bhs school improvement plan 2007-2008xi. brockton high school goal 5 ..... 40 i. needs assessment j....

Brockton Public Schools Brockton, Massachusetts

BROCKTON HIGH SCHOOL

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN

2007-2008

Susan E. Szachowicz Principal

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Cover Page....................................................................................................................................i

II. Table of Contents...................................................................................................................ii – v.

III. Mission and Vision Statements……......................................................................................... 1

IV. Council Roster and Statements................................................................................................ 3

V. Descriptive Data......................................................................................................................... 4

A. Student Demographic

B. Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS)

C. Performance Level Comparison

D. Additional Assessment Information

VI. Executive Summary................................................................................................................ 9

VII. Results and Discussion: Degree of Attainment for 2005- 2006......................................... 13 VIII. Academic Performance Improvement Mapping Goals 2005-2007.................................. 20

A. Needs Assessment.......................................................................................................... 1. Goals 2. Student Learning Objectives 3. Improvement Objectives B. All Content Areas....................................................................................................... 1. Action Plan a) Activity b) Persons Responsible c) Resources or Funding d) Timeline e) Measures of Implementation

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C. English Language Arts..............................................................................................

1. Action Plan

a) Activity

b) Persons Responsible

c) Resources or Funding

d) Timeline

e) Measures of Implementation

D. Mathematics................................................................................................................

2. Action Plan

a) Activity

b) Persons Responsible

c) Resources or Funding

d) Timeline

e) Measures of Implementation

VIII. Brockton High School Goal 2.......................................................................................... 37

A. Needs Assessment

B. Specific Objectives

C. Action Plan

D. Activity and/or Professional Development

E. Person(s) Responsible

F. Resource(s) and/or Funding

G. Timeline

H. Evaluation

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IX. Brockton High School Goal 3...................................................................................... 38

A. Needs Assessment


C. Action Plan




G. Timeline

H. Evaluation

X. Brockton High School Goal 4................................................................................................. 39

A. Needs Assessment


C. Action Plan




G. Timeline

H. Evaluation

XI. Brockton High School Goal 5 ................................................................................................ 40

I. Needs Assessment

J. Specific Objectives

K. Action Plan

L. Activity and/or Professional Development

M. Person(s) Responsible

N. Resource(s) and/or Funding

O. Timeline

v

P. Evaluation

XII. Brockton High School Goal 6.............................................................................................. 41

Q. Needs Assessment

R. Specific Objectives

S. Action Plan

T. Activity and/or Professional Development

U. Person(s) Responsible

V. Resource(s) and/or Funding

W. Timeline

X. Evaluation

XIII. Appendix.............................................................................................................................. 42

A. School Council Minutes

B. “Best Practices” of Brockton High School

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III. MISSION AND VISION STATEMENTS

MISSION STATEMENT of BROCKTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The mission of the Brockton Public Schools is to provide education of the highest quality that motivates all students to excel, meets

their individual needs, and prepares them for the future.

MISSION and VISION STATEMENT of BROCKTON HIGH SCHOOL

Brockton High School seeks to teach our students in a safe, supportive

environment the knowledge, skills, values, and behaviors necessary to become responsible and productive members of a diverse society. Instruction focuses on enabling students to demonstrate the literacy skills of reading, writing, speaking,

and reasoning and preparing them to participate actively as citizens in a technologically advanced society.

Brockton High School remains a comprehensive high school while establishing smaller learning

communities. We meet the individual needs of our students by providing opportunities for them to fulfill their potential and by offering choices in accordance with their own aspirations. We are

committed to enhancing intellectual and emotional connections among adults and students through a personalized approach in both instruction and interpersonal relationships. Our school encourages

and fosters positive, working relationships with students, families and the community.

Each Brockton High School student will demonstrate literacy in reading: for content (both literal and inferential); to apply pre-reading,

during-reading, and post-reading strategies to all reading assignments; to research a topic; to gather information; to comprehend an argument; to determine the main idea of a passage; to understand a concept and construct meaning,

literacy in writing: to take notes; to convey one’s thinking in complete sentences; to compare and contrast; to write an open response; to describe an experiment, to report one’s findings and conclusions; to generate a response to what one has read, viewed, or heard; to develop an expository essay with a formal structure,

literacy in speaking: to convey one’s thinking in complete sentences; to interpret a passage orally; to debate an issue; to participate in class discussion or a public forum; to make an oral presentation to an audience; to respond to what one has read, viewed, or heard; to communicate in a manner that allows one to be both heard and understood,

literacy in reasoning: to create, interpret and explain a table, chart, or graph; to compute, interpret and explain numbers; to analyze and solve a word problem; to interpret and present statistics that support an argument or hypothesis; to identify, explain and make a prediction based on a pattern; to detect and explain the logic or

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fallacy in an argument or a solution; to use analogies and evidence to support one’s thinking,

self-expression by creatively synthesizing or combining concepts, things, information or elements to form a new and coherent whole,

productive use and understanding of technology to obtain, exchange, evaluate and organize information,

responsibility for one’s own behaviors and actions, personal growth through self assessment, decision making and goal setting, appreciation, respect, and understanding of the similarities and differences among

people, the ability to work cooperatively with others, the knowledge and skills necessary to participate responsibly in society and in the

democratic process. Brockton High School will:

provide curriculum and instruction designed to develop students’ literacy skills in reading, writing, speaking, and reasoning within all levels, grades, and disciplines,

promote the development and use of “ best practices” for effective instruction, provide access to the technology that supports teaching and learning, establish high academic standards and measure their attainment using a variety of

assessments, provide for on-going evaluation and revision of existing courses and programs, provide an educational program that reflects local, state, and national standards, provide opportunities and resources to promote student success on local, state, and

national assessment, provide a variety of enrichment programs and extracurricular activities designed to

develop students’ talents, creativity, and self-esteem, strive to meet the individual needs of our students by promoting greater personalization

within the learning communities of the school, provide a safe, respectful, responsive, and inclusive learning environment that promotes

physical, emotional, social and mental wellness, create a learning environment that models and reflects understanding and appreciation of

all cultural identities, foster effective communication among staff, students, parents, families, and the

community.

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IV. BROCKTON HIGH SCHOOL COUNCIL ROSTER and STATEMENTS

This School Council has reviewed the school's budget including the professional development allocations. The Brockton High School School Council reviews and approves, annually, the Brockton High School Student-Parent Handbook as was done for the year 2004-2005. Name and Position Signature Susan E. Szachowicz _________________________________________________________________ Principal Maria E. LeFort ___________________________________________________________________

Co-Chairperson Other Members Alisa Scott________________________________________________________________________ Josette Dupont-Dubois____________________________________________________________ John Glynn_______________________________________________________________________ Linda Hains____________________________________________________________________________ Pat O’Connor___________________________________________________________________________ Theresa Sousa__________________________________________________________________________ Michelle Marsh_______________________________________________________________________ Lynda Walsh_______________________________________________________________________ Jeanne Holmes-Kireilis ________________________________________________________________ Annette LaGarde________________________________________________________________________

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A. V. DESCRIPTIVE DATA

Brockton High School Student Demographics

2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007 Male 2,202 2,186 2,186 Female 2,270 2,119 2,149 Total 4,472 4,305 4,335

Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity Race 2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007 African American 52.0 50.2 52.6 Asian 3.4 2.9 2.7 Hispanic 10.5 12.15 14.1 Native American .5 .5 .8 White 33.6 31.2 29.8

Selected Populations 2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007 First Language not English 32.9 32.1 31.8 Limited English Proficient 8.0 9.3 11 Low-income 56.3 60.4 61.9 Retentions 8.4 Special Education (total) 9.6 9.9 9.6 General Ed Modified 2.2 3.7 3.5 Up to 20% Separate 4.8 3.9 3.8 21-60% Separate Substantially Separate 2.5 2.1 2.5

Academic Support Programs:

• MCAS support classes in English and

math that are held during the day and after school for all students who have failed the MCAS

• After-school SPED Mentoring Program to provide academic support for SPED students

• PLATO Labs for reading and math improvement

• SAT Lab • Access Center that provides during school

support for all students • Project Grads Teen Parent Program • Summer School • An after- school, grant-funded program

that provides students with MCAS tutoring opportunities

• Credit Recovery Program • Freshman Academy

Student Enrichment Programs:

• “Bridges Choices Explorer and Bridges Choices Planner as part of Guidance Curriculum for college and career planning

• Dual enrollment that provides an opportunity for students to take college level courses not offered at Brockton High School

• Tech. Prep. that provides internship opportunities in a variety of occupational areas

• Summer of Work and Learning provides classroom and work experience

• Internship Opportunities • International Baccalaureate Programme • Virtual High School online classes

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B. Brockton High School

MCAS Results

GRADE 10 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS PERFORMANCE LEVEL % 2004 2005 2006

ADVANCED 17 22 21 PROFICIENT 39 37 47 NEEDS IMPROVEMENT 30 27 24 FAILING 14 14 7

GRADE 10 MATHEMATICS

PERFORMANCE LEVEL 2004 2005 2006 ADVANCED 12 17 27 PROFICIENT 27 22 25 NEEDS IMPROVEMENT 34 33 28 FAILING 27 28 20

Adequate Yearly Progress History 2004 2005 2006

Aggregate Yes Yes Yes English Language Arts All subgroups No No Yes

Aggregate Yes No Yes

Math All subgroups No No No

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C. Brockton High School

MCAS Results Performance Level Comparison

MCAS Test of Spring 2004

MCAS Tests of Spring 2006

Needs Warning/ Students Advanced Proficient Improvement Failing Included

Grade and Subject School State School State School State School State GRADE 10 - ENGLISH

LANGUAGE ARTS

17 19 39 43 30 27 14 11 991

GRADE 10 - MATHEMATICS

12 29 27 28 34 28 27 15 991

MCAS Test of Spring 2005



LANGUAGE ARTS

22 22 37 42 27 25 14 11 947


17 35 22 27 33 24 28 14 947



LANGUAGE ARTS

21 16 47 53 24 24 7 7 943


27 40 25 27 34 21 27 12 943

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D. Additional Assessment Information

SAT RESULTS

2004 VERBAL

NATIONAL STATE BROCKTON HIGH SCHOOL 508 518 454

MATH


2005 VERBAL


MATH


2006 CRITICAL READING


WRITING


MATH


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AP RESULTS 2004 Total number of students: 93

AP Grade

Biology Calculus Eng. Lit.

Euro. History

Physics Studio Art Drawing

US History

Total Grades Reported

Percentage of Total

5 3 1 1 1 7 13 10 4 8 3 17 2 1 1 8 40 30 3 5 4 10 6 2 5 5 37 28 2 6 8 4 3 1 4 26 20 1 1 4 12 17 13 Total 23 20 31 11 17 7 24 133 100 % Current Year Grades of 3 or higher

69

40

87

72

23

100

83

67

2005 Total number of students: 95

AP Grade

Biology Calculus Eng. Lit.

Euro. History

Physics Studio Art Drawing

Studio Art 2D Design


US History

Total Grades Reported

Percentage of Total

5 2 4 5 5 3 2 1 2 24 18 4 5 7 10 3 3 8 36 27 3 6 8 16 4 4 2 6 46 35 2 5 6 3 1 1 3 19 15 1 2 3 1 6 5 Total 20 28 34 12 11 4 1 1 20 131 100

% Current Year Grades of 3 or higher

65 68 91 100 91 100 100 80

2006 Total number of students: 77

AP Grade

Econ Bio Calc Eng. Lit.

Euro. Hist.

Gov & Pol

Physics Chem Studio Art Draw


US Hist

Latin Span Total Grades Reptd

% of Total

5 3 1 2 3 3 12 12 4 4 6 5 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 25 25 3 10 4 9 3 1 3 1 1 2 34 34 2 10 3 1 1 1 1 7 24 24 1 1 1 1 3 6 6 Total 1 28 10 18 8 1 10 5 4 2 12 1 1 101 100 % Current Year Grades of 3 or higher

61

100

83

88

80

40

75

50

42

100

100

70

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VI. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Brockton High School

High expectations and high standards help motivate students enrolled in Brockton High School. The Brockton High School began a restructuring process in 1995 to increase student achievement and provide a more personalized educational experience for all students. The literacy initiative to improve student skills by having all teachers assume responsibility for literacy instruction within their classes has improved student performance to the point that the school was recognized as a Commonwealth Compass School by the State of Massachusetts in 2002. Brockton High School has also been recognized as a Model School by the International Center for Leadership in Education in 2004, 2005, 2006, and again in 2007. In 2006, Brockton High School was one of only six schools in the country to be awarded The National School Change Award by the U.S. Department of Education and Fordham University.

A cornerstone of the successful school improvement effort is the creation of positive relationships

among administrators, faculty, and students, built on trust, vision, and consistency. Brockton High School maintains a clear vision of the type of educational institution it wishes to be and how it will provide a high quality education that motivates and engages students. Over the past five years, the school has consistently maintained the challenge that it will:

1. provide literacy in reading, writing, speaking, and reasoning, 2. use best practices for effective instruction, 3. provide ongoing evaluation and revision of courses and programs, 4. address standards set by state and national agencies, 5. establish high academic standards using a variety of assessment instruments, 6. foster effective communication among staff, students, parents, families, and the community, and 7. seek ways to personalize the educational experience of each student.

The school culture at Brockton High, another important factor for school improvement, is student-

focused and positive. In the tradition of Brockton as the City of Champions, the school is dedicated to continuous improvement with a diverse population and an experienced faculty, many of whom grew up in the city where they now teach. Some manifestations of this positive school culture are the Restructuring Committee, a group of administrators and teachers, which challenges teachers to increase their expectations for student achievement. Additionally, each department employs a steering committee to review and revise curriculum, programs, and definitions of quality student work. The faculty is experienced and supportive of one another. As previously mentioned, the Literacy Initiative reflects the emphasis on identifying student needs and provides a school-wide emphasis to address these needs. Literacy is integrated into all lessons across the grades and subjects. Ultimately, the culture is an even-tempered, positive force that is student-centered and professionally stimulating.

The hallmark of Brockton High School is the collaborative communication model operating among the administration, faculty, and student body. Administrators operate in a supportive fashion, involving faculty in decision-making and ownership of key school initiatives. Issues are identified from several sources such as the Restructuring Committee, Administrative Leadership Team meetings, departmental meetings, Student Council, or community advisory groups, which assist the school in reaching its goal of increasing achievement levels of all students. When issues are presented, they are analyzed through open discussion groups before an action is contemplated or pursued. In this fashion, the administration uses the stated mission of seeking high quality education for all students to refocus the staff’s attention on reaching the higher proficiency levels on the MCAS rather than simply the passing level. Professional training is provided using data and best practices which, in turn, is followed by departmental discussions and demonstrations of effective lessons. In addition, the administration uses the requirements of No Child Left Behind to emphasize Adequate Yearly Progress in

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faculty discussion groups designed to generate exemplary lessons and materials to assist teachers from all disciplines to strive for continuous instructional improvement. The above-stated policies, programs, and activities represent tangible steps to achieve the goals and mission. The administration and faculty annually review the perceived strengths of the school and identify new initiatives to address areas of need. The Restructuring Committee represents a vehicle to highlight and review issues related to the school’s efforts to achieve its overarching goals: to increase student achievement levels and to personalize education for all students. The 32 member committee represents academic areas, resource staff, and administration. For 2006-07, the committee was structured to address five challenging issues in subcommittee discussions: 1. transitioning from junior high to high school 2. raising academic expectations for all students 3. improving school and classroom culture 4. examining the senior year 5. advancing technology.

The administration and teachers at Brockton High School are constantly looking in the mirror to use

whatever data are available to assess where we are, what is working well, and correct what is not working well. This on going process has achieved a more rigorous and relevant academic program.

Data have been used differently and more extensively at the school over the past 10 years. The school

makes consistent use of data to evaluate programs and to pinpoint areas in need of new or revised programming. The monthly faculty meetings and departmental steering committee meetings are devoted to reviewing data, preparing a recommended course of action, and conducting Professional Development to address areas of need. The annual School Improvement Plan is the culmination of these efforts to “target and respond.” In this plan, the data from MCAS and other assessment tools are summarized with the degree of attainment of the preceding years’ goals and activities. This document then lists the goals and recommended course of action for the next year based on the available data. Each goal statement includes a needs assessment, specific objectives, action plan, and evaluation. The staff uses the report to focus its energy and resources on new or continuing objectives to serve the needs of students and the needs of faculty to deliver quality instruction.

The MCAS results for the graduating class of 2005 indicate that 98% of Brockton’s students passed

the Math and English exam. At this writing, the final statistics for 2007 are incomplete; however, already 97% have passed. Beginning in 2005, Massachusetts awards Adams Scholarships to students who reach proficiency levels on the MCAS. The Adams Scholarships provide tuition support for four years at any state college. In 2005 and 2006 over 20% of Brockton’s graduating seniors were awarded these scholarships. The Governor of Massachusetts along with the Commissioner of Education came to Brockton to announce the Adams Scholarship Program in 2005, recognizing the high number of Brockton students who achieved this distinction, especially noting that 25% of these students were minorities. It is noteworthy that 56% of the 2005 Brockton award recipients used the grants to further their education in public institutions, indicating that, without the scholarships, many students may have been unable to attend college financially. The staff of the high school has achieved considerable success in improving student passing rates on the MCAS, which is now raising expectations that even more students will reach proficiency levels on this test. Past success has bred higher expectations of success in the future.

The administration and the Restructuring Committee continue to seek new avenues that would

increase the rigor and relevance of the curriculum. For 2006-07, the Restructuring Committee continued to focus on improving math skills across the curriculum areas; enhancing students’ reading strategies and strengthening the 12th grade experience. In addition, Brockton High School became an authorized International Baccalaureate School that beginning in the fall of 2007 will pilot the Diploma Programme.

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The school’s open enrollment policy for Advanced Placement (AP) courses also augments student achievement. Students must be allowed the opportunity to reach their highest potential. In fact, one student pointed to the fact that students frequently ask to be placed in more demanding courses called “moving up.” Brockton students participate in nine AP courses, but the administration is seeking ways to increase both the number of courses available as well as the number of students who participate. In 2004-05, the numbers of student participating in AP courses increased slightly, but the total number of scores reported doubled when compared to 2003-04. Beginning in 2005-2006, courses were offered through the Virtual High School Program. Virtual High School is a collaboration of high schools that share online teaching and learning opportunities globally. All of the above outline the progressive and creative steps Brockton is taking to meet its goal of improving student achievement.

As part of the initiative to provide a more personalized education, smaller learning communities were

established. Students are now assigned to one of four houses to ensure closer working relationships with teachers and to enable teachers to gain greater knowledge of student interests. Recent initiatives, including a Freshman Academy and Credit Recovery Programs, are now underway to increase the rigor and relevance of the curriculum and to support 9th grade students in the difficult year of transition to high school. Back-to-back instruction in English and Math in Freshman Academy for at-risk students continues the personalization. In addition, students with disabilities are included in the regular academic program and are supported in classrooms by special education teachers. Senior and junior students mentor freshman as another academic support. The restructuring process is making personalization of instruction and student support the vehicles to maintaining the extensive opportunities afforded by a large complex school. It is a “best of both worlds” approach, offering personal instruction targeted at individual needs while providing many options to meet individual interests.

To improve student achievement, Brockton High School also built upon its past strengths. The school

has a long history and tradition of success in sports and performing arts. The philosophy and mission statement of the school dictate that students should be offered as many opportunities as feasible to maximize their talents and abilities both within and outside the classroom. As expected with a school this size, extracurricular and co-curricular programs are extensive. When a group of students expresses an interest in forming a club, activity, or service, the school makes every effort to locate an advisor and to provide support for legitimate requests.

Currently, Brockton High School has over 45 clubs and student activities. Teachers consistently seek

out students who are not active in extracurricular activities and encourage their participation in the “life of the school outside the classroom.” Again, the faculty operates with an expressed belief that students who participate in the fuller life of the school tend to be happier, higher achieving, and more productive. The clubs and activities range from the traditional mathematics, ski, and yearbook activities to the STEP dance, garden, and Amnesty International clubs. The diversity of the student population is reflected in the Cape Verdean, Asian, Jamaican, and African-American clubs designed to develop kinship and cultural awareness.

Several activities and organizations exist to foster student leadership. The National Honor Society,

Skills U.S.A., and Student Council groups establish leadership roles among students by participating in decision-making at the school. Students also have the opportunity to provide service in the community. The TV and Radio Club is a unique organization operating at the school in support of the TV and radio studio. Videotaped programs link the community to sports, performances, and school issues. Now in its second year is the video yearbook that students designed and produced for themselves.

Publicity about the school highlights the award winning programs of band, chorus, and drama. School performers travel to local and national competitions and successfully represent the tradition of high achievement at Brockton. Equally meritorious is the athletic program that fields competitive and non-competitive teams. Numerous trophies, banners, and plaques attest to the outstanding talents of the students and their coaches. In fact, the May 2005 edition of Sports Illustrated recognized Brockton High School one of the best high school athletic programs in the United States. In the pride of the school and community, state championships and the development of life-long participation in sports have equal respect. The physical education building has two state-of-the-art wellness centers, a free weight room, and a pool used by the school and community each day and into the night.

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The extracurricular opportunities are a legitimate source of school and community pride, especially considering that about 3,250 students participated in one or more of these activities during 2006-07. The school places a heavy emphasis on encouraging and supporting the development of student interests, aptitudes, and learning styles. The extensive extracurricular, after-school, and during-school support programs and the variety of instructional strategies used in the classrooms are evidence of the commitment to personalize education for all students. The administration uses the public address system to celebrate daily the successes and achievements of both students and teachers in athletic, academic, and other arenas. College acceptances are posted in each building as they are received. Students feel recognized as individuals even within the large educational setting of the building.

Finally, Brockton High School is a safe and orderly school, which is quite an achievement considering

its size, urban setting, diverse population, and complex of buildings. The security concerns of the administration remain in the forefront of policies and practices. Teachers are provided walkie-talkies in their roles as floor teachers and cafeteria monitors, which are regular assignments. Since teachers move between classes to relocate to office units, most staff members are in the halls with students during passing times. The school instituted identification cards, which permit staff to identify students entering the buildings and cafeterias or walking the halls. Teachers and administrators use the rules of conduct spelled out in the student handbook to enforce discipline uniformly. Many teachers post personal rules of behavior in their classrooms. Seldom are students “sent to the office,” but they are addressed with consistency when misbehaviors occur. Assistant housemasters in each of the four houses handle discipline. Brockton is safe and orderly because of the ongoing attention paid to procedures and the proactive stance taken by administration and the faculty.

In summary, the administration and faculty have been guided by the School Improvement Plan for

2006-07, which identified four specific goals: 1. To continue implementing strategies to improve MCAS scores 2. To continue school-wide literacy training 3. To personalize the educational experience for all students 4. To continue implementing policies for safety. While the attainment of those goals has not been perfectly realized, much progress has been made. The following pages indicate our degree of attainment thus far. In the coming academic year, we will keep the same goals with the added goal of seeking better ways to make our students better prepared for college and other post high school pursuits. We are always focused on continuing in our efforts to improve academic achievement and personalize the educational experience of every student at Brockton High School.

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VI. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

DEGREE OF ATTAINMENT 2006-2007 GOALS Goal 1: ELA a. Brockton High School will increase the proficiency index on the 10th grade ELA MCAS to 80.4 in 2006 and 83.6 in 2007 in part by increasing the percent of students who score in the needs improvement-high and proficient/advanced categories on the tenth grade MCAS from 69% in 2004 to 79% in 2006 to 80% in 2007. In 2006, Brockton High School exceeded our Proficiency Index Target of 80.4. Our Proficiency Index reached 81.0. We increased the number of students who scored in the Needs Improvement High and Proficient/Advanced from 69% to 74% and decreased the number of students in the Needs Improvement-Low and Failing –Low from 30% to 21% b. Brockton High School will increase the proficiency index of the 10th grade ELA MCAS for special education students to 58.7% in 2006 and 65.6% in 2007 in part by decreasing the percent of special education students scoring in the warning/ failing category from 40% in 2004 to 25% in 2006 to 22% in 2007. The target in 2006 for special needs students in ELA was set at 58.7. We were slightly below this target, reaching 57.0. The percent of special education students scoring in the warning/ failing category was 18%. This exceeded the target. It is important to note that the percent of special needs students in ELA who scored in the Proficient/Advanced and Needs Improvement-High for 2006 was 48%, a very significant increase over the 27% in 2004. c. Brockton High School will increase the proficiency index on the 10th grade ELA MCAS for Limited English Proficient students to 44.6 in 2006 and 53.9 in 2007 in part by decreasing the percent of students scoring in the warning/failing-high category from 72% in 2004 to 43% in 2006 to 38% in 2007. The target in 2006 for English Language Learner (ELL) students in ELA was set at 44.6. We were below the target at 39.4. The percent of ELL students scoring in the warning/ failing category was 47%. Though this is still below the target of 43%, this is a very significant decrease from 80% in 2005. There was also an increase in the Needs Improvement-High and Proficient /Advanced Categories from 4% to 22%. MATH d. Brockton High School will increase the proficiency index on the 10th grade Math MCAS to 70.1 in 2006 and 75.1 in 2007 in part by increasing the percent of students who score in the needs improvement high and proficient/advanced categories from 52% of the total population to 66% on the 2006 MCAS test, and to 67% on the 2007 MCAS. The target for 2006 in math was set at 70.1. We were only slightly below this target, reaching a proficiency index of 69.3. The percent of students who scored in the Proficient/Advanced and Needs Improvement-High for 2006 was 66%, which reflected an increase from 52% in 2005. In the Failing-Low and Failing-High categories, there was a decrease from 29% in 2005 to 19% in 2006.

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e. Brockton High School will increase the proficiency index of the 10th grade Math MCAS for Special Education students to 47.8 in 2006 and 56.5 in 2007 in part by decreasing the percent of special education students scoring in the warning/ failing category from 69% in 2004 to 45% in 2006 to 37% in 2007. The target in 2006 for Special Education students in math was set at 47.8. We were below this target, reaching 41.9, an increase of 5.2% from 2005. The percent of special education students scoring in the warning/failing category was 50%. This is a decrease from 62% in 2005. In the Needs Improvement-High and Proficient/Advanced categories there was an increase from 15% to 28%. While we have not reached our target goals, we have been moving our students toward increased proficiency. f. Brockton High School will increase the proficiency index on the 10th grade MATH MCAS for limited English proficient students to 49.7 in 2006 and 58.2 in 2007 in part by decreasing the percent of students scoring in the warning/failing category from 65% in 2004 to 36% in 2006 to 32% in 2007. The target in 2006 for English Language Learners (ELL) students in math was set at 49.7. We were only slightly below this target, reaching 48.8, an increase of 20.1% from 2005. The percent of special education students scoring in the warning/ failing category was 15%. This is a significant decrease from 75% in 2005. In the Needs Improvement-High and Proficient/Advanced categories there was an increase from 6% to 68%. Note: The Performance Improvement Mapping Committee reviewed the 2006-2007 Action Plan for degree of attainment and determined the degree to which each of the specific activities had been implemented. Goal 2: Continue the school-wide focus on literacy in all content areas so all instructors are teachers of reading, writing, speaking, and reasoning. Degree of Attainment to Date: This is a continuing goal, the accomplishments we have made this year include:

a. Continuing to integrate and refer to the literacy benchmarks posted in every classroom. Teachers are asked to reference literacy objectives targeted in a lesson and to post them with the daily agenda.

b. Providing all students with a “user-friendly” handout of the literacy benchmarks as to provide easy reference.

c. Continuing the implementation of all literacy workshops, including Open Response and Graphing, in all classes. These are monitored by the department heads and the Associate Principal.

d. Providing professional development for all teachers new to BHS in all the literacy workshops including open response, graphing, vocabulary, multiple choice strategies, oral presentations, graded discussion and Tovani reading strategies.

e. Providing professional development for all BHS teachers in summarizing, connecting literacy activities, active reading strategies, graphing.

f. Developing school-wide rubrics in literacy benchmarks. To date, rubrics have been developed for the Open Response, Oral Presentations, Graphing, and Reading.

g. Providing regular monitoring of student work through department heads to ensure that all assignments given to students seek to address higher level skills and that there is consistency throughout each department.

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Goal 3: To personalize the educational experience for each student within the small learning communities to ensure that freshman and sophomores have their academic classes in their own house, and to continue to plan activities to help them transition to the high school. Degree of Attainment to Date: We have met this objective by:

a. Continuing the Freshman Academy program. This program provided a limited number of students with a smaller learning environment and provided remediation in English and math skills. Some changes were made from the pilot year and have proven to be positive improvements. Comparison of Academic Prep Freshman English and Algebra 1 grade distribution with the same courses in freshman Academy demonstrate the success of the program.

GRADE DISTRIBUTION TERM 3 – April 2007

Freshman Course Level A B C D F TOTAL

187 Fr. English P 66 14%

98 20%

72 15%

81 17%

167 34%

487

44 9%

50 11%

66 14%

98 21%

207 45%

465

48 10.7%

63 14.1%

65 14.6%

77 17.3%

189 42.4%

445

156 Fr. English (Sped in co-taught)

P 8 8%

9 9%

20 21%

18 19%

41 42%

97

6 7%

6 7%

13 14%

10 11%

56 62%

91

6 1%

7 1%

8 1%

19 22%

46 53%

86

Freshman Academy English

P 8 10%

29 34%

23 28%

13 16%

10 12%

83

1 1%

18 22%

19 23%

29 35%

15 18%

82

4 5%

18 22%

19 23%

18 22%

22 27%

81

453 Algebra I P 47 8%

101 18%

112 20%

97 17%

203 36%

561

43 8%

64 12%

69 13%

91 17%

281 51%

548

34 6%

56 11%

88 16.8%

88 16.8%

255 48.9%

521

495 Algebra I (Sped in co-taught) P 1 3%

1 3%

4 11%

10 26%

22 58%

38

1 3%

1 3%

1 3%

6 17%

27 75%

36

1 3%

2 6%

1 3%

7 20%

24 69%

35

Freshman Academy Algebra

P 10 12%

21 25%

34 41%

10 12%

8 10%

83

7 9%

17 21%

21 26%

19 23%

18 22%

82

4 5%

14 17%

22 27%

15 19%

26 32%

81

b. Assemblies for small groups of freshmen addressed areas that helped students become

familiar with the discipline code, policies, and academic assistance. 1. “What to Expect” - Presentations made to the Grade 8 students at each

junior high school by the principal, the associate principal,

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housemasters, and guidance counselors to begin to introduce various aspects of the high school.

2. “The Road to Success” – The summer orientation program conducted by teachers and students that demonstrate ways that students can meet with success at Brockton High School.

3. “Welcome to Brockton High School” – A fall orientation program conducted in small groups by the guidance department to inform students of all aspects of Brockton High School and how to be academically successful.

4. “Freshman Road to Success” – A mid-year workshop presented to Freshmen in small groups by the members of the Student Council and the Housemasters and Assistant Housemasters to show students ways to be successful even if the first semester was difficult.

c. A Transitioning to High School sub-committee of the Restructuring Committee continued to address ways to assist freshmen students with a more successful 9th grade experience. This committee addressed both discipline and academics.

d. The Credit Recovery Program was developed to help ninth graders who have failed the first two terms gain the skills and meet the learning standards that they did not master for the first semester. The program aims to keep them engaged so that terms three and four they have a chance to pass, or at least attend summer school, and to address the academic failure and negative behaviors that often occur after the ninth grade student has failed the first two terms. The results of the program are as follows: Credit Recovery English –

• Teachers received the curriculum and the novel Rite of Passage by Richard Wright on February 16, 2007.

• On Monday, February 26, 2007 teachers were paired with student tutors. • On Tuesday, February 27, 2007 Credit Recovery English classes began. • 60 students were enrolled (12 students per class). • The classes met on Mondays and Tuesdays from 2:15 – 3:10. • The program ended on Monday, April 9, 2007 (totaling 12 sessions). • 36 students (60%) completed the program. • All 36 students passed the program. • 22 of the 36 (approx. 61 %) passed their 3rd term English class. • All 36 students will receive 1.5 credits for completing the class and their 2nd term

English grade will be changed to a P. The P will be converted to a numeric grade of 70 at the end of the year.

• A follow up meeting with the English teachers revealed that the program needs to be extended by two weeks (four additional days).

Credit Recovery Math – • On Monday, February 26, 2007 the teachers received the curriculum and student tutors

were assigned. • The math program began on Wednesday, February 28, 2007. • There were 75 students enrolled in the program. • The classes met on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 2:15 – 3:10. • The program ended on Thursday, April 12, 2007 (totaling 12 sessions). • After the first 4 sessions, a meeting was held with the math teachers to discuss the

students’ progress. All agreed that the pace was too fast and that students needed more time to work on foundation skills. It was determined that teachers should start over and spend more time on adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing integers.

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• 33 students (44 %) completed the program. • 17 students passed the program. • 17 students will receive 1.5 credits for completing the class and their 2nd term math

grades will be changed to a P. The P will be converted to a numeric grade of 70 at the end of the year.

• 9 of the 17 (approx. 52%) passed Algebra 3rd term. • 16 students did not receive a proficient grade for Credit Recovery math but will

receive 1.5 credits for completing the program. Their 2nd term grade will not be changed. However, if they pass one term of Algebra in their regular class they will qualify for summer school.

• 6 of the 16 students who did not pass Credit Recovery did pass Algebra 3rd term. • Follow up discussions revealed that the program needs to start sooner in the school

year and should run for at least two additional weeks. Also, the program should run on Mondays and Tuesdays to avoid the interruptions of faculty meetings.

e. A parent orientation in March addressed parents of incoming freshmen and to orient them to

the school and to assist them with the scheduling process. f. The 9th Grade Advisory is a mentor program designed to pair freshman with teachers to

assist in the transition to high school. Goals include: time management, study skills, effective communication with adults, goal setting and improved academic performance. Students participate in a weekly workshop sessions after school with an advisor. In addition, students meet with their advisor for individual sessions once per week for 10-15 minutes.

Program Staff: 1 supervisor 1 guidance counselor /academic support 8 teachers to serve as mentors Student Selection

Students with scores of 240 or below from the Math or ELA sections were selected first. Target list was cross-referenced for guidance counselor input. Approximately 30 students per building were targeted making a total of 120 students. Any students with attendance or discipline issues and 9th grade repeaters were also removed from the list.

• Students were notified of selection to the program through an invitation in homeroom. • Guidance counselors also followed up with students. • Advisors used student schedules to meet with students individually to gauge interest. • Supervisor continued to invite additional students referred from guidance

counselors and invited students who completed the credit recovery program.

Results: The completion rate is 15% with 20 students completing the program. Those students who completed will receive 1.5 credits.

g. Project Diploma

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Through a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Education, the Brockton High School guidance department developed an academic and career planning tool to be used with all students and help them maneuver the path of going through high school, be a successful student, and plan for college. The tool is a very complete guide that covers the four years of high school, the course requirements for graduation, as well as those necessary for application to colleges and universities. It also provides supplementary information on school and community services and support systems that are available, including assistance for passing the MCAS test. The Project Diploma is introduced yearly to the freshman class and revisited year after year until their senior year.

Introduced to the Faculty in January

Rolled it out with Repeat Freshmen in November during a small group presentation. An

individual graduation plan was developed for each student.

Each counselor continues to monitor these students.

In February and March we introduced the Career Advisement Plan from Project Diploma to all Freshmen in their Freshmen English classes. The 9th graders completed an interest inventory exploring careers and interests and developed goals for the year. The distinction between attributes and aptitudes was covered in the lesson.

A presentation was made to the School Committee where the Student Representative to the

School Committee asked if the council could help implant Project Diploma.

In February, the Student Council, Guidance and the Administration presented a workshop entitled “The Freshman Road to Success”, in which Project Diploma was introduced as a guide and tool for success.

In March during the course request scheduling process for the 07-08 school year, a

component of Project Diploma was incorporated in each student’s scheduling meeting.

In May of 2007, Project Diploma’s Career Advisement Plan and the Bridges program were introduced to our advanced level English Language learners.

The Guidance Department Steering Committee is currently in the process of developing

an implementation plan for the 07-08 school year that will include all grade levels. We will begin by targeting the newly entered freshmen class in the fall of 2007.

h. Bridges Choices

Bridges Choices© is an interactive web-based program that Brockton High School has purchased for students in order to help them through their career exploration process. The

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Bridges Choices© program is composed of two parts: Choices Explorer© and Choices Planner©. The Explorer portion is best suited for middle school students and 9th graders, while the Planner section is most appropriate for the upper classmen in high school. Research has proven that if students are more certain of what possible careers they might want to pursue in the future, they become more focused and achievement-oriented. This passion and enthusiasm can lead to better study habits, grades, and greater course involvement. As a result, BHS annually introduces all freshmen to the program in the fall by registering them and having them complete the various inventories to help them get started. A personal portfolio is developed which allows them to record their exploration results which can be updated at any time. Both sections, Explorer and Planner, provide three areas in which the student may take inventories, research fields and careers, and access other related links such as colleges, technical schools, and graduate schools. These are: Work, Learn, and Life. An added feature exists to help build resumes and practice job searches and interviewing skills. The program may also be accessed from the student’s home with the appropriate site ID and password provided by the high school. All 9th graders have been successfully logged on and now are using Bridges Explorer to begin their Career Advisement Plans through Project Diploma. In October of 2006 with the support of the Freshmen English teachers an introductory lesson was conducted with all 33 sections of Freshen English.

Goal 4: To continue to implement policies that maintain a high degree of safety for all students, and to review, where necessary, any policies that may increase safety in the school. Degree of Attainment to Date: To meet this goal we have:

a. Continued to maintain a Safety Committee. b. Reviewed the policies in the Student/Parent Handbook and made necessary changes. The

Student/Parent Handbook has been revised to make it more user friendly.

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VIII. ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT MAPPING GOALS 2007-2008

A. Needs Assessment Goal 1: ELA a. Brockton High School will increase the proficiency index on the 10th grade ELA MCAS to 84.1 in 2007 in part by increasing the percent of students who score in the needs improvement-high and proficient/advanced categories on the tenth grade MCAS from 74% in 2006 to 80% in 2007. b. Brockton High School will increase the proficiency index of the 10th grade ELA MCAS for special education students to 64.1 in 2007 in part by decreasing the percent of special education students scoring in the needs improvement category from 56% in 2006 to 50% in 2007. c. Brockton High School will increase the proficiency index on the 10th grade ELA MCAS for limited English proficient students to 49.5 in 2007 in part by decreasing the percent of students scoring in the needs improvement category from 41% in 2006 to 36% in 2007. MATH d. Brockton High School will increase the proficiency index on the 10th grade Math MCAS to 74.4 in 2007 in part by increasing the percent of students who score in the needs improvement high and proficient/advanced and needs improvement - high categories from 66% on the 2006 MCAS test, and to 67% on the 2007 MCAS. e. Brockton High School will increase the proficiency index of the 10th grade Math MCAS for Special Education students to 51.6 in 2007 in part by increasing the percent of special education students scoring in the proficient/advanced and needs improvement –high categories from 28% in 2006 to 32% in 2007. f. Brockton High School will increase the proficiency index on the 10th grade MATH MCAS for limited English proficient students to 57.4 in 2007 in part by increasing the percent of students scoring in the proficient/advanced and needs improvement high categories from 68% in 2006 to 72% in 2007.

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Brockton High School Student Learning Objectives

English Language Arts- All Students All students will know/be able to: a. Develop test-taking strategies that include identifying clues in the introductory material, identifying distracters in multiple choice questions, and using the process of elimination. b. Practice and develop inferential reading skills. c. Identify how an author uses style and language to support purpose. d. Identify and analyze the structure and elements of non-fiction as a way to construct meaning from the text. e. Identify and analyze how conventions of drama support and enhance understanding of the text.

English Language Arts- English Language Learners and Special Education

In addition to the Student Learning Objectives for all students indicated above, all ELL and SPED students will know and be able to: a. Breakdown a writing prompt (both Long Composition and Open Response) into all its parts. b. Develop a thesis that targets all aspects of a question or prompt (Long Composition and Open Response). c. Provide examples that detail particular scenes in a work to support a thesis (for a Long Composition). d. Provide relevant and specific evidence from the work to support the thesis (for an Open Response).

Math –All Students

All students will know and be able to: a. Solve problems given what would normally be the answer by finding some of the information used to arrive at this answer. b. Interpret tables and charts to answer questions. c. Recognize, find and interpret the relations between linear equations in two variables and tables, slopes, intercepts, graphing, parallel and

perpendicular lines. d. Solve multi-step problems. e. Understand and find relationships between inequalities and absolute values, their graphs and meanings.

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Math- English Language Learners and Special Education

In addition to the Student Learning Objectives for all students indicated above for math, all ELL and SPED students will know and be able to:

a. Breakdown a long word problem and analyze the tasks needed in each part. b. Create a visual representation of a problem.

Math- English Language Learners

In addition to the Student Learning Objectives for all students indicated above for math, all ELL students will know and be able to:

a. Identify and use mathematical terminology in English. b. Be familiar with the English (Standard U.S.) System of measurement and ordinal numbers

Math- Special Education

In addition to the Student Learning Objectives for all students indicated above for math, all SPED students will know and be able to:

a. Apply information on a reference sheet or check list to solve problems.

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Brockton High School Improvement Objectives

IN ALL CONTENT AREAS…

1. Teachers will require students to actively practice and apply relevant cross-curricular skills and concepts. 2. Students will be required to demonstrate the application of pre, during and post reading strategies. 3. Teachers will model strategies for accessing prior knowledge and for applying it to the learning objective. 4. Instruction will be modified based on teachers’ on-going analysis and reflection of data obtained through student assessments. 5. Teachers will design lessons that include a step where students are required to explain their thinking either verbally or in writing. 6. Teachers in all content areas will model a variety of lessons so that students will better understand the thought processes of the concepts being taught. 7. Teachers in all content areas will ensure that students practice reasoning and critical thinking skills. 8. Teachers will use a variety of strategies and assessments to individualize instruction. 9. Students will be challenged to reflect upon both their strengths and weaknesses through a variety of assessments and apply the results of their introspection to all new work. 10. Students will be exposed to a variety of data presentations and will interpret and work with these various presentations in all content areas. 11. Teachers will provide timely feedback that focuses on the strengths and weaknesses of student work and include strategies and suggestions for improvement. 12. Teachers will create a challenging environment that encourages and celebrates high achievement. In addition to the above Improvement Objectives for all content areas, in ELL and SPED CONTENT AREAS… 1. Teachers will provide a variety of strategies to scaffold instruction enabling students to move from concrete to abstract concepts. 2.Teachers will design lessons using a variety of strategies that address individual student needs and learning styles. In addition to the above Improvement Objectives for all content areas, in the ELL CONTENT AREA…

1. Teachers will instruct students to identify types of questions and tasks required in order to apply appropriate strategies. 2. Teachers will vary means of expressing similar concepts and require students to recognize and use them.

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Brockton High School Action Plan 2007-2008 All Content Areas

Student Performance Goal I ELA: Brockton High School will increase the proficiency index on the 10th grade ELA MCAS to 84.1 in 2007 in part by increasing the percent of students who score in the needs improvement-high and proficient/advanced categories on the tenth grade MCAS from 74% in 2006 to 80% in 2007. Student Performance Goal I Math: Brockton High School will increase the proficiency index on the 10th grade Math MCAS to 74.4 in 2007 in part by increasing the percent of students who score in the needs improvement -high and proficient/advanced categories from 66% on the 2006 MCAS test, and to 67% on the 2007 MCAS. Improvement Objective(s): Students will be challenged to reflect upon both their strengths and weaknesses through a variety of assessments and apply the results of their introspection to all new work. Teachers will provide timely feedback that focuses on the strengths and weaknesses of student work and includes strategies and suggestions for improvement. Instruction will be modified based on teacher’s on-going analysis and reflection of data obtained through student assessments. Student Learning Objective(s): All Student Learning Objectives will be addressed with the action plan below.

Activities Who is Responsible?

Resources Needed

Specific Timeline

Measures of Implementation

What strategies/actions need to be taken?

Who is involved in the action? Who is responsible?

What resources are needed to carry out the action?

When will the action take place?

How will progress be measured?

All teachers will be introduced to summarizer activities as a way of providing students an avenue for reflecting on their own practice.

Department Heads Instructional Resource Specialists (IRS) Classroom Teachers

Summarizer Materials RBT

Fall 2007-ongoing Department Meeting Agendas

Teachers will incorporate summarizer activities into Class lessons on a weekly basis.

Department Heads Instructional Resource Specialists Classroom Teachers

Summarizer Material RBT

Fall 2007-ongoing Lesson Plans Department samples of student work

25

As a result of information obtained from summarizer activities, teachers will revise and/or modify instructional strategies to clarify identified weaknesses.


Student reflections Fall 2007 Lesson plans Department samples of student work

Teachers will encourage individual progress monitoring through requiring students to keep track of such things as class participation grades, point sheets, assignment sheets, or homework grades.


Teachers Samples Fall 2007 Lesson plans Department samples of student work

Teachers will provide opportunities for students to revise and/or improve their work in an effort to improve future work.


Student work Fall 2007 - ongoing Samples of revised student work

Teachers will use formal and informal ways of checking for understanding i.e. Dip-sticking, tests summarizers etc.


Summarizer materials, tests and other informal strategies for checking understanding

Fall 2007 - ongoing Lesson Plans

Teachers will view videotaped demonstrations of teachers modeling the use of questioning techniques.


Video tape of teacher modeling questioning techniques

2008 Teachers write a reflection of what they learned from the video.

Teachers will observe other teachers effectively demonstrating questioning techniques.


Observation form that focuses on the targeted strategy of questioning techniques

2008 – ongoing Teachers write a reflection of what they learned from the observation.

Post observation conferences will provide teachers with better assessment techniques.


Completed observation form

2008 – ongoing Teachers articulate ways to implement good questioning techniques in the conference and lesson plans.

26

Students in the warning/failing category will be required to complete a portfolio that adheres to standards by the Department of Education for portfolio assessment.


Materials and/or examples of portfolios that meet Department standards

Fall 2007 - ongoing Teachers pass in portfolios to the Associate Principle to be used for a possible future appeal.

Departments will hold workshops that provide teachers with ways of providing timely and meaningful feedback


Materials that offer strategies for timely meaningful feedback

Fall 2007 Examples of student work with timely and meaningful feedback

Brockton High School Action Plan 2007-2008

27

All Content Areas Student Performance Goal I ELA: Brockton High School will increase the proficiency index on the 10th grade ELA MCAS to 84.1 in 2007 in part by increasing the percent of students who score in the needs improvement-high and proficient/advanced categories on the tenth grade MCAS from 74% in 2006 to 80% in 2007. Student Performance Goal I Math: Brockton High School will increase the proficiency index on the 10th grade Math MCAS to 74.4 in 2007 in part by increasing the percent of students who score in the needs improvement- high and proficient/advanced categories from 66% on the 2006 MCAS test, and to 67% on the 2007 MCAS. Improvement Objective(s): Students will be required to demonstrate the application of pre, during and post reading strategies. Teachers will require students to actively practice and apply relevant cross-curricular skills and concepts. Teachers will instruct students to identify types of questions and tasks required in order to apply appropriate strategies. Student Learning Objective(s): All Student Learning Objectives will be addressed with the action plan below.


Resources Needed

Specific Timeline







Continue school wide implementation of active reading strategies including underlining key words and circling key direction verbs, restating the question in one’s own words, making a plan of action, and completing it.


Models of comprehensive active reading and the subsequent plan of action.

Fall 2007 Lesson plans Samples of student work incorporating active reading strategies and a plan of action

Teachers will develop lessons that require students to use pre, during and post reading strategies that may include vocabulary, note taking, summarizing, and inference making.


Model lessons for pre, during and post reading strategies

Fall 2007 Lesson plans Samples of student work incorporating pre, during and post-reading strategies

Teachers will model identified school-wide active reading

Department Heads Instructional Resource

Model lessons for pre, during and post reading

Fall 2007 Lesson plans Samples of student work

28

strategies and monitor the correct use of these strategies by students

Specialists Classroom Teachers

strategies incorporating pre, during and post-reading strategies

Students will articulate literacy skills addressed in a lesson.


Literacy charts posted in every room and a daily agenda

Fall 2007 Observations, examples of student reflections that include literacy skills addressed in a lesson

New teachers will be trained in active reading strategies and integrating them into daily lessons.

Department Heads Instructional Resource Specialists New Classroom Teachers

Model lessons for pre, during and post reading strategies

Fall 2007 Lesson plans Samples of student work incorporating pre, during and post-reading strategies

Teachers will integrate school wide literacy priorities such as open response, graphing etc. as they apply to their own content area.


Model lessons on open response and graphing n their own content area.

Fall 2007 Lesson plans Samples of student work including open responses and graphing lessons

29


Student Performance Goal I ELA: Brockton High School will increase the proficiency index on the 10th grade ELA MCAS to 84.1 in 2007 in part by increasing the percent of students who score in the needs improvement-high and proficient/advanced categories on the tenth grade MCAS from 74% in 2006 to 80% in 2007. Student Performance Goal I Math: Brockton High School will increase the proficiency index on the 10th grade Math MCAS to 74.4 in 2007 in part by increasing the percent of students who score in the needs improvement high and proficient/advanced categories from 66% on the 2006 MCAS test, and to 67% on the 2007 MCAS. Improvement Objective(s): Teachers will provide a variety of strategies to scaffold instruction enabling students to move from concrete to abstract concepts. Teachers will model strategies for accessing prior knowledge and applying it to the learning objective. Teachers in all content areas will model a variety of lessons so that students will better understand the thought processes of the concepts being taught. Teachers will design lessons using a variety of strategies that address individual student needs and learning styles. Student Learning Objective(s): All Student Learning Objectives will be addressed with the action plan below.


Resources Needed

Specific Timeline







Teachers will use school wide literacy priority activities such as using Visuals to Preview a Text. Previewing a Book’s Table of Contents, Using Graphic Organizers, Activating Prior Knowledge, and Teaching the Text Backwards to increase comprehension across all disciplines.


Model lessons on using visuals to preview a text, previewing a book’s table of contents, using graphic organizers, activating prior knowledge, and teaching the text backwards to increase comprehension across all disciplines.

Fall 2007 Lesson plans

30

Departments will provide workshops on successful modeling techniques.

Department Heads Instructional Resource Specialists

Successful modeling techniques

Fall 2007 Reflections of what was learned from the teachers who participated

Teachers will implement modeling techniques such as a strategy in classroom instruction regularly.


Successful modeling techniques gleaned from the workshop

Fall 2007 Lesson plans and classroom observations

Teachers will use a variety of assessments including graded discussions, oral presentations, written open responses, peer editing, RBT summarizers, and portfolios.


Examples of assessment tools such as rubrics for graded discussions, oral presentations, open responses, portfolios, RBT summarizers and peer editing exercises that may also include FCAs

Fall 2007 Examples of student work

Develop a video library that demonstrates effective modeling of various literacy priorities such graphing, reading strategies, open response.


Model lessons of various literacy priorities, videographer, director and script

January 2008 - ongoing Report on videos created at the end of the year

Teachers will differentiate instruction by using such strategies as scaffolding , think aloud, small groups, and visual/ graphic organizers etc.

Associate Principal Department Heads Instructional Resource Specialists Classroom Teachers

Model Lessons, Observations, Department Professional Development Workshops

Fall 2007 - ongoing Teacher lesson plans Classroom observations

31


Student Performance Goal I ELA: Brockton High School will increase the proficiency index on the 10th grade ELA MCAS to 84.1 in 2007 in part by increasing the percent of students who score in the needs improvement-high and proficient/advanced categories on the tenth grade MCAS from 74% in 2006 to 80% in 2007. Student Performance Goal I Math: Brockton High School will increase the proficiency index on the 10th grade Math MCAS to 74.4 in 2007 in part by increasing the percent of students who score in the needs improvement high and proficient/advanced categories from 66% on the 2006 MCAS test, and to 67% on the 2007 MCAS. Improvement Objective(s): Teachers in all content areas will ensure that students practice reasoning and critical thinking skills. Teachers will design lessons that include a step where students are required to explain their thinking either verbally or in writing. Student Learning Objective(s): All Student Learning Objectives will be addressed with the action plan below.


Resources Needed

Specific Timeline







Teachers will develop lesson where students will create and apply an action plan for completing a task.


Sample lessons Departmental meeting time

Fall 2007 - ongoing Teacher lesson plans Student work samples MCAS results

Teachers will model effective strategies for explaining one’s thinking.


Professional Development workshops

Fall 2007 - ongoing Professional Development workshop scripts Teacher Lessons Informal/Formal evaluations

Teachers will create assignments and activities where students must demonstrate and explain their thought process.


Faculty meeting time

Fall 2007 - ongoing Teacher lesson plans Student work samples MCAS results

32

Teachers will include the demonstration of process in their assessment criteria.


Fall 2007 - ongoing Lesson Plans Evaluations Student Work

Teachers will continue to use school wide rubrics to continue to advance the use of critical thinking skills.


Rubrics Fall 2007 - ongoing Lesson Plans Evaluations Student Work

Departments will work to develop content specific rubrics that assess higher order thinking skills.


Rubrics Fall 2007 - ongoing Lesson Plans Evaluations Student Work

33


Student Performance Goal I ELA: Brockton High School will increase the proficiency index on the 10th grade ELA MCAS to 84.1 in 2007 in part by increasing the percent of students who score in the needs improvement-high and proficient/advanced categories on the tenth grade MCAS from 74% in 2006 to 80% in 2007. Student Performance Goal I Math: Brockton High School will increase the proficiency index on the 10th grade Math MCAS to 74.4 in 2007 in part by increasing the percent of students who score in the needs improvement high and proficient/advanced categories from 66% on the 2006 MCAS test, and to 67% on the 2007 MCAS. Improvement Objective(s): Students will be exposed to a variety of data presentations and will interpret and work with these various presentations in all content areas. Student Learning Objective(s): All Student Learning Objectives will be addressed with the action plan below.


Resources Needed

Specific Timeline







Teachers will develop lessons that incorporate data driven activities such as graphing, timelines, plot lines, charts and tables that are content specific.


Professional Development Workshops


Teachers will model effective strategies for interpreting, explaining and solving data driven problems.


Materials developed in workshops

Fall 2007 - ongoing Lesson Plans Evaluations Evaluations Conference

34

Brockton High School Action Plan 2007-2008 English Language Arts

Student Performance Goal I ELA: Brockton High School will increase the proficiency index on the 10th grade ELA MCAS to 84.1 in 2007 in part by increasing the percent of students who score in the needs improvement-high and proficient/advanced categories on the tenth grade MCAS from 74% in 2006 to 80% in 2007. Improvement Objective(s): Students will be challenged to reflect upon both their strengths and weaknesses through a variety of assessments and apply the results of their introspection to all new work. Student Learning Objective(s): All English Language Arts Objectives will be addressed in this action plan.


Resources Needed

Specific Timeline







Teachers in the English Department will develop guidelines for creating student portfolios.

Associate Principal English Department Head English IRS Classroom Teachers


Fall 2007 - ongoing Student work samples

Freshman and sophomore English teachers will assist students in creating and maintaining student portfolios based on teachers developed guidelines.

English Department Head

Materials developed in workshops

Fall 2007 - ongoing Lesson Plans Evaluations Student work

35

Brockton High School Action Plan 2007-2008 Math

Student Performance Goal I Math: Brockton High School will increase the proficiency index on the 10th grade Math MCAS to 74.4 in 2007 in part by increasing the percent of students who score in the needs improvement high and proficient/advanced categories from 66% on the 2006 MCAS test, and to 67% on the 2007 MCAS. Improvement Objective(s): Students will be challenged to reflect upon both their strengths and weaknesses through a variety of assessments and apply the results of their introspection to all new work. Teachers will design lessons that include a step where students are required to explain their thinking either verbally or in writing. Student Learning Objective(s): Solve problems given what would normally be the answer by finding some of the information used to arrive at this answer. Interpret tables and charts to answer questions. Recognize, find and interpret the relations between linear equations in two variables and tables, slopes, intercepts, graphing, parallel and perpendicular lines. Solve multi-step problems. Understand and find relationships between inequalities and absolute values, their graphs and meanings


Resources Needed

Specific Timeline







Students will be encouraged to demonstrate the process of problem solving by explaining the how’s and the why’s of solving a particular problem.

Associate Principal Math Department Head Math Instructional Resource Specialists Math Teachers

MCAS tests Text Books


Math teachers will model effective problem solving techniques including oral and written explanations of their thought process.


Workshops Fall 2007 - ongoing Lesson plans Classroom observations Evaluations

36

Students will be exposed to a variety of problems that reflect the types and format of questions used on the MCAS test. Such examples include backwards thinking, multi step, open response.


MCAS Tests Fall 2007 - ongoing Lesson plans Classroom observations Evaluations Student Work

Math teachers will regularly use RASCAL as a way to focus students’ attention to the detail involved in problem solving.


RASCAL Math Open Response questions

Fall 2007 - ongoing Lesson plans Classroom observations Evaluations Student Work

Teachers will increase and vary the exposure students have to linear equation problems in a variety of formats which include tables, slopes, x and y intercepts, graphing, and parallel and perpendicular lines.


Variety of math problems Workshops


Math teachers will receive professional development on varying instructional practices to provide for more active learning and student participation.




Teachers will incorporate learned instructional strategies that contribute a more active classroom climate.


Professional Development workshops


37

Goal # 2 Continue the school-wide focus on literacy in all content areas so all instructors are teachers of reading, writing, speaking, and reasoning.

Needs Assessment Research indicates that at the high school level, content coverage becomes a primary concern. Standardized testing, (MCAS), as well as grades carried by students in their courses indicate weaknesses in skills- particularly in reading, writing, reasoning (including computation).

Objective(s) Students with a 95% attendance rate will reach proficiency in English and Math MCAS tests Decrease the failure rate in course grades course grades, particularly at the academic prep level

Activity Department(s) /

Person(s) responsible

Resource(s) / Funding Source

Timeline Measures of Implementation

Continue to integrate and refer to the literacy benchmarks, posted in every classroom into all disciplines.

Principal Associate Principal Housemasters Department Heads BHS Faculty

Challenge for Change Grant

Weekly Weekly lesson plans; Student work collected and monitored by Associate Principal; teacher observations

Continue the implementation of all literacy workshops, including open response, graphing, reading, vocabulary, multiple choice strategies, oral presentations/discussions, and provide professional development for all faculty new to BHS.

Principal Associate Principal Housemasters Department Heads IRS BHS Faculty

Challenge for Change Grant Local Budget

Relevant assignments throughout the year

Student work monitored and collected by Department Heads and Associate Principal; professional development delivered by IRS to new faculty members

Provide professional development in curriculum and best instructional practices that focus on higher level reading, writing, speaking and reasoning.

Principal Associate Principal


Training sessions at House and Department meetings

Faculty evaluations of workshops; weekly lesson plans submitted; student work collected

Train all teachers on the use of school-wide rubrics and agreed upon indicators to assess the level of performance at which the students meet the expectations of the literacy benchmarks.

Principal Associate Principal Department Heads Faculty

Challenge for Change Grant Local Budget Professional Development

FY2008 Student work assessed by faculty and examined for consistency and standards.

38

Goal # 3 To implement a comprehensive program of formative and summative assessment to improve instruction and increase students’ level of proficiency.

Needs Assessment Both formative and summative assessment can positively impact student performance when used to inform instruction. Objective(s) Plan for benchmark testing in English, math, social studies and science.

Increase teachers’ understanding and knowledge of a variety of assessment strategies. Teachers will participate in the planning, implementation, evaluation of a variety of assessment strategies. Teachers will use information provided through assessment to modify instruction.

Activity Department(s) / Person(s)

responsible



BENCHMARK TESTING 1. Identify benchmark skills and create tests in ELA,

math, science and social studies. 2. Train all teachers in EduSoft. 3. Require teachers to write an action plan on using data

to drive instruction. 4. Provide structure for teachers to analyze data and

determine course of action for instruction 5. Develop a coordinated plan for professional

development for administrators and teachers on using data effectively to improve achievement

Principal Associate Principal Housemasters Department Heads Steering Committees BHS Faculty


September, 2007 through June, 2008

Curriculum Guides, Benchmark Tests, Weekly lesson plans; Student work collected and monitored by Department Heads and Associate Principal; teacher observations/evaluations

CLASSROOOM ASSESSMENT 1. Provide workshops for teachers to increase

understanding and knowledge of a variety of classroom assessment strategies.

2. Teachers will create and use a variety of classroom assessments.

3. Teachers will evaluate classroom assessments and develop action plans to modify instruction.

4. Review Action Plans developed by teachers to modify instruction based on assessments.

5. Provide opportunities (workshops, faculty meetings) for teachers to develop instructional strategies that are based on assessment results.

Principal Associate Principal Housemasters Department Heads Restructuring Committee PIM Committee IRS BHS Faculty



Professional development in faculty meetings and workshops; lesson plans as well as student work assessed by faculty which is monitored and collected by Department Heads and Associate Principal

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Goal #4 To develop higher level skills that will enable BHS students to be better prepared for college, technical schools, or the workforce. Needs Assessment Reaching proficiency has been the goal established by the MCAS and No Child Left Behind. The skills required of

students to be competitive in our global society go beyond the focus of our state assessment. Objective(s) Increase the number of students who score Advanced and Proficient in the Grade 10 MCAS

Increase the number of students who take college prep, advanced, AP, and IB level courses. Increase the number of students who take the PSAT and SAT Increase the SAT scores of Brockton students to State and National level


responsible Resource(s) /

Funding Source Timeline Measures of

Implementation Develop and implement a study skills course for freshmen.

Associate Principal Housemasters Department Heads BHS Faculty



Decrease in the academic failure rate of freshmen

All juniors and seniors will be required to complete SAT Prep in the English & Math department labs.

Associate Principal English & Math Department Head English & math teachers of juniors & seniors English & math dept. lab manager



Pre and Post test results

Sophomores, juniors and seniors will be provided with information regarding PSAT and SAT test dates.

Guidance Department Challenge for Change Grant Local Budget


Students will engage in college and career planning activities such as Project Diploma, Bridges Choices, and Connect Edu.

Guidance Department English, Social Science, and Business, Career and Technology Department heads and teachers



Plans on file in guidance office; Lessons in cooperation with English, Social Science, and Business, Career and Technology Department

Students will create and continue to develop an individual student and career advisement plan.



Plans on file in guidance office

Examine PSAT results to identify strengths and weaknesses in scores and encourage students to pursue SAT prep or AP and higher level courses.



Enrollment in courses

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Goal # 5 To personalize the educational experience for each student within the small learning communities philosophy to ensure that freshman and sophomores have their academic classes in their own house, and to continue to plan activities to help transition to the high school.

Needs Assessment Research on restructuring supports the concept that students grouped in smaller units (no more than 600 students) achieve greater academic success, have better attendance, and fewer discipline problems.

Objective(s) Continue an advocacy system for students that matches small groups of students with student and adult advocates.

Continue to implement a Freshman Academy that targets academically at risk freshman for early intervention. Continue to implement the Credit Recovery Program to help ninth graders who have failed the first two terms gain the skills and meet the learning standards that they did not master for the first semester.

Continue to implement Project Diploma, an academic and career planning tool to be used with all students and help them maneuver the path of going through high school, be a successful student, and plan for college.

Activity Department(s) /

Person(s) responsible



Continue to implement the Adult Advisory program to identify students who may be experiencing difficulty with academics, attendance, or adjustment problems.

Principal Associate Principal Guidance Department Teachers



Student participation in program; attendance; grades; discipline; involvement in school activities

Continue to implement the Freshman Academy

Principal Associate Principal Guidance Counselors Teachers



Pre and post tests; student grades; student attendance; Faculty assessments

Continue to implement Credit Recovery for Freshmen. Principal Associate Principal Housemasters Teachers


October 2007 through May 2008

Student grades

Students will create and continue to develop an individual student and career advisement plans through college and career planning activities such as Project Diploma, Bridges Choices, and Connect Edu.

Guidance Department



Plans on file in guidance office Lessons in cooperation with English, Social Science, and Business, Career and Technology Department

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Goal # 6 To continue to implement policies that maintain a high degree of safety for all students, and to review, where necessary, any policies that may increase safety in the school. Needs Assessment Maintaining a safe and supportive environment is paramount to a productive learning environment.

Objective(s) Continue to maintain a Safety Committee to review school policies and procedures in the Student/Parent Handbook. Examine discipline statistics to determine areas that need to be addressed. Present recommendations to the Principal, School Council, and Superintendent and School Committee if appropriate.


responsible



Maintain a Safety Committee to be chaired by one of the Housemasters to include representatives from the administration, faculty, students, parents, and School Police.

Principal Housemasters


Sept. 07-June 08

Committee is initiated in September and meets monthly

Review the policies in the Student/Parent Handbook and make recommendations for any changes that may improve the safety conditions at BHS.

Chair of the Safety Committee Members of the Safety Committee


Oct. 07-April 08

Recommendations for any changes in the Handbook will be presented to the Principal by April, 08

Examine/analyze discipline statistics looking for any patterns that may lead to suggested changes.

Members of Safety Committee School Data Services House Administration

No funding necessary

Oct. 07- April 08

Chair meets with the Principal and the Administrative Team to discuss changes supported by discipline statistics

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XI. Appendix

A. School Council Minutes

Brockton High School 470 Forest Avenue Brockton, Massachusetts 02301 www.brocktonpublicschools.com

Brockton. Education. Industry. Progress.

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City of Brockton BROCKTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS Basan Nembirkow � Superintendent of Schools

Dr. Susan E. Szachowicz, Principal Brockton High School

Phone (508) 580-7633 Fax (508) 580-7600 [email protected]

MINUTES OF THE BROCKTON HIGH SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING September 20, 2006

PRINCIPAL’S CONFERENCE ROOM

A regular meeting of the Brockton High School Council was held on Wednesday, September 20, 2006 at 6:30 p.m. in the Principal’s Conference Room of Brockton High School. PRESENT: Maria LeFort,, Theresa Sousa, Lynda Walsh, Annette LaGarde, Jeanne Holmes-Kireilis Linda Hains ABSENT: Susan Szachowicz, Patricia A. Joyce, Pat O’Connor, Alisa Scott, Josette Dupont-Dubois,

I Welcoming II Student Handbook III IBO up-date IV MCAS – Preliminary Information V Roster VI Superintendent’s Teacher & Parent Advisory Councils VII Community School Advisory Board School Council Representatives Meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m.

_______________________________________ __________________________________ Susan E. Szachowicz, Principal Maria LeFort, Acting Secretary



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MINUTES OF THE BROCKTON HIGH SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING October 25, 2006


A regular meeting of the Brockton High School Council was held on Wednesday, October 25, 2006 at 6:30 p.m. in the Principal’s Conference Room of Brockton High School. PRESENT: Susan Szachowicz, Maria LeFort, Pat O’Connor, Theresa Sousa, Lynda Walsh, Annette LaGarde, Jeanne

Holmes-Kireilis, Linda Hains, Alisa Scott, John Glynn, Serena Cardoseo, Daniels Cowell, Josette Dupont-Dubois ABSENT: Patricia A. Joyce

I Welcoming II Preventing Underage Drinking Parent Workshop III Parent’s Academy Workshops IV Criteria for AYP Meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m.




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MINUTES OF THE BROCKTON HIGH SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING November 15, 2006


A regular meeting of the Brockton High School Council was held on Wednesday, November 15, 2006 at 6:30 p.m. in the Principal’s Conference Room of Brockton High School. PRESENT: Susan Szachowicz, Maria LeFort, Patricia A. Joyce, Josette Dupont-Dubois, Pat O’Connor, Theresa Sousa, Lynda

Walsh, Annette LaGarde, John Glynn, Serena Cardos, Daniel Cowell, Kathrine Washington, and Victor Washington

ABSENT: Alisa Scotts, Jeanne Holmes-Kireilis, Linda Hains

I Welcoming II Reports from Committee Representatives III MCAS/AYP Follow Up IV Parents’ Night Follow Up V John and Abigail Adams Scholarships Planning VI What issues do you want the Council to address? VII Freshmen Initiative VIII Guidance presentations should be on the website IX Junior High negative attitude about high school Meeting adjourned at 7:30 p.m.




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MINUTES OF THE BROCKTON HIGH SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING December 20, 2006


A regular meeting of the Brockton High School Council was held on Wednesday, December 20, 2006 at 6:00 p.m. in the Principal’s Conference Room of Brockton High School. PRESENT: Susan Szachowicz, Maria LeFort, Pat O’Connor, Jeanne Holmes-Kireilis, Linda Hains, John Glynn, Serena

Cardoso, Daniel A. Cowell ABSENT: Patricia Joyce, Alisa Scotts, Josette Dupont-Dubois, Theresa Sousa, Lynda Walsh, Annette LaGarde

I Welcoming II Reports from Committee Representatives III Student Council Report – Initiatives IV John and Abigail Adams Scholarship – Follow up V Next Month – Project Diploma VI IBO Update VII SAT prep. VIII JHS notices in prep. For high school IX Phone call X Web, TV Meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m.




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MINUTES OF THE BROCKTON HIGH SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING January 17, 2007


A regular meeting of the Brockton High School Council was held on Wednesday, January 17, 2007 at 6:30 p.m. in the Principal’s Conference Room of Brockton High School. PRESENT: Susan Szachowicz, Maria LeFort, Alisa Scott, Pat O’Connor, Lynda Walsh, Annette LaGarde, Jeanne Holmes-

Kireilis, Linda Hains, John Glynn, Serena Darsalle Boyd, Andrea Small ABSENT: Patricia Joyce, Theresa Sousa, Daniel Cowell

I Welcoming II Reports from Committee Representatives III Web site IV Connect Ed V Budget VI New maximum age attendance policy VII Next month – discussion on junior high level to high school level placements VIII New Business IX Project Diploma Presentation – Catherine Leger, Department Head of Guidance Meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m.




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MINUTES OF THE BROCKTON HIGH SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING February 28, 2007


A regular meeting of the Brockton High School Council was held on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 at 6:30 p.m. in the Principal’s Conference Room of Brockton High School. PRESENT: Susan Szachowicz, Maria LeFort, Alisa Scott, Lynda Walsh, Jeanne Holmes-Kireilis, Linda Hains, John Glynn ABSENT: Josette Dupont-Dubois, Pat O’Connor, Annette LaGarde, Serena Cardoso, Daniel Cowell

I Welcoming II International Baccalaureate Presentation III IBO – Questions??? IV Scheduling V Junior High Parent Orientation VI Credit Recovery VII Assemblies Meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m.




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MINUTES OF THE BROCKTON HIGH SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING March 21, 2007


A regular meeting of the Brockton High School Council was held on Wednesday, March 21, 2007 at 6:30 p.m. in the Principal’s Conference Room of Brockton High School. PRESENT: Maria LeFort, , Patricia A. Joyce, Pat O’Connor, Theresa Sousa, Lynda Walsh, Linda Hains ABSENT: Susan Szachowicz, Alisa Scott, Josette Dupont-Dubois, Annette LaGarde, Jeanne Holmes-Kireilis, John Glynn,

Serena Cardoso, Daniel Cowell

I Welcoming II Parent’s Night III 9th Grade Placement IV Cell Phones Meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m.




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MINUTES OF THE BROCKTON HIGH SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING May 16, 2007


A regular meeting of the Brockton High School Council was held on Wednesday, May 16, 2007 at 6:30 p.m. in the Principal’s Conference Room of Brockton High School. PRESENT: Susan Szachowicz, Maria LeFort, Patricia A. Joyce, Pat O’Connor, Lynda Walsh, Jeanne Holmes-Kireilis, Mary

Collins, Linda Hains, John Glynn, Serena Cardoso ABSENT: Alisa Scott, Josette Dupont-Dubois, Theresa Sousa, Annette LaGarde, Daniel Cowell

I Welcoming II School Choice III BHS Budget IV Parents’ Night Plan VII School Improvement Plan Meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m.


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Best Practices

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Art Department: The study of all Arts is closely related to artists from many time periods. When artists and their styles are studied, their relationship with the contemporary, political, social and artistic events of the time is and connected to our world today. Students will:

use imaginative and reflective thinking during all phases of creating and performing. use analytical and critical thinking to respond to works of art. assess individual growth through observation, documentation and evaluation. study art history. know the value of the arts in shaping and reflecting cultural and historical heritage. integrate the arts and make connections among the arts and other disciplines. explore the use of technology to create, perform and conduct research in the arts. use art for personal growth and enjoyment

Teachers will: directly teach and model various methods of art making. emphasize the practical, real world application of art materials. engage students in visual art making. expose students to historical, cultural and inter- disciplinary connections. function as facilitators in order to help students translate their abstract ideas visually. document and evaluate progress through a variety of performance based assessments. use oral and written critiques to reinforce Literacy in Speaking. provide students the opportunity to display art work frequently and in a variety of venues. reinforce literacy skills of reading, writing, speaking and reasoning through art instruction.

Bilingual Department: In order to better prepare English Language Learners for MCAS, the Bilingual Department has:

continued to offer Bilingual MCAS Math and ESL MCAS remedial classes for students in grades 10-12 distributed copies of released MCAS test items to all math and ESL teachers to be used as practice exercises

with students developed ESL curriculum that is aligned with the English Language Proficiency Benchmarks and Outcomes for

English Language Learners offered professional development on instructional strategies to increase English Language Learners academic

achievement via vocabulary development and note-taking techniques. implemented the use of MCAS Portfolios in all ESL and Math classes. These portfolios provide students with

additional practice on identified areas of weakness such as long composition, open response and multi-step math word problems.

practiced open response questions and graphing activities in all classes on scheduled weeks prior to MCAS in March and May.

incorporated teaching of the novel into all full year ESL classes as preparation for the long composition. Business, Technology, and career Education Department: The following objectives are incorporated into all courses:

Enhance reading, writing, computing, communications, and reasoning skills and apply them to the business, technical, and vocational environment.

Continue to incorporate writing assignments into all content areas. Continue to incorporate graphs and charts into all content areas to improve student’s analytical skills.

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Apply technical skills to address business and vocational applications and emerging technologies. Model oral presentation lessons for students using technology. Incorporate personal and business ethics into all content areas. Exchange and use electronic information responsibly, for example, research data, electronic mail, images, on-

line information services, and the BPS student user’s network. Incorporate technology across all business, technology, and career education curricula. Develop communication skills necessary to address a changing business environment. Produce business documents using current and emerging technology. Develop student’s skills for success in the workplace. Recognize, evaluate, and prepare for a rapidly evolving global business environment that requires flexibility and

adaptability. Offer professional development for teachers in the use of new and emerging technologies and software

applications. Offer professional development for teachers to meet safety training requirements mandated by OSHA. Continue to offer professional development for teachers in the use of the Starbase Portal for grades and

attendance. Integrate math and science into the vocational and technical program whenever appropriate. Align the Certificate of Occupational Proficiency benchmarks (COP) and the new VTE frameworks into all

areas of technical, business, and vocational education. English Department:

1. The following English Department meetings focused on issues and strategies directly related to MCAS preparation for our students:

September: New MCAS 9/10 materials introduced to the Department September: Unit on Inferential Thinking introduced to Department and

o implemented by all freshman teachers during September-October October: Introduction to the New SAT, with samples and scoring guides to use with juniors. November: Test Item Analysis of MCAS 2004 December: Approaches to Vocabulary using Prefixes. Suffixes and Roots February: Explication (in Open Responses and Long Compositions) April: Presentation of new Open Response rubric for piloting.

2. The following English Department workshops directly related to MCAS preparation were: September: Using Rubrics to Assess and Improve Student Writing September: PLATO Workshop for Sophomore Ac. Prep teachers October: Active Reading and Annotation December: Aligning MCAS 9/10 Activities with Core Curriculum January: Long Composition- Preparation and Approach February: Introduction to the Poetry Process February: Poetry – Tone and Mood March: Approaches to Challenging Poetry March: Active Reading Strategies (Making Thinking Visible)

3. Each teacher in the Department was given in September an updated MCAS 9/10 Notebook containing strategies, readings, and questions modeled after the MCAS multiple choice, open response, and long composition formats. Although most teachers began MCAS preparation in the fall, all teachers were required to reflect some from of MCAS preparation in their weekly lesson plans, starting in January. Such preparation included Open Response writing, long comp writing, multiple choice practice, and approaches to difficult poetry practice. In addition, all teachers were required to implement the Excellent Inference Making Unit. This was monitored by the Department Head.

4. In Department meetings in October and December, presentations were designed to model the SIOP format to align with the school-wide focus on English Language Learners.

5. In addition to meeting with teachers outside of the classroom to review MCAS strategies, the IRS delivered model lessons on MCAS strategies for new teachers in the Department.

Family and Consumer Sciences:

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The following are objectives and best practice strategies which the Family and Consumer Department seeks to implement in all courses:

Practice and model organizational skills Correct spelling in all written work Vocabulary words posted in classrooms and included in notebooks Increased emphasis on writing essays Use of open response questions on tests, homework assignments and final exams Journal writing Model and practice strategies for answering multiple choice questions Critical thinking and problem solving activities Practice in volume, linear and weight measurements in laboratory classes Use of basic fractions, decimals and graphs in cost analysis, budgeting and nutritional assessments Increased awareness of children’s literature and early childhood literacy skills Emphasis on childhood obesity and other wellness issues Development of rubrics for grading

Continue professional development to refine literacy strategies Foreign Languages Department: The following are objectives and best practice strategies which the Foreign Languages Department seeks to implement:

Appropriate and frequent use of target language in class on a daily basis with little or no recourse to English

Integrated development of the four language skills of Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing with integration of formal and informal aspects of culture.

Functional use of target language for every day communication by teacher and students Spontaneous, creative use of the target language for self expression by teacher and students Non-judgmental comparisons and contrasts between native and target cultures Continuing emphasis on writing assignments at all levels of instruction, including Types 1, 2, and 3, and

graphic organizers Open Response writing Inclusion of teaching strategies for multiple choice questions Emphasis on learning and using vocabulary in context Use of visuals in the text to preview, predict, and access prior knowledge about content Emphasis on reading for “comprehensible input” as a means to language acquisition at all levels of

instruction Development of pre-, during-, and post-reading strategies Constant emphasis on speaking and writing in complete sentences, with appropriate grammar and

punctuation Incorporation of performance based tasks and assessments in all target language classes at all levels Use of rubrics for oral and written projects Professional development workshops for teachers related to the above objectives and best practice

strategies Curriculum is continuously updated All new teachers have completed training in Literacy Strategies and Collins Writing All new teachers have taken advantage of Professional Development time to observe and talk with

veteran teachers in the department All new teachers confer with mentors regularly

JROTC Department: The Junior ROTC Department is focused on developing leadership in our students. Good leadership requires a high degree of literacy. Consequently, we are doing a number of things in JROTC to help students develop and reinforce their literacy skills and, in turn, help prepare them for MCAS:

All JROTC students use active reading strategies in class and when preparing assignments.

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All JROTC students review open response writing techniques with at least one challenging open response question assigned as a major homework assignment each school year.

At least one open response question is asked on each major test and examination. All JROTC students are provided with a journal. Students write their thoughts and ideas about the subject

matter being studies in their journals. Periodic journal exercises are also assigned where students are required to write short essays on specific topics.

Basic practical math skills are exercised in land navigation classes. Practice in reading graphs is provided when information related to the JROTC curriculum can be portrayed

graphically in a meaningful way. Students work on reasoning skills by researching, then presenting (and possibly arguing) curriculum-related

material in a logical way both orally and in writing. Music Department: Reading literature on the following topics:

Composers Musical periods Music technique Analysis of musical compositions through reading and listening

Project G.R.A.D.S. Program:

Goal setting and development of strategies to achieve goals Critical thinking skills Applying knowledge to everyday behavior Decision making skills Journal writing Problem solving Recognizing the importance of MCAS for themselves and their children

Science Department: The Science Curriculum is based on Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for Science and Technology/Engineering implemented in May 2001. Staff Development

Continue professional development in all aspects of the BHS Literacy Initiative with emphasis on Reasoning and Speaking Literacy.

Complete training in Pinnacle/Excel computer grading. Initiate professional development activities to include: Proper use of lab materials, and use and care of

specific equipment (video, microscope; Hoffman Apparatus, Van de Graf generator, etc.) Other professional development activities will focus on lesson plans on-line, prep room etiquette,

classroom management techniques, and MCAS based labs. Classroom Strategies

Concept development should include the collection and analysis of data using available technologies. Computer-based and mechanical simulations of scientific phenomena should be included in concept

development and refinement. Regularly include open response writing activities. Encourage student-prepared research assignments to be presented to the class. Continue to develop and refine curricula for earth science, environmental biology, and cellular biology.

Social Science Department: Staff Development:

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First, second and third year teachers are encouraged to participate in the “Teacher as Observer” professional development, observing veteran teachers, making note of classroom management and teaching strategies to bring back to their own classroom.

Departmental sharing of teaching and learning strategies acquired at school-wide professional development meetings (summarizing strategies; graphing rubric).

Submit student work from all levels for detailed and specific feedback to guide instruction and assessment of all students.

“Pathway to Proficiency” committee met twice a term to examine data collected on student performance in Freshman World History classes. Teachers discussed methods and strategies used to guide students toward academic achievement.

Teachers participated in a 30 hour professional development course, “A Standards-Based Approach to Teaching United States History” in an effort to learn how to teach United States History I using the specific curriculum standards set forth in the Massachusetts History/Social Science Curriculum Framework.

Classroom Strategies:

Use the key graphing and open response terms when developing lessons Regularly include open response writing, graphing, ELL, and reading comprehension strategies in lessons Work with students on developing strategies for answering multiple-choice questions Submit sample open response assignments as part of MCAS preparation initiatives Require students to write open response questions and prepare rubrics of their own, using key terms and the

school-wide rubrics as guides Include open response and graphing questions on tests and quizzes; include ELL and active reading strategies

on a regular basis in daily lessons\ Develop and implement primary source Document Based Questions (DBQs) Regular assessment of literacy skills in all classes Incorporate historical research projects into all classes at all academic levels Incorporate the literacy objectives in daily lessons

Special Education Department Brockton High School Special Education Department offers a full continuum of specialized programs and educational services for services for students with disabilities in compliance with IDEA ’97. Brockton High School Special Education Department will provide these programs/services through:

The design and implementation of Individualized Educational Plans. The design and implementation of Individualized Educational Plans for each student with special needs utilizing

a team approach and including both parents and students as members of the team. Collaboration and consultation with general education staff to assure high academic standards as measured by

the MA Curriculum Frameworks. Compensatory and remedial instruction. Specialized reading intervention. Content specific classes. Behavioral intervention. Occupational, work and social skills development. Supported work placement. Diagnostic assessment. Bilingual classes. Functional/daily living skill development. Transition from school to work planning and activities.

Wellness Department: Health The Health Department Curriculum is aligned with the Massachusetts Comprehensive Health Curriculum Framework. Time Frames and Literacy Objectives in reading, writing, speaking and reasoning with accompanying assessment are an integral part of this curriculum.

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Essay writing with emphasis on content, coherence, organization and clarity of expression and use of Collins writing format

Careful review of topic specific health vocabulary, using root words when applicable, sufficient examples and exercises for reinforcement

Check and correct spelling errors on tests and assignments On tests include responses which necessitate the use of writing skills, i.e., short essays. Complete

sentences are a requirement for credit. Use of open-response exercises and tests for increased literacy Analysis of health articles on a regular basis An ability to identify main themes/points in “current issue” articles Term papers and research about health topics using library materials and computer information Library and computer search on debate topics Case studies which require critical thinking on health topics To perform correctly critical skills in CPR and to determine when to use same An ability to know when and how to use health principles for relief of stress Oral reports and presentations in health classes; in peers class, prepare and deliver presentation to other

disciplines Use of time in monthly meeting to further refine literacy strategies

Physical Education:

Physical Education classes will include the reading of articles on topics such as: health, wellness, and fitness

Multiple choice tests are given to students to test their knowledge of history, rules, and skills of the different activities offered

Students will interpret bar/line graphs and pie charts to interpret their heart rate during physical activity Individual fitness portfolios will include: graphs, charts, journals, and the Polar Tri Fit assessment

system Mathematical problems will be constructed with information obtained from walking/running

pedometers Students may use a writing assignment to make up one class during a unit Essay questions are a component of the swim waiver test

bhs school improvement plan 2007-2008xi. brockton high school goal 5 ..... 40 i. needs assessment j....

Documents