TwiWorcester Public Schools 2023-2024 School Growth Plan
West Tatnuck Elementary
Delivering on High Expectations and Outstanding Results for All Students
Superintendent: Dr. Rachel H. Monárrez
West Tatnuck Elementary School Principal: Joyce Elia-Renaud
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.
West Tatnuck 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.
West Tatnuck School strives to provide high quality instruction that promotes the academic and social-emotional growth of each student by fostering the interests, styles, and cultures of all scholars through a safe, collaborative, innovative, and intellectual learning environment. Scholars will develop into driven, lifelong learners who are responsible citizens of their community.
MISSION
West Tatnuck school-wide commitment is to ensure that all classrooms reflect a joyful, safe, inclusive, engaging, and intellectual environment that is rooted in student-centered learning with a focus on reading, responding, and higher order thinking skills across all content areas. Scholars will show measurable growth in their ability to read grade level text with deep understanding and explain their thinking to demonstrate comprehension. This will be achieved through the implementation of a common set of standards-based instructional best practices and measured by a variety of standardized and informal assessments.
INSTRUCTIONAL FOCUS
The West Tatnuck School team will implement research-based instructional practices for high quality teaching and learning across all content areas. This includes grade specific strategies on how to read carefully, think deeply about the information, gather evidence, and how to write, respond, or persuade strategically and coherently across all areas of the curriculum.
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
- Joyce Elia-Renaud, Principal
- Anne Marie Faiola, Assistant Principal
- Nancy Goldstein, Focused Instructional Coach
- Andrea Kneeland, Grade 6 Teacher
- Audrey Curtis, Grade 6 Teacher
- Daniel Hayes, Grade 5 Teacher
- Regina Allen-Davis, Grade 4 Teacher
- Beth Vargas, Grade 3 Teacher
- Pam Stukowski, Grade 1 Teacher
- Maureen Lawson, Kindergarten Teacher
- Sandra Healy, Teacher of Moderate Special Needs (TMSN)
- Pamela Henriquez, ML Educator
- Jennifer Cardenas, School Adjustment Counselor
- Lailah Almazraawi, Grade 2 Teacher
School Instructional Leadership Team Meeting Schedule
- September 22
- October 20
- November 17
- December 21
- January 19
- February 16
- March 22
- April 26
- May 17
- June 7
- 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.
To improve the quality and delivery of standards-based, culturally and linguistically relevant instruction in English Language Arts to all learners in grades K-6, with an emphasis on multilingual learners and students with disabilities, so that all students will read on grade level.
Key Data and Rationale for Priority Goal(s)
Root Cause Analysis:
– Limited cohesion of instruction for Multilingual Learners and Students With Disabilities (SWD).
– A specific focus area will prominently be in the literacy domain and implementation of the newly ELA curriculum, CKLA. Additionally, refinement of instruction and the implementation of best practices for all students, but particularly for Multilingual learners and Students with Disabilities (SWD).
– In reviewing current results of STAR assessments, MCAS Data and DIBELS, it is hypothesized that students struggle in accurately comprehending the content of the assessment which may have hindered their performance. Additionally, it is also hypothesized that some students may have struggled with their ability to navigate and use technology to respond to prompts.
West Tatnuck School will focus on the following priorities:
1) Continue with the refinement protocols for planning and delivery of standards-based engaging, intentional and differentiated instruction to all learners.
2) Continue to improve school-level teaming practices and use of a variety of data sources to inform core and student specific instruction.
A particular focus will be emphasized on the following:
~ A formal RTI system of intervention.
~ Co-planning, refinement of high quality and cohesive instruction.
~ Continue with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) frameworks and inclusive practices
~ Refinement of Science instruction with opportunities for school wide STEM activities.
~ Refinement of school-wide behavioral systems, clear systems of behavioral expectations across all school settings
~ Culture and Climate committee to consider School-based SEL surveys, offer tiered SEL interventions, School-wide celebrations and assemblies.
Leadership Practices
The school has established a community of practice through leadership, shared responsibility, and professional collaboration.
Our Vision for Leadership Practices
Develop and implement a clear system of distributive leadership structures and develop systematic teams that are committed to assume shared responsibility for improving student achievement.
Aspiration for 2023-2024 School Year
Focus on improving the effectiveness of Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) and Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) by clearly defining their respective purpose and focus, how they will collaborate, and by ensuring appropriate participation and support.
Strategies for Leadership Practices
Strategy 1: Build a culture of shared commitment and work to refine the effectiveness of ILT’s purpose and focus.
Strategy 2: While focusing on school-wide instructional focus, ILT members will analyze a variety of school data sources and develop school priorities to create strategic & systemic approaches to attain them.
Strategy 3: ILT members along with school leadership/admin team, will clearly communicate and ensure effective implementation of instructional practices, using district walkthrough tool, district instructional frameworks for Vision of a Learner (VOL), lesson planning criteria, data analysis and progress monitoring across all grade levels and classrooms.
Measures of Success for Desired Outcomes
Indicators 1: Teacher surveys of needs assessments, questionnaires, PLCs, ILT, Culture & Climate Committee
Indicators 2: Meeting notes; School vision; School mission, and school instructional focus, Meeting agenda, establishing norms, roles, defining the goal of ILT.
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
Build a shared understanding and trust around behavioral expectations and practices and empower/develop teacher capacity regarding SEL support and interactions with students to promote inclusive and culturally responsive practices.
Aspiration for 2023-2024 School Year
West Tatnuck strives to become an inclusive, equitable, safe, and joyful learning environment for all learners and school community members.
Strategies for Positive Climate and Culture
Strategy 1: Creation of C&C committee inclusive of building admin representation (principal and/or AP), SAC, School Psychologist, Classroom Teachers, PE teacher, Special Educators, and Student representatives.
Strategy 2: Development of West Tatnuck School C&C Vision & Mission Statements aligning with school goals and instructional focus.
Strategy 3: Developing school wide activities focusing on student voice, engagement, and sense of belonging.
Measures of Success and Desired Outcomes
Indicators 1: C&C committee meeting agenda, norms, goals, benchmarks and expectations for the 2023-2024 school year.
Indicators 2: Establishment of Vision, Mission, and school wide focus in conjunction with West Tatnuck learning expectations.
Indicators 3: In planning with PTO, WT Student representatives, WT staff and faculty, the C&C will implement a variety of events, activities, and assemblies focused on building positive culture, such as Big Family Meetings, Character Education, School dances, Science night, and Science fair that include community members.
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
Develop and implement processes to facilitate multi-tiered systems of support, infuse UDL frameworks, embed inclusive practices through redesigned structures, redefined student support processes, practice, resources, and ongoing monitoring of impact of tiered interventions.
Aspiration for 2023-2024 School Year
Develop a targeted, differentiated, and intentional small group instruction of students in need of intervention to support the appropriate development of academic and social emotional growth.
Strategies for Student Specific Supports
Strategy 1: In collaboration with FIC, teachers, guided by ILT, will strategically identify all valid data entry points for students in order to discern students in need of a tiered system of interventions as designated by the school-wide system of support while developing systems to monitor progress on a 4–6-week cycle.
Strategy 2: Beginning in September, ILT members, in collaboration with SPED/ELL staff, will meet monthly to develop systematic best practices for all areas of the curriculum (ELA, Math, Science, & Social Studies), while incorporating SEL, SPED, and ELL strategies and techniques to support and optimize all Tier I and Tier II classroom instruction.
Strategy 3: Teachers, Paraeducators, and FIC will follow a systemic approach for intentional interventions as developed by the ILT/FIC and school administration with specific data monitoring and tracking approaches.
Measures of Success and Desired Outcomes
Indicators 1: Review of STAR data, DIBELS, common assessments, student work analysis.
Indicators 2: Skill groups, running records, walkthrough tool
Indicators 3: Progress monitoring tools
Intentional Instruction
The school employs intentional practices for improving teacher-specific and student-responsive instruction.
Our Vision for Intentional Instruction
Refine the implementation of Common Core across all areas of the content, particularly, ELA/Math/Science, and develop a set of content specific research- based instructional practices that focus on tiered instruction utilizing inclusive practices and UDL frameworks.
Aspiration for 2023-2024 School Year
West Tatnuck Educators will design and implement engaging learning experiences that align with best practices in literacy instruction using the CKLA, as well as other content areas, while utilizing UDL frameworks, inclusive practices and varying levels of intervention.
Strategies for Intentional Instruction
Strategy 1: Implementation of core/differentiated or scaffolded instruction utilizing a variety of modalities and level of representation and engagement.
Strategy 2: Strategic use of common assessments, STAR data/DIBELS to inform instruction and/or make adjustments.
Strategy 3: Feedback and collaboration during PLCs, for instructional planning and common assessments.
Measures of Success and Desired Outcomes
Indicators 1: Shared standard-based lesson plans
Indicators 2: Collection of a variety of data sources, develop tiered groups for Tier II intervention
Indicators 3: Utilize research-based instructional practices and student-centered models for teaching as indicated by ILT members.
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.