Sunday, March 14, 2010

School reorganization and possible meeting dates

Here's hoping the whole agenda is up online Monday; there's stacks of stuff in the printed backup here that's relevant. I'm going to give you the best summary I can based on what I have.

Secondary Redesign: Year 1 (2010-11)
  • adjust class size to help gr.9
  • "refine school focus to develop district branding leverage"
  • community partnerships to extend school day, "maximize student access to core instruction, early college, and career readiness"
  • flexible staffing patterns
  • engage community with listening and learning
Followed in Years 2 and 3 by "refinement" based on data, "use brand measures to improve brand equity," expansion of partnerships, and reconfiguration of grades

Innovation Schools currently targeted for the South High Quadrant: Year 1 (2010-11)
  • "improved precision of instruction using Content and Language Instructional Model, Implement targeted programming to address needs of students" (here there's a reference to an included list of "Instructional Acceleration Phase Deployment Organizations" Phases A-C, which seems to include basic literacy and number skills, digital and communication skills, and inventive thinking and high productivity, all with too many capitals.)
  • flexible staffing patterns to extend the school day, capitilizing on community partnerships
  • "refine focus to develop district branding"
  • increase common planning time
  • partner with higher ed
  • engage the community with listening and learning
Followed in Years 2 and 3 by more of the first two, measuring brand equity, strategies recommended by instructional teams, extending partnerships

Elementary Redesign: Year 1 (2010-11)
  • flexible staffing patterns to extend the school day
  • strengthen and protect core instruction
  • recapture system efficiencies
  • community conversation regarding possible grade reconfiguration
Followed in Years 2 and 3 by reconfiguring grade levels, flexible staffing patterns to extend the school day, increased community partnerships, refinement of instructional planning and delivery

Level 4 Schools (Union Hill and Chandler Elementary): Year 1 (2010-2011)
  • Monitor and adjust improvement strategies
  • Eleven Essential Conditions for School Success (put together by the DoE, regrettably not online, characterized as "required" by Level 3 schools unless they "provide a compelling rationale for alternative approaches designed to achieve comparable or superior results" and there's just a slew of stuff here that probably deserves its own post)
  • targeted instructional model to support student success (back to Levels 1-3 above)
  • increased common planning time
  • flexible staffing and increased community partnerships
Followed in Years 2 and 3 by more of the first two, with the targeted instruction continuing in Year 2, replaced in Year 3 by increase supports for teaching and learning

Still with me?

There is a proposed schedule for public "administrative listening/learning sessions" as follows, all at 6-7 pm:

Monday, March 22, at Sullivan Middle on the South High Innovation Quadrant
Tuesday, March 23, at Union Hill on Union Hill
Wednesday, March 24, at Chandler Elementary on Chandler Elementary
Tuesday, April 6, at North High on grade reorganization
Wednesday, April 7, at Burncoat High on grade reorganization
Monday, April 12, at Doherty High on grade reorganization

That's what I've got for tonight. I am planning on being at this meeting tomorrow, and I have lots of questions. If you do, you might consider forwarding them to the members of the subcommittee (Mr. O'Connell, Ms. Biancheria, and Mr. Monfredo) before tomorrow's meeting.

1 comment:

  1. How do the DESE's 11 essential conditions compare to their original 10? I can remember writing and/or editing Dr. Caradonio;s yearly reports to the State on the WPS' status in each of these conditions.

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