Welcome to Patterson Elementary

Background and Philosophy:

The Patterson Elementary School community supports habits related to academic integrity, being principled, and valuing honesty. We expect all students to submit work for assessment that is authentic and original, fully acknowledging the ideas and thoughts of others. We expect our teachers to be principled and serve as role models. Our policy is guided by the IB publication, Primary Years Programme: From principles into practice (January 2014), and is supported by our school’s Mission and Vision. Our school’s response to academic dishonesty is in alignment with the Gilbert Public Schools Student Handbook.

Definitions:

Academic Integrity is a set of beliefs that promotes principled practices in learning and assessment. The IB recognizes that academic integrity is influenced by factors that include peer pressure, culture, parental expectations, role modeling and taught skills. Academic integrity is demonstrated through personal, social, and technical skills.

Plagiarism or malpractice means the direct copying of material from any source and submitting it as your own. Some examples of plagiarism include copying a friend’s work, copying from the Internet without citations, or copying from reference books without citations. The International Baccalaureate’s response to plagiarism is taken very seriously.

Collusion is defined as supporting plagiarism or malpractice by another student, including allowing one’s work to be copied or submitted by another.

Intellectual property includes different forms of property rights, such as trademarks, copyrights, patents, and registered designs. Forms of intellectual and creative expression must be respected and are protected by law. 

Role of Teachers:

A. Prevention

Teachers will provide each student with instructions for conventionally acknowledging all sources with an organized and consistent approach across all subject areas. Teachers will include as part of their instruction, proper ways to express the work and ideas of others and warn students of the serious consequences of academic dishonesty.

B. Detection and Reporting

Teachers are responsible for confirming to the best of their knowledge, that all student work received is authentic and original in its entirety. Teachers are encouraged to utilize online resources that prevent plagiarism, and report violations of the policy to the administration.

C. Support of Policy

Teachers are expected to support our Academic Integrity Policy and take action to prevent, detect, and investigate.

Role of Students:

Each student is fully responsible for ensuring that all of their work produced and submitted is authentic, and the work and ideas of others are fully and correctly acknowledged and cited as grade level appropriate.

Communication of Policy

Patterson’s Academic Integrity Policy shall be available to students, parents, and staff on our school website. Our Academic Integrity Policy will be communicated both orally and in writing at the beginning of the school year, and throughout the school year when students are assigned projects, reports, research projects, and assignments.

Disciplinary Consequences of Plagiarism:

Plagiarism is regarded as academic theft. If a student’s work has been determined to be plagiarized, administration will follow the policies outlined in the Gilbert Public Schools Student Handbook.

We will monitor and evaluate the impact of the academic integrity policy annually to ensure that it regularly informs learning and teaching across the curriculum and the procedures are transparent, fair and consistent.

_{Revised April 2023}

I. Purpose of Assessment Policy:

Assessment is a critical component in the teaching and learning cycle. Communication is key in clarifying a common understanding of the assessment process within our school’s learning environment. Consistent with the standards and practices of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP), this document provides an overview of Patterson’s beliefs and practices regarding the purpose and use of assessment.

II. Philosophy:

We believe that formative and summative assessments are paramount to the teaching and learning process. We value ongoing, authentic assessment and believe students need to have multiple opportunities to demonstrate and share their learning in creative ways. We believe assessment should be differentiated to meet the unique needs of each individual.

The Patterson Mission Statement is closely tied to our Assessment Policy.

“We are nurturing a generation of globally conscious, humans who have the skills to help change the world." 

We promote inquiry by encouraging continued learning. We aim to develop knowledgeable, reflective students, who care about their education by involving them in the assessment process. By offering specific feedback that highlights students’ strengths and addresses areas of improvement, we can help students reflect and set goals so they can move to the next level of achievement.

Nurturing intercultural understanding and respect among students happens when educators understand and respect the needs of all learners, while providing opportunities for exploration in real-world contexts. Being cognizant of the unique learning needs and language development of each student, we recognize that differentiation is the key to helping all students find success. By providing students with a variety of assessment tasks, we honor the identity of our learners.

In addition, through the creation of assessments with real-world contexts, we encourage students to broaden their perspective, promoting international mindedness. We see the diversity of our learning community, as well as that of our global community, as a positive resource that can enrich learning, providing opportunities for students and staff to heighten their awareness and expand their thinking.

III. Purpose of Assessment:

Assessment is designed to:

• To improve teaching and learning
• To gain information to determine next teaching and learning steps.
• To evaluate our learning processes and practices as educators
• To identify student strengths and needs for differentiating instruction
• To monitor progress and growth
• To communicate progress with students and parents
• To facilitate student understanding of their own growth and needs
• To collect data for school improvement initiatives
• To determine professional development needs for teachers and support staff
• To promote reflection among students and teachers

IV. Principles of Assessment:

Assessment is a key component of teaching and learning and includes a balance of both formative and summative assessments. At Patterson, our assessment practices reflect our philosophy of assessment:

Assessment is authentic, rigorous, and student-centered:

• Assessment is grounded in real-world application and is appropriately challenging.
• Assessment provides multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate what they know, value, understand, and are able to do.
• Assessment is designed to assist students’ development of the Approaches to Learning skills, which coordinate with 21st century skills.

Assessment is differentiated:

• Assessment is varied in type and purpose.
• Assessment practices recognize and take into account students with special educational needs.

Assessment is transparent and shared with teachers, students and parents:

• Assessment criteria are shared with students prior to the assessment, making students aware of the expectations at all stages of their learning.
• Assessment enables ongoing communication between students, teachers and parents.
• Assessment data promotes content-area and interdisciplinary collaboration among teachers.

Assessment provides meaningful feedback

• Assessment focuses on both the learning process and learning outcomes.
• Assessment provides teachers with data to reflect upon and drive instructional practices.
• Assessment practices provide students with timely and meaningful feedback about their progress and areas of growth.
• Assessment provides multiple opportunities for student success.

V. Assessment Practices:

Planning for Assessment:

• Assessment is integrated into planning, teaching, and learning in all content areas.
• Assessment is planned using backwards design. (Focusing on the PYP principles, practices, and objectives, as well as the Arizona’s College and Career Readiness Standards, teachers create assessments that will allow students to demonstrate an acceptable level of achievement of those goals.)
• Teachers work collaboratively to design PYP Units of Inquiry, assessments, and task-specific rubrics.

VI. Assessment Methods:

Formative Assessment:

Formative assessment tasks are designed to prepare students for the summative task by assessing students’ progress in acquiring skills and concepts needed for the summative assessment. Types of formative assessment include but are not limited to:

• Student Reflection
• Self-Assessment
• Peer Assessment
• Classroom Observation/Discussions
• Questioning
• Conferencing,Teacher & Student Led
• Use of teacher and student created rubrics 
• Digital Portfolios
• Process Journal/Notebooks
• Checklists
• Anecdotal Records and other observable notes recorded by teachers showing growth over time

Summative Assessment:

Summative assessment tasks are created to be open-ended, providing differentiation by allowing students to showcase their knowledge and understanding in a variety of ways and to determine effectiveness of instruction. Assessment tasks are created by teachers for a particular Unit of Inquiry and aligned with the PYP principles and practices. Patterson provides differentiated assessment tasks that include, but are not limited to:

• Unit Tests
• Individual or Group Projects
• Performance of skills
• Student Reflections on the Learning Process
• Written examinations
• Essays
• Oral exams

VII. Summative Tools and Feedback:

Summative Assessments are criteria-related in all Units of Inquiry. Teacher and student created rubrics align with the Units of Inquiry. Feedback is provided on the rubric by highlighting achievement descriptors that were met and offering suggestions for improvement in order to reach the next level of achievement.

VIII. Assessment Recording and Reporting:

IB Assessment Recording and Reporting

Students and teachers plan and design assessments. The feedback provides students with information about their growth and progress. Teachers offer timely feedback. Students use this feedback to reflect on their work: highlighting their strengths, noting their areas for growth, and creating a plan for improvement.

Progress reports are sent home with students at each mid-quarter, informing families of students’ growth and progress. At the end of each quarter, report cards are provided at conferences or sent home to share progress toward the state standards. 

IX. Responsibilities of the Patterson Learning Community Concerning Assessment:

Assessments should provide opportunities for students to:

• Demonstrate and share their learning with others
• Include goal setting for reaching their true potential
• Use their unique learning strategies and build on their individual strengths
• Choose different learning styles to show what they have learned
• Build confidence in what they have learned and understood
• Communicate their personal point of view and understanding of their learning
• Understand their individual needs and how to improve their performance
• Connect their curiosity about the world and create authentic experiences that guide the inquiry process and their personal learning journey
• Advance their understanding of what makes a quality product and performance
• Participate in a self-reflection or peer review process

Assessments should allow teachers to:

• Use quantitative and qualitative data to analyze the teaching and learning process
• Collaboratively reflect on individual student growth and needs in Professional Learning Communities
• Differentiate their instruction to reflect the individual needs of learners
• Intervene on behalf of students who need additional support and resources
• Define expectations for the outcomes on student projects and various assignments
• Adapt learning styles to meet the individual needs of learners
• Collect data to inform students, parents, staff, and district leadership on student progress
• Prepare for the creation of future lessons, Units of Inquiry, and projects

Assessment should provide opportunities for parents to:

• Understand student learning and progress
• Provide support outside of school
• Celebrate and recognize the accomplishments of their student
• Maintain records and documentation of student achievement, growth and progress

Mandatory Assessments:

• Arizona Academic Standards Assessment (AASA) (Grades 3-6)
• Arizona Science Test (AZSci) (Grade 5)
• District Fastbridge/Illuminate Assessments (Grades K-6)

_{Revised April 2024}

Patterson Elementary is an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) Candidate School. Our school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. IB World Schools share a common philosophy and a commitment to a high quality, challenging, international education that we believe is important for all of our students. IB World Schools have a responsibility to provide equal access to the curriculum, instructional programs, and academic rigor for all students, regardless of individual abilities and needs.

Patterson Elementary is committed to offering a level of support and services to students with diverse academic, behavioral and health related needs. Students with disabilities may be served through a Section 504 Accommodation Plan, Individualized Education Program (IEP) under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), or through a differentiated approach utilizing strategies and supports geared for the individual student.

Types of Services and Supports:

Special Education Needs:

A student has special educational needs if he or she has difficulties or disabilities that require additional support and services than most other children of about the same age. Extra support and assistance will be provided based on the needs of the student. A range of supports may be considered, including additional time to complete assignments, differentiated instruction, scaffolding of information or use of technology to support learning. For other students, that may be a Section 504 Plan or an Individualized Education Plan.

Section 504 Eligibility and Accommodation Plan:

A student may be eligible for a Section 504 Accommodation Plan if he/she has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities and requires a Section 504 Accommodation Plan in order for the child’s educational needs to be met as adequately as the needs of non-disabled students.

Major life activities include, but are not limited to: self-care, manual tasks, walking, seeing, speaking, sitting, thinking, learning, breathing, concentrating, interacting with others, working, reading, concentrating, standing, lifting, bending, etc. This may include individuals with anxiety, attention deficit disorder, dyslexia, cancer, diabetes, severe allergies, chronic asthma, Tourette’s syndrome, digestive disorders, cardiovascular disorders, depression, behavior disorders and temporary disabilities (e.g., broken writing arm, broken leg, etc.). Conditions that are episodic or in remission are also covered if they create a substantial limitation in one or more major life activities while they are active.

Eligibility under Section 504 is considered by completing an evaluation by a comprehensive team including school staff and parent(s). If a student is found eligible, a Section 504 Accommodation Plan may be developed if required. Determination of what is appropriate for each child is based on the nature of the disabling condition and what that child needs in order to have an equal opportunity to learn when compared to the non-disabled. Types of accommodations may include:

• Enlarged print
• Positive reinforcements
• Visual aids
• Peer assistance with note taking

Not all students that are eligible for Section 504 will require an accommodation plan.

Special Education

A student may be eligible for special education and require an Individualized Education Program (IEP) if he/she has a disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and requires specially designed instruction. Unlike Section 504, there are 13 specific categories of eligibility. Specific Learning Disabilities, Speech Language Impairment, and Other Health Impairment are examples of categories.

A team of qualified individuals, in collaboration with the student’s parent(s) will review current data, collect additional information if needed, and determine if a child has a disability under one of the categories identified by IDEA. The team will also consider if the child requires specially designed instruction known as special education services and supports. All services and support identified as needed and appropriate will be provided at no cost to the parent and designed to meet the individual needs of the student.

If an IEP is required, that document will be developed by the parent and required members of a school team. The IEP will cover the current strengths and needs of the student, goals, services and supports, testing accommodations and where those services will be provided. The IEP is reviewed at least annually.

Additional information about students with disabilities requiring a 504 Plan or IEP may be found in Governing Board Policy and Regulation IHB and IHBA.

_{Revised April 2024}

This policy is consistent with the stipulated principles and practices of the IB. This document outlines our school’s linguistic and academic goals and defines the programs designed and available to help our students attain these goals.

This policy is intended to provide an overview of our guiding principles for language learning at Patterson which permeates the entire school curriculum with local opportunities that provide authentic contexts in a culturally rich and diverse environment.

I. School Language Philosophy:

Patterson recognizes that communicating effectively in all subjects for a variety of purposes is key to academic success. Thus, all teachers become language teachers and are central to effective communication in the classroom.

We encourage students to develop their mother tongue to nurture their personal and cultural identities. A child’s cultural identity is important to acknowledge and take pride in. We encourage students to learn additional languages, including Spanish, an integral language in our American Southwest community, as a way of promoting intercultural awareness and global citizenship. Students are encouraged to develop an interest in becoming proficient in all their languages of study.

II. Culture and Language Profile:

Patterson has approximately 525 students. Of these, 59% identify as Caucasian, 23% as Hispanic, 2% as Asian, 4% as African American, 2% as Indian Alaskan Native and 9% identify as belonging to two or more categories. Identified home language of students:

• English 97%,
• Spanish 1.7%,
• Arabic 0.19%,
• French 0.19%,
• Vietnamese 0.76%,
• Portuguese 0.19%

Additional languages that students are exposed to at home include: Polish

Students who are identified as bilingual on the state required Home Language Survey, are assessed for their English proficiency using the Arizona English Language Learner Assessment (AZELLA). If needed, students are placed into the appropriate level for English language support. They are re-assessed yearly using AZELLA until they are deemed proficient. They are then monitored for two years.

English is the language of instruction required by Arizona State Law. All teachers in the state of Arizona are required to be fully endorsed in Structured English Immersion. This model is used to rapidly help English Language Learners learn the language of instruction.

Spanish will be taught as an additional language beginning in the fall of the 2024-2025 academic school year.

III. Overview of Language Programs:

English Language Arts

English is our language of instruction at Patterson. In Arizona, we are expected to maintain the Arizona College and Career Readiness standards. Listening, speaking, reading and writing skills are taught through GPS provided curriculum for K-6 students. The Wilson Reading System is also used to provide extra support to our K-3 students. English language arts is fully integrated into our transdisciplinary units of inquiry, which are outlined in the Patterson PYP Programme of Inquiry. When we design our Units of Inquiry, we work to integrate multicultural and globally minded resources.

Patterson’s library houses a large collection of fiction and non-fiction books, as well as multilingual and multicultural resources for the students. 

English Language Learning (ELL)

Students who are not proficient in English but are in the process of developing proficiency are considered English Language Learners. ELL support is offered to students through our district. Students identified through the Arizona English Language Learner Assessment (AZELLA) as needing support meet with the ELL teacher to receive extra support. The ELL teacher and class teacher collaborate to provide targeted instruction and support within the classroom. All teachers are endorsed in Structured English Immersion.

Language Acquisition

An exploratory Spanish course is offered year round for all students. Students K-6 receive 45 minutes of Spanish instruction per week. This course examines Spanish language and culture, as well as connecting with the students’ units of inquiry as outlined in the Patterson Programme of Inquiry.

IV. Mother Tongue and Cultural Support Within the School, District and Local Community:

The school practices an open-minded, flexible approach to students using their mother tongue. Although the language of instruction is English, as mandated by the state of Arizona, the school encourages students to maintain their mother tongue languages. The school also provides internationally minded experiences and multicultural celebrations that can celebrate the diversity in our community.

Gilbert Public Schools attempts to provide interpreters in all languages needed for parent teacher meetings and IEP meetings. District information, including parent and student handbooks, bus schedules, and calendar are available online in both English and Spanish. Translations for other languages are also available through the District.

V. Provisions for Inclusion:

Special Needs:

Students with Individual Education Plans or 504 plans have support from district personnel, such as psychologists, speech therapists and occupational therapists to help support their language development.

_{Revised November 2024}