Colorado's Unified Improvement Plan for Schools

Monument View Montessori Charter School UIP 2024-25

      
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Content


  • Document icons and definitions

  • Priority Performance Challenges
  • Root Cause
  • Major Improvement Strategies
  • Action Steps
  • Progress Monitoring
  • Trend Direction

Executive Summary


Priority Performance Challenges Root Cause Major Improvement Strategies
  • Increasing achievement in reading
    		•
  • Limited Professional Development Around Literacy
  • MVM does not adequately engage student families in reading development.
  • Lack of alignment with Montessori curriculum and state standards and training.
    		•
  • Professional development for staff in evidence based reading intervention.
  • Increase PD in Montessori Education & Literacy Instruction & Interventions
  • Utilize school communications to encourage independent family reading.
    		•
  • Increasing achievement in math
    		•
  • Additional focus needed to support math growth.
    		•
  • Increase teacher understanding of interim math assessment data
    		•


    Access the School Performance Framework here: http://www.cde.state.co.us/schoolview/performance

    Access the Literacy Curriculum Transparency Dashboard here: https://www.cde.state.co.us/code/literacycurriculumtransparency-dashboard

    Improvement Plan Information


    Additional Information about the school



    Improvement Plan Information

    The school/district is submitting this improvement plan to satisfy requirements for (check all that apply):


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    Narrative on Data Analysis and Root Cause Identification


    Description of School Setting and Process for Data Analysis

    Monument View Montessori Charter School (MVMCS) is located on the Western Slope of Colorado in the semi-rural community of Fruita within the Mesa County School District.  MVMCS is a charter school authorized by the Colorado Charter School Institute.  MVMCS opened in August 2017. MVMCS is entering its seventh year of operation with a projected enrollment of 50-55 students.  MVMCS presently serves students in preschool (3 years' old) through 3rd grade. Using a Montessori approach to education, MVMCS’s mission is to instill a lifelong love of learning through structured individualized classroom experiences aimed at nurturing the self-directed student.

    Monument View Montessori seeks to serve a student and staff population representative of its geographic district (Mesa Valley School District 51).  MVMCS utilizes staff and student recruitment strategies aimed at increasing equity and access, but like many small rural Montessori charter schools finding qualified and experienced teachers is a challenge. For FY24 we will loose our senior lead teacher who has been with us from the beginning. We will replace her with one of our existing teachers, and move our co-lead teachers into a lead positions; thereby retaining/promoting 100% of our lead teachers. Overall we will have retained 85% of our staff for the 24-25 school year. 

    Family and community involvement are important aspects of the MVMCS improvement strategy.  Starting with our Governing Board, five of the six members are parents who believe in the Montessori Philosophy and whose efforts are helping to keep the school successful.  In FY23 we re-established the SAC and found a strong educationally experienced board member to chair it. Achieving this was part of our FY22 UIP.   MVMCS continues to develop relationships with the community and businesses throughout Mesa County. In FY21 there was a HOS transition. The new HOS has both Charter school and Montessori leadership experience. One of their priority goals is to increase staff professional development around Montessori education and to increase parent engagement in both education and community building. This goal was met, and will continue to be a goal for the FY24 cycle. For FY24 we are having our new Elementary teacher do a Montessori diploma program to boost our Montessori training.

    Because MVMCS is a very small school, we have been unable to publicly post/report student performance data.  Posting such data could be construed as presenting personally identifiable data.  In its first three years of operation, MVMCS had received a Priority Improvement rating due to weak financials and failure to meet TABOR requirements.   However, MVMCS met TABOR obligations in FY20, finishing the year with its strongest financials since inception.  This trend continued through FY22. In FY21 CSI granted MVM a 3+2 re-authorization . In FY24 MVM will once again meet its TABOR obligations and post a net-positive EOY fund balance. We will also carry with us a Performance rating for the second year in a row.
     

    Improvement Planning Process

    The MVMCS leadership team is composed of the Head of School, Instructional Leadership Team, Board of Directors, and the SAC.  Each group participates in the improvement process by providing data, data interpretation, parent/student viewpoint(s), community goals, and financial guidance.  These varied channels of feedback are compiled into the MVMCS UIP helping to build a high-quality public Montessori option.  

    The MVMCS HOS in conjunction with SAC is responsible for collecting and analyzing performance data, developing recommendations for priority performance challenges, root causes, and improvement strategies. Currently, the MVMCS SAC is scheduled to meet quarterly and plans to analyze ongoing data. In FY22 we engaged in our first Parent Satisfaction Survey and will be using those results to help inform our FY23 UIP.  We will continue to use this Parent Survey to inform our UIP. Retaining high levels of engagement with the SAC has been challenging; however, school leadership and the Board of Directors are committed to growing and ensuring participation throughout the upcoming school year.

    Prior Year Targets

    Provide a summary of your progress in implementing the Major Improvement Strategies and if they had the intended effect on systems, adult actions, and student outcomes (e.g. targets).

    • Prior Year Target: Reading
      70% of K-3 students identified as SRD during BOY Amplify reading assessments will be at or above the benchmark at EOY. Greater than 80% of students will read at or above the benchmark according to EOY Amplify assessment.
    • Kindergarten Reflection: 
    • MVM saw the Kindergarten cohort achieve the stated goal of 80% of students being at or above the benchmark at the end of FY23/24. We plan to continue to use the same strategies as the prior year, as well as have our Kindergarten teacher trained in the Montessori Acceleration Reading program, which was used in our Elementary class during the FY23/24 year with great success. We feel it is a compliment to the Dibels and Orton Gillingham programs and deepened levels of literacy and comprehension.
    • Elementary Reflection
    • MVM saw the Elementary [1st-3rd] cohort reach 77% of students at EOY at or above benchmark[3% short of the 80% goal]. We also saw a significant reduction in EOY students remaining Well Below and requiring a Read Plan [45% reduced to 23%]. We plan to continue to use the same strategies as the prior year, which includes having our new Elementary teacher trained in the Montessori Acceleration Reading program.
     
    • Prior Year Target: Math
      55% of K-3 students identified as below benchmark during BOY Renaissance Math assessments will be at or above the benchmark at EOY.
    • Kindergarten Reflection: 
    • Note: This target statement does not make much sense. I think we made an error in the writing of this and meant 5.5% Below Benchmark.  Looking at the FY22/23 goal, which reads:
      • In FY22-23 we exceeded our Math goal of having decreased our students needing math interventions, ending the year with a 21% reduction, and 79.3% above or at benchmark in math. In FY23 we had 89% above or at benchmark, with only 5.5% in the red.
    • I believe that we once again achieved our stated goal of 80% At or Above the Benchmark at EOY. In FY23/24 we ended the year with 89%. As such, we will continue to utilize the same set of strategies and methods of instruction in FY24/25.
    • Elementary  Reflection: I
    • In FY23/24 we saw a slight reduction in our EOY data as compared to 23/24 [83% < 77%] which is a change in about 1 student given the small number in the collective cohort. We will continue to use the same set of strategies and methods of instruction and will take a closer look at some Math interventions to use with our Well Below Benchmark students.

    Increase PD in Montessori Education & Literacy Instruction & Interventions
    Reflection:
    We have continued to hold PD in these areas a top priority. In FY23/24 we were able to get our new K teacher trained in OG and our Elem Teacher and Literacy Specialist both trained in the Montessori Accelerated Reading [MAR] program.
    We are only losing one lead teacher in FY24/25 and will have our new teachers trained in OG and MAR.
    We have our new Elementary Teacher engaged in an online Montessori Teacher Training program, which will be completed by January of 2024.

    Increase teacher understanding of interim math assessment data:
    Reflection:
    While we were successful in achieving our FY23/24 goals in Math, we will continue to utilize monthly data review meetings, and we will explore a meaningful Math Intervention program to use with our struggling students.

    Professional development for staff in evidence-based reading intervention:
    Reflection:
    Last year we engaged critical teachers in approved reading intervention programs, including OG and MAR.
    In FY24/25 we will do the following:
    All staff, including our PreK teacher and new Literacy Specialist, took the CDE Science of Reading Training over the summer.
    Our new Literacy Specialist is also taking the Orton Gillingham reading intervention program.
    Our K and Elem teachers are both taking the Montessori Accelerated Reading [MAR] program training this year.

    Utilize school communications to encourage independent family reading
    • Reflection:
    • The creation of this goal/improvement plan was well thought out but poorly administered. While we did increase parent involvement and awareness of the importance of reading, we did not accomplish all of the multiple means of communication and implementation laid out in the goal statement. 

    For 24-25 we plan to revisit this goal and to break it down into more manageable parts. We will continue to communicate with all parents the importance of reading, and in particular, those who score below or well-below benchmark at the BOY assessments.


    Based on your reflection and evaluation, provide a summary of the adjustments that you will make for this year's plan.

    MVM will continue to work on all of these Student Targets for the FY24-25 school year.
    • In Reading, we will add to our strategies and instruction with the implementation of the Montessori Accelerated Reading program.
    • In Math, we will look for an appropriate Math intervention, both for school and for home.
    MVM will continue to work on all of the previos Major Improvement Strategies for the FY24-25 school year.
    • The MIS for 'Encouraging Family Reading' will be reviewed by our Admin/Leadership Team to find an appropriate means to support families; both educationally and with resources.
    • For the other 3 MIS we will continue to build on our previous year's successes.

    Current Performance

    Monument View Montessori does not have an SPF rating due to its small student size.   It is noted that year-to-year trends are heavily affected by the school's historically high mobility rate.  Student mobility was reduced in FY20 dropping from over 40% to 11%.  However, in FY21 to FY22 we experienced an increase in mobility once again. This trend needs to be examined further by the HOS in conduction with the Board as we prepare for strategic planning around this retention issue.

    • NOTE: Wildflower Montessori Charter School is  opening in FY24-25 and has created a substantial exodus of K-2 Students. We lost almost 50% of this population, which will put a strain on our budget and enrollment projections, but we have larger than normal enrollment for our Preschool program. While this has an impact on our 1st - 3rd grade program, we hope to build it up over the next 2 years. 

    MVMCS Literacy Assessment Data: [Amplify]

    • BOY Amplify data for FY20 year identified 56% of MVMCS K-3 students well below benchmark. 
    • MVMCS students realized significant growth in FY21. 
    • In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, EOY assessment data for FY22 identified 15% of students as SRD.  This represents a 73% reduction in SRD from FY20 to FY21 school years.
    • In FY21-22 we had 22 students identified as READ Act at t he BOY and only 6 by EOY, resulting in a 73% reduction in Read ACT plans. [56% in Read ACT at BOY and 15% of students at EOY. ] These results validate current and ongoing efforts to address literacy gaps, while showing important improvement. MVMCS will continue to invest in and prioritize reading development and growth in the FY23 school year.   
    • In FY22-23 we saw a drop in overall percentage of students entering the year in Read Act [12 of 40 K-3 students = 30%] and at EOY we saw these numbers drop significantly [7 of 40 students K-3 = 17.5%] with an overall drop of 58%. 
      • A significant note for FY23 was that our Kindergarten class had an EOY assessment report showing that 11 of 13 students were at benchmark or above [moving 3 out of the red, or significantly below benchmark] with an aggregate score of 143.3.  
      • Grade 1 saw 14% growth in achieving benchmark, with EOY at 50% at/or above. 
      • Grade 2 saw a slide, with 2 of 6 students going from green to yellow [30% drop]. 
      • Grade 3 saw 20% growth [1 student] that moved from below to at/or above benchmark.
        • Overall Grades 1-3 saw a positive movement of students from below to at/or above benchmark [10 at BOY to 7 EOY = 30% growth]. 
    • In FY23-24: Literacy
      • Kindergarten had the following data: [class of 9 students from BOY to  EOY]
        • BOY data: 30% At or Above benchmark / 10% below / 60% well below
        • MOY data:  80% At or Above  benchmark / 10% below / 10% well below
          • 50% moved into At or Above benchmark
        • EOY data:  78% At or Above  benchmark / 22% below / well below
          • Overall 78% At or Above  and no students well below benchmark and requiring a ReadACT plan for 24-25 school year
            • GOAL MET
      • Elementary 1st-3rd had the following data: [Class of 21 students]
        • BOY data: 55% At or Above benchmark / 45% below/well below
        • MOY data:  77% At or Above  benchmark / 23% below /well below
        • EOY data:  77% At or Above  benchmark / 23% below / 0% well below
          • Overall 77% At or Above  and a decrease in Well Below from 45% to 23%, and almost 50% reduction of students requiring a ReadACT plan for 24-25 school year. All students made significant growth. 
            • GOAL MET

    MVMCS Math Assessment Data [Star Math]:

    • FY22-23 Kindergarten: EOY we had overall strong results with 100% above or at benchmark.
    • FY22-23 Grades 1-3: Overall the EOY data showed 83% were above benchmark, while only 8% were significantly below benchmark.
    • FY22-23 Overall for the K-3 population, the EOY data showed only 5.5% of the students were in the red, and another 5.5% were in yellow, which shows 89% were at/or above benchmark. 
    • In FY23-24: Math
      • Kindergarten had the following data: [class of 9 students from MOY to EOY]
        • MOY data: 100% of students in the green, above benchmark
        • EOY data:  89% Above  benchmark / 11% below / 0% well below
          • GOAL MET
      • Elementary [1st-3rd]  had the following data: [class of 23 students from BOY to  EOY]
        • BOY data: 74% At or Above benchmark / 26% below or well below. 
        • EOY data: 77% At or Above benchmark / 23% below or well below. 
          • Overall: we had growth at all levels and significant growth for our below/well below population
            • GOAL MET

    Performance Indicator: Academic Achievement:

    • In FY22-23 MVM was not fully successful in engaging the NCMPC Essential Elements rubric for assessing the school, the classrooms or the teachers. This was due to a transition in school leadership and limited staffing and resources. MVM will realign with this target goal for FY24.
    • In FY23-24 we dropped the plan to use the NCMPC inventory due to our lack of fully trained Montessori teachers. We will continue to investigate its relevance as a tool for assessment in FY24-25. 

    Performance Indicator: Academic Growth: 

    • In FY22-23 At least 60% of students reading at or above benchmark by EOY. We were successful with 73% of students at or above benchmarks in reading. In FY23 we slipped in this area to 51% which was isolated in our 2nd grade group where 2 students moved from Green to Yellow from MOY to EOY. We will continue to target this area and this particular group in FY24.
    • In FY22-23 we exceeded our Math goal of having decreased our students needing math interventions, ending the year with a 21% reduction, and 79.3% above or at benchmark in math. In FY23 we had 89% above or at benchmark, with only 5.5% in the red.
    • In FY22-23 we fell slightly short of our goal of 50% being at benchmark in reading at BOY, with 44% being at benchmark. We will continue to prioritize reading development in FY23-24
      • . Our Elementary teacher has successfully completed the Read ACT 40 hour training in the Science of Reading. And our new Kindergarten teacher has completed this Read ACT Science of Reading training. In addition, we are providing the Orton Gillingham International training to key members of our staff. 
    • FY22-23 saw EOY Literacy data that showed overall we had 66% of our K-3 population above benchmark. 
    • In FY 23-24 we saw this percentage increase from 66% to 70% of our K-3 population above/at benchmark for Literacy/Reading. We also saw over 90% growth for students, and much of that significant growth. 

    Performance Indicator: Student Engagement: 

    MVMCS uses the Renaissance STAR assessment to gather interim math data. 

    • In the FY21-22 school year, MVMCS made additional efforts to increase math proficiency.  Approximately, 74% of students were at or above benchmark utilizing Amplify.   These results validate current efforts to address literacy gaps.  MVMCS will continue to invest in and prioritize reading development and growth in the FY22 school year.  According to data from FY22, in Math we have 79.3% of students at or above benchmark, which is slightly up from FY21 but is still an area we want to put attention and bring more students into the ''Proficient'' level. We currently have 30%.
    • In FY22-23 we saw EOY Literacy  data showing 89% of K-3 students were above benchmark and only 5.5% were in the red, needing significant intervention.
    • In FY23-24 we saw EOY Literacy  data showing 77% of K-3rgrade students were at or above benchmark. The percentage of those Above benchmark grew to over 60% of this grouping. This overall number is good and right where we were last year. We feel good about our intervention and reading program for the futuere. This year we added the Reading Acceleration Program, a fully Montessori designed program that provides essential direct instruction for all students. We will continue to build on this program in the 24-25 school year, and will have our Kindergarten teacher fully trained to implement this program.
    •  

    Trend Analysis

    Trend Direction: Increasing
    Performance Indicator Target: Academic Growth

    MVMCS is increasing the number of students who are moving out of being identified with a SRD. MVM has seen steady reduction of these students using Amplify in FY22 and again in FY23. In FY23 our EOY data for K-3 showed us at 89% at/above benchmark, and only 5.5% were SRD. In FY24 we saw similar EOY results. In K we had 78% At or Above Benchmark and 0% Well-Below and requiring Read Act Plans. Our 1-3 cohort were 77% At or Above Benchmark and a 50% reduction of Read Act plans at the EOY.
    Trend Direction: Increasing
    Performance Indicator Target: Academic Growth

    MVMCS students are on a increasing trend using the Renaissance STAR math during the FY21-FY22 school years. 71% [FY21] and 79.3% [FY22] of MVMCS students are at or above benchmark. We went from 29% of students are on watch [FY21] to 21% in FY22, in need of intervention, or in need of urgent intervention in math.This is a decrease of 8% over the past two years. In FY24 our K cohort, the EOY data reflected that 89% were Above Benchmark, and only 11% Below. We had 0% at Well-Below. For the 1st-3rd Cohort, the EOY data reflected that 77% were At or Above the Benchmark, while 23% were Below or Well-Below. We intend to investigate a good school and home Math Intervention.

    Priority Performance Challenge and Associated Root Cause

    Priority Performance Challenge:  Increasing achievement in reading

    While 74% of MVMCS students are at or above benchmark in reading, we also noticed a decrease of 73% of students on READ plans by the EOY [56% on plans at BOY and only 15% at EOY] in FY22. We continue to see slight increases in the percentage of students at/or above the benchmark in FY23. In FY24 we paid more attention to the data of our Kindergarten cohort in an attempt to provide the strongest foundation we could for developing early literacy skills. This included more time for small group direct instruction. In FY25 this will be our biggest challenge as we move an existing Montessori-trained teacher into this classroom and support her with these existing strategies and trainings.

    Area of Focus: English/Language Arts growth


    Root Cause: Limited Professional Development Around Literacy

    Due to funding, coordination and teacher turnover; professional development surrounding reading has been challenging. In FY25, while we lost one senior lead teacher, we have all lead teacher positions filled with returning faculty. We have all 3 plus our new Literacy Specialist taking the CDE Science of Reading training. We feel this will finally put our K-3 teaching team on the same page and give us the leverage to help sustain the growth and fidelity we have touched on in previous years.

    Root Cause Category: Instruction

    Root Cause: MVM does not adequately engage student families in reading development.

    MVMCS must work to improve parent/guardian participation through community-wide education initiatives, family support structures, and other activities designed to bolster family engagement. In FY25 we will revisit this goal with fresh eyes and fresh team members in the hope of developing a sustainable and reliable strategy of supporting family partnership around reading readiness.

    Root Cause Category: Family/community engagement

    Root Cause: Lack of alignment with Montessori curriculum and state standards and training.

    Montessori scope and sequence may not adequately align with state-level expectations. Creative integration of the Montessori scope and sequence is necessary to address existing gaps. This goal has been part of MVM since its inception and continues to be a relevant challenge, primarily due to teacher turnover and providing new teachers with Montessori training and Colorado State Standards awareness. We will continue to work with Transparent Classroom for much of this integration and coordination, as well as reach out to other Montessori Charter Schools in our organization.

    Root Cause Category: Teacher Development


    Priority Performance Challenge:  Increasing achievement in math

    29% of MVMCS [FY21] students were in need of some level of intervention in math based on interim data gathered using the Renaissance STAR math assessment, this dropped to 21% in FY22. In FY21 71% of students school-wide are at or above benchmark using the same assessment, this number increased by 8% in FY22 going to 79.3% at or above benchmark. In FY23 MVM had 89% of K-3 students at/or above benchmark; of the remaining 11%, 5.5% were in the Yellow, and only 5.5% were in the red. In FY24 we again saw success in Math, ending the year with 89% Above or At Benchmark, and only 11% who were Below Benchmark. We had 0% that were in the Red, or Well-Below. We will continue to utilize our existing strategies for Math instruction and assessment.

    Area of Focus: Math achievement


    Root Cause: Additional focus needed to support math growth.

    In FY 23 & 24 we saw consistent growth in Math achievement, and in FY25 we will continue to build on that instructional framework. We are looking for an appropriate Math intervention that supports math growth and Montessori fidelity.

    Root Cause Category: Intervention Systems

    Why were these challenges selected and what is the magnitude of the overall performance challenges:

    As a Montessori school, standardized assessments and related benchmarks often do not reflect a complete picture of student performance.  While great emphasis is placed on developing the whole student, MVMCS prioritizes reading and math development.  During the FY22 and FY23 school years, much focus was given to addressing literacy development.  While our student body (as a whole) has shown progress, those students identified as SRD are in need of additional support.  MVMCS would like to ensure continued growth in math while providing additional focus on literacy development.  Accordingly, interim assessment data collected through Renaissance STAR math points to an opportunity to better support and intervene with respect to math development.  MVMCS recognizes the importance of developing these skills in accordance with CDE expectations.  Furthermore, MVMCS believes bolstering student support in both reading and math will lead to increased enrollment growth as well as student retention. To these ends, MVM is working towards a more dedicated literacy and math support plan and instruction through a part-time specialist and dedicated curriculum. 

    For FY25 we have had all of our Lead Teachers, Admin, and Literacy Specialist participate in the Science or Reading curriculum required by the READ Act. In FY23 we have a part-time intern/residency faculty that will help us further define our approach and strategy for better ELA/Math instruction and interventions. We are going to continue to look for an appropriate Math intervention to support any struggling math students.

      

    How were the Root Causes were selected and verified:

    As a small under-resourced rural school, MVMCS has limited recruitment appeal due in part to location, pay scale and notoriety.  MVMCS employs a mix of credentialed classically trained and/or Montessori-trained educators.  This mix of professional credentials, while beneficial to the school's instructional discourse, presents challenges and confusion at the practitioner level. MVMCS also plans to engage the Transparent Classroom platform more rigorously and begin to utilize its ability to support the alignment of Montessori scope and sequence with state standards.
    Literacy achievement scores in Mesa County lag behind state averages.  Mesa County Public Health released a report indicating fewer than 30% of Mesa County third-graders read at grade level.  At MVM we have a higher percentage of students reading at grade level by 3rd grade, but continue to invest in strong literacy readiness instruction. In FY23 we re-invested in Literacy PD. In FY25 we will have our Elem and Literacy Specialist Teachers trained in Orton Gillingham [OG] and we will have our Kindergarten and Elementary Teachers trained in the Montessori Acceleration Reading program. They will also come with the Science of Reading training. We are also planning to have our Sped Para get the OG Training to help them with Literacy Interventions.

    Action and Progress Monitoring Plans

    Major Improvement Strategy and Action Plan

    > >

    Professional development for staff in evidence based reading intervention.

    What will success look like:

    		Instructional leads will participate in a 40-hour OG reading intervention program, the CDE-required Science of Reading training, and the Montessori Acceleration Reading program. Teachers will use OG training to inform interventions and increase the efficacy of interventions. Through the use of Amplify, teacher observations, and the MTSS, teachers will implement OG interventions as indicated by the aforementioned identification modalities.

    Describe the research/evidence base supporting the strategy:

    		OG's multi-sensory approach to reading intervention blends nicely into the Montessori classroom. As an accepted evidenced-based program, OG training will expand teacher understanding of intervention, obstacles to reading, and increase instructional efficacy. OG training will be provided by IMSE (Institute for Multi-Sensory Education). IMSE OG training has been demonstrated to accelerate reading achievement (Shaw, Sheffel, Sheffel). Furthermore, OG implementation has been shown to be effective in addressing reading engagement in students with behavioral needs (Evanovich).

    Strategy Category:

    		Research-based Instructional Practices

    Associated Root Causes:

    Limited Professional Development Around Literacy: Due to funding, coordination and teacher turnover; professional development surrounding reading has been challenging. In FY25, while we lost one senior lead teacher, we have all lead teacher positions filled with returning faculty. We have all 3 plus our new Literacy Specialist taking the CDE Science of Reading training. We feel this will finally put our K-3 teaching team on the same page and give us the leverage to help sustain the growth and fidelity we have touched on in previous years.

    Implementation Benchmarks Associated with Major Improvement Strategy

    Benchmark Name Description Start/End/Repeats Key Personnel Status
    Weekly Multi-sensory Reading Intervention Teacher reporting will demonstrate weekly supplemental multi-sensory reading instruction for students identified as SRD. 08/12/2024
    05/20/2025
    Weekly     		Teaching staff In Progress
    SRD Reduction EOY assessment data will show a 50% reduction in SRD. 08/12/2024
    05/20/2025
    Monthly     		Teaching staff, administration In Progress

    Action Steps Associated with Major Improvement Strategy

    Name Description Start/End Date Resource Key Personnel Status
    Multisensory Reading Intervention
    		Instructional leads K-3 and Literacy Specialist will obtain IMSE OG certification and necessary Reading training to improve direct instruction. 07/29/2024
    05/30/2025     		General Fund, $2400.00 from READ budget to support teacher tuition. Administration, Teaching staff In Progress
    DIBELS Training
    		All lead teachers K-3 will attend DIBELS training and implement the new information in their practices. 08/12/2024
    05/30/2025     		General Fund, ELAT Teaching staff In Progress
    > >

    Increase PD in Montessori Education & Literacy Instruction & Interventions

    What will success look like:

    		Get select staff members more training opportunities in Montessori Education and Literacy Instruction & Interventions. We will have 2-3 key staff get training in one or more of the following: Orton Gillingham International literacy intervention; Montessori Reading Acceleration program; CDE Science of Reading 40-hour Read ACT Training; and AMS Reading/Writing training.

    Describe the research/evidence base supporting the strategy:

    		As a Montessori Charter School, it is imperative that we have highly trained and experienced teachers in the Montessori educational philosophy and curriculum; and in current/relevant and circularly compatible Literacy Instruction and Support. We need to invest in both of these professional development areas. In FY24 MVMCS has set aside funds to invest in these training opportunites for lead teachers and literacy support staff.

    Strategy Category:

    		Research-based Instructional Practices

    Associated Root Causes:

    Lack of alignment with Montessori curriculum and state standards and training.: Montessori scope and sequence may not adequately align with state-level expectations. Creative integration of the Montessori scope and sequence is necessary to address existing gaps. This goal has been part of MVM since its inception and continues to be a relevant challenge, primarily due to teacher turnover and providing new teachers with Montessori training and Colorado State Standards awareness. We will continue to work with Transparent Classroom for much of this integration and coordination, as well as reach out to other Montessori Charter Schools in our organization.

    Limited Professional Development Around Literacy: Due to funding, coordination and teacher turnover; professional development surrounding reading has been challenging. In FY25, while we lost one senior lead teacher, we have all lead teacher positions filled with returning faculty. We have all 3 plus our new Literacy Specialist taking the CDE Science of Reading training. We feel this will finally put our K-3 teaching team on the same page and give us the leverage to help sustain the growth and fidelity we have touched on in previous years.

    Implementation Benchmarks Associated with Major Improvement Strategy

    Benchmark Name Description Start/End/Repeats Key Personnel Status
    Positive Discipline We will select a lead teacher to get trained in the PD basics, and then have them pass it along to all our staff through regular PD days throughout the year 08/12/2024
    05/21/2025
    Quarterly     		Leads, Assistants and Admin Met
    Montessori Training and Community Building Invest in staff training for the Elementary teacher to get Montessori certification. 08/12/2024
    05/23/2025
    		 All staff Met

    Action Steps Associated with Major Improvement Strategy

    Name Description Start/End Date Resource Key Personnel Status
    > >

    Increase teacher understanding of interim math assessment data

    What will success look like:

    		Teachers will review Renaissance Math assessment data on a monthly basis. Teachers will learn to interpret data to identify student performance trends. Information gleaned from assessment data review(s) will guide differentiated instruction and individual student work plans. Data will be continuously reviewed to ensure satisfactory student progress. Satisfactory progress will be defined at the individual student level.

    Describe the research/evidence base supporting the strategy:

    		Length of time spent in the Montessori classroom has been shown to have a direct relationship with academic performance (Schroeder & Mallet, 2015). While 71% of MVMCS students are at or above benchmark in Math, early identification of at-risk trends may help increase instructional efficacy and student performance (Konstantopoulos, MIller, van der Ploeg, & Li 2016).

    Strategy Category:

    		Research-based Instructional Practices

    Associated Root Causes:

    Additional focus needed to support math growth.: In FY 23 & 24 we saw consistent growth in Math achievement, and in FY25 we will continue to build on that instructional framework. We are looking for an appropriate Math intervention that supports math growth and Montessori fidelity.

    Implementation Benchmarks Associated with Major Improvement Strategy

    Benchmark Name Description Start/End/Repeats Key Personnel Status
    Monthly interim math assessment review 100% of students identified as at-risk of or needing intervention will receive differentiated instruction to address assessment identified needs. 08/12/2024
    05/23/2025
    Monthly     		Teaching staff, Administration Met

    Action Steps Associated with Major Improvement Strategy

    Name Description Start/End Date Resource Key Personnel Status
    Renaissance Math professional development
    		Elementary teachers, kindergarten teachers, as well as key administration will participate in Renaissance Math training(s) and professional development opportunities. 09/08/2022
    05/20/2023     		General Fund Teaching staff, Administration Complete
    > >

    Utilize school communications to encourage independent family reading.

    What will success look like:

    		MVMCS, through parent education nights, student activities, open houses, and other school-sponsored events, will grow a culture of reading importance. MVMCS faculty and staff will promote an evening reading initiative through multi-channeled correspondence with parents. Teachers will send monthly reminders of the reading initiative. Success will be measured by parent/guardian-reported participation as well as a reduction of students with SRD and an increase in Amplify reading scores.

    Describe the research/evidence base supporting the strategy:

    		Research consistently points to the link between independent reading, the quantity thereof, and academic success (Cullinan, 2000). Creating a school culture that consistently reinforces the importance of independent family reading (including active parent participation) will translate to greater student success (Clark, 2007). Additionally, parent involvement appears to be a greater predictor of student reading outcomes than socioeconomic status (Clark, 2007). MVMCS recognizes the outsized contribution that home reading initiatives represent. As such, the school finds this to be an important tool in our school wide prioritization of reading initiatives.

    Strategy Category:

    		Family and Community Engagement

    Associated Root Causes:

    MVM does not adequately engage student families in reading development.: MVMCS must work to improve parent/guardian participation through community-wide education initiatives, family support structures, and other activities designed to bolster family engagement. In FY25 we will revisit this goal with fresh eyes and fresh team members in the hope of developing a sustainable and reliable strategy of supporting family partnership around reading readiness.

    Implementation Benchmarks Associated with Major Improvement Strategy

    Benchmark Name Description Start/End/Repeats Key Personnel Status
    Family Engagement MVMCS will send regular correspondence supporting and promoting an independent home reading initiative. MVM will hold an annual Book Fair to promote access to affordable materials. 08/12/2024
    05/23/2025
    Monthly     		Administration, Teaching staff Not Met

    Action Steps Associated with Major Improvement Strategy

    Name Description Start/End Date Resource Key Personnel Status
    Communication Plan
    		MVMCS will maintain a multi-channel communication plan aimed at increasing the occurrence and amount of independent at-home family/student reading and reading engagement. 08/12/2024
    05/20/2023     		General Fund Administration, Teaching staff Not Started

    Progress Monitoring: Student Target Setting

    Priority Performance Challenge : Increasing achievement in reading

    Performance Indicator:

    		 Academic Growth

    Measures / Metrics:
    ANNUAL
    PERFORMANCE
    TARGETS
    2024-2025: 75% K-3 of students identified as SRD during BOY Amplify reading assessments will be at or above the benchmark at EOY. Greater than 80% of students will read at or above the benchmark according to the EOY Amplify assessment.
    2025-2026: 75% K-3 of students identified as SRD during BOY Amplify reading assessments will be at or above the benchmark at EOY. Greater than 80% of students will read at or above the benchmark according to the EOY Amplify assessment.

    INTERIM MEASURES FOR 2024-2025:

    Priority Performance Challenge : Increasing achievement in math

    Performance Indicator:

    		 Academic Growth

    Measures / Metrics:
    ANNUAL
    PERFORMANCE
    TARGETS
    2024-2025: 60% of K-3 students identified as below benchmark during BOY Renaissance Math assessments will be at or above the benchmark at EOY.
    2025-2026: 75% of K-3 students identified as below benchmark during BOY Renaissance Math assessments will be at or above the benchmark at EOY.

    INTERIM MEASURES FOR 2024-2025:

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