SIP Team Minutes for December 13, 2011

SIP Team Minutes

From December 13, 2011 at 3:15 in Room 116

Purpose

The SIP Team gathered together and called a meeting to order at 3:22 PM in room 116 to discuss our evaluation of school indicators of success, to plan and assign tasks to address any partially implemented indicators, and to share updates from the Team’s committees.

Attendees

In attendance were, Jim Smith, Michelle Kumor, Jill Laubenstein, Dan Johnson, Rob McCarthy and Jen Kelsall.

Celebrations

We were happy to celebrate the Italian Festival that had 300 plus attendees, the wonderful new special education students that will be attending Ridgewood next year, and the enthusiasm and wonderful cooperation of our partner school science teachers during the science articulation meetings.

Prior Business

We began the official business of our meeting by examining our status of current school improvement tasks.

We reviewed the status of the development of a classroom walk-through tool. The purpose of creating such a tool is to assess strengths and areas in need of professional development. Our current status on completing this task is as follows:

School administrators have attended professional development opportunities regarding the use of walk-through tools. The implementation of the walk-through tool will be delayed until the school administration and union representation develop a new evaluation tool in line with the expectations set forth by the state for 2016. Administration will then develop a walk through tool that reflects the expectations defined in the new evaluation plan.

As a result this process our Team will review the progress of this task again in May, 2012.

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We reviewed the status of the school maintains a central database that includes each student’s test scores, placement information, demographic information, attendance, behavior indicators, and other variables useful to teachers. Team member Dan Johnson and the Tech Committee were assigned to address our assessment that this indicator is only partially implemented. As a result, Dan and the Tech Committee are reviewing the school administration software Skyward. Dan will update the Team at our next two meetings concerning the progress of addressing our school’s implementation of this indicator of school success. Currently the Team set the goal of May, 2013 to achieve full implementation.

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Finally, we quickly reviewed that the environment of the school (physical, social, emotional, and behavioral) is safe, welcoming, and conducive to learning (2348) is being fully implemented.

Committee Updates/Issues/Needs

Each chair presented an update on his/her committee. To begin, Jill Laubenstein reported that a PTO meeting was scheduled for that evening, that they were preparing to send a parent newsletter regarding how to help students prepare for final exams, and most recently the PTO was planning to address the gaps from the Family Engagement Tool assessment.

Dan Johnson discussed the Tech Committees ongoing investigation of Skyward, collecting staff opinions regarding the update or replacement of current X61 tablets, moving toward a one-to-one iPad roll out to every RHS student, and providing additional follow-up training on using our school’s new website.

Cari Franz was absent, but Jim Smith reported that the Reading & Literacy committee was going to continue to concentrate on developing strategies to help teachers implement explicitly taught reading & literacy strategies with fidelity. Jim informed the team that the Numeracy books read by most of the team was helpful in understanding the differences between the abstract mathematical computations we require of secondary students and having the capacity to use numbers and math in practical, civic, professional, recreational and cultural aspects of one’s life. Therefore, Jim recommended that the original vision of the Reading & Literacy committee to focus on providing teachers with literacy strategies. However, it is not to say that numeracy is unimportant and should not be addressed, rather that it should not be subsumed by the Reading & Literacy committee. Instead, the importance of numeracy needs to be addressed at the curricular level of all disciplines and therefore needs to be embedded as such throughout.

Rob McCarthy spoke for the School Safety and Discipline committee and emphasized that their committee was working towards developing and implementing a sound and reasonable tardy policy. Rob stressed this may cause the school to rewrite and the student handbook. The Team discussed some options that the committee could possibly seek out to address and correct the behavior of tardy students.
Finally, Michelle Kumor spoke on behalf of the Professional Development Committee. The January institute day is set with academic teams ready to present their summer reading. Looking to the March institute, Michelle informed the team that the PDC is planning for a staff-teach-staff institute, but concedes that time may also need to be put aside for training for other initiatives such as SIMS strategies as well as the possibility for Skyward training.

New Business

Following committee reports, the Team reviewed additional indicators for school success.

Jim Smith reported that the first indicator that stated, “All teachers test frequently using a variety of evaluation methods and maintain a record of the results” was being fully implemented by our school. Jim wrote:

Ridgewood High School teachers were trained, and continue to receive training, on the connection between curriculum, assessments and instruction. As a result, every teacher uses a pre-test to determine what student know, understand and can do prior to beginning instruction. This data is used to differentiate lessons appropriately and for the instruction to begin where students are rather than assuming where they are. Formative, or for learning, assessment are now common place at the high school. These for learning assessments are used to check student progress toward meeting the outcomes of each course. The information is used by teachers to continue to differentiate lessons and reteach concepts, ideas or skills not yet mastered. Students who are ready to demonstrate mastery are then provided summative assessments.

Beyond the classroom, students who are identified using the RtI process are provided diagnostic assessments to determine if the skill or knowledge deficits are indications of learning disorders. Periodic assessments of the entire student body is conducted three times a year to determine if students are making the kind of progress through all tiers.

Finally, state assessment data is analyzed each year to determine if the school is making progress overall and to determine if any changes in professional development, curriculum and interventions need to occur.

Michelle Kumor reported that the next indicator that stated, “All teachers differentiate assignments (individualize instruction) in response to individual student performance on pre-tests and other methods of assessment,” had a limited implementation at Ridgewood. Michelle described Ridgewood’s current level of implementation as follows:

Teachers regularly work within their professional learning communities to analyze assessment data from Universal Screenings (Retired Explore, PLAN, and ACT) and common assessments. This data, along with classroom level pre-assessments are utilized to consider the most effective instructional strategies to implement. Departments have begun developing their curriculum utilizing the principles of UbD to ensure “enduring understandings” and course outcomes are defined. In addition, assessments have been aligned to the course outcomes for more effective data analysis. The staff has participated in a variety of professional development opportunities surrounding the concept of differentiated instruction. Although some teachers have found a means of incorporating some aspects of differentiated instruction, more development is needed. Teams need to continue developing unit plans according to the principles of UbD that provide tiered learning opportunities addressing all levels of Bloom’s taxonomy.

As a result of the limited implementation, this indicator will become a part of Ridgewood’s School Improvement Plan and the Team will assign a Team member to develop the steps and tasks that will be necessary to complete in order for Ridgewood to fully be implementing this indicator of school success. This will occur at the Team’s next meeting.

Rob McCarthy reported that the next indicator that stated, “All teachers engage all students (e.g., encourage silent students to participate)” was being fully implemented at Rdigewood. Rob wrote:

Teachers encourage silent students to participate.Teachers greet students at the classroom door and in the hallways. Teachers participate in clubs/activities. Teachers coach sports. Teachers have conferences with students. Teachers ask students questions about daily lessons. Teachers encourage students to participate in class activities and projects.

Cari Franz reported the the indicator stating that, “Instructional Teams review student learning data (academic, physical, social, emotional, behavioral) to assess and make decisions about curriculum and instructional strategies” was being fully implemented by Ridgewood High School. Of it, Cari wrote:

Teachers meet three out of four Wednesdays a month and use the problem solving model to make decisions about curriculum, instructional strategies, and individual students (which may include behavioral/emotional issues). Ridgewood High School teachers use data to make instructional decisions.

Jill Laubenstein reported on the final indicator assessed that stated, “All teachers systematically report to primary caregivers the student’s mastery of specific standards-based objectives,” had a limited level of implementation of Ridgewood. Jill stated:

RHS does not have a standards based report card but teachers send home progress reports from the grade book which tell more about what standards the students have completed and which they are still working on. RHS currently is very good at sending information home in mulitple formats but we have very little parent education on how to help their children if they are struggling on the standards and in school generally.

As a result of the limited implementation, this indicator will become a part of Ridgewood’s School Improvement Plan and the Team will assign a Team member to develop the steps and tasks that will be necessary to complete in order for Ridgewood to fully be implementing this indicator of school success. This will occur at the Team’s next meeting.

Submitting SMART Start Indicators

The Team agreed that we were ready to submit our findings to the state. These were submitted on December 13, 2011.

Local Board Action Report

The Team agreed that this report was the same document submitted by the District on October 17, 2011.

SIP Form Report

The following SIP Form Report was approved by the Team and subitted to the state on December 13, 2011:

SIP From Report

School Improvement Plan Objectives Form

The Team agreed that the new objectives for this school year are as follows:

• While our current achievement in reading for grade 11 shows 58% of our students in the Meets/Exceeds categories, the eleventh grade will make AYP of at least 92.5% in 2012.

• While our current achievement in math for grade 11 shows 63% of our students in the Meets/Exceeds categories, the eleventh grade will make AYP of at least 92.5% in 2012.

These objectives were submitted to the state on December 13, 2011

Assessing SMART Core Indicators

The Team wrapped up its meeting by assigning the next series of school indicators of success to Team members:

Team Member	Category	Section	Code	Indicator to be assessed:
Kelsall	Educator Quality	Leadership	IE08	The principal spends at least 50% of his/her time working directly with teachers to improve instruction, including classroom observations. (1029)
Kelsall	Educator Quality	Leadership	IE09	The principal challenges, supports and monitors the correction of unsound teaching practices based on evidence. (1030)
Kumor	Educator Quality	Professional Development	IF04	Professional development for teachers includes self-assessment related to indicators of effective teaching and classroom management. (1039)
Kumor	Teaching & Learning	Differentiated Instruction	IIC03	Materials for standards-aligned learning activities are well-organized, labeled, and stored for convenient use by teachers. (1085)
Kelsall	Teaching & Learning	Instruction	IIIA02	All teachers develop weekly lesson plans based on aligned units of instruction. (1064)
Kumor	Teaching & Learning	Instruction	TL1	All teachers demonstrate in their lesson plans the content knowledge necessary to challenge and motivate students to high levels of learning. (2332)
Johnson/McCarthy	Teaching & Learning	Instruction - Technology	TL9	All teachers incorporate the use of technology in their classrooms when it enhances instruction and builds 21st Century Learning Skills. (2335)
Jim Smith	Teaching & Learning	Assessment	IIB01	Units of instruction include pre-/post-tests to assess student mastery of standards-based objectives. (1048)
Jim Smith	Teaching & Learning	Assessment	IIB03	Unit pre-test and post-test results are reviewed by the Instructional Team. (1050)
Cari Franz	Teaching & Learning	Periodic Assessment	IID02	The school tests each student at least 3 times each year to determine progress toward standards-based objectives. (1054)
Cari Franz	Teaching & Learning	Periodic Assessment	IID03	Teachers receive timely reports of results from standardized and objectives-based tests. (1055)
Department Heads	Teaching & Learning	Periodic Assessment	IID09	Instructional Teams use student learning data to plan instruction. (1060)
Jill Laubenstein	Learning Environment	Community & Family Engagement	CL6	School Leadership and primary caregivers engage in regular communication to provide mutual supports and guidance between home and school for all aspects of student learning. (2341)

The Team agreed that the indicators be assessed on or before February 3, 2012.

The team agreed to review the assessments of indicators during the its February 14, 2012 meeting.

Announcements

• The Team agreed to the next meeting on Tuesday, January 17, 2012.
• Rising Start SMART Core is due on or before February 3, 2012

Adjournment

A motion to adjourn was offered by Rob McCarthy and was seconded by Dan Johnson. The Team adjourned the meeting at 4:40 PM.