Mascot: Monarch (We are a Certified Monarch Waystation)
Campus size: 9.77 acres
Enrollment: Approximately 250 Students (Last Five Years: 252; 285; 254; 217; 244)
33% Special Education
33% Gifted or Gifted Prospective
33% Not Yet Designated
35% Free or Reduced Lunch
64% Families of Various Means
40% Latino (94% of Which Prefer Communication in English)
40% White
10% Two or More Races
8% African American
2% Asian
Over 15 languages - English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Italian, Urdu, Arabic, Farsi, Swedish, Serbian-Croatian, Bulgarian…
20 English Learners, 75% of Which are in Special Education
Pre-COVID 2019 Test Results Among Students in Grades 3-5:
55% At/Above Grade Level in English Language Arts; 42% At or Above Grade Level in Math
At/Above the State Average
Growth Among Students in Special Education Not Factored In
Post-COVID 2022 Test Results Among Students in Grades 3-5:
42% At/Above Grade Level in ELA; 30% At or Above Grade Level in Math
At the State Average
Growth Among Students in Special Education Not Factored In
Great Schools Score in 2019: 2
Great Schools Score in 2020: 4
Great Schools Score in 2021: 4
Great Schools Score in 2022: 4
Great Schools Score in 2023: 5
Great Schools scores do not account for growth among students in Special Education who don't typically score at or above grade level (because if they did, they likely wouldn't qualify for Special Education), and Great Schools scores perpetuate the false idea that schools with a score of 9 or 10 have earned those scores through excellent teaching and not instead though parent income and education level.
Studies show the opposite.
Our own data show the opposite.
As we moved from being a Title I school with over half of families qualifying for Free and Reduced Lunch to fewer and fewer families qualifying for Free and Reduced Lunch (now 35%), our Great Schools score rose in direct correlation, from 2 to 4 to 5, while 13 of 15 of our teachers have remained the same. Many of our teachers have been here for over 15 years. Our teachers are dedicated and fantastic.
You may never know why a school has a high or low Great Schools score (in terms of school offerings) but studies show that the #1 reason is parent income level.
Attendance - So far, during 2022-2023: 52% of our students are deemed "Chronically Absent" (last year we were at 44%). Chronically Absent means absent for more than 10% of the year. This Year’s Goal, per the LAUSD Strategic plan, is an improvement of at least 10%, so then our goal for this year is 39%.
Our poor Chronic Absenteeism rate is the reason we are required to have an SSC and complete a Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA), which the SSC formally approves, and are officially on Program Improvement.
Discipline – So Far, During 2022-2023: 9 Referrals, 1 In-School Suspension. We fare very well in this regard. We have much support for students who struggle. Our teachers and support staff work miracles with their rapport, daily SEL lessons, Council, and their following of the principles of Restorative Justice. (Here our our PBIS student behavior docs).
We are a neighborhood school (not an official SAS school nor a magnet school, though our gifted learners thrive) and not a Title I school. While we are looking into becoming an SAS school and are in the process of becoming STEAM certified, in the meantime, we are simply a neighborhood school and oft-desired destination for those who crave wellness and the arts and the outdoors. Our students have much room to be their true selves and to frolic on our ten-acre campus.
With fewer than 21 English Learners, we do not have enough English Learners to have an ELAC.
However, we do have very involved parents. We have over 55 active registered parent volunteers. To volunteer, register here.
Every Friday after the assembly, we have either an FOW Board, FOW General, or Coffee and Diet Coke with the Principal meeting, the former of which happen in the Parent Center, the latter of which we host in the Wildlands.
We host LSLC and SSC meetings over Zoom so they are more accessible to folks who work. Here is our LSLC and SSC Info.
We also elicit parent input via surveys, for example the recent budget survey (see below).
We DO need 100% of the parents connected to the Parent Portal. Our current rate is: 74%.
We would like more parents to take the School Experience Survey next year, though over 75% took it this year, which is excellent. But there is room for improvement, and we would love to hear from all families.
INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS:
Our current instructional goals, as set by the Instructional Leadership Team (ILT), currently comprised of Dr. K, Ms, Robnett, Ms. Perez, Ms. Webster, Mr. Merrick, Ms. Biolatto and Ms. Mazariegos:
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) SMART Goal:
By End of Year (EOY) 80% of students tested will have a Collaboration score of 2.9 + (was 2.67 in Spring, was 2.83 this Fall, so on-track)
English Language Arts (ELA) SMART Goal:
By End of Year (EOY), 80% of all students will have improved their DIBELS composite score by at least 20%.
Math SMART Goal:
By the second administration of the IAB, 80% of students will have improved their overall score by at least 40%. (Still administering.)
By the second administration of the Edulastic, BOY, 80% of students will have improved their scores by at least 20%. (Will revisit this.)
We are not a Title I school and so do not receive Federal Title I funds. Our yearly budget of approximately $4,000,000-$4,500,000 is from State General Funds, lottery funds, a few categorical funds, grants, film crews and more, and goes mostly to salaries for administrators, office manager, office staff, teachers, additional class-size reduction teacher(s), aides, assistants, supplies, materials, copies, and special projects. Our parent booster club, the Friends of Walgrove (FOW), raises approximately $200,000 per year to pay for theater teacher and supplies, STEAM teacher(s) and supplies, PE teacher and supplies, the garden teacher and supplies, and more, as needed and prioritized.
Budget Survey Results for the Remainder of the 2022-2023 School Year (as of 02/06/2023):
Parents: https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-BJ3xLFXoVIZgE_2Fw2frU_2BRA_3D_3D/
Staff: https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-VCmLZKqwl8uTbpQL0emzdA_3D_3D/
For more Walgrove info, feel free to skim or peruse other Principal's Corner posts.
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