2016-17 District & School Goals

Focused on the FutureSeptember 27, 2016

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Our FocusAcross the District, and in each of our schools, we are focused on providing each student a rigorous and enriching experience that is consistent with the District Mission Statement:

The mission of the Irvington School District is to create a challenging and supportive learning environment in which each student attains his or her highest potential for academic achievement, critical thinking and life-long learning. Our

schools encourage the discovery and development of students’ individual strengths, skills and talents, and foster social and civic responsibility.

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Drilling Down on Our Focus

To help further define our work, the Administration and Faculty have operationalized the Mission Statement through the development and articulation through its Theories of action.

A Theory of Action ıs a set of underlyıng assumptıons about how we wıll move our organızatıon from ıts current state to ıts desıred future. (Elmore)

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IUFSD Theories of Action Theory of Action 1If we provide students with rigorous, authentic learning experiences rooted in a comprehensive curriculum, then they will acquire the knowledge, skills and dispositions of successful 21st Century learners that will prepare them to thrive in a rapidly evolving global society.

GoalIn order to develop successful 21st Century learners that will be prepared to thrive in a rapidly evolving global society, the Irvington School District will: ● provide students with rigorous authentic, learning experiences● develop a comprehensive curriculum that includes:

○ aligned and articulated content○ defined learning outcomes○ a balanced and systematic approach to assessment

○ 21st Century skills and dispositions - problem solver, flexible thinker, collaborative learner, effective communicator, empathetic citizen, and self-reliant, reflective, creative risk-taker.

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IUFSD Theories of ActionTheory of Action 2If we value and foster the professional learning and growth of all members of our school community, then we will build our collective capacity to support student success.

Goal:In order to build our collective capacity to support student success, the Irvington School District will:● engage all members of our school community in the process of continuous improvement through the

articulation of District goals● involve all members of the school community in learning and developing the knowledge and skills to

support student success● provide educators with professional learning designed to support student growth● provide all staff with professional learning to develop the skills necessary to meet District needs.

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IUFSD Theories of Action Theory of Action 3If we engage in a systematic approach of classroom observation, collecting data and offering feedback to one another, then evidence-based decisions will promote reflective practice, inform instructional design and guide professional learning in order to continuously improve/advance student achievement.

GoalIn order to continuously improve student achievement through professional learning, reflective practice, and instructional design, the District will:● engage all K-12 instructional leaders in various approaches to classroom visitation to collect evidence

of teaching and learning● utilize the Instructional Rounds protocol as a tool to assess our progress toward our relevant theories

of action and in addressing instructional goals● use the Framework for Teaching as the benchmark for instructional best practices● use the Annual Professional Performance Review as one indicator of student performance and teacher

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Theories into Practice● The Theories have been at the root of all we do in our schools, including:

○ Curriculum work○ Professional development ○ Enriched learning experiences○ Dispositional Thinking; Habits of Mind○ Character Building

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Our Focus Equates to Progress

● Work we’ve done related to goals○ 85% of teachers have been trained in Teaching for Understanding○ Creation of PD teams to support teachers○ Dedication of available PD time○ Department and school-specific initiatives

● Evidence of success○ Continued growth in standardized assessments○ Observational data highlights student growth○ Student, school, and District recognition

Moving forward our areas of need are outlined in three district goals.

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Our Foci for 2016-2017Three primary goals have been developed which are being personalized at each school:

● To implement instructional practices that elevate student thinking and understanding.● To develop a balanced assessment system that measures students’ content knowledge, skill,

understanding and dispositional thinking.● To design and introduce a new content management system that enhances communication

between the school district and the parent community.

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What do these goals mean?

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● To implement instructional practices that elevate student thinking and understanding.

Instructıonal Practıces are the decısıons and steps teachers take each day ın theır classrooms.

These practıces encompass the applıcatıon of learnıng theory, selectıon and use of resources, teachıng strategıes, groupıng desıgn, assessment strategıes, use of data and ıntegratıon of technology.

In other words . . .

instructional practices can be

almost anything that takes

place in a classroom.

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● To develop a balanced assessment system that measures students’ content knowledge, skill, understanding and dispositional thinking.

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Understanding by Design - Instructional Design & Curriculum MappingUnit Planner Key Components

● Stage 1○ Enduring Understandings & Essential Questions○ Content Knowledge & Skill○ Student Thinking & Teacher Planning

● Stage 2○ Assessment

■ Formative■ Summative■ Performance-Based

● Stage 3○ Lesson Plans & Activities

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Our Schools: Moving Us Forward

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IHS Focus on Moving Instruction ● To implement instructional practices that elevate student thinking and

understanding.○ Utilize Essential Questions as focal points in the implementation of units of study;○ Develop and implement lesson-closing activities designed to support metacognition and

advance student learning;■ Meaning Making■ Transfer of Knowledge■ Dispositional Thinking

○ Implement content-specific professional learning that reflects thinking as the key goal:■ Bard Writing Program - Thinking through writing■ Metamorphosis - Mathematical Habits of Mind■ Tri-States review for SS - Historical Thinking Skills

○ Dedicated professional learning time for aligning lesson implementations with the unit planners.

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IHS Focus on Assessment ● To develop a balanced assessment system that measures students’ content

knowledge, skill, understanding and dispositional thinking.○ Dedicated workshops focused on articulating the relationship between Learning

Outcomes (Stage 1) and Assessments (Stage 2);○ Develop formative assessments designed to measure understanding and the

development of dispositional thinking;○ Professional learning designed to advance the usage of lesson-closing activities to

foster student self-assessment;○ Promote a systematic approach for assessing and targeting the academic and

behavioral needs of at-risk students.

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IHS Other Foci● Cultivating Student Leadership and Voice to advance school culture and

support student wellness;● Aligning our Master Schedule with our teaching and learning goals;● Developing capacity to increase the use of instructional technology across the

curriculum to enhance stakeholder communication, foster collaboration and advance student skills and dispositions;○ Transitioning to Google Platform○ Fostering thinking through the use of mobile devices○ Increasing student access to technology

● Increased focus on practice and rigor:○ WL - Speaking and listening focus○ Instructional Coach - supporting literacy across content areas

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IMS Focus on Moving Instruction ● To implement instructional practices that elevate student thinking and

understanding.○ Use of essential questions (EQs) to frame instruction throughout units of study.○ Teacher goal setting process focused on teaching of thinking.○ Dedicated professional learning time for reflection and revision of existing unit

planners.○ Implement content-specific professional learning that reflects thinking as the key

goal:■ Bard Writing Program - Thinking through writing■ Metamorphosis - Mathematical Habits of Mind■ Tri-States review for SS - Historical Thinking Skills

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IMS Focus on Assessment ● To develop a balanced assessment system that measures students’ content

knowledge, skill, understanding and dispositional thinking.○ Creation and implementation of varied assessments, including formative and digital.○ Use of Google Classroom as vehicle for digital assessment.○ Professional learning focused on connecting our prior work on Stage 1 (Desired

Results) and Stage 2 (Assessment Evidence) of the unit planner.○ Reflection/revision cycle regarding assessments with teams of teachers.

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IMS Other Foci● Technology

○ Curriculum Integration - Goal #5 on Irvington Technology Plan■ Work of building-level Technology Committee

○ PLTW■ Connects teaching of thinking and integration of technology

○ Focus on Google Classroom○ Implementation of additional devices for use with GAFE

■ Looking to the future● Increased focus on practice and rigor:

○ Instructional Coach - Supporting growth in writing instruction and feedback○ WL - Speaking and Listening focus

● Supporting students social-emotional learning○ Advisory

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MSS Focus on Moving Instruction ● To implement instructional practices that elevate student thinking and

understanding.○ Curriculum Work- UBD○ Unit Development/ Revision○ Teaching of Thinking- Essential Questions○ Math Stations ○ Accountable Talk/Socratic Seminar○ PLTW○ Social Studies Inquiry Units

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MSS Focus on Assessment ● To develop a balanced assessment system that measures students’ content

knowledge, skills, understanding and dispositional thinking.○ Reflection and revision cycles of units○ Examination of student work for evidence of student thinking○ Consider ways to assess for dispositional language - Habits of Mind○ Assess for metacognition that reflects dispositional thinking

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MSS Other Foci● Technology

○ District Technology Plan - Goal #7- Global Citizenship○ PLTW○ Wireless access○ Addition of a Chromebook cart

● Student Support○ Social & Emotional Learning

■ Problem Solving Classroom Lessons○ Academic Intervention

■ RTI - Response to Intervention

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Dows Lane Focus on Moving Instruction

● To implement instructional practices that elevate student thinking and understanding.○ UBD Curriculum Development and Implementation ○ Curriculum Revision Cycle and Peer Review○ UBD Planners throughout the Goal Setting and Observation Cycle ○ ENL (English as a New Language) Co-Teaching○ Math Stations ○ Accountable Talk○ PLTW○ Social Studies Inquiry Units

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Dows Lane Focus on Assessment ● To develop a balanced assessment system that measures students’ content

knowledge, skill, understanding and dispositional thinking.○ Analysis of Student Work - “Sharing and Learning” Math sessions ○ Develop Dispositional Thinking & Mindfulness- Character Building at Dows Lane ○ Develop assessment of student thinking and Habits of Mind

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Dows Lane Other Foci● RTI

○ Implementation of benchmark assessments○ Foster network of communication for and about each child○ Develop relationship of Dows Lane K-3 by implementing TRT

● Literacy at Dows Lane○ Fundations○ Design of Literacy Block

● Social-Emotional Learning○ Character Building○ Mindfulness○ School-wide Expectations

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Districtwide Focus on Communication ● To design and introduce a new content management system (website) that

enhances communication between the school district and the parent community.○ Partner with vendor on user-friendly, interactive design○ Internal development of new information architecture○ Committee of building/District webmasters to meet monthly to review and

standardize content across pages○ Stakeholder focus groups to identify additional needs and target areas○ Communication plan established and disseminated○ Implementation of new system and population of site with necessary content○ School and District websites to be launched in Spring 2017

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Next Steps ● Goals to be linked to strategic plan

○ October administration to align work of the Strategic Planning Committee with existing initiatives

○ October-November additional data collection○ November - BOE and administration to review revised plan○ December community presentation

● Will inform budgetary process ● Regular updates via administrative reporting at BOE meetings● Jan. 10 BOE-administration roundtable discussion

○ Update on goals and discussion of priorities for 2017-18● End-of-year school-based presentations

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Discussion

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