Challenges and Areas for Growth It is important to note that district review reports prioritize identifying challenges and areas for growth in order to promote a cycle of continuous improvement; the report deliberately describes the district’s challenges and concerns in greater detail than the strengths identified during the review. Curriculum and Instruction 6. The district’s curriculum maps do not consistently include key components. Many do not include instructional strategies, resources, pacing guides, and assessments. A. Curriculum maps exist for all grades and disciplines. However, a sampling of 16 curriculum maps in the network’s curriculum folder showed maps that do not include key elements. Of the 16 maps sampled: 1. All maps included a content component; 2. None contained instructional strategies; 3. Eight included a pacing guide or timeline; 4. Five included instructional resources; 5. Thirteen contained an assessment component. However, 11 simply listed generic references to tests, quizzes, homework and projects; 6. There were five different curriculum map formats. Impact: Without key components, curriculum guides do not specify for teachers the teaching and learning that is to take place in each course of study. As a result, the district cannot ensure that students have the opportunity to master what the state requires in its curriculum frameworks. 7. In visited classrooms, team members observed a low incidence of some key instructional characteristics. The team observed 67 classes throughout the Abington school district: 18 at the high school, 18 at the middle school, and 31 in elementary school classrooms. The team observed 24 ELA, 21 mathematics, 9 science lessons, and 13 other classes. The observations were approximately 20 minutes in length. All review team members collected data using ESE’s instructional inventory, a tool for recording observed characteristics of standards based teaching. This data is presented in Appendix C. In a majority of the observed Abington classrooms, review team members found the instructional climate to be conducive to learning. A majority of the district’s teachers
Student and school performance data, including achievement and growth, enrollment, graduation, dropout, retention, suspension, and attendance rates. Data on the district’s staffing and finances. Published educational reports on the district by ESE, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), and the former Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (EQA). District documents such as district and school improvement plans, school committee policies, curriculum documents, summaries of student assessments, job descriptions, collective bargaining agreements, evaluation tools for staff, handbooks, school schedules, and the district’s end-of-year financial reports. All completed program and administrator evaluations, and a random selection of completed teacher evaluations. Site Visit Schedule Monday 03/03/2014 Tuesday 03/04/2014 Wednesday 03/05/2014 Thursday 03/06/2014 Orientation with district leaders and principals; interviews with district staff and principals; document reviews; review of personnel files; interview with teachers’ association. Interviews with district staff and principals; review of personnel files; student focus group; teacher focus groups; parent focus group; and visits to Abington High School for classroom observations. Interviews with town personnel; interviews with school leaders; interview with school committee members; visits to Beaver Brook and Woodsdale Elementary for classroom observations. District review team meeting; visits to Center Elementary, Frolio Middle, and Abington High for classroom observations; emerging themes meeting with district leaders and principals.
Table B9: Abington Public Schools Expenditures Per In-District Pupil Fiscal Years 2010-2012 Expenditure Category 2010 2011 2012 2013 Administration $305 $320 $356 $467 Instructional leadership (district and school) $499 $504 $541 $554 Teachers $3,782 $3,949 $4,188 $4,275 Other teaching services $607 $814 $841 $837 Professional development $120 $145 $178 $177 Instructional materials, equipment and technology $456 $468 $392 $462 Guidance, counseling and testing services $289 $433 $477 $375 Pupil services $768 $875 $999 $1,015 Operations and maintenance $682 $933 $743 $711 Insurance, retirement and other fixed costs $1,667 $1,974 $2,039 $1,892 Total expenditures per in-district pupil $9,175 $10,415 $10,756 $10,766 Sources: Note: Any discrepancy between expenditures and total is because of rounding.