Initial Plan - Section A

Fellows: Luke Strongfellow and Lindsay Leader

District/School: Excellent Elementary

Year: 2016/2017

Please complete the following questions in collaboration with the principal and/or district administrator after the first Fellows meeting.

Where are we now?
Describe your district’s/school’s current implementation of Washington State Learning Standards. / Where do we want to be?
What are the district’s/school’s focus and priorities in 2016-2017 for the ongoing implementation of Washington State Learning Standards. / Steps we can take:
How does the district/school envision using the Fellow to support Washington State Learning Standards implementation efforts in 2016-2017?
Leadership
No building plan for the transition to the NGSS currently exists.
Professional Learning
Teachers and administrators have access to regionalprofessional learning to understand the innovations of the NGSS.
Instructional Materials
Existing instructional materials are aligned to WA 2009 Standards. Elements of the NGSS are exist in the materials.
Assessments
Formative and summative assessmentstied to NGSS have not been developed.
Collaboration
Grade level teams of teachers collaborate to learn about NGSS strategies.
Communication
Opportunities to communicate about the new science standards exist with the school newsletter, website, an open house event, and parent conferences.
School Structures
Some students in Grades 1-5 are pulled out of science for various interventions.
Student Outcomes
Student science performance shows little evidence of three dimensional learning. / Leadership
District support for the formation of a building leadership team.
Professional Learning
Have a planfor professional learning to implement NGSS innovations that meet the content and instructional needs of our teachers and administratorsthat:
  • Include strategies and specific supports to help teachers meet the diverse needs of students.
  • Engageteachers in examples of three-dimensional learning.
  • Illustrates what the NGSS-aligned looks like in the classroom to an observer.
Instructional Materials
Teachers have developed some strategies to use existing instructional materials to support NGSS until new materials can be adopted and implemented.
Assessments
Formative assessments are developed to evaluate the success of NGSS strategies layered on to existing materials.
Collaboration
Grade level teams and PLCs implement strategies for puzzling phenomena and model-based explanations in a science unit.
Communication
The school newsletter, website, open house event, and parent conferences are utilized to inform the community of the changes to science teaching and learning at our school.
School Structures
Students are not pulled out of science for interventions.
Student Outcomes
Student science performance on formative assessments shows evidence of three dimensional learning. / Leadership
  • Gather information about the status of existing science teaching and learning in our building.
  • Talk to our Building Principal about a strategy to garner support for a building leadership team for science.
Professional Learning
Convene a workgroup of stakeholders from each building and the District Office to plan the Professional Learning.
Instructional Materials
Train teachers to identify NGSS dimensions in existing materialsand implement strategies to support practices and crosscutting concepts.
Assessments
Convene an Assessment Workgroup to create a plan to develop formative assessments
Collaboration
Meet with Building Admin to request Late Arrival days to study puzzling phenomena and model-based explanations.
Communication
Develop a concise message about our schools transition to the NGSS.
School Structures
Research ideas to accommodate student needs so that they are not pulled out of science.
Student Outcomes
Create a plan to collect data from theformative assessment work.

Ongoing Reflections & Plans - Section B

As part of ongoing reflection and planning, complete Section B, in collaboration with the principal and/or district administrator, after each Fellows convening. Keep an ongoing, dated log that addresses the following:

Action Items/Strategies
What is are your next action items for your school/district? What are the steps you will take to implement this element? / Timeline
When will you complete each action items/ strategies? / Responsibilities
Who will be responsible for completing this element? The Fellow? Others? / Equity
In what ways might this action item support all educators and/or students (e.g. special education, ELL, highly capable)? / Resources
May include teacher release time, meeting space, differentiated materials for all educators and their focus, facilitation materials, etc. / How Will We Monitor and Evaluate?
What will be the evidence of impact of the Fellows work? What will you see teachers and students doing differently?
Leadership
  1. Gather information about the status of existing science teaching and learning in our building with a survey.
  2. Talk to our Building Principal about a strategy to garner support for a building leadership team for science.
/ Leadership
  1. October 7, 2016
  1. October 21, 2016
/ Leadership
  1. Lindsay Leader
  1. Luke Strongfellow
/ Leadership
  1. Make certain all staff provides feedback.
  1. Invite all staff to volunteer for the leadership team.
/ Leadership
  1. Request 1 hour of release time for developing the survey.
  1. Make appointment with Building Principal.
/ Leadership
The District endorses Building-based a NGSS Transition Team to create a strategic plan.