Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Live reporting - Elementary principals

2. Guests/Presentations

b. Elementary School Improvement Plans – Elementary Principals


Keller - started with 606 students but only 600 today with a report of some more coming.
Students are making gains but there are subgroups that are not making the targeted goals.
Literacy goals are the same across the elementary schools
Collaborative leadership expands upon last year to address bullying with a more defined procedure
Response To Intervention (RTI) will be rigorous, forms being updated, data driven, focusing on Tier 2 interventions

Davis-Thayer - 92% of the students met benchmark reading expectations
Office discipline referrals went down
Collaborative leadership formed to work through school items, making good progress
Expanding math CET assistance to grades 3-5 this year
Data being used to focus on specific issues to drive instruction
Addressing bullying, Bobcat buddies, work on reporting to develop the data
K and 2nd are high class sizes, 3 and 4th grades reduced with additional teachers

Parmenter - did show progress on MCAS, up by 1 point in all groups
special ed subgroup missed by 1 point, missed for second year in row, now with an action plan to correct
Literacy work continuing with district effort
Working on RTI this year, to get the students support at the first sign of falling behind
2 additional classroom teachers for 3rd and 5th grades, lowering to between 18-19 in the 3 and 5th grades with the new teachers, teachers hired, classrooms being set up, they will start with classes next Monday
Examining closely on how the special education instruction is delivered, keeping the students connected with the instruction, rather than pull them out of the classroom from an other subject
Creating common planning time for teachers so they can look at, analyze the data and make the necessary modifications to the lesson plans
MCAS is only one snapshot taken during the year, this planning time will be used during the year to address it on an on-going basis

Oak - 457 students, down three classrooms
enrollment declining over the last three years
the decline in enrollment helped partially to meet the goals
Did make AYP in the special ed subgroup
special education declining likely due to the support being provided in the regular education early on
Continuing with the hands on equations started last year
Oak accepting Davis Thayer kindergarten students for one year to help with that situation

Jefferson - Introduction of many members of the team that worked on the plan, including a parent
Highlight the reading goal rather than go through what the committee has already read
Summer reading numbers have gone up
The focus on reading has been bringing benefits elsewhere including MCAS
Study island during time when attendance would be taken to provide special assistance
FAST Math is being used and making a difference when trying to solve word problems
two years ago, 3 3rd grades with large class sizes and did not make AYP, the next year, there were 4 4th grades and this class made AYP, this current year, now in 5th grade, back to three classrooms, she is concerned.

Kennedy - immediate gains in amount of reading and conversations about the reading
Introduced algebraic number thinking, understanding of higher order math skills
Spent last year analyzing the results from the parent survey in the spring of 2009
Added a PCC newsletter to the principals newsletter to help with communications
math focus less on higher thinking, more on coordinated efforts amongst the teachers and special educators
Did not make AYP for special ed in math
Response To Intervention (RTI)
strengthening the home school connection, increase parent involvement in the schools
Added a 3rd grade to reduce class size from 27 to 20

Cafasso - many of you mentioned the class size issue, we have struggled to give you the financial support you need, (1) how is the lack of resources playing out? (2) how do you handle the new 'federal' teachers?

Kennedy - started wading through resumes on the day before school, interviewed on the first day, letter to parents, met with students. teacher was hired, notified students Monday (9/12), all children got a placement letter (a second 'first' day), a gathering for the new classes in the cafeteria (blue, yellow, red, and green). Song helped separate and celebrate. Teachers had special activities for the classes today prepared. Strive for gender balance, student and teacher style and needs all re-looked at, 2nd grade teachers reviewed and provided input, then 3rd grade teachers had final review before re-allocation.

Similar process at the other two elementary schools

Parmenter - 15 candidates narrowed down to five for interview with the team, 2 rose to the top from the interviews
Experienced with everyday math and readers workshop
new teachers met the students today, meeting more Weds, Thursday placement letters will go home
Friday the students will move to the new classrooms, a celebration and a coffee for the parents will also be held.

Glynn - have you heard feedback from the parents on situations where the class sizes were not addressed?

Roy - Did you find in your searches were you getting lots of applications?

Yes, hundreds of candidates!

Roy - happy to hear that you have been working hard to make this as minimal impact to the students as possible

Sabolinski - thanks to the staff and principals for their working in turning this around as quickly as they did. All but one special ed teacher is hired and ready to go. There was a compelling case to add teachers to these schools.


Franklin, MA

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