Equity Audit & Root

Cause Analysis
Focused Plan of
Action
Katherine Thomas Elementary
Windham Exempted Village Schools
Sheri Gross ED 504

Windham Exempted Village

Schools
District Enrollment Approximately 515 students PreK12

Current Elementary Enrollment 266 students PreK-5

Enrollment trends show a slight decrease each year
79.8% economically disadvantaged (2013-2014 State
Report Card)

22.3% special needs (2013-2014 State Report Card)

Attendance Rate 95.6% (2013-2014 State Report
Card)

87.7% Caucasian / 12.3% Other (Black, Multiracial,

Hispanic)

Windham Exempted Village

Schools
According to the latest 2014-2015 Ohio state
report card data:

K-3 Literacy Improvement.37.5% D

Graduation Rate-4 years85.7% C
Graduation Rate-5 years91.3% B

K-3 Literacy Improvements

31 kindergarten
students were not
on-track last year

25.8% of those
students improved
to on-track in 1st
grade

12 first grade
students were not
on-track last year

16.7% of those
students improved
to on-track in 2nd
grade

28 second grade
students were not
on-track last year

25% of those
students improved
to on-track in 3rd
grade

25 third grade
students were not
on-track this year

76% of those
students reached
proficiency on the
3rd grade OAA

According to the 2014-2015 state report card

Collection & Analysis

Practices
We have an abundance amount of data, but all data is
not being analyzed effectively.

Assessment data is not being used to its full potential

inform teachers of student achievement and drive
instruction. According to S. Chappuis & J. Chappuis
(2009), Teachers can adapt instruction on the basis of
evidence, making changes and improvements that will
yield immediate benefits to student learning.

Recommendation - purchase Illuminate Education to

create common assessments, SLO assessments, and to
track all data in one place. This would ensure proper
rigor is in place and that students are consistently
being monitored toward mastery of the Ohio Learning
Standards.

Recommendation from Data

Collection & Analysis Practices
Teacher-based Teams (TBTs) should use frequent common
assessment data to drive instruction, ensuring that proper
interventions and enrichment are in place. According to
Chenoweth (2009),
In schools that helps students burdened by poverty
achieve remarkable success teachers work in collaborative
teams to build common formative assessments and use
the data to identify which students need help and which
need great challenges.
But they also use data to inform
teachers practice, to discuss why one teacher is having
success in teaching a concept and others are not and
what the more
successful teacher can teach his or her
colleagues.

Data Collection
K-5
Literacy Focus for data
State Diagnostics, Fountas and Pinnell
Benchmark data from fall and winter, PARCC,
OAA, AIR

Click file folder to access data

2015-2016 Fountas & Pinnell

Benchmark Data

F&P Fall
F&P Winter

2015-2016 Fountas& Pinnell Benchmark

Data

2015-2016 Fountas& Pinnell Benchmark

Data

2015-2016 Data by Grade

Level

KRA
F&P Winter

Kindergarten:
More than half of kindergarten students come ready for kindergarten, but less
than of them are reading on-grade level by mid-year. Reading trend data
cannot be determined because kindergarten students are not assessed with
Fountas and Pinnell at the beginning of the year. All students with disabilities
in kindergarten are performing below grade-level standards.

2015-2016 Data by Grade

Level

Fall
Spring

First Grade:
First grade students come to first grade with the necessary literacy skills,
however are performing significantly below grade level as readers.
Adequate growth has not been made for underperforming students. One of
five students with disabilities in first grade is performing on grade-level. The
other four are performing significantly below grade level. If first grade
students continue to make the same growth in reading, only 44% of first
graders would leave first grade reading on-grade level.

2015-2016 Data by Grade

Level

Fall
Spring

Second Grade:
Second grade students come to second grade with the necessary literacy
knowledge to be successful on the state diagnostic screener, however less
than half of all second grade students are reading below grade-level at the
beginning of the year. This number increased to 51% at the mid-year
benchmark. With this continued growth, only 65% of second grade students
will leave second grade reading on-grade level. Six of eight students with
disabilities scored on-track on the fall state diagnostic, however by mid-year,
none of those students are reading on grade-level.

2015-2016 Data by Grade

Level

Fall
Spring

Third Grade:
69% of third grade students enter third grade on-track according to the state
diagnostic. However, at the fall Fountas & Pinnell benchmark, only 28% of students are
reading on grade-level. This number only increased 5% by mid-year. The number of
students reading on grade-level is directly correlated to the students proficient or
above according to the Fall AIR assessment. If targeted interventions are not put in
place already, they must be in order to increase performance and close the
achievement gap. At the current rate, twenty-five students are not going to meet the
third grade reading guarantee. Surprisingly enough, two of five students with
disabilities that scored not on-track on the state diagnostic and is reading below gradelevel, scored proficient on the AIR assessment.

2015-2016 Data by Grade

Level

Fall
Spring

4th Grade:
Only 33% of fourth grade students were reading on-grade level at the
beginning of the school year. If we had F&P data to compare from when
these students were third graders, the data might show with the current
third grade trend that we have a strong reading deficit in third grade.
However, with the current trend growth, 97% could be reading on gradelevel by the end of the year. All three of the students with disabilities in
fourth grade are reading below grade-level. We the accuracy of the third
grade AIR to F&P comparison, we should expect at least 65% or more of
our fourth grade students to perform proficient or higher on the AIR

2015-2016 Data by Grade

Level

Fall
Spring

Fifth Grade:
Only 27% of fifth grade students came to fifth grade
reading on grade level. This number only increased by 3%
at mid-year. The least amount of reading growth was made
in fifth grade. In addition, all six students with disabilities
in fifth grade is reading below grade-level and made very
little growth.

2015-2016 Data by Grade

Level
Reflection:
Overall, as a school, this is our first year for a PreK-5
Balanced Literacy program. Last year, it was
implemented, but not with fidelity across all grades.
Reflecting on our data from this year, third and fifth
grade made the least amount of growth moving
students to reading on grade-level. Intensive
supports need to be implemented to target students
below grade-level, as well as students with
disabilities across all grade levels. This data will
continue to be reviewed and monitored throughout
this year, as well as looking at trends year after year.

Equity Audit Survey

Purpose: The purpose of this survey is to gather
information from parents/guardians of students,
teachers, and administrators regarding equity in
the Windham Exempted Village Schools. Equity
ensures that all students receive the support
needed to be successful. The survey was provided
via surveymonkey.com in addition to paper copies,
as needed.

Equity Audit Survey

Participants
The survey was provided to 37 staff members at the
elementary school and five parents. 21 individuals
participated in the survey. Some individuals fit into
more than one category.
Administrators - 2
1 female, 1 male
Teachers 16
13 females, 3 males
Staff 4
3 females, 1 male
Parents 5
3 females, 2 males
*All participants were Caucasian

Academic Expectations
Directions: To what extent do you agree or disagree with the
following statements in regards to Katherine Thomas
Elementary School.

"High standards for academic success have been

put in place for all students.
Administration

Teachers

Staff

Parents

Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly Agree

Academic Expectations
Directions: To what extent do you agree or disagree with the
following statements in regards to Katherine Thomas
Elementary School.

"Our school has a commitment to an equitable

education for all students of all abilities."
Administration

Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly Agree

Teachers

Staff

Parents
0

Academic Expectations
Directions: To what extent do you agree or disagree with the
following statements in regards to Katherine Thomas
Elementary School.

"The district and building leadership provides support

(e.g., staff development, curriculum, materials) to
promote effective instruction for students of all
abilities."
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly Agree

Academic Expectations
Directions: To what extent do you agree or disagree with the
following statements in regards to Katherine Thomas
Elementary School.

"Our teachers use research-based strategies to

accommodate the needs of students of all
abilities."
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly Agree

Academic Expectations
Directions: To what extent do you agree or disagree with the
following statements in regards to Katherine Thomas
Elementary School.

"General education and special education teachers

work collaboratively in instructing, assessing, and
evaluating students."
Administration
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly Agree

Teachers
Staff
Parents
0

Academic Expectations
Directions: To what extent do you agree or disagree with the
following statements in regards to Katherine Thomas
Elementary School.

"Special education services provided for students

with an IEP are as effective for those that are
identified gifted."
Administration
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly Agree

Teachers
Staff
Parents
0

Academic Expectations
Directions: To what extent do you agree or disagree with the
following statements in regards to Katherine Thomas
Elementary School.

Our school provides extra support to students as

needed to ensure success.

Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly Agree

Communication &
Engagement
Directions: To what extent do you agree or disagree with the
following statements in regards to Katherine Thomas
Elementary School.

"We are partners in our child(ren)'s education."

Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly Agree

Communication &
Engagement
Directions: To what extent do you agree or disagree with the
following statements in regards to Katherine Thomas
Elementary School.

"We reach out to the community in meaningful

ways and seek input on school decisions."

Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly Agree

Communication &
Engagement
Directions: To what extent do you agree or disagree with the
following statements in regards to Katherine Thomas
Elementary School.

"Our school keeps families informed about their

child(ren)s academic progress.

Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly Agree

Extended Response
Do you believe the Windham Exempted Village Schools is
an equitable school district for all students of all ability
levels? If so, please tell us about any experiences that
support your beliefs. If not, how could the district
improve in this area to ensure all students receive the
personalized support needed to be successful?

Majority of respondents agreed the district is equitable or

on the right track to becoming equitable. However, there
were a few outliers. Those in disagreement felt the lowest
achieving students received most support, gifted students
are not challenged, or students needing IEPs are taken off
their IEP too quickly.

Analysis of Results
Overall, the teachers tended to strongly agree or
agree with majority of the statements. This could
be because they are directly correlated to the
statements. However, the perception of parents
sometimes greatly differed than that of the
teachers. Other staff often remained neutral on
the statements. This could be for a couple of
reasons. They are not always in direct contact
with teachers or students to know what is going on
in classrooms. It could also have been skewed
because of having an odd number of choices. The
neutral column should have been excluded from
the survey.

Equity Audit Administrator

Interviews
Interviewees:

Gregg Isler Superintendent of the Windham

Exempted Village School District

Alysia Tinker Director of Special Services of the

Windham Exempted School District

Equity Audit Administrator Interviews

1. Do you believe the Windham Exempted Village Schools
are equitable? If yes, please provide an example. If no,
what area(s) do you think we need to improve?

.
Gregg Isler - Yes, I believe we are equitable. Several years ago
we made a conscious decision to fully integrate all SWD into the
full curriculum. Expose to the curriculum and differentiate to
each students need.

.
Alysia Tinker Windham schools have made great strides in
being equitable. When I started in Windham in 2007 the students
were in self contained classes for Math and ELA. They were out in
inclusion for social studies and science. Throughout my time in
Windham I have seen the shift and now we only have a small
percentage of students in self-contained classes. The elementary
school has five students in a cross-categorical resource room. The
jr/sr high has five students. Three students in the high school are
not full inclusion.

.
Trends: Both administrators believe we have become equitable
with the integration of SWD into the general education classroom.

Equity Audit Administrator Interviews

2. According to the mid-year Fountas and Pinnell
benchmark data, 90% of students with disabilities are
reading significantly below grade level. Do you believe
this is because of the disability or because of the
system?

.Gregg Isler - I believe it is a combination of factors; in some

cases it may be related to the disability of the student but I also
believe our system is not functioning as it should. How we
provide support and how we intervene is not working properly
according to data collected.

.Alysia Tinker I believe it is a combination of both. Teachers

do not believe that students with disabilities can achieve in
reading so they don't have high expectations for their learning.
Most students with disabilities struggle in reading.

.Trends: Both administrators believe it is a combination of the

students disability, as well as a system problem. Interventions
are not provided to the best of their ability.

Equity Audit Administrator Interviews

3. 33% of third graders were reading on or above
grade level according to the mid-year benchmark.
32% of third graders scored proficient or above on
the fall administration of the ELA AIR assessment.
Do you think this is coincidental or do you believe
both are accurate measures of student
achievement in third grade?

.Gregg Isler I am very skeptical it is coincidental.

Looking at the data closely over several other areas
would back up the results are accurate.

.Alysia Tinker I believe that the test is an accurate

measure of the students ability.

.Trends: Both administrators believe the AIR assessment

is an accurate measure as correlates well with the Fountas
and Pinnell data.

Equity Audit Administrator Interviews

4. What are the possible contributing factors to the lack
of reading growth in 3rd and 5th grade?

.Gregg Isler System issues are contributing factors; teacher

buy-in on program implementation, poor alignment of the
curriculum, and rigor expectation are all factors.

.Alysia Tinker Students in third grade go from learning to

read, to now having to be able to read to learn and understand.
It means that the students are still struggling to decode and
focus on the words and are not comprehending what they are
reading. 5th grade students are beginning to experience
adolescence and this could be a contributing factor, however
this is not excuse. Fifth grade teachers might not be fully using
the balanced literacy model and doing what they always have
done. This could be why both grade levels are below
expected.

.Trends: Balanced Literacy buy-in and rigor are both trends in

the responses.

Equity Audit Administrator Interviews

5. At the beginning of the year, only 27% of 1 st through
5th graders were reading on or above grade level.
Although this number increased to 42% at the midyear benchmark, 44% of students are still reading
significantly below grade level. How can we support
teachers to ensure we are meeting the needs of our
struggling readers?

.Gregg Isler I believe we need to continue to provide PD.

Included in this PD is embedded coaching where teachers
may spend multiple weeks implementing practices that
bring about real change.

.Alysia Tinker More support through professional

development and raising parental involvement to help
parents read to their kids and reinforce the skills at home.

.Trends: Continued professional development is the common

trend from both administrators.

Equity Audit Administrator Interviews

6. Do you believe the inclusion model supports or hinders
growth of all students?

.Gregg Isler It clearly has the capability to support growth. But

one of the challenges is whether our inclusion model has staff that
is capable of knowing and implementing the subject matter.
Unfortunately some of our staff is not prepared for the content.

.Alysia Tinker The inclusion model is designed for students with

disabilities to have access to the same curriculum as their nondisabled peers. The inclusion teacher should make this curriculum
accessible by differentiating the instruction. Non-disabled peers
also are benefiting by learning how to interact with people who
learn, sometimes look and act differently than them. This is what
the real world is like. When inclusion is done correctly all students
benefit through the inclusion model.

.Trends: Both administrators see the benefit of inclusion when it is

done correctly. They both obviously see we are not quite there yet,
but well get there.

Equity Audit Administrator Interviews

7. How can we ensure our accelerated and gifted students
continue to make adequate growth each school year?
What support do we need to provide to teachers?

.Gregg Isler I believe many of the same habits that work

with SWD will also help our gifted population. Differentiation
and strong educational practices bring opportunities for
student growth.

.Alysia Tinker Differentiation is the way we ensure that we

get our gifted students to continue to excel. This is one area
district wide that we are weak. Teachers need professional
development in this area. Where they think they differentiate,
they are not really doing anything radically different. Universal
design for learning will also help reach all students and help
them reach their full potential.

.Trends: Differentiation is the common trend to successfully

supporting gifted students.

Plan of Action to Improve Student

Reading Achievement
After reviewing all data gathered, as well as survey and
interview responses, it is recommended that:

1. All staff receive professional development for

differentiating in the general education classroom to
ensure proper interventions, as well as extension be
put into place.

2. Elementary staff engage in on-going support from

the Mahoning County Educational Service Center
using a coaching model focused on balanced literacy.

3. All staff will be trained in the various co-teaching

models to support inclusion of special education
students, as well as gifted students, in the general
education classroom.

Plan of Action to Improve Student

Reading Achievement
After reviewing all data gathered, as well as survey
and interview responses, it is recommended that:

4. The district will provide training in data analysis

and usage of Illuminate Education to ensure data
is used correctly to drive instruction.

5. All staff will set high expectations for all

students, regardless of ability, and provide
rigorous instruction focusing on the Ohio
Learning Standards.

6. Staff realignment will take place to ensure strong

ELA teachers at the K-3 level.

Conclusions
After an extensive review of data and responses
from the survey and interview process, the
Windham Exempted School District is moving in
the right direction toward being an equitable
district. With the recommendations for staff and
on-going job-embedded training, the district will
continue to make gains in reading achievement, as
well as closing the gap for our students with
disabilities. High expectations and rigorous
instruction for all students is critical in making a
difference in our district.

References
Chappuis, S. & Chappuis, J. (2007). The best value in
formative assessment. Educational Leadership,
65(4), 14-19. Retrieved from http://
www.ascd.org/publications/educationalleadership/dec07/vol65/num04/The-Best- Value-inFormative-Assessment.aspx

Chenoweth, Karin. (2009). Piece by piece: How

schools solved the achievement puzzle and soared.
American Educator, Fall 2009. Retrieved from http://
www.aft.org/sites/default/files/periodicals/
chenoweth.pdf