Program Description (2019-2020)
During 2019-2020, Collaborative Coaches, Enrichment Specialists and Consultant Teachers will serve to increase Time on Task by provided targeted Academic Intervention services to identified students in need of further literacy and mathematical development. All students’ achievement will be addressed through measures of growth, providing instruction to those who are in need of academic support due to low performance, as well as those who need to be challenge to move beyond grade level expectations. Teacher and Principal Quality Improvement is largely at the elementary level being facilitated by the Collaborative Coaches and Enrichment Specialists, who will continue to provide professional development to teaching staff. They will serve as consultants/members of school-based Inquiry Teams, providing expertise in data analysis and assessment review. Collaborative Coaches were instrumental in the redesign of district-wide assessments and will be facilitating, with the assistance of the Enrichment Specialists, the design and implementation of ELA-based Common Core units of study, embedding Lucy Calkins Writing Units of Study. Overall, dollars will be maintained in this area, with particular attention being paid to Teacher and Principal Quality Improvement as the district continues to support Race to the Top promoted evaluation systems and Data-driven Inquiry.
Class Size Reduction will continue to be supported by C4E funds to ensure our K-5 classrooms are of optimal size. Reduced class sizes also supports the Academic Intervention Services that have been implemented at all levels, ensuring equal access to needed instruction. Overall, dollars previously maintained in this area will continue.
Middle School and High Restructuring efforts will continue to focus on supporting smaller learning communities. Professional Learning Communities at the Middle Schools, with the inclusion of Marzano’s High Reliability Schools (HRS) framework and Academic Intervention support, allows for school-based inquiry teams to identify and address students in need. The HRS program supports the lesson and unit design, aligning the Common Core to support all students’ readiness for college and future careers. Additionally, at the High School, Academic Intervention Services will be delivered through a collaborative approach with literacy and the arts. Academic Literacy and Art Teachers will partner to provide instruction that taps into higher level thinking, reading and writing skills utilizing a Visual Thinking Strategies curriculum and embedding the Reading Apprenticeship approach. A Social Worker, Psychologist and an Art teacher will continue to be supported at the High School to ensure that needed attention to sub-group populations and graduating cohorts is provided through guidance and enriched opportunities. Continued support for transitioning students into the 9th grade through teaming provides opportunities for students at risk of school failure to transition from 8th Grade to 9th grade within a supportive community. Overall, dollars maintained last year will continue.
Each of the new and innovative programs that have been selected will be adopting the practices that are outlined in the district’s strategic plan for 2019-2020. The plan establishes benchmarks, measured and reported to the Board of Education quarterly, that assist staff in gauging their instruction, classroom practices, student progress and classroom goal setting.
Our students in poverty, both general education and special education students across all ethnic groups, continue to be challenged. Building-level Response to Intervention teams will be provided targeted professional development to increase the support being delivered to these students. Through the dollars being expended, efforts on all populations, K through 12, are focused on providing targeted instruction.
Guidance and direction on providing challenging and appropriate instruction for struggling readers, both identified with disabilities and non-identified, will occur through embedded professional development at the school level. Additional support is being provided to those students in danger of not graduating through interventions (counseling, credit recovery, participation in a Twilight School, a transition program for entering freshman) at Binghamton High School. Improved alignment of Academic Intervention Services provided throughout the course of the day will target students in poverty, ELL students and Students with Disabilities.