Giffen Memorial Elementary School
Maxine Fantroy-Ford, Principal
274 South Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12202
(click here for directions)
Ph: (518) 462-7176
Fax: (518) 462-7134
e-mail: krowe@albany.k12.ny.us
School
Improvement Goals Areas of
need have been identified from achievement results
reported for Giffen and the City School District of
Albany via State Assessment Results, the New York State
Report Card, and the Comprehensive District Education
Plan improvement priorities and have resulted in the
goals below.
Goal 1
To increase the number of
students who can read, write, listen, and speak for
information and understanding; those who can read,
write, listen, and speak for literacy response and
expression; and those who can read, write, listen, and
speak for critical analysis and evaluation.
Goal 2
To increase the number of students passing the Grade 4
New York State (NYS) English Language Arts (ELA)
Assessment.
By fourth grade, 80%
of students will write in a variety of styles using
standard English practices, including spelling,
punctuation, and grammar as assessed on daily
writing, district ELA tests, TONYSS and NYS ELA.
To increase the number
of students scoring at performance Level 3 and the
number of students who will score at performance
Level 4 on the NYS ELA Assessment.
Students in grade on
through six will be assessed every eight weeks and
are expected to move three to four levels up in the
Success for All reading program during the school
year.
Continued implementation
of the Success for All reading program and teacher
training.
Ongoing staff
development, monthly faculty and grade-level
meetings. Faculty meetings are designed to focus on
quality classroom teaching strategies, teacher
workshops, conference feedback, current educational
research, information on societal issues, and
district initiatives. Weekly grade-level meetings
are designed for teachers to support one another,
related validated research and teaching practices,
and district and NYS standards.
Whole and small group
student after-school and Saturday morning
instructional setting provided by YMCA tutors.
Continuation of Student
Government for students in Grades 4-6.
Based on NYS ELA and
math assessments, district assessments, and TONYSS,
students who need additional instructional support
will be identified and assigned tutors for
individualized remedial activities four times a week
for 30 minutes before, during, or after school.
Success for All daily
tutoring for all students identified at risk in the
first and second grades.
Increase use of
vocabulary, word meaning, spelling, and standard
English.
Success for All's Family
Support Team will continue to meet weekly to address
school-wide initiatives; and student, academic,
social, and behavioral needs. Parents also attend
meetings about the child.
Continue Literacy
Volunteer "Reading Buddy" program with DMV, FBI, and
Albany Police Department.
Peer tutoring sessions.
Goal 3
To increase the number of students passing the Grade 4
NYS math Assessment.
To increase the number
of students performing in Level 3 and the number of
students performing in Level 4.
Math in-service on
Thinking Math, Multiple Intelligence's, Math Their
Way.
Based on NYS district
math assessments and TONYSS, students who need
additional instructional support will be identified
and assigned tutors for individualized remedial
activities four times a week for 30 minutes before,
during, and after school.
Goal 4
To reduce the number of out of school suspensions.
The number of students
who exhibit explosive and non-compliant behavior
which result in out of school suspension will be
reduced to 1%.
Establish and provide
services in an in-school alternative educational
setting.
Incorporate mental
health services and outside agency referrals as part
of the alternative educational program.
Class meetings - daily
10-20 minutes.
School Buddy.
Success for All two week
Getting Along Together (first two weeks of school).
Small group conflict
resolution and social skill sessions conducted by
the Catholic Charities social workers.
Data collected three
times per year, December, March, June for
suspension.
Grow Girls/Boys Only.
Goal 5
To increase attendance rate.
To increase the
attendance rate by 2% each year over a five-year
period.
Monthly attendance
notifications, letters to parents of students with
three or more consecutive absences/tardiness per
week.
Summer home visits to
families of all first graders as mandated by Success
for All reading program.
Sunshine Breakfast Club
- Success for All attendance program held in the
mornings to reduce tardiness and absenteeism.
