Sodus Central School District
Grades 5 - 8
School Improvement Plan
Draft – December 2004
2004 – 2007
5-8 Building Improvement Team
Membership
Teachers: Kathy Byers, Michael Hayden, Lynda Faulks, Bridget Mullin,
Melanie Frauel, Elizabeth Alicandro, Paula Rhodes, Roxanne Roscup;
Support Staff: Sylenna Conner; Parents: Paul DeFeo, Lisa DeFeo, Laura
Jonasse; Community Members: Sandy Woodard; BOE Member: Tom
Miller; Student: Sarah Laurel DeFeo; Administrators: Nelson Kise, Vicki
Bellis-Brouk.
Input was also received from members of the Middle and Intermediate
School Leadership Teams, Department Chairpersons, Superintendent of
Schools, and the Director of Curriculum and Instruction.
Our Values
This plan reflects the hard work and core values of the members of the 5-8 Improvement Plan
Team. This plan is driven by these values. We believe our school should:
•
Establish rigorous academic expectations
•
Provide a safe school environment for students and staff (structured and consistent discipline)
•
Value diversity
•
Provide an environment where all stakeholders work together towards achieving common goals
•
Be a place where people are respectful and considerate of others
•
Possess a sense of understanding/sensitivity; where students are valued as individuals
•
Provide a nurturing environment which meets the needs of each individual student
•
Possess a mindset that all children can learn, and that all students learn differently
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Establish pride in our community and ensure that all stakeholders accept ownership in our cause
•
Establish an environment which makes learning fun; where students are intrinsically motivated
We value our children, students, and school, and have worked/will work endlessly to improve our
school in the best interests of our staff, families, and most importantly, the reason we are all here,
our students.
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
Desired State:
The following goals reflect the 2004-2005 academic achievement goals for Math 8 and ELA 8.
Our 8th grade Math and ELA Performance will improve by 5%
Math 8
All 8th grade students were tested in May 2004 (129 tested).
May 2004 Summary
57% of students scored at Levels 3 & 4 (passing)
5% of students scored at Level 4 (mastery)
May 2005 Achievement Goal
62% of students will score at Levels 3 & 4
10% of students will score at Level 4
ELA 8
All 8th grade students were tested in January 2004 (122 tested).
January 2004 Summary
55% of students scored at Levels 3 & 4 (passing)
9% of students scored at Level 4 (mastery)
January 2005 Achievement Goal
60% of students will score at Levels 3 & 4
14% of students will score at Level 4
Current State:
Our Math 8 and ELA 8 scores have risen marginally over the past four years in ELA and three years
in math. We are concerned about plateauing, and want to ensure continued success by establishing
meaningful and achievable incremental academic goals.
Academic Achievement
Strategies to Accomplish Goal
•
Focused Staff Development/In-service Opportunities
•
Focused Student Development Opportunities
•
Focused Data Analysis
Communication
Strategies to Accomplish Goal
•
Identify families which need communications sent home in Spanish
•
All correspondences from the office/other staff will be translated and sent
home in Spanish
•
ESL teacher will assist classroom teachers with phone call translations
and attend parent conferences
Desired State (Goal #1): Continue to develop more effective methods to
communicate with, and inform, all Spanish speaking parents/guardians of
their children’s academic progress and other school matters. We will
communicate with 100% of our Spanish speaking parents as documented on
approved parent contact logs.
Communication
Strategies to Accomplish Goal
•
Continue to inform parents of important school related information via the monthly
building calendar.
•
Bi-monthly Grades 4-8 Parent Newsletter.
•
Implementation of the “Good News from School Postcard.” All members of the school
community will be able to recognize students for their accomplishments/improvements
through the use of these postcards.
•
Continue Homework Hotline (gr. 6-8).
•
All teachers will contact parents of at-risk students (not meeting with success – grade
below 65) by phone as soon as concerns arise and/or before interim and report cards are
mailed home. In collaboration with parents, teachers will develop individualized “Plans
for success.” Teachers will utilize a variety of strategies for plans to include, but not be
limited to: after-school extra help, referral to homework club, daily home/school
communications via student agenda…
•
Staff development specifically targeting positive home/school communications.
Desired State (Goal #2): Develop more effective methods to communicate
with, and inform, parents/guardians of their child’s academic progress and
other school matters. We will communicate with 100% of our parents as
documented on approved parent contact logs.
Academic Culture
Strategies to Accomplish Goal
•
Develop a proposal and resource guide to be presented at the February
2005 staff meeting
•
Identify staff (all school employees are welcome to participate) willing
to serve as mentors/identify targeted students
•
Provide ongoing staff development as needs/gaps are identified
Desired State (Goal #1): Develop and implement a mentoring program to
connect and engage at-risk students in school.
Academic Culture
Strategies to Accomplish Goal
•
Develop, administer, and analyze survey data of student interests to
increase participation in school activities
•
Choose three school-wide activities to plan and administer this
school year
Desired State (Goal #2): 100% of students in grades 5-8 will participate in at
least one Student Council/school sponsored social activity during the 2004-
2005 school year.
Thank you to the following people for their
support and guidance:
• Members of the Board of Education
• Members of the District Improvement
Team
• Susan Salvaggio
• John Robbins
• Intermediate & Middle School Faculty and
Staff
