School Improvement Process

1
School Improvement Process

• Mt. Pleasant School
• Nashua School District
• Bruce Geer, Principal

2
Itinerary

• Stakeholders
• Broad-based Improvement
• Communication
• Coordination with Building Initiatives
• Lessons Learned Along the Journey

3
Itinerary

• Leadership Role of The Principal
• School Choice
• Key Components of our SI Plan
• Mt. Pleasant SI Strategies
• Mt. Pleasant SI Accomplishments 03-04

4
Involve Stakeholders

• Representatives from grade level teams, special
  services, Title I, ESL, Guidance,
  paraprofessionals
• Parents School Improvement Team and Focus Group
• Central Office- Curriculum Specialists

5
Broad-based Improvement

• Curriculum and Instruction
• Data Based Accountability
• Culture and Climate
• Structural Reform
• Extended Learning Activities
• Delivery of Support Services
• Parent and Community Involvement
• Literacy Team

6
Communication is Critical

• Informal
• Meeting minutes and Agendas to staff
• SI updates at all faculty meetings
• SI Team asked to share with grade level teams
• Parent Focus Group, PTO
• Central Office

7
Coordinate Building Initiatives

• Implementation of new SBRR language arts program
• Building Action Plan
• Building Council
• Reading First Initiative

8
Lessons Learned

• Staff needs consistent encouragement and positive
  feedback Recognize hard work and
  accomplishments
• Some committees need more guidance than others
• There is a need for modeling and explicit
  directions

9
Lessons Learned

• Gathering research to support strategies was a
  challenge for some, our facilitator was
  especially helpful in this area
• We discussed many strategies and actions but
  tried to narrow the scope-Many actions could
  categorized under a few strategies

10
Lessons Learned

• Waiting can be a source of frustration Waiting
  for forms and approvals
• In the first year it felt like we were always
  talking and planning with implementation of some
  things limited by late approval and scheduling
  snags with consultants

11
Lessons Learned

• The staff becomes fatigued meeting after
  meeting, pressure to perform from newspaper,
  perceived, self imposed
• It is no surprise that teachers are the key to
  successful school improvement
• The NH Department of Education is very helpful
  and attendance at the H.O.P.E. Conference
  beneficial

12
Lessons Learned

• Do your best to lighten the load and limit extra
  meetings
• SI Team replaced our Building Council
• Utilize available faculty meeting and early
  release time
• Take a leadership role in writing and finalizing
  the written plan

13
Leadership Role

• Faculty looks to principal as the leader and a
  trusting relationship was critical
• Facilitator very helpful early on but I had a
  need to set the direction and plan and coordinate
  SI meetings and process
• Communication and collaboration with the
  facilitator was essential

14
School Choice

• 2003-04- We had eleven inquiries- Most unrelated
  to NCLB- hidden agendas
• Three parents exercised option for school choice
  in 2003.
• 2004-05- Two inquiries- One wondering if the
  school is closing, one parent wanted full day K
  not offered at MP
• No parents exercised school choice option.

15
Key Components of SI Plan

• Needs Assessment
• Implementation of SBRR Reading Program
• Comprehensive Assessment Plan designed to inform
  instruction
• Professional Development initially focused on
  improving services for special education
• Enhanced teacher collaboration

16
Key Components

• Support through extended day programs
• Reading First Initiative
• Protect and maximize instructional time
• Shift to a classroom based intervention model

17
Mt. Pleasant SI Strategies

• Curriculum and Instruction
• Strategies
• Utilize Scott Foresman supplemental materials and
  annual consumables to ensure complete
  implementation to enhance the effectiveness of
  the program.
• Follow the prescribed Language Arts procedures
  and materials published by Scott Foresman, which
  has been developed in accordance with
  scientifically based reading research.

18
Mt. Pleasant SI Strategies

• Culture and Climate
• Continue guiding the effective implementation of
  the Scott Foresman Language Arts program and our
  broad based school improvement process by
  providing compensation for staff serving on the
  Mt. Pleasant Literacy Team and School Improvement
  Team.
• Foster collaboration and professional
  collegiality by funding meetings scheduled beyond
  the contractual school day with agendas centering
  on the sharing of instructional strategies
  supported by SBRR, addressing common
  instructional problems and solutions, assessment,
  the writing process, planning models,
  differentiated instruction etc.

19
Mt. Pleasant SI Strategies

• Professional Development
• Provide professional development for all
  professional and support staff targeted at
  improving instruction to meet the needs of
  special education students. Professional
  development will focus on strategies supported by
  scientifically based reading research. Tentative
  topics include differentiated instruction,
  intervention methods, phonemic awareness,
  phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
  
• Contract consultants with expertise in
  implementing the Scott Foresman language arts
  program with the goal of achieving high quality,
  consistent implementation to meet the needs of
  all students.

20
MT. Pleasant SI Strategies

• Extended Learning Activities
• Mt. Pleasant will continue to offer extended day
  activities and Summer school through a 21st
  Century Grant to promote literacy and increase
  achievement.
• Delivery of Support Services
• Follow the prescribed Scott Foresman intervention
  components for instruction in special education,
  English as a second language, and Title 1 reading
  using materials that are directly connected to
  the classroom curriculum.
• Investigate and implement programs, materials,
  and approaches to supplement the core Language
  Arts program to meet the needs of special
  education students functioning significantly
  below grade level.

21
Mt. Pleasant SI Strategies

• Parent and Community Involvement
• Organize a parent focus group representative of
  our diverse population to provide a vehicle for
  enhancing home/school communication, support and
  feedback for continuous school improvement.
• Plan fun and educational activities that
  encourage parental involvement and enhance
  literacy.

22
Mt. Pleasant SI Strategies

• Data Based Accountability and Evaluation
• Implement a systematic, building wide assessment
  program to include screening, diagnostics,
  progress monitoring, outcome post testing and
  formative school based assessments. Scott
  Foresman assessments will include DIBELS, unit
  Tests, Selection Tests, End of Year Testing,
  writing prompts, and placement testing. NHEIAP
  testing will be administered in grades three and
  six.
• Provide professional development and training for
  teachers and paraprofessionals in the
  implementation of prescribed assessments and to
  help them become more proficient at linking
  assessment to instruction.

23
SI Accomplishments 2003-04

• Established an effective School Improvement Team
  and subcommittee structure
• Conducted a thorough needs assessment
• Developed a comprehensive School Improvement Plan
  approved and commended by the NH Department of
  Education

24
SI Accomplishments 2003-04

• Implemented a new SBRR Language Arts program
  guided by a newly formed Literacy Team
• Established and effectively utilized team
  collaboration time
• Participated in a variety of professional
  development sessions targeting the topics of
  special education, assessment, intervention,
  language arts, and Reading First

25
SI Accomplishments 2003-04

• Conducted a highly successful Camp Out 2004
  Literacy Celebration
• Welcomed a district visiting team to observe and
  review systems and procedures
• Awarded Reading First Grant
• Installed a 25 station computer lab with
  projection, sound, and DVD capabilities

26
SI Accomplishments 2003-04

• Implemented a classroom based intervention model
  replacing a pull-out model
• Developed a comprehensive assessment plan
  designed to inform instruction
• Achieved Annual Yearly Progress as determined by
  2004 NHEIAP results
• SURVIVED!