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Davis Elementary School
Flexible Learning Program (FLP) Newsletter

What is the ESSA Every Student Succeeds Act?

September 1, 2016

Published by: MCSD Title I Department

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), reauthorizes the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which was signed into law in December of 2015, putting an end to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) version of ESEA originating in 2002. This established the American federal government’s expanded role in funding public education. The law replaced NCLB and was modified but did not eliminate provisions relating to the standardized tests given to students. ESSA shifts the law’s federal accountability provisions to the states.
The Every Student Succeeds Act will not be enacted into public schools until the 2017-18 school year. During the 2016-17 school year all schools will be in transition to await the guidelines set forth for the 2017-18 school year.

Inside

ESEA School Designations	2
School Designation and Academic Performance	2
FLP at Davis Elementary School	3
What is Davis Elementary School doing to address student achievement?	3
Ways parents can help Davis Elementary School meet academic performance targets	4
GSE Resources for Parents and School Contact Information	4

Special points of interest
What is a Flexible Learning Program (FLP)?
What is the school doing to help your children?
What can parents do to help their children?
Who can you contact for more information?

School Designations

Accountability Information
The Georgia Department of Education will no longer distinguishes schools by Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) or Needs Improvement (NI) status. Based on the Flexibility Waver, Title I schools’ designations are Priority, Focus, Opportunity and Reward Schools. The categories of school designations are described as follows:
Priority School - (Identified every three years and must submit a Flexible Learning Plan to support the Flexible Learning Program). These schools were among the lowest five percent of Title I schools in the state based on the achievement of the “All subgroup” on statewide assessments. At high school, these schools have a graduation rate of less than 60 percent over a number of years.
Focus School - (Identified every three years and must submit a Flexible Learning Plan to support the Flexible Learning Program). These schools are Title I schools that have the largest within-school gaps between the highest-achieving subgroup and the lowest-achieving subgroup.
Reward School – (Identified annually) Highest Performing Schools or High-Progress Schools.

Davis Elementary School Designation and
Academic Performance

Data from the 2015 GMAS in ELA and mathematics, revealed Davis Elementary School has a significant achievement gap between the highest achieving subgroup and the lowest achieving subgroup. Therefore, Davis has been identified as a Focus School. The results from the assessments are depicted in the charts below. Each decimal represents the percentage of beginning, developing, proficient, and distinguished learners. The +/- row signifies whether each grade level is having an increase or decrease in the respective category. The results show that though progress is being made in some areas, Math, and ELA still fall below system and state expectations.

Georgia Milestones Assessment System (GMAS)
Proficiency Levels (Beginning Learner, Developing Learner, Proficient Learner, and Distinguished Learner)

GMAS Scores for ELA (Percentage)
	Grade 3				Grade 4				Grade 5
	Beginning / Learner	Developing / Learner	Proficient / Learner	Distinguished / Learner	Beginning / Learner	Developing / Learner	Proficient / Learner	Distinguished / Learner	Beginning / Learner	Developing / Learner	Proficient / Learner	Distinguished / Learner
14-15	57.8	22.2	17.8	2.2	60.4	24.5	15.1	0.0	60.9	30.4	8.7	0.0
15-16	62.0	26.0	12.0	0.0	68.1	23.4	8.5	0.0	57.4	37.0	5.6	0.0
+/-	+4.2	+3.8	-5.8	-2.2	+7.7	-1.1	-6.6	0.0	-3.5	+6.6	-3.1	0.0

GMAS Scores for Mathematics (Percentage)
	Grade 3				Grade 4				Grade 5
	Beginning / Learner	Developing / Learner	Proficient / Learner	Distinguished / Learner	Beginning / Learner	Developing / Learner	Proficient / Learner	Distinguished / Learner	Beginning / Learner	Developing / Learner	Proficient / Learner	Distinguished / Learner
14-15	15.6	53.3	28.9	2.2	50.9	35.8	13.2	0.0	63.0	30.4	6.5	0.0
15-16	36.0	40.0	24.0	0.0	46.8	40.4	12.8	0.0	60.4	34.0	5.7	0.0
+/-	-20.4	-13.3	-4.9	-2,2	-4.1	+4.6	-0.4	0.0	-3.4	+4.4	-0.8	0.0

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Davis Elementary School
Flexible Learning Program (FLP) Newsletter

FLP at Davis Elementary School

What is a Flexible Learning
Program (FLP)?
Flexible Learning Program (FLP) should be an extension of a Local Educational Agency’s normal school day, week, or year to provide additional instruction or educational programs for all eligible Title I students beyond the state-mandated requirements for the minimum number of hours in a school day, days in a school week, or days or weeks in a school year.
It is an alternative supplemental instructional intervention that allows LEA’s greater flexibility in designing an extended learning program.
FLP should go above and beyond the teaching methods that are utilized with the students during the regular school day.
Purpose of Flexible Learning Programs
FLP should be a learning program that will provide those students at-risk of failing with additional learning opportunities and supports that will assist the student in achieving the skills necessary to master the ability to pass the state’s standardized test in core academic subjects.
The Flexible Learning Program will be conducted on the Davis campus on Monday’s and Wednesday’s from 3:00—5:00 PM. The academic focus will be on mathematics and English Language Arts. Transportation will be provided.
Students will have access to a scientifically-based researched, hands-on, program called the STRIDE Academy, resources, as well as other instructional aides.
The class size is kept at a minimum so all teachers can provide small group, differentiated, one-on-one and computerized instruction.

What is Davis Elementary School Doing to Address
Student Achievement?

A number of actions are being taken this year to improve student achievement at Davis Elementary School. Davis Elementary School will focus its efforts on continuous improvement by doing the following things:
Develop professional learning
communities to increase faculty teamwork and encourage student learning.
Use of Leadership Team and Curriculum Council to develop, implement, and evaluate strategies for school improvement.
Utilize Academic Coach to help improve instruction for increased student achievement.
Utilize Teacher Support and Coaching (TSC) to implement Best Practices.
Use of collaborative planning to discuss and review teaching strategies and techniques that lead to student success.
Expand the use of the data-analysis committee to address the four major content areas to improve results on the Georgia Milestones Assessment System.
Implement a comprehensive attendance program to address absenteeism and tardiness.
Use the Student Support Team (SST) to identify, plan, and recommend different instructional strategies for students experiencing difficulty in meeting academic standards.
If you have questions regarding the actions above, contact the school at 706-748-2638

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Davis Elementary School

Ways Parents Can Help the School Meet Academic Performance Targets

As a parent or an adult who plays an important role in the life of a child, your involvement in your child's education at school and at home shows your child that you value education. You can help your child to do his or her best in school by doing the following:
Check the parent portal on a regular basis for the latest information on your child’s grades and attendance.
Make sure your child attends school every day so he can learn what is needed to do well in school, to do well on tests, and to meet the standards set for his grade level.
Take an interest in your child's school work and in the results of the tests he/she takes in school.
Use real world applications as opportunities to focus on mathematics and reading.
Participate in parent workshops coordinated by the Family Services Coordinator to build parent capacity and to help the school achieve its continuous improvement targets as well as short- and long-range goals.
Provide a quiet place at home for your child to do homework assignments that reinforce what she is learning at school.
Work with your child at home as well as with his school and teacher to help him become a good reader. Good reading skills are important to success in school and to doing well on tests.
Schedule and attend parent-teacher conferences to meet with your child's teachers, to find out how your child is doing, and to review his/her work.
Join the PTA or other parent group to see how you can help the school reach its goals.
Stay up-to-date on school policies, schedules and rules. Ask about opportunities to participate in the development of school policies.
Check the school's website regularly.
Provide a current email address to the school to improve the line of communication between home and school.
Contact your child's teacher or counselor if you have any concerns about what's going on with your child at school.

Common Core Georgia Performance
Standards (CCGPS) Resources for
Parents

School Contact
Information

Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) – https://www.georgiastandards.org/Georgia-Standards/Pages/default.aspx / Mathematics Georgia Standards of Excellence- https://www.georgiastandards.org/Georgia-Standards/Pages/Math.aspx / English Language Arts (ELA)/Literacy Georgia Standards of Excellence https://www.georgiastandards.org/Georgia-Standards/Pages/ELA.aspx / Parent Engagement Program CCGPS Resources – http://www.gadoe.org/School-Improvement/Federal-Programs/Partnerships/Pages/Parent-Engagement-Program.aspx

Davis Elementary School
1822 Shepherd Drive
Columbus, GA 31906
Telephone:
706-748-2638
Fax:
706-748-2647
Website:
http://jddaviselementary.weebly.com/
Aetavia Williams, Principal
Linda Sessions, Assistant Principal
Ben Travers, Academic Coach and FLP Lead

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Davis Elementary School
Flexible Learning Program (FLP) Newsletter