Brevard County Public Schools
School Improvement Plan
2014-2015
Name of School: Area:
Page 2Principal: Area Superintendent:
SAC Chairperson:
Superintendent: Dr. Brian Binggeli
Mission Statement:
South Alternative Learning Center will foster and maintain an academic atmosphere through self-reflection and personal improvement, teamwork, measurable and attainable goal-setting, student-centered learning and collaboration.Vision Statement:
South Alternative Learning Center students will return to their home schools to graduate with the skills and intellectual curiosity necessary for success, career readiness, character development, responsible citizenship and a lifelong learning perspective.Page 2
Brevard County Public Schools
School Improvement Plan
2013-2014
RATIONALE – Continuous Improvement Cycle Process
Data Analysis from multiple data sources: (Needs assessment that supports the need for improvement-Examples may be, but are NOT limited to survey data, walk-through data, minutes from PLC’s or Dept. Mtgs. Move away from talking about every single data source and determine your rationale. Much like the PGP, what is your focus and why?)
Page 2With an average population per year of more than 200 to 300 students, the South Alternative Learning Center is working to reduce expulsion and suspensions as we focus on getting students back to their home schools and on a path to success. Our focus on Positive Behavior Support strategies helps to shift the focus to student-centered instruction with meaningful essential questions, standards-driven lessons and differentiated strategies
The students at SALC were sent to SALC from their home schools for a variety of infractions, ranging from fights to drugs to more serious felony counts. They struggle with appropriate social skills, learning disabilities and regular attendance. The teachers and staff at the SALC work to instill students with a sense of ownership about their academic success with positive behavior strategies to promote academic success.
Total student population in 2013-2014: 200 Total student population in 2010-2011: 392
Number of expulsions in 2013-2014: 24 Number of expulsions in 2010-2011: 44
Number of felony count students in 2013-2014: 32 Number of felony count students in 2010-2011: 38
Number of students here for fights/violence: 43 Number of students with alcohol and drug offenses: 142
Number of students with misc. infractions: 14 Number of students here for fights/violence: 65
Number of students with misc. infractions: 87
Total student population in 2012-2013: 249 (example: chronic misbehavior)
Number of expulsions in 2012-2013: 42
Number of felony count students in 2012-2013: 21
Number of students here for fights/violence: 124
Number of students with misc. infractions: 71
(example: chronic misbehavior)
Total student population in 2011-2012: 262
Number of expulsions in 2011-2012: 32
Number of felony count students in 2011-2012: 34
Number of students with alcohol and offenses: 90
Number of students here for fights/violence: 74
Number of students with misc. infractions: 63
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Analysis of Current Practice: (How do we currently conduct business?)
During the 2013-2014 school year, the South Alternative Learning Center continued its Positive Behavior Intervention Support team, implementing our PBIS concept “P.R.A.I.S.E.” (preparedness, respect, attentiveness, individuality, safety and engagement) with students and parents. During the 2014-2015 school year, the team will supplement the PBIS concepts with the Why Try? curriculum and Teens for Success. Teachers also started adding more student-centered instruction, with students tracking their own progress using student data notebooks.Teachers shared B.E.S.T. strategies for optimum delivery of instruction, including Cornell notes and interactive notebooks. Teachers examined each other’s lessons and instructional strategies through observation and sharing of B.E.S.T. practices to improve instruction.
During the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 school years, South Alternative Learning Center teachers focused on more student-centered instruction, thinking maps and B.E.S.T. practices. Teachers were working on more student-centered instruction, such as Jigsaws, thinking maps and 60-second power writes, to increase student engagement. Teachers examined each other’s lessons and instructional strategies through observation and sharing of B.E.S.T. practices to improve instruction.
B.E.S.T. strategies used at the SALC include 60-second power write, Cornell notes, Jigsaws, Costa’s levels of questioning, data notebooks, interactive notebooks, K-W-L and student review presentations.
This year, we want to continue to expand the Positive Behavior Intervention Support strategies that we adopted, as well as adding the Why Try? curriculum and Teens for Success. We are using those strategies to help change behaviors, improve social skills and keep students in school, reducing suspensions and expulsions. We also will continue to implement more B.E.S.T. practices with student-centered instruction, having students learn by doing, such as with labs in science classes, thus keeping them more engaged in their own education. Additionally, the shift toward the new Florida standards will fuel the need for more collaborative efforts for the P.R.A.I.S.E. concept and B.E.S.T. practices. Buy-in from the teachers is more universal for the 2014-2015 school year than it has been in the past.
Best Practice: (What does research tell us we should be doing as it relates to data analysis above?)
According to William R. Jenson, direct instruction is not as effective as student-centered instruction.[(Morgan, D. P., & Jenson, W. R. (1988). Teaching behaviorally disordered students. New York: Macmillan.] Jenson, one of the "Tough Kids" authors, is known for his research in evidence based practice, positive behavior supports, parent training and academic interventions.
Also, according to "Assessing Learning" by Heidi Andrade, Kristen Huff, and Georgia Brooke ( From The Students at the Center Series, Education Digest, Nov. 2012), student-centered learning " is individualized, focusing on students' strengths, needs, and interests. It involves differentiating learning targets, assignments, and tasks; providing focused feedback on learning alone or in groups; and adjusting teaching and learning processes as needed."
The National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, in his overview of dropout prevention, notes that student engagement in learning is essential for dropout prevention. It says that “Engagement involves active participation in learning and schoolwork, as well as in the social life of school.” Students, it maintains, may need “intensive individual support or other supports to re-engage them in the purpose of education.”
In addition, the article "Teachers' Evaluation Of Student-Centered Learning Environments" By Dr. Zühal Çubukçu (Education Vol. 133 No. 1) notes that "Children need to be active learners within the context of culture, community, and past experiences."
Right now, SALC offers a mix of computer-based instruction and direct instruction with student-centered assignments/projects. Teachers are working to engage the students in more lessons where the students help mentor and teach the other students.
CONTENT AREA:
Reading / Math / Writing / Science / Parental Involvement / Drop-out Prevention ProgramsLanguage Arts / Social Studies / Arts/PE / Other:
School Based Objective: (Action statement: What will we do to improve programmatic and/or instructional effectiveness?)
In an effort to strengthen instruction and develop 21st Century skills, thus reducing student suspensions and expulsions, we will continue to implement Positive Behavior Intervention Support strategies and move to more student-centered instruction. This will include continuing B.E.S.T. strategies and emphasizing the new Florida Standards with reading and writing connections.Strategies: (Small number of action oriented staff performance objectives)
Barrier / Action Steps / Person Responsible / Timetable / Budget / In-ProcessMeasure
1. Teachers and counselor/ principal must deal with student and family investment in education process and progression that is hampered by negative experiences and loss of trust in the system. / 1. Orientation process and family/student consultations to help students navigate through credit retrieval barriers (virtual school, adult ed.) to reduce dropouts.
2. Open house to improve communications with parents and students.
3. Increased e-mail and phone communication with parent to create positive relationships. / Dr. Smith
Mrs. Guerao, school counselor / August 2014-May 2015 (note: orientations are ongoing as every new student and their parents go through an SALC orientation) / Verbal assessment via Q & A, written via completion of written contracts.
Credit accrual.
Grades.
2. Parents and students lack information about graduation requirements. / School counselor will meet with students and parents to review their individual plan of study (IPS). / Mrs. Guerao, school counselor / August 2014-May 2015 / Four-year progression plan with parents and student’s signature.
3. Teachers must differentiate for students who lack proficiency and confidence in reading. / Read-along books, more group opportunities for reading, as well as primary source documents. Teachers use organizers and thinking maps in instruction. / Teachers
Support staff / August 2014-May 2015 / DBQs to gauge student's level of understanding.
4. Teachers need resources to deal with at-risk and behaviorly impaired students who fail to see relationship between school subjects and how completing school is relevant to their future and are in danger of dropping out. / Expand peer counseling training with Why Try? curriculum and Teens for Success to emphasize strategies in goal setting, self-assessment, and relationship of education to work and personal life. More student-centered instruction to increase engagement in subjects.
Training, including PBIS, to teach strategies to improve students’ social skills and behavior. / Teachers
Support staff
Dr. Smith
Mrs. Guerao / August 2014-May 2015 / Initial analysis by home schools. Upon transfer to the SALC, additional orientation and analysis of transcripts to determine gaps, degree of risk for dropping out and strategies for success and pursuit of post-secondary plans.
Compare present PBIS data with past data. Compare suspensions and expulsions.
5. Teachers failure to get students to see value of post-secondary transition for advanced educational opportunities. / Counselor will analyze transcripts for recommenda-tions for courses and support.
Teacher and counselor training in AVID strategies to encourage post-secondary education and college and career readiness.
PLATO and other computer-based learning options will allow students to learn at different paces and take more subjects for credits. / Mrs. Guerao
Teachers / August 2014-May 2015 / Teachers use AVID strategies to stress the importance of advanced education and expose the students to the college culture.
6. Teachers acquiring a new skill set for
instructional delivery
through professional
development and peer
coaching. / Continue professional
development to train teachers to assist each other as peer coaches to explore and
expand teaching techniques. / Peer coaches
Principal
District trainers (professional development) / August 2014-May 2015 / IPPAS
7. Providing time for teacher observations as well as encourage-ment and motivation to participate / Teachers will collaborate
on effectiveness of student-centered classrooms. Allow time for dialogue about what works, what doesn’t work and
barriers teachers are facing while making the shift to
student-centered learning. / Principal
Teachers / August 2014-May 2015 / IPPAS
EVALUATION – Outcome Measures and Reflection-begin with the end in mind.
Qualitative and Quantitative Professional Practice Outcomes: (Measures the level of implementation of professional practices throughout the school)
Three teachers will be trained to be peer coaches as indicated by the number of classroom observations noted on an end of year teacher survey.We want teachers to make movement toward more student-centered learning as indicated on a beginning and an end of year teacher survey.
We want teachers to increase non-fiction reading for understanding to 70% as indicated on a beginning and an end
of year teacher survey.
We want teachers to model B.E.S.T. practices in instruction as measured by results of a beginning and an end of year teacher survey.
We want to increase teacher participation in Positive Behavior Intervention Support as indicated by results of a beginning and an end of year teacher survey.
Teacher data of this process also will be collected through walk-throughs and evaluations scores.
Qualitative and Quantitative Student Achievement Expectations: (Measures student achievement)
· Students should be engaged and encouraged to improve attendance, as measured by the daily attendance.· Students should be monitored with positive behavior intervention support strategies to help them stay in school and reduce expulsions.
· Students will participate in more student-centered learning for more academic success.
· Student achievement will be determined over the course of the entire school year through
feedback (both formal and informal) provided by the students. Administrators and teachers will elicit
comments and observations from the students. Content area teachers will gather additional
measures of student achievement through the assessment of results on DBQ lessons.
Progress will be measured with daily attendance and expulsion figures, considering academic success through end-of-course testing.
EXPULSION FIGURES FOR SALC
YEAR / # OF STUDENTS / # EXPELLED / DIFF / % EXPELLED / % SUCCESS2010-2011 / 392 / 44 / 348 / 11.2 / 88.2
2011-2012 / 262 / 32 / 230 / 12.2 / 87.8
2012-2013 / 249 / 42 / 207 / 16.7 / 83.3
2013-2014 / 200 / 24 / 176 / 12 / 88
MULTI-TIERED SYSTEM OF SUPPORTS (MTSS)/RtI This section meets the requirements of Sections 1114(b)(1)(B)(i)-(iv) and 1115(c)(1)(A)-(C), P.L. 107-110, NCLB, codified at 20 U.S.C. § 6314(b).
Our school administrator, reading teacher, reading coach, ESE teacher and guidance counselor serve
on our MTSS Leadership Team. A focus of the team will be to communicate and facilitate a problem
solving/decision-making system to assure assistance for struggling students.
The team will plan, implement and monitor progress to improving student achievement through data collection, intervention plans and involvement with family. The team is actively involved in the development of intervention strategies and ongoing follow-up to attain student success.
The South Alternative Learning Center will expand student-centered classrooms to include peer coaching and model classrooms.
SALC uses Positive Behavior Intervention Support as a foundation for a team-based approach to behavior management and remediation, addressing such concerns as preparedness, respect, attentiveness, individuality, safety and engagement.
Each team member is asked to contribute to the school improvement plan process through regular meetings and brainstorming sessions to allow for sharing perspectives, concerns and effective strategies for working with our at-risk population.
Our school based literacy team with our reading coach and language arts and reading teachers meets bi-weekly and at staff development to monitor students’ progress, using vocabulary and reading scores to chart progress.
SALC works to provide unique and challenging reading opportunities with differentiated delivery of reading content.
PARENT INVOLVEMENT: (Parent Survey Data must be referenced) Title I Schools may use the Parent Involvement Plan to meet the requirements of Sections 1114(b)(1)(F) and 1115(c)(1)(G), P.L. 107-110, NCLB, codified at 20 U.S.C. § 6314(b).
Parent involvement is encouraged throughout the school year by keeping in close contact with parents and guardians through phone calls, e-mails and frequent parent conferences. Students and parents attend orientation sessions before enrolling in the SALC.
Early Warning Systems (Formerly Attendance, Suspension, and Graduation Rate)
The end of year expulsion figures for the 2013-2014 school year was lower than in the previous two years, but remains in the 10 to 20 percent range for total population. Our number of students also decreased for the 2013-2014 school year, perhaps indicating schools are not expelling as many students. The SALC, therefore, might be getting the students most at risk of failing and being expelled. We will continue to strive for high attendance and reduced expulsions as a goal for improvement for our school this year.
The South Alternative Learning Center had a 12 percent expulsion rate during the 2013-2014 school year. We will continue our efforts to maintain a safe school and work with students using the established discipline ladder to help students correct behaviors that could cause suspension from school. We continue to work on behaviors through our Positive Behavior Intervention Support program. Data from that program is being compiled to identify problem behaviors and progress with positive behavior support strategies.
The South Alternative Learning Center will continue our efforts to support our students to ensure that they are able to graduate from their home schools. For those students needing alternatives, we will encourage them to purse virtual school and adult education to complete their educations.
The South Alternative Learning Center also strives to improve postsecondary readiness by
tracking students who take College Ready classes in English and mathematics, offering credit
retrieval for students short of credits or needing to raise GPA’s, offering computer based options for students who are in danger of not graduating with their cohort.
CTE/STEM:
Being limited in staffing and options, the South Alternative Learning Center has few STEM-related experiences, such as field trips and science fairs. The SALC will work to bring in community mentors to help students connect with these STEM fields, perhaps by bringing in speakers from these fields. We do not offer STEM testing for certifications at the SALC.
STUDENT SURVEY RESULTS (Required):
Student and parent survey results are not collected from SALC students, but are found at the students' home schools since most students are not at the SALC a whole calendar year.
(TITLE 1 SCHOOLS ONLY)