Melissa Genson



Strategic Plan for HC Elementary SchoolMelissa GensonEAD- 539July 4, 2018HC Elementary School’s DataHC Elementary School has received its state ranking and testing data for the 2017/2018 school year. Unfortunately, or maybe unsurprisingly, the school has received a state grade of a C. As the new principal, I have studied the states results and am left craving more information. HC has scored higher or matched the state average in every content area. However, depending on the state, scores may be low across the state making the results a bit misleading. Depending on the state, there are many factors that affect school rankings and grades. While these rankings are based primarily on high stakes tests, they are not entirely depended on the test scores. For example, in the Kansas City Missouri Public School District, the administration has worked hard to regain accreditation. Yet, even though test scores have improved, attendance records show major concerns. Attendance is part of state accreditation requirements and thus, the KCPS district shifted its focus last year. Schools pushed the importance of attendance with parents and families and were able to increase the percentage of student time in schools and also earn its accreditation provisionally. This is just one example of how state rankings and grade cards can be misleading. Digging even deeper, especially regarding the achievement gap and diversity within the HC school, it is possible that even more questions may arise and possibly some answers as well. Glynn, 2013, writes, “Once test performance is disaggregated by socioeconomic and racial subgroups, it becomes clear that, across the country, demographics drive the rankings, not actual school quality.” In other words, we may have some of the highest quality teaching in our HC school, but without attention to the needs of our diverse population and closing the achievement gap, our school will not improve.All this is to say that the main focus of HC Elementary’s strategic plan will be to identify quality educators and leaders within the building, collect and analyze data quarterly, and use the data to target and improve student achievement through SMART Goals.Instructional GoalsHC will be using SMART Goals to focus educators and content leaders on one specific goal per quarter. SMART is a simple acronym to help educators and leadership alike, remember how to create effective goals. According to Davis, 2010, SMART stands for:“?Specific, strategic, significant ?Measurable, meaningful ?Attainable, agreed upon ?Relevant, realistic, reasonable ?Timely, tangible” In other words, these goals must be focused, achievable, and have an end date. Looking at HC’s recent data, it is clear that SMART Goals can be used in each content area. These goals will not focus on the percentage of students meeting proficient or advanced on state testing but rather on the growth displayed by all students. The following chart shows the HC SMART goals for the 2018/2019 school year, regarding 3rd grade. MathReadingWritingScienceSMultiplication Fact FluencyReading Comprehension grade levelCreation of three paragraph paper with beginning, middle, and endWater CycleM60%60%60%60%AOnly a 10% increase from the previous yearOnly a 10% increase from the previous yearOnly a 10% increase from the previous yearOnly a 10% increase from the previous yearR3rd Grade Standard3rd Grade Standard3rd Grade Standard3rd Grade StandardTEnd of 1st quarterEnd of 1st quarterEnd of 1st quarterEnd of 1st quarterGoal:Through daily practice, students will show an average of 60% growth in the area of Fact Fluency, by the end of 1st quarter.Assessment Tool:Pre and Post Fact Fluency Test Through daily practice, students will show an average of 60% growth in the area of Reading comprehension, by the end of 1st quarter.Assessment Tool:Pre and Post iReady AssessmentThrough daily writing instruction and practice, students will show an average of 60% growth on rubrics demonstrating the ability to write a three paragraph paper with a beginning, middle, and end, by the end of 1st quarter.Assessment Tool:Pre and Post Lucy Caulkins RubricThrough daily practice, experimentation, and hands on learning, students will show an average of 60% growth understanding the Water Cycle, by the end of 1st quarter.Assessment Tool:Pre and Post iReady AssessmentThe SMART goals above are one example of how HC will create and track their goals. Data collection with happen through pre- and post-tests as well as “check-points” in the middle of each quarter. Data teams will then analyze results and adjust as needed. These SMART goals will be primary focus for the school year and a leadership team will be established to help support teachers in their journey to meet these goals.Interviewing Potential Instructional Leadership Team Candidates Purinton’s study, 2018, showed that, ““We have seen in hundreds, if not thousands, of cases over our collective careers that good leaders are not just born — they can be developed.” I am a firm believer that no teacher enters this profession thinking they will be a “bad teacher.” Every education student knows that it is one of the lowest paying careers and that the “pay” comes in other forms, such as the look on a child’s face when he first realizes he can read. Thus, it is crucial for schools to stop labeling teachers as “good” or “bad” and focus on using school leadership to develop all teachers and support those who need it most. Struggling teachers can and will become solid leaders in our schools when given the correct supports. At HC, this support will come in the form of a leadership team. HC’s leadership team will focus on supporting all teachers. The leadership team will help with understanding curriculum, differentiation, collecting and digging into data, and staff morale. The primary goal for this group of educations will be to guide and develop their peers. Bowen, 2015, states: “There’s little information available on personalized professional development, most educators are hesitant about initiating their own growth as educators. This factor, combined with the majority of the workday is spent with students, results in limited peer-to-peer interactions that unfortunately affects student learning” (pg. 324).Thus, it is important to hire leaders who are influential members of the school. HC wants to allow all teachers the opportunity to apply for this leadership opportunity. Therefore, an announcement will be made, by newsletter or email, about the paid opportunity to lead within the school. Applicants will be interviewed and the importance of the positions will be stressed. Before making solid conclusions on who will be members of this team, I will be observing all candidates, inside and outside of the classroom. The way students walk in the hallway says just as much about a teacher, as how they sit in their classroom desks. I will be looking at prior leadership experiences. I will also be taking into consideration how involved they are in the building and how respected they are by their peers. Prior state testing scores may or may not be considered. However, growth scores on previous years’ assessments will be considered. During the interview process, I want the teacher to explain how they know they can help their peers. I might ask, “How do you approach a peer about their lacking classroom management during their previous science lesson?” I want to know how they can help teachers who are shy, outgoing, want help, or do not want help. Most importantly, I want to get a feel for how they handle awkward or confrontational situations, how they earn the trust of their teachers, and how they handle confidential information.Qualities Wanted in Instructional Team CandidatesThe leadership team I assemble at HC will have many members with a focused goal of supporting our teachers and students. The assistant principal and myself will lead the group in creating or reviewing SMART goals, tracking data, observing classrooms, mentoring teachers, and providing feedback and strategies to make the school stronger. Teachers on this team will be trusted members of the school. They will have knowledge about cross-curriculum standards and curriculum. These teachers will be data driven and experts in differentiation, with the ability to target the achievement gap. Th team will host all content leaders in the building, for Science, Englush Language Arts, and Math. Additionally, I will hire one or two teacher leaders from each grade level. A school counselor and curriculum specialist will also be on the team. The district has agreed to hire three teacher coaches for the year, as well.Although it is incredibly difficult to make time in our busy educational days, I will be asking leadership team members to be in classrooms doing observations of their assigned teachers, regularly. Measuring EffectivenessHC will use different tools to assess the growth of each student. This depends on the subject and the resources provided by the district. HC currently has access to a few online assessment tools, such as Achievement Series, NWEA, and iReady. These are primarily used for Reading and Math. IReady will be purchased for Science as well in the 2018/2019 school year. Science classrooms use DiscoveryEd for their curriculum and assessment tools. While classrooms do not have a set writing curriculum, many are familiar with Lucy Caulkin’s Writing. Teachers will not be required to teach this curriculum but will assess writing by using her writing rubrics, thus eliminating biases. The primary goal for HC staff is to use data to identify weaknesses in instruction and learning, differentiate to meet the needs of ALL students, and demonstrate a 10% growth over the school year. ReferencesBowen, C. (2015). What Connected Educators Do Differently. Journal Of Educational Technology & Society, 18(3), 323-325.Davis, D., Carman, E., College, B., & McGraw-Hill, E. (2010). Accelerate Learning with SMART Goals for Students and Staff. College Board, GLYNN, T. R., & WALDECK, S. E. (2013). Penalizing Diversity: How School Rankings Mislead the Market. Journal Of Law & Education, 42(3), 417-500.Purinton, T., Azcoitia, C., & Carlson, K. (2018). Deciphering the Magic of Community School Leadership. Phi Delta Kappan, 99(5), 39-42 ................
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