Fayette County - OEPA

IMPROVEMENT CONSULTANT TEAM REPORT FOR THE FAYETTE COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM

INTRODUCTION

The Office of Education Performance Audits (OEPA) conducted an announced
review of the Fayette County School System during November 2006. The
purpose of the review was to examine Fayette County's progress in meeting
the standards required by W.Va. Code, State Board policy and OEPA.



On January 10, 2007, the West Virginia Board of Education unanimously
declared that extraordinary circumstances exist in Fayette County Schools.
Dr. Steven Paine, State Superintendent of Schools, was directed to appoint
an improvement consultant team to make recommendations within 60 days for
correcting the emergency. After the report, the Fayette County School
System would have six (6) months to correct the deficiencies and implement
the recommendations from the Improvement Consultant Team that were approved
by the State Board of Education.

The major responsibility of the Improvement Consultant Team was to develop
recommendations for correcting the deficiencies in the Fayette County
School System cited in the OEPA Report. Most deficiencies in the Fayette
County School System were examined by posing the following questions:

> Were State and/or Federal laws followed?
> Were State Board of Education policies followed?
> Were Fayette County School Board policies followed?
> Were appropriate Fayette County School Board policies in place to
correct the deficiencies?
> Were procedures in place in the Fayette County School System to meet
the standards established in the OEPA audit?


In the report, an Executive Summary is included to summarize the work that
must be completed by the Fayette County School System. Also listed are
issues identified from the OEPA audit report and specific findings noted
with recommendations developed by the Improvement Consultant Team. The
full OEPA Audit of the Fayette County School System is also attached for
reference. A special thanks to the Improvement Consultant Team members
whose names are listed in the document.


IMPROVEMENT CONSULTANT TEAM REPORT FOR THE FAYETTE COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The findings and recommendations developed by the Improvement
Consultant Team for the Fayette County School System are listed in the
complete document. Listed below are the broad recommendations which
address the major findings identified in the work of the Improvement
Consultant Team. Implementation of these recommendations will guide the
Fayette County School System in correcting the findings.


1. The Fayette County School System must develop and implement
appropriate employment hiring procedures to ensure that all
employees are selected, placed and evaluated according to state
law.


2. The Fayette County School System shall revise the county strategic
plan to address the curriculum and instruction issues identified in
this document.

3. The Fayette County School System shall establish fiscal policies,
structures and procedures that ensure compliance with State Board
Policy 8200.

4. The Fayette County School System shall implement identified
strategies to increase the graduation rate and improve the level of
success for students who enter college.

5. The Fayette County School System shall review and amend the CEFP to
ensure that school facilities are effectively and efficiently
utilized and that the intended curriculum is delivered in all
county schools.

6. The Fayette County School System shall establish appropriate
licensing procedures for all employees.

7. The Fayette County Board of Education and the County School
Superintendent shall have all county policies reviewed to ensure
compliance with federal laws, state statutes and State Board
policies.

8. The Fayette County School Board and County Superintendent will work
with the executive director of the State School Boards Association
to complete the training identified for understanding the role and
function of a school board member and the guidelines that govern
the appropriate administration of school board meetings.








1. Accountability


1. Achievement


Improvement Consultant Team Finding(s):


The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) data for the 2005-2006 school year
indicated that special education students in Fayette County performed
below the state average across all grade levels in mathematics and also
at the elementary and middle school grade levels in reading/language
arts. Chart 1 shows the grade span/assessment percent of special
education students' proficient in Fayette County and the percent of
special education students' proficient statewide.


Chart 1
|GRADE SPAN / |SUBGROUP |FAYETTE |FAYETTE |STATE PERCENT|STATE |
|ASSESSMENT | |COUNTY |COUNTY |PROFICIENT |PERCENT |
| | |05- 06 |06- 07 |05-06 |PROFICIENT |
| | |PERCENT |PERCENT | |06-07 |
| | |PROFICIENT |PROFICIENT | | |
|Elementary |SE |47.2 |49.7 (N) |53.3 |55.2 (N) |
|Mathematics | | | | | |
|Middle Mathematics|SE |22.1 |35.7 (H) |33.5 |37. (N) |
|Secondary |SE |19.6 |20.5 (N) |22.4 |24.1 (N) |
|Mathematics | | | | | |
|Elementary |SE |43.8 |42 (N) |46.8 |48.6 (N) |
|Reading/ English | | | | | |
|Language Arts | | | | | |
|Middle Reading/ |SE |24.8 |36.5 (H) |37.5 |40.2 (N) |
|English Language | | | | | |
|Arts | | | | | |
|Secondary |SE |30.8 |24.8 (N) |28.4 |28.5 (N) |
|Reading/English | | | | | |
|Language Arts | | | | | |


SE - denotes Special Education


OEPA Six Month Progress Report


The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) data for the 2006-2007 school year showed
that special education students in Fayette County continued to perform
below the state average across all grade levels in mathematics and in
reading/language arts.


Improvement Consultant Team Recommendation(s):

1. Create an early literacy plan that incorporates the tenants of
tiered instruction as demonstrated in Fayette County's two Reading
First (RF) schools. This model has demonstrated increased reading
achievement as a foundation for academic success and reduction in
special education referrals. Through the benchmark screening and
targeted interventions inherent in the tiered instruction that is
central to the Reading First (RF) model, students who are ultimately
but appropriately identified for special education have a better
foundation in reading and the potential to demonstrate improved
results. WVDE can provide technical assistance in creating this
plan.


OEPA Six Month Progress Report


Literacy Plan/Literacy Coaches

The Team interviewed Fayette County Central staff who provided the
following information. According to a literacy coach, the K-3 plan is
moving to 4th grade and is to move to a Comprehensive Reading block with
word study and phonics included. They also want to implement a writing
workshop in every class. Middle and high schools use Learning Focused
Strategies as their Literacy Plan. The county has worked on a balanced
reading program, K-4, for about four years. Literacy coaches at each
elementary school are in the 5th year. Curricular coaches (middle and
high) are in their 4th year. Coaches are teachers who are asked to do
four hours of coaching a week, including pre- and post- conferences.
Every year the elementary schools form a literacy team which includes the
principal, the literacy coach, a special educator, and a regular teacher.
They look at test data and implement a project based on needs. They do
four half-day trainings for teachers. They meet in October to plan the
sessions and determine what data to collect for the project. Between the
end of March and the beginning of April, the Board schedules a gallery
walk on a Saturday. Schools do a display and explain their project to
parents and the community. Response to Intervention is implemented in
all schools, even Reading First schools, due to the uncertainty of the
continuance of Reading First. All K-4 teachers were trained so that
schools would have everyone on the same page. The Director of Curriculum
indicated that Title 1and Special Education teachers were also trained.


Reading First and Response to Intervention (RTI) Schools


Meadow Bridge Elementary and Scarbro Elementary are the two Reading First
Schools in the county. All other elementary schools were trained this
summer (