NEWS
School Improvement Plans help define district priorities - ALS & CMS
Dec. 1, 2010 – As part of the planning process in the Cohoes City Schools, a district leadership team and teams at each school write improvement plans.
These plans help shape decisions about district programs and ensure faculty and staff are constantly working to improve teaching, learning and student outcomes.
The building-level plans are revised yearly by the “building leadership team” at each school. The school teams meet over the summer to discuss goals for their buildings and strategies for meeting those goals. The teams take into account student achievement data and survey results, among other items, when identifying their building's priorities and goals. Once a new plan is written, the entire faculty votes to approve the plan, endorsing it as a map for school improvement.
The administration and Board of Education rely on these as guides for understanding what is important and unique to each building, as well as the district as a whole. District priorities for student learning are a key component to the school budget process.
At tonight's Board of Education Workshop, which begins at Abram Lansing Elementary School at 6:30 p.m., and then moves to Cohoes Middle School at 7:45 p.m., the BOE will hear directly from ALS and CMS staff about their school's plan. Although the discussion will not be focused on actual numbers (the state budget picture and process will be more clear this spring), understanding the programming and priorities at each of the buildings is crucial to the whole picture.
Abram Lansing Elementary School
Abram Lansing Elementary School's building plan focuses on student achievement, as well as several questions that professional staff will be considering throughout the school year.
On both the New York State English language arts and mathematics exams, the school has set the goal of having all students achieve a 3 or a 4, meaning all students would meet or exceed the standards set by the state.
To meet this goal, the school staff is focusing on professional development, the use of peer evaluation for teachers in their classrooms and continual monitoring of student progress and practice state exams.
In addition, the staff is considering several questions that will continue to change and grow the professional and student learning culture of the school. Questions that the staff will be reflecting on and considering during their faculty meetings this year include:
• Who owns the learner?
• What supports will help the teacher put the learner at the heart
of instruction?
• Where do we want our learners to be when they move on?
• Do we believe we have something to learn from one another?
In addition, and in response to surveys, the school will continue to focus on increasing the involvement of parents and guardians in their children’s education community.
Cohoes Middle School
At Cohoes Middle School, the focus for the 2010-11 school year is also achievement, with the focus on having students in all grades demonstrate state-expected progress on both the math and English Language Arts exams.
In order to achieve this goal, the professional staff is working on different strategies, both in the classroom and through professional development. It is expected that teacher teams will meet daily and discuss student assessments and progress based on mock exams and curriculum-based assessments and classroom work, as well as additional help and interventions for students who need it.
Through the district’s Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) program, the middle school is hoping to make sure instructional time is not interrupted as a result of behavioral issues. The school’s goal is to continue to support students’ positive behaviors and attendance.
Part of the plan for encouraging PBIS’ focus of safety, respect and responsibility, include a commitment from the staff to communicating internally about student issues and problems, as well as continued communication with parents and families. The school is also hoping to build stronger school connections for at-risk students, with the expectation that this would also improve behavior and attendance. In addition, some of the year’s professional development opportunities will focus on PBIS and other programs that help encourage appropriate behavior in school.
Finally, the school administration is working to continue to improve communications with parents and the greater community about the school’s day-to-day happenings and overall academic program. The middle school’s announcements are updated regularly on the district website, and they produce a regular publication, CMS Voice. This year, the school is also planning more initiatives to bring parents and members of the community into the school.
