NMS is committed to mastering the instructional strategy of differentiation. Differentiation tailoring instruction to meet individual needs. Whether teachers differentiate content, process, products, or the learning environment, the use of ongoing assessment and flexible grouping makes this a successful approach to instruction (Tomlinson, 2000). Today's schools must accommodate students from different ethnic groups, language groups, cultures, family situations, and social and economic situations, with different interests and purposes for learning, and different abilities and styles of learning. In the face of all this diversity, schools can no longer operate as if one curriculum and way of teaching will fit most of the students. Instead, students can pursue a common set of curricular goals or learning standards, accomplishing them in different ways and sometimes to different degrees of mastery (National Institute for Urban School Improvement, Education Development Center, Inc, 2000). is no recipe for differentiation. Rather, it is a way of thinking about teaching and learning that values the individual and can be translated into classroom practice in many ways. Still, the following broad principles and characteristics will be established at NMS in order to provide a defensible differentiated classroom: make sure each student gets access to knowledge, skills, and information, individually tailored learning, use collaborative teaching arrangements, collaborate with families, agencies, and other community members, hold high expectations for student success, and build inclusive communities (National Institute for Urban School Improvement, Education Development Center, Inc, 2000). Academic Writing Rationale/Text Structures A major factor in NMS’s success is their commitment to writing every day in every class. Writing, particularly writing to inform, noted the U.S. Department of Education (2003), is “one of five top instructional practices for reducing achievement gap” (as cited in Thompson & Thompson, 2009). Furthermore, “Students use writing as a tool for learning, and they write for a variety of purposes and audiences…They understand and articulate how authors use a variety of
2016-2017 Goal/Area of Focus: Ten percent of ELA and math students who are currently levels 1 and 2 will move up another level, and those students in levels 3 and 4 will either maintain or improve their current levels as reported from the Spring 2016 GMAS to the Spring 2017 GMAS. VCS Performance Objective Initiatives Actions/Strategies/Interventions Include Professional Development related to Initiatives Resources Needed Materials, Training Cost, Supplies, Dues/Fees, Travel, Stipends, Subs, etc. Specify Funding & Source Person(s) Responsible Timeline Accountability Monitoring of Initiatives Artifacts documenting Initiatives Evaluating Impact on Student Learning Data to be used to evaluate Initiatives To ensure mastery of rigorous curriculum Content Professional Learning Communities designed to create learning opportunities that require critical thinking and the use of formative assessments aligned to GSE and GPS. Supplies-Title I Study Island, and After School Teachers Academic Coaches Administrators August 2016-May 2017 Lesson Plans Descriptive Level Rubric Walkthroughs Formative Observations Student work Grades Lexile Scores Summative Assessments GMAS Read 180 Workbooks-Title I Supplies-Title I Teachers Administrators Academic Coach Literacy Team August 2016-May 2017 STAR Reports Report Cards Progress Monitoring Read 180 Reports Report Cards To ensure all students are college and career ready AVID Strategies Supplies-Title I I Training Cost-Title I Subs-Title I Teachers Administrators Academic Coaches August 2016-May 2017 Lesson Plans Walkthroughs One World Notebooks Student Samples Report Cards Progress Monitoring Tool
Develop a culture and climate that is safe, has high expectations, ensures that rigorous learning occurs and positive relationships are formed. VCS Performance Objective Initiatives Actions/Strategies/Interventions Include Professional Development related to Initiatives Resources Needed Materials, Training Cost, Supplies, Dues/Fees, Travel, Stipends, Subs, etc. Specify Funding & Source Person(s) Responsible Accountability Monitoring of Initiatives Artifacts documenting Initiatives Evaluating Impact on Student Learning Data to be used to evaluate Initiatives To promote a positive school culture PBIS Supplies-QBE PBIS Rewards Program Teachers Administrators VCS RTI/PBIS Specialist Behavior Intervention Specialist August 2016-May 2017 Progress Monitoring Tool/Board Discipline Reports Attendance Reports Report Cards Discipline Data Attendance Data To improve communication, collaboration, and engagement Increase parental involvement I Teachers Administrators Academic Coaches August 2016-May 2017 Sign-In sheets Title I Completion Reports
VCS Strategic Goal Area: Positive Relationships with all Stakeholders Goal/Area of Focus: VCS Performance Objective Initiatives Actions/Strategies/Interventions Include Professional Development related to Initiatives Resources Needed Materials, Training Cost, Supplies, Dues/Fees, Travel, Stipends, Subs, etc. Specify Funding & Source Person(s) Accountability Monitoring of Initiatives Artifacts documenting Initiatives Evaluating Impact on Student Learning Data to be used to evaluate Initiatives Valdosta City Schools Evaluating the School Improvement Plan School: 2016-2017