MissionSchool
Improvement Plan 2008-2009
Charting a course from where we are now to where we want to be…
Beliefs................................................................................................
3
Mission..............................................................................................
4
Parameters.........................................................................................
5
Targets...............................................................................................
6
Tactics...............................................................................................
7
Action Plans.....................................................................................
15
School Improvement Participants........................................................ 17
Statement of Beliefs
Formal expression of the organization’s
v
Fundamental values
v
Deep & abiding
convictions
v
Non-negotiable ethical
principles
v
Moral imperatives
· Education will accommodate and support the diverse needs of students and adults as all people have unique talents and abilities;
· Education is the shared responsibility of home, school & community;
· Education enriches the quality of life;
· Schools prepare students to be creative thinkers, problem solvers and effective communicators;
· Schools empower and encourage students to be responsible citizens, productive and collaborative workers, and life long learners in a technological, changing global society and economy;
· Schools must be safe, healthy, secure, nurturing learning environments which respond to changing educational needs;
· All interaction within the educational community must be conducted with dignity and mutual respect;
· All students are provided a differentiated standards-driven learning environment;
·
We, as a community, are obligated to support our educational
mission.
Mission
Identifies why the organization exists
Scituate
Middle School is committed to
producing
life-long learners by providing
all
students an academically challenging
integrated
curriculum in partnership with
the
community within a safe and respectful
environment
while supporting their unique
educational,
physical, emotional and social
Strategic Parameters
Absolute pronouncements that establish boundaries
v The health, safety & well-being of all members of our educational community is our highest priority.
v No other factor will take precedence over the PreK-12 instructional program.
v We will first address reallocating existing resources and exploring outside sources before seeking additional local funding.
v We will not tolerate prejudice of any kind.
Targets
The organization’s desired results
Ř By 2009, SMS will continue to meet the AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) targets in ELA (English-Language Arts).
Ř By 2008, SMS will continue to meet AYP targets in Math.
Ř
By 2008, SMS will
continue to meet AYP targets in the
special populations sub-group.
Tactics
Broad statements that describe how the organization’s resources will be deployed to achieve the mission and objectives
¨ LEAD THE FOCUS ON LEARNING & ACHIEVEMENT
¨ GUIDE THE SELECTION & IMPLEMENTATION OF CURRICULUM/INSTRUCTION/ASSESSMENT
¨ RECRUIT, SUPPORT & RETAIN HIGH QUALITY STAFF
¨ ENGAGE FAMILIES & COMMUNITY
¨ ENSURE SAFE, HEALTHY & SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENTS FOR STUDENTS
¨ ENSURE EQUITY & ADEQUACY OF FISCAL & HUMAN RESOURCES
¨ USE INFORMATION FOR PLANNING & ACCOUNTABILITY
Strategy #1
LEAD THE FOCUS ON LEARNING &
ACHIEVEMENT
Scituate Middle School maintains a clear focus on
learning & achievement. The
Principal communicates to students, teachers, school leaders, parents, school
committee & the community. A school leadership team, in conjunction with the principal, school planning team and learning
community describes what the students need to know and be able to do to achieve
the district's goals for learning. Scituate Middle School is committed to middle
level education as prescribed by Turning
Points 2000 focusing on the whole students and creating small (school within
a school) learning communities, i.e.; teaching teams.
Strategy #2
GUIDE THE SELECTION &
IMPLEMENTATION OF CURRICULUM/INSTRUCTION/ ASSESSMENT
The school curriculum is aligned with its mission
& objectives/goals for student learning as well as with district/state
standards for literacy, numeracy and all other mandated proficiencies. These
curricula have a variety of embedded assessments that allow students and
teachers to gauge learning, thereby allowing teachers to adjust instruction so
that it optimally promotes the learning
of each student. Additionally, teachers at Scituate Middle School practice
heterogeneous grouping, differentiated instruction, and literacy across all
content areas. The principal and school leadership team has an extensive
knowledge and understanding of standards-based education and management of
learning-centered classrooms.
Strategy #3
RECRUIT, SUPORT & RETAIN HIGH QUALITY STAFF
Scituate Middle School recruits candidates with the
highest qualifications. All
teachers at Scituate Middle School are highly qualified. These professionals are
provided with various supports including: mentoring, critical friends,
job-embedded professional development (PD & I-Plan). PD ties the PD of
individuals to district and school objectives/goals.
Unions and school leadership work collaboratively to develop fair and effective
evaluation systems and connect PD with school needs.
Strategy #4
ENGAGE FAMILIES & COMMUNITY
The school affirms that parents and community members
are integral to the success of the district’s mission. The school improvement
team, school leadership team and school parent teacher organization meet
regularly and are examples of those venues in which parents and community
members may express ideas and provide feedback while becoming more informed of
and involved in, the educational processes impacting student learning at
Scituate Middle School.
Strategy
#5
ENSURE SAFE, HEALTHY & SUPPORTIVE
ENVIRONMENTS FOR STUDENTS
Scituate Middle School ensures a safe and supportive
environment through the work of committees and community organizations that
develop effective policies that address health and wellness, crisis response
issues and safety. These policies create a learning environment that promote
mutual respect and individual responsibility and ensures the safety and
well-being of every member of the school community. SMS will create a student
advisory to address the social and emotional needs of all students.
Strategy #6
ENSURE EQUITY
& ADEQUACY OF FISCAL & HUMAN RESOURCES
The school principal, in conjunction with his staff and with consent from the school committee, determines an adequate, and equitable formula for the allocation of fiscal and human resources based on student need. The school principal, with input from the staff, determines how these funds and human resources are allocated at the school level. These allocations are subsequently reviewed by central administration and school committee.
USE INFORMATION FOR PLANNING &
ACCOUNTABILITY
Scituate Middle School subscribes to the principles of continuous improvement via various internal and external planning and improvement activities. Scituate Middle School engages in strategic planning and employs broadly representative school improvement teams to implement the results of that planning. Extensive formative and summative evaluations are utilized to measure learning and teaching. State testing data as well as internal/district data will be used to make instructional decisions.
Action Plans Explicit step-by-step processes for realizing each strategy
Action
Plan #1:
Instructional Strategies
We
will develop GLE and GSE instructional strategies in all content areas
Action
Plan #2: Middle School Restructuring
We
will implement a middle school program consistent with the recommendations of
the Carnegie report on middle schools – Turning Points 2000
Action
Plan #3: Communication
We
will improve the communication between our school and the community
Action
Plan #4: Interventions
We
will develop and implement intervention activities and programs to ensure that
all students have a safe, successful, and productive middle school experience.
Action
Plan
#5: Hiring of Staff
We
will recruit, support, and retain high quality staff
Annual Update Pending
Strategic Planning Participants
Rebecca
Limoges – Teacher - School Planning Team Co-Chair
Ellen
Tamboe – Teacher - School Planning Team Co-Chair
Deborah
Kintzing - Teacher
Diane
Gray - Teacher
Lisa
Gagnon – Parent
Pat
Murtagh – Teacher