MCKAY ARTS ACADEMY INNOVATION SCHOOL PLAN Table of Contents Innovation Plan Information Form Innovation Plan Certification Statement Innovation School Plan I. Executive Summary II. Strategic Change Chart III. Public Statement IV. Innovation School Mission, Vision, and Statement of Need and Proposed Partnerships A. Mission Statement B. Vision Statement C. Statement of Need D. Primary Proposed Partnerships V.
How will Autonomy and Flexibility Be Used To Improve School Performance and Student Achievement? A. Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment B. Schedule and Calendar C. Staffing D. Professional Development E. District Policies and Procedures F. Budget
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VI. Capacity of Applicant Group
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VII. Timetable for Development and Implementation
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VIII. Measurable Goals
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IX. Required Attachments
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Appendixes A. Advisory Board By-Laws B. Budgetary Process C. Conditions for School Effectiveness
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INNOVATION PLAN INFORMATION FORM The Fitchburg Public School District requests the creation of an Innovation School in accordance with an Act Relative to the Achievement Gap signed into law in January 2010. Proposed Innovation School Name: Full/Partial Conversion or New: Proposed School Address (if known):
Primary Contact Name: Primary Contact Phone Number(s) : Primary Contact Fax Number(s) : Primary Contact Email Address:
If conversion: Former School Names:
McKay Arts Academy Dual conversion – 2 schools becoming 1 67 Rindge Avenue, McKay Complex – Fitchburg State University Teacher Education Center, Fitchburg, MA 01420 Lourdes Ramirez, Principal 978-665-3189 978-665-3523
[email protected];
[email protected]
McKay Campus School PreK-4 Fitchburg Arts Academy 5-8 Same as above
Existing School Address:
Proposed Innovation School opening school year: 2015-2016 Proposed duration of innovation plan (up to five years): 5 years
School Year First Year 2015-2016 Second Year 2016-2017 Third Year 2017-2018 Fourth Year 2018-19 Fifth Year 2019-20 At Full Enrollment
PreK-8 Total Student Enrollment Projected enrollment 680 Projected enrollment 680 Projected enrollment 680 Projected enrollment 680 Projected enrollment 680 Projected enrollment 680
Total number of Staff 70 70 70 70 70 70
Will this school serve students from multiple districts? No
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Proposed Innovation School Name: Proposed City/Town Location:
McKay Arts Academy Fitchburg, MA
I hereby certify that the information submitted in this plan is true to the best of my knowledge and belief. Signature of Authorized Person _________________________________
Print/Type Name: Address: Phone Number: Fax Number:
Date _________
Authorized Person Information Lourdes Ramirez 67 Rindge Avenue, McKay Complex – Fitchburg State University Teacher Education Center, Fitchburg, MA 01420 978-665-3189 978-665-3523
Email Address:
McKay Arts Academy Innovation School Plan
[email protected];
[email protected]
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INNOVATION PLAN CERTIFICATION STATEMENT Proposed Innovation School Name: Proposed City/Town Location:
McKay Arts Academy Fitchburg, MA
Names of innovation plan committee members (no more than 11 individuals) selected in accordance with state law: Affiliation Lead applicant member: Associate Dean/Principal at McKay Arts Academy Superintendent or designee: School committee member or designee: Teacher employed by district (selected from among nominees submitted by the local teacher’s union): Lead Partner/Expert External Academic Partner:
Parent who has one or more children enrolled in the school or, in the case of a new school, in the district: Parent who has one or more children enrolled in the school or, in the case of a new school, in the district: Teacher employed by district (selected from among volunteers): Member: Teacher Member: Teacher Member: Teacher Member: Advisory Board Chair
Name Lourdes Ramirez, Principal
Vote to approve innovation plan
Andre Ravenelle, Superintendent Peter Stephens, School Committee Member N/A
Annette Sullivan, Fitchburg State University, Dean of Education Sean C. Goodlett
Tracey Sarefield
N/A Lisa DeTora Tyler Nichols Jenn Brown Lisa Moison
I hereby certify that the information submitted in this innovation plan is true to the best of our knowledge and belief and has been approved by a majority vote of the innovation plan committee. Signature of Lead Applicant Member ________________________________ Date ________
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INNOVATION SCHOOL PLAN McKay Arts Academy at Fitchburg State University A Pathways School
I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Fitchburg State University Teacher Education Center houses the McKay Campus School ( PreK-4) and the Fitchburg Arts Academy (5-8). Each school has worked to build on commonalities and strengths to become an “Innovation Pathways School.” This school, which the applicants propose to call the McKay Arts Academy (MAA), provides students with a PreK8 curriculum that utilizes data-driven instructional strategies aligned to the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, which incorporate the Common Core State Standards. The curriculum is accessible and supportive of students with disabilities, as well as students for whom English is a second language, through the Mass Tiered System (MTSS), a multi-tiered system of supports. This curriculum is spiral; has a scope and sequence; is standard-based, arts-integrated, and thematic in nature; and is focused on positive student development – cognitively, socially, and emotionally – in order to increase student achievement. Our work is guided by the “Essential Conditions for School Effectiveness,” and our work integrates the “Framework for District Accountability Assistance.” Central to our mission and vision is the belief that students need a sense of community, a sense of knowing they belong and where they are headed. We have chosen to call those pathways at McKay Arts Academy our pillars. Our four pillars (commonalities) will guide the development and implementation of our Innovation Pathways School: One Administration and Staff, A Common Mission and Vision, A Common Culture and Climate, and Fitchburg State University as the Expert External Academic Partner. Students and their families are at the center of our school, and the pathways will play a crucial role in student achievement and family involvement. Our constituents, staff, families, and our university partner are all essential to the success of our Innovation Pathways School. Consequently, we have developed a committee structure whereby stakeholders will be involved at various levels of operation. Our work focuses on student achievement as we develop and refine curriculum, instruction, and assessment; instill a professional culture of inquiry; and nurture a school community in which children have a sense of acceptance and belonging and families feel welcome.
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II.
STRATEGIC CHANGE CHART:
Current school or district practice McKay had two separate schools, an elementary and a middle school. The curriculums did not align.
Proposed change in practice
Administration made all decisions regarding curriculum, instruction, materials, professional development, budget, and hiring of staff.
Site-based distributed leadership
Fitchburg Arts Academy implemented a separate social studies and English language arts curriculum.
Development of a Humanities curriculum (5-8) that utilizes both Common Core ELA standards and MA Social Studies Standards.
Traditional teacher-led conferences.
School-wide student led conferences.
Traditional forms of assessments such as written tests and quizzes.
Development and utilization of performance-based rubrics for all subjects in all grades.
PreK-8 Arts integrated spiral curriculum
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Expected impact on student achievement The spiral curriculum aims to improve student achievement through the consistent reinforcement of the Common Core Standards and districtwide learning goals Administration, teachers, staff, parents, academic partners, students, and the community are involved in the governance and decisionmaking process for the school. Distributed leadership supports the mission of MAA by creating a governance structure that values shared expertise, responsible citizenry, diversity of opinion, and thoughtful participation in the life of the school. A humanities curriculum allows for project based learning, arts integration and increased opportunities for writing in the content area. Student-led conferences empower students to take ownership of their learning, self-reflect, and share with their families about their success and goals. Students are provided with the opportunity to demonstrate their learning in an authentic manner. These rubrics will optimize all learners’ ability to demonstrate progress towards mastery of all standards.
All school-related decisions were made by administration.
III.
Development of Innovation Subcommittees such as, Parent Involvement, Arts Integrated Curriculum, PLCs or Professional Learning Communities, Instruction/Technology staff who research, support, and guide the faculty in meeting the goals of the innovation plan.
Subcommittees support the decision-making process by providing a space for teachers to share expertise, analyze student performance data, create professional support networks, and maintain and grow the arts integration curriculum throughout the PreK-8 grades.
PUBLIC STATEMENT
To improve student achievement, the McKay Campus School (PreK-4) and the Fitchburg Arts Academy (5-8) united to become an Innovation Pathways School in 2012. MAA is located in the Teacher Education Center at Fitchburg State University and serves 675 Fitchburg Public Schools’ students, grades PreK-8. Student achievement is our central focus. Students experience a PreK-8 spiral curriculum with an arts-integrated and thematic approach. Assessments are standards- and performance-based. Central to the mission and vision of MAA is the belief that students need a sense of community, a sense of knowing they belong and where they are headed. Students and their families are at the center of our school, and the pathways we developed will play a crucial role in student achievement and family involvement. Our PK-8 Innovation Pathways School uses all of the autonomies—curriculum, instruction, and assessment; schedule and calendar; staffing; professional development; district policies and procedures; and budget— with parameters articulated elsewhere in this Plan to build and maintain a comprehensive plan that improves all students’ performance as outlined in the “Essential Conditions for School Effectiveness”. The plan will also integrate components of the “District Accountability Assistance ” as appropriate. Our School Improvement Plan will be reviewed by staff annually, presented to School Committee, and posted on the school website.
IV.
MISSION, VISION, STATEMENT OF NEED, AND PROPOSED PARTNERSHIPS
A. Mission Statement: The mission of the McKay Arts Academy is to ensure that every PreK-8 student develops the skills and knowledge to become students who are college- and career-ready and who become responsible citizens who contribute to their community. Students participate in a school whose curriculum is standard-based, arts-integrated, interdisciplinary, and thematic – a curriculum through which students achieve standards, fully explore their intellectual and creative potential, participate thoughtfully in a democracy, and succeed in a diverse and evolving global society. Central to the success of our mission is the involvement of families and our community. Working closely with our Expert External Academic Partners, Fitchburg State University and the Fitchburg Arts Museum, as well as teachers, families, and community partners, we have created a system for shared McKay Arts Academy Innovation School Plan
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decision-making, and shared learning. We will continually strive to create and refine a common language that supports family resilience, provides tools for families to support their children’s learning, and reduces the disparities between home and school. B. Vision Statement: McKay Arts Academy is committed to creating and sustaining a democratic community of critical thinkers and creative and reflective learners. At MAA, the whole child, including his or her social, emotional, and intellectual development, is valued. We are committed to nurturing an environment that supports the diversity of students’ learning styles and cultures. We are committed to accelerating the achievement of all students in all academic, social, emotional, and physical areas. We will continually use data from a variety of assessments, both standardized and performance-based, to identify student growth over time and to drive improvement in curriculum and instruction. C.
Statement of Need The McKay Arts Academy fulfills a unique need. The Innovation School, the only PreK8 school in the city of Fitchburg, offers opportunities for common planning both horizontally within a grade level and vertically across grades and therefore between elementary and middle school instructors. The spiral curriculum, moreover, aims to improve student achievement through the consistent reinforcement of the Common Core Standards and district-wide learning goals; again, though, because the MAA serves students in grades PreK-8, the reinforcement of the curriculum is further magnified. The school also builds upon the district’s efforts to integrate art into all elementary and middle school curricula by placing particular emphasis on the visual and performing arts; its students participate in local and regional art competitions. Last, a particular need in the city is for collaboration with such key partners as Fitchburg State University and the Fitchburg Art Museum. The physical location of the MAA on the University’s campus enables more immediate access for teachers in training and experts in the field of teacher training and academic content areas such as science and arts theater. In effect, the school functions as a laboratory for both FSU students and faculty. Opportunities the innovation school provides students in Fitchburg: ● MAA’s vision is to incorporate inter-disciplinary teaching and project-based learning into the fabric of every classroom and students’ experiences. The multiplicity of integrated content and concepts is addressed through essential questions, big ideas and curriculum-embedded assessments. The curriculum-related autonomies support teachers to implement and share this inter-disciplinary approach. ● The structure of separate elementary and middle schools impedes the coherent implementation of a spiral curriculum. As a Pre-K to 8 innovation school, we are able to create a spiral curriculum that continuously develops the skills and content knowledge of our students. ● At grade 4, the parents of all elementary students choose the middle school that their child/children will attend, but they do not always get their requested first choice, which makes this transitional year even more stressful. McKay provides students the
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opportunity to continue their education in a familiar environment. It allows for students, teachers and staff, and families to develop long-term relationships, which positively impact our school community. D. Primary Proposed Partnerships Expert External Academic Partner: Fitchburg State University Fitchburg State University and McKay Arts Academy share the same mission for excellence in the professional preparation of teacher candidates, faculty and staff development, and inquiry directed at the improvement of practice and enhanced student learning. We envision our partnership with Fitchburg State University as a dynamic relationship with opportunities for all members to collaborate in the areas of curriculum, instruction, assessment, and in the preparation of future educators. This partnership will create a professional development school with a mutual sharing of expertise outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding. University faculty and MAA have an established relationship, and the university faculty will continue to provide selected professional development as requested. The university grant office will also work closely with McKay Arts Academy, the Dean of Education, the Education Department, the library, as well as other university departments, to identify and apply for grants to support our innovation work and to further develop MAA as a professional development school for years to come. Fitchburg Art Museum The Fitchburg Art Museum (FAM) and McKay Arts Academy (MAA) have developed, and will continue to develop, a strong working relationship as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding between the two organizations (see Appendix). FAM staff familiar with the state curriculum frameworks and the Common Core Massachusetts Standards will provide curricular and professional development support for teachers and students in the areas of art history, art processes, and arts integration. The FAM’s exhibits will be integrated into the curricular content areas whenever appropriate. Students will travel to the Museum for tours and related art activities. In addition to providing historical and cultural contexts, FAM docents (tour guides) are trained to engage students through questions that heighten observation and reasoning skills and that also honor the students’ unique perspective. Museum-related content will be embedded into the curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Teachers may attend workshops, gallery talks, and lectures at the Museum for professional development, and the Museum will work with MAA to craft specific professional development as needed. Museum personnel will visit the school to assist with curricular planning and to provide other educational resources or expertise.
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Other activities such as exhibition-related writing projects like writing gallery guides, short biographies of artists, or critiques; creating internet-based teaching resources such as (but not limited to) “Art Object of the Week” and video “walk-throughs” of exhibitions, narrated by curators that can be viewed before a visit; working with a visiting artist; creating art in response to art on view in the galleries will be explored in the coming years.
V.
HOW WILL AUTONOMY AND FLEXIBILITY BE USED TO IMPROVE SCHOOL PERFORMANCE AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT? A. Requested Autonomies: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment We believe that Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment cannot be separated. One influences the other. Each autonomy is described separately below; however, we see them as being developed in tandem with each other. We are committed to developing, implementing, and refining consistency in curriculum, instruction, and assessment at all levels and for all programs, from PreK-8. The MAA’s inclusive education program will incorporate Differentiated Instruction, Response to Intervention, and a team approach to teaching and meeting the needs of a diverse learning community – all aligned to the Mass Tiered System (MTSS) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). MAA Curriculum Accommodation Plan will be reviewed every year. Curriculum Autonomy: We will use our curriculum autonomy to develop and continually refine a scope and sequence-based spiral curriculum that serves as a pathway to student achievement and that moves seamlessly from PreK through Grade 8. This scope and sequence is aligned with most of the district’s curriculum map and/or benchmark planner. The scope and sequence is data-driven, standard-based and aligned with the Massachusetts Curriculum Framework Standards, incorporating the Common Core State Standards and WIDA. The standards in the new Massachusetts English and Literacy and Mathematics Curriculum Frameworks, which incorporate the Common Core State Standards, are more focused and emphasize depth of understanding and application. The English and Literacy Framework embeds social studies, science, and technology. The Mathematics Framework focuses more on problem solving and different solutions, using conceptual understanding. These new curriculum frameworks demand a different kind of school curriculum. The curriculum of our school provides the pathway for achieving these new standards through the arts integration and project-based learning. The curricular pathway embeds the principles of Universal Design Learning, which envision four components to a curriculum: instructional goals, methods, materials, and assessments. Because the curriculum is a spiral curriculum, knowledge and skills, as well as cognitive, social, and emotional development, will be built upon in subsequent grades. This curriculum embeds thematic learning, and arts-integration,
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practices that support the Common Core State Standards. Teachers will collaborate within grades and across grades. Similarly, teachers will coordinate implementation of specific curricular modules so that teachers and students can collaborate across grades. A spiraling curriculum PreK-8 maximizes academic achievement as we prepare students for college and career paths. We believe that the physical, social, and emotional development of our students is crucial to their cognitive success and academic achievement. Therefore, we include it under our curriculum autonomy. This approach to the curriculum addresses the needs of English language learners and students with special needs. We will use our curriculum autonomy to employ Responsive Classroom and Origins Developmental Designs to create a common culture and climate, a pathway that enables students to feel safe, that fosters a sense of belonging and responsibility, that builds positive relationships among students, staff, and families, and focuses on social emotional learning. Instructional Autonomy: Academic classroom teachers will work with visual and performing arts teachers to co-plan, co-teach and assess arts integrated units of study that encompass content from arts-based and non-arts-based subjects. Units will culminate in the creation of student projects that will often seek an audience beyond the classroom. This type of in depth, project-based investigation connects student discovery and learning to through real life application, as well as multiple subjects in addition to the arts. McKay adapts and modifies units of study to incorporate arts-integration and interdisciplinary connections. In addition to arts integrated units in all academic subjects, students will also be exposed to numerous arts-based special subjects (visual art, music, and drama). Students in grades 5-8 will have a visual art class twice a week, allowing for in depth development of visual art skills and the creation of a portfolio that spans several years. The new Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, incorporating the Common Core State Standards and the WIDA Frameworks, requires commonly understood coherent instructional practices if our students are to achieve these new standards. These instructional practices need to align with the new standards. In order to implement our standard-based, spiral unit of curriculum, we will use instructional autonomy to design engaging research-based instructional practices that differentiate so that all students can succeed. In this way, our instructional practices serve as pathways to student achievement. We will use instructional autonomy to design and implement research-based instructional practices that utilize thematic and interdisciplinary standard-based units, and arts integration, as well as such practices as writing workshop, tiered instruction, and Universal Design Learning instructional principles, including multiple means of representation to give learners various ways of acquiring knowledge. Doing so will ensure access to higher order learning for all students – all pathways to student achievement. Assistive technology and other uses of technology McKay Arts Academy Innovation School Plan
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will serve as an additional essential instructional practice that promotes learning for all students, including students with special needs, English language learners, and academically advanced students. McKay elementary teachers are currently working with the District following the ELA document and plan in reading and writing. Careful monitoring of student performance through various assessments both formative and summative plays an important role in differentiated literacy instruction. Arts integration will be expanded to elementary grades, using middle school teachers and the Fitchburg Art Museum as a mentor and network of support. In addition, McKay is implementing both Engage NY and Connected Math programs, both of which have been implemented District wide. Professional development and the building based coaching are available for both programs, and teachers already take advantage of both opportunities. In addition, a Humanities curriculum has been developed in grades 5-8 that utilizes both Common Core ELA standards and MA Social Studies standards. Engage NY Curriculum modules in mathematics are marked by an in-depth focus on fewer topics. They integrate the Common Core State Standards’ rigorous classroom reasoning, extended classroom time devoted to practice and reflection through extensive problem sets, and high expectations for mastery. The time required to complete a curriculum module will depend on the scope and difficulty of the mathematical content that is the focus of the module, which would require flexibility with the calendar for benchmark assessments. Connected Mathematics Program The overarching goal of Connected Mathematics is to help students develop mathematical knowledge, understanding, and skill along with an awareness of and appreciation for the rich connections among varying mathematical content and between mathematics and other disciplines. All the CMP curriculum development has been guided by a single mathematical standard. All students should be able to reason and communicate proficiently in mathematics. They should have knowledge of and skill in the use of the vocabulary, forms of representation, materials, tools, techniques, and intellectual methods of the discipline of mathematics, including the ability to define and solve problems with reason, insight, inventiveness, and technical proficiency. Our Curriculum autonomy will provide us with the opportunity to enrich some programs provided by the district through our Arts Integration and the implementation of a spiral curriculum. Assessment Autonomy: The new Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, which incorporates the Common Core State Standards requires multiple types of assessment, providing students with the opportunity to demonstrate their proficiency in reading, writing, speaking and listening, media, engineering and design. We will use our assessment autonomy to McKay Arts Academy Innovation School Plan
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examine on an ongoing basis our student data, including district assessment programs, PARCC, MCAS, Growth Model, both formatively and summatively. Teachers and students will develop standards-based exemplars and performance assessments that embrace the arts and sciences, thus providing our students with multiple venues to engage in assessment opportunities that ensure college and career readiness. We will continually examine what our students know and are able to do. Moreover, we will identify achievement gaps, to determine curricular emphasis, flexible grouping, and other differentiated practices that ensure all students achieve their growth targets. We will regularly analyze student data in order to refine benchmarks and assessment tools on a continuous improvement basis to increase student achievement. We will develop and use performance-based assessments aligned with standards and World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA). Performance-based assessments will provide alternative routes for all students, and particularly for our students with special needs and our ELL’s, to demonstrate what they know and what they can do. Our performance-based assessments will utilize rubrics. Descriptors are tied to standards performance and linked to performance benchmarks. Implementation of performance-based assessment will require calibration of scoring. These assessment practices align more fully with the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). Additionally, we will work with Fitchburg State University to collect and analyze performance-based data, something the University does on a regular basis for their accreditation. An essential component to successful implementation of our curriculum, instruction, and assessment will be the continuation and expansion throughout the school of Student Led Conferences. As the name indicates, students lead these meetings as they present selected pieces of their work to their parents or guardians and advisory (faculty) leaders. Since 2008, these conferences have been held twice a year, during the winter and spring, with between 91-97% parent/guardian attendance. In this small setting, students reflect on their progress as a learner and identify and describe their strengths and areas of growth. Other assessments may be implemented. Summary: K-8 continuation of writing skills K-4 integration of arts that focuses on teaching skills for mastery Humanities curriculum for grades 5-8, that incorporates Common Core ELA standards, Social Studies standards, and arts integration Partnerships with Fitchburg State University and Fitchburg Art Museum
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Math integrates art into the curriculum, use of technology to supplement and enhance instruction and demonstrate knowledge Grades 1-8 implement Student Led Conference (SLC), using the structure of the Buddy Classrooms and utilizing data binders B. Schedule and Calendar The school year will remain the traditional 180 school days for students in a districtwide calendar approved annually by the Fitchburg School Committee. The school year for teachers will follow the 184 days as contractually agreed-upon by the FEA and School Committee. Additional calendar/work day parameters will be followed as noted in the FEA or Fitchburg Administrators contracts. We will incorporate district monthly early release days for staff focusing on Professional Development (PD) and the instructional goals of the school. This provides longer blocks of professional development time for teachers as well as the opportunity to be empowered to take on leadership roles as providers of refresher and mini-PD to their colleagues. While a small number of Professional Development days will be dedicated to district-wide initiatives, McKay will determine a PD calendar to address their teachers and students’ need. Within the daily and weekly schedule, we continue to work towards creating and refining one that maximizes and increases “time on learning” for students. This is necessary in order to allow for more targeted instruction while using a thematic, cross-curricular, standards-based approach. This affords us flexibility for more deliberate grouping and time for appropriate tiered instruction. We have fully implemented a trimester progress reporting schedule which incorporates opportunities for student-led conferences and a celebration of learning event. All scheduling and data-collection related to scheduling will meet the required ESE regulations and both ESE and District reporting procedures. C. Staffing and Staff Hiring Process We have created a comprehensive process by which teachers, parents and the MAA administration (Principal, Assistant Principals, and Student Support Program Administrator) will meet yearly to discuss staffing needs, rationales that support identified needs, and budgetary constraints. These discussions will serve as a forum to examine existing class sizes, current staffing levels and provide staff with the opportunity to make recommendations and have a voice in this process. ●
For new hires the following process will be implemented. Administration will form search committees to develop job descriptions consistent with personnel job descriptions and in accordance with the FEA teacher contract, interview applicants, and recommend highly qualified individuals to fill staff vacancies including, but not limited to, assistant principals, teachers, administrative
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assistants, and other student support staff. The MAA will seek to hire staff based on school mission and vision and the Innovation Plan in accordance with the FEA contract, state regulations, and federal highly qualified criteria. ●
For assistant principals and student support program administrators, MAA will follow FPS Guidelines for Search Committees for Administrators. A hiring search committee will include a minimum of seven (7) members, 2 Parents who are not employees of the particular school where the search is taking place, 1 Administrator, 2-4 Staff members with broad representation of different membership, and Teachers chosen by FEA. HR must develop a job description, post and distribute it to committee to serve as an instrument for creating criteria of any position. The Committee gets together and sets criteria and rubrics to be used for the interview.
New staff hiring Process Posting of job description Selection of Search Committee (teachers, parents, community members) Search Committee responsibilities: Review of Resumes/select team of applicants for interviews: Resumes from all applicants will be provided to this panel by the principal. The Panel will narrow the pool of applicants down to (3-5) finalists for Interview panel Selection of Interview panel members (teachers, parents, community members, administration) Interview Panel responsibilities • Members of the interview panel will determine the number of questions asked and time allotted for each interview. • Panel members should be representative of the team/grade level that the position is in. • Panel members will conduct interviews using an agreed upon scoring system to ensure that the process has followed all legal guidelines. Panel members will select the applicant to fill the position. Administration will notify HR of the selected candidate to be hired. Presentation of new faculty members to McKay Staff-Members of the search committee and the interview panel will present new hires to staff and Advisory Board.
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For the Associate Dean/Principal position, the search process will be conducted by a university search committee and will include the Dean of Education, the FPS Superintendent or designee, a representative from the FEA, and a parent from the MAA Advisory Board of Trustees. The committee will review applications, conduct telephone/Skype interviews, and put forth 3 names of candidates to bring to campus for interviews. Following the campus interviews with the committee and other constituents (MAA staff, parents, community members, etc.) the committee will forward candidate strengths and challenges to the President of the University and to the Superintendent of Schools who would jointly select the Associate Dean/Principal. The staffing and hiring process outlined above does not apply to positions funded through federal or other district grants. D. Professional Development We will use the professional development autonomy to survey staff annually, and we will utilize our system of governance to identify and seek out the professional development opportunities needed each year to further our mission and vision, as well as to develop and implement our pathways for student achievement. We will use this information to help create our annual professional development schedule which will include district provided professional development as well. In addition, MAA staff will participate in the annual district-wide PD survey as part of the Title IIA Needs Assessment procedure and in the District Orientation as well as the Induction and Mentoring programs for new teachers. Our process will provide us with the opportunity to seek out and utilize providers who will be compensated from the discretionary line item funds to provide crosscurricular, cross-grade, grade-specific, and content-specific professional development, based on student data and in compliance with district and statemandated professional development/training. Because we view analyzing student data as integral to developing and improving our pathways and key to continuous improvement of student achievement, we will develop a culture of inquiry, establishing inquiry-based professional learning community protocols. Fitchburg State University and Fitchburg Art Museum will play a central role in our professional development plans. We will also work with the Center of Professional Studies. Our professional development will be guided by the “Essential Conditions for School Effectiveness” and our professional development plans will integrate the “Framework for District Accountability Assistance.” E. District Policies and Procedures Innovation Schools have the freedom to set their own unique policies and procedures that are different from those of the district. As such MAA has identified several areas where our structure is different than those of our sister-schools and are essential to helping us to achieve our mission.
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1. Governance and Decision-Making Structure: MAA’s governance and decision-making structure is based upon a distributedleadership model. This structure ensures that administration, teachers, staff, parents, academic partners, students, and the community are involved in the governance and decision-making process for the school. Distributed leadership supports the mission of MAA by creating a governance structure that values shared expertise, responsible citizenry, diversity of opinion, and thoughtful participation in the life of the school. Decision-making at the MAA is collaborative, transparent, and involves a multi-step process that builds upon the work of previous steps in the cycle. All involved parties are part of the final decisions on budget, staffing, curriculum, and instruction. McKay Arts Academy will include as part of its governance structure an Advisory Board, Grade- Level Teams, Leadership Team, Innovation Team, and schoolwide subcommittees. Advisory Board: The Advisory Board – made up of administrators, teachers, parents, academic partners, and community members – will operate in place of a site council and will follow all guidelines for that entity. The responsibility of the Advisory Board is to ensure that the vision and mission of the school is adhered to. In addition, the board will be charged with ensuring that the goals of both the Innovation Plan and the School Improvement Plan are regularly reviewed with respect to student achievement data and resources that support that achievement. As part of the distributed leadership process, the Advisory Board will vote on items that have been reviewed by the teachers and staff. The Advisory Board is not responsible for the day-to-day running of the school. (See the Bylaws for the Advisory Board in attachments.) Grade Level Teams: Grade-Level Teams are the initial source of information that informs all decisions made at McKay Arts Academy. The voices of teachers represent not only their grade level but the parents and students they serve. It is their first hand, day-today experiences that will provide leadership with critical information on curriculum, instruction, staffing, budget requests, scheduling, and issues that arise in the course of each school year. Leadership Team: We believe that communication and input into the core decisions of a school are a vital part of ensuring that our mission and vision are realized. The role of Leadership is to explore, research, discuss, and make recommendations to major initiatives for our school. Leadership will communicate with their representative staff (Grade-Level Teams) and the principal as the school investigates different McKay Arts Academy Innovation School Plan
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decisions. Examples of decision making that the staff are part of each year includes staffing patterns, budget requests, scheduling issues, and recommendations to Administration and the Advisory Board. The leadership team is comprised of volunteer teachers who represent all grade levels and the Principal. Innovation Team: The Innovation Team shares a similar set of fundamental goals of ensuring that the vision and mission of MAA are realized. However, all discussions, research, and recommendations are done specifically through the lens of the Innovation Plan and the goals and autonomies of the plan in relation to student achievement. Examples of decision making that the Innovation Team will engage with yearly include staffing, budget, scheduling, and recommendations to Administration and the Advisory Board. The Innovation team is comprised of volunteer teachers who represent all grade levels and the principal. Subcommittees: An important part of the distributed leadership system imbedded in the Innovation Plan relies upon subcommittee work. The areas of autonomy and the goals of the Innovation Plan depend upon the work of the following committees: Parent Involvement, Professional Development/PLCs, Arts Integration and Instruction/Instructional Information/communication Platform. Subcommittees meet monthly and help to shape and inform the work and distribute resources to accomplish the goals and benchmarks of the Innovation Plan. All teams and subcommittees memberships are comprised of teachers in grades PreK-8. On the next page is a graph that shows the MAA decision-making process. Recommendations start at the Grade-Level team stage, then proceed to Leadership Team, Innovation Team, Advisory Board, and finally back to the entire faculty. Subcommittees support the decision making process by providing a space for teachers to share expertise, analyze student performance data, create professional support networks, and maintain and grow the arts integration curriculum throughout the PreK-8 grades.
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2. Student Recruitment, Application, and Enrollment: Students who were members of both the Fitchburg Arts Academy and the McKay Campus School were grandfathered into the conversion of the McKay Arts Academy Innovation Pathways School. This body of students includes approximately 680 children in grades PreK-8. Their families represent the McKay community. MAA will follow the local and state policies on inter and intra school choice, as part of the Fitchburg Public Schools’ district-wide voluntary desegregation policy. MAA is the only PreK-8 school in the Fitchburg Public School system. 3. Principal Selection and Evaluation: Principal Hiring: For the Associate Dean/Principal position, the hiring process will be conducted jointly by representatives of the McKay Arts Academy constituency. A search committee including university, school staff, and FEA representation will screen, interview, and select a finalist for submittal to the Superintendent of Schools and President of the University. Flexibility in the hiring process is needed, as the Fitchburg Public Schools district is not the hiring entity for the MAA principal McKay Arts Academy Innovation School Plan
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position. The principal is hired by Fitchburg State University and is an employee of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Associate Dean/Principal Evaluation: The school, in conjunction with the district and the University, has established the particulars of the Associate Dean/ Principal Evaluation process. The Massachusetts Elementary and Secondary Education department Administrator Evaluation Tool will be employed by the Superintendent. The Dean of Education will evaluate Associate Dean/ Principal using the Fitchburg State University job description and evaluation tool. The Advisory Board will contribute to the evaluation of the Principal/Associate Dean by providing input to the Dean of Education. Flexibility in the evaluation process is needed, as the Fitchburg Public Schools is not the sole evaluator of the Associate Dean/Principal. 4. School-Level Behavior Management Program: MAA has developed a consistent, age-appropriate behavior management system at our school. We currently implement Responsive Classroom and Developmental Designs which have similar approaches for students and meet our vision. We have formalized the aspects of our system as we become a PreK-8 school. All other schools in the district are either PreK-4 or 5-8, and, as such, the system we developed will differ from the other district schools. Note: As an Innovation School, we envision that our PreK-8 program will be a resource for our community, families, and students. The former Fitchburg Arts Academy (grades 5-8) was the model for much of the governance and decisionmaking process mentioned above. As a former Pilot School, the grades 5-8 teachers participated in a distributed leadership culture involving budget, staffing, and decision-making. As members of the now McKay Arts Academy Innovation School, teachers in grades 5-8 are requesting that if the Innovation status for MAA not be renewed in the future, they would be afforded the right to request a meeting with the appropriate district-level individuals for a reapplication for status as a pilot school (grades 5-8) with their former governance and decisionmaking process. F. Budget McKay Arts Academy has developed the following Discretionary Budgetary System that ensures that all members of our Community (advisory board of trustees’ members, administrators, Fitchburg State University partners, teachers, families, and community partners) have a venue for stakeholder input into the needs, priorities, and distribution of district provided discretionary funds. This system builds upon the work of each previous team and incorporates the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education self-assessment tool, the Conditions for School Effectiveness survey to ensure that the discretionary budget for the following school McKay Arts Academy Innovation School Plan
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year demonstrates the distributed leadership autonomy that is essential to helping us to achieve our mission and which exemplifies McKay’s ideals. Grade-level teams will meet quarterly to outline their instructional needs for the current and following school year – for example, materials such as leveled texts that supplement classroom libraries or leveled texts for domain specific subjects that provide access to content beyond the grade level text, supporting inclusion students or ELLs. Each grade-level team as well as Specialists will provide Administration and the Leadership team with a documented list of requests. The leadership Team, which is comprised of teachers representing all grade levels, will conduct a review of requests and student performance data (both formative and summative). In addition, they will review these for alignment to the goals of the School Improvement Plan. Similarly, members of the leadership team will review the yearly professional development plan and the DESE self-assessment tool, the Conditions for School Effectiveness survey to be given yearly in January. These requests will be prioritized based on the alignment of resources to needs. The Leadership Team will produce a list of prioritized requests that is provided to the faculty as well as the Innovation Team. The Innovation Team, which is comprised of teachers and representation from building coaches, will use the work of the leadership team to check for alignment with the goals and needs of the Innovation plan. It is the responsibility of the Innovation team to ensure that funding for Committee work (Arts Integration/curriculum, Parent Involvement, Professional Development/PLCs and Technology/instruction) is represented in the final prioritized request for review for the following school year. The Innovation Team will provide School Administration and the Advisory Board with the document reflecting collective input. The Advisory Board of Trustees Building upon the work of the previous teams, the Advisory Board will be presented with a discretionary budget allocation document that is inclusive of all teachers and teams and has passed through three stages of review and input for increasing student achievement, alignment with the school improvement plan and the innovation plan, and incorporates the needs identified by the DESE self-assessment tool, the Conditions for School Effectiveness survey.
Year End Encumbering of Unused Funds Review of unused funds by line item categories by administration for presentation to faculty. Presentation will include expended funds and how those funds met the goal of the SIP, the Innovation Plan, and classroom needs. Recommendations for possible areas of encumbrance will be documented. The Faculty-wide presentation of expended funds and remaining funds will occur by May 15 of each year. McKay Arts Academy Innovation School Plan
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The Leadership Team will review teachers’ suggestions checking for alignment with the School Improvement Plan. Leadership will also review the results of DESE self-assessment tool, the Conditions for School Effectiveness survey. Leadership will make suggestions for possible encumbrances and pass their work on to the Innovation Team. The Innovation Team will build upon the work of the Leadership Team making suggestions for encumbrances that support Innovation Work. (May) They will provide the principal with their recommendations. The principal will then present the body of work to the Advisory Board of Trustees for their review. The Advisory Board will be presented with a plan for encumbering unused funds that is inclusive of all teachers and teams and has passed through three stages of review.(June) Administration will provide Central Office with areas of encumbrances along with documentation of stages of review and input.
VI.
CAPACITY OF APPLICANT GROUP The applicant group is comprised of administrators, veteran teachers from both schools, and the Dean of Education at Fitchburg State University. Additionally, all McKay Arts Academy teachers and staff have met on a regular basis to read, analyze, and provide feedback on the innovation plan. Regularly scheduled meetings also occurred with the full planning committee as well as all school input during the revision process in 2015. The strength of capacity is evident in the inclusiveness of the applicant group: • • • • • • •
Lourdes Ramirez, Principal/Associate Dean of McKay Arts Academy and Fitchburg State University Annette Sullivan Ed.D., Dean of Education, Fitchburg State University Lisa Moison, Ed.D., Director Extended Campus Programs and Professional Studies, Fitchburg State University Members of the Advisory Board, McKay Arts Academy (see attached) Members of the Faculty and Staff at McKay Arts Academy (see attached) Members of the Leadership Committee, McKay Arts Academy (See attached) Parents of McKay Arts Academy
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VII.
TIMETABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION Our timetable and Professional Development Plan are provided in the table below: Timeline
Goals
Academic Year 2014-2015 Realign of Innovation Committee members to include all new staff members Institute system for resource provisions that support innovation committee work Revision of Innovation Doc to reflect current progress
Monthly 30 minutes meetings during half-day session
Professional Development and Responsible Parties Continued to provide PD as determined school based survey and district survey Principal Coach Administration
Development of system whereby grade level teachers and all committees have access and input into resource provisions. In house facilitation In house facilitation
Principal Coach Administration
Use of professional learning, community protocols, and analysis of student data to take stock Continue to collect and analyze rubric/performancebased data to identify student performance achievement and determine areas for improvement Use analysis results to determine next steps for Continuous Improvement of student achievement Use professional learning community protocols for Continuous Improvement of Pathways, Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment, School Culture, Family Involvement, Governance.
In-house facilitation
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Input from all staff Principal Coach Administration
In-house facilitation
Professional development based on need as determined by data analysis Professional development based on need as determined by inquiry
Year I Implementation 2015-2016
Begin scope and sequence and spiral curriculum development pathway, including simultaneously developing assessments; simultaneously align curriculum to curriculum frameworks, including the Common Core Standards, WIDA, and PARCC Deepen current, and establish new, partnerships Continuous improvement of a culture and climate of inquiry, establishing inquiry-based professional learning community protocols ● ● Continue to increase meaningful family involvement, family resilience, and narrow the disparity between home and school
In-house facilitation
Facilitated by Fitchburg State University In-house facilitation
Continue training in adult community culture Continue training in professional learning community protocols Family representatives, families
Continue to examine In-house facilitation student data to identify curricular, instructional, and assessment needs to improve student achievement Continue scope and In-house facilitation sequence and spiral curriculum development pathway, including simultaneously developing assessments; simultaneously align curriculum to curriculum frameworks, including the Common Core Standards and WIDA, using the principals of PARCC McKay Arts Academy Innovation School Plan
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PD on Common Core Standards and WIDA – Digging Deeper Continue PD on Universal Design, UBD/ Backwards by Design, scope and sequence and spiral curriculum development
Continue identifying proficiency benchmarks and exemplars and building assessments Content-specific PD as needed Begin development and implementation of artsintegrated thematic units, aligned to standards and including assessment tool development to increase student achievement, including PARCC
PD on developing and implementing arts-integrated thematic units, aligned to standards and performancebased assessment
Examine student performance work and begin calibration of scoring rubrics/performance-based assessment
In-house facilitation
PD calibration of rubric scoring
Year II Implementation 2016-2017
Conduct preliminary analysis of rubric/performance-based data to identify student performance achievement and areas for improvement Continuous Improvement of above
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In-house facilitation
Continued PD as determined by need
Year III Implementation 2017-18 Continuous Improvement of above Assurance that all Innovation Committee members include all new staff members and are provided with monthly time and resources to continue the work.
Continue to collect and analyze performance assessment data to identify student performance achievement and determine areas for improvement
In-house facilitation
Use student data for Continuous Improvement of curriculum, instruction, and assessment to increase student achievement Use professional learning community protocols for Continuous Improvement of Pathways, Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment, School Culture, Family Involvement, Governance, and other areas TBD
Professional development based on need, as determined by data analysis
Development of PLC plan for the next school year
Presentation of plan to faculty in the Spring
Institutionalize professional learning community protocols, ways of collecting and analyzing data, and cycle of Continuous Improvement Based on data from 20162017
Professional development as determined by need
Continued PD as determined by need Resources to continue work
TBD
Monthly 30 minute meetings during half-day session
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Professional Development based on need as determined by faculty survey and review of student formative and summative data
Monitoring of system for resource provisions that support innovation committee work
Refinement of system Where by grade level teachers and all committees have access and input into resource provisions if needed based upon review at beginning, middle and end of year In house facilitation
Review of Innovation Doc and SIP as decisions are made regarding staffing, budget, curriculum, instruction, and family involvement to ensure all areas are continually supported Continue to collect and analyze performance assessment data to identify student performance achievement and determine areas for improvement Use student data for continuous improvement of curriculum, instruction, and assessment to increase student achievement End-of-year system for review and input on budget to support the work of the Innovation Plan and SIP Year IV Implementation 2018-2019 Continuous Improvement of above
In-house facilitation
In-house facilitation
Professional development based on need, as determined by data analysis
TBD
See attached system diagram
Based on data from 20172018 Continued PD as determined by need
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TBD
Review and revision of plan to be resubmitted for reauthorization
Assurance that all Innovation Committee members include all new staff members and are provided with monthly time and resources to continue the work. Monitoring of system for resource provisions that support innovation committee work
Review of Innovation Doc and SIP as decisions are made regarding staffing, budget, curriculum, instruction, and family involvement to ensure all areas are continually supported Continue to collect and analyze performance assessment data to identify student performance achievement and determine areas for improvement
Based upon input from all staff and examination of Innovation Plan benchmarks for implementation and student achievement data Resources to continue work Monthly 30 minute meetings during half-day session
Refinement of system Where by grade level teachers and all committees have access and input into resource provisions if needed based upon review at beginning, middle and end of year. In-house facilitation In-house facilitation
In-house facilitation
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In house facilitation
Use student data for Continuous Improvement of curriculum, instruction, and assessment to increase student achievement End-of-year system for review and input on budget to support the work of the Innovation Plan and SIP School Year V 2019-2020
Professional development based on need, as determined by data analysis
TBD
See attached system diagram
All staff
Continuous Improvement of above
Continued PD as determined by need
VIII. MEASURABLE ANNUAL GOALS Goal 1: Student attendance: a. By Spring 2016 and ongoing thereafter, McKay’s average daily attendance will increase to 96%. Goal 2: Student safety and discipline – Establish a Common Culture and Climate for Safety, Discipline, and Learning: a. Beginning Spring, 2016, and on an ongoing thereafter, all staff will be trained in Responsive Classroom and Origins’ Developmental Designs protocols. All existing staff will be offered with opportunities for further training at teacher conferences supported my MAA funds. New staff will be trained yearly through 2020. b. Beginning 2015 and ongoing thereafter, we will create and implement a School-wide Culture Committee that ensures support for teacher leadership and collaboration through a healthy climate and common language for all members of the McKay Arts Academy Community. Goal 3: Student promotion, graduation and dropout rates In our effort to decrease the rate of student dropout and increase the rate of student graduation, McKay Arts Academy has identified cohorts of students at all grade levels whose learning gap is significantly larger than the overall population. By spring 2016 and ongoing yearly we will decrease the number of English Language Learners and students with disabilities who are referred for retention by 25% while increasing the overall achievement of 100% of students to the next performance band on state, district and school-based assessments. a. Beginning in the fall of 2015, we will create a database of all ELL students utilizing all testing measures to identify performance levels and areas of needed growth. McKay Arts Academy Innovation School Plan
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b. Utilizing this information, we will provide intensive support for identified students through push in and pull out services. Support plans to be reviewed monthly by coaches and administration. c. Closely monitor student growth monthly at START and Administration meetings to adjust services as needed. Goal 4: Student achievement - Improve Academic Performance: Measure MCAS
Goal
Science
All students 100% of students will demonstrate growth in science as indicated by MCAS data. those students scoring NI and W (58%) will move to the next performance band with the remaining 42% demonstrating growth within their performance band ( P and A)
Date Spring 2016
Economically Disadvantaged Increase the % of students scoring Proficient from 29% to 39% while decreasing the % of students scoring warning from 25% to 15% ELL 100% of ELL students will demonstrate achievement growth as evidenced by MCAS science data. 35% will demonstrate growth to the next performance level with 65% showing growth within their performance band. High Needs Increase the % of students scoring P from 27% to 37% while decreasing the % of students scoring NI and W by 15% MCAS ALT
Increase % of students achieving the maximum performance points/Proficient on the MCAS alt by 30% Progress to be sustained yearly through 2020
PARCC
Spring 2016
Spring 2016 ELA Math
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SGP
Reading
Math Concept attainment
Advisory
DIBELS GRADE AIMSWEB
Galileo Pre- and Posttests aligned to standards for ELA projects Comprehensive School-wide Plan
100% of students at McKay will increase their individual student growth percentiles yearly. Students scoring W or NI (59%)will increase to the next performance level. Students scoring P or A (41%) will demonstrate growth within their Performance level
Spring 2016
Grades K-4 75% achieving Benchmark with remaining 25% demonstrating growth towards benchmark
Spring 2016
Grades 5-8 85% achieving Benchmark with remaining 15% demonstrating growth towards benchmark TBD 75% of students demonstrate understanding of key concepts of the project A revision or re-teaching process is in place, documented in Curriculum Maps Implemented at all grade levels
Spring 2016
Fall 2016
Goal 5: Progress in areas of academic underperformance: All students at McKay Arts Academy will demonstrate growth yearly as indicated by growth in their performance category on state and citywide assessments in ELA, Mathematics, and Science. a. We will create grade level performance bands in all assessments yearly. b. We will meet with students to discuss and set individual growth goals as needed. c. Targeted and specific instruction will be provided that addresses areas of Common Core standards where significant numbers of students did not demonstrate significant growth. d. Teachers, students, and parents will work as a team on targeted areas of specific skill growth. e. We will review progress during Grade Level Meetings on a regular basis to review and reset goals.
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Goal 6: Progress among subgroups of students, including low income students, English language learners, and students with disabilities: A. Special Education Instruction: 1. We will develop a unified system for special education PreK-8 by Fall, 2016. 2. Our school will establish a model of inclusion of students with special needs, based on using Universal Design for Learning. Staff will participate in professional development and planning during 2015-16 for a phase-in process for a full inclusion school model. The continuation of the model will be examined yearly through 2020 using formative and summative assessment data. 3. All students in special education will have maximum time included in regular education classes. This will be measured by comparing IEP’s and class schedules. Implemented yearly through 2020 and adjusted as needed to ensure benchmark goal is achieved. B. ELL/Title I: 1. Title I data indicates that approximately 25% of students in all grades require monitoring/support services as indicated by all tests administered during the 2014-15 school year. Teachers will hold weekly data meetings by team. Teachers will use data from formative assessments and team meetings to implement Response to Intervention. Re-teach and reassess a given standard until 85% of students have mastered that standard and 15% are making progress towards mastery. 2. McKay students who are English Language Learners will show progress of an average of 1 year of growth per student per year. Goal 7: Reduction of achievement gaps among different groups of students: McKay will focus on Student performance in English Language Arts in grades K-4. (Review of MCAS and PARCC data as well as DIBELS and GRADE data indicate that the achievement gap of specific cohorts of students begins as early as K and widens yearly through grade 4. a. We will dedicate one monthly Grade Level meeting beginning in the fall of 2015 and thereafter discuss the progress of identified students and review and revise, when needed, our plans of action for each student. b. We will ensure that support personnel attend monthly meetings so that we create a seamless plan of action for each student identified. 3. In the fall of 2015 we will create a special education task force led by the SBSF administrator to review and monitor on a monthly basis students with disabilities academic and social performance. Goal 8: Increase student and family involvement and strengthen families: Student-Led Conferences for 3rd and 4th grade will be implemented by Spring 2016; student attended conferences implemented for PreK-2 by Spring 2017.Student-Led Conferences will be implemented yearly for students grades 38 from years 2016-2020. McKay Arts Academy Innovation School Plan
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a. Family attendance will increase yearly as follows: 75% year 1, 85% year 2, 95% year 3 and maintained yearly thereafter through 2020. b. Staff development focusing on meaningful family involvement will begin Spring 2012 and will be ongoing each year through 2020. Goal 9: Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment: a. Standards-based, arts-integrated, ELA/Humanities curriculum maps will be completed for all grades by Summer 2017. b. Standardized assessments will be identified and fully implemented to establish benchmarks by Spring 2017. c. Pre and post-assessments for ELA projects will be completed by Summer 2017. Goal 10: Establish a Professional Learning Community: a. Our school will effectively use additional time to build a professional culture of teacher leadership and collaboration (e.g. designated collaborative planning time, on-site targeted professional development) focused on strengthening instructional practice and meeting school-wide achievement goals. b. Teacher teams will meet regularly to discuss and analyze student work and data for the purpose of setting high standards, assessing student learning, and strengthening the use of school-wide instructional practices. c. Agendas and documentation for our monthly Wednesday professional development time will be organized into our professional development binder/reference guide. A year-long calendar will be developed prior to the start of the school-year that maps how this time will be used with the understanding that some adjustments may be made in collaboration with the Instructional Leadership Team. 75% of agenda items will focus on strengthening instructional practices. Surveys will be used to measure effectiveness of the overall professional development experiences at our school. d. Each year, during the first month of school at the daily common plan meetings, teachers will analyze the previous year's MCAS/PARCC results of all released data reports. From this data analysis, each grade level will develop grade level goals for the areas in need of improvement. These action plans will serve as a tool to guide and inform instructional practice at each grade level for each year. To improve this practice, we will create a self-reflective evaluation tool that will be used quarterly to assess how we are implementing the action plans and what further steps may need to be taken to fully implement the plans. The evaluation tool will be created in the fall of 2015. This inquiry cycle will be aligned to the Massachusetts Educator Evaluation. e. At the end of each quarter of every year, during daily common plan meetings, teachers will analyze end of unit and/or district quarterly assessment on ELA and math results to develop comprehensive written action plans that will guide and inform instructional practice for the current quarter. McKay Arts Academy Innovation School Plan
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f. Teachers will use the data on student growth on ELA and math to inform instruction. g. Leadership team will support a community where faculty, staff, and administrators regularly engage in professional development and datadriven analysis and planning to improve student learning. h. Using the Learning Walks protocol, teachers will begin to establish a process for peer feedback and ongoing reflection to inform instructional practices and strengthen our core academic goals. i. Using common planning time, teams will work to ensure consistent practices across grades by working collaboratively to share and/or create, document, and implement math and ELA curriculum and assessments, along with other supplemental educational services program. Goal 11: Foster Partnerships: a. We will strengthen our current partnerships through collaboration and increase partner involvement based on the needs of our school and expertise of our partners. We will further deepen our relationship with partnerships to provide enrichment opportunities for students after-school, during school vacations, and during early release days. b. Partners will document their services using the following indicators where appropriate: student academic progress, student attendance, assessment of student projects (e.g. in the arts, EL), and time of services throughout the year (e.g. number of hours/days). Family, partner, and staff surveys will document evaluation of partnership services and provide feedback by June 2016. These surveys will be ongoing each year thereafter. c. We will continue to add new partners to our collaboration as determined by the plan. Yearly Review of partnerships and outreach each year thereafter. IX.
REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS
Statements of commitment and resumes from each Innovation Plan Committee member and the Current School Improvement Plan will be forwarded to ESE as required.
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Appendix A: Advisory Board Bylaws I.
Vision The McKay Arts Academy (MAA) is a diverse, Pre K-8 Innovation School that provides a safe and inclusive learning environment. Our students build character, self-confidence, academic and social leadership skills to become creative problem-solvers and responsible productive citizens.
II.
Mission At MAA, the Common Core curriculum is infused with standards based arts integrated projects to foster expression and creativity in all students. All staff members, in partnership with parents and community, collaborate to provide students appropriate resources to achieve success in all disciplines and to progress socially and emotionally.
III.
Purpose of the Board The Board and its sub-committees will work with school administration, faculty, staff, families, community members and students to ensure that the vision is realized and the mission is fulfilled. The scope of the board's work includes: • Participation in the hiring process of the school principal along with the Superintendent of Schools and The President of Fitchburg State University. The final decision will be made by the University President. • Approval of the annual budget each fall. • Twice yearly review the innovation goals and how budget expenditures support the work (fall and spring). • Annually review the school’s progress on indicators of student achievement. • The dean of education at Fitchburg State University will seek feedback annually from the board to inform the evaluation of the principal. The Board is not responsible for the day to day operations of the school.
IV.
Board Members and Officers A. Voting Members The Board will have fifteen voting members, as follows: 1. Principal of McKay Arts Academy 2. Parents, five (at least two representing the lower grades, two representing the upper grades, and one from either grade-level) 3. McKay Teachers, four (two from the lower grades, and two from the upper grades) 4. Community Members, five (representing different fields or businesses and one of them a Fitchburg State University faculty or staff member)
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B. Non-Voting Members 1. Fitchburg State University Dean of Education participates in discussion, but does not vote on motions. 2. Student representative (s) (one or two student representatives may serve on the board) All members of the Board are expected to attend monthly meetings, participate in discussions at meetings, provide their expertise as needed, abide by the standard meeting conduct rules, and be a supportive ambassador for MAA in the community. They are also encouraged to serve on at least one sub-committee. C. Officers The officers shall be elected from the Board membership. In addition to the duties listed in the by-laws below, officers’ duties include those usually performed by such officers and any special duties assigned by the Board. Student representatives to the Board are not eligible for election as officers. 1. Chairperson – The Chair’ duties are: ● leads the Board as it develops policies and does long-range strategic planning ● Schedules Board meetings with assistance from the Principal, publicly posts notices of the upcoming meetings ● Works with the members to prepare an agenda for the meetings of the Board; ● Presides at all meetings, following standard rules of meeting conduct ● Distributes minutes of previous meetings and the agenda for upcoming meetings to the Board prior to the next regularly scheduled meeting ● Represents the Board at community and district-wide events and meetings as needed 2. Vice Chair – the Vice chair will assist the Chair as needed and will preside over Board meetings in the Chairs absence. V.
Membership and Election A. Elections 1.
2. 3.
Elections for open seats on the Board will take place at the October board meeting. Newly elected members should begin attending Board meetings at the next regularly scheduled meeting. A term consists of three years. Members can serve one term. They can run again after taking one term off. Members serve for three years, with the exception of the Principal and the Dean of Education who serve during their tenure as employees.
B. Removal 1. Members may be removed from the Board for two reasons. a. Failure to attend McKay Arts Academy Innovation School Plan
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i. Members are expected to attend all meetings during the academic year (September to June). ii. Members who will be absent from any regularly scheduled board meetings should notify the Chair in advance of their absence iii. Members are expected to attend the regularly scheduled meetings of their sub committees. Members who will miss subcommittee meetings should notify the Committee chair in advance of their absence. iv. Members who miss more than three (3) Board meetings during the academic year and or a significant number of sub-committee meetings may be subject to removal. v. The Board Chair and the Principal shall meet with the member and discuss the reasons for the absences from meetings. b. Conduct Unbecoming a Member of the Board i. Members accused of conduct unbecoming will be referred to the Board Chair and the Principal. ii. The Board Chair and the Principal shall meet with the member and discuss the issues. 2. Procedure for Removal a. After the meeting with the Board member to discuss the issues, the Board Chair and the Principal will vote to recommend to the full Board retention, removal, or resign. b. The full Board will vote on the recommendation of the Board Chair and the Principal at the next regular scheduled Board meeting. A two-thirds majority of the full board shall be required to remove a member of the Board. c. If the full Board is not present at the next regularly scheduled meeting after the recommendation of the Board Chair and the Principal may schedule a special meeting for a vote. C. Special Elections In the event of a vacancy on the Board due to resignation or removal, a special election will be scheduled and conducted by the Board. D. Resignation Any member of the Board who wishes to resign will notify the chair in writing. The member’s seat will be considered empty until a special election can be held to fill the seat. E. Recruitment Membership on the Board will be determined in the following ways: 1. The school’s teachers and administrators will be responsible for conducting elections for the teachers’ representatives. 2. The PTO will be responsible for conducting elections for the parent representatives. Parents who wish to stand for election will submit a short McKay Arts Academy Innovation School Plan
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statement that will serve as an introduction. These will be distributed to families and an election held. 3. The Student Council advisor will be responsible for the student representatives on the board. 4. The Board is responsible for soliciting and selecting the community members. VI.
Subcommittees All board members may select committees on which to sit. All sub-committees will have a diversity of representation. Each sub-committee will have at least one board parent, community and teacher member. The Budget and School Improvement Plan committee must also have the Principal as a member. People other than board members can sit on subcommittees with the approval from the board subcommittee members. A. Budget Sub-committee This subcommittee will review the school budget. All recommendations of the Budget subcommittee are subject to ratification by the full Board. B. Family and Community Engagement Sub-committee This subcommittee will be charged with creating meaningful, productive and lasting bonds between the school and its families. C. School Improvement Sub-committee This subcommittee will be reviewing and improving the school improvement plan yearly to keep the plan viable and up to current standards. D. Technology and Library Sub-committee This subcommittee will advise and support the staff as they seek improvements in school technology and library services. The Sub-committees will meet as often as necessary to conduct their business. Additional sub-committees will be established as needed.
VII.
Operating Procedures A. Meeting Schedule Board meetings will take place once a month from September to June. Meetings will be open to the public and a meeting agenda will be posted on the school website and at the Fitchburg City Clerk’s Office 48 hours in advance of the meeting. In the event that a meeting cannot be held, members will be contacted by email and/or phone.
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B. Agenda The agenda for every Board meeting will be prepared by the Board Chair and the school Principal. Members of the Board may request that an item be placed on the agenda for discussion. Members should do so prior to the agenda being publicly posted at the City Clerk’s Office. If an important agenda item needs to be added during a meeting, it must be done so at the outset of the meeting and by a majority vote of the Board. See appendix I for sample agenda. 1. Meeting Recorder – The Meeting Recorder’s duties are: ● records attendance and proceedings at the Board meetings ● gives minutes to the Chair, at least one week before the upcoming meeting, for distribution and comment ● makes any corrections that members’ deem necessary and gives the corrected document to the Chair This position may rotate within the Board membership from meeting to meeting. 2. Time Keeper – The Time Keeper’s duties are: At Board meetings, the Time Keeper keeps track of the time allotted for each agenda item, and politely signals a 2-minute warning and time’s-up. This position may rotate within the Board membership from meeting to meeting. C. Governing Rules Meetings will be conducted consistent with Robert’s Rules of Order. However, the Board by-laws override Robert’s Rules. Decisions will be made by a majority vote. A majority of Board members must be present to conduct business. A majority is defined as fifty percent of the voting members in attendance, plus one additional voting member. A quorum is defined by the number of currently filled seats on the Board and not the total number of available seats. D. Public All meetings are open to the public. Members of the public who are not board members may observe the meetings. They may participate actively in the meeting if they are on the agenda or are called on by the Board Chair. E. Norms Below are the Boards agreed upon meeting norms. We will: ● treat each other with respect. ● be present at all meetings (if possible) ● use our time wisely, starting and ending our meetings on time ● be concise when we speak ● encourage others to participate McKay Arts Academy Innovation School Plan
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● address conflict by dealing with the issue not the person ● topics outside the agenda will be documented and tabled for a later time. ● all team members are equals F. Absenteeism All board members are expected to be in attendance. Sign-in sheets will be distributed at every meeting. If possible, board members should notify the Chair if they cannot attend a meeting. VII.
Amendments The by-laws may be amended when and if deemed necessary by the board, but must match the Innovation Plan and reflect what is best for the school community. Any suggested amendment will be placed on the agenda as a new item. Amendments will be voted upon by the board and will need a majority vote to pass. By-laws will be reviewed and confirmed each year in September at the first official board meeting.
VIII. Voted into effect on June 15, 2015 Sample Agenda: MCKAY ARTS ACADEMY BOARD MONTHLY MEETING AGENDA Insert date Insert time Insert location AGENDA: Time
Item
Outcome
4:30 4:35 4:45 4:50 5:05 5:20 5:30 5:40 5:45
Introductions/Welcome Assign a time keeper and a note taker Approve minutes from last meeting Student Rep Updates agenda item agenda item Principal’s Report Teacher’s Report Subcommittee Reports agenda item
5:50
Unfinished Business/New Items
6:00
Adjourn
Approval Informational/discussion
Adjourn
Next Meeting Date: McKay Arts Academy Innovation School Plan
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Presenter
Appendix B: Budget Process Overview. Generally, the annual budget for Fitchburg Public Schools (the school department) is prepared, presented, and administered by the Superintendent and his designees. Initially the budget must be approved by the School Committee in the form of a total allocation from the City after a review of all school and departmental budget lines. The school department budget is then presented to City Council for review. Finally, as part of the City’s overall budget, the school department budget is approved by City Council with an aggregated line item allocation for the entire fiscal year. Step 1: Preliminary Discussion of District Priorities.
(January – February)
While the District is continually reviewing revenue and expenses throughout the year, preliminary discussions for the next school year’s budget begin early in the calendar year, after the release of the Governor’s budget. These discussions occur amongst the members of the Superintendent’s cabinet, which consists of the Superintendent plus Assistant Superintendents of Curriculum and Grants (Paula Giaquinto), Finance and Operations (Bob Jokela), Human Resources (Richard Zeena), as well as the Administrator of Pupil and Special Education Services (Roanne Demanche). These discussions are focused on student needs and projections of available resources. Step 2: Receive Initial Revenue Estimates from State and City. (January/March) Funds allocated by the City in combination with Chapter 70 aid from the state comprise the School Committee budget and may be allocated across budget categories and line items to accomplish educational goals and objectives, contingent on ultimate approval of the City Council as part of the City budget. Chapter 70 Aid. In most years, the first draft of the state budget is submitted by the Governor to the Legislature in January. In years when the governor begins his or her first term in January, his or her proposed budget is not due until the first week of March. The Governor’s budget contains recommendations for Chapter 70 state aid and allows the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to estimate minimum local spending requirements and state aid for each city, town, and regional school district. Local Revenues. The City then provides the Superintendent with a preliminary estimate of funds that will be available for the school department budget. This budgeted figure represents the school department’s direct spending, and does not include overhead items (such as employee health insurance) or other non local funding sources (such as state and federal grants). Additional funds from a variety of sources, including for example the City’s payment of health insurance, retirement, construction for the benefit of the school department, as well as state and federal grants, are also part of the school department budget, but are generally restricted for a particular use or obligation. Step 3: Preliminary Budget Overview for School Committee. McKay Arts Academy Innovation School Plan
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(March)
Step 4: Cabinet Creates Budget Scenarios with Preliminary Information.
(March)
Step 5: Superintendent convenes Principals to Present Budget Scenarios.
(March)
Principals are asked to prioritize areas of new spending or expense reductions for their schools and the district, given predicted needs of students, estimated resources for next school year, and enrollment projections. Step 6: Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations meet with school leadership at each school individually to discuss budget needs. (March)
Step 7: Superintendent and assistants present draft budget scenarios to Resource Subcommittee of the School Committee. (Early April) Step 8: Presentations and Public Hearings of School Budget for public comment at two consecutive School Committee meetings. (April/May) Step 9: School Committee finalizes and approves budget for submission to City Council. (Early June) Step 10: School department budget is presented by Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent of Finance & Operations to City Council. (Early June) Step 11: City Council approves final City budget, including aggregated line item budget allocation for school department. (Mid-June) Step 12: Budget administration.
(July – June)
Procurement, personnel/human resources, and accounts payable continue to be managed through central office for those funds allocated to MAA through its school budget. MAA’s principal receives regular MUNIS reports on school allocations indicating where spending stands relative to budget allocations for line items.
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Appendix C: Conditions for School Effectiveness The Conditions for School Effectiveness (CSEs) articulate what schools need to have in place in order to educate their students well. These conditions, voted into regulation by the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in 2010, are provided on the next page and can be used as benchmarks against which schools can gauge their practice in key areas. Note that the first condition, District Systems for School Support and Intervention, is not addressed by this tool, as it relates to what is beyond the control of the school. That condition can be assessed through use of the District Self-Assessment (currently in development). USING THE CSE SELF-ASSESSMENT The CSE Self-Assessment is designed to be used at the school level by leaders, those responsible for day-to-day instruction, and key stakeholders. It is a tool for conducting a scan of current practice, identifying areas of strength, and highlighting areas requiring greater focus. To gain information on strengths and needs, the tool delineates the level of development of each condition along the continuum that is described below: ● 1 (Little Evidence) – A school is demonstrating little to no progress in implementing an element of a CSE, or implementation is so infrequent that its impact is negligible. ● 2 (Developing) – Some policies, practices, and procedures are emerging or are in place to support the condition; however they are not yet fully developed or implemented with fidelity. ● 3 (Providing) – The school’s policies, procedures, and practices are established and are implemented consistently, with fidelity. ● 4 (Sustaining) – The school’s policies, procedures, and practices are in place (with all being implemented at a “Providing” or at-standard level), are aligned to and integrated with one another to the point of being self-sustaining, and are supported by district efforts. As individuals or teams think about the different aspects of each condition, they should circle the placement on the continuum that is most appropriate. There will be instances where it may be difficult to choose a placement because practice may straddle two descriptions. In these instances, those completing the self-assessment should select the lower of the two placements and identify specifics about what needs to be established in order to move practice to the next level. This will provide insights into action steps that might be taken. CONDITIONS FOR SCHOOL EFFECTIVENESS I.
Effective district systems for school support and intervention: The district has systems and processes for anticipating and addressing school staffing, instructional, and operational needs in timely, efficient, and effective ways, especially for its lowest performing schools.
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II.
III.
IV.
V. VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.
XI.
Effective school leadership: The district and school take action to attract, develop, and retain an effective school leadership team that obtains staff commitment to improving student learning and implements a clearly defined mission and set of goals. Aligned curriculum: The school’s taught curricula are aligned to state curriculum frameworks and the MCAS performance level descriptions, and are also aligned vertically between grades and horizontally across classrooms at the same grade level and across sections of the same course. Effective instruction: Instructional practices are based on evidence from a body of high quality research and on high expectations for all students and include use of appropriate research-based reading and mathematics programs; the school staff has a common understanding of high-quality evidence-based instruction and a system for monitoring instructional practice. Student assessment: The school uses a balanced system of formative and benchmark assessments. Principal’s staffing authority: The principal has the authority to make staffing decisions based on the School Improvement Plan and student needs, subject to district personnel policies, budgetary restrictions and the approval of the superintendent. Professional development and structures for collaboration: Professional development for school staff includes both individually pursued activities and school-based, jobembedded approaches, such as instructional coaching. It also includes content-oriented learning. The school has structures for regular, frequent collaboration to improve implementation of the curriculum and instructional practice. Professional development and structures for collaboration are evaluated for their effect on raising student achievement. Tiered instruction and adequate learning time: The school schedule is designed to provide adequate learning time for all students in core subjects. For students not yet on track to proficiency in English language arts or mathematics, the school provides additional time and support for individualized instruction through tiered instruction, a data-driven approach to prevention, early detection, and support for students who experience learning or behavioral challenges, including but not limited to students with disabilities and English language learners. Students’ social, emotional, and health needs: The school creates a safe school environment and makes effective use of a system for addressing the social, emotional, and health needs of its students that reflects the behavioral health and public schools framework. Family-school engagement: The school develops strong working relationships with families and appropriate community partners and providers in order to support students’ academic progress and social and emotional well-being. Strategic use of resources and adequate budget authority: The principal makes effective and strategic use of district and school resources and has sufficient budget authority to do so.
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