Easton School District School Improvement Plans: 20082009

1
Easton School District School Improvement
Plans2008-2009
Easton Board of Education November 18, 2008
2
Strategic Plan
Character Attributes
Personalized Learning
Communication/Partnerships
Curriculum Alignment
ER9 Curriculum and Personalized Learning
Initiatives

• Improved student achievement validated by
  external and internal benchmarks
• Improved teacher performance validated by the
  use of effective research-based
  instructional strategies across the curricula
• Data analyses to improve curriculum and to
  effect personalized learning
• Professional development to implement
  Scientific Research-Based Intervention
  (SRBI)

3
SSES Goal 1Students will improve their
performance on curriculum standards and
assessments as measured by internal and external
benchmarks.Students will improve their reading
comprehension, specifically in the areas of
reader/text connections and understanding of the
content and structure.Strategic Plan
Curriculum and Personalized Learning
4

• Facilitate teacher walk-through visits
• Increase administrative presence in classrooms
• Provide professional development on minimum days
  for overview of Reading Workshop Model
• Provide professional development on text
  connections to build deeper reading comprehension
• Draft year-at-a-glance plans for comprehension
• Provide opportunities for teachers to attend
  workshops focused on non-fiction reading
  strategies
• Initiate professional book clubs
• Outcome Student performance results validate
  student progress toward goals and inform
  instruction. Measurements include internal and
  external assessments.

5
SSES Goal 2Students will improve their
performance on curriculum standards and
assessments as measured by internal and external
benchmarks. Students will improve their ability
to solve complex math problems and explain their
thinking. Strategic Plan Curriculum and
Personalized Learning
6

• Facilitate teacher walk-through visits
• Provide professional development on
  differentiation of instruction
• Expand Growing with Math lessons to include the
  integration of technology
• Incorporate math boxes in K 5 classrooms to
  enhance problem-solving opportunities
• Institute Basic Fact Assessments
• Analyze professional research on subtraction
• Use SMART Board lessons and mnemonic techniques
  to enhance retention of basic fact knowledge

7
Math (continued)

• Research and discuss math probes for compliance
  with SRBI
• Explore flexible, small-group math instruction,
  Grade 5
• Outcome Assessment results on CMTs, unit tests,
  and Basic Fact Assessments validate student
  progress toward goals.

8
SSES - Goal 3 Students will improve their
performance on curriculum standards and
assessments as measured by internal and external
benchmarks. Students will improve their writing
skills, specifically editing/revising and
composing. Strategic Plan Curriculum and
Personalized Learning
9

• Facilitate teacher walk-through visits
• Double score student writing using CSDE and
  district rubrics
• Facilitate student use of rubrics to promote
  self-reflection
• Meet with writing specialist monthly to discuss
  instructional models, new programs, and ongoing
  formative assessments
• Outcome Student performance results validate
  student progress toward goals and to inform
  instruction. Measurements include, but are not
  limited to, CMT, NWEA, ERB, and internal
  assessments.

10
SSES - Goal 4Students will improve their
performance on curriculum standards and
assessments as measured by internal and external
benchmarks.School personnel will communicate in
a timely and accurate manner within the school
community.Strategic Plan Communication
11

• Expand the ongoing integration of Information and
  Technology Literacy
• Plan collaboratively with technology personnel
  to ensure integration and progress toward meeting
  district technology competencies by the end of
  Grade 4
• Increase coordination and communication of
  classroom curriculum with Fine and Practical Arts
  specialists
• Outcome Effective communication established with
  all constituents (students, staff, parents)
  through various media, including but not limited
  to, grade-level Parent Coffees I Love to Read
  parent workshop Internet Safety workshop
  curriculum workshops facilitated by reading,
  writing, and math specialists and SSES SCOOP,
  the electronic school newsletter.

12
SSES Goal 5 Students will improve their
performance on curriculum standards and
assessments as measured by internal and external
benchmarks. Student performance will be
demonstrated over time as validated by
grade-specific assessments. Strategic Plan
Personalized Learning
13

• Delineate student goals on report cards
• Pilot student attendance at Parent-Teacher
  Conferences, Grade 4
• Outcome Student progress over time as validated
  by grade-specific or school-wide measurements.

14
SSES Goal 6 Students will improve their
performance on curriculum standards and
assessments as measured by internal and external
benchmarks. Students will develop and
demonstrate positive character traits. Strategic
Plan Character Education
15

• Celebrate random acts of kindness and personal
  responsibility with character certificates and
  kindness coins
• Reflect on character traits through the use of
  progressive activities for Character Education
• Enhance opportunities for community service in
  order to build good character
• Expand SSES Town Meetings for leadership, public
  speaking, and opportunities for democratic
  practice
• Outcome Students demonstrate care and
  responsibility within the school community.

16
HKMS GOAL 1

• Students will improve their performance on
• curriculum standards and assessments as
• measured by internal and external benchmarks.
• Strategic Plan Curriculum and Personalized
  Learning

17
Progress in reading, writing, math, and science
will be closely monitored using regular, ongoing,
formative assessments and addressing student
weaknesses systematically.

• Re -structure SRBI/CST team to meet weekly with
  each grade-level team. Language arts specialist
  and math specialist serve as standing members of
  team.
• Re-structure specialists service delivery model.
• Communicate successful interventions to all teams
  to ensure sustained progress.
• Team Leaders will launch principles of
  Professional Learning Communities by guiding
  teams in development of team norms, integrating
  essential skills, determining formative
  assessments, and monitoring student achievement.

18

• Professional development focused on weaknesses
  identified via CMT reading non-fiction text,
  vocabulary development, editing and revising, and
  math strands.
• Collaborate with Joel Barlow social studies and
  writing lab instructors on improving writing in
  social studies.
• Administer math pre-assessments based on CMT
  weakest strands and post-test in December to
  identify additional areas of need.
• Re-deploy Learning Lab instructor to support
  students having difficulty with scientific
  concepts.
• Develop STEM course that integrates concepts of
  
• science, technology, mathematics, language
  arts
• and Engineering. Task Force is
  investigating
• instructional modules in design and
  modeling,
• magic of electrons, science of technology,
  
• automation, and robotics, and flight and
  space.

19

• 10. Provide additional staff training on
  Northwest
• Evaluation Assessment. Trainer scheduled
  for
• December 10.
• 11. Integrate assessment results from CMT-4 with
  
• results from NWEA
• 12. Offer additional SMART Board training that
  integrates exemplary lessons per subject
  content area.
• 13. Develop SRBI Implementation Plan.
  Professional development to be provide January
  21, 2009. Full faculty will establish tiers
  of interventions to support students academic
  and behavioral needs.

20
Outcomes of New Initiatives and Ongoing
Activities

• Student performance data validates progress
  toward goal.
• Curriculum and assessments align at each grade
  level.
• Interconnectedness of math, science, language
  arts, engineering via STEM course.
• Established, tiered, scientific research-based
  interventions in place for students having
  difficulty.

21
HKMS GOAL 2

• Students will demonstrate strengths of
• character, especially in the traits of integrity
  and civic responsibility.
• Strategic Plan Character Education

22

• Students will participate in The School Climate
  Project via completion of an on-line survey
  designed to investigate students levels of
  connectedness to school, self-esteem, integrity,
  etc.
• Monthly, five students per grade level will
  receive an award for their visible demonstration
  of a character trait recognized in ER9 Strategic
  Plan.
• Students will demonstrate responsibility and
  integrity by completing homework and tests on
  time.
• Students will demonstrate responsibility and
  respect by arriving on time for school and
  classes.

23
Outcomes of New Initiatives and Ongoing
Activities

• Office records will indicate a decrease in
  tardiness to school and class.
• Staff records will indicate an increase in
  students completing homework on time and
  completing tests honestly.
• Office records will indicate that students
  demonstrate respect for each other by refraining
  from teasing, bullying and aggressive behaviors.
• Students will demonstrate positive character as a
  result of decisions made independent of adult
  supervision.
• Altruistic behavior will be documented and
  celebrated.

24
Special Services Goal 1

• Students receiving special education services
  will meet or exceed the objectives identified in
  their individualized educational plans
• Strategic Plan Curriculum and Personalized
  Learning

25

• Teachers and administrators will utilize, when
  appropriate, alternate statewide assessments
  based on Modified Academic Achievement Standards
  (MAS) or the CMT Checklist for students with
  disabilities.
• Analysis of student performance on CMTs and other
  formative and summative measures to assess the
  achievement of adequate yearly progress over time
  in areas of identified focus.
• Outcome Students who take the modified
  assessment or CMT Checklist demonstrate
  substantial, relative academic achievement.

26
Goal 2

• Teaching and learning in special education and
  early childhood education will be provided in
  accordance with best practices in identification
  of students with disabilities.
• Strategic Plan Personalized Learning

27

• Administrators and teachers will develop
  school-wide Scientifically Research Based
  Intervention (SRBI) programs, consistent with the
  guidelines released by the Connecticut State
  Department of Education.
• Special Education staff will collaborate in the
  development of SRBI practices at both schools.
• Outcome
• Student learning is monitored through and
  consistent with the states SRBI model.
• Referrals to special education decline as
  student needs are addressed more effectively
  through the SRBI model.

28
Goal 3 Students with special needs will be
appropriately instructed with age/grade typical
peers to the extent appropriate. Strategic Plan
Personalized Learning
29

• Provide ongoing opportunities for training and
  support for grade-level teams to improve
  differentiated instruction and appropriate use of
  inclusive service delivery (roundtable
  discussions, workshops, use of common planning
  time).
• Evaluate student progress on standardized and
  district assessments, as well as on IEP goals and
  objectives, for all students in inclusive classes
  and those in traditional settings.
• Increase administrative visits to observe and
  support implementation of inclusive practices.
• Outcome Improvement for all students in
  inclusive classes on standardized and district
  assessments.
•  

30
Goal 4 Students receiving special education and
early childhood education will be instructed in
accordance with best practices as delineated by
revised state regulations and policies Strategic
Plan Curriculum
31

• Child Study Teams will be modified in accordance
  with new SRBI state mandates.
• Parent workshops/coffees will address new
  regulations, co-teaching, inclusion, and
  anticipated change to special education
  identification, as well as Modified Academic
  Achievement Standards CMTs.
• Staff development opportunities will be offered
  to certified and non-certified staff to address
  best practices in early childhood education.
• Outcome
• Student IEPs reflect changes in accordance with
  new regulations and policies.
• Pre-K students demonstrate improved performance
  on Connecticut Early Childhood Benchmarks and
  Early Childhood Outcome data.

32
Goal 5

• Students with delays in social development and
  will improve social skills.
• Strategic Plan Character Attributes

33

• Appropriate behavior interventions will be
  provided for students with social skills deficits
  and/or behavioral issues through positive
  behavior supports, behavior management plans,
  attendance in social skills development groups,
  and/or counseling.
• All students have learning opportunities to
  facilitate understanding and acceptance of
  individual differences.
• Outcome
• Students meet the standard as set by the Annual
  Performance Report on Easton Special Education
  Services Rate of Out-of-School Suspension
  (Indicator 4).
• Students demonstrate increased acceptance or
  tolerance of individual differences.