Running head: CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 1

Current Reality and GSAPS Review for Avery Elementary

Caitlin Lyons

Kennesaw State University

September 2020

Dr. Angela Bacon

CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 2

Avery Elementary School (AES) is a traditional style public school in Canton, Georgia. It

houses 1,034 students from Kindergarten through Fifth grade. At the start of the school year,

Cherokee County School District offered parents and students the option of enrolling in either

face-to-face or virtual instruction due to the current health concerns. Currently, approximately

fourteen percent of AES students are enrolled in Digital Learning (DL). All teachers are

provided with a county laptop, Microsoft Office 365, and a Promethean Smart Board for their

classrooms. Cherokee County uses Canvas for the learning platform which has provided a

consistent resource of information for both students and parents.

School Technology Vision

Avery Elementary School has a strength in instructional technology. A majority of the

teachers and staff feel comfortable exploring new resources and utilizing their current ones. With

this in mind, the school’s primary technology goal is to establish blending learning

environments. According to BlendedLearning.org, blended learning is where “students learn in

part through online learning, and they have an element of control over where, when, and how

they work” (Maxwell, 2016). It also explains that devices are utilized for personalized learning,

which plays a large role in another technology vision of AES of having every classroom be 1:1

with laptops or iPads. The goal is that by providing enough technology for each student, teachers

will be able to curate lessons and activities that integrate technology consistently. They will also

be able to continue to provide personalized learning through iReady, RazKids, Office 365, and

more.

Professional Learning Needs and Forms

Administrators at Avery Elementary School are adamant that teachers participate in

Professional Development throughout the year. A majority of the mandated professional

CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 3

development is centered around technology. Last school year, teachers showed interest in

wanting to learn about more ways to use interactive technology in the classroom to increase

engagement. Therefore, the school provided professional development with the Instructional

Technology Coach to help teachers learn about Nearpod and how to integrate it into lessons,

Microsoft Office, and FlipGrid. By the end of the year, a majority of the classrooms were using

these resources confidently to support instruction and engagement. In July 2020, the county gave

parents and students the option to enroll in either virtual learning or face-to-face learning. This

prompted the need to ensure all teachers felt comfortable using the county’s learning platform,

Canvas. Prior to the start of the 2020-2021 school year, teachers were required to participate in

multiple teacher-created online trainings to become more confident in not just using the Canvas

platform to display information, but to also create modules, quizzes, and learning paths.

Although teaching is happening in different place, the professional development provided helped

to bridge the gap between learning in the classroom and learning digitally. Teachers and staff

also participate in professional development related to the content areas of Math, English

Language Arts, and Science, as well as Social Emotional Learning. Most of these occur during

the weekly Professional Learning Community (PLC) meetings and involve evaluating student

data, breaking down priority standards, and discussing methods of teachings. While these are

important, the professional development trainings are not created and assigned based on data.

School Improvement Plan

Avery Elementary School has two goals for their School Improvement Plan. Both goals

involve increase Milestone scores in Third through Fifth Grade, specifically in the areas of ELA

and Math. The action plan for both goals include utilizing Professional Learning Communities,

Professional Development, and Coaching to increase student achievement. This aligns with the
CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 4

school’s improvement goal because personalized learning through 1:1 technology has the

capabilities of increasing test scores due to online assessment practice and individualized

instruction based on student abilities. Although there have been challenges this year due to

COVID-19 restrictions, I believe the school as a whole is working towards the improvement

goals. However, I feel there should be more professional learning opportunities offered to

teachers to help move towards the goal of creating a blended learning model.

Professional Learning Funding

Cherokee County School District (CCSD) provides a yearly budget to each school for

Professional Development, with the exception of this year due to COVID-19. This money goes

towards bringing in Literacy Coaches and sending teachers to county-wide trainings. For

example, CCSD purchased a DiscoveryEd subscription for all schools, teachers, and students in

2019. In August 2019, six other AES teachers and I attended a one-day training on this new

resource that was led by DiscoveryEd trainer, which we then redelivered to our teams. There are

not many of these types of Professional Development opportunities offered, however, a majority

of Professional Learning is considered to happen during team planning. During team planning

and PLC meetings, grade-level and departmentalized teams collaborate on lesson plans,

activities, and learning outcomes. These teams meet formally once a week, but collaborate

throughout the week during check-ins. For example, when the Fourth Grade Math Team meet,

we look at the standard that is being addressed, create our Learning Target and Success Criteria,

and develop multiple strategies of teaching and checking for student understanding. This directly

correlates with the School Improvement Plan because it promotes Problem Solving Teaching and

Math Vocabulary and Application, two important components of the Georgia Milestones

Assessment.
CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 5

Special Needs and Diverse Students

One specific part of the School Improvement Action Plan is to “increase student

achievement with English Language Learners, Economically Disadvantaged Students, and

Students with Disabilities with Problem Solving Teaching” (Turner, 2020). When discussed, Dr.

Turner, AES’s Principal, stated that by focusing on these groups of students, the overall goal of

increasing performance on the Math Milestones would be directly impacted. One strategy for

achieving this include planning with English Language Learner Teachers, Early Intervention

Program Teachers, and Special Education Teachers. By doing this, teachers that specialize in

these fields can collaborate with the General Education Teacher and share proven strategies and

interventions.

Evaluation

Evaluation of Professional Learning happens multiple times throughout the year. The

most common instance of this is during Teacher Evaluations. Administration performs up to six

ten-minute walkthroughs and up to two thirty-minute formative evaluations. The observer looks

for multiple practices such as engagement, assessment uses, and content knowledge. The teacher

is then rated on a one to four scale in all ten categories. Administrations uses this tool to help

teachers improve in specific areas by having discussions, making a growth plan, or occasionally

participating in Professional Development. Dr. Turner, also stated that her team looks at what is

happening during PLC meetings, as well as student data to help them make informed decisions

on areas of teacher improvement.

CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 6

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
The means by which teachers, administrators, and other staff acquire, enhance, and refine the
knowledge, skills, practices, and dispositions necessary to create and support high levels of
learning for all students

Professional Learning Standard 1: Aligns professional learning with needs identified through
analysis of a variety of data

Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1

Exemplary Operational Emerging Not Evident

Professional learning needs Professional learning Professional Professional

are identified and
differentiated through a
collaborative analysis
process using a variety of
data (e.g., student
achievement data,
examination of student work,
process data, teacher and
leader effectiveness data,
action research data,
perception data from
students, staff, and families).
Ongoing support is provided
through differentiated
professional learning.
needs are identified learning needs learning needs
through a collaborative are identified are identified
analysis process using a using limited using little or
variety of data (e.g., sources of no data.
student achievement data, data.
examination of student
work, process data, teacher
and leader effectiveness
data, action research data,
perception data from
students, staff, and
families).

EVIDENCE: Professional learning needs are primarily assessed by TKES and student data.
Majority of professional learning is county mandated, not by school or individually.
CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 7

RECOMMENDATIONS: Provide teachers with a survey two to three times per year to assess
individual professional learning needs and goals.

Professional Learning Standard 2: Establishes a culture of collaboration among administrators
and staff to enhance individual and collective performance

Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1

Exemplary Operational Emerging Not Evident

Administrators and Administrators and Administrators and Administrators and

staff, as a foundational staff routinely staff routinely staff routinely
practice, consistently collaborate to collaborate to collaborate to
collaborate to support improve individual improve individual improve individual
leadership and personal and collective and collective and collective
accountability and to performance (e.g., performance (e.g., performance (e.g.,
enhance individual and construct construct construct
collective performance knowledge, acquire knowledge, acquire knowledge, acquire
(e.g., construct skills, refine skills, refine skills, refine
knowledge, acquire practice, provide practice, provide practice, provide
skills, refine practice, feedback). feedback). feedback).
provide feedback).
Teachers conduct
action research and
assume ownership of
professional learning
processes.

EVIDENCE: Teachers and administration regularly collaborate during weekly PLC meetings
that involve looking at student data, discussing upcoming projects, and looking ahead at new
units. OneNote is utilized to share resources and plans. Excel is used to share school wide,
grade level, and individual classroom data with administration and teams. However,
teachers currently do not assume ownership of professional learning process outside of
weekly planning meetings and PLCs.
CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 8

RECOMMENDATIONS: Monthly grade level or individualized surveys to assess professional

learning goals and needs.

Professional Learning Standard 3: Defines expectations for implementing professional
learning

Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1

Exemplary Operational Emerging Not Evident

Administrators, teacher Administrators, Administrators, Administrators,

leaders, or both teacher leaders, or teacher leaders, or teacher leaders, or
consistently define both regularly both occasionally both rarely, if ever,
expectations for the define expectations define expectations define expectations
implementation of for the for the for the
professional learning, implementation of implementation of implementation of
including details professional professional professional
regarding the stages of learning. learning. learning.
implementation and how
monitoring will occur as
implementation
progresses.

EVIDENCE: While Cherokee County School District has defined expectations for the
implementation of professional learning and discussed with administrators, teacher leaders
are rarely a part of the conversation and therefore do not fully understand the vision for
implementation.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Create and share a Road Map for implementation progress, updating
administrators and teachers regularly on the progress. AES can hold quarterly meetings to
rate and discuss their findings and growth.

CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 9

Professional Learning Standard 4: Uses multiple professional learning designs to support the
various learning needs of the staff

Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1

Exemplary Operational Emerging Not Evident

Staff members actively Staff members actively Some staff Staff members
participate in job- participate in members are receive single,
embedded professional professional learning, engaged in stand-alone
learning that engages most of which is job- professional professional
collaborative teams in a embedded, which learning that learning events
variety of appropriate includes multiple designs makes use of that are
learning designs (e.g., (e.g., collaborative lesson more than one informational and
collaborative lesson study, analysis of student learning design mostly large-
study, analysis of student work, problem-solving to address their group
work, problem solving sessions, curriculum identified needs. presentation
sessions, curriculum development, designs.
development, coursework, action
coursework, action research, classroom
research, classroom observations, online
observations, online networks) to support
networks). Professional their various learning
learning includes needs. Professional
extensive follow-up with learning includes follow-
descriptive feedback and up with feedback and
coaching. coaching.

EVIDENCE: CCSD has funded ESOL and Gifted Endorsements for teachers across the county.
These are not mandatory, so therefore, teachers enrolled likely volunteered to take the
course.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Provide teams the opportunity to collaborate, analyze student work,

and observe in other classrooms two to three times per year.

CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 10

Professional Learning Standard 5: Allocates resources and establishes systems to support and
sustain effective professional learning

Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1

Exemplary Operational Emerging Not Evident

Extensive resources (e.g., Adequate resources Some resources Few, if any,

substitute teachers, materials, (e.g., substitute teachers, and systems are resources and
handouts, tools, stipends, materials, handouts, allocated to systems are
facilitators, technology) and tools, stipends, support and provided to
systems (e.g., conducive facilitators, technology) sustain support and
schedules, adequate and systems (e.g., professional sustain
collaborative time, model conducive schedules, learning. professional
classrooms) are allocated to adequate collaborative learning.
support and sustain effective time, model classrooms)
professional learning. are in place to support
Opportunities to practice and sustain professional
skills, receive follow-up, learning.
feedback, and coaching are
provided to support the
effectiveness of professional
learning.

EVIDENCE: AES utilizes Office 365 and Canvas to collaborate and support professional
learning.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Provide new teachers with a model classroom to observe excellent

teaching or receive coaching.

CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 11

Professional Learning Standard 6: Monitors and evaluates the impact of professional learning
on staff practices and student learning

Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1

Exemplary Operational Emerging Not Evident

Monitoring and evaluating Monitoring and Monitoring and Monitoring and

the impact of professional evaluating the evaluating the evaluating the
learning on staff practices impact of impact of impact of
and increases in student professional professional professional
learning occurs extensively. learning on staff learning on staff learning on staff
Evaluation results are used practices and student practices occurs practices occurs
to identify and implement learning occurs sporadically. rarely, if ever.
processes to extend student routinely.
learning.

EVIDENCE: Administration completes walkthrough and formative observations to evaluate

the impact and implementation of professional learning. These occur two to six times per
school year depending on number of years of experience.

RECOMMENDATIONS: After an evaluation, the observing administrator could set up a

meeting to discuss strengths, growths, weaknesses, and goals.

CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 12

KSU ITEC Professional Learning Standard: Professional learning reinforces educators’

understanding and use of strategies for promoting equity and high expectations for all
students, application of research-based teaching strategies and assessment processes, and
involvement of families and other stakeholders in promoting student learning.

Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1

Exemplary Operational Emerging Not Evident

Classroom practices Classroom practices of Classroom practices Classroom practices

(e.g., considering most teachers reflect of some reflect little or no
interests, backgrounds, skill in communicating teachers reflect
strengths, and
evidence of
preferences to provide
high expectations for evidence of teachers’ training in
meaningful, relevant each student and teachers’ training in understanding the
lessons and assess adjusting classroom understanding the impact that attitudes
student progress, activities to meet impact that regarding race,
differentiating student needs. Respect attitudes regarding disabilities,
instruction, and for students’ cultures race, disabilities,
nurturing student
background, culture,
and life experiences is background, culture, high expectations,
capacity for self-
management) of all evident through the high expectations, and social class of
teachers reflect an emotionally and and social class of both students and
emotionally and physically safe learning both students and teachers have on the
physically safe environment where teachers have on the teaching and
environment where students of diverse teaching and
respect and learning process.
backgrounds and learning process.
appreciation for a
diverse population is
experiences are taught
evident. There are high the school code of
achievement conduct (customs) to
expectations for all help them be
students and teachers. successful in the school
The principal and other context.
leaders provide
professional learning
for teachers lacking
understanding of the
impact that attitudes
regarding race,
disabilities,
background, culture,
high expectations, and
social class of both
students and teachers
have on the teaching
and learning process.
CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 13

EVIDENCE: Social Emotional Learning is a key pillar at AES and is addressed in every
classroom during Morning Meeting. ELL, Special Education, and General Education teachers
collaborate on plans together to ensure the needs of all students are met.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Continue Morning Meetings, providing some example activities and

discussions. Host an International Night to promote and celebrate diversity.
CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 14

References

Maxwell, C., 2016. What Blended Learning Is - And Isn't. [online] blendedlearning.org.

Available at: <https://www.blendedlearning.org/what-blended-learning-is-and-isnt/>

[Accessed 25 September 2020].

Turner, L., 2020. School Improvement Plan (SIP) - Avery Elementary School. [online]

Cherokeek12.net. Available at: <https://www.cherokeek12.net/averyes/Content2/averyes-

sip> [Accessed 26 September 2020].