ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS #1

Step 1 Analyze Accountability Report Card & Identify Lowest Performance Area

This priority area for improvement

(PAI) is centered on our bottom 25%
of students in English/Language
Arts. This PAI was identified
because only 24% of our bottom 25
group achieved high growth in
English Language Arts. In order to
increase our component score in
ELA we need to improve the scores
of our bottom 25% of students.

The focus is student growth

as seen in the data above
The priority area for
improvement is centered on
English I-Step+ results

The students tested on the

English I-Step+ are 7th 8th
grade students

For this PAI we are the school is

focusing on the percentage of
high growth among its bottom
25% student group

Step 2 Identify & describe Priority Area for Improvement #1

This description is exemplary because

the school leaders have identified a
specific subgroup and grade to target
their interventions on. The school
leaders have identified the gap in
student growth and have also
identified the percentage increase that
is necessary to positively affect their
overall score.

Step 3 Gather & analyze data to determine & describe Root Cause of PAI #1
To determine this root cause it was
imperative that the school leaders dive
deeper into the school data. Only
after analyzing the disaggregated data
could the leadership team identify a
gap existing within the bottom 25%
subgroup. By using a survey the team
was also able to determine that most
teachers were unaware of support that
was necessary to give students. Class
placement of the EL students was
analyzed and with these three extra
pieces of data the leadership team was
able to isolate a specific root cause.
Step 4 Align Root Cause to Mass Insights HP, HP Framework Domains, Indicators & Elements
The school appropriately aligned their
root cause to the Readiness to Teach
domain the Personalization of
Instruction indicator and then linked it
to element 2.2b Teachers use data
from multiple assessments to plan
instruction and activities that match
the learning needs of students. This is
appropriate because one of the gaps in
their school data exists among the EL
populations ability to read and write.
Teacher awareness of this necessary
differentiation is vital to the success of
students in this subgroup. Also,
correct placement of students in EL
classes will allow EL teachers to better
serve this population.

ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS #2

Step 5 Identify & describe PAI #2
This priority area for improvement
(PAI) is centered on the schools
large number of students showing
low growth in mathematics. This
school has 50.2% of its entire school
population showing low growth in
mathematics. Lowering this
percentage is directly linked to
improving high academic growth in
the long run and would improve the
schools base score.

The priority area for

improvement is centered on
low growth in mathematics

The only grades contained at

this school are 7th and 8th

Growth is necessary for all

students in order to decrease
the number of students with
low growth

Step 6 Identify & describe Priority Area for Improvement #2

This is an exemplary description of

the PAI because the school is
extremely clear. They have
described the specific component of
the accountability report card they
are examining and have identified
the exact percentage that represents
the gap in growth. The school
leadership team has also determined
the percentage and scale by which
the gap must change in order to
move their overall score up.

Step 7 Gather & analyze data to determine & describe Root Cause of PAI #2
In order to identify this root cause
the school found it necessary to
access 4 years worth of ISTEP+ data,
to conduct interviews of teachers,
and to access I-step blueprints from
previous years. With this data the
leadership team was able to
determine a specific gap that could
be corrected very quickly with
proper remediation and high order
lessons.

Step 8 Align Root Cause of PAI #2 to Mass Insights HP, HP Framework Domains, Indicators & Elements

To align the root cause to Mass

Insights readiness model it was
necessary for the school to look back
to its root cause. Gaps in student
growth arose due to the lack of a
coherent data system. Teachers
need access to data across subjects
and across grade levels In order to
develop an instructional plan that
includes appropriate remediation
and depth.

ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS #3

Step 9 Identify & describe PAI #3
This priority area for improvement
(PAI) is centered on the schools
small number of students in the
bottom 25% showing high growth
in mathematics. The data shows
that only 21.4% of all students
achieved high growth in
mathematics. Increasing the
number of students with high
growth would have a positive
impact on the schools overall
scores and would help to decrease
low growth metrics.

The data is centered on high

growth in mathematics

This school contains only 7th and

8th grade students
The data is centered on the
bottom 25% subgroup and the
percentage of students with
high growth in mathematics

Step 10 Identify & describe Priority Area for Improvement #3

This is an exemplary description of

the PAI because the targeted
subgroup is clearly identified along
with the exact percentage gap in the
data. The school also specifies the
percentage increase by this subgroup
that will result in an increase in the
schools accountability grade.

Step 11 Gather & analyze data to determine & describe Root Cause of PAI #3
In order to identify this root cause
the school disaggregated ISTEP+ data
and compared the data with a failure
to enact high growth among the 25%
low growth subgroup of students.
Going further, the school identified
specific gaps in math skills that these
students were lacking. This data
analysis allowed the school to realize
its need for a more transparent and
consistent data system in order to
differentiate learning methods to
this subgroup and to create
supplemental plans that would help
serve the free and reduced lunch
population.

Step 12 Align Root Cause of PAI #3 to Mass Insights HP, HP Framework Domains, Indicators & Elements

To align the root cause to Mass

Insights readiness model it was
necessary for the school to look back
to its root cause. Gaps in student
growth arose due to the lack of a
coherent data system. Teachers
need access to data across subjects
and across grade levels In order to
develop an instructional plan that
includes appropriate remediation
and depth to meet the desired needs
of a specific population of students.