Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Mitchell SIT Minutes - 5/9/12


SIT Team 5/9/12

School Improvement Plan

Goals-
Staff Feedback-We are on track for meeting these goals, many teachers are already doing these things, there is a need for support to get all teachers in the same place

Reading-
åEnglish and Academics Academy is happening this year.
- Incoming grades 3-8
- Based on science—integrates technology-using BioKids to assess biodiversity of natural areas.
- Social studies perspectives of community and diversity in natural areas as well as in schools and neighborhoods 
-Technology—Ipods, Brandon center at UM for presentation
-Agency curriculum-clarifying, explaining, questioning,
åNeed to include staff collaboration in response to feedback at last week’s staff meeting

Question: What are we doing for kids who are at grade level and above?
- By helping struggling learners we are also helping other learners as a result of differentiated instruction and best teaching practices.
- We are explicit about what we do for struggling learners but not explicit about what we do for the high achieving students in the building—creates misconceptions for parents
-Special programming is based on struggling learners while other kids would enjoy the same activities—Academics Academy, Science Olympiad...traditionally this kind of programming falls to PTO and is not built into the daily academic program.

Question: Can we post NWEA scores to show improvement at Mitchell? (As a way to let parents know of the achievement here?—positive PR) The perception in the community is that Mitchell is a terrible school with low levels of achievement. 

-The current data shows growth at Mitchell and Scarlet that is greater than other area schools. 
-UM is also working on perception through the partnership.
-Rigorous work with struggling learners creates images of the possible
-Need to get this kind of information out to the public

åSchool Culture/Agency
-Responsive Classroom
-Fall plan for the development of school rules—staff to meet this summer

Question: What will the focus of the work that the SIT team will do next year?
-School Culture—design rubrics, build community, including parents in RC. Then choose specific activities to support and explicitly schedule into the year.

Cathy followed up after last meeting with connection for Spanish classes as a part of PTO meeting—(A2LP?) 

Conversation around reputation and perception—community and staff are looking at the school in different way.  Historically Mitchell has had its challenges—today it is very different but the reputation is still there—race, real estate, achievement all a part of this perception. 

Thought: This perception comes from our own families.  Maybe we need to worry less about everyone else and begin our work within our own community.