Midland Street Elementary – Plan to Improve Student Outcome Progress Report

Worcester Public Schools 2023-2024 School Growth Plan

Midland Street Elementary 

Delivering on High Expectations and Outstanding Results for All Students

Superintendent: Dr. Rachel H. Monárrez
Midland Street Elementary Principal: Christina Guertin

 

Plan to Improve Student Outcomes

This Plan to Improve Student Outcomes defines the school’s mission, vision, and key strategies for the school year. This plan is aligned to the Worcester Public School Coherence Framework and is organized around the four core practices of Leadership Practices, Positive Climate and Culture, Specific Student Supports, and Intentional Instruction. 

Midland Street School’s North Star 

A school’s North Star is the school’s mission and vision to equip all students with the skills, competencies, and mindsets needed to be successful. It is grounded in data, stakeholder engagement, and vision for graduates of the school.

Midland Street School will implement the new district ELA curriculum (CKLA) as an Instructional Program which aligns with District best practices and school-based initiatives; to improve instruction and opportunities for students to demonstrate grade level ELA proficiency.

All students at Midland Street School will make significant progress toward proficiency in all academic areas and demonstrate their ability to apply their skills and knowledge in the world; aligning our goal with the district’s Vision of a Learner. “Our scholars will leverage a broad set of multi-literate skills as Problem Solvers, Curious Learners, Empowered Individuals, Effective Communicators, and Engaged Community Members.”

School growth planning is an essential part of continuous school improvement. Setting expectations and strategically working to advance the school’s North Star vision is what can lead to change for the better. This Plan to Improve Student Outcomes lays out the school’s intentions for the strategies it will use, actions they will take and the anticipated outcomes.  The school’s instructional leadership team leads the work.

School Instructional Leadership Team

• Christina Guertin, Principal
• Tara Dexter, Assistant Principal
• Maggie Mastrocola, School Adjustment Counselor
• Robyn Towner, Kindergarten Teacher
• Jamie Finn, 1st Grade Teacher
• Christine Whalen, 2nd Grade Teacher
• Lynnette Nieves, 3rd Grade Teacher
• Mary Malley, Teacher
• Lori Piazzo, SPED Teacher
• Jessica Farmer, MLL Teacher
• Hailey Longbottom, 5th Grade Teacher
• Ann Robert, 6th Grade Teacher

School Instructional Leadership Team Meeting Schedule

• September 11 & 25
• October 16 & 30
• November 13 & 27
• December 11 
• January 8 & 15 & 29
• February 12 & 26
• March 11 & 25
• April 8 & 29
• May 13 & 27
• June 10 & 24
• Summer planning session if applicable

School Priority Goal(s) for School Year 2023-2024

The school priority goal is the focus that drives the improvement work during the school year. It is based on a review of data from the previous school year. The following pages contain plans for each core practice that when implemented, should lead to improvements associated with the priority goal. 

Based on the 2022-2023 End of the Year data; Midland Street School will continue to improve grade level proficiency across the areas of ELA and Math. 

• We will address the following areas of reading/literacy:

1. Student proficiency amongst the following ELA standards (as measured by the ELA MCAS):

Reading

Key Ideas and Details – (R.PK-12.1, R.PK-12.2, and R.PK-12.3)

Craft and Structure – (R.PK-12.4, R.PK-12.5, and R.PK-12.6)

Reading | Integration of Knowledge and Ideas – (R.PK-12.9)

Language

Conventions of Standard English- (L.PK-12.1 and L.PK-12.2)

Knowledge of Language – (L.PK-12.3)

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use – (L.PK-12.4)

Writing

Text Types and Purposes (W.PK-12.2)

Production and Distribution of Writing (W.PK-12.4)

 

1. Reading comprehension and reduce the percentage of students identified at the Beginning of the Year as “intervention and urgent intervention” as measured by the STAR assessments. 

• We will address the areas of Geometry, Measurement and Data, Operations and Algebraic Thinking Numbers and Operations – Fractions and reduce the percentage of students identified as “intervention and urgent intervention” as measured by the STAR assessments.  

We will continue to implement the co-teaching model of instruction in grades 1, 2 and 4 and also add co-teaching in grades 3,5 and 6. This model of ELA/ESL instruction will likely address areas of need for all students, especially ESL (current and former), to enhance and improve their ELA skills as measured by STAR assessments and MCAS.

 

Key Data and Rationale for Priority Goal(s)

This year, our staff will continue to meet regularly in the following teams: ILT, Climate and Culture and Grade Level Planning, as well as during Common Preps. The staff’s input will be leveraged through looking at data, collaborative conversations, surveys and feedback throughout the year.  The feedback from the 2022-2023 school year indicated a need for more teacher collaboration in means of planning time. For SY23-24, we have developed a schedule where all grade levels had 2 – 3 common prep periods a week, as well as vertical planning across grade levels. 

To continue with our vision of collaboration, The ILT consists of staff from a varied array of levels, as does the Climate and Culture team. Several new staff have been hired for the SY23-24. We have three new classroom teachers (grade 4, and two grade 5) as well as a new Special Education (SPED) teacher and Multilingual Learner Teacher (MLL). These staff have been placed on teams according to the school needs (i.e., The SPED teacher and 1 MLL teacher will be included on the ILT and the other MLL teacher will participate on the Climate and Culture team. We have ensured that one grade level teacher from each grade has a seat on either the ILT or the Climate and Culture team. Thus, allowing for grade level teams to discuss ideas and initiatives of each team with their partners, allowing for a sense of belonging within the Midland Community. All teams will have the embedded focus of student learning as well as the District’s Instructional Framework. 

Based on our data and feedback (from staff, students, and community members) from SY21-22 and the beginning of SY22-23, our academic data identified a need for students to access a more developed and robust way of learning. Our past instructional practices have not provided enough of a focus on student led/facilitated learning and/or collaborative teaching and learning. 

During school year 22-23, we implemented a change to instructional practices to enhance student learning through the workstation model. The workstation model took place in both ELA and Math courses in all grades K – 6. The district has purchased a new ELA curriculum which we will follow to full fidelity. This model does not have the workstation model approach. We will continue to follow the district’s best practices and we will adapt this new ELA program while focusing on “in the moment” student needs and small group flexibility based on data teachers are collecting during lesson

As our math scores demonstrate, Midland Street students have done well / exceeded both the District and the State regarding STAR. This is likely due to the method of instruction using the workshop model in SY 22-23.  Continuing the use of this model in SY 23-24 will likely prove to be more successful as we now have a firm grasp on the workshop model, we have had PD from the district math coach and we will continue to fine tune our targeted stations and small group. During Math lessons, we will also continue to use ST Math as a tool, provide puzzle talks and also daily time for students to use the program.

In 2022-2023, Midland Street staff and students embarked on the instructional method of Co-Teaching within grades 1, 2, and 4. During the SY23-24, we will expand this instructional practice to include grades 1 – 6. This will allow for our learners to continue to receive ESL services inside their English Language Arts (ELA) courses, without missing important ELA content. 

During the SY22-23, the climate and culture at Midland shifted. The Administrative team continued to complete walkthroughs (school based and district based) and instructional rounds, observations, as well as staff and student input. The common trend indicated a lack of stamina and student engagement. These were areas that demonstrated a need to improve.  In addition, student feedback was sought out to indicate their preference of learning styles and designed their own clubs during the afterschool program.

In 2022-2023, Midland Street staff and students embarked on the instructional method of Co-Teaching within grades 1, 2, and 4. During the SY23-24, we will expand this instructional practice to include grades 1 – 6. This will allow for our learners to continue to receive ESL services inside their English Language Arts (ELA) courses, without missing important ELA content. 

We just completed our first year with the District Co-Teaching pilot. ESL students in grades 1,2, and 4, regardless of EPL level, received ESL services in the regular classroom without being pulled out.  This past summer the teachers participating (Grades 1, 2 and 4 and ESL) in the Co-Teaching Pilot were offered a district professional development over the course of a week in which they were able to plan units together. The Co-Teachers in the pilot had built in planning time during the school day to plan together, along with a monthly district-based planning session (align and design). The MLL building coach supported instruction and learning practices. The MLL coach provides bi-weekly support to the ESL and classroom teachers. 

 

Looking at various data points (STAR, ACCESS, classroom-based assessments) the MLL students demonstrated growth in Reading proficiency. This growth is likely due to the integration of ESL instruction into the content of the ELA block. Students were not missing daily ELA lessons and were provided scaffolds, modeling and modifications as needed or if they sought them out. This not only was benefit to our MLL students, but also provided students who are not MLL’s with other opportunities to learn content in varied ways. The UDL and MTSS approaches to learning was strongly embedded into this instructional practice. Peer models were available, SWD were able to have targeted instruction from another professional in the building who could provide multimodal methods of teaching and learning as well as continuing to have the support of their classroom teacher.

 

Students with disabilities demonstrated growth on the STAR assessment in both Early Literacy and Reading. Most of our SPED students were also taking part in the co-teaching model of ELA and likely had direct/targeted instruction at their level when needed, due to the ESL teacher and classroom teacher planning supportive lessons for all learners. 

Math demonstrates an area where we need to improve. We are not far behind the District in means of our percentage of students who are at/above benchmark levels on the STAR Math assessment. The ILT will now include the new SPED teacher. We will enlist her insight as to how we may provide more opportunities for SWD to grow and demonstrate mastery of math topics/standards. 

Having a firm grasp on the workshop model will also likely lead to more opportunities for SWD to work with a partner as a station, use multi-modal methods of teaching and learning and provide SWD the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding in many ways. 

 

Looking at MCAS data, we will target areas of need for students in grades 3 – 6. 

As an ILT we will continue to use data to drive our meeting focus and we will begin to implement common data dives during common preps as means for staff to reflect, gain a better understanding of where and how they can help their students and get ideas from other grade level or vertical partners. 

While Midland students typically do well academically, input regarding their social ability and also student led opportunities for learning were in need of change. This year, teachers continued to implement lessons with UDL and MTS, but now provided more opportunities for student led learning and the transfer of ownership to the students. Without student input, we would not have been able to hold value to these ideas.  These are strong indicators of both school and student success and therefore will be a central focus for our Instructional / Leadership Practices continuing on. A few of the implementation changes that we input this year:

• Surveys

○ The students were given opportunities to create clubs during the afterschool program. 

○ We surveyed students to gather their thoughts about what interests they had.

○ Door decorating contest

○ Student feedback proved to be valuable and necessary. 

• Student Council

○ The Student Council President and Vice President were a vital piece to our school-based teams.

○ The Student Council President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer hold seats on the Climate and Culture team, where they brought

              student voice into our meetings.

○ Implemented bake sales, reading across the grade levels and a school spirit week.

○ Raised money to buy a Shark Mascot costume. 

 

Student Council and the Climate and Culture team will focus on ways to improve the areas of:

• School Safety
• Sense of Belonging
• School Climate
• Family Engagement

 

ILT will focus on ways to improve:

• Belonging 
• Feedback

 

Leadership Practices

The school has established a community of practice through leadership, shared responsibility, and professional collaboration.

 

Our Vision for Leadership Practices

Our leadership team fosters a culture of support and a focus on helping students and staff be the best they can be. The leadership team leads by example and through a structure of school-wide teams and PLCs. School teams will continue to work to be high functioning and use data to support student academic and social emotional well-being. Our teams consist of school admin and teachers.  We continue to build trust among team members by releasing responsibility to staff as they are leading PLC’s and grade level planning meetings based on their needs and the needs of students. School leadership checks-in regularly with staff to ensure everyone feels supported and welcomes constructive feedback. Staff feels comfortable communicating with the administration and leadership team (regardless of topic).

 

Aspiration for 2023-2024 School Year 

To enhance Midland Street School Staff’s professional collaboration and professional culture through the use of teaming structures, professional growth, and reflective practice.

 

Strategies for Leadership Practices

Leadership Teaming Structure – 

The ILT Team will meet regularly throughout SY23-24. During the summer of 2023, the ILT members conducted a book study using the book Teacher Clarity Playbook and are leading remaining staff in professional development. 

Shared Ownership – 

School Site Council – Members of the school community will join the Principal, A.P., Coach and a few selected staff to go over the school happenings, data and upcoming events. 

PTO – Parent Teacher Organization – a selected staff member will attend the PTO meetings and report back to the staff at staff meetings or through an email.

Measures of Success for Desired Outcomes

• A survey was sent out at the end of the SY22-23 asking teachers which teams they would like to take part in. We developed teams based on their input. 
• ILT instructional rounds – we will use a walkthrough tool (which we will create as a team) to complete rounds at least 2x this year. 
• Agendas and notes of the ILT 
• School Site Council meeting agendas
• PTO agendas

 

Positive Climate and Culture

The school has established a climate and culture that provides a safe, orderly and respectful environment for students and a collegial, collaborative, and professional culture among teachers that supports the school’s focus on increasing student achievement.

 

Our Vision for a Positive Climate and Culture

Our vision is to develop well rounded, confident and responsible individuals who aspire to achieve their full potential. We will do this by providing a welcoming, happy, safe, and supportive learning environment in which everyone is equal and all achievements are celebrated.

 

Aspiration for 2023-2024 School Year 

Positive Climate and Culture – 

The Climate and Culture Team will meet regularly throughout the SY23-24 to ensure that staff, students and the school community’s voice, concerns and aspirations are being met. Subcommittees will also be created and take place within this larger committee (PBIS, Student Council, etc.). 

 

Strategies for Positive Climate and Culture

• Climate and Culture Team
• Student Involvement
• Positive Behavior In Schools – PBIS

Measures of Success and Desired Outcomes

• Agendas and notes of the Climate and Culture Team
• Student Feedback – will be gathered across the grade levels to gain a sense of how well the student council is meeting the needs of the students at Midland
• Monitor student incidents and meet to discuss Increase/Decrease in the number of students who are being monitored by the School Adjustment Counselor. Increase/decrease in behavior interventions. Increase/decrease in students’ Office Referrals.

 

Student Specific Supports

The school provides student-specific supports and interventions informed by data and the identification of student-specific needs.

 

Our Vision for Student Specific Supports

Midland Street School will implement and adapt district protocols, visions and missions. We will develop school wide plans for student success using MTSS, UDL and data to drive instruction and provide flexible support/groups to students who need them.

 

Aspiration for 2023-2024 School Year 

The focus this year will remain on using student data to drive instruction, provide support, refine lesson planning and identify students who may need tier 3 support and/or SSP referrals. Teachers have 2-3 common preps a week where they will be able to collaborate with each other. Since most grades will be using the Co-Teaching model, students may move from one homeroom to a different class for ELA instruction. This will create talking points for teachers to gather ideas and feedback on how to best support the students using a “team” based approach to learning and student success. 

 

Strategies for Student Specific Supports

• Co-Teaching Planning
• Grade Level Meetings
• School-wide Data Dives

 

Measures of Success and Desired Outcomes

• Lesson plans
• Co-Teacher notes
• Grade Level Meeting Agendas
• ILT and staff wide data dives 
• Benchmark data and Progress monitoring of students – DIBELS, STAR, other district assessments. 
• Admin Team visits during Common Preps
• SSP Referrals
• SSP meeting notes

 

Intentional Instruction

The school employs intentional practices for improving teacher-specific and student-responsive instruction.

 

Our Vision for Intentional Instruction

Midland Street staff will continue to grow their practice to embody the mindset that teaching to ALL students includes incorporating UDL methods, CO-Teaching strategies, Scaffolds and opportunities for student led learning. At Midland Street school we will continue to develop students’ skills in order to be effective communicators, readers and thinkers. Instruction will be targeted to student needs and will engage ALL learners in high-quality, complex grade level tasks. Students will be provided the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge through varied methods as well as become owners/facilitators of their own learning.

 

Aspiration for 2023-2024 School Year

Improving Instructional Practices – 

Co-Teaching will be implemented across grades 1 – 6. Inputting this method of teaching and learning will likely lead to an increase in student ELA scores for all students. 

Co-Planning will ensure that strong lessons are built with UDL, MLL and MTSS strategies in place. The view of “What is good for one, is good for ALL” will be a common practice.

 

Strategies for Intentional Instruction

• Co-Teaching Model of Instruction
• Implementation of the Amplify/CKLA program
• ILT Book Study – Teacher Clarity
• Newsletters 
• Instructional Rounds
• Meetings with the District/Quadrant based staff (OCPL Coach, MLL Coach and District Coaches/Liaisons)

 

Measures of Success and Desired Outcomes

• Lesson Plans

• MLL Student data dives

• Co-Teaching meetings with the MLL coach

• Lesson Plans

• Student learning outcomes – DIBELS

• ILT Slide Decks

• Feedback from staff

• Teaching and learning practices

• Visibility of Student Learning Intentions and Success Criteria

• Weekly Communicator – staff updates

• Coaches’ Notes – Important dates, upcoming initiatives, upcoming meeting agendas, Information for staff to be share from district coaches’ meetings

• Teachers’ Newsletters

• School-based instructional rounds look-fors survey and feedback

Notification

As part of the planning process, Worcester Public Schools considers the coordination and integration of federal, state and local services and programs. In addition:

• Elementary schools should also reference the transition plans for assisting preschool children in transitioning to the school-wide program plans; and
• Secondary schools should also reference transition plans for assisting grade 7 and 9 students in transitioning to the new school.

 

Coordination and Integration of Funds

 

All Worcester Public Schools must integrate services and programs with the aim of upgrading the entire educational program of the whole school and to help all students reach proficient and advanced levels of achievement. Integration of services will include the following areas of focus:

 

Equity of Access: Ensuring all students have access to high quality instruction and materials and resources. For example: through Title I, II and III, Focused Instructional Coaches; through Title I, II and Title III supplemental activities including After School and Out-of-School Time activities. Title IV A, technology, supplemental activities and payment of AP fees; SRG, support of additional time for teachers including activities that address equity of access; IDEA activities that support individualized learning, and through Perkins funding, access to materials and credentials for college and career readiness. 

 

Engagement: Engagement with families and the various sectors of our community in developing opportunities for all students; Support through Title I of our Parent Information Center and community engagement; Title II, coordination of professional development activities involving engagement; Title III, supplemental parental engagement activities; IDEA, contracted services for health and through Perkins funding, career exploration activities.  

 

Safe and Healthy Students: Create supportive, safe, and orderly learning environments marked by respectful interactions, acceptance, inclusiveness, and responsibilities to one another.  Title I, personnel including Wraparound coordinators; Homeless Liaison; Title II coordination of all professional development including PD on SEL; Title III, professional development on co-teaching; Title IV, safety training, safety planning and school safety supplies; IDEA; professional development and through Perkins, professional development on safety training.

 

High quality teaching and learning: To support excellent instruction that improves student skills to prepare them for global citizenship; through Title I, II and III, coaches; Title II, support of professional development activities; Title IV, professional development on technology; IDEA professional development and through Perkins, professional development for teachers.

 

College and Career Readiness: In support of current standards, activities that help students become college and career ready: Through Title I and Title III, supplemental academic support for struggling students.  Title II, coordination of professional development for all college and career readiness activities; Title IV, support of technology and accompanying professional development to increase teacher proficiency and payment for AP fees; IDEA, funding for instructional assistants and Perkins, funding for college and career readiness contractual service provider at our vocational-technical high school. 

 

Worcester Public School Transition Plan for Assisting Preschool Children (Elementary only)

 

Worcester Public Schools (WPS) support a transition plan for assisting preschool children to school-wide Title I programs, which is based upon best practices promulgated by the National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement (NCPFCE) and the National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning (NCQTL). Smooth transitions from preschool to kindergarten depend on connections made between participants in the process, such as those between schools and families, and between preschool teachers and kindergarten teachers and classrooms, especially connections made prior to kindergarten entry. The WPS transition plan incorporates NCPFCE models to implement best practices.

 

Child-School activities foster the familiarity of children with the classroom setting and those people within it. Preschool teachers and children visit a kindergarten classroom, children practice kindergarten rituals, and a spring orientation is held for preschool children. These activities are designed to increase comfort, decrease anxiety, and build teacher-child relationships.

 

Family-School activities foster family collaboration and involvement with the school transition process through school visits, open houses, and meetings with principals and kindergarten teachers. WPS has prepared and disseminates literacy resource materials for in-home learning activities. 

 

School-School activities foster inter-school collaboration among preschool teachers and kindergarten teachers to align programs and classroom practices. 

 

Community: The WPS collaborates with an extensive network of interagency and community service organizations which support child-specific programs and enables WPS to get accurate information into the community, including the kindergarten registration process. WPS transition activities effectively introduce preschool children into school-wide Title I programs.