         100
  tested                                                                

                                                                        

  **SUBGROUP SCORES**                                                   

  **White**                                                             

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  100         100         97.7        94.3        95.2

  At or Above Level III 100         96.0        90.9        90.6        88.7

  At Level IV           80.4        68.0        43.2        49.0        43.5

  Number of students    46          50          44          53          62
  tested                                                                

  **African American**                                                  

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  94.7        94.3        94.9        90.3        85.2

  At or Above Level III 81.6        68.6        71.8        58.1        51.8

  At Level IV           21.0        20.0        10.2        9.7         7.4

  Number of students    38          35          39          31          27
  tested                                                                

  **Low Socioeconomic**                                                 

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  93.2        94.6        92.5        85.7        80.6

  At or Above Level III 81.8        72.9        70.0        60.0        58.1

  At Level IV           25.0        27.0        10.0        8.6         9.7

  Number of students    44          37          40          35          31
  tested                                                                

                                                                        

  **STATE SCORES**                                                      

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  95.8        95.3        93.9        93.0        92.6

  At or Above Level III 83.7        77.1        74.5        72.0        71.4

  At Level IV           41.8        32.4        31.3        29.7        27.6
  --------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

**State Criterion-Referenced Tests**

**Test:** [North Carolina End-of-Grade Assessment]{.underline}
**Grade/Subject**: [4^th^ Grade Math]{.underline}

**Edition/publication year:** [First Edition 1993]{.underline}
**Publisher:** [NCDPI]{.underline}

[Second Edition 2003]{.underline}

  --------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
                        2002-2003   2001-2002   2000-2001   1999-2000   1998-1999

  Testing Month         May         May         May         May         May

  **GRADE LEVEL TOTAL**                                                 

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  96.9        98.9        100         94.4        98.9

  At or Above Level III 96.9        96.8        89.9        86.5        82.8

  At Level IV           74.5        53.8        48.3        47.2        49.5

  Number of students    98          93          89          89          93
  tested                                                                

  Percent of students   100         100         100         100         100
  tested                                                                

                                                                        

  **SUBGROUP SCORES**                                                   

  **White**                                                             

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  100         100         100         98.1        100

  At or Above Level III 100         100         93.2        94.3        93.5

  At Level IV           97.8        80.0        70.4        60.4        66.1

  Number of students    46          50          44          53          62
  tested                                                                

  **African American**                                                  

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  100         97.2        100         87.1        96.3

  At or Above Level III 92.1        91.4        84.6        71.0        59.2

  At Level IV           47.4        14.3        25.6        19.4        18.5

  Number of students    38          35          39          31          27
  tested                                                                

  **Low Socioeconomic**                                                 

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  100         97.3        100         85.7        96.8

  At or Above Level III 93.2        91.9        82.5        65.7        61.3

  At Level IV           52.3        32.4        30.0        14.3        22.6

  Number of students    44          37          40          35          31
  tested                                                                

                                                                        

  **STATE SCORES**                                                      

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  99.3        99.1        98.8        97.9        97.1

  At or Above Level III 94.7        88.9        86.7        84.5        82.6

  At Level IV           59.1        43.0        40.0        40.8        39.6
  --------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

**State Criterion-Referenced Tests**

**Test:** [North Carolina End-of-Grade Assessment]{.underline}
**Grade/Subject**: [5^tth^ Grade Reading]{.underline}

**Edition/publication year:** [First Edition 1993]{.underline}
**Publisher:** [NCDPI]{.underline}

[Second Edition 2003]{.underline}

  --------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
                        2002-2003   2001-2002   2000-2001   1999-2000   1998-1999

  Testing Month         May         May         May         May         May

  **GRADE LEVEL TOTAL**                                                 

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  99.0        98.9        98.0        97.9        90.4

  At or Above Level III 98.0        91.9        85.8        77.9        76.9

  At Level IV           49.5        44.8        40.4        41.0        40.4

  Number of students    99          87          99          95          104
  tested                                                                

  Percent of students   100         100         100         100         99.0
  tested                                                                

                                                                        

  **SUBGROUP SCORES**                                                   

  **White**                                                             

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  100         97.8        100         100         95.2

  At or Above Level III 100         95.6        96.4        89.1        88.9

  At Level IV           72.9        64.4        60.0        53.1        57.1

  Number of students    48          45          55          64          63
  tested                                                                

  **African American**                                                  

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  97.5        100         94.7        92.9        80.0

  At or Above Level III 95.0        85.7        68.4        53.6        57.1

  At Level IV           25.0        17.1        10.5        14.3        11.4

  Number of students    40          35          38          28          35
  tested                                                                

  **Low Socioeconomic**                                                 

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  97.6        100         94.9        94.3        77.5

  At or Above Level III 95.2        88.6        69.3        54.2        52.5

  At Level IV           29.3        28.6        10.3        17.1        10.0

  Number of students    41          35          39          35          40
  tested                                                                

                                                                        

  **STATE SCORES**                                                      

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  98.2        97.3        96.6        95.6        95.0

  At or Above Level III 88.7        84.5        82.6        79.1        75.8

  At Level IV           43.7        40.0        39.4        38.1        32.7
  --------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

**State Criterion-Referenced Tests**

**Test:** [North Carolina End-of-Grade Assessment]{.underline}
**Grade/Subject**: [5^th^ Grade Math]{.underline}

**Edition/publication year:** [First Edition 1993]{.underline}
**Publisher:** [NCDPI]{.underline}

[Second Edition 2003]{.underline}

  --------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
                        2002-2003   2001-2002   2000-2001   1999-2000   1998-1999

  Testing Month         May         May         May         May         May

  **GRADE LEVEL TOTAL**                                                 

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  100         98.9        98.0        93.7        94.3

  At or Above Level III 98.0        94.2        85.8        73.7        78.1

  At Level IV           69.7        70.1        53.5        43.2        42.8

  Number of students    99          87          99          95          105
  tested                                                                

  Percent of students   100         100         100         100         100
  tested                                                                

                                                                        

  **SUBGROUP SCORES**                                                   

  **White**                                                             

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  100         97.8        100         100         98.4

  At or Above Level III 100         97.8        98.2        84.4        92.1

  At Level IV           93.8        86.7        69.1        57.8        57.1

  Number of students    48          45          55          64          63
  tested                                                                

  **African American**                                                  

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  100         100         94.7        78.6        86.1

  At or Above Level III 97.5        88.6        65.8        50.0        55.5

  At Level IV           37.5        48.6        26.3        10.7        16.7

  Number of students    40          35          38          28          36
  tested                                                                

  **Low Socioeconomic**                                                 

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  100         100         94.9        85.7        85.4

  At or Above Level III 95.1        88.5        66.6        48.6        48.7

  At Level IV           51.2        51.4        17.9        20.0        14.6

  Number of students    41          35          39          35          40
  tested                                                                

                                                                        

  **STATE SCORES**                                                      

  At or Above Level I   100         100         100         100         100

  At or Above Level II  98.9        98.3        97.8        96.2        96.2

  At or Above Level III 92.5        88.5        86.7        82.9        82.4

  At Level IV           61.8        53.2        50.1        48.6        46.9
  --------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------