Brevard Public Schools

School Improvement Plan

2015 – 2016

Name of School: Area:

Principal: Area Superintendent:

SAC Chairperson:

Superintendent: Dr. Desmond Blackburn

Mission Statement:

The mission of Space Coast Junior/Senior High School is to engage all students in activities designed to promote critical thinking and decision making emphasizing the educational values of rigor, relevance, responsibility, and relationships.

Vision Statement:

The mission of Space Coast Junior/Senior High School is to produce educated, informed citizens ready to contribute to a global society prepared for the challenges of the 21st century.

Stakeholder Involvement in School Improvement Planning:

Briefly explain how stakeholders are involved in the development, review, and communication of the SIP.

Stakeholders at Space Coast Jr/Sr High School are involved in the development of the SIP Space Coast by soliciting input from faculty/student/parent surveys, asking teachers to reflect on current data trends and instructional practices, getting feedback from sharing SIP draft with staff/parents, and by sharing data with staff/parents and asking for input. Goals and objectives are reviewed with SAC to make sure our school is on target. The mission, vision, and SIP will be communicated to all stakeholders through a variety of resources including but not limited to electronic distribution via our school website, communication through the School Advisory Committee, hard copy available in our front office, and as part of the best practices our teachers utilize within their classrooms.

Brevard Public Schools

School Improvement Plan

2015-2016

Part 1: Planning for Student Achievement

RATIONALE – Continuous Improvement Cycle Process

Data Analysis from multiple data sources:

What are the areas of successful professional practices and what data shows evidence of improvements? What are the concerns with professional practices and how are they revealed with data?
In the 2014-15 school year, Space Coast had many areas of successful professional practices. Our Math Department used Shmoop and Algebra Nation, for FSA practice. CPALMS/CMAPS were used for collaboration and scheduling. Space Coast students made the highest gains on the Algebra 1 EOC in Brevard County for the 2014-15 school year. Language Arts Department used Turnitin which checks for potential unoriginal content by comparing submitted papers to several databases using an exclusive algorithm. This program helps to ensure students do not submit papers that is not their own work. GradeCam was used by our Math, Science, Language Arts, and Social Studies Departments. It’s a great way to quickly grade multiple-choice assessments and get instant reports to monitor student progress. The ability for teachers and students to see test results immediately provides a built-in method to check for understanding. This type of instant feedback is very useful in helping students master certain concepts.
Space Coast’s biggest concern is the lack of access teachers have to technology needed to implement digital resources and lessons. Teachers are constantly competing with each other for lab times. When new resources are available the lack of preplanning time and training to know how to implement new curriculum is also a concern.
What are the areas of successful student achievements and what data shows evidence of improvements?
What are the concerns with student achievements and how are they revealed to the data?
In the 2014-15 school year, Space Coast students made the highest gains on the Algebra 1 EOC in Brevard County. Our pass rate in the 2013-14 school year was 59% and last year, school year 2014-2015, 81% of our students passed the Algebra 1 EOC. Additionally, 100% (13) of our students taking the Para Professional exam passed, 100% (23) of our Drafting 3 and 4 students passed Revit, and Inventor,100% (14) of our Drafting 3 passed AutoCAD, and 100% (17) of Engineering 3 students passed Solidworks. Finally, we had one student compete in the State Science Fair last year.
The data has also revealed some concerns with student achievement. In looking at Math, English/Language Arts, Science, and History, across the grade levels, several students failed one or more classes. Below are the numbers of students by grade level who failed in the first and second semesters of their core classes.
First Semester / 7th / 8th / 9th / 10th / 11th / 12th
Math / 47 / 11 / 17 / 15 / 35 / 13
English / 8 / 6 / 7 / 6 / 7 / 3
Science / 11 / 7 / 0 / 15 / 11 / 2
History / 0 / 6 / 1 / 0 / 1 / 4
Second Semester / 7th / 8th / 9th / 10th / 11th / 12th
Math / 32 / 18 / 17 / 17 / 36 / 12
English / 17 / 18 / 10 / 10 / 11 / 3
Science / 25 / 2 / 2 / 25 / 16 / 4
History / 1 / 10 / 7 / 7 / 3 / 0
This resulted in the following retention rates per grade level:
7th / 8th / 9th / 10th / 11th
14% / 6% / 7% / 17% / 19%
Finally, data from AP tests taken in 2014 as compared to those taken in 2015 show a decline as well. In 2014, Space Coast had 150 students in AP classes, taking 233 tests, with a pass rate of 60%. This score was about 7% higher than the rest of the students in Florida, and only one percent lower than AP students globally. In 2015, however, there were only 128 Space Coast students, taking 187 tests, with a pass rate of 51.6%. When comparing Space Coast’s pass rate to Florida students, we were lower by 3%, and a global comparison shows that we are now 9% lower.
What other areas of strength or opportunity are revealed in data from leading indicators?
The data from the leading indicators reveals an area of opportunity that we would like to address at Space Coast. First, we would like to reduce the number of students who are failing Math, English, Science, and History, which will in turn reduce the number of students facing retention. We would also like to increase the number of students who are taking AP courses. We will do this by sharing the information about each course with students and parents during High School and Middle School Nights, as well as inform all teachers about the courses that we offer at Space Coast. Additionally, we want to adjust our AP Science courses to be offered every year instead of rotating the schedule bi-yearly. We know that many of our Space Coast students will benefit from being given the opportunity to choose from a variety of AP courses, with a variety of AP course teachers.
With a focus on standards-based instruction, using Understanding by Design (UbD) as a framework, Space Coast will continue to use successful professional practices to enhance student achievement.

Analysis of Current Practices:

Describe action steps that have become non-negotiable, things that you will continue doing.
In accordance with district and state expectations, teachers plan for and deliver instruction based on Florida State Standards. Action steps that have become standard practice in the classroom include Webb’s depth of knowledge, high order thinking skills, Cornell notes, text support questioning, DBQ training, living word walls and thinking maps. Teachers have also incorporated and were aware of the use of nonfiction reading and writing practices, in an effort to support standards, and the changing assessments. We have created professional learning teams that focus on content area as well as targeting the lowest 25%. PLT, general faculty meetings, training, and department meetings provide the necessary time needed for collaboration, training, and support.

Best Practice:

Based on research, as it relates to the data analysis above, what should be best practices in the class room?
Research Within:
Space Coast has introduced a variety of strategies to support both the teacher and student, creating an environment that provides quality instruction for all. Faculty and staff have been trained and are familiar with Webb’s Depth of Knowledge, Cornell notes, reading and writing along with text support across the curriculum, and higher order thinking skills. Professional learning teams provide the collaboration time and peer support necessary to implement the necessary standards, and strategies effectively.
Research Beyond:
Research states that the Understanding by Design (UbD) framework helps teachers to align with Dimension I (Instructional Design and Lesson Planning for Resource Teachers) of the IPPAS rubric, helps teachers to concentrate on the most important standards and goals (purposeful planning), helps to avoid teaching only from the textbook and doing meaningless activities, and helps develop meaningful assessments. For students UbD helps answers the student question of, “Why are we doing this/learning this?” (gives students a purpose), gives students multiple opportunities to show they understand the “Big Idea” (not just one assessment at the end) and helps students apply learned skills to new contexts and other subjects.
Research has found the following key findings relevant to Understanding by Design: Views on effective learning have shifted from a focus on the benefits of diligent drill and practice to a focus on students’ understanding and application of knowledge. Learning must be guided by generalized principles in order to be widely applicable. Learning with understanding is more likely to promote transfer than simply memorizing information from a text or a lecture. Feedback is fundamental to learning. Students may receive grades on tests and essays which are summative assessments but they also need formative assessments, which provide students with opportunities to revise and improve the quality of their thinking and understanding. Given the goal of learning with understanding, assessments and feedback must focus on understanding, and not only on memory for procedures or facts. Expert teachers know the structure of their disciplines and this provides them with cognitive roadmaps that guide the assignments they give students, the assessments they use to gauge student progress, and the questions they ask in the give and take of classroom life. Effective curriculum development reflects a three-stage design process called backward design. The teacher starts with classroom outcomes and then plans the curriculum, choosing activities and materials that help determine student ability and raise student learning. (McTighe and Seif).
Teachers are coaches of understanding, not transmitters of content knowledge, skill, or activity. They focus on ensuring that learning happens, not just teaching (and assuming that what was taught was learned); they always aim and check for successful meaning making and transfer by the learner.
Jay McTighe and Elliott Seif: A Summary of Underlying Theory and Research Base for Understanding by Design

School-Based Goal: What can be done to improve instructional effectiveness?

With a focus on standards-based instruction, using Understanding by Design (UbD) as a framework, Space Coast will implement standards-based instruction and planning with the end in mind, providing successful meaning-making and transfer by the learner.

Strategies: Small number of action oriented staff performance objectives.

Barrier / Action Steps / Person Responsible / Timetable / Budget / In-Process
Measure
1.Teacher Training / 1.Understanding by Design (UbD)
2.Teacher collaboration/presentations on UbD results / Administration/ Teacher Leaders / Preplanning August 10
On-going on PDD early release days / $400 / Collaborative training, follow up and sample unit
2.Focus Systemic Observations / 1. All administrators will give informal observations by zones every two weeks / Administration / On-going / $ 0 / ProGOE
Rotation schedule by zone
3. a. Course failures
b. EOC/FSA failures / 1. Provide tutoring after school in all core subject areas.
2.Provide remediation for FSA and EOC testing / Guidance Services Professional/ Teachers / On-going / $17,569 / Tutoring/ Camp time sheets
Student attendance logs
Grade Reports
4. Time for teacher discussions regarding Standards-based Instruction (SBI) and resources / 1. Leaders collaborate with team to enhance student achievement / Professional Learning Teams / On-going / $3,600 / Meeting agendas/notes
PLT share with SCLT
5. Algebra classes over class size / 1. Reduce class size by hiring an extended day teacher / Administration / On-going / $3,686 / Extended day
Contract
6. Middle School students failing one or two classes / 1. After school Middle School Credit Retrieval / Debbie Lubbers / 2nd Semester / $3,500 / Time sheets
% of students recovering
Attendance
7. Informing parents of failures, Summer School, and attendance letters / 1. Postage supplies
for failure letters / Guidance/Deans / Quarterly / $1,000 / Mailing list
8. Need of Credit Retrieval/course make-up for promotional purposes / 1. Hiring additional
summer school
teachers / Teachers / June / $7,500 / Summer School
Contract
9. Lack of time to Double check placement, monitor progress, and determine retention promotion / 1 Hire additional counselor for two weeks of summer school / Administration/Guidance / June / $3,000 / Work schedule
10. Lack of resources for Middle School teachers to collaborate and analysis data for common assessments of SBI / 1. Hire subs to allow Middle School core teachers to collaborate common assessments / Administration/
Tina Neal/
Vicki Deel / On-going / $2,000 / Sub records
Teacher meeting notes

EVALUATION – Outcome Measures and Reflection-begin with the end in mind.

Qualitative and Quantitative Professional Practice Outcomes: Measures the level of implementation of professional practices throughout your school.

Where do you want your teachers to be? What tools will you use to measure the implementation of your strategies? What tool will be used to measure progress throughout the year? Use real percentages and numbers.
By October, 2015, 10% of Space Coast’s teachers will design and implement a unit plan, based on the Understanding by Design framework, in the classroom.
By February, 2016, 75% of Space Coast’s teachers will design and implement a unit plan, based on the Understanding by Design framework, in the classroom.
Copies of Understanding by Design plans and informal observations will be the tools used to measure progress throughout the year.

Qualitative and Quantitative Student Achievement Expectations: Measures student achievement.

Where do you want your students to be? What will student achievement look like at the end of the school year 2015-16?
What tools will be used to measure progress throughout the year?
By the end of the 2015-2016 school year, Space Coast will decrease number of students failing MESH subjects to under 10% by increasing academic engagement time through standards based instruction using Understanding by Design, Literacy Design Collaborative, or other lesson planning designs that includes planning with the end in mind.
By the end of the 2015-2016 school year, Space Coast will Improve AP overall passing rate by 10%.
Semester review of student achievement, semester failure rates, student engagement through informal teacher observation, and teacher feedback on student engagement will be the tools used to measure progress throughout the year.

Part 2: Support Systems for Student Achievement