EMMAUS, PA. — A year after implementing a plan that got Lower Macungie Middle School off of Pennsylvania's targeted state improvement, or TSI, list, the district now is tackling state concerns raised at Emmaus High School.
District officials say students with an IEP, or individualized education program, were identified by the state as the group of students falling behind in standardized testing to prompt the TSI status.
The indicator students with disabilities had an achievement rate of 13.92% for Math and English testing, with a decline of 2.56%, and below-average graduation rate of 78.24% for a four- and five-year combined cohort in recent data.
"We think we can make improvements that will help all kids, more kids."Principal Beth Guarriello
But rather than formulating a plan focused just on students getting the special needs instruction, administrators expanded on the opportunity to prevent observed trends from worsening across EHS.
"We think we can make improvements that will help all kids, more kids," Principal Beth Guarriello said.
"And so we didn't want to focus on just a small segment, especially because the trends that we were seeing with the students with IEPs were also the same trends that we're seeing across the board.
"It wasn't as alarming. The numbers for the whole building didn't kick us into TSI, but we were seeing similar trends. And so we figured, why just focus on this one small group when everyone really could benefit from some of these changes."
A school-level TSI designation occurs when a subgroup of 20 or more students meets the criteria of:
- Achieving at or below the statewide average achievement rate of on PSSA exams and fall within a specified state-level proficiency-growth profile including both achievement and growth values measured by the state
- Performing below state averages for graduation rate in high schools and/or progress in moving English learners to proficiency, or regular attendance and career standards benchmarks
Designations are made annually by the state as required by the Every Student Succeeds Act.
Once a designation is made, schools are required to develop building-level school improvement plans to be approved by the school board.
After a prompting by board member Alisa Bowman, the measure was tabled to let the public comment on the 71-page plan at the school board's next meeting on March 11.
The district was notified of the designation in January.
EHS TSI Board Presentation.2.26.2024 by LVNewsdotcom on Scribd
Identifying problems across the school
During East Penn School Board's meeting Monday, a high school administration presentation laid the groundwork for academic improvements they hope can tackle a variety of issues that data collection found.
They include algebra results failing to meet state achievement averages and growth targets, students falling behind on reading benchmarks, the middle group of students underperforming across all Keystone exams and falling consistent attendance.
Algebra results, for example, were listed to not exceed growth predictions in any subgroup, with Hispanic and white subgroups showing negative growth.
District officials noted data showing regular attendance decreasing from 89% in the 2018-19 school year to 80.5% in the 2022-23 school year, following statewide trends of decreasing attendance.
Overall attendance rates remain at lowest proportions among students who are Hispanic, economically disadvantaged, mixed-race or have disabilities.
Some district strengths were highlighted alongside the concerns, such as biology and literature achievement growing well above state projections, and biology achievement exceeding state averages with all subgroups showing improvement.
During last year's budget presentations, the district noted special needs staffing as a needed focus given observed shortfalls in math education for elementary students with IEPs.
The plan does, however, note that achievement of students with disabilities is increasing in Biology and English courses despite the decrease observed in Algebra.
New classes, supports to hit goals
To meet the problems over the next year, Guarriello and Assistant Principal Lorie Gamble walked through proposals.
They include adding a new foundational math course, increasing help and coaching opportunities, increasing family engagement through regularly held parent workshops, increasing the use of Keystone Prep sessions and finding new ways to incentivize performance.
Also listed in the plan proposal was an after-school homework help program from paid faculty, a rewards program for students participating in the school's peer tutoring program.
EHS TSI Plan.exhibit.2.26.24 by LVNewsdotcom on Scribd
Priorities include improving reading levels and math skills, along with increasing family engagements and increasing access to needed supports and interventions.
Goals listed by the plan are:
- Students will demonstrate 10% growth in reading scores from September 2024 baseline to May 2025 screening or grade level proficiency as measured by the baseline assessment
- Students will demonstrate a 10% improvement in foundational math skills as measured by regular math screeners administered in the classroom setting during the '24-'25 year compared with '23-'24 screener data
- Create and implement six monthly parent workshops and information sessions to help families better support their students and learn about the process and procedures at EHS while increasing family engagement at the high school. Compared to parent teacher conferences, the number of family members attending the sessions would increase in the '24-'25 school year by 10% over the '23-'24 school year baseline data
- By the end of the '24-'25 school year, the number of students participating in peer tutoring (NHS tutoring, study hall peer tutoring) services will increase 100% compared with the '23-'24 school year NHS tutoring data
School Board reaction
"I think that the plan you have laid out here feels like a bigger undertaking than [the Lower Macungie Middle School] TSI plan," board member Adam Smith said.
Smith said the implementations this time could take longer than just this year.
"Culture eats strategy for breakfast. We can have all the strategy that we want, but it seems to me that there's this tells a story of a culture where the motivation and the incentive is not there."Board member William Whitney
"All of the goals are all new initiatives, new action steps that we're going to be discussing, the largest of which is probably a new course," he said.
"So I just want to make sure we're kind of going into this with a mindset that while they might have the same three letters and the same process of submitting it, the two plans in my mind could not be any more different."
Board member William Whitney expressed concern about the metrics and solutions presented, noting the need to find the right incentives to change how students are motivated.
"Culture eats strategy for breakfast," Whitney said. "We can have all the strategy that we want, but it seems to me that there's this tells a story of a culture where the motivation and the incentive is not there."
The potential of partnering with local businesses and organizations to achieve some of the high school's goals was also discussed.
The meeting on Monday also saw further early budget discussion, approval of the Lehigh Carbon Community College budget, and discussions of new classes to be added in the upcoming school year.
