Bradford Elementary School Continuous Improvement Plan

Initial Plan Development Date: 2/27/2018

Date of Last Revision: March 11, 2020

OESU Schools: BES, BMU, NES, TES, WRVS, OHS, RBCTC

Title I Schools: BES, BMU, NES, WRVS,OHS

PHASE 1: Comprehensive Needs Assessment*

PHASE 1: –Assess and Innovate

Links to: Education Quality and Continuous Improvement Framework: Research, Resources and Support for Continuous Improvement Planning Self-Paced Comprehensive Needs Assessment Course and the Vermont Comprehensive Needs Assessment Toolkit

Shared Vision: Shared Vision:     OESU Cultivating a Love of Learning

Collaborative Stakeholders Represented: Emilie Knisley, Superintendent; Nicole Bell, Director of Curriculum; Kate Paxton, BES Principal; Cate Beaton, MTSS Coordinator

Broad Area(s) of Focus Based on Data Review:

Our three main goals:

· Academic Proficiency: Curriculum, High Quality Instruction, Assessment

· Safe & Healthy Schools: Multi-tiered System of Supports

· High Quality Staffing: Professional Development, Leadership, Mentoring Program, Evaluation System

Based on our needs assessment and most recent Integrated Field Review, in order to improve our system we need to focus on developing an SU wide coordinated curriculum, an SU wide approach to MTSS and develop strategies for retaining high quality staff.

Identified Priority Problems/Problems of Practice:

· Curriculum: We do not have an SU-wide, standards-aligned coordinated curriculum designed to ensure all students meet graduation requirements; BES does not have a current curriculum in place

· Multi-tiered System of Supports: We do not have consistent SU wide MTSS approaches and practices in place across all schools. BES has not had a system of multi-tiered supports in place.

· High Quality Staffing: BES has not had a lot of turn-over in staff, but our UpBeat survey data shows teachers feel we are not hiring high quality, experienced staff; not focusing on the right professional development; BES has not had a consistent evaluation system in place.

Root Cause Analysis Results:

Two areas of concern were discovered from our original root cause analysis:

· There is a lack of consistent OESU-wide proficiency-based curriculum aligned to standards

· There has been limited data-driven decision making at BES.

· Lack of both a consistent SU-wide proficiency-based curriculum and a comprehensive understanding and use of data-driven decision making has led to discrepancies in student achievement.

· We agree we need to work collaboratively across our grade levels within our school and with other schools to establish a student-centered proficiency-based system that is understood by all and meets the goals outlined in our shared vision: defining, implementing, monitoring and supporting clear expectations for student learning in all content areas PK-12

· We have not been adhering to state expectations for SUs and schools in the past and are behind with our systems

More recently, after much discussion, the overall feeling or root cause for why OESU has not complied with state expectations in the following areas: Curriculum, MTSS, High Quality Staffing;

· Revolving door of both central office and building leadership; BES has had 4 principals in 6 years; central office has had significant turn-over and vacancies in the following positions for years: superintendent, assistant superintendent, business manager, director of curriculum and director of technology

· Current initiatives and practices initiated at the state level have been ignored because there hasn’t been consistency at the helm to lead positive change and ensure transformation

· Schools have become silos

Theory of Improvement/Action: Theory of Improvement/Action:

If we develop an SU wide coordinated curriculum BES will be able to better ensure consistency and equity with curriculum, instruction and assessment across our school to better serve and meet all students’ needs.

If we establish, cultivate, and monitor an SU-wide, multi-tiered system of student-centered proficiency-based learning, teaching, and assessment practices, BES will have a more accurate measure of student learning and supports needed to help students achieve.

If we better train, mentor and evaluate teachers, we will retain high quality teachers to best meet our students’ needs.

*Please attach all relevant documents and supporting data that helped justify your decisions and conclusions.

PHASE 1: Prioritized Goals

Prioritized Goals:

Academic Proficiency

Explanation:

Each supervisory union board shall ensure the written and delivered curriculum within their supervisory union is aligned with the standards approved by the State Board of Education. Each school shall enable students to engage annually in rigorous, relevant and comprehensive learning opportunities that allows them to demonstrate proficiency. As required in 16 V.S.A. §261a(a)(1), the board of each supervisory union shall ensure that each school implements the supervisory union's written and delivered curriculum which shall be aligned, coordinated and designed to ensure students meet graduation requirements.

Goal #1: Academic Proficiency: Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment

What do we want to accomplish? SMART Goal(s)

What changes can we make?

By the end of school year 2022 OESU will develop a standards aligned pre-kindergarten through 12th grade coordinated curriculum for mathematics and literacy.

· SY 2019 2020: Director of Curriculum for OESU and BES staff will begin work on curriculum development in k-8 math and literacy over the course of 5 release days; teams comprised of teaching staff will work simultaneously to develop OESU curriculum utilizing work existing within SU as main resource. Math will be the main focus.

· SY 2020 2021: Director of Curriculum for OESU and BES staff will continue work on curriculum development in k-8 math and literacy over the course of 5 release days; teams comprised of teaching staff will work simultaneously to develop OESU curriculum utilizing work existing within SU as main resource. Literacy will be the main focus.

By the end of SY2022, all students by grade level will increase by 5% proficiency standards in math on state and local assessments.

· OESU will focus on professional development for math instruction and assessment practices

· By school year 2020 2021 OESU will have hired an instructional coach to focus mainly on job embedded professional development in math

· We will continue our partnership with All Learner’s Network

· By the end of school year 2022 all math teachers will have participated in OGAP training

I

Beginning SY 2020 2021 OESU will have in place an SU-wide Assessment Plan to support progress monitoring in alignment with MTSS

· By the end of SY2020 2021, OESU will have identified high quality assessments as SU wide data points

· By the end of SY2019 2020 all k-6 teachers will have had F & P 3rd edition calibration training

How will we know our interventions and/or innovations resulted in improvements?

We will know our changes have resulted in improvement when our students reach higher achievement goals, with increases of 5% or better on state and local assessments.

Funding Source(s)

Local, Consolidated Federal Program

Prioritized Goals

Safe and Healthy Schools

Explanation

In accordance with 16 V.S.A. §2902 and State Board Rule 2194, each school shall ensure that a tiered system of academic and behavioral supports is in place to assist all students in working toward attainment of the standards.

Goal #2: Safe and Healthy Schools:

MTSS

What do we want to accomplish?

What change(s) can/did we make that will result in improvement?

By the end of SY 2020 2021 All schools within OESU will implement a multi-tiered system of supports consistent with collaboratively agreed upon OESU MTSS Framework to ensure consistency and sustainability.

· By the end of SY 2019 2020 BES will have completed an articulated SU MTSS framework that clearly identifies both academic and behavioral systems of supports for all students.

· SY 2019 2020 BES will have clearly defined their EST roles and responsibilities

· SY 2019 2020 BES will have a clearly defined process for reviewing targeted academic data

· By SY 2020 2021 OESU with BES will have defined a professional development plan for instructional and classroom management approaches that embed social emotional practices into everyday routines and practices

By the end of SY 2021 2022 All schools will have completed integrating SEL with curriculum for grades k-8; with 9-12 in 2022 2023

· 2019 2020 MTSS Coordinator will lead SEL curriculum work with participation from BES staff

· 2020 2021 MTSS Coordinator and Director of Curriculum will review instructional curriculum and SEL curriculum and begin integration process with team, including BES staff

· 2021 2022 Team, under director of Director of Curriculum and MTSS Coordinator will continue working to integrate SEL and Instructional curriculum to build one comprehensive curriculum that addresses whole child

How will/do we know our change resulted in an improvement?

    We will know our changes have resulted in improvement when data from our school climate and culture surveys indicates improvement and all students have met our 5% increase goal. 

Funding Source(s)

Consolidated Federal Program, MAC grant, BEST/Act 230 and local funds

Prioritized Goals

High Quality Staffing

Explanation

Each supervisory union shall develop and implement a system of appropriate needs-based professional learning for all professional staff, including administrators and other staff involved in student instruction, as required in 16 V.S.A. §261a(a)(5).

The school's professional learning system shall be aligned with its staff evaluation and supervision policies, Continuous Improvement Plan, supervisory union and district goals, and shall provide new staff members with appropriate opportunities for professional learning.

Goal #3

Professional Development

Evaluation

What do we want to accomplish?

What change(s) can/did we make that will result in improvement?

     By school year 2022 2023 OESU will see a 5% decrease in the overall number of professionally licensed staff exiting the SU for reasons other than retirement.

· SY 2019 2020 NES will use approved OESU evaluation system consistently and collect qualitative data on effectiveness

· SY 2020 2021 Leadership will revise and adopt evaluation system

· SY 2021 2022 NES will have a needs-based, goal-driven professional development plan in place.

· SY 2021 2022 OESU will have fully implemented VT-NEA’s Mentoring Matters Program to ensure highLY qualified staff in our schools

· Summer 2020 Second Cohort of trained mentors attends Mentoring Matters Training

· By SY 2020 2021 complete Mentoring Handbook

· Summer 2021 Third Cohort Mentoring Matters Training

How will/do we know our change resulted in an improvement?

What do we predict will happen as a result of this practice?

     We will know our changes led to improvement when the percentage of staff leaving decreases and the quality of our instruction improves as measured by our evaluation system.

Funding Source(s)

     Local, CFP

PHASE 2: Test and Pilot

Goal #1 - Academic Proficiency

Cycle #1 Date: 2019-2020

PLAN: During the 19/20 school year OESU began work towards an SU wide coordinated curriculum.

DO: Form curriculum content teams; examine existing work within SU; decide on a format and approach and implement

STUDY: Second teams were formed to review work of content teams; plan to engage greater staff in review process

ACT: Final revision

Cycle #2 Date: _______

PLAN:

DO:

STUDY:

ACT:

(Repeat cycles as needed.)

Goal #2 - Safe and Healthy Schools

Cycle #1 Date: 2019-2020

PLAN: Align framework and practices to most current MTSS Field Guide; implement system

DO: Hire MTSS Coordinator; Conduct beliefs survey to ascertain beliefs and understanding of MTSS; Conduct DESSA to determine needs; Design team meet regularly to build model and discuss implementation; MTSS coordinator work in schools to support implementation

STUDY: Review beliefs survey data; review DESSA data

ACT: Work with schools and SU leadership to address needs; form interdepartmental leadership team at SU level to conduct a role analysis to best utilize personnel

Cycle #2 Date: 2020-2021

PLAN:

DO:

STUDY:

ACT:

(Repeat cycles as needed.)

Goal #3 - High Quality Staffing

Cycle #1 Date: SY 2019 2020

PLAN: High Quality Mentoring Program; Ensure all school administrators use current supervision and evaluation model

DO: Collect data on teacher turn-over; partner with VTNEA around Mentoring Matters Program; organize training; stipend mentor coordinator; meet regularly; author handbook to outline expectations; conduct survey on handbook and program; conduct regular evaluations and discuss as leadership team

STUDY: Look at turn over data and discuss what causes professional staff to leave; obtain feedback from mentoring program surveys

ACT: Revise Mentoring program specifics and expectations to ensure a better fit within our SU; discuss supervision and evaluation process concerns; revise for better alignment to instructional and assessment practices, mentoring program practices and overall expectations

Cycle #2 Date: 2020-2021

PLAN:

DO:

STUDY:

ACT:

(Repeat cycles as needed.)