Campus Improvement Plan

Comprehensive Needs Assessment

Demographics

Demographics Summary

Spring Branch Elementary is a neighborhood school serving students in the Campbell and Long Point area within the Spring Branch Independent School District. Spring Branch Elementary School is the namesake of the district and was the first elementary school established in 1939.     During the 2021-2022 school year, SBE had an average of 515
students attending Kindergarten through 5th grade, which was up 44 students from the previous year. This was a nice upward tick for SBE since the school has been on a downward trend in enrollment since 2014 because of the removal of the Pre-K classes and, of course, the   pandemic.

The Ethnicity Distribution of SBE is:  87.3% Hispanic, 6.7% African American, 4.4% White, 0.5% American Indian, 0.3% Asian, and 0.8% are two or more races. 95% of our students are considered economically disadvantaged, which qualifies our campus as a Title I school. Sixty seven percent of our students are English Learners. Most of our families are apartment residents, low socioeconomic, predominantly English and Spanish speakers, multiple families living together, and newcomer families.
We have a mobility rate of 19%, and 84.8% of our students are labeled as at-risk. Four percent of our students are homeless. Nine percent of our students have disabilities and are serviced by special education services. Currently, we have 16 students in the Gifted and Talented program.     Our entire student population receives free breakfast and lunch.

For the 2022- 2023 school year, seventeen staff members are new to the campus. At the end of the last school year, some teachers took positions with other districts, campuses, or departments. One staff member retired and two changed careers. We have approximately 43 employees on our teaching staff:  five percent are African American, sixty-three percent  are Hispanic, and thirty percent are White.  We have one 1st year teacher for  2022-2023.

Demographics Strengths

SBE, a Title I campus, continues to build on the strengths of the community. Our SBE families are becoming more involved in their child's education by attending parent math and language academic meetings, being involved in the PTA, and providing assistance to teachers. Through these efforts, our families learn to value education as a key way out of poverty.     The neighborhood that surrounds the school is experiencing gentrification, and some of these new families are enrolling their children at SBE.

SBE is very fortunate to have a variety of community organizations donate and support the mission and vision of the campus by building strong partnerships and giving of time, talent and money to assist with making SBE a successful school. SBE will continue to have the support of Chapelwood with the implementation of the SBISD Read program, Reading Buddies, for our 2nd grade students. Los Carnales y La Familia continues to support our students through their donation of supplies and motivating prizes for perfect attendance.

Problem Statements Identifying Demographics Needs 

Problem Statement 1: The impact of the pandemic can still be felt with many students continuing to struggle with gaps in their academic skills especially in reading, writing, and math. Root Cause: Parents kept their children home from Pre- K and/or Kindergarten, or chose for their students to attend virtually. Many of these students had limited access to the internet and/or their virtual attendance was poor or none at  all.

Problem Statement 2: Our students' academic performance in reading is below the state's College Readiness levels. Root Cause: Demographics of our population: 19% mobility, 84.8 % at-risk, and 95% economically  disadvantaged.

Comprehensive Needs Assessment

Student Learning

Student Learning Summary

Our students' performance improved on the campus and district assessments throughout the 2021-2022 school year. The STAAR results for 2022 demonstrated excellent progress overall from 2021 resulting in a TEA rating of an A for Spring Branch  Elementary.

Running Records Data for Kinder - 2nd Grade:

Student Learning Strengths

Despite the COVID19 pandemic, our students made gains as measured by the state assessment STAAR.  SBE students improved their academic performance in all the content areas    at the approaches, meets, and masters levels. Our student sub-populations improved their performance in all the content areas. There were sizable increases at the Meets level for all sub-pops in all of the content areas, which resulted in three distinctions and our TEA rating of an  A.

Problem Statements Identifying Student Learning Needs

Problem Statement 1: Students are under-performing in the academic areas of reading, writing, math, and science. Root Cause: Student data needs to be reviewed often and concepts retaught and retested.

Problem Statement 2: Small group instruction must target students and target skills. Root Cause: Our low socio-economic, Emergent Bilingual, and Special Education students have deficiencies in their foundational literacy and math  skills.

Problem Statement 3: The impact of the pandemic can still be felt with many students continuing to struggle with gaps in their academic skills especially in reading, writing, and math. Root Cause: Parents kept their children home from Pre- K and/or Kindergarten, or chose for their students to attend virtually. Many of these students had limited access to the internet and/or their virtual attendance was poor or none at  all.

Problem Statement 4: Our students' academic performance in reading is below the state's College Readiness levels. Root Cause: Demographics of our population: 19% mobility, 84.8 % at-risk, and 95% economically  disadvantaged.

Comprehensive Needs Assessment

School Processes &  Programs

School Processes & Programs Summary

The ILT members are assigned to support teachers and instruction in particular grade levels.  They will also provide small group instruction to students throughout the school year.     RtI small group instruction schedule is implemented daily so all ILT members work with all grade levels. The ILT reviews data and assists with determining the composition of small groups and TEKS to be covered. Input from the teachers is also taken.  Teachers and ILT members make recommendations for professional development for all grade level teachers.  The content Instructional Specialists meet weekly with the teachers to plan and provide needed professional development.  SBE continues to be a Teachers College Reading and  Writing Project affiliate school.

The Campus Improvement Team reviews progress of CIP goals and gives input or suggestions for resources and professional development opportunities for teachers. The Team Leaders, Guiding Coalition, and CIT members, along with teachers, have opportunities to participate in decision making for SBE. A variety of surveys (End of the Year Surveys for Staff and Parents) are used to seek meaningful input on how best to improve student  achievement.

SBE Administration and Leadership teams attend District Job Fairs to identify high quality teachers. Interviews are conducted at the campus level with a focused interview relative to the needs of our SBE students and community.  Members of the Grade Level Team, Instructional Leadership Team, Administration, and Special Education staff are all members of    the Interview Committee.  The Lead Mentor meets with all new teachers and their assigned mentors throughout the school   year.

Enrichment activities are provided through the Boys and Girls Club After School program and Girlstart   programs.

School Processes & Programs Strengths

At SBE, a variety of software programs-Dreambox, ST Math, iXL, RAZ Kids, Learning A-Z, Stemscopes, and Seesaw are essential software instructional programs that teachers can use to extend the learning and students can use at  home.

SBE is very fortunate to have a Counselor, CSHAC Team, and 2 Communities in Schools Project Managers to support our students and families with receiving assistance through organizations in the community-clothing, food, counseling, medical services, and  more.

SBE has an SSC Committee which meets every 4 to 6 weeks to assess students with challenges in academics and behavior to support teachers with interventions to meet the needs of students. SBE also participates in the Project CLASS social skills program and has the Positive Behavior Intervention System in place which provide both in class and campus wide social skills training and appropriate positive behavior  interventions.

Our students are able to participate in additional learning and recreational opportunities through the Boys and Girls Club available to students in grades 1st-5th. We have additional opportunities available to students: GirlStart, Spring Branch Memorial Sports Association sports and Spring Spirit sports, and Junior Achievement programs.

Problem Statements Identifying School Processes & Programs Needs

Problem Statement 1: Students are under-performing in the academic areas of reading, writing, math, and science. Root Cause: Student data needs to be reviewed often and concepts retaught and retested.

Problem Statement 2: Small group instruction must target students and target skills.  Root Cause:  Our low socio-economic, Emergent Bilingual, and Special Education   students have deficiencies in their foundational literacy and math  skills.

Comprehensive Needs Assessment

Perceptions

Perceptions Summary

SBE attendance rate for the 2021-2022 school year was 91%. This was impacted by COVID19 pandemic and the attendance habits of our students and families. Throughout the year, our students fell ill or had members of their families fall ill during the school  year.

Chapelwood United Methodist Church will once again provide tutors for our SBE students in the area of reading. We have approximately 20 tutors working with our students. Our two CIS Project Managers will also work with groups of students focusing on appropriate social skills and character   development.

SBE works closely with a Project CLASS liaison who works with individual and group sessions focusing on appropriate social skills development receiving referrals from the SBE teachers.  All SBE teachers are trained in Project CLASS social skills techniques to use with  students.

SBE is implementing PBIS school-wide to recognize students for making the right choices when no one is looking. Teachers will reward and recognize students' efforts and good choices by giving them Paw stickers so that they can earn enough points to shop at the school  store.

At SBE, we are working on a culture of high expectations and being results oriented. Throughout the year, the Guiding Coalition leads the work through its monthly meetings and then disseminating the information/expectations with the  teams.

Perceptions Strengths

The members of the Instructional Leadership Team support our teachers and students on a daily basis.  They have a schedule that gives them time to provide small group interventions  to students daily.  The schedule also allows them to visit classrooms to model, observe, and  coach.

The math, literacy, and science instructional specialists meet with teachers once a week to look at the upcoming units, TEKS, and create lesson plans. They also provide needed professional development.

A variety of parent programs are planned to support our parents. These include programs such as: Coffees with the Principal with special guests, ESL classes, Literacy classes, Family Library Nights, and Curriculum Nights.

We have a focus on providing necessary services for both our Newcomer parents and students at   SBE.

Problem Statements Identifying Perceptions Needs

Problem Statement 1: The impact of the pandemic can still be felt with many students continuing to struggle with gaps in their academic skills especially in reading, writing, and math. Root Cause: Parents kept their children home from Pre- K and/or Kindergarten, or chose for their students to attend virtually. Many of these students had limited access to the internet and/or their virtual attendance was poor or none at  all.

Problem Statement 2: Our students' academic performance in reading is below the state's College Readiness levels. Root Cause: Demographics of our population: 19% mobility, 84.8 % at-risk, and 95% economically  disadvantaged.

Problem Statement 3: Students are under-performing in the academic areas of reading, writing, math, and science. Root Cause: Student data needs to be reviewed often and concepts retaught and retested.
 
Problem Statement 4: Small group instruction must target students and target skills. Root Cause: Our low socio-economic, Emergent Bilingual, and Special Education students have deficiencies in their foundational literacy and math  skills.

Comprehensive Needs Assessment Data Documentation

The following data were used to verify the comprehensive needs assessment analysis:

Improvement Planning Data

• District goals

Accountability Data

• Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR) data 
• Student Achievement Domain
• Student Progress Domain 
• Closing the Gaps Domain
• Effective Schools Framework data
• Comprehensive, Targeted, and/or Additional Targeted Support Identification  data

Student Data: Assessments

• Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) and TELPAS Alternate results 
• Local benchmark or common assessments data
• Running Records results

Student Data: Student Groups

• Special education/non-special education population including discipline, progress and participation data 
• At-risk/non-at-risk population including performance, progress, discipline, attendance, and mobility   data

Student Data: Behavior and Other  Indicators

• Attendance data 
• Discipline records
• Student surveys and/or other feedback 
• School safety data
• Enrollment trends

Employee Data

• Professional learning communities (PLC) data 
• Staff surveys and/or other feedback
• Campus leadership data
• Campus department and/or faculty meeting discussions and data 
• Professional development needs assessment data
• Evaluation(s) of professional development implementation and  impact

Parent/Community Data

• Parent surveys and/or other feedback 
• Parent engagement rate
• Community surveys and/or other feedback

 
Support Systems and Other Data

• Organizational structure data
• Processes and procedures for teaching and learning, including program implementation 
• Communications data
• Budgets/entitlements and expenditures data 
• Study of best practices