Garrison Elementary: A Capital Commitment Appendix 1 Goals and Tactics for School Recruitment and Retention

The Garrison Community will support A Capital Commitment: The DCPS 2017 Strategic Plan as guiding principles for the school which will lead to increased retention and enrollment. We believe by working together, Garrison will provide a world-class education that will prepare all students for success in college, career, and life. A partnership between the local school community and DCPS will result in a sought-after, diverse school that both the Logan Circle community and DCPS needs.

Goal 1: Improve Achievement Rates

DCPS Tactic: Continue to invest in high-quality instruction by rewarding highly effective teachers and principals PTA Action: Hold quarterly staff appreciation events Results: Increased retention of effective and highly effective teachers Retention of principal Collin Hill Increased proficiency on DC-CAS Increased retention and enrollment DCPS Tactic: Provide professional development driven by student performance data and teacher needs PTA Actions: Provide funding for professional development programs that may otherwise be unattainable due to lack of dollars within local school budget. Funding to be obtained through PTA fundraisers, grants, sponsorships, etc. sought out by parent and community leaders. Partner with PTAs at high-performing elementary schools to offer joint professional development at a reduced cost. Garrison PTA has a strong relationship with Ross Elementary and is building a relationship with nearby Cleveland as well. Teaming on PD offers economies of scale and could lead to teaming opportunities between teachers in the same grade level. Work with administration and teachers to obtain educational resources and tools to support teachers, such as an instructional bookroom (process already began in partnership with Lee Granados) and PTA support program for teachers seeking extra dollars for projects in the classroom. Results: Increase in number of highly effective teachers Increased proficiency on DC-CAS Increased retention and enrollment DCPS Tactic: Increase investments to improve In-Seat Attendance, decrease tardiness and truancy, reduce bullying, and improve student wellness. PTA Actions: Launch Get to School Pool, fostering relationships between families to aid in getting to school by 8:35 a.m. and helping each other get to school when parents are unable to do so. Continue to support the consistent model of stability in school-wide expectations and behavior established by Principal Hill (increase of attendance by 1% since he arrived). Encourage parents to foster and reward these behaviors at home through multi-faceted communications (emails, information in backpacks, robocalls, in-person meetings) Offer out-of-school opportunities for sports with fellow students: continue teaming with Ross Elementary on soccer and baseball teams in spring and fall and continue holding Logan Circle Community Association-sponsored free baseball clinics at Garrison. Support in-school opportunities for wellness such as basketball, cheer, and skiing through fundraising, providing volunteers, etc.
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Results:

Increased attendance Decreased tardiness and truancy Improved student culture and decreased behavioral issues

DCPS Tactic: Invest in new gifted and talented programs and continued expansion of IB and AP programs. There are currently no gifted and talented programs in elementary schools, but the Garrison community would welcome this type of program. The PTA acknowledges that IB programs are costly and time consuming and therefore is not requesting that Garrison become an IB school, but should DCPS find that it is ideal for IB expansion, then we wholeheartedly would support this.

Goal 2: Invest in struggling schools

This DCPS Goal applies to the 40 lowest-performing schools, and Garrison is not one. However, Garrison does serve large populations of students who need extra support, including low-income students, English language learners, and students with special needs. The Garrison community urges DCPS to support Garrison in the manner it would one of these struggling schools in order to accelerate achievement. PTA Suggestions: Extend learning opportunities by expanding After School programming by allowing students not enrolled daily to participate in enrichment activities. Continue to recruit and retain highly effective educators and place these educators at Garrison due to teacher attrition and as new classrooms are added. Bring Flamboyan Foundation to Garrison.

Goal 3: Increase Graduation Rate

While this goal is aimed mostly at high schools, the Garrison community believes that elementary school is the foundation to graduation, and that the time is now to foster the understanding in children that it is important to graduate from high school. PTA Actions: Bring in successful members of the community (i.e. former Garrison students, neighborhood residents, prominent figures in the District) to speak to students about the role their education played in their success. Host annual career days so students are exposed to a wide variety of professions that may help to spark their interests in different subjects and paths in life. Encourage vertical articulation in programming through the feeder pattern, so there is consistency from K through 12th grade.

Goal 4: Improve Satisfaction

DCPS Tactic: Employ dedicated staff who make meaningful connections with students. PTA Actions: Host more community events to give families additional ways to connect with Garrison staff. Encourage partnership with Flamboyan Foundation (the PTA encouraged application to Flamboyan in SY2011-2012, received reluctantly by former administration) DCPS Tactic: Provide a rich and varied educational experience that includes art, music, and physical education PTA Actions: The Garrison Community survey indicates a desire for an art or music integration at Garrison.
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As previously stated, PTA will continue to help organize extra-curricular sports teams. Garrison community will outreach to local arts groups, such as the Mid-City Artists, to provide further enrichment.

DCPS Tactic: Offer safe and modern facilities, quality meals, and current technology. PTA Actions: Garrison Improvement Project already undertaken by PTA, whereby the entire community provided input on what theyd like to see in an improved facility at Garrison. Continue to tend to gardens and landscaping through daily and weekly maintenance of plant boxes throughout grounds, organizing gardening and clean-up days, etc. GarrisonElementary.org completely built by parent and staff volunteers in less than three weeks. PTA to support purchase of needed technology through fundraising, grant requests, etc. DCPS Tactic: Welcome families and encourage them to participate in their childrens education. PTA Actions: Hold regular PTA meetings, at least every 6 weeks, and at varied times to encourage maximum participation. Offer events that allow additional ways for families to engage with Garrison staff. Work with administration to partner in disseminating information to families (i.e. PTA email list, website, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) Support Room Parent program, fostering relationships between parents/families thereby increasing engagement. Partner with staff on providing education and tools for caregivers on how they can provide support to students. Survey current parents on the school culture. Support school activities that encourage parent involvement, such as Teaching Day, parentteacher conferences, and more.

Goal 5: Increase Enrollment

DCPS Tactic: Prepare to serve all students, including special education students who are returning to DCPS from nonpublic placements. PTA Suggestions: PTA supports having an inclusion classroom at all grade levels, rather than just PS/PK. Starting with SY2013-2014, one of the Kinder classrooms would be an inclusion classroom. This class would rise each year so eventually one class at each level is an inclusion class. Classes would not have the same students each year (except for those needing to be included in the Least Restrictive Environment as required by their IEP). PTA supports additional autism classrooms. DCPS Tactic: Continue to use targeted recruitment to raise the profile of high-performing schools. As part of this effort, DCPS will continue to make school performance data easily accessible for families. PTA Actions: Hold regular open houses during lottery season. Hold events for families who were accepted at Garrison to welcome them to the community prior to the school year, thereby increasing the likelihood of enrollment, and provide personal follow-up throughout enrollment process. Invite prospective parents and community members to all regular PTA meetings and other school events to foster relationships. Maintain GarrisonElementary.org and ensure information is up-to-date at all times. Market Garrison on neighborhood listservs such as Moms in Logan Circle, U Street Tots, Dupont Circle Moms, etc. Branch out listserv activity to neighboring communities such as LeDroit Park, Bloomingdale, and Shaw.
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 Results:

Continue strong social media presence on Twitter and Facebook. Recruit students by scheduling meetings at area daycares. Work with local businesses to promote Garrison through fundraising events and in-store advertisements. Increase in number of families listing Garrison on their selections in the PS/PK/OOB lottery. Increased number of PS/PK classrooms.

DCPS Tactic: Continually improve the quality of education at every school to attract new families to DCPS. PTA Actions: Articulate in all recruitment meetings the specific methods in place to increase proficiency scores at Garrison. Provide information on feeder pattern schools and their methods of improvement, as to ensure children have a path of academic success throughout their school career. Support academic improvements as outlined previously and in the Comprehensive School Plan. Results: Increase in number of families listing Garrison on their selections in the PS/PK/OOB lottery. Increased number of PS/PK classrooms Improved retention rates.

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