Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan 2014-2015 1
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan
2014-2015
Elementary School Improvement Plan: School Council – Statement of Purpose The School Council, in serving as representatives of our larger school community, seeks to enrich and enhance opportunities for teaching and learning that result in improved learning outcomes for students. We strive to improve the supports available to teachers, students and their families as we work together to better meet the needs of all our learners. Responsibilities of the School Council As outlined in the Education Reform Act of 1993, the School Council is comprised of representatives from the parent body, the school staff, and the community at large. Elections are held to insure that all parents and staff have a full opportunity for representation. The council has specific responsibilities that include, but are not limited to, examining the following topics: ● Class size and impact on student achievement ● School budget ● School climate, safety and discipline ● Enhancement of parental involvement ● Professional development ● Title I In addition, the council is charged with assisting the principal with the development of an annual School Improvement Plan that will identify areas of concern, establish explicit goals, state objectives, name persons charged with various responsibilities, and determine a timeline for measurable outcomes. In determining areas for improvement, the School Council takes guidance from the following sources: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
2
Common Core State Standards and Career Readiness Skills MA State Standards The school’s core values and analysis of student learning The Natick Public School’s Benchmarks for Learning Natick Public Schools District Mission and Goals
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan
2014-2015
Elementary School Improvement Plan: User’s Guide Overview: The 2014-2015 NPS Elementary School Improvement Plan (ESIP) articulates the current status of K-4 teaching and learning relative to the district’s articulated mission, vision, and core values. The goals and objectives found throughout the document are designed to move student learning and teacher growth forward across the district. The ESIP goals are represented in two primary domains, district wide goals and building specific goals. Within each of these domains, current reality, desired state, goals and objectives, and action steps are identified. “Current Reality” Current reality refers to where Natick Elementary Schools stands presently. This section provides readers with the context and rationale for the articulated goals, objectives, and action steps. Desired State (Goals) The desired state indicates what Natick Elementary Schools would like to achieve in the coming year. It answers the question, “Given where we are at present, where would we like to be in a years time?” Reading the Matrix: The objectives matrices are headed as follows: Strategies and Action Steps
Responsibility
Timeline
Evidence of Effectiveness
Strategies and Action Steps:
refers to the objectives and actions that will be taken by faculty and staff to achieve the desired state.
Responsibility:
refers to the faculty, staff, and community members who will assume primary responsibility for the measurement and indicators of success for each of the goals, objectives, and action steps.
Timeline:
refers to the time allocated for the achievement of articulated indicators
Evidence of Effectiveness:
refers the metrics that will be used to ascertain the degree to which the goals, objectives, and action steps have been implemented and executed with success.
3
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan
2014-2015 District Wide ESIP Goal #1
District Goal During the 2014-2015 school year, an action plan will be developed by incorporating best practices designed to improve academic achievement, by addressing student and staff wellness by reducing undue stress and pressure (social worker, reporting, therapeutic art, dog, etc.). Elementary Goal #1 During the 2014-2015 school year, representatives from each elementary school will form an Action Research Team that will explore, develop, and assess Mindfulness Awareness Practices in the schools.
Current Reality: At present, the Natick Public Schools requires new teachers to take The Skillful Teacher based on the work of Jonathan Saphier and a course in Equity and Expectations within the first three years of their professional practice. While these courses equip teachers with a common set of instructional practices, as well as a broad overview of topics such as bullying, cultural diversity, and equity, greater understanding of 21 century competencies and instructional practices that support the acquisition of such skills are needed for teachers across a broad range of experiences. This proposal seeks to establish situate learning within the context of executive functioning and posits Mindfulness Awareness Practices (MAPs) as a viable intervention for both students and their teachers. st
Strategies and Action Steps 1. Form an Action Research Team consisting of faculty, staff, and administration to explore MAPs programs for children and adolescents during fall of the 2014-2015 school year. 4
Responsibility Principal(s)
Timeline October – December (develop teams)
Evidence of Effectiveness Formation of Action Research Team Articles (and other readings)
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan
2014-2015 Team Meeting Agendas
2. Research viable programs and decide which Action Research Team: October – pilot program(s) would best meet student needs. Principals, Counselors, December School Psychologists, (develop Teachers teams)
Criteria for Program Evaluation
3. By January of 2015, train educators in Mindfulness-Awareness Practices.
Educator Attendance at Trainings
Action Research Team: December – Principals, Counselors, January (train School Psychologists, teachers) Teachers
4. From February through April of 2015, pilot the Action Research Team: January – April Implementation of Interventions MAP programs in elementary classrooms across Principals, Counselors, (implement the district. School Psychologists, interventions Teachers 5. By late April, assess the efficacy and impact of the interventions using a norm-referenced assessment tool.
Action Research Team: April – May Principals, Counselors, (assess School Psychologists, interventions) Teachers
Executive Functioning Assessment Teacher Observational Data Educator Field Notes
6. In May, report findings and make future recommendations.
5
Action Research Team: May – June Principals, Counselors, (report out) School Psychologists, Teachers
Recommendations/Reports
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan
2014-2015
District Wide ESIP Goal #2
District Goal The median MCAS/PARCC Student Growth Percentile (SGP) score for ELA and mathematics will increase in at least four of six grade levels and demonstrate improvement at each school. Elementary Goal 85% of students in Grade 4 will attain at least one year of academic growth as measured by DESE determined student growth measures on MCAS/PARCC assessments. Current State The Natick elementary schools piloted PARCC-like assessments for the first time last school year. These assessments, which are aligned to the Common Core State Standards and mirror the PARCC, have the potential to serve as a vehicle for familiarizing students with the standards and informing instructional practice across classrooms. This year will mark the first year that all five elementary schools take the PARCC assessment.
Strategies and Action Steps
6
Responsibility
Timeline
Evidence of Effectiveness
1. District wide curriculum teams will continue to refine existing reading, writing, and mathematics curriculum documents with grade / departmental level PLCs.
Principals 2014-2015 Literacy Specialists Elementary Instructional Leaders Teachers
PLC Meeting Agendas Curriculum Maps
2. District wide PLCs will engage in focused analysis of student performance indicators to identify gaps in teaching and learning and design effective opportunities to learn.
Principals 2014-2015 Literacy Specialists Elementary Instructional Leaders
PLC Action Plans
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan
2014-2015 Teachers
3. District wide PLCs will implement Principals 2014-2015 comprehensive literacy assessments that parallel Literacy Specialists PARCC testing expectations for performance. Elementary Instructional Leaders Teachers
7
Student Performance on Literacy Assessments
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan
2014-2015 District Wide ESIP Goal #3
District Goal Develop, present and execute a plan to sustain and expand the use of technology in the Natick Public Schools. Provide the Committee with an update on such plan in the spring of 2015. As part of that plan implement five iPads in each K-4 classroom. Work associated with that implementation includes creating a consistent build of iPad apps and effective staff professional development. 2014-2015 will serve as the baseline data for evaluating iPad impact on academic achievement. Technology usage will be assessed using staff, parent and student surveys implemented through Bright Bytes. Elementary Goal During the 2014-2015 school year, the elementary schools will expand implementation of mobile technologies to gain further insight into best practices that enhance opportunities to learn for Natick students. Current State At present, the Natick Public Schools has, to varying degrees, implemented mobile technologies across the elementary schools. These implementations have realized a number of successes that are ready to be expanded. Over the past three years teacher capacity to effectively implement mobile technologies has grown steadily. NPS now has teacher experts in place and ready to support colleagues in implementing these technologies.
Strategies and Action Steps
8
Responsibility
Timeline
Evidence of Effectiveness
1. Prepare and deploy five mobile devices to all elementary classrooms during the fall of 2014.
Tech Dept. Principals
Fall 2014
Deployment of Mobile Devices
2. Monitor implementation with teachers to understand technical and pedagogical issues associated with scaling up implementation.
Principals
2014-2015
Faculty Feedback Observations of Instructional
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan
2014-2015 Practice
9
3. Collect and analyze Bright Bytes survey data to Principals gain a quantitative perspective on the efficacy of Director, Online implementation. Learning
2014-2015
Survey Data
4. Using classroom performance and implementation data and Bright Bytes survey data, develop actionable next steps to support continued and potential expanded implementation of mobile technologies at the elementary level.
2014-2015
Technology Action Plans
Principals
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan
2014-2015
Pre-School Goal #1 District Goal During the 2014 - 2015 school year, will develop an action plan incorporating best practices designed to foster academic achievement, by addressing student and staff wellness by reducing undue areas and pressure (social worker, reporting, therapeutic art, dog, etc.) Standard One : Instructional Leadership The education leader promotes the learning and growth of all students and the success of all staff by cultivating a shared vision that makes powerful teaching and learning the central focus of schooling. Preschool Goal #1: By June, 2015 all Preschool Teachers will have been trained in and will implement age and developmentally appropriate social/emotional wellness initiatives in Natick Preschool classrooms. • •
Ongoing training in and use of Michelle Garcia Winner’s Social Thinking Curriculum as related to ‘being part of the group,” “thinking about thoughts and feelings,” and “whole body listening,” for example. Ongoing training in and use of Stretch What Matters: Yoga for Young Children As Learners to build self-regulation strategies as the foundation of a mindful approach to learning.
Our Reality: Social Thinking and Stretch What Matters Yoga are new initiatives at Natick Preschool. Efforts this year related to these initiatives will be intended to train new staff, inform parents of academic and social/emotional impact, and deepen integration of Social Thinking and Yoga into current assessment practices..
Strategies and Action Steps
Responsibility
Timeline
Evidence of Effectiveness
*Train new teachers Allison Barry and Susan Earner
Principal, Mentors
Sep 2014 -
Professional development ,
10
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan
2014-2015
*Encourage and support ongoing practices Principal *Share key vocabulary and resources with parents *Highlight social/emotional growth captured on progress report *Apply for State grant to fund music and movement instructor *Collect Social/Emotional Growth Standard data through Teaching Strategies Gold: Regulates own emotions and behaviors, Manages feelings, Follows limits and expectations Takes care of own needs appropriately, Establishes and sustains positive relationships, Forms relationships with adults, Responds to emotional cues, Interacts with peers, Makes friends, Participates cooperatively and constructively in group situations, Balances needs and rights of self and others, Solves social problems..
Principal, School Council Principal, Preschool Teachers Principal Preschool Teachers
June, 2015 Mentor meetings Newsletters Nov, 2014, Jan, and eblasts, Student use of 2015 vocabulary Sept Parent 2014 conferences and progress Sept reports 2014 June, 2015 Grant application TSG student profiles
11
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan
2014-2015
Pre-School Goal #2
Standard One: Instructional Leadership The education leader promotes the learning and growth of all students and the success of all staff by cultivating a shared vision that makes powerful teaching and learning the central focus of schooling. Preschool Goal #2: By June, 2015, Preschool Teachers and Therapists will collaborate to develop and implement a customized effort to increase use of “common language” by Preschool staff. •
A select set of sign language signs will be learned and used by all staff •
Independence-building tasks (handwashing, toileting, schedule reading) will be communicated by words, pictures and signs in a common form by all staff.
Our Reality: Natick’s is an integrated preschool educating children with a wide range of communication abilities. Staff collaborated to identify priority areas for development of “common language” to be used by all in effort to provide children with consistency of messaging while accommodating the need for a variety of modes of information presentation (sign, symbols, photos). Strategies and Action Steps *Identify priority sign language signs, have speech therapist model formation of signs, use sign language icon software to label classroom items and routines. *Develop and implement common language around independence-building tasks such as handwashing, toileting, and individual student schedules. ( staff implementation schedule)
12
Responsibility
Timeline
Evidence of Effectiveness
Teachers,Therapists
Sep 2014 June, 2015
Professional development, use of signs, labeling
Sept 2014 June, 2015
Consistent Visuals and Language to support progression of tasks used school-wide
Principal, Preschool Teachers, Therapists
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan
2014-2015
Ben-Hem Goal #1
Standard Two: Management and Operations Promotes the learning and growth of all students and the success of all staff by ensuring a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment, using resources to implement appropriate curriculum, staffing, and scheduling. Promotes the learning and growth of all students and the success of all staff by ensuring a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment, using resources to implement appropriate curriculum, staffing, and scheduling Ben- Hem School Goal #1 Ben-Hem will continue to enhance human, social, decisional, and professional capital through the implementation of differentiated, focused professional learning opportunities as measured by TELLS 2014 and TELLS 2016 (Indicators II-B-2, IIC-2). Our Reality: The Ben-Hem faculty and staff are dedicated and incredibly skilled professionals. Within these individuals Natick holds a tremendous volume of human capital. These individuals are eager to engage in lifelong growth and to support one another in that cycle of continuous improvement. Unfortunately, the rapid increase of state/federal mandates and test driven accountability mechanisms creates a situation in which these individuals work and learn in isolation. There is little opportunity to grow the social and decisional capital that supports the continued enhancement of Natick’s human capital investment. Strategies and Action Steps
Responsibili ty
Timeli ne
Principal Asst Principal SLT Faculty Advisory
Fall ‘14 Winter/ Spring ‘14-‘15
Evidence of Effectiveness
To enhance professional capital: • •
13
the principal will develop a robust understanding of the human capital resources at Ben-Hem. the principal will work with faculty and staff to develop professional learning opportunities that leverage the strengths, interests, and needs of faculty and staff.
Faculty meeting agendas and outcomes PD Planning Documents
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan •
the principal will work with faculty and staff to develop professional learning opportunities that enhance social and decisional capital.
2014-2015 Classroom Walkthrough Data Student Learning Outcomes
14
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan
2014-2015
Ben-Hem Goal #2
Standard One: Instructional Leadership The education leader promotes the learning and growth of all students and the success of all staff by cultivating a shared vision that makes powerful teaching and learning the central focus of schooling. Ben- Hem School Goal #2 Ben-Hem will enhance and refine existing data team structures to ensure effective/efficient delivery of supplemental teaching and learning opportunities for all students as measured by student growth data (via intervention protocols), annual substitute budget reduction, and meeting artifacts. Our Reality: Ben-Hem is now in its fifth year of implementing Data Teams. Data teams are one of the foundational elements of successful RtI programming. Over the years, universal screening, data team, and intervention programming systems and structures have grown and evolved. These structures have been successful, however, Ben-Hem can do better in supporting faculty to make informed diagnostic and treatment decisions for students. To that end, a number of modifications will be made to the overall data team and intervention system. Strategies and Action Steps • • • • 15
Restructure data team meeting structure and process to more effectively integrate data team structures into PLC function. The school leadership team will continue to grow and enhance existing RtI systems and structures. The school leadership team will coordinate with grade level teams to identify students in need of support, design interventions, and implement instructional supports for students. Data teams will use structured protocols to monitor student progress throughout the school year and adjust instruction as needed.
Responsibilit y Principal School Leadership Team Faculty/Staff
Timeli ne SY ’14‘15
Evidence of Effectiveness Data team information for faculty and staff Data team agendas and outcomes Intervention plans Student progress
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan
2014-2015 monitoring data PLC meeting agendas and notes LASW outcomes
16
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan
2014-2015
Brown Goal #1
Standard Two: Management and Operations. Promotes the learning and growth of all students and the success of all staff by ensuring a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment, using resources to implement appropriate curriculum, staffing, and scheduling. ● Indicator II-A. Environment: Develops and executes effective plans, procedures, routines, and operational systems to address a full range of safety, health, and emotional and social needs of students. Brown School Goal #1 By the end of the 2014-2015 school year, Brown School will implement and monitor the progress of tier-one "universal" systems for behavior support. Continued from 2013-14: Brown School Faculty and Staff will implement Collaborative Problem Solving principles to help students and adults solve problems that trouble them daily. Our goal is to reduce the number of referrals the counseling office receives for misconduct and increase the overall social/emotional health of the school, which should result in an increase in the academic performance of the school. Our Reality: Brown School began training and implementation of Collaborative Problem Solving principles in the 2013-14 school year. This year we will expand our efforts by developing tier one universal supports and expectations by implementing a Positive Behavior Intervention Support model. Strategies and Action Steps
Responsibility
Timeline
1. Develop a core values motto that is the foundation Principal of expectations in all areas of the school.
10/7/14
2. Create and post clear expectations in all areas of the Principal, students, school based on the core values. Faculty
12/1/14
3. Create a student leadership committee who will assist in developing the expectations.
10/31/201 4
17
Principal, faculty and students
Evidence of Effectiveness
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan
18
2014-2015
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan
Johnson Goal #1
2014-2015
Standard One: Instructional Leadership The education leader promotes the learning and growth of all students and the success of all staff by cultivating a shared vision that makes powerful teaching and learning the central focus of schooling. NPS District Goal 1: During the 2014-2015 school year, an action plan will be developed by incorporating best practices designed to improve academic achievement, by addressing staff wellness by reducing stress and pressure.
Johnson School Goal 1: During the 2014-2015 school year, the PBIS Leadership team in consultation with teachers and students will define expectations and implementation strategies for Tier Two interventions that support student’s social and emotional growth at Johnson School. This goal’s implementation will be measured by office referrals and observational data. ● Review the tenants of Understanding by Design and Universal Design for Learning ● Collect, monitor and analyze office referral data ● Randomly sample staff and students during Fall, 2014 to assess effectiveness of Tier One interventions launch in place at Johnson School. ● Create and implement a celebration schedule to reinforce the desired behaviors from all learners. ● Create and implement Tier Two Cool Tools lesson plans for targeted students; Align an implementation schedule to support instruction Our Reality: Johnson School has been working with its PBIS Leadership team to develop and implement an effective Tier One model. To date, we have: 19
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan
2014-2015
● Refined our Mission, Vision and Values statements ● Adopted and promoted the core values: We take care of ourselves, We take care of each other, and We take care of the environment. ● Completed a Behavior Matrix highlighting desired behaviors across settings, aligned with our core values ● Created and Implemented “Cool Tools” lesson plans with the entire school to explicitly teach expectations across settings ● Created a Office Referral Data Collection system to monitor and analyze student behaviors The 2013-2014 school year was an effective year for PBIS Tier One implementation. Office referrals decreased by approximately 50% and the need for Tier Two interventions were limited to two events during the school year. We realize that this was an exceptional year to launch our School-wide PBIS program and we enjoyed many successes. Responsibili ty
Timeline
Implement and evaluate the “Cool Tools” lesson plans.
All faculty/staff
Sept. 2014 Student compliance with expectations across settings.
Consult with faculty and leadership team to design and implement Tier Two interventions to support students that do not respond to the explicit teaching in Tier One
PBIS Leadership team All Faculty and Students
Strategies and Action Steps
Fall/Wint Written programming to support Tier Two er, 2013PBIS implementation; Revised Tier Two 2014 Cool Tools lesson plans for Hallway movement; Bus Expectations; Arrival/Dismissal
Revise celebration schedule to support the successful implementation of expected behaviors across settings
PBIS Leadership Team
By October, 2014
Collect and analyze office referral, attendance, tardy data to assess program efficacy across grade levels
PBIS Leadership team
On-going
20
Evidence of Effectiveness
Calendar; Celebration announcements and events: October: Take Care of Each Other; January: Take Care of Ourselves; April: Take Care fo the Environment Office referral forms; Student attendance data (iPass); presentations made to staff at monthly meetings; analysis of clinic visits
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan and setting. Amend as needed.
Assess the effectiveness of Tier Two implementation strategies and amend as needed.
21
2014-2015 Office staff Faculty PBIS Leadership team Consultant Faculty, Staff and Students
Tier Two Cool Tools Lesson Plans; Fall, 2014 and ongoing
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan
2014-2015 Johnson Goal #2
Standard One: Instructional Leadership The education leader promotes the learning and growth of all students and the success of all staff by cultivating a shared vision that makes powerful teaching and learning the central focus of schooling. NPS District Goal #10 By June 2015, a resource bank of tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 research based interventions will be developed and implemented at each of our nine schools. Recommendations will be made to the Superintendent to implement these strategies as part of the district’s comprehensive K-12 Response to Intervention (RtI) model. The interventions are developed as a means to help reduce the referrals to special education. The plan will be presented to the School Committee in the spring. Johnson School Goal #2: During the 2014-2015 school year, Johnson School will highlight effective, research-based strategies in use across grade levels to include Tier Two and Tier Three interventions. These tools will include well-established programming used by our Title One program, as well as, classroom teachers. Efficacy of the programs will be measured through baseline and end of year student performance data. Our Reality: We have been working to streamline our intervention practices at Johnson School. Programs have been highlighted at different grade levels/content areas to ensure student success across settings. We continue to build shared language around our programming so that a student’s experience is consistent with regards to rigor and expectations. Next steps in this process are to: • Further build our capacity to analyze student performance data to assess the efficacy of our programming. • Develop progress monitoring cycles across domains that highlight program strengths and challenges • Modify/Adapt programs based on performance data to best meet the needs of learners • Increase the time for teacher’s to collaborate regarding programing and student learning
22
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan
Johnson Goal #2 (Cont.)
Strategies and Action Steps
Responsibili ty
2014-2015
Timeline
Evidence of Effectiveness
Formally organize and highlight the Tier One and Tier Two interventions being used K-4 at Johnson School
Teachers, Title One teachers, Principal, Reading Specialist
Fall, 2014
Published list of tools/programs in use K-4 for Tier One and Tier Two learners
Create a Data Leadership team to help support capacity building around the use and application of data
Data Leadership team
Fall, 2014
Create team; enroll in HGSE course: Getting Started with Datawise (February, 2015)
On-going
Communicate key learnings from course work during curriculum meetings.
Data Leadership team; faculty Data Leadership team; Grade level PLC’s;
Monthly
All
On-going
Actively model analysis and synthesis of data during monthly data team meetings
Transfer analysis/data collected form data team meetings to the Child Study team (CST) process to better understand student’s current performance levels and areas of need.
23
HGSE coursework and building based analysis
Monthly Data Team Meeting notes
CST referrals; intervention planning; Title One referral rates
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan
Lilja Goal #1
2014-2015
Standard One: Instructional Leadership The education leader promotes the learning and growth of all students and the success of all staff by cultivating a shared vision that makes powerful teaching and learning the central focus of schooling.
Lilja School Goal #1: By the end of the 2014-2015 school year, Lilja School will implement and monitor the progress of tier-one "universal" systems for behavior support. Our Reality: During the 2012-2013 school year, Lilja’s School Council identified the development of a “School-Wide Behavior Plan” as a priority. Data collected through a “PBIS Readiness Survey” in August of 2013 indicated that only 4% of faculty felt that distinctions between office and classroom problem behaviors were clear, only 17% of faculty believed that expected student behaviors were rewarded regularly, and 21% of faculty believed that positively and clearly stated student expectations or rules were defined. As such, developing a plan for “tier-1 universal systems of support” was a necessary action step articulated in the 2013-2014 Lilja School Improvement Plan. In 2013-2014 our Leadership Team identified and developed school-wide, classroom and non-classroom supports for students. However, the team now needs to progress monitor the implementation of the plans created during the 2013-2014 school year, support teachers with implementation, and develop individual “tier-2” systems of social, emotional, and behavioral support for students.
24
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan
Strategies and Action Steps 1. Implement school-wide expectations and a tier-one "universal" system of behavior support. 2. Implement lesson plans that allow faculty to "teach" students about expected behaviors in non-classroom as well as classroom settings. 3. Implement a school-wide positive behavior reinforcement plan as well as a tier-one framework for consequences. 4. Implement tier-two and tier-three "Response Team" protocols for students who need social, emotional, or behavioral interventions. 5. Provide PBIS Leadership Team with ongoing training and support through team meetings as well as coordinated trainings offered by the May Institute. 6. Provide Tier-2 Interventionists with ongoing training for tier-2 and tier-3 social, emotional, and behavioral supports.
25
2014-2015
Lilja Goal #1 (Cont.) Responsibili ty Principal Teacher Leaders School Counselors School Psychologist Paraprofessi onal Specialist Teachers
Timeline
Evidence of Effectiveness
September 2014 – June 2015
PBIS Team Benchmarks of Quality
(ongoing)
Positive Reinforcement Rubric (Paw Prints)
Child Study Team Referral Data
Expected Behaviors Matrix (Tier 1) Behavior Response Rubric (Tier 1) Response Team Rubric (Tier 2) Office Referral Data
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan
Lilja Goal #2
2014-2015
Standard Three: Family and Community Engagement Promotes the learning and growth of all students and the success of all staff through effective partnerships with families, community organizations, and other stakeholders that support the mission of the school and district.
Lilja School Goal #2: Improve community engagement by increasing opportunities for collaboration between families and Lilja School. Our Reality: Our hope is to build strong family-school partnerships that will result in student success. Over the summer of 2014, representatives from the Lilja School Council, PTA, and Parent Advisors came together to problem solve. During these meetings, communication was identified as concern. The teams discussed the need for streamlining communication, increasing the efficiency of PTA and School Council meetings, and for providing parents with opportunities to participate in discussion about their child’s education. Furthermore, in a survey administered by the Lilja School Council last year, 48% of families indicated that their work schedule gets in the way of attending PTA meetings. Lilja families have indicated that they hope to be more involved at school but are uncertain how to do that when they don’t have time to volunteer during the school day or have a limited schedule in the evenings.
26
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan
Strategies and Action Steps 1. Partner with families in order to develop a shared vision for community engagement, communication, and positive relationships. 2. Collaborate with PTA Executive Board to establish new framework for PTA meetings. 3. Partner with School Council to monitor Lilja’s progress towards meeting school improvement goals. 4. Develop a social media presence (through Facebook, Twitter, and WordPress) in order to inform families about what is happening at Lilja. 5. Partner with families to identify additional opportunities for engagement.
27
Lilja Goal #2 (Cont.) Responsibili ty Principal Faculty School Council PTA Students Families
2014-2015
Timeline
Evidence of Effectiveness
Septembe r 2014 – June 2015 (ongoing)
Participation from School Council and Lilja PTA Feedback from Lilja PTA and School Council Feedback from Families (garnered via other venues) Engagement through Social Media
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan
2014-2015
Memorial Goal #1 Standard I: Instructional Leadership. The education leader promotes the learning and growth of all students and the success of all staff by cultivating a shared vision that makes powerful teaching and learning the central focus of schooling. NPS District Goal 4: Update curriculum maps for language arts and math to include the Common Core requirements, the use of technology, and piloted assessments (DDM’s). All common writing prompts will be revised to correspond to Common Core State Standards. In correlation, this work will prepare our students to be successful on the PARCC assessment. Memorial School Goal #1: To promote through professional development and practice, a deeper understanding among educators of the critical connections between close reading, comprehension and writing.
Strategies and Action Steps •
•
28
Implement a building based Writing Vertical Alignment team to develop a comprehensive map of writing skills and strategies that are identified markers within our writing lessons and are linked to new or identified lessons within the NPS Writing Units of Study K-4 for Narrative, Informational, and Opinion writing. Utilize two curriculum meetings to develop "text-dependent questions" and a sequence of questions that support student observation and analysis, leading students more deeply
Responsibili ty Principal Building Leadership Team Grade K-4 special and general education teachers
Timeline Septembe r, 2014
Evidence of Effectiveness Evidence of Implementing a building base vertical alignment team (VAT): •
The VAT meets a minimum of four times througho ut the
•
•
Multiple faculty members from each grade level and special education services volunteer to join the team. Team members "tap in" other members of their grade level team to continue to support the work when they need to. A skills map is generated that
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan
•
into the weekly literature selection in the Reading Street Anthologies for grades three and four. Teachers will analyze the main selection asking the following questions: o What is the author telling me here? o Are there any hard or important words? o What does the author want me to understand? o How does the author play with language Literacy to add to meaning? Coach Utilize the work from the above curriculum meetings on questioning to craft culminating writing experiences for Reading Street units using the techniques of Prose Constructed Prompts and Responses for students to demonstrate their understanding of the text.
2014-2015 course of the year. The VAT continues to meet as needed to make adjustme nts based on trends in assessme nt data.
•
•
outlines specific writing skills and strategies across three genre's that will be taught with increasing depth from K-4 The skill map will act as an underlay to the District Writing Map with target skills each month matching/complimenting the Target genre identified in the NPS Writing Map An all faculty meeting reviews a years writing assessments to determine if the consistent skills and strategies approach to writing yields higher scores on pre and post assessments of writing in FY16.
•
Literacy Coach will: • Model Tier 1 and 2 literacy instruction focused close reading and text complexity as well as writing across three focused genre’s through an embedded method with peer collaboration to share what works well and what strategies should be discarded. • Work with teachers to map and develop writing lessons cross-curricular for writing instruction. • Work with teachers to enhance lessons that support the presentation of content using diverse media and formats. • Plan Professional Development to provide staff with strategies to implement effective instruction in the areas of reading comprehension, response to reading, writing and, differentiated centers. 29
Evidence of close reading: Sept/Oct, 2014
•
Ongoing •
•
•
The Literacy Specialist will conduct two curriculum meetings to improve faculty understanding of close reading using selections from the Core Curriculum. Teachers select at least two close reading opportunities from each Unit of Reading in the Core Curriculum. Teachers develop a close reading rubric to use to assess students progress in observation and analysis of text. Teachers progress monitor student progress using the rubric by unit to determine the efficacy of their
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan
2014-2015 •
30
instruction and adjust it accordingly. Students in grade three and four improve their average score in Open Response by .5
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan
2014-2015
Memorial Goal #2
Standard Two: Management and Operations Promotes the learning and growth of all students and the success of all staff by ensuring a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment, using resources to implement appropriate curriculum, staffing, and scheduling Memorial School Goal #2: Promote the learning and growth of all students and the success of all staff through continued effective partnerships with families, community organizations, and other stakeholders that support the mission of the school and district.
Strategies and Action Steps •
• • •
•
•
•
•
31
Develop a family and community engagement plan with the active participation of students, families, and community members." Identify a family engagement liaison. Create a network of mentor parents to assist new families in learning about the school. Establish a parent resource room/office to be the hub for support for students and family needs. Host special traditional celebrations afterschool or one weekend to educate community on traditions. At kindergarten orientations, share information with parents on how to be engaged. Complete a beginning of school year family engagement survey, make adjustments based on results, and survey again at end of the year to determine the effectiveness of school efforts. Share results with all families. Provide parents with student grade-level expectations, report of student progress,
Responsibili ty Principal Faculty Leadership Team School counselor and psychologist School Council
Timeline Ongoing
Evidence of Effectiveness •
•
•
•
•
Every family coming into the school or interacting with school personnel feels welcome. Families and school staff engage in regular, two-way, meaningful communication about student learning. Families have a voice in decisions that affect children and work together with faculty and administration to create policies, practices, and programs. Families and school staff continuously collaborate to support students’ learning and healthy development, both at home and at school. Families and school staff are connected to expand learning opportunities, community services, and civic participation.
Natick Public Schools PK-4 District Improvement Plan conferences, and follow up as needed.
32
2014-2015
