Annual Report

2015-2016

BARNSTABLE COMMUNITY

HORACE MANN CHARTER

PUBLIC SCHOOL

165 Bearses Way

Hyannis, MA 02601

Phone: (508)790-6485 x 153

Fax: (508) 790-6432

Date of Report: June 27, 2016

Contact:

Table of Contents

PAGE

Introduction to the School 3

School Performance and Program Implementation 3

Mission and Key Design 4

Amendments to the Charter5

Dissemination Efforts 5

Academic Program Success 5

Program Delivery 5

Social Emotional and Health Needs 6

Organizational Structure of the School 8

Charter Renewal Conditions 8

Teacher Evaluation9

Budget and Finance 9

Appendix A – Accountability Plan 12

Appendix B - Recruitment and Retention Plan 15

Appendix C – School and Student Data Tables 19

Appendix D – School Schedule Template 21

Appendix E – BCHMCPS Academic Data 22

Introduction to the School

Name of School: Barnstable Community Horace Mann Charter Public School
Type of Charter
(Commonwealth or Horace Mann) / Horace Mann / Location / 165 Bearses Way
Hyannis, MA 02601
Regional or Non-Regional? / Non-Regional / Districts in Region
(if applicable) / Barnstable
Year Opened / 2004 / Year(s) Renewed
(if applicable) / 2013
Maximum Enrollment / 304 / Current Enrollment / 288
Number of students enrolled as of 8/1/2015 / 292 / Students on Waitlist / 0
Chartered Grade Span / K-3 / Current Grade Span / K-3
# of Instructional Days per school year / 180 / School Hours / 9:00 a.m.-3:35 p.m.
Mission Statement: The mission of Barnstable Community Horace Mann Charter Public School is to create a nurturing and safe learning environment that will: Engage, educate and challenge a diverse K-3 population to achieve the highest level of academic excellence. Foster the development of respectful and responsible students who are contributing participants in their education, and in their community. Support continuous improvement in the teaching process and cultivate parent and community partnerships.

School Performance and Program Implementation

Faithfulness to the Charter

The Accelerated Schools Plus Model which embodies our school’s educational philosophy and governance structure is fully supported and monitored by the school’s Board of Trustees and serves as the foundation for fulfilling the specific goals of the school’s academic program and Accountability Plan.

Specific examples of how our school has been faithful to its mission, vision and educational philosophy include the following:

(1)BCHMCPS continues to implement an annual “Whole School” Theme. Each annual Whole School Theme concept is developed through programs created by our teachers, and provides curriculum that builds on our student’s strengths and captures their interest. Teachers unite their teaching, learning and assessment focus across the entire school to participate in a school-wide thematic unit on community. From Kindergarten to Grade 3, students have been engaged in learning about community-what makes a community, a student’s role in a community and how they can interact with their school and town communities in a meaningful way. The culminating event is a school-wide celebration of learning. The celebration is designed to share evidence of learning through performances and displays, as well as to celebrate the power of school community.

(2)The teachers use the Common Core Standards to determine grade appropriate approaches to community in conjunction with the Understanding by Design Curriculum Framework. Model Curriculum Units and district designed curricula have been used to support the common core. The teachers have worked with their district colleagues to develop district-determined measures for each curriculum area.

(3)We continue to utilize local expertise to integrate professionals and resources into the learning experiences of our students. We align Common Core frameworks and build program skills into the theme to ensure skill delivery is complete. Our teaching staff present in a rich, unifying way that challenges our students and helps builds community.

(4)As an extension to our community service project, BCHMCPS continues to enhance learning opportunities through our community garden. Children from BCHMCPS, along with volunteers, are responsible for maintaining the garden during the school year and in the summer. In the summer, children from the Recreation Program participate in our school’s garden program.

(5)Some of the learning opportunities provided by “The Garden at BCHMCPS” include discovering where food comes from, composting and worm farming, agricultural techniques and skills, responsibility, financial aspects of running a business, counting and sorting crops, art opportunities, journal keeping, problem solving, teamwork and building relationships. In addition to these goals, we are also attempting to combat childhood obesity and encourage children to make healthier dietary choices. We have integrated produce from the garden into our school lunches and provide tastings.

(6)Our Whole School Community Meetings were held led by our Student Ambassadors. These special meetings are designed to advance the social and character development of our students. The topics of these meetings included: Back to School Welcome; All School Community Theme Celebration; A Thankful Community; Festival of Light and Peace; Drop in the Bucket kick-off; Enrichment Cluster Celebration; Spring Garden Planting Kick-off; Memorial Day Program; and End of the School Year Reflection.

Mission and Key Design Elements

The school’s mission is based on three guiding principles:

  • Engage, educate and challenge a diverse K-3 population to achieve the highest level of academic excellence. The school recognizes each child as an individual and promotes high expectations that are appropriate to each child’s unique intellectual and social development. BCHMCPS continues to implement Enrichment Clusters, adopted by the philosophies of Dr. Joseph Renzulli. Clusters are purposefully designed to provide a continuum of services that increases the challenge level for all children. A small group of children work with volunteers once a week for six weeks, to produce a real world product, presentation, or service. Everyone contributes in his or her own area of specialization or interest.
  • Foster the development of respectful and responsible students who are contributing participants in their education, and in their community. Interventions for social/emotional growth have been in place for all levels of support and reinforced dailyas part of our building-based (MTSS) Multi-tiered Systems of Support. Social/emotional skills are taught by our school adjustment counselors using the district curriculum, the Second Step Program and the PBIS philosophy. These programs are reinforced through our “Drops in the Bucket” program. The building-based MTSS team received professional development as part of the district initiative.
  • Support continuous improvement in the teaching process and cultivate parent and community partnerships.We intentionally promote dialogue and teamwork among staff in order to critique and improve teaching practices on an ongoing basis. As a school-wide goal on the MA Educator Evaluation Plan, teachers have chosen to meet weekly as a grade level to improve teaching practices. All grade levels meet with the reading and math specialists on a bi-monthly basis to analyze progress monitoring and test data, in order to differentiate curriculum. A co-teaching model has been implemented in grades 1 and 2 with the reading specialist, math specialist and classroom teachers. All full-time teaching staff has participated in some aspect of the governance structure of our ASP Model, by working on a cadre, the school’s Steering Committee or on a Board of Trustees sub-committee.
  • We believe that the whole school community is integral to student success. The school recognizes the importance of family and community of learning. We have an active parent and community base that participates in everyday school life.

The governance structure assures collaborative decision-making, innovation and continuous improvement for the educational program and culture of the school. Our Board of Trustees is responsible for the mission, policy, strategic planning, financial oversight, legal and regulatory compliance, principal oversight and promotion, and accountability to the public. Any issues that affect our school’s mission or its Accountability Plan require review by our Board of Trustees.

While the ASP Model-based governance and leadership structure stresses empowerment through responsibility and building on the strengths of the school’s community, it is also very proactive in monitoring the effectiveness of the this structure via personal inquiry, required internal reporting, and by conducting teacher and parent surveys.

Amendments to the Charter

Date / Amendment Requested / Approved by BESE?
N/A

Dissemination Efforts

  • BCHMCPS formed a school-based team as part of the district’s implementation of (MTSS) Multi-tiered System of Support and participated in all professional development with colleagues from the other schools in Barnstable. The building team shared a power point presentation and other materials that were disseminated to the district for problem-solving at the building level.
  • The school prepared a revised schedule for a 90-minute ELA and Math block to support the district initiative to improve achievement in reading and math and to strive to become a Level 1 school and district. This was done collaboratively at professional development meetings with the district.
  • The teachers shared resources about district determined measures with their colleagues at district professional development.
  • The reading teacher collaborated with the district regarding the STAR assessments and shared information about the individual computer licenses our students use for literacy development and mathematics.
  • The principal shares information about the implementation of the McGraw Hill Reading Program with all Barnstable Public School principals at the district leadership meetings
  • The kindergarten and grade 1 teachers have written grants that have been shared within the district and the regional STEM network and our students were the youngest presenters at the MassCUE conference at Gillette Stadium in the fall of 2015.
  • The school adjustment counselor collaborates at the district level regarding the continued success of PBIS, “Drops in the Bucket” and the school attendance incentive, “Keep Them Coming.”
  • A teacher from BCHMCPS participated in district training in “Classroom Instruction that Works” and she facilitated a monthly workshop during staff meetings.

Academic Program Success

Student Performance

A. BCHMCPS 2015 Report Card:

B. Student Assessment Data

The 2015 – 2016 Academic Data Report is included as Appendix E in the Appendices.

Program Delivery

Accelerated Schools Plus (ASP) and Powerful Learning provide an overall framework for curriculum delivery at BCHMCPS. Our curriculum is continuously being developed and aligned with the Common Core Standards for each grade level and supported by Powerful Learning activities and assessments. Systematic and ongoing refinement of the school’s curriculum is our first priority. Through the ASP Inquiry Process, this “challenge area” is clearly defined and solutions are brainstormed by our three Cadres (Behavior, Curriculum and ASP). Cadres synthesize solutions and develop action plans, plot these plans, evaluate them, and then implement remedial actions to achieve desired outcomes. This process enables our staff to foster a deeper understanding of challenge areas and determine the extent to which current school practices and the common core standards are in alignment. Data collected is used to help guide further curriculum development to ensure continued alignment with the standards. BCHMCPS uses a variety of assessment tools and holds monthly data meetings to review student progress and plan enrichment and intervention collaboratively as a team.

  • The research-based, McGraw Hill Reading Program, Wonders, has been fully implemented by the teaching staff and we will be fully implementing it in the next school year. The program is aligned with common core standards. Professional development for all teachers has been provided through the McGraw Hill consultant and the in-house reading coach.
  • McGraw Hill Wonders and implementation of their intervention segments for Tier 2 and Tier 3 students identified through STAR assessments.
  • In-classroom instruction through push-in has been provided for ELL students with co-teaching between the staff.
  • Materials for Powerful Learning were distributed to each teacher and lesson plans using Understanding by Design were developed by each grade level team.
  • End-of-the-Year assessments using STAR were completed at each grade level. The results are documented as Appendix E.

Social, Emotional and Health Needs

BCHMCPS utilizes the following social and behavioral curriculums to ensure our school environment and classrooms are orderly, support the goal of student understanding and mastery of skills; and, are consistent with the school’s mission:

  • Second Step: A Violence Prevention Curriculum (Committee for Children, 2002) is designed to promote social competence and reduce children’s social and emotional problems. The school adjustment counselors provide lessons from the curriculum in all classrooms.
  • Tier 2 Intervention for SEL: The kindergarten teachers screened students in the fall and spring. Students were identified for small group interventions facilitated by the school adjustment counselors.
  • Calmer Choice: There has been implementation of this mindfulness program in grades 1 through 3.
  • Responsive Classroom: Responsive Classroom approach is based on the premise that children learn best when they have both academic and social-emotional skills.
  • Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS): The PBIS program maximizes opportunities for students to achieve social competence and increase academic achievement. A six-point behavioral matrix is displayed throughout the school. It contains a continuum of strategies for encouraging expected behavior and discouraging inappropriate behavior as well as on-going monitoring and evaluation. To enhance this program, we have implemented a “Drop in the Bucket” activity in which students are recognized daily for acts of kindness directed toward one another.
  • Keep Them Coming: Keep Them Coming is an effective program to improve school attendance was developed by the Cape Cod and Islands District Attorney’s Program. In 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 BCHMCPS successfully piloted this program with a goal to support families and students with attendance and lower our absentee rate.

Practices that Support Diverse Learners

  • Staff members have received training in implementing differentiated instruction. We have provided multiple approaches to developing content, processes, and products. Our teachers create a learning environment which encourages students to engage their abilities to the greatest extent possible, to include taking risks and building knowledge and skills in a safe and flexible environment that is student centered.
  • BCHMCPS offers accelerated enrichment classes for our academically talented students. Academically talented students at our school receive services four days a week: the District provides a Gateway Teacher one day a week; and the Friends of BCHMCPS fund an Enrichment Specialist three days a week. Our program components include both in-class and pull-out activities. Renzulli’s School-wide Enrichment Model is the framework for the Enrichment Program.
  • All students participate in Enrichment Clusters every Friday morning for six weeks from January-March. The purpose of the Enrichment Clusters is to provide “real life experiences” in multi-age groups (K-3) led by community, parent and staff volunteers
  • Our English Language Learners (ELL) students are included in general education classrooms.BCHMCPS has scheduled courses in partnership with the Barnstable Public Schools for teachers to be trained in cohorts 1, 2 and 3 to meet this timeframe requirement. Staff members have or are in the process of meeting this requirement.
  • Our school provides special education services to all eligible students in accordance with State and Federal regulations as outlined in the Individual with Disabilities Education Act. Special education students are expected to master the general curriculum to the extent possible with accommodations, specially designed instruction, and related services, as outlined in their Individual Education Plan (IEP).

Use of Assessment

We are consistently analyzing current data, and adjusting curriculum and instruction to meet the needs of all learners. The following are examples of assessment tools we use to drive instruction:

(1)The McGraw Hill reading series unit tests are formative assessment tools administered at the end of each unit. It allows us to assess student’s comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and phonics skills.

(2)The STAR assessment published by Renaissance Learning is a formative assessment tool that assesses fluency skills in reading and math. STAR is administered to all students K-3 three times a year. Students who do not meet the benchmark are identified for daily small group intervention and are progress monitored weekly.

(3)BCHMCPS was directed to administer MCAS by the Charter Office in regard to our accountability and assessment plan for comparative data compared to prior years.

(4)Literacy blocks were built into the daily schedule for two periods in grades K-3. A part-time Title 1 reading assistant was hired with funds from our Title 1 grant to increase reading support for struggling readers.

(5)The four Kindergarten teachers implement the MKEA assessment program.

(6)Data coaches, teachers and the principal review STAR, which reports four levels of progress: Students placed in “At Risk” or “Some Risk” categories receive intervention services based on need. Results of intervention services are progress monitored weekly and reviewed monthly at Data Meetings.

The Professional Climate

  • Grade levels meet weekly to collaborate on instruction, assessment and professional development. Professional development has included monthly training in “Classroom Instruction that Works.” Additionally data meetings led by the reading specialist and the Title 1math teacher are held with each grade level to discuss progress in reading and math. The goal of the training is to increase student achievement as measured by MCAS and the STAR assessment.
  • The intense focus on literacy and math instruction, Professional Learning Communities (PLC) Data Meetings established, professional development training combined with implementation of the new Educator Evaluation have contributed to our continued academic growth. BCHMCPS is making significant gains in both reading and math as measured by STAR and the McGraw Hill unit tests.

Data- Based Decision Making