TSI-AT-English

W.D. Williams Elementary School
161 Bee Tree Road
Swannanoa, NC 28778
828.686.3856

October 16, 2020

Dear Parent/Guardian:

I hope the school year has started successfully for all of you, given the challenges we all face during a global pandemic. As a parent/guardian of a student in W.D. Williams Elementary I am writing this letter to let you know that W.D. Williams Elementary, has been designated as a Targeted Support & Improvement Additional Targeted Support (TSI-AT) school by the North Carolina State Board of Education. As stated in ESSA Section 1111(d)(2), North Carolina had to identify schools for targeted support and improvement. TSI-AT schools in North Carolina are those that have a subgroup that is under-performing. The intent of this opportunity is to improve educational outcomes for all students, close achievement gaps, increase equity, and improve the quality of instruction. As a TSI-AT school, W.D. Williams Elementary is required to develop a comprehensive plan that specifically addresses how the school will improve student achievement. The plan will also include how our district will support us and monitor the progress of our school. The comprehensive plan will address the following areas:

 Classroom Management
 Standards-aligned Instruction
 Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)
 Instructional Leadership
 Recruitment & Retention of Effective Teachers
 Support for Grade-to-Grade Transitions
 Implementation of a Tiered Instructional System
 Data-Driven Decision Making
 Student Support Services
 Family and Community Engagement

We have set the following goals for W.D. Williams Elementary this year:

 All students will exhibit behaviors that reflect our school's Positive Behavior and Intervention Supports framework.
 Students in grades K-2 will improve early literacy skills
 Students in grades 3-5 will improve reading performance.
 Students will improve math performance.

Our students need to experience higher achievement levels, but it will require hard work on the part of staff, students and families. Here are some strategies W.D. Williams Elementary will be implementing:

 Professional Learning Communities with grade-level common assessments and data-driven instruction
 SMART goals set at PLC’s in alignment with above year-long goals
 Classroom, district and state assessments administered and analyzed
 Collaboration between classroom teachers, EC teachers and EL teacher
 Use of multiple data points to determine students’ academic progress
 Grade Level Student Intervention meetings to address academic concerns

Parent engagement is at the heart of our school improvement efforts. Here are some ways we can work together:

 Make sure that both you and your student are aware of academic expectations set for your student this
school year. This includes expectations and participation in remote learning.
 Call Carrie Lynch at 828-686-3856 if you have questions or concerns about your student or to set up an appointment to meet with a school staff member who will be working with your student.
 Make sure that your student is prepared and attends school each day, whether this be in person or remote
instructional days.
 Monitor your student’s classwork, assignments completed and grades through the Parent Portal.
 Monitor the progress your student is making towards grade level standards and attend meetings with your
student’s teacher(s).
 Check our school website https://wdwes.buncombeschools.org/ and social media site through Facebook @wdwilliamselementary to stay up to date on current events.
 Join the W.D. Williams Elementary PTO.

Sounds like a lot but preparing our students so that they can succeed is not easy and is a group effort. Here are some resources available to help:

 Graduation requirements: www.ncpublicschools.org/gradrequirements/
 K-12 standards in academic subjects: www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/
 State student achievement test results: www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/
 N.C. School Report Cards: https://ncreportcards.ondemand.sas.com/src

We’re excited about this school year and are working to make it a success for your student. Already, we have:

 Begun professional development in the areas of literacy and mathematics focusing on in person and remote
instructional practices
 Utilized school-wide literacy screeners and diagnostics at beginning of year to determine skill deficits
 Incorporated high impact literacy strategies throughout daily lessons
 Implemented a schedule that honors the time of in person and remote learners

If you have questions about the content of this letter, please contact Carrie Lynch at caroline.lynch@bcsemail.org
or 828-686-3856.

Sincerely,

Carrie Lynch
Principal