Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Talking Points for School Year 2014-2015


Brooklyn Queens Day Agenda

June 4th, 2015
8:20-2:40PM

Please make sure you bring a computer or tablet so you can view the files that are in THIS FOLDER



The overarching goal of this PD day is to provide teams with enough information and planning time to prepare for next year.  In particular, we will be reviewing next year’s school goals and objectives and looking to really solidify Unit 0, and set strong foundations for the rest of the year.  Here’s the agenda:


  • 8:30-8:45 Breakfast and Welcoming Activity (Rebecca)
  • 8:45-8:15 Opening Remarks and Looking Towards Next Year
    • Goals for 2015-2016 (Kiri)
    • Changes to Policies – Implementing staff feedback (Kiri)
      • Grades
      • Reminder System
    • Changes to LC format expectations (Kiri)
    • Coaching for Next Year (Marianna)
  • 9:15-10:35 The Inquiry Cycle and Assessment
    • The Inquiry Cycle – Briefs and Responsibility Teams (Darby)
    • Small Assessment – CBMs and Writing Fluency in Content Classes (Michael & Marianna)

  • 10:35-11:05 Infusing Genre in Content Classes (Ilyana)
  • 11:05-12:05 Lunch
  • 12:05-12:30 Unit Zero (Ilyana)
  • 12:30-1:30 Grade Team Work Time to Plan out Logistics for Unit 0
1:30-2:40 Subject Team Work Time to Finalize Unit 0 and Begin planning first Inquiry Cycle, integrating what was
learned from today’s PD (School Goals, Inquiry Cycle, Small Assessment, and Genre Practice)

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Kiri Opening Remarks for June 4th PD




This Year's Achievements

(1) The Learning Environment:  By continuing (a) our work on team function and collaboration, and (b) using research-based rubrics to provide peer and evaluative feedback, and (c) focusing feedback on key rubrics (Classroom Environment, Social Norms, Unison, and Conferences), we will continue to improve the school learning environment and increase parent, teacher, and student satisfaction on the Learning Environment Survey.

  • Created new POD Structures 
  • Launched Peer Collaborative Coaching Model
  • Launched Daily Calls Home to Late and Absent Advisees

(2)  Student Progress Goal:  By increasing opportunities for assessment and analysis of student performance on assessment, teachers will empower students to make more informed choices during Work Time.  Unit Arcs will be streamlined to accommodate student needs.  Conferences will be higher Quality.  Thus, course passing rates and average regents completion rate will continue rise.
For all students, at least 80% of all students will continue pass each individual course.  
For students with IEPs and/or in the lowest 3rd, at least 80% of students will pass each individual course.



(3)  Student Performance Goal:  With continued focus and development on core LC formats (Unison Reading, Conferences, and Work Time), we will continue to have strong College Readiness Metrics and Graduation Rates.

Increase graduation rate from 90.9% to at least 93%. (We have a shot at 94%!)
Increase percent attending 4-year public or private universities from 44% to 60%. (Data TBD - AWAITING CLASS OF 2013/4 DATA)
Aim for at least a 98% 6-year graduation rate*(our first metric of this sort). DATA TBD

Increase enrollment in 4-year (public or private) universities from 44% to at least 50%, and maintain overall college matriculation at 98% - INITIAL ENROLLMENT INTO 4YEAR IS 42%.


(4)  NEW GOAL - Attendance & School Culture:  With a combination of advisor contact home, attendance committee initiatives, and school culture committee work, we will create an environment in which students want to come to school everyday, and on time.

Increase average daily attendance from 88.5% to 95%. - OUR ADA IS 92%
Hold monthly student assemblies to build school spirit and celebrate student achievement. CHECK
Increase communications home via advisors' calls home, parent newsletters, and increased parent conferences. CHECK CHECK CHECK
Increase communications both at home and within the school community using a regularly scheduled (monthly for community, weekly for UAI staff) newsletter. CHECK CHECK CHECK CHECK


(5)  NEW GOAL - College and Career Readiness:  Better integrate the network of partner services to prepare students and their families for the academic, socio-emotional, financial and in some cases legal (with respect to immigration status) of college enrollment and college success.

Job Club and Girls Inc daytime classes will introduce College and Career awareness activities at each grade levelHold monthly lunch with Leaders (sponsored by Girls Inc) to build student career awareness and interest in STEM fieldsTrain Job Club and Social Workers in Options Training Institute to be able to counsel and run parent workshops on college, financial aid, immigration status and resources, and other needs parents express with respect to the college preparation process. CHECK!



Quality Review Performance 

Click HERE for QR The Rubric
and explanations of each Indicator:
1.1 - Instructional Core - Curriculum
        Well Developed (area of celebration!)
1.2 - Instructional Core - Pedagogy
         Well Developed
1.3 - Structures for Improvement -        
        Leveraging Resources
         Well Developed 
3.4 - School Culture-High Expectations
         Proficient (area of focus)
4.2 - Structures for Improvement -        
          Teacher Teams & Leadership Dev.
          Well Developed



Excerpts from our PPO (Principal Performance Observation) - by Janice Ross, Principal Eval.

Areas of Celebration

1.4 - School Culture - Positive Learning Environment"The principal fosters a culture of mutual trust and positive attitudes that supports the academic and personal growth of students and adults.  The use of the Learning Cultures program strongly supports a positive and structured learning environment... Students work collaboratively in every class thereby fostering an environment where young women can support each other’s growth."

1.1 - Instructional Core - Curriculum "A review of curricular documents provided evidence of coherency of expectations 


across classrooms about how students learn best...


The DRP data is used to inform curricular decisions....



In one classroom, students received their DRP scores and were asked to  

assess where they are now with respect to the September results in light of their 

acquisition of academic skills thus far.
"


3.4 School Culture - High Expectations

"School leaders consistently communicate high expectations ... to the entire staff, and provide training resulting in a culture of mutual accountability for those expectations....The use of learning cultures program has allowed the school to establish a culture for learning that systematically communicates high expectations for all students and provide feedback and guidance to ensure that students own that experience and are prepared for the next level."  

4.1 Structures for Improvement - Teacher Support and Supervision

"Feedback to teachers accurately captures strengths, challenges, and next steps using the Learning Cultures model that is aligned to the Danielson Framework for Teaching; feedback articulates clear expectations for teacher practice, supports teacher development, and aligns with professional goals for teachers...Teachers actively visit each other’s classrooms through the lens of a Learning Cultures teacher rubric aligned to the Danielson Framework."  


4.2 Structures for Improvement - Teacher Teams and Leadership Development
"Teachers consistently work together in professional development teams, otherwise known as “PODS”.  Teachers meet once a week after school in teams as well as twice a week during the day."


Area of Focus


1.2 Instructional Core - Pedagogy
Students take accountability for their work products and process, as facilitated by the teacher, who creates this culture in each classroom. Students are trained to be independent and resourceful. Students discussed topics in their groups to promote academic conversation. Teachers however, were not demonstrating delivery of rigorous instruction through an emphasis on writing and the writing process. The classrooms were print rich with expectations for the process of learning, however, minimal student writing, such as formative or summative assessments in the form of essays, research projects, or other larger performance tasks, were displayed to show that rigorous college ready tasks were given. There was a noticeable absence of actionable and specific written feedback to the students, to show alignment to specific CC standards and rubrics, as well as attention to the instructional shift of writing to sources and citation of evidence.

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Preliminary Goals for 2015-2016

CLICK HERE to review the Chancellor's Vision for School Improvement

  • Student Progress and Performance Goals
    - Grading Policy Shift to 60% Performance and 40% Progress- Assessment will continue to include Benchmarks and DRPs. Two new types of  
assessment will be introduced to further help students develop and achieve 
measurable goals and more detailed action plans (CBMs and the DESSA). - Shifts in LC Expectations - Table Shares and Shares, Conferences, and R-Teams
  • Learning Environment, Attendance, and School Culture Goals - Maintain Advisory Outreach and Assemblies - Refine Teacher Team and Leadership Development Practices(Coaches, Pods&Teams) - Refining the Reminder System with new roles for Keepers and better communication between teachers and dean/admin support.
  • College and Career Readiness - Reset metrics for college achievement to focus on persistence - Develop the concept of "small" ball in college readiness. How do we integrate college awareness/readiness into the daily life of students through intentionally shifting the language and expectations we use in the classroom?
  • Parent Engagement (NEW GOAL) - Another "small ball" concept - how do we incrementally build parent engagement in their child's learning through focusing on small changes to facilitate entry, interaction, and communication. (Integrating families into social emotional learning, Consistency of language, continued calls home, timely Skedula updates, etc.)



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