“A New Chapter and a New Day”

An Update on the School Improvement Grant Staff Meeting

Friday, August 5, 2011

9:30 a.m.

LHS Commons

Teaching Excellence

Student Learning

Teamwork and Collaboration

Curriculum Assessment Instruction Professional Learning Communities Student Engagement

Any district or building initiative that we will implement over the next three years will center on these five focus areas.

Curriculum will be aligned to College Readiness Standards and eventually to the Common Core Standards.

English/Language Arts will be aligned to CRS first semester and aligned to the Common Core second semester.

All other subjects will have curriculum aligned to CRS this year and work towards Common Core Standards in years two and three of SIG.

Students will be assessed regularly using Scantron & Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI).

Scantron/SRI will be administered three times a year in reading & math.

An enrichment period will support the work of our students, and interim assessments will be used to determine their academic progress.

Scantron and SRI will provide professional development on the implementation of these assessments.

The Danielson Framework for Teaching is the instructional framework for LHS.

Instructional Coaches will provide support, as well as Administrators, and representatives from the American Institutes for Research (A.I.R.)/Learning Point will conduct informal classroom observations in the fall and spring using the CLASS Tool.

The LHS Freshman Academy will be a pilot site for the new teacher evaluation system based on the Danielson Framework.

Grade 9 – The Freshman Academy will receive support from A.I.R. (materials, assessment structure, and instructional strategies) for the enrichment period.

Grades 10-12 will receive support from the Learning Strategist and Data Manager (materials, assessment structures, instructional strategies) for the enrichment period.

All teachers will participate in a departmental PLC. In addition, freshman teachers will participate in an academy PLC.

LHS will also have an Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) and a Site Leadership Team (SLT).

The ILT will focus on curriculum, instruction, assessment, and student engagement.

The Site Leadership Team (SLT) will monitor the progress of the SIG initiatives. This group will include ILT members, parents, students, district, and community partners.

The ILT will participate in a Leadership Retreat conducted by A.I.R. and will have on-site support and continued training during years 1-3.

Departments will receive support from A.I.R. during years 1-3.

Student engagement in classroom learning is a focus areas.

Freshmen Forward will include information and activities that will support our incoming freshmen as they enter high school.

Freshman First Week will continue to support our students in their transition to high school.

Student Engagement is vital to student learning.

Student Engagement will be assessed during classroom observations.

The implementation of numerous initiatives has taken place.

Staff members have worked hard.

Positive changes have been made.

Improved our school culture/climate

Improved attendance and discipline

Established a positive presence in the community

Improved morale and school spirit

Built relationships with families

If you do what you’ve always done, you will get what you’ve always gotten.

With the awarding of the School Improvement Grant, we have a chance, over the next three years, to do things differently that will directly and positively impact the lives of our students.

In spite of obstacles that we may encounter, we must all be committed to the idea of doing things differently, and begin to think, act, and work differently.

Data tells us that our students continue to fall below benchmark.

Incoming freshmen are below benchmark in core areas.

Many of our students have been socially promoted and may never have experienced academic success.

We are raising the bar. We are asking more from our students and

their parents. I am expecting more from myself. I am expecting more from each one of you.

Plan: Increase the rigor in every class

Align curriculum to the College Readiness Standards and the Common Core Standards.

Enrichment time for all students Regularly scheduled universal screeners – Scantron

and Scholastic Reading Inventory PLCs – Departmental and Freshman Academy Student Engagement Additional Supports for Staff -- Teacher Instructional

Leaders, District Transformation Officer, On-Site Coordinator, Learning Strategist, Data Manager, and the Administration will be providing ongoing support for teaching and learning.

The Freshman Academy will be a pilot site for the new teacher evaluation system in year 1.

I am committed to leading this building into a new era.

I am committed to doing everything I can to help our students become successful not only in school and for life after graduation.

I am committed to providing support to all of our staff that will help them acquire the necessary skills and tools for to enhance and improve classroom instruction.

Here is what I hope the results will be:

Assessments will indicate that our students are improving in every academic area.

Every child will be functioning at or above grade level when they graduate.

THROUGH TEAMWORK Our students’ success depends on everyone’s

support.

Higher expectations

Increased rigorous instruction in all classrooms

Improved communication among all stakeholders

Improved test scores for students

Increased graduation and attendance rates

Improved relationships with students and families

Fewer failures per class – increased credits for our kids

District SIG Transformation Officer

On-Site SIG Coordinator

Learning Strategist

Data Manager

Teacher Instructional Leaders

Most of all, I am counting on all of you!

These changes are necessary to move us forward.

My administrative team is on board.

Open Door Policy

Questions / Wonderings / Ideas

100% Staff Involvement and Participation -- TOGETHER we CAN and WILL do it!!!