School Improvement Plan

Building Leadership Team

• Allison Hargroves, Principal
• Anne Mummert, Assistant Principal
• Megan Horton, 1st Grade Teacher
• Alicia Henry, Special Education Teacher
• Kodi BeVelle, 6th Grade Teacher
• Brecken Gilbreath, 2nd Grade Teacher
• Dalles Christian, 5th Grade Teacher
• Katherine Snowden, 3/4 QuEST Teacher
• Krista Erath, LAP Teacher
• Lori Couch, Title Teacher
• Gwen Wahl, 3rd Grade Teacher
• Sandy Holway, Librarian

Pope Intervention Team (PIT)

• Allison Hargroves, Principal
• Anne Mummert, Assistant Principal
• Trisha Buenning, Counselor
• Sonja Hemmerling, School Psychologist
• Krista Erath, LAP Teacher
• Lori Couch, Title Teacher

Safety Team

• Anne Mummert, Assistant Principal
• Katherine Velez, Chief Custodian (FOM)
• Dalles Christian, 4th Grade Teacher
• Kim Turner, 3rd Grade Teacher
• Jennifer Iverson, 2nd Grade Teacher
• Jillian Risser, 1st Grade Teacher
• Justine Gorringe, Kindergarten Teacher
• David Schlag, 4th Grade Teacher

Parent and Community Partners

PTA: Our Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is a strong partnership of parents and teachers

CIS: Our school currently hosts a Communities in Schools Liaison that supports our students with a variety of needs like clothing, food, and attendance support. CIS has helped with the following at Pope Elementary:

• Holiday Help
• School Supplies
• Tutoring
• Backpack Buddies
• SOARing Mentors
• Watch DOG Dads

Most Meaningful Data Used in Needs Assessment

• WaKIDS
• Smarter Balanced Assessment/Interim Assessment Blocks
• Progress Monitoring Data
• Curriculum Based Assessments
• Suspension Data
• School Climate Data
• World-class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA)
• Review of Student Plans
• Attendance Data

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Contributing Factors in Areas of Strengths and Challenges

• Areas of Strength
  • Chronic absenteeism was a significant challenge when we first returned from the pandemic and online learning, with 46% of students identified as chronically absent during the 2021-22 school year. However, we have seen steady improvement, with chronic absenteeism falling to 27% in 2023-24.
  • Our Communities in School coordinator supports with various academic and wrap-around services (e.g., backpack buddies, SOARing Mentors, WatchDog Dads, tutoring support).
  • We are proud of our PTA membership and the support that comes from our PTA board.
  • Literacy instruction in grades 3-6 is a relative strength, with 56% of students meeting reading benchmarks.
  • MLL students, though below the general average, are showing growth, with 32% meeting benchmarks—a foundation for further improvement.

Areas of Challenge

• On average, 46% in grades 3-6 scored on/above grade level in math on the STAR Benchmark Assessment in the fall of 2024
• Math achievement needs attention. Only 46% of students meet grade-level expectations, indicating a need to strengthen math instruction across grades.

• Significant performance gaps exist for special education and MLL students, with only 25% (special education) and 32% (MLL) meeting benchmarks, respectively.

In summary, Pope Elementary demonstrates strengths in literacy and improving attendance. However, there are opportunities to enhance math outcomes and narrow achievement gaps for special education and MLL students. With intentional focus and continuous progress monitoring, the school can foster more equitable learning outcomes for all students

Contributing Factors

• Puyallup School District introduced a new ELA curriculum two years ago (22-23). Curriculum changes require an adjustment period for teachers and students to adapt to new materials and instructional methods.
• Lack of attendance is a significant contributor. 46% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-2022 academic year and improved some (38%) in 2022-2023. Additionally, our MLL (Multilingual Learners) and Special Education students have a higher percentage of chronic absenteeism (45%)
• MLL students may struggle with academic vocabulary and language comprehension, especially in math and reading assessments, limiting their ability to demonstrate knowledge effectively. The language load in word problems and multi-step instructions may disproportionately impact their performance on assessments.
• There may be a disconnect between the math curriculum (e.g., Bridges) and the expectations of STAR Math or other assessments, leading to lower scores.

Alignment of School Vision and Equity Statement with Building Culture and Daily Practices

Our school’s commitment to equity, inclusion, and community- building is reflected in several key programs and day-to-day activities:

1. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Second Step and Character Strong are implemented daily through morning meetings. These meetings focus on teaching empathy, emotional regulation, problem-solving, and responsible decision-making skills. These meetings foster strong classroom communities by creating opportunities for students to build relationships with one another and feel a sense of belonging. The Zones of Regulation Framework is used school-wide to teach students self-awareness, emotional regulation, and coping strategies, ensuring students feel supported socially and emotionally.
2. Targeted Student and Family Support: Our Communities in Schools (CIS) liaison works closely with students and families to remove barriers to success by connecting them with essential resources, wrap-around services, and personalized support.MLL/ ELL programs provide multilingual learners with academic language support to help them access grade-level content and fully participate in the school community.
3. Academic Support and Intervention: We have built an academic intervention block into the master schedule, allowing teachers to target learning gaps through small-group instruction and individualized support. School-wide Title and LAP programs ensure that students needing additional reading and math help receive research-based interventions to close opportunity and academic gaps.
4. Student Voice and Leadership: Our Principal Advisory Council provides opportunities for students to share their opinions and ideas, ensuring their voices are included in school-wide decision- making processes and initiatives.
5. Positive Behavioral Supports (PBIS): A school-wide PBIS system promotes positive behaviors and reinforces expected behaviors with meaningful recognition and incentives. This fosters a positive and supportive learning environment for all students.
6. Inclusion and Equity in Daily Practices and inclusive practices ensure that students with special needs and MLL actively participate in general education classrooms and receive academic and language support. Culturally responsive teaching strategies are encouraged in all classrooms. These strategies help students see themselves reflected in the curriculum and promote a sense of belonging for students from diverse backgrounds.
7. Professional Learning and Collaboration: Staff engage in ongoing professional development in areas such as SEL, trauma- informed practices, and culturally responsive teaching, ensuring that all students are supported holistically. Data-driven collaboration through PLCs ensures that teachers regularly analyze student performance and attendance data to adjust instruction and interventions in real time.
8. Attendance and Engagement Initiatives: We actively engage students through attendance incentives, such as the "Pizza Palooza" program, where classrooms earn rewards for perfect attendance. Home visits and outreach efforts are coordinated with CIS to support students with chronic absenteeism, ensuring no child is left behind.

Staff Demographics

• Number of Classroom Teachers = 52
• Average Years of Teaching Experience = 10.3
• Master's Degree or Higher = 59%

2023 Pope Elementary Overall Framework Score by Student Group

Student Group	Framework Score
All Students	6.35
American Indian/Alaskan Native	N/A
Asian	7.43
Black/African American	4.63
Hispanic/Latino of any races(s)	5.28
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander	N/A
Two or More Races	6.08
White	7.08
English-Language Learners	4.85
Low-Income	4.48
Students with Disabilities	2.13

Goal 1

By May 2025, the percentage of students meeting or exceeding grade-level standards will increase from 54% in the fall of 2024 to 65%, as measured by STAR Reading and DIBELS Benchmark Assessments.

Goal 2

By May 2025, the percentage of students meeting or exceeding grade-level standards will increase from an average of 49% in the fall of 2024 to 60%, as measured by STAR Math & Bridges common assessments.

Goal 3

Chronic absenteeism will decrease from 28% in the 2023-24 school year to 23% in the 2024-25 school year.

Goal 4

By May 2025, the percentage of special education students performing at or above grade level on the DIBELS, STAR Reading, and STAR Math assessments will increase from 25% in the fall of 2024 to 40%.

Implement a School-wide Attendance Incentive Program: "Pizza Palooza"

• In the "Pizza Palooza" program, each classroom will actively monitor daily attendance, earning a pepperoni for every day when 100% of students arrive to class. Once a classroom accumulates 20 pepperonis, they will be rewarded with a pizza party. This initiative aims to create a fun and motivating atmosphere, encouraging regular attendance among students across all classes.

Conduct Regular Attendance Meetings

• Schedule routine attendance meetings to review school-wide attendance data. Identify trends, areas of improvement, and strategies to enhance overall attendance. Collaborate with teachers, administrators, and support staff to implement targeted interventions promoting regular attendance.
• The school will reach out to multilingual learners (MLL) and families of students with chronic absenteeism, providing bilingual communication tools and wrap-around services through Communities in Schools to ensure equitable access to support.

Implement a Six-Week Progress Monitoring System

• Assign responsibility to each grade level, administrative team member, and Title/LAP team member to conduct a comprehensive progress monitoring assessment. Utilize data to identify students who may need additional support in reading and math. Regularly convene meetings to review progress monitoring data and adjust interventions as needed.

Establish and Conduct MTSS Meetings

• Schedule regular Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) meetings involving teachers, administrators, and support staff. Discuss progress monitoring data and plan targeted interventions for students requiring additional support.
• PLC meetings to discuss/analyze district common assessments.

Title/LAP Small Group Interventions

• Develop a schedule for small group intervention sessions led by Title and LAP team members. Tailor interventions to address specific reading needs identified through progress monitoring. Regularly assess the effectiveness of interventions and adjust strategies based on student progress.

Launch "WIN" Time (What I Need)

• Introduce "WIN" Time, a push-in math support initiative provided by the Title/LAP team. Collaborate with teachers to identify students who would benefit from additional math support during regular classroom activities.

Ongoing Professional Development on the Danielson Framework for Teaching

• Plan regular professional development sessions focused on the Danielson Framework for Teaching. Include interactive workshops, peer collaboration, and practical applications to enhance teacher proficiency in the framework.

Facilitate Small Group and 1:1 Tutoring with CIS Partners

• Collaborate with Communities in Schools (CIS) partners to identify students in need of additional academic support. Establish a schedule for small group and 1:1 tutoring sessions, aligning with student needs and CIS resources.

Funded Expenditure

• Release time for academic task force member to enter school wide data into school data tracker: Building Budget - $ TBD
• One day of release time for staff member to create self-regulation SEL lesson to be used school-wide: Building Budget - $300
• ESD Offering on Math Computation: Professional Learning Budget - $1500
• PLC Conference: Professional Learning Budget - $2500