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SwantonSchoolAction/SchoolImprovementPlan2010-2011

Statementofpurpose:

ThisAction/Improvementplaniswrittentoensurethateverystudentineveryclassroomhasequitableaccesstoawellthoughtoutcourseofstudyandconsistent,highqualityinstruction.Duringschoolyear2009-2010wewereabletocreateanoperationaldefinitionofourReader’sWorkshopStandardofPracticeandeachgradelevelcompletedone–twofullunitsofstudythatconnectedscienceorsocialstudieswithlanguageartsandmathematics.Teachersalsoworkedwiththemathcoachtocreateendofunitformativeassessmentsforallmathematicsunits.ThemajorstepsintheActionPlanwillcontinuefor2010-2011tocontinuetomove forwardwiththemajorthemesofconsistency,coherence,andconnections.

PartOne:StandardsofPractice

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Background:Duringschoolyear2007-2008,eachtaskforceworkedtodefine“guiding principles”and“standardsofpractice”forabalancedliteracyprogram,abalancedmathematicsprogram,andaninclusivesociallearningprogram.The“StandardsofPractice”documentwasdistributedinMarchof2008,afterbeingvettedbytheschool’s“DesignTeam.”WhilethecombinedmembershipoftaskforcesandtheDesignTeamcomprisedalargepercentageofteachers,itdoesnotincludeallteachers.Withoutfurtherdiscussionoroperationaldefinitionsofthisdocument,wehavenotbeenabletofullyrealizeitspotential.Duringschoolyear2009-2010,thefullfacultyworkedthroughtheReader’sWorkshopcomponentoftheStandardsofPracticeandansweredthefivequestionstocreateanoperationaldefinitionforReader’sWorkshop.The2010-2011componentoftheActionPlanwillbetoworkintensivelytowardfullimplementationofthecompleteddefinitionofaReader’sWorkshopmodelandlinkingreadingtowritingthroughthedevelopmentofauthenticwritingthatrespondstotext.

Whatwilltheoutcomebe?

AclearandconsistentmodelforReader’sWorkshopwillbeunderstoodandimplementedbyallclassroomteachersK-6.AuthenticwritingwillbeincorporatedasonecomponentoftheReader’sWorkshopmodel(respondingtotext).TeacherswillexploretherelationshipbetweentheReader’sandWriter’sWorkshopcomponentsoftheinstructionalday.Studentswithdisabilitieswillhaveaccesstothegeneraleducationcurriculumthroughimprovedteachingofresearchbasedspecializedreadingandwritingprograms.

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Howwillwemeasurethis?

ImprovedstudentachievementbasedontheFountasandPinnellbenchmarktesting,fluencymeasures(R-CBM)andNECAPscores.ImprovedscoresontheDevelopmentalSpellingAssessment.AchievementratingsonIndividualizedEducationProgramsintheareasofreadingandwriting.

Whatactivitieswillleadustothisoutcome?

OngoingcoachingandmentoringprovidedbySwantonliteracycontentspecialist.Creationof21

centurywritingexperiencesforolderstudentsthroughthe“DigitalClassrooms”oftheVermontYoungWriter’sProjectTeacherlearningcommunitiesexaminingstudentworkinthedigitalclassroomand/oronpaperCoachingandmentoringfromoutsideconsultantstosupportSpecialEducatorsandparaprofessionalsinimprovedfidelitytoresearchbasedreadingandwritingprogramsOptionalpeermodelingandcoaching.

Whatresourcesareneeded?

GradelevelmeetingtimeReleasedaysasneededAccesstotheDigitalClassroom(subscription)andassociatedprofessionaldevelopmentAccesstonetbooksforallstudentsCoachingandmentoringforspecialeducatorsandparaprofessionalsAccesstoresearchbasedreadingandwritingprogramsforspecializedinstruction

PartII:FormativeandAuthenticAssessment

Background:Duringschoolyear2006-2007,wedevotedsomein-serviceandstaffmeetingtimetolearningabouttheroleofcurriculummappingindefiningandorganizingcurriculum.Duringschoolyear2009-2010,teachersworkedtogethertodevelopcommon“connectedunits”storedinVCAT,primarilybasedonsciencecontent.Teachersalsoworkedwiththemathcoachtodevelopunitsofstudyinmathematics.Forschoolyear2010-2011thefocuswillbeonfurtherdevelopingtheseunitsbyadding“checkpoints”alongthewayusingresearchbasedformativeassessmentsandauthenticperformancebasedassessments.

Whatwilltheoutcomebe?

Furtherdevelopmentofexistingunitsofstudyinallcontentareasbyfocusingonthedevelopmentofcommonformativeassessmentsandauthenticperformancebasedassessments.Deeperunderstandingofformativeassessmentandthelinkbetweenformativeassessmentandincreasedstudentachievement

Howwillwemeasurethis?

Completedcommonformativeassessmentsandperformancebasedassessments.Documentationofdatateamworkexaminingtheoutcomeofcommonlydevelopedformativeassessmentsorauthenticperformanceassessments.ImprovedstudentachievementscoresasmeasuredbyallmeasuresincludedintheLocalAssessmentPlan.

Whatactivitieswillleadtothisoutcome?

GradelevelteachersfromallinstructionaltiersworkingtogethertodevelopcommonassessmentsGradelevelteachersfromallinstructionaltiersworkingtogetherusingadatateamprocesstoexaminetheoutcomeofthestudentworkontheassessmentsandplanninginstructionaladjustmentsVerticalteamsworkingtogetherontheETScourse,“KeepingLearningonTrack”

Whatresourcesareneeded?

Substitutesand/orstipendsforreleasedaysGradelevelmeetingtimeFacultymeetingtimeforverticalteamsAdditionalcoachinginthedevelopmentofformativeassessmentsthatallowfordifferentiatedinstruction

PartIII:SocialResponsibility

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Background:WebeganimplementingtheSupportiveClassroom,aVermontbasedschoolwideprogramofintegratingsociallearningwithacademics,sevenyearsago.In 2006,wecontinuedtosupportourprogramofsociallearningbyimplementingPositiveBehavioralInterventionsandSupports(PBIS)asaschoolwidemodeltoenhanceourSupportiveClassroomcurriculumandusedatatodriveourplanningforsupportingstudentbehavior.During2009-2010theschoolwidebullyingapproachwasimplementedthroughthecreationofastudentleadershipgroup,TheSpeakOutSwans.SomeresearchbasedTierIIIprogramswereordered,butnotfullyexplored.