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.
