Norton Elementary and Middle School School Improvement Plan

2014-15

PURPOSE:Vision and Mission Statements

Our vision is to provide a safe, caring, and stimulating environment to cultivate productive and responsible life-long learners, in partnership with parents and community members. NURTURING EXCELLENCE AND MOTIVATING SUCCESS

Mission: Norton Elementary and Middle school recognizes that each child is an individual who can succeed with the support of their family, school and community. We strive to promote a safe and caring atmosphere that creates and enhances challenging learning programs to foster the development of social, emotional, physical, and intellectual growth of all its members. COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE- CREATING LIFE-LONG LEARNERS ONE CHILD AT A TIME

Overview of Targeted GoalsImprove Student Achievement

Encourage Stakeholder Engagement

Demonstrate Fiscal Responsibility

Offer Student Activities and Programs that Promote Personal Development

Use Data to Improve Learning

Improve Student AchievementMATH

70% of all students, grades 3-7, will obtain a passing score on the math SOL for the 2014-15 school year.

Subgroups: 57% of students with disabilities will meet Federal Annual Measurable Objectives on the SOL assessment in the Spring of 2015.

Strategies:Establish a Math Academy Program as part of the

Afterschool Program which will serve as a recovery program and focus on At-Risk students to supplement regular day instruction with a focus on building math concepts.

Provide a Tutoring Program that will focus on the special education subgroup during the regular school day in a focused, small group setting.

Develop a Pre- Algebra class for 7th grade students in which students are identified for the class determined by set criterion.

Professional Development: Development of math pacing guides by teachers in cooperation with the Math Specialist for grades 1-7.

Improve Student Achievement READING

75% of all students, grades 3-7, will obtain a passing score on the Reading SOL for the 2014-15 school year.

Strategies:The Title I program will identify students grades 1-6

and offer services to teachers and students in areas identified.

Accelerated Reading Program will be encouraged for grades 1-7.

Utilization and critiquing of the new reading series as a means to begin the process of developing pacing guides for reading by May 2015.

Professional Development: Unpacking Standards and utilizing the VDOE curriculum framework using Bloom’s levels of taxonomy for grades 1-7.

Professional Development: Assessment for Learning strategies will be utilized to form instruction and provide remediation to enhance student learning.

Encourage Stakeholder EngagementCollaborate with City Council to develop plans that

will meet the needs of both Norton Elementary and Middle School and the city of Norton.

Develop partnerships with local businesses and organizations and utilize talents within the community to enhance student experiences.

Develop a School-Wide Leadership team to serve as an advocate for School Improvement.

Provide opportunities for parent involvement within the school setting.

Encourage Community Service projects within the school community.

Strategies:Invite guests from the community to share talents and

knowledge with students to enhance the academic curriculum.

Acknowledge and share positive aspects of the school community via newsletter, email, social media, newspaper, Channel 51 and other local news stations.

The Leadership Team will be a vital part of the AdvancEd Review and Indistar reporting.

Teachers will provide opportunities for parent involvement in the classroom setting and extra-curricular activities as well as school community service projects.

Showcase Greenhouse Project with annual Farmer’s Market.

Demonstrate Fiscal ResponsibilityNorton Elementary will maintain a balanced

budget in all areas of school finance and will seek grant funding to supplement projects related to student achievement at the school level.

Norton Elementary will work with the Division to enhance the technology department- Internet, acquiring resources, training.

Fundraisers that are conducted for the procurement of funds for school projects/resources will meet the approval of the Superintendent and relate to student participation in a positive manner.

Strategies:Monthly meetings will be established with the

bookkeeper to review funds and disbursements. Monthly reports will be reviewed and kept on file by the Principal.

The Principal will seek grants that will enrich student achievement. The Principal will encourage and support teachers in the writing process.

Communicate technology needs to the Superintendent and the Technology Director.

A NEMS Cookbook will be developed by the community and students and sold as a fundraiser for the Playground Project.

The Annual Farmer’s Market will be held in the Spring to highlight student learning in Science and sustain the Greenhouse Project.

Offer Student Activities and Programs that Promote Personal Development

There will be a balance of co-curricular and extra- curricular activities offered for students to participate throughout the school year.

The guidance counselor will lead the coordination of the Gifted Programs.

Strategies:Gifted Programs (before, during and after school) grades

4-7Enrichment Programs grades k-3STEAM Activities - 6th and 7th grade Science/Math programJr. SWAGClubs & Intramurals- 6th and 7th gradeGET FIT Program- Girls Health and Fitness Awareness

ProgramFuel Up to Play 60 ProgramChoirBand Continual discussion of activities and programs with

faculty to improve, revise and implement procedures as needed to make stronger.

Use Data to Improve Learning SOL data from 2013-14 will be analyzed to

guide instruction for the 2014-15 school year.

A system of benchmark assessments will be implemented using Interactive Achievement as the tool in Math and Reading.

Assessments will be analyzed to form instruction for remediation and enrichment in Math and Reading.

Students will be identified for the Afterschool Math Academy using data from SOL’s and other assessments in grades 3-7.

Strategies:Grade level/departmental meetings on a bi-

monthly basis.Faculty meetings on a bi-monthly basis.Math Meetings with the Math Specialist for

lesson planning and reviewing assessments to plan for differentiation.

The Math Specialist will be a resource for all math teachers and will focus instruction for identified Title I students.

The Reading Specialist will be a resource for reading teachers grades k-6 to analyze PALS data, identify Title I students and guide instruction.