School Committee goals that School Committee will work on.

• Facilities
1. Create a new strategy for the future, both long and short term
2. Examine energy efficiency and work toward more energy efficient schools
3. Present a positive and realistic perception of the LHS facility



• Food services project
  
  1. Complete a survey of the present food services
  2. Go out to bid for privatization of the food services program
  3. Come to conclusion as to whether to privatize food services

District goals for the 2008-2009 school year

1. Prepare students with 21st century skills

 Definition of 21st Century Skills
Digital Age Literacy.

• Basic, scientific, economic and technological literacy
• Visual literacy and information literacy
• Multicultural literacy and global awareness

Inventive Thinking

• Adaptability and managing complexity
• Self-direction
• Curiosity, creativity, and risk taking
• Higher-order thinking and sound reasoning

Effective Communication

• Teaming, collaboration, and interpersonal skills
• Personal, social, and civic responsibility
• Interactive communication

High Productivity

• Prioritizing, planning, and managing for results
• Effective use of real-world tools
• Ability to produce relevant, high-quality products

Action Steps 

1. Prepare a technology curriculum K-12 with technology standards to be taught at each grade through both the classroom teacher and the library/media specialist
2. Ensure that all teachers are trained to incorporate technology into their teaching and make this an expectation for all teachers.
3. Prepare a document with research expectations for each grade level.  When appropriate, research skills will coincide with technology skills for that grade.
4. Have every teacher submit a plan for how they will incorporate technology into their subject area.  To help teachers prepare for this, our new Technology Integration Specialist will work with teachers to help introduce them to ways of integrating technology into their classes.
5. Encourage collaboration through scheduling so that each core-subject teacher will engage in grade-level or discipline level cooperative planning meetings during school or after-school scheduled meeting times.
6. Every teacher will incorporate collaborative learning projects into their teaching.  These will be documented in their planning documents.
7. Develop a pyramid of intervention in each school for students who need additional support to successfully master each subject.
8. Incorporate a re-teach and enrich program in every elementary and middle school to provide just-in-time remediation when necessary and to provide opportunities for enrichment.  Design and introduce a re-teach class at Leominster High School

Indicators of success

1. A written technology curriculum, grades K-12, will be presented to the school committee for approval, then shared with all teachers.  Curriculum will include grade specific standards and breakdown of who is responsible for instruction/implementation.Principals will hold teachers accountable for implementation. A timetable for implementation will be created and disseminated.
2. A document that clearly outlines research expectations for each grade level will be presented to the school committee and shared with all teachers. Principals will hold teachers accountable for implementation.  Documentation will include grade level project rubrics and evidence of student work.
3. The Technology Integration Specialist will document the support that she has given in each school.  This document will clearly demonstrate that each teacher was taught to use a common set of technologies, plus teachers were given the opportunity to increase their technology skills above the expected level.  A set of minimum expectations for professional and classroom use will be developed.  Teachers will complete an initial self-assessment of their technology knowledge and needs.  PD will be given to remediate those needs.  All teachers will be held accountable for using word, e-mail with attachments, using the internet, using the internet for instruction, using spreadsheets such as X2, and using instructional software in their teaching.  Principals will document that 100% of the teachers have met these minimum standards.
4. Every principal will be responsible for assembling plans from each teacher on how they will use technology in their classroom.  Each principal will fill in a form that documents each teacher’s meeting the minimum technology standards this year.
5. All principals will plan times throughout the year for teachers to collaborate on curriculum issues. This work will be demonstrated by collaborative teaching projects posted on our website by teachers and by the reteach and enrich period at the elementary and middle school levels.
6. Teachers will document collaborative learning projects and principals will assemble those documents.  The webmaster will create an area on the web where innovative and collaborative learning projects may be posted and accessed by other teachers.
7. Each principal will submit his/her school’s pyramid of intervention for students who need additional support to successfully master each subject.  They will document the number of students receiving each level of support.  Every student in the warning or needs improvement category will be represented in the pyramid of intervention, so that they may be successful in meeting benchmark standards.
8. A re-teach and enrich program will be instituted in each elementary and middle school.  Documentation will be kept on formative assessments of students and summative improvement data.  In Mathematics, 80 % of students will meet 100% of the standards assessed in benchmark testing as opposed to 83 % of the standards met last year. In ELA, 80 % of students will meet 100% of the standards assessed in benchmark testing as opposed to 73 % of the standards met last year. A re-teach class will start at the high school in semester 2. Base-line documentation will be kept on formative assessments of students and summative improvement data.  

2. Develop strong citizenship traits in our students

Action Steps 

1. We will examine issues of school safety and emotional development through a multi-tiered level of positive behavioral supports.   One school will develop and utilize a pyramid of intervention.  Next summer, institutes will be held to train teachers and administrators in other schools.
2. A broad-based committee will be put in place to examine our health curriculum and make recommendations on changes that should be made to the health education of our students.  These changes will be taken into consideration, a plan will be developed, and the plan will gain consideration in the budgeting process.
3. The 21st Century grant after-school programs will be implemented at both middle schools.
4. Second Step will be taught by all teachers K-8, and Steps to Respect, an anti-bullying program, will be piloted at Sky View Middle School.  Peer mediation will be begun at the middle school level.
5. Community service programs will be implemented at each level and data will be kept on the number of projects and participants.
6. At one school, we will conduct training and begin to implement the programs discussed under the unified umbrella of RTI.  Administrators and teachers from that school will then become trainers and will work with teachers and administrators in other schools as part of our summer institutes.
7. Statistics will be kept at each school on behavior issues and compared to last year’s numbers.  As well, bullying incidents in 6th grade at Sky View Middle School with the anti-bullying pilot program will be documented and compared to last year’s numbers.
8. A student safety survey will be conducted twice a year.  The information from it will be used to strengthen safety procedures at each school.
9. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey will be analyzed and will inform our health education program, after-school offerings, nursing services, and school safety procedures.

Indicators of success

1. A planning document that outlines school safety and emotional development through a multi-tiered level of positive behavioral supports will be developed and shared with the school committee.  In summer institutes, each school will be trained in this technique and each school will use it as a basis for developing its own pyramid of intervention.  Those school pyramids of intervention will also be shared with the school committee in the 2009-2010 school year.
2. Results of the recommendations of the broad-based committee to examine our health curriculum will be brought to the community in the form of an informational forum.  The community and school committee will have the opportunity to respond to the recommendations.  A curriculum plan based on approved MA  Health Frameworks will be developed and brought to the school committee for approval.  A timetable for implementation will be created and disseminated.  Curriculum will include grade specific standards and breakdown of who is responsible for instruction/implementation.
3. The 21st Century Schools program will do pre- and post-testing of students and document academic growth and behavioral improvement.  A satisfaction survey will be given to all students and parents at the end of each 8-week session.
4. Statistics will be kept on number of school discipline infractions as well as positive behavior supports and community service activities.  Each principal will document his/her school’s community service activities.  This is a part of teaching good citizenship in our schools. In 2008, 10 % of students surveyed did not feel safe at school.  In 2009, we will decrease the percent of students who do not feel safe at school from 10 % to 8 %.
5. In 2008, 89 % of the middle school students surveyed (grades 6-8) reported knowing who to tell if someone hurt them or said they were going to hurt them.  In 2009, we will increase the percent of students who know who to tell from 89% to 91%.
6. In 2008, 85 % of the high school students surveyed (grades 9-12) reported knowing who to tell if someone hurt them or said they were going to hurt them.  In 2009, increase the percent of students who know who to tell from 85% to 87%.
7. In 2008, there were 1032 incidents of suspension district wide.  In 2009, decrease the number of incidents of suspension district wide by 2 percent.
8. A report will be presented to the school committee in the spring on the progress of the implementation of RTI.  RTI is an approach to school-wide data collection and use, behavioral interventions, and social and emotional development.  It grows out of the theory that strong schools help to develop the whole child.
9. Results of the student safety survey and the principals’ response to it will be presented to the school committee after each time it is given
10. The results of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey will be analyzed and recommendations of what the schools will do alone and in conjunction with other community groups will be presented to the school committee. 

3. High student achievement

Action Steps 

1. MCAS results from 2007-2008 will be analyzed and shared with last year’s and this year’s classroom teachers of those students.
2. As one of their goals, each principal will set improvement goals in each discipline tested in MCAS and will develop a plan for his/her school for improvement .
3. Grades 3 – 8 will continue to be given standards-based benchmark assessments throughout the year.  ELA and Mathematics teachers will work collaboratively with content coaches to analyze results quarterly.  Classroom teachers will create an action plan to support remediation necessary to ensure that 80% of students approach or meet standard. 
4. Year 2 of the implementation of the math Investigations series will be done by all elementary teachers who did not implement last year.
5. A pilot project in Connected Mathematics will be held at the middle school level. 
6. Galileo benchmark assessments will be administered to all Grade 9 math and ELA classes in the fall and spring. All Grade 9 teachers will collaboratively develop instructional strategies and student interventions based on the fall and spring assessment to improve the success of students who fall below mastery on the standards assessed. Common formative assessments will be developed and implemented to measure student’s mastery of standards resulting from instructional intervention
7. The high school principal in conjunction with the district curriculum office will design an Educational Proficiency Plan (EPP) system in accordance with DESE policies that will allow students who pass the Grade 10 Math and/or ELA MCAS with a score less than proficient to demonstrate that they have attained the proper skills to be eligible for a competency determination.
8. Last year’s DIBELS, Grade and Galileo results will be analyzed in terms of their ability to predict MCAS results. 
9. Writers Workshop will be extended to Fall Brook this year.
10. Professional development in writing and literacy will move to year 2 at the middle school level.
11. A new course will be developed at the high school to be implemented next year for students who have not successfully passed the science requirement after grade 9.

Indicators of success

1. For the past few years, MCAS results have been shared with this year’s classroom teacher.  This year, results will also be shared with last year’s classroom teacher.  Student success plans will be developed for all students in all grades in the warning and failing categories.  Teachers will examine their last year’s results and develop plans for more comprehensive teaching in those areas in which a significant number of students were not successful.  Improvement goals and targets for MCAS by each principal will be shared with the school committee.
2. The school and district accountability system includes analysis of benchmark assessments and common formative assessments to track individual student success.  A reporting system will be implemented to measure growth of student’s content knowledge to mastery.  This reporting system will provide direct feedback to classroom teachers responsible for action plans and remediation in the content areas of ELA and Mathematics as well as school and district administration.  80% of students will approach or meet standard as measured by district benchmark and/or district formative assessments, in the last administered benchmark assessment. 
   This is how students did over the last two years in math and one year in ELA (this is only the second year we are doing these benchmark assessments in ELA
   In Grades 3 – 8, in Mathematics, school year 2007, 80 % of students met or approached standard on 75% of the standards assessed.
   In Mathematics, school year 2008, 80 % of students met or approached standard on 83 % of the standards assessed.
   In ELA, school year 2008, 80 % of students met or approached standard on 73% of the standards assessed.
   In ELA and Mathematics, school year 2009,our goal is that 80% of students will meet or approach standard on 100 % of the standards assessed.
   Students are assessed on approximately 20 – 25 power standards in ELA and Math each year
3. A report on full implementation of the math Investigations program and on the pilot of Connected Mathematics will be given to the school committee.  100% of elementary math teachers will implement the math Investigations program as part of their teaching of the mathematics standards at their grade level.
4. Following the initial Galileo assessment in math and ELA in grade 9, all appropriate teachers will review results through a data debriefing session with a goal of 80% of all students approaching or attaining mastery of identified power standards. Strategies and accompanying formative assessments will be developed and implemented in each class that does not meet this goal in order to support improved student achievement which will be measured by additional assessments. Furthermore, each content area will use the identified power standards for Geometry and Sophomore English to create Grade 10 pre and post tests as well as benchmark assessments. These grade level assessments will, then, similarly be implemented in the fall, 2009.  This work and these expectations are a very important part of preparing students to be successful on the MCAS exam.
5. In conjunction with the district Curriculum Office, Leominster High School will evaluate the newly designed Educational Proficiency Plan system by reviewing MCAS results, identifying all students in need of an EPP, and ensuring that all students exhibit the necessary proficiency to ensure 100% of these students are eligible to receive a full diploma at the conclusion of their Senior year in 2010.
6. A report of the ability of DIBELS, Grade and Galileo results to predict MCAS scores will be presented to the school committee along with any changes in testing that we may make.
7. A report on efforts to improve the writing ability of students will be given to the school committee along with an analysis of how our students do in the area of writing. 
8. The course curriculum for a new course to be developed at the high school to be implemented next year for students who have not successfully passed the science requirement after grade 9 will be brought to the school committee for approval.