COMPREHENSIVE NEEDS ASSESSMENT of the entire school (including the needs of migrant children) with information about the academic achievement of children in relation to the state academic content standards.
Describe the process utilized to conduct the comprehensive needs assessment for this school.

Prior year assessments, FSA, BAS, i-Ready and other diagnostic assessments, were disaggregated to determine academic needs.  Data was organized on tables and trends were discussed.  Teachers utilized BASIS to pull their class data and determine next steps.  Parents are invited to meet with the teacher at a minimum of twice a year to discuss academic and social progress.  Addditionally, parents of students on an IEP or going through the RtI process are also invited to meet with the team to discuss goals and progress.

 

Instruction by HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS in all core content area classes
List instructional staff and paraprofessionals that are NOT highly qualified (instructional staff only).

All the teachers and paraprofessionals at Tropical Elementary are highly qualified.  

ATTRACT HIGH-QUALITY, HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS to the school.
Describe strategies that will be used to attract high-quality, highly qualified teachers.

 Tropical Elementary collaborates with the district by participating in ‘Experience Broward’ Teacher Recruitment Fairs. Vacancies are filled with candidates interviewed at the recruitment fair and referred by the district's instructional staffing department. Retention of teachers is a top priority of our school. Teachers are cultivated and nurtured at Tropical to grow professionally. We retain highly qualified, certified-in-field, effective teachers in our school by utilizing the T.I.E.R. Liaison, Professional Learning Communities (Reading  & Math Coach), District Trainings (District Personnel), School-Based Professional Development (Leadership Team / Team Leaders), Teacher Recognition and Incentives (Administration).

Title I, Part A
Title I funds provide additional teachers to assist students, particularly low performing students.

Staff Development funds are used to develop a comprehensive professional training program to improve delivery of instruction through a variety of workshops designed to move teachers to mastery and improve student achievement.  This year our focus is on developing our teachers in the area of guided reading and differentiated small group instruction.  

Parental Involvement funds are utilized to fund academic parent nights that provide parents with new skills to support student learning at home. Improving the frequency and quality of family participation and increasing family literacy are also goals of our parental involvement component. Monies are used to purchase food, supplies/materials and provide stipends for teacher presenters.

Title I, Part C- Migrant
(Migrant-Title I schools have been advised if Migrant students attend their school)

We currently do not have any migrant students.  If any were to enroll at Tropical Elementary, we would make sure to collaborate with community agencies to ensure that the necessary services related to health and nutrition are provided.  Students will receive additional academic remediation as needed.  

Title I, Part D
Neglected and Delinquent

Students identified as neglected and/or delinquent will be connected to a school social worker through the Student Services Department who will provide support and community resources.

Title II
(District professional development)

Teachers participate in professional development linked to improved student achievement in the Florida State Standards.

Title III
(ESOL)

All students are being instructed by certified, ESOL endorsed teachers.  ELL students receive additional support from ESOL aides who provide one-on-one and small group language support in mainstream classes.Tropical Elementary employs a paraprofessional who works closely with our ELL population.  This staff member serves as liaison between the school and ELL community.
 
 

Title X- Homeless
(Homeless- All Title I schools may complete with this statement)

Teachers and staff members are responsible for helping to identify homeless students and referring them to the Homeless Education program offered by the district. The purpose of the Homeless Education Program is to identify homeless students, remove barriers to their education, including school enrollment, provide them with supplemental academic and counseling case management services as well as linkages to their school social worker while maintaining school as the students stable environment.

Supplemental Academic Instruction (SAI)

Currently this program is not applicable at Tropical Elementary. 

Violence Prevention Programs

Tropical Elementary implements the County Student Code of Conduct and follows the District Discipline Matrix. Our school enforces the District’s Anti-Bullying Policy and has a zero tolerance for bullying and violence. Bullying prevention programs are supported through Youth Crime Watch through our Patrols Club, School Counselor lessons and groups and student assemblies.

Nutrition Programs

Nutritional programs and health education are an integral part of our school, specifically through the Physical Educational curriculum and federal initiatives of the Broward County Public Schools Food & Nutrition Department.

Housing Programs

Referrals are made to the school social worker, when parents are in need of housing or food.  Additionally, the front office staff takes note of families expressing a need and passes this information on to the school counselor.

Head Start

Currently this program is not applicable at Tropical Elementary. 

Adult Education

Currently this program is not applicable at Tropical Elementary. 

Career and Technical Education

Currently this program is not applicable at Tropical Elementary. 

Job Training

Currently this program is not applicable at Tropical Elementary. 

Other

Pre-School Transition

Tropical Elementary services one Specialized PreK ESE (formerly Preschool Learning Activities Classroom Experience-PLACE) class. The teachers conduct vertical articulation meetings during the school year to ensure that the transition from the early childhood programs to kindergarten program is smooth. A Kindergarten Orientation is also held prior to the beginning of the school year. This gives the incoming kindergarten students an opportunity to meet their new teacher and get acclimated to their classroom. Additionally, parents are given an overview of the kindergarten curriculum and expectations.

Parent Involvement Goal:
Based on the analysis of the parent involvement data, identify and define an area in need of improvement.

The goal of Tropical Elementary is to increase parental involvement in school events to at least 50% of the population for the 2018-2019 school year.  All parent involvement activities will include engaging activities that offer opportunities to learn about student achievement and available resources.