Here's Marlborough's Public Schools 5 Year Plan Final Believe 2016 and Scorecard 11-16-11

8/2/2019 Here's Marlborough's Public Schools 5 Year Plan Final Believe 2016 and Scorecard 11-16-11

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Believe 2016

Building a world-class school system

Marlborough Public Schools - Five-Year Strategic Plan – October 2011





Believe 2016 page 4 of 73 Marlborough Public Schools Five-Year Strategic Plan

From the School Committee

Dear Marlborough School Community,

It is with great pleasure that we present to the community of Marlborough, Believe 2016, Marlborough Public School’sFive-Year Strategic Plan. Over two years ago, the School Committee embarked upon a fact-finding mission to engage allstakeholders in a conversation about our schools and what we must do to constructively and purposefully move ourdistrict forward into the 21st Century. We want to thank all of you who have taken part in that preliminary effort, andrespectfully acknowledge the many teaching professionals, administrators, local leaders and parents who have engagedand collaborated with our new Superintendent this past year to generate this living document – a dynamic map of ourshared futures for providing an exceptional educational experience for all of our students.

We are optimistic about supporting this ambitious plan that focuses our work for the next five years directly on teaching and learning. As a community, we must now share a single focused goal: collectively building a world-class school systemthat truly prepares all students for the realities of a global economy.

The School Committee would like to acknowledge all the stakeholders as well as the district Leadership Team forcompiling the supporting data and subsequently developing this comprehensive document. The energy and vision of ournew Superintendent, Anthony Pope, Ed.D., have been instrumental in blending the spectrum of community expectations into this inaugural edition of the Strategic Plan. We believe that working together allows the best of allopportunities to emerge; through mutual efforts outlined herein, we have just begun to tap the intellectual potential andheartfelt will to authentically put Marlborough on the map of 21st Century excellence in public education.

The pride that community ownership confers is priceless. The legacy we will realize for all 21st Century global learners will be built together from the foundations outlined in Believe 2016 . Please join us on this journey of growth and mutualaccomplishment.

Respectfully submitted,

School CommitteeMarlborough Public Schools




From the Superintendent

Dear Colleagues and Marlborough Community,

We are very excited to present the MarlboroughPublic School’s five-year strategic plan, Believe

2016 , which outlines the goals and objectives forproviding every chi ld , every day, in every

classroom access to a world-class education.

Our strategic plan was created through a processthat started two years ago that engaged theMarlborough community and brought togetherhonest feedback from all stakeholders, research,and data about our school system to outline a

clear direction for the future of all of our children in Marlborough. Guided by our core values andclearly crafted goals to increase student achievement and close the opportunity and achievement gapfor all students, ensure effective and efficient operations of all district resources, foster partnerships with the Marlborough community and improve communication and engagement, and build a culturethat supports high expectations and the belief that all students can succeed, this plan aspires to lay the foundation and framework to make Marlborough Public Schools a place where ALL childrenexperience a world-class education that prepares them for a global society.

We begin this year with both excitement and hope regarding the possibilities for our future because with this strategic plan Marlborough now has a coherent focus and a roadmap that will help prepareour students for the 21st Century. Guided by our Four Corners of Suc cess - a focus on theinstructional core, high expectations for everyone, using data to inform our planning, and strong accountability for everyone – we are poised to accomplish our goals. Over the next five years we willfocus on developing a world-class curriculum, closing the achievement gap, providing quality professional development, and developing innovative school models.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the development of this plan and their commitment to thestudents of Marlborough Public Schools. I welcome all of you to BELIEVE today that by 2016 we will have created an environment where ALL CHILDREN have access to a rigorous curriculum andare challenged, supported and inspired to BELIEVE in themselves. I look forward to all of us working together for all of our children.

Respectfully,

Anthony Pope, Ed. D.




Believe….…in a day when excellence is the norm, diversity is our strength, and success is measured by holding each other accountable.

…in a day when teachers, leaders, staff, parents,community, and policymakers have highexpectations for all of our students and align ourdecisions to collectively support teaching andlearning in every classroom.

…in a day when students’ learning experiences aremeaningful and relevant, families and partners are

actively engaged, operations are effective andefficient, and all students achieve high levels of success.

…in a day that we will see our children graduatefrom a world-class school system ready to lead,

innovate and collaborate in a 21st Century globalsociety that we are inventing..... together.




Executive Summary

The development of Be lieve 2016 involved many people who dedicated their time and energy tohelp create a comprehensive plan to provide clear direction for the Marlborough Public Schools forthe next five years. It will be this type of dedication and commitment that will be required toaccomplish our goals that we have outlined in Be lieve 2016. Our children deserve a quality education that prepares all of them for life in the 21 st Century. With a strong focus on theinstructional core and having high expectations for all students and staff, we will challenge ourselvesto do what is right and provide an exceptional educational experience for our children. We all mustuse data for planning and also hold ourselves and each other accountable for educating allMarlborough children.

One question that all of us must answer is, what do we Believe about educating all children? Do all of us have the will to challenge our old beliefs that have not yielded any results? John Dewey oncesaid, “Man is not logical and his intellectual history is a record of mental reserves and compromises.He hangs on to what he can in his old beliefs even when he is compelled to surrender their logical

basis.” If all of us truly Believe that every child deserves a quality education that is equal inexpectation and opportunity, our answer is simple. Our children deserve our best, which means alladults must be willing to challenge old beliefs and do whatever it takes to contribute to educating our children. Our vision in B elieve 2016 is supported by four district goals:

Goal 1 – Student Achievement - All students in Marlborough Public Schools will learn at highlevels of academic expectations, and the achievement gap will be eliminated.

• Core Curriculum - Develop, refine, and deploy an academically rigorous curriculum that is

aligned with state and national standards and embeds 21st Century skills.

• Effective Instructional Practices - Provide teachers with the knowledge and skills they

need to implement effective research-based instructional practices in their classrooms to

support and improve teaching and learning.

• Data Driven Culture - Ensure the development and implementation of a comprehensive

data system that utilizes data to inform curriculum and instructional planning.

• Closing the Achievement Gap - Develop districtwide strategies that are research-based

and proven effective in closing the achievement gap.

• Innovative School Models - Provide all students access to a wide range of curricular

options through the development and implementation of proven school models that offer a

rigorous college preparatory curriculum.

• Advanced and Accelerated Offerings - Provide increased opportunities for our highest

academic performers so that they are engaged in a rigorous and stimulating curriculum.• Early Childhood - Develop and implement quality Early Childhood programs districtwide

to provide a solid foundation to give students the social and academic experiences that will

enable them to start school prepared.

• Technology Integration - Ensure the integration of technology throughout the core

curriculum and in the instructional delivery in classrooms that reinforces 21st Century skills.




Executive Summary

• English Language Learners - Enhance the services for English Language Learners (ELLs)

to accelerate the academic achievement of all ELL students.

• Special Education - Ensure that special education students are held to high standards of

academic achievement while recognizing and supporting their diverse learning needs.

Goal 2 – Operational Effectiveness and Efficiency - All operations in Marlborough PublicSchools will be efficient and effective.

• Aligning District Supports - Ensure that all instructional and operational supports of the

district are aligned, developed and trained to effectively support the instructional core.

• Service-Oriented Culture - Promote a service-oriented culture throughout the district that

is responsive to the needs of all schools and district services.

• Financial Accountability - Ensure that we are responsible stewards of public funds and

implement structures and systems that align all of our resources to the instructional core.

• Technology Systems - Ensure the effective implementation of technology in all aspects of

district operations to efficiently address the various technology needs.

• Human Resources - Ensure the development and implementation of effective Human

Resources practices and processes throughout the district and schools.

• Facilities and Transportation - Maintain efficient, safe and quality facilities and

transportation services throughout the school district.

Goal 3 – Family and Community Engagement - Marlborough Public Schools will fosterpartnerships with the community and improve communication and engagement to support our

students and school system.• Support and Engagement - Engage parents, families, and the community and build their

support for district goals to improve the education of all children.

• Communication - Improve internal and external communication to parents, families,

teachers, and schools throughout the school district.

Goal 4 – Culture - Marlborough Public Schools will foster a culture that supports high expectationsand the belief that all students can succeed.

• Character Education - Develop and deploy a comprehensive character education

curriculum throughout the district and integrate all aspects of teaching and learning.

• Bullying and Cyber-Bullying - Implement a system to help support the prevention of student bullying and cyber-bullying throughout the district.

• Cultural Awareness - Enhance cultural awareness and understanding throughout the

school district and school community to strengthen teaching and learning.

• Recognition of Success - Develop structures and programs throughout the district to

recognize the many successes of staff, students, and all positive aspects of the school district.




Introduction

“There is nothing wrong with pursuing a vision for greatness… but it means having the humility tograsp the fact that [we] do not yet understand enough to have the answers.”

– Jim Collins, Good to Great

The Marlborough Public Schools is fortunate to benefit from a committed group of staff, aninvolved community, and a variety of academic and extracurricular opportunities. However, as ourpopulation has diversified and the demands of a global workforce continue to increase, studentachievement has progressively declined. We must recognize that excellence and equity areinseparable, and pockets of quality for some students amidst differing expectations for otherstudents is not acceptable. We can no longer tolerate the pervasive achievement gap that is allowing too many of our students to fall through the cracks.

This Strategic Plan provides a blueprint for the Marlborough community that brings together

proven elements of successful school districts under a new vision – to become a world-class schooldistrict. As we collectively identify our core values and redefine our expectations for all students, wemust embrace the diversity of our families and work harder to engage them. We must couple ourefforts to develop an aligned pK-12 curriculum and improve instruction across the district withsignificant support to accelerate student achievement. Our operations and resource allocations needto become more organized, efficient, and aligned to our instructional priorities, in order to moreeffectively support teaching and learning in every classroom. Because we know that the adults who work with and on behalf of our children have the greatest influence on their future, everyone mustbe held accountable for their success.

Our potential to fulfill our promise to Marlborough’s children lies within our collective will andbegins with a single word… Believe . When we believe that every student in the Marlborough

Public Schools will graduate college and be career ready by 2016, our students have a better chanceof instilling the confidence within themselves to succeed. We must accelerate progress andopportunities for our students if we want them to become successful in their future. We cannottolerate low student achievement and the opportunity and achievement gaps that still exist for toomany students. We must work together to increase achievement, embrace diversity and implementsupports and systems that will lead to increased student achievement.




Introduction

The strength of a strategic plan lies in the foundation that a school district collectively builds tosupport it. Beginning in January 2010, the Marlborough School Committee embarked on a journey

to begin the development of a five-year strategic plan. The school district brought in theInternational Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE) to conduct an initial needs assessment forthe entire district. ICLE collected and analyzed district and school performance data to identify strengths and potential areas of need. The needs assessment helped the school committee and thedistrict leadership team identify trends in student performance over time. Using survey results, data was also collected regarding schoolwide leadership, culture, instruction, and student engagement.During ICLE’s assessment, all Marlborough Schools participated in a Collaborative School Review. This review took place February – March 2010. During these visits, the consultants met with districtand school leadership teams, visited numerous classrooms, and conducted focus group meetings with teachers, students, and parents. Using the International Center’s Learning Criteria to Support21st Century Learners, they evaluated how successful our schools are in providing educational

experiences for students in the areas of foundation learning, stretch learning, learner engagement,and personal skill development.

Because of the extraordinary efforts of the Marlborough School Committee, 10 focus groupmeetings were conducted. These meetings provided valuable insight into the current state of thedistrict as viewed through the eyes of our school community stakeholders. Meetings were generally 60-90 minutes in length. Participants were asked to respond to a series of similar questions. Additional interviews were held with district personnel that included the upper leadership team. Additional meetings were also held with the district’s various employee group leaders, as well as thesuperintendent and principal of the county vocational school. More focus group meetings were held with various parent groups representing special needs, advanced students, PTO groups, schoolcouncils, and athletic and music booster groups. In order to gain a broader perspective on the

parental assessment of the district and its programs, we included a focus group of parents who electto send one or more of their children to schools other than Marlborough schools. In order to gaininsight from community members, focus group interviews were scheduled with representatives of the local Chamber of Commerce, local realtors, and members of the city council. Resulting from thefocus groups as well as other data, ICLE submitted its recommendations to the school committeeand district leadership identifying strengths, challenges, top priorities, and recommendations.

While ICLE was completing its needs assessment, the School Committee hired a new Superintendent to lead Marlborough for the next five years. Immediately, the new superintendentanalyzed and validated the work of ICLE and then outlined a 90-day entry plan that would yieldessential data needed to help guide the development of this strategic plan. The goal of the

superintendent’s entry plan was first to engage all stakeholders and solicit their feedback tocontinually keep a pulse on what is occurring in schools and the community and to create acontinuous cycle of review, assessment, and improvement. A main goal of the superintendent’sentry plan was to accelerate the leadership transition by gathering critical information quickly and to




Introduction

establish a strong community presence early in order to gather data regarding the needs, objectives,and priorities of the school district to inform the strategic planning process; to identify the district’s

strengths, challenges, and opportunities for improvement; and to begin building public trust andstrengthen engagement in our schools.

Data that was collected during the superintendent’s entry was integral to the development of thisplan and was collected from various activities that included meetings, focus groups andconversations with teachers, students, administration, families, community, and local media, as wellas collaboration with the school committee. Data also was collected from visiting numerousclassrooms throughout the district, parent and community forums, teacher forums, riding schoolbuses, and Workout Wednesdays. These different venues were well attended and provided a place where all stakeholders could voice their concerns and visions for the future of the MarlboroughPublic Schools. Document review was also helpful in collecting data for the strategic plan. The

assessment conducted by the superintendent was guided by four essential questions: What should heknow about the Marlborough community? What should he know about Marlborough schools? What is working well and should be sustained? What needs attention and could be improved?

The superintendent framed the data collection and analysis through a lens for strategic planning developed by Richard Elmore and colleagues at Harvard University, called the Public EducationLeadership Project (PELP) Coherence Framework. This framework served as both a lens fororganizing the initial findings during entry and as a framework for developing a districtwide strategy to ensure high levels of achievement in theMarlborough Public Schools.

PELP Coherence Framework

The PELP Framework is designed to:(1) Identify the key conditions that contribute to

district-wide improvement.(2) Describe the interdependencies between those

conditions and the strategy.(3) Guide the strategic planning process for all

stakeholders within a district.

The Instructional Core , or the essential work of teaching and learning, lies at the heart of the Coherenceframework. The Instructional Core is based on the premise that the interconnections between

teachers’ knowledge and skill, students’ engagement in their own learning, and academically challenging content lead to student achievement. The five surrounding elements— Culture , Structure ,Systems , Resources , and Stakeholders —are organizational factors that support the Instructional Core. These elements are critical to implementing a districtwide strategy for improvement; district leadersgreatly influence their effectiveness or lack thereof. Lastly, Environment often represents factorsbeyond district leaders’ control, yet those factors certainly can influence the success of districtoperations and strategy implementation.

CULTURE STRUCTURE

RESOURCES

INSTRUCTIONAL

CORE

student

contentteacher

SYSTEMSSTAKE-

HOLDERS

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NV

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M

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T

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NV

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STRATEGY




Introduction

Each element in the PELP Coherence Framework provided essential data grounded in research, which contributed to outlining a model for effectiveness in those areas, and a synopsis of the current

reality in Marlborough with some recommendations for improvements. The synthesis of dataprovided us with the elements to propose a districtwide strategy with priority goals and objectives. As a result of these efforts, the School Committee approved four districtwide goals that will guideour district operations, decision-making, teaching and learning agenda, and all budget priorities going forward.

As we redefined our work to focus on the Instructional Core, from aligning budget priorities to re-organizing the central office leadership structure to more closely support schools and students, wedefined our core values, set districtwide goals, and engaged a broad range of staff and community voices about expectations for students to graduate from Marlborough Public Schools prepared for




Introduction

the increasingly demanding workforce needs of a 21st Century global society. Most importantly, the work we began planted seeds of hope and commitment and the courage to believe in the success of

all of Marlborough’s children. Fortunately, there is no shelf that is capable of holding our Believe2016 Strategic Plan, because our plan lives in our hearts. By beginning the year with a single word – Believe – we began to implement the plan before it was even written. Together, we laid thefoundation to bring a new vision for a world-class school district to life.

The strategies presented in this document link carefully crafted action steps to our vision andspecifically targeted benchmarks for measuring progress toward the districtwide goals.Be lieve 2016 will move our work forward by outlining a pathway for every Marlborough student’seducational journey over the next five years, with particular attention to gathering measurableevidence of progress every school year. Now the exciting challenge is to find ourselves in the plan,in each of our different roles, and strive toward making 21 st Century college and career readiness a

reality for every student, in every classroom, every day. If we hold ourselves accountable to ourpromise to the children and families of Marlborough’s community, the question we will ask eachother is not “Where ,” but rather, “How are you bringing our Strategic Plan to life for Marlborough’schildren?”




Building on our strengths – addressing our challenges

Learning Organizations are organizations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and

where people are continually learning to see the whole together. — Peter Senge

Identifying Marlborough’s strengths and challenges through the lens of the PELP CoherenceFramework for strategic planning provided essential data findings that grounded the strategy for thedevelopment of this strategic plan. Assessing the district through this framework, with The Instructional Core at the center of our analysis, and surrounded by elements of district operations thatinfluence and support the Instructional Core - Environment, Culture, Structure, Systems,Stakeholders, and Resources - the strategies needed for systemwide improvement became very clear.

Environment -The analysis suggests that Marlborough has tremendous potential to provide a world-

class education for its students, but has many issues to address in order to move in that direction. The national education landscape is demanding greater emphasis on accountability, 21st Century skills, and preparing students for a global economy, while aligning all states around a consistent setof internationally benchmarked standards (Common Core). All of these elements are lacking inMarlborough and this plan outlines strategies to address these challenges. Because family involvement is integral to student achievement, Marlborough’s increasingly diverse demographics will make it essential for the district to reach out to the wide variety of stakeholders within thecommunity. There is a strong need to address issues related to student expectations andperformance levels.

Culture - In a climate of frequent transitions in district leadership, Marlborough Public Schools hasnot benefited from the opportunity to collectively answer the question, What do we believe about

ensuring that all students can and will succeed? We have begun and will continue the process of identifying our core values and developing norms for how we do business, which will be reflected inevery aspect of school and district operations. Our norms will be based on the Four Corners of Success—high expectations for all students, the Instructional Core, using data to inform ourplanning, and implementing a system of accountability in all district operations.

Structure & Systems - We are fortunate to have many caring and well-intentioned staff across thedistrict. However, in the absence of direction and consistent district leadership, decisions are oftenmade in isolation or based on relationships. Many standard operating systems and procedures aremissing in a variety of district functions, particularly financial reporting and budgeting, HumanResources, staff evaluations, and communication with all stakeholders. We are moving toward a

system of accountability in which clear processes are in place that put the best interests and needs of students at the core of every decision-making process. We also are reviewing our organizationalstructure and staff roles to determine how we might better support our Instructional Core.

Stakeholders - In Marlborough’s multilingual community, it is becoming especially important toengage families whose voices have traditionally not been heard, including Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking families, clergy, and community organizations. Amidst a wealth of local industry, there is




Building on our strengths – addressing our challenges

hugely untapped potential to expand our existing partnerships. Although school departmentrelations with City Council and School Committee have historically experienced tensions, we have

begun and will continue to cultivate very positive relationships. Meetings with teachers,administrators, and students, along with recent community and parent forums, teacher focus groups,and Workout Wednesdays have been well attended. Initial feedback from all stakeholders isappreciative of opportunities to share their input. Going forward, it will be critical to ensure a highlevel of continued public engagement by improving our vehicles for communication. These includeimprovements to our district Web site and translation services, and establishing advisory councils with representation from diverse groups of stakeholders.

Resources - Marlborough is fortunate to receive substantial funding from the city, despite tougheconomic times. However, because we are currently operating in the absence of district goals,spending is inconsistent and varies too much across buildings. A very important goal will be to

streamline our spending and budgeting to our districtwide strategic goals in every aspect of districtoperations, especially budget. Some high-quality technology resources are available,but again, it exists in pockets; we need to build overall infrastructure and capacity with instructionaltechnology. Our greatest resource—our people—are talented and committed professionals.Unfortunately, because many of their teaching assignments are not matched to student needs, ourpersonnel structure is not supporting the Instructional Core. A new human resources director willhelp us improve our processes to better utilize the strengths of our staff.

The Instructional Core - The foundation of a well-functioning school district is the interdependencebetween teachers’ skill and knowledge, student engagement, and academically challenging content. Through classroom observations, many engaging lessons have been seen, but also observed havebeen many teacher-directed lessons and/or lessons that engage

students at lower levels of rigor. Some of our specializedprograms exist in isolation, such as our special education(SPED) and English Language Learner (ELL) populations.Moving forward, we will direct our efforts toward building capacity in all three of these elements in order to improvelearning for ALL students. These include developing aMarlborough Public Schools Curriculum Framework that alignsour agreed-upon expectations to national and state standards,establishing collaborative structures for teams to develop aculture of reviewing student assessment data and using it toinform instruction, and a research-based professional

development model that will empower teachers to build theircapacity to strengthen our Instructional Core. While focusing on the Instructional Core, we must aggressively respond to theimpact of globalization, technology, and the increasing demands of post-secondary readiness.

INSTRUCTIONAL

CORE

student

contentteacher




Four Corners of Success

The Four Corners of Success —high expectations for all

students, the Instructional Core, using data to informplanning, and accountability in all areas of operation – are the guiding principles that we plan to anchor in allof our work. When these four areas are working seamlessly together, research has shown that wemaximize students’ potential for high achievement.

Due to frequent transitions in Marlborough’s districtleadership in recent years, staff has not benefited fromthe opportunity to establish norms or even a processfor attempting to think about them. The Four Corners

of Success will serve as our norms and guide our goalsand objectives in this strategic plan. Student success ispossible when we believe in our students and we develop a culture that focuses on the InstructionalCore. High expectations, strong teaching and learning (Instructional Core), data to inform ourdecisions, and accountability in all of our actions, conversations, and behavior should be visible,more than just on paper, but in all of our interactions.

The challenge becomes, how do we ensure that all of us are guided by our norms? Some teachersmay believe that all students can succeed, others may believe that only some will succeed, and some will, unfortunately, give up too easily on certain children. How can we ask everyone to have highexpectations when our personal belief systems may differ? This is, by and large, the toughest part of our work. Many leaders in the field agree that we change our beliefs by changing our practice. In

the words of Ronald Ferguson, “closing the achievement gap begins with teacher encouragement.”

Our intent is that these measures will move us away from feeling despair when students struggle (“I taught it, but they didn’t learn it.”) to a cultureof shared responsibility and ownership of ALL students’ learning. When we focus on the Four Corners of Success, with the Instructional Core atthe heart of our efforts, we will develop a culture that supports eachother rather than working in isolation. In this type of culture, ourattitude becomes one of empowerment. It says, “I will not be doneteaching it until they have learned it.”

“We have everything we need in public education, the question is do we have the will to do what is needed for our students.” - Ron Edmunds

HighExpectations

for

All Students

The

Instructional

Core

Using Data

to

Inform Planning

Accountability

for All

STUDENT

LEARNING




Marlborough Public Schools will

Cfoster

Community

with students, families, faculty and staff, administration, businesses, and local organizations...through open and honest communication, reflection, and collaboration...as evidenced by a safe learning environment where everyone can take risks and grow academically, physically, emotionally and socially.

Oprovide the

Opportunity

for a ll learners to achieve success and maximize their full potential...through developing skills for problem solving, critical thinking and adaptability to create life-long learners...as evidenced by fostering the continued development of and participation in educational,extra-curricular and community programs.

Rshow

Respect

towards self, others, learning and property...through celebrating, honoring and valuing diversity, honesty, integrity and trust...as evidenced by embracing individual and cultural differences.

Estrive for

Excellence

in education...through continued development and utilization of innovative, comprehensive, and consistent curriculum throughout the district...as evidenced by graduating students who are more than adequately prepared for college and/or careers leading them to become caring, thoughtful, productive citizens who can face the demands of a complex, challenging and ever-changing world.

Our Core Values




Our Vision - Mission - Goals

Our Vision

Together, we will develop a vision for the district.

Our Mission Together, we will develop a mission for the district.

We will know when our students are prepared for a Global society when they are:

Critical thinkers and creative problem solvers. Skilled communicators. Highly skilled in literacy, mathematics, and scientific thinking. Collaborators.

Resourceful, reliable, resilient, and physically active. Involved in our communities and connected to the world.

We believe that our vision and mission can be accomplished if we believe in all of our children,support our teachers and staff, share accountability, use data for planning, and focus on thefollowing goals:

Goal 1: Student Achievement All students in the Marlborough Public Schools will learn at high levels of academicexpectations, and the achievement gap will be eliminated.

Goal 2: Operational Effectiveness and Efficiency All operations in the Marlborough Public Schools will be efficient and effective.

Goal 3: Family Involvement and Community EngagementMarlborough Public Schools will foster partnerships with the community and improvecommunication and engagement to support our students and school system.

Goal 4: Culture Marlborough Public Schools will foster a culture that supports high expectations andthe belief that all students can succeed.




Our Theory of Action

A Theory of Action is the bridge between our current reality and our vision for a world-classeducation that ensures high level of achievement for all students, and it encapsulates our collective

beliefs, informed by research and best practice, about what it will take to strengthen ourInstructional Core across the district. A Theory of Action links our goals – student achievement,efficient district operations, family and community engagement, and a culture of high expectations – to our district’s five-year strategy to reach those goals. In outlining our Theory of Action, we havenarrowed our focus to the areas that we predict will make the greatest impact on studentachievement while expanding opportunities for all students – because excellence and equity areinseparable. A Problem of Practice, a statement of the most pervasive issue(s) impeding ourstudents’ success, provides the context and rationale behind the Theory of Action.

Problem of Practice

With frequent leadership transitions over the past ten years, Marlborough Public Schools has heldno clear vision or direction around expectations for professional practice, resulting in weak andoften non-existent accountability structures for teachers and administrators. Across the district,small groups of talented, committed staff demonstrate pockets of excellence in teaching andlearning, but formal structures for collaboration or sharing best practices are limited because schoolsoperate in silos with a poorly aligned preK-12 curriculum and limited professional growth. Untilnow, there has been no sense of urgency around NCLB Corrective Action status to refocus on theInstructional Core – effective instruction, rigorous content, and student engagement. How can weincrease staff awareness of effective instructional practice, build capacity across the district, andstrengthen accountability in order to raise student achievement?

Theory of Action

A strong Instructional Core depends on teacher capacity, student engagement, and challenging content.

IF… We develop a professional learning model that builds teachers’ capacity to target the differing

needs of our students, and Strengthen instructional leaders’ capacity to support and foster a culture of high expectations

for learning and effective instruction, and Increase rigor and relevance in all content areas through a common set of learning

expectations aligned to state, national, and international standards, and

Our model is supported by data coupled with increase accountability for all staff,

THEN… We will raise academic achievement overall and close the achievement gap.




Our Strategy for Improvement

Strategy

We must focus on the Instructional Core, and make sure that all of our efforts are aligned tostrengthen and support it across the district, in all four of our goal areas, for systemic improvement.

Now that we have developed a district strategy to raise achievement for all students with this plan, we also have developed measures of accountability to ensure consistent, effective implementation of these elements and clear roles and responsibilities, expectations, and procedures across the district.

The diagram below provides a general overview of our districtwide strategy to strengthen ourInstructional Core and depicts the interconnections between our district goals, our theory of action,and measurable action steps (objectives) as outlined in the following pages of this Strategic Plan.

StudentAchievement

pK-12 Curriculumaligned to nationalstandards & 21st

Century skills

Teaching staff equipped to meet

needs of all learners

Balanced, consistentsystem of

assessments tied todesired learning

outcomes

Collaborativeprofessional cultureto ensure supportand professional

growth

EffectiveOperations

Re-definedorganizational

structure

Revised protocols &procedures for

smooth operations

Enhanced use of technology to

increaseeffectiveness

Strongeraccountability

measures to ensureeffectiveness

Family &CommunityEngagement

Formal and informalstructures to engage

community voices

Increase industry &community

partnerships toexpand studentopportunities

Extensive outreachto diverse

populations

Enhanced flow &regularity of

communication,internal & external

(e.g., website)

Culture

Core values & normsthat embody high

expectations for thesuccess of all

students

Shared ownership of & strategies to

support all studentpopulations

Celebration &showcase of

accomplishmentsacross the district

All staff PD,resources &

operations alignedto district goals

S

T

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NT

S

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Our Current Status

On the national scope, our country is moving toward elevating the standards for educationalachievement to a level comparable to international standards through a consistent set of

expectations called the Common Core Standards. Heightened emphasis on 21st

Century skills of problem-solving, leadership, flexibility, creativity, self-direction, and collaboration is driven by industry needs for greater innovation in a global economy. Massive retirements and an increasingly diverse population are raising the demand for and changing the face of a more competitive workforce, particularly in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Accountability is tightening not only for students, but new evaluation models and standards forteacher performance are being introduced.

Although academic performance is high for some students in the Marlborough Public Schools, toomany students still are not making progress and gaining access to the world-class education that they deserve. The data over the past decade reveal our changing demographics and declining student

achievement. It provides a picture of how far we must go in order to get from our current reality toour vision of achieving the ambitious Be lieve 2016 Strategic Plan goals.

Marlborough is a hub for high-tech industry and home to almost 38,000 individuals from a widerange of socioeconomic backgrounds, which presents opportunities for industry partnerships andcommunity involvement. Marlborough Public Schools is a district of 4,736 students, served by anearly childhood center, three K-4 schools, one 5-8 middle school, and a high school of grades 9-12that includes an alternative program.

Meanwhile, the city’s population has grown significantly through the 1990s and steadily since then, with an influx of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking families. As the city’s demographics havechanged, so have our schools. About 60% of our school district population is White and 31% of Marlborough Public Schools’ children are now Latino, in contrast to 6.4% in 1994. The remaining student body is 2.8% African-American, 3.4% Asian, and 2.5% mixed races.

This trend poses an exciting opportunity to diversify our student population, while challenging us tobetter meet the needs of the now 29.3% of our students whose native language is not English.Students from low-income families make up 38.1% of our schools, and 21% of our students arereceiving special education services.

Student AchievementMCAS achievement has been steadily declining over the past three years, and we need to acutely target our efforts to increase success for all of our students, particularly among our SPED and ELL

students, and especially in mathematics. Some of our greatest improvements in academicachievement have been made just recently at the high school in 2010, with our ELL population. These results emerged directly from recent efforts to “shelter” content – to integrate ELLinstruction with general instruction and staff. Our focus is to build on these promising results andour philosophy of moving toward a more inclusive model.




Our Current Status

The perception of Marlborough’s schools by families of students who attend private, parochial, orcharter schools is not surprising. Some residents consider our schools mediocre and lacking in some

fundamental aspects of teaching and learning. Other parents of both in-district and out-of-districtchildren feel that our schools are unresponsive to them and to their children’s needs. Meanwhile,amidst an environment of transition, for the first time in Marlborough’s history, we are a district incorrective action according to No Child Left Behind status.

The demands of preparing students for a global society and the skills needed to enter the changing workforce for the 21st Century are rising. Massachusetts’ technology and STEM fields areexperiencing workforce shortages, while 75% of all jobs nationally now require bachelor’s degreesand often prefer advanced degrees. Although we have a relatively high graduation rate of 90.2%overall, our Latino, SPED and ELL populations are not performing as well.

CultureHistorically, Marlborough has endured frequent transitions in district and senior leadershippositions. As a result, although there are pockets of excellence within schools and individualclassrooms, schools have been operating in isolation, making it difficult to share expertise,information, and resources across the district. Together, we can and must move toward a culture of collaboration, consistency, and accountability that will enrich our students’ academic and personallives.

Taking a hard look at our environment and current reality means that we can no longer avoid the achievement gapsand dropout rates of our ELL and SPED populations. Itmeans that we will need to engage all stakeholders in ourgrowing multicultural community more than we havehistorically. It also meansthat we must develop a set of common learning expectations, a Marlborough Public Schools curriculumframework, that aligns with Common Core standards and21st Century skills and serves as a guidepost for breaking down walls of isolation that leave students, teachers, andadministrators unclear about what they should belearning, teaching, and expecting aboutstudent success.

We must believe that we are the agents of change who canand will influence students’ lives andoutline a roadmap for their success.




Measuring Our Progress

“Measurements are not to provide numbers, but insight.” - Ingrid Bucher

The strategies and action steps described in this plan will not all be implemented in year 1 or even inyear 2 or 3, but they will be phased in between now and 2016. We will continue to be very transparent so that all stakeholders understand our goals and progress toward the goals we areoutlining in this plan. While we understand that we are outlining an aggressive plan, we know thatfiscal realities can strongly influence how quickly we move forward.

We will set goals every year based on student achievement metrics and process goals. An exampleof a process goal would be to open a STEM Academy and to move fourth-graders to the elementary schools. Our strategic plan will be the baseline for all of our schools to outline their goals in theirschool improvement plans as well as all other departments in the district. We will set all of our goalsat the beginning of every year and follow a quarterly schedule to report on our progress toward our

goals yearly. The benchmarks will be stepping stones to accomplishing our 2016 targets.

Beginning in October of every year, the school department will present a State of the Schools Address where we will present to the Marlborough community our yearly annual report that will report onoutcome and process goals from the previous year. We will also use this time to set outcome andprocess goals for the upcoming school year. For the first year of our strategic plan, 2011-12 schoolyear, we will present our five-year strategic plan and goals for the 2011-2012 school year. We willpublish and distribute our yearly annual report as well as post it on our Web site. We will also createopportunities for the public to provide feedback annually on the progress of the strategic plan anduse the feedback from our stakeholders to determine if modifications are needed to the goals,objectives, or implementation of Be lieve 2016.

In April of every year we will publish a mid-year progress report on the goals that we set in Octoberfor that year. In addition to posting on our Web site we will also hold a community forum to allow our stakeholders to provide feedback.

In September of every year we will publish our district year-end report card for the public and alsothe individual school report cards from the previous year. This report card, which will be based onour goals and objectives of Be lieve 2016, will allow our community to get a glimpse of our progresssystemwide and for each individual school before the State of the Schools Address.

The baseline for measuring our progress will be the data from 2011. Our targets will be set for 2016and our goal over the next five years will be to meet all of the targets by 2016. Continuous

measurement of our benchmarks will contribute exponentially to raising accountability for all of us who are responsible for implementing and meeting the goals of Be lieve 2016.

As it is often said, “what gets measured gets done.” Our challenge is to ensure that we arecontinually measuring our progress to plan appropriately and be held accountable for the future of all of our children.




Measuring Our Progress

2011 2012 2016 TargetBaseline Goal Target Met

175 Washington Street, Marlborough, MA 01752

Anthony Pope, Ed.D., Superintendent

Enrollment: 4,754African-Americans

LatinoWhite

Asian

CULTUREMarlborough Public Schools will foster a

culture that supports high expectations and

the belief that all students can succeed.

MARLBOROUGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS BASELINE 2011 INDICATOR GUIDE

√ Target Met

× Target Missed

^ Positive growth

5 schools – 2 programs

English Language Learners

Special Education

Low Income

< > out of 26 targets met

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTAll students in the Malborough Public

schools will learn at high levels of

academic expectations, and the

achievement gap will be eliminated.

OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS AND

EFFICIENCY

All operations in the Marlborough PublicSchools will be efficient and effective.

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTMarlborough Public Schools will foster

partnerships with the community and improve

communication and engagement to support our

students and school system.

2011 2012 2016 Target Baseline Goal Target Met

2011 2012 2016 Target

Baseline Goal Target Met

2011 2012 2016 Target

Baseline Goal Target Met




Priority Initiatives

After identifying areas of the most need, we prioritized many initiatives that we feel will be essentialto making Marlborough a world-class school district. We outlined ten priority initiatives that will

receive more intensive monitoring, planning and systemwide coordination. Progress will be reportedquarterly to the superintendent and communicated to the School Committee. There are outcomeand implementation metrics for each initiative and many are included in the District StrategicScorecard. The following Priority Initiatives will be closely monitored beginning this year andthroughout our five-year strategic plan.

Develop a world-class curriculum. Innovative School Models. A Collegial Professional Development Model. Expanding and Strengthening Operations and Communication. Eliminating the Achievement Gap.

Enhancing Services for Special Education and English Language Learners. Strengthen Middle Level education. Transforming to a Data-Driven Culture. Curriculum Framework Accountability. Develop a systemwide accountability system.

Developing a World-Class Curriculum The Instructional Core combines teacher effectiveness and student engagement with rigorouscontent. Providing students with access to academically challenging content begins with a solidcurriculum framework – a set of agreed-upon expectations and plans that outline the progression of learning in all content areas pK-12. When articulated clearly through collaboration and consensus,curriculum communicates our values and provides a pathway for every student to achieve theintended learning goals. In response to our curriculum audit conducted during the winter and spring of 2011, articulating a pK-12 curriculum will become Marlborough’s top priority. We will groundour work in research-based curriculum models and best practices, such as identifying PowerStandards, Understanding by Design, and international models such as International Baccalaureate.It will be essential that we engage and empower teachers, staff, and administrators at every gradelevel and content area, including SPED and ELL. We must collaborate to identify the prioritizedlearning standards, related key understandings, knowledge and skills, 21st Century skills, and collegeand career-readiness expectations for all students.

Key components of this initiative include:

Curriculum Development : The results from our curriculum audit and feedback from teachersand administrators consistently communicate the urgency to develop a clear path for what we expect our children to know in Marlborough. The curriculum development work startedover the summer of 2011 with collaboration at all levels. Our work will continue during theschool year and our goal will be to complete grades prek-8 and be ready for the beginning of 2012.





The Marlborough Learning Lens , an overview of our desired learning outcomes for pK-12students, will be completed in the fall of 2011-12. Ongoing work, to incorporate a system of

benchmark and common assessments and a wide range of instructional strategies to widenstudents’ access to the curriculum, will continue throughout the 2011-12 school year andbeyond. The contents of the Learning Lens for ELA and math will be aligned to the new 2011 Massachusetts frameworks, which are based on the national Common Core Standards. The content and nature of the MCAS will evolve over the next few years until a new nationalassessment is implemented (expected in 2014). As a result, academic progress in this area will become more evident over time, because the MCAS will change over the next few yearsto better align to Common Core learning expectations.

Innovative School Models When we provide access to a wide range of options for students, we increase their likelihood of

success. Drawing on small schools research, we plan to explore and phase in a series of new andinnovative school models over the next few years. Some possibilities include the InternationalBaccalaureate program at the elementary level, a dual-language program in which both native andnon-native students learn in both English and another language, high school career pathways such asbusiness/entrepreneurship, and a pK-12 STEM strategy that combines a STEM early college highschool with a feeder elementary STEM program.

Marlborough is fortunate to have developed strong partnerships with local industry, and it isreceiving Race to the Top program assistance to partially fund our STEM ECHS, which opened inFall 2011. The program is serving approximately 120 students in 6th grade and about 75 students in9th grade. One grade level will be added each year, forming a grade 6-12 model by 2014-15. Thecore curriculum will be entirely project-based, interdisciplinary, and integrate

engineering/technology, as well as awareness of STEM careers. Students will engage in projects with authentic, real-world applications of their learning in partnership with local industry, including internships. In partnership with Framingham State University, students will enroll in college coursesduring their junior and senior years. Our goal is to offer a 1-to-1 laptop model, in which every student uses a laptop and technology is woven throughout the curriculum

A Collegial Professional Development Model We are taking a systemic approach to professional development districtwide. Teachers, leaders, andstaff will align their course-taking and engagement in professional learning opportunities todistrictwide goals and their own professional goals. They will work collaboratively with principalsand Instructional Leadership Directors to develop their own Professional Growth Plans, identify

effective opportunities to reach their professional goals, and follow-up opportunities to reflect ontheir practice. Our collective work will be guided by a Professional Learning Communitiesapproach, in which teams develop a culture of working collaboratively to improve studentachievement through regular analysis of student data and reflecting on instruction.




Priority initiatives

A Collaborative Coaching model will engage staff in opportunities to observe, plan and reflecttogether, and learn from each other. Professional development will be facilitated primarily in-house

through this model, by celebrating, sharing, and building on the expertise of our staff. Our strategy will be to differentiate professional development through a tiered model, in which staff participatesby professional need, rather than desire or requirement. Here are a few examples of priority topicsfor professional growth to support our strategic initiatives for the 2011-12 school year:

• Curriculum alignment, including Power Standards, Understanding by Design, and CommonCore Standards in ELA and Mathematics, including the standards of Mathematical Practice

• Differentiated Instruction strategies (e.g., flexible grouping, compacting, complexinstruction, orbital studies, etc.)

• Technology integration

• Project-based leaning

• ELL category trainings and specific support for content immersion• Walk-through protocols (i.e., Instructional Rounds, Learning Walks)

• Systems training (e.g., iPass, School Fusion)

Expanding and Strengthening Operations and Communications The new organizational structure directly supports our ongoing need and priority to streamline andmake all of our district operations more effective. Our goal is to reduce overlaps and inefficiencies while implementing structures, procedures, and processes that will clearly communicate expectationsand consistent processes across buildings and programs. These range from human resources tofinances to professional development and school operations.

A new communications liaison will focus solely on communications and fostering a customer-service oriented culture throughout the district. This position will manage and facilitatecommunications among parents and families, the media and general public, School Committee andtown representatives, and other stakeholders. The communications liaison will also oversee andupdate the school district’s Web site to ensure that communication is user-friendly and available inmultiple languages. In addition, formal communication vehicles have been established this year toinform the district vision and ongoing work, including a Parent Advisory Council, Community Advisory Council, Student Council, Parent and Community Forums, Teacher Forums, and Workout Wednesdays. Thesegroups will continue to meet regularly.

Enhancing Services for English Language LearnersOur efforts to accelerate the academic achievement of EnglishLanguage Learners (ELL) include changes in staffing, program,and services. First, we budgeted for the addition of an ELLDirector position to begin on July 1, 2011. In collaboration with the Instructional Leadership Directors and Principals, theELL Director will oversee instructional





programming for ELL students in Marlborough and support program staff.

In addition, our goal is to move toward a more inclusive model for both our ELL and SPEDpopulations. Including ELL staff in our districtwide curriculum articulation initiative will becomecritical to ensuring that these students have access to a wide range of instructional strategies and thatall teachers build their capacity to support English Language Learners through professionaldevelopment. We will re-assign staff toward a model of less pull-out and more integration into theregular classroom wherever possible.

To enhance our outreach to families who speak languages other than English, we are allocating funds for more robust and widely accessible translation services. We will also explore outreachservices, such as “Welcome” Family Enrollment Centers, which facilitate the home-school transitionthrough native language communication, home and school visits, family events, and resources.

Using Data to Inform Decisions.Making more effective use of student achievement results will form the backbone of our ongoing efforts to streamline our data systems. Drawing on Nancy Love’s and Doug Reeves’ research, we will establish school-based Data Teams to engage in a regular “Cycle of Inquiry” that collects,reviews, reflects, and uses multiple forms of student data to inform instruction. These teams willcommunicate with Instructional Leadership Teams and become part of the fabric of our increasingly collaborative peer-based Professional Learning Communities model.







Goal 1 – Student Achievement

World-Class Instruction for all Students

The only way to improve student achievement is to strengthen our Instructional Core. While otherfactors are important and certainly support the work of teaching and learning - family involvement,student motivation, and extracurricular activities - no other research-based strategy directly impactsresults as the effectiveness of classroom instruction. The three elements of the Instructional Core – academically challenging content, teacher effectiveness, and student engagement – provide the keysto unlocking every student’s potential to succeed. However, we do not have the luxury of choosing

– it is only when we strengthen all three of these elements in concert with each other that we will seeconcrete change in our students’ learning and academic performance.

BELIEVE in a day when…

All students in Marlborough Public Schools will learn at high levels of academic expectations, and

the achievement gap will be eliminated. - All children receive a high quality early childhood and full-

day kindergarten experience, entering school ready to learn, grow, and succeed. - All students enter

each grade with prerequisite skills, knowledge, and understanding. - All students receive the

supports they need in order to reach their full potential. -Every student has access to expanded

options and environments for learning. - All staff embrace the diversity of its families and engages

them in their children’s learning. - All students are exposed to a work-based experience before

graduation. - All students graduate ready for success in college and/or careers. - All leaders and staff

are committed and equipped to meet the needs of our diverse learners. - School and district leaders

support and center all of our efforts around the Instructional Core. - All staff collaborate to ensure

the success of all of its students.




Core CurriculumObjective 1 – Develop, refine, and deploy an academically rigorouscurriculum that is aligned with state and national standards, whichembeds 21st Century skills.

Strategies

• Develop Marlborough Public Schools foundation and expectations for learning by developing Pre-K through 12 curriculum framework.

• Embed Common Core standards into all aspects of the core curriculum.

• Integrate 21st Century skills into all aspects of the core curriculum.

• Develop a system for monitoring the implementation of our new curriculum toensure accountability.

• Integrate learning experiences that are inquiry based, student driven, project-based and personalized.

• Develop teacher tool kits that provide resources that are aligned with the corecurriculum.

• Ensure that the core curriculum integrates rigor and relevance needed inpreparing students for post-secondary education and career opportunities.

• Incorporate purposeful writing across all content areas.

• Expand the opportunities for students to take world languages beginning in theprimary years.

• Link the core curriculum to real-world and field experiences to providestudents with instruction that is relevant.

• Integrate community and service learning in all aspects of the curriculum.

• Implement structured learning walks/instructional rounds to assist with themonitoring of the core curriculum.

• Develop curriculum-based assessments that are aligned to the curriculum toensure implementation and student monitoring.

• Engage a wide variety of district and school staff in the development of thecore curriculum.

• Post the curricular frameworks on the district Web site for teachers, students,and parents.

• Post the complete districtwide curriculum on the district Web site for teachers,students, and parents.

• Improve supports for struggling learners by improving interventions, resourcesand training.

GOAL 1




Effective Instructional PracticesObjective 2- Provide teachers with the knowledge and skills they need toimplement effective research-based instructional practices in theirclassrooms to support and improve teaching and learning.

Strategies

• Implement a new organizational structure that deploys three InstructionalLeadership Directors (ILDs) to support principals and schools onimplementing instructional best practices in the classroom.

• Develop and implement a comprehensive professional developmentmodel/plan.

• Develop a process and system for teachers to identify their individuallearning needs for their own professional growth.

• Develop and implement a systemwide evaluation system for teachers andadministrators tied to performance goals.

• Outline districtwide expectations and standards for defining quality instruction.

• Align classroom instruction to curriculum frameworks and corecurriculum.

• Develop and implement a districtwide professional development calendarand course offerings.

• Develop and implement structures for vertical collaboration that takesplace school to school and vertically within schools.

• Provide training to teachers and staff focused on 21st Century instructionalstrategies.

• Develop and implement professional learning communities.

• Implement a Collaborative Coaching model that will engage teachers andstaff in opportunities to observe, collect data, plan, and reflect together,and learn from each other.

• Observe classrooms using commonly developed protocols and engage incollaborative conversations around professional teaching practices.

• Explore research-based approaches to effective instructional strategies for

diverse populations and engage in reflective dialogue around studentlearning.

• Implement a model for using data to inform instruction.

• Ensure that every school provides common planning time in all contentareas and grade levels.

GOAL 1




Effective Instructional PracticesObjective 2- Provide teachers with the knowledge and skills they need toimplement effective research-based instructional practices in theirclassrooms to support and improve teaching and learning.

Strategies

• Provide training to teachers and staff on integrating technology in theclassroom.

• Establish clear and uniform teaching standards and expectations forteachers that will serve to guide teaching and learning in classrooms.

• Provide professional development focused on differentiated instruction,academic rigor, and the use of data to inform instruction to provideteachers the support to teach the core curriculum.

• Develop and implement a teacher assistance program for new andstruggling teachers.

• Enhance the new teacher and staff induction program to provide new teachers with the knowledge and skills to be successful in the classroom.

• Create model classrooms in which current teacher and potential teacherscan observe highly effective teachers delivering instruction.

• Implement a Teacher Leader model to support classroom instruction.

• Provide target professional development to paraprofessionals to preparethem to support teacher instruction in the classroom.

• Provide targeted professional development for substitute teachers to

provide them with the knowledge and skills to be successful in theclassroom.

• Enhance all counseling and support services to help support all students.

• Increase our collaborative partnerships with all local and state agencies.

• Enhance all extra-curricular programs throughout the school district.

GOAL 1




Data Driven CultureObjective 3 - Ensure the development and implementation of acomprehensive data system that utilizes data to inform curriculum andinstructional planning.

Strategies

• Identify, develop, and implement a balanced student assessment system thatmeasures student mastery of the district’s Core Curriculum, state, and nationalstandards.

• Identify research-based assessment tools for gathering baseline data andmeasuring progress in student reading and writing achievement for all levels.

• Identify research-based assessment tools for gathering baseline data andmeasuring progress in student math and science achievement for all levels.

• Develop and implement common formative assessments across all grade levels.

• Provide ongoing professional development to teachers and staff on how to usedata to inform their planning in the classroom.

• Develop protocols and structures for looking at student work.

• Create data teams at all schools and provide professional development data forthe team.

• Create a districtwide data team.

• Identify, develop, and implement a comprehensive data warehouse system.

• Create a student portfolio system for collecting authentic student data.

• Develop and implement authentic assessments where students can display theirknowledge and skills in multiple ways.

• Develop and implement assessment rubrics that align to our district missionand expectations for student learning.

• Identify a lead data specialist at each school to facilitate data teams anddiscussions.

GOAL 1




Closing the Achievement GapObjective 4 – Develop districtwide strategies that are research-based andproven effective in closing the achievement gap.

Strategies

• Develop and implement an early warning indicator system for elementary,middle, and high school students that include the indicators of:attendance, academic achievement in math and Reading/ELA, andstudent behavior.

• Create school-based attendance teams to follow up on students who areconsistently tardy and absent to school.

• Focus on early childhood education districtwide.

• Implement a system for periodically monitoring equitable grouping of students across the district.

• Provide professional development and training to teachers and staff oninstructional strategies for meeting the needs of diverse learners.

• Develop and require all students to have an Academic Learning Plan.

• Provide career exposure beginning in elementary school with a focus oninternships, apprenticeships, and career exploration activities.

• Educate parents about strategies that they can do at home to assist theirchildren.

GOAL 1




Innovative School ModelsObjective 5 – Provide all students access to a wide range of curricularoptions through the development and implementation of proven schoolmodels that offer a rigorous college preparatory curriculum.

Strategies

• Research, develop, and implement an integrated STEM K-5 elementary school.

• Research, develop, and implement a STEM Early College program for grades6-12.

• Develop and implement a dual-language K-5 elementary school that provides Spanish and Portuguese pathways.

• Implement the International Baccalaureate (IB) school model at the elementary,middle and high school levels.

• Create a career academy system at the high school that focuses on careerexploration, 21st Century learning, and community service, which integratesinternships and exposure to various careers.

• Provide professional development for teachers that will focus on the assignedschool model.

• Work collaboratively with teachers to research and develop importantcomponents of the school model to be implemented.

GOAL 1




Advanced and Accelerated Offerings Objective 6 – Provide increased opportunities for our highest academicperformers to ensure that they are engaged in a rigorous and stimulating curriculum.

Strategies

• Research and develop appropriate assessments that identify students that aredemonstrating academic achievement that is advanced or accelerated.

• Increase the number of students who are taking Advanced Placement coursesat the high school.

• Develop and implement a pre-advanced placement pathway at the middleschool.

• Develop and implement an advanced and accelerated system for elementary students.

• Develop and implement a dual-enrollment program for high school students which allow them to enroll in college courses.

• Develop and implement an advanced and accelerated system for middle schoolstudents.

• Research, develop and implement processes and practices that identify studentsearly for advance and accelerated offerings.

• Provide professional develop to teachers and staff on meeting needs andmaintaining rigor for students who are in need of advancement and

acceleration.

GOAL 1




Early Childhood Objective 7 – Develop and implement quality Early Childhood programsdistrictwide to provide a solid foundation to give students the social andacademic experiences that will enable them to start school prepared.

Strategy

• Expand preschool offerings for all eligible students throughout the city of Marlborough.

• Research and develop a full-day kindergarten program throughout the districtas a requirement for all students.

• Enhance the early childhood curriculum and align to the district pre-K through12 core curriculum.

• Integrate STEM curriculum and instructional strategies within the early childhood core curriculum.

• Create early childhood centers throughout the city of Marlborough by engaging our community partners to help prepare students before they enterkindergarten.

• Research, revise, develop, and implement consistent developmental screening to determine levels of need in cognitive development, social and emotionaldevelopment, language development, and fine and gross motor skills.

• Improve process for identifying children with developmental delays and

provide support to them and their families.• Provide language assistance for English Language Learner students and their

families.

• Establish an Early Childhood center within one of our schools to offer childcare for district staff.

• Develop parent-friendly guides to be distributed to homes, pre-schools, andhome care providers that outline the common standards and expectations forkindergarten entry.

GOAL 1




Technology IntegrationObjective 8 – To ensure the integration of technology throughout the corecurriculum and in the instructional delivery in the classroom that reinforcescore 21st Century skills.

Strategy

• Provide ongoing professional development for all staff focused on integrating technology in the classroom.

• Research, identify and implement a districtwide student technology assessmentto monitor and assess students’ knowledge and skills with increasing their 21st Century readiness.

• Provide increased technology in the classroom in the form of more computers

for students and teaching resources for teacherssupported by professionaldevelopment.

• Develop a districtwidetechnology integration plan.

• Promote greater integration of technology across thecurriculum at all levels.

• Research, identify andimplement a districtwide staff technology assessment to focusprofessional development.

• Provide technology richclassrooms for all students andprovide teachers withprofessional development tomaximize the potential of richtechnology for instruction.

GOAL 1




English Language LearnersObjective 9 – Enhance the services for English Language Learners (ELLs)to accelerate the academic achievement of all ELL students.

Strategy

• Research and develop an effective research-based structure and methodology that outline the learning standards for English Language Learners.

• Develop and implement a dual-language program for elementary students witha Spanish and Portuguese pathway.

• Provide professional development for all teachers to become better prepared toinstruct English Language learners.

• Identify effective assessments that are aligned to the district core curriculum.

• Identify appropriate resource materials for supporting teachers with ELLinstruction.

• Provide professional development to teachers focused on SIOP and SEIinstruction.

• Revise, develop and implement screening practices for placing EnglishLanguage Learners.

• Develop and implement a districtwide translation service for students andfamilies.

• Develop a program for newcomers and families that provides intensive

transition supports in instruction and community engagement.• Provide opportunities for all staff on cultural awareness focused on

understanding other cultures and how to help meet their needs.

• Conduct consistent Parent and Community forums within the Latino andPortuguese communities.

• Increase the number of English Language Learners participating in advancedclasses.

GOAL 1




Special EducationObjective 10 –To ensure that special education students are held to highstandards of academic achievement while recognizing and supporting their diverse learning needs.

Strategy

• Develop a system for evaluating existing Special Education Programs.

• Provide students with high-quality special education opportunities within theirhome district.

• Provide special education teachers with current research based professionaldevelopment around instructional practice.

• Develop clear and consistent program descriptions and guidelines for theprovision of modified or alternative curriculums to meet student needs.

• Establish districtwide data collection and analysis procedures to monitorstudent progress.

• Research program models for the provision of special education services

• Establish an ongoing process for the self-evaluation of special educationprograms.

• Increase opportunities for collaboration with families and community resources.

• Create quality district programs to increase the number of students who receiveservices within the school district.

• Implement student Individual Education Plans (IEP) with reliability anddevelop a process to review implementation to hold staff accountable.

• Make curriculum more accessible to special education students.

• Implement a phase-in model of inclusion for special education students.

• Provide collaborative learning opportunities for special education studentsthrough the implementation of a co-teaching model.

• Increase opportunities for special education students to participate in schoolactivities.

• Develop processes and practices that decrease the number of students who areover-identified for special education.

• Provide ongoing professional development for all teachers to support aninclusion model for special education students.

• Provide staff with training on how to analyze learning experiences to determinethe best use of differentiated methods.

GOAL 1







Goal 2 – Operational Effectiveness and Efficiency

World-Class Operations

The structures, systems, and resources in place to support the instructional core organize districts togenerate better results. These range from finances to infrastructure to people. The ways that teamsare organized, reporting structures, mechanisms for decision-making and accountability, resourceallocation, and professional growth opportunities can directly support or hinder studentachievement.

The success or our school community in having an impact on student achievement is partly

dependent on how well we are organized to support schools and how efficient we are in ourprocesses and systems that we put in place to ensure that all operational components of our districtare aligned and support the instructional core. We must also be very transparent in how we operateand be clear to all of our stakeholders about how our system flows. The absence of a clear andefficient operational system makes it difficult to support teaching and learning in an effective way. We must eliminate all excuses to why we are not seeing the results we know students can deliver. InBe lieve 2016 we have outlined how we will develop and implement an operational system district wide that is effective and efficient and supports teaching and learning. The objectives and strategiesare laid out on the following pages.

“It is not children’s poverty, race, or background that stands in the way of achievement. It is school policies and the beliefs that underlie them, that pose the biggest obstacles.” - (Love & Stiles)


All operations in Marlborough Public Schools will be efficient and effective. -

All staff have and regularly engage in opportunities to grow professionally

and individually. - Resources are aligned to district goals and distributed

fairly and consistently across schools. - All operations are streamlined to

work efficiently to support the Instructional Core. - Staff, students, and

families know exactly where to go and whom to ask for help.




Aligning District Supports

Objective 1 – To ensure that all instructional and operational supports of the district are aligned, developed and trained to effectively support theinstructional core.

Strategy

• Reorganize the central office leadership structure to directly support learning and schools.

• Establish protocols for interaction and oversight between central office andschool staff.

• Provide training to select staff that promotes a service-oriented culturethroughout the district.

• Monitor all finances to ensure that our resources are aligned to theinstructional core.

• Nurture and build the capacity of all employees to best support academic

achievement.

• Create opportunities for cross-school and cross-grade collaborations.

Goal 2




Service Oriented CultureObjective 2 – To promote a service-oriented culture throughout the district

that is responsive to the needs of all schools and district services.

Strategy

• Increase and maintain positive levels of the school community’s (students,parents, teachers, and staff) perceptions regarding schools and central officebeing a welcoming and friendly environment.

• Develop and implement a system for monitoring communication andresponsiveness with principals on key maintenance issues.

• Provide professional development to all secretaries/clerks in the district oneffective customer service strategies to work with the school community.

• Resolve critical technology-related issues in a timely manner.

• Resolve critical facilities-related issues in a timely manner.

Goal 2




Financial Accountability Objective 3 – Ensure that we are responsible stewards of public funds andimplement structures and systems that align all of our resources to theinstructional core.

Strategy

• Fine tune the format and structure for monthly reporting to the schoolcommittee.

• Research, refine and develop financial reporting improvements.

• Consistent implementation of MUNIS districtwide.

• Training on MUNIS software for all finance staff and administrators.

• Outline a defined budget process based on district goals (needs).

• Develop processes for reporting projections for future years.

• Redefine finance department positions and salary allocations.

• Pursue more external grants.

• Create collaborative finance committee – city council, school committee,superintendent.

• Streamline end-of-the-year processes.

• Develop process to consistently and periodically review all district contracts.

• Actively pursue all cost saving measures.

• Demonstrate regular compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations.

Goal 2




Technology SystemsObjective 4 – Ensure the effective implementation of technology in allaspects of district operations to efficiently address the various technology

needs.

Strategy

• Develop a comprehensive school district technology plan to be implementedover the next five years.

• 3-5 computer stations in every classroom throughout the school district.

• Mounted projectors in every classroom.

• Develop effective systems for tracking technology issues.

• Provide secure Wi-Fi environment in all schools.

• Review, develop, and maintain a seamless technology infrastructure.

• Develop, implement, maintain and monitor technology polices, standards, andcontrols for the purchase and use of technology.

• Revise, and develop a replacement cycle for technology throughout the district.

• Provide technology hardware and training required to integrate technology intothe curriculum and instructional practices of teachers.

• Implement a comprehensive data warehousing system.

• Improve network performance throughout the district.

• Ensure internet and district WAN capacity will meet increasing demand asinstructional technologies are brought on line.

Goal 2




Human Resources Objective 5 – Ensure the development and implementation of effectiveHuman Resource practices and processes throughout the district and schools.

Strategy

• Review and revise job descriptions districtwide.

• Develop and implement a new recruitment process.

• Implement a new attendance system that has data reporting capabilities.

• Develop an employee handbook that outlines needed information for allemployees.

• Define and implement clear systems for HR and Finance Departmentcollaboration.

• Create a comprehensive reporting and review of processes.

• Reduce redundant paper use and flow through the development of moreefficient electronic systems.

• Develop a districtwide professional development plan for all staff.

• Improve system for reporting absences and attendance coordination.

• Create accountability and reward system for attendance and absences.

• Create an interview review process for substitutes.

• Provide a professional development model for substitutes to support them in

the classroom.• Develop a teacher retention program.

• Enhance the new teacher induction program.

• Develop and implement a leadership development program.

• Review and revise employee salary scales where needed.

Goal 2




Facilities and TransportationObjective 6 – Maintain efficient, safe and quality facilities andtransportation services throughout the school district.

Strategy

• Develop a comprehensive district safety plan.

• Develop processes and procedures for bus transportation that includeprotocols for emergencies, discipline, late buses.

• Develop an annual process for evaluating student bus stops to enhanceefficiency.

• Research, develop, and implement an internal transportation system that isdistrict owned.

• Conduct routine assessments of district facilities and enrollment for theidentification of capital projects.

• Enhance processes for responding to work orders and streamlining cost of operations.

• Enhance processes for outlining long term projections for facility needsdistrictwide.

Goal 2







Goal 3 – Family Involvement and Community Engagement

Comprehensive Involvement for all Families

When families entrust us with their children, they hold us accountable to deliver on the promise of providing a world-class education and earn the right to share their perspectives on supports thatmight accelerate their children’s success. The importance of family involvement in a child’seducation cannot be overstated, from fostering early literacy and homework habits to simply ensuring that parents are informed. As the demographics of our community continue to diversify inlanguage, culture, and socioeconomics, making connections and developing relationships with family members and community organizations will become critical to ensuring the success of all of our

students. Also important to our children’s education are the many industries that exist in theMarlborough community that are leaders in their fields. This creates an incredible opportunity toexpand our partnerships and opportunities for our students to access real-world applications of theirlearning, and to foster interests that may generate careers right here in their home town. Thesepartnerships have the potential to become our greatest strength. Our goal in Be lieve 2016 is tooutline goals and objectives that will assist us with increasing information flow and inviting broadercommunity participation.


Marlborough Public Schools will foster partnerships with the community

and improve communication and engagement to support our students and

school system. – Families are welcomed and supported, and receive prompt

responses to their questions. – Parents and caregivers visit school regularly

to observe their children’s progress. – Community voices are regularly

invited into district decision-making processes. – Students, teachers, and

leaders have access to a wider range of opportunities and exposure to

careers through community partnerships.




Goal 3Support and EngagementObjective 1 – Engage parents, families, and the community and build theirability to support district goals to improve the education of all children.

Strategy

• Create structures that invite and encourage parents and families to actively participate in student learning.

• Hold monthly parent and community forums that focus on district goals andissues.

• Develop a parent advisory council and hold monthly meetings.

• Develop a community advisory committee to engage more of our industry partners.

• Develop a districtwide teacher advisory to the superintendent to meet monthly.

• Develop a student advisory to the superintendent.

• Enhance volunteer and community partner resources to support the schoolsystem.

• Create structures that engage our local industries and partners to supportstudent learning.




Goal 3

CommunicationObjective 2 – Improve internal and external communication to parents,families, teachers, and schools throughout the school district.

Strategy

• Develop and implement a districtwide translation system.

• Develop a districtwide newsletter to be distributed monthly.

• Implement a content management system to improve the district and school Web site presence.

• Research and create a new district Web site.

• Implement a parent portal that provides essential information to parents.

• Develop parent-friendly guides that will be available on the district Web sitethat communicate student learning expectations to families.

• Research and develop a comprehensive district calendar for all districtactivities.

• Provide access for parents and families to the district curriculum framework and Pre-K through grade 12 curriculum.







Goal 4 – Culture

Culture of Believing

The effectiveness of a district hinges on the beliefs of its leaders and staff. In today’s environment,school districts, including ours, must recognize that the success or failure of every child is ourcollective responsibility and establish a culture of high expectations, collaboration, andaccountability. The challenge becomes, how do we ensure that all of us are guided by a culture of believing in every child? Some teachers may believe that all students can succeed; others may believe

that only some will succeed, and some will, unfortunately, give up too easily on certain children. InMarlborough, we must address this void and eliminate the visible separation of students by ethnicity,both socially and in distinctions between lower- and upper-level classes. How can we ask everyoneto have high expectations when our personal belief systems may differ? This is, by and large, thetoughest part of our work. Many leaders in the field agree that we change our beliefs by changing our practice. In the words of Ronald Ferguson, “closing the achievement gap begins with teacherencouragement.” In Be lieve 2016 we outline objectives and strategies to help us address our culturethroughout the district and school community.


Marlborough Public Schools will foster a culture that supports high

expectations and the belief that all students can succeed. – Every school year

is filled with enthusiastic, passionate, effective teachers, leaders, and staff

who welcome every child and nurture their potential to succeed. – Every

employee knows how his/her work is connected to the district’s core values

and goals. – Every child knows that there is greatness inside of him/her and

is motivated to pursue it. – Every adult is driven by the belief that every child

can and will succeed. – Every family believes and knows that our school

system will fulfill our promise to its children. – All staff holds each other

accountable for our results.




Character EducationObjective 1 – Develop and deploy a comprehensive character educationcurriculum throughout the district integrated in all aspects of teaching andlearning.

Strategy

• Research and identify comprehensive character education standards as afoundation for all grade levels.

• Develop a comprehensive character education curriculum for all grade levels.

• Develop a system for monitoring the implementation of a character educationcurriculum.

• Integrate community service learning within the character education anddistrict standard curriculum.

• Link the character education curriculum to real-world experiences.

• Develop teacher tool kits that provide resources in the classroom to supportcharacter education.

• Integrate learning experiences that are inquiry based, student driven, andpersonalized.

• Post the character education curriculum and standards on the Web site forteachers, students and parents.

• Create school based teams that focus on character education for their building.

• Create opportunities for parents and community to participate in implementing our character education curriculum and standards.

• Create student-led teams to facilitate character education throughout thedistrict.

Goal 4




Bullying and Cyber-Bullying Objective 2 – Implement a system to help support the prevention of student bullying and cyber-bullying throughout the district.

Strategy

• Research, develop, and implement a comprehensive bullying curriculum for allgrade levels.

• Provide professional development for all staff focusing on bullying prevention.

• Post bullying prevention plan, standards and curriculum on our district Website to make available to parents, teachers, and students.

• Align district bullying curriculum and plan with state and federal requirements.

• Enhance our system for reporting bullying incidents and accusations.

• Develop a bullying prevention task force to facilitate the implementation of bullying prevention efforts districtwide.

• Develop an accountability system that holds all adults accountable for being proactive in reporting and documenting bullying incidents.

• Develop processes and procedures that help monitor technology to preventcyber-bullying.

• Create opportunities and collaboration with parents and families focused onbullying prevention.

Goal 4




Cultural AwarenessObjective 3 – Enhance cultural awareness and understanding throughoutthe school district and school community to strengthen teaching andlearning.

Strategy

• Develop and require professional development for all staff that focuses on working with diverse populations.

• Develop a monitoring system to review implementation of district norms andcore values focused on supporting all students.

• Develop a professional development model focused on differentiatedinstruction and effective instructional strategies for meeting the needs of alllearners.

• Create opportunities for all cultural groups in the community of Marlboroughto participate in the collaboration of their child’s education.

• Consistently gather survey data to understand the needs and expectations fromall cultural groups throughout the school community.

• Enhance the celebration of various cultural holidays throughout the district.

Goal 4




Recognition of SuccessObjective 4 – Develop structures and programs throughout the district torecognize the many successes of staff, students, and all positive aspects of the school district.

Strategies

• Develop staff recognition programs.

• Create a public relations plan to showcase positive accomplishments of thedistrict.

• Improve communication throughout the district related to the many successesof students, staff, and all schools throughout the school district.

• Improve our media presence on the accomplishments of the district.

• Highlight important events and accomplishments on our district Web site.

• Use social media to communicate our accomplishments.

• Enhance our relationships with local and state elected administrators andofficials to highlight our districts important successes regarding teaching andlearning.

Goal 4







Goal 1: All students in Marlborough Public Schools will learn athigh levels of academic expectations, and the achievementgap will be eliminated.

Indicator 1 – Student Achievement (All Students)

MCAS proficiency in English Language Arts (Grades 3-10) for all students. Measure Baseline 2011 Target 2012 Target 2016

All Students 66% 68% Latino 46% 48% 70%English Language Learners 27% 29% 50%Economically Disadvantaged 50% 52% 75%

Special Education 24% 26% 50% White 75% 77%

MCAS proficiency in Mathematics (Grades 3-10) for all students. Measure Baseline 2011 Target 2012 Target 2016

All Students 54% 56% Latino 38% 40% 70%English Language Learners 27% 29% 50%Economically Disadvantaged 39% 41% 70%Special Education 20% 22% 50%

White 63% 65%

MCAS proficiency in Science, Technology and Engineering for grade 5. Measure Baseline 2011 Target 2012 Target 2016

All Students 43% 45% Latino 21% 23% 65%English Language Learners 9% 11% 50%Economically Disadvantaged 22% 24% 50%Special Education 13% 15% 50% White 54% 56%






All Students 30% 32% Latino 13% 15% 50%English Language Learners 4% 6% 50%Economically Disadvantaged 13% 15% 50%Special Education 4% 6% 50% White 39% 41%


All Students 56% 58% Latino 33% 35% 75% African American 43% 45% 7English Language Learners 19% 21% 50%Economically Disadvantaged 34% 36% 75%Special Education 19% 21% 50% White 67% 69%

Indicator 2 – Student Achievement (by grade level)

MCAS Reading and Math proficiency for Elementary students grade 3. Measure Baseline 2011 Target 2012 Target 2016

3rd Graders Proficient on MCAS reading 51% 53% 70%3rd Graders Advanced on MCAS reading 9% 11% 20%3rd Graders Proficient on MCAS math 51% 53% 70%3rd Graders Advanced on MCAS math 18% 20% 22%

MCAS English Language Arts and Math proficiency for Elementary students grade 4.

Measure Baseline 2011 Target 2012 Target 20164th graders Proficient on MCAS ELA 44% 46% 60%4th graders Advanced on MCAS ELA 6% 8% 20%4th graders Proficient on MCAS math 33% 35% 60%4th graders Advanced on MCAS math 13% 15% 20%





Indicator 2 – Student Achievement (by grade level)

MCAS English Language Arts, Math, and Science, Technology, and Engineering for grade 5. Measure Baseline 2011 Target 2012 Target 2016

5th graders Proficient on MCAS ELA 50% 52% 60%5th graders Advanced on MCAS ELA 15% 17% 20%5th graders Proficient on MCAS math 36% 38% 55%5th graders Advanced on MCAS math 25% 27% 30%5th graders Proficient on MCAS science 34% 36% 55%

5

th

graders Advanced on MCAS science 9% 11% 20%

MCAS English Language Arts and Math proficiency for grade 6. Measure Baseline 2011 Target 2012 Target 2016

6th graders Proficient on MCAS ELA 48% 50% 60%6th graders Advanced on MCAS ELA 17% 19% 20%6th graders Proficient on MCAS math 34% 36% 55%6th graders Advanced on MCAS math 14% 16% 20%

MCAS Reading and Math proficiency for students grade 7. Measure Baseline 2011 Target 2012 Target 20167th graders Proficient on MCAS ELA 60% 62% 65%7th graders Advanced on MCAS ELA 11% 13% 20%7th graders Proficient on MCAS math 21% 23% 45%7th graders Advanced on MCAS math 13% 15% 20%

MCAS English Language Arts, Math, and Science, Technology, and Engineering for grade 8. Measure Baseline 2011 Target 2012 Target 2016

8th graders Proficient on MCAS ELA 61% 63% 65%

8

th

graders Advanced on MCAS ELA 16% 18% 20%8th graders Proficient on MCAS math 26% 28% 45%8th graders Advanced on MCAS math 24% 26% 30%8th graders Proficient on MCAS science 49% 51% 55%8th graders Advanced on MCAS science 28% 30% 35%





MCAS English Language Arts, Math, and Science, Technology, and Engineering grade 10. Measure Baseline 2011 Target 2012 Target 2016

10th graders Proficient on MCAS ELA 47% 49% 50%10th graders Advanced on MCAS ELA 30% 32% 35%10th graders Proficient on MCAS math 30% 32% 40%10th graders Advanced on MCAS math 43% 45% 50%10th graders Proficient on MCAS science 44% 46% 60%10th graders Advanced on MCAS science 12% 14% 20%

Graduation, College Readiness, and Post-Secondary RatesMeasure Baseline 2011 Target 2012 Target 2016

Graduation Rate 92.6% 93.6% 96%Students graduating in 4 years or fewer 90.2% 91.0 95%Postsecondary enrollment (two and four year) 87% 88% 95%Prepared for ELA in Postsecondary n/a n/a n/aPrepared for Math in Postsecondary n/a n/a n/aDual enrollment completion n/a Develop n/a

Indicator 3 – Student Achievement (Students in the district 3 or more years)

MCAS proficiency in English Language Arts (Grades 3-10) for all students who have been in thedistrict for at least three consecutive years.

Measure Baseline 2011 Target 2012 Target 2016 All Students 68% 70% Latino 49% 51% 70%English Language Learners 16% 18% 50%Economically Disadvantaged 51% 53% 70%

Special Education 28% 30% 50% White 77% 79%





MCAS proficiency in Mathematics (Grades 3-10) for all students who have been in the district forat least three consecutive years.

Measure Baseline 2011 Target 2012 Target 2016 All Students 57% 59% Latino 39% 41% 70%English Language Learners 20% 22% 50%Economically Disadvantaged 41% 43% 70%Special Education 22% 24% 50% White 53% 55%

Indicator 4 – Student Achievement (Students not in the district 3 or more years)

MCAS proficiency in English Language Arts (Grades 3-10) for all students who have not been inthe district for at least three consecutive years.

Measure Baseline 2011 Target 2012 Target 2016 All Students 58% 60% Latino 36% 38% 70%English Language Learners 13% 15% 50%Economically Disadvantaged 44% 46% 70%Special Education 20% 22% 50% White 69% 71%

MCAS proficiency in Mathematics (Grades 3-10) for all students who have not been in the districtfor at least three consecutive years.

Measure Baseline 2011 Target 2012 Target 2016 All Students 45% 47% Latino 30% 32% 65%English Language Learners 19% 21% 50%Economically Disadvantaged 43% 45% 70%Special Education 17% 19% 50% Whites 65% 67%





Indicator 5 – Core Curriculum

Measure Baseline2011

Target 2012 Target 2016

Curricular Framework PreK-12 n/a Develop 100% implementationPreK-12 Curriculum n/a Prek-8 100% implementationCurricular-based assessments n/a Prek-8 100% implementationStructured learning walks/rounds n/a 10 40 yearlyStudents enrolled in a foreign language 892 40%increase n/aStaff trained on intervention strategies n/a 14 teachers 100% trained

Students experiencing an internship n/a Research 11th&12th grade

Indicator 6 – Effective Instructional Practices

Measure Baseline2011

Target2012

Target 2016

Professional Development Plan n/a Develop 100% implemented Teacher Evaluation system n/a Develop 100% implementedStaff trained fully on Common Core n/a 40% 100%Staff trained on 21st Century strategies n/a n/a 100%Staff Individual Professional Dev. Plans n/a Research 100%Professional Learning Communities n/a Research 100%Staff trained on strategies for diverse learners n/a Research 100%Staff involved in common planning time n/a Develop 100%Staff trained on technology integration n/a Research 100%Uniform teaching standards n/a Develop 100% implementedStaff trained on data use and analysis n/a Research 100%Staff trained on Differentiated Instruction n/a Research 100%Model classrooms at all schools n/a Research 25 districtwidePara educators trained in classroom strategies n/a Research 100%Substitutes trained to support classroom n/a Research 100%





Indicator 7 – Data Driven CultureMeasure Baseline

2011 Target

2012 Target 2016

Staff trained on data use and analysis n/a 20 Admin 100% staff trainedData teams at all schools and district n/a Develop 100% implementedDistrictwide use of Common Assessments n/a Develop 100% implementedBalanced assessment system n/a Research 100% implementedComprehensive Data Warehouse system n/a Research 100% implementedStudents utilizing student portfolios n/a Research 100% implemented Authentic Assessments used n/a Research 100% implementedProtocol for looking at student work n/a Develop 100% implemented

Indicator 8 – Closing the Achievement GapMeasure Baseline

2011 Target

2012 Target 2016

Early Warning system n/a Develop 100% implementedStaff trained on strategies for diverse learners n/a Research 100% staff trainedStudents receiving full-day kindergarten 63% 70% 100%Special populations mainstream instruction n/a n/a n/aStudent Academic Learning Plans n/a Research 100% implemented

Parents trained on strategies to assist student n/a Research 100% implementedSchool-based attendance teams n/a Develop 100% implementedMinority, low income, sped enrolled in AP 24% 30% 50% of enrollment

Indicator 9 – Innovative School ModelsMeasure Baseline

2011 Target 2012 Target 2016

Number of Innovative School Models n/a 2 6School Design Teams n/a Develop 100% implementedSTEM K-5 school model n/a Research 100% implementedSTEM Early College High School Model n/a 9th grade 100% implemented

Middle School STEM Academy n/a 6th

grade 100% implementedInternational Baccalaureate n/a Application 100% implementedElementary Dual Language school model n/a Research 100% implementedHigh School Academy school models n/a Research 100% implemented





Indicator 10 – Advanced and Accelerated OfferingsMeasure Baseline

2011 Target

2012 Target 2016

Assessment system for identification n/a Develop 100% implementedPre-AP pathway at middle school n/a Develop 100% implementedStudents taking AP courses 209 230 339 Advance and Acceleration elem. & middle n/a Develop 100% implementedStaff trained - strategies for advanced learners n/a Develop 100% implementedDual enrollment participation n/a Research 100% implemented

Indicator 11 – Early ChildhoodMeasure Baseline

2011 Target

2012 Target 2016

Increase students receiving preschool n/a Research n/aCenter for child care n/a Research 100% implementedStudents receiving full-day kindergarten 63% 70% 100% studentsEarly childhood standards n/a Develop 100% implementedParent guides n/a Research 100% implementedStaff training on early childhood strategies n/a Research 100% trained

Indicator 12 – Technology IntegrationMeasure Baseline2011

Target2012

Target 2016

Staff trained on technology integration n/a Develop 100% trained Technology Student Assessment n/a Research 100% administeredStudent computers in every classroom n/a Research n/aDistrictwide Technology Plan n/a Develop 100% implemented

Indicator 13 – English Language LearnersMeasure Baseline

2011 Target

2012 Target 2016

Staff receiving PD – SEI, SIOP n/a Develop 100% trainedDistrictwide translation service n/a Research 100% implementedStaff training on cultural awareness n/a Research 100% trainedELL students enrolled in AP courses 8.6% 10.6% 30%Methodology and Structure for programming n/a Develop 100% implemented





Indicator 14– Special EducationMeasure Baseline

2011 Target

2012 Target 2016

Program evaluation cycle n/a Develop 100% implementedIncrease district programs for SPED students n/a Research n/aStaff receiving research-based SPED PD n/a Research 100% trainedStudents included in the mainstream n/a Research n/aIdentification process training focused staff n/a Develop 100% trainedCompliance training n/a Develop 100% trainedStudent participation in school activities n/a Research n/a




Goal 2: Operational Effectiveness and Efficiency -All Operationin Marlborough Public Schools will be efficient and effective.

Indicator 15– Aligning District SupportsMeasure Baseline

2011 Target 2012 Target

2016Re-organize central office to support schools n/a Implement 100% implementedStaff training focused on customer service n/a Office support 100% trained yearly Training for capacity building n/a Research Yearly training

Indicator 16– Service Oriented CultureMeasure Baseline


Positive perceptions regarding schools n/a Survey data n/aPositive perceptions regarding central office n/a Survey data n/aCustomer service PD n/a All trained 100% trained yearlyResolve technology issues within 24 hours n/a Research 95% resolvedResolve maintenance issues within 24 hours n/a Research 95% resolved

Indicator 17– Financial AccountabilityMeasure Baseline


Staff training on MUNIS n/a Office staff 100% trained yearly

Budget development process n/a Develop 100% implementedIncrease external grants received 4 50% increase 250% increaseCollaborative finance committee n/a Develop 100% implementedIdentify cost-saving measures n/a Research n/aProcess for projections n/a Develop 100% implemented

Indicator 18– Technology SystemsMeasure Baseline

2011 Target

2012 Target 2016

Comprehensive Technology Plan n/a Develop 100% implementedMounted projectors in all classrooms n/a n/a 100% of classrooms

Revise technology cycle for district n/a Develop 100% implementedData warehousing system n/a Research 100% implemented Technology training n/a Develop 100% trained Wireless connections in all schools n/a Develop 100% of Schools




Goal 2: Operational Effectiveness and Efficiency -All Operationin Marlborough Public Schools will be efficient and effective.

Indicator 19– Human ResourcesMeasure Baseline

2011 Target

2012 Target 2016

Revise staff job descriptions n/a Develop 100% revisedNew recruitment process n/a Develop 100% implementedNew attendance system n/a Develop 100% implementedEmployee Handbook n/a Develop 100% implementedElectronic document system n/a Research 100% implementedDistrict PD plan n/a Develop 100% implementedInterview review process - substitutes n/a Develop 100% implemented

PD model for substitutes n/a Develop 100% implementedLeadership Development program n/a Develop 100% implementedRevise employee salary scales n/a Research 100% implemented

Indicator 20– Facilities and TransportationMeasure Baseline

2011 Target

2012 Target 2016

District Safety Plan n/a Develop 100% implemented Transportation protocols and procedures n/a Develop 100% implementedInternal Transportation System n/a Research n/aSystem for projections for capital projects n/a Research 100% implemented






Goal 4: Culture – Marlborough Public Schools will foster a culturethat supports high expectations and the belief that allstudents can succeed.

Indicator 23– Character EducationMeasure Baseline

2011 Target

2012 Target 2016

Character Education Standards n/a Develop 100% implementedCharacter Education Curriculum n/a Research 100% implementedCommunity Service Learning n/a Research Graduation require.Character Education Curriculum on Web n/a Research 100% implementedSchool-based teams n/a Develop 100% implementedStudent-led teams n/a Develop 100% implemented

Indicator 24 – Bullying and Cyber-BullyingMeasure Baseline

2011 Target

2012 Target 2016

Comprehensive anti-bullying curriculum n/a Develop 100% implementedPD for all staff n/a Develop 100% implementedSystem for reporting bullying (enhance) n/a Develop 100% implemented Technology monitoring system n/a Develop 100% implemented

Indicator 25– Cultural AwarenessMeasure Baseline

2011

Target

2012

Target 2016

Staff training - cultural awareness n/a Research 100% implementedStaff training DI and effective strategies n/a Research 100% implementedCollaborative structures n/a Research 100% implementedMonitoring system to review core values n/a Research 100% implemented

Indicator 26 – Recognition of SuccessMeasure Baseline

2011 Target

2012 Target 2016

Staff Recognition Program n/a Develop 100% implementedPublic Relations Program n/a Develop 100% implemented

Media Presence n/a Develop 100% implemented



Believe 2016

“Only those who see the invisible cando the impossible.” - Frank Gaines

Documents

Here's Marlborough's Public Schools 5 Year Plan Final Believe 2016 and Scorecard 11-16-11