SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT DOCUMENT

OUR GOAL, BOTH LONG AND SHORT TERM MUST BE THAT OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT 
                        CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
Questions to Ask:
1.	Where are we now?  How did we get there?
2.	Where do we want to be?  How do we get there?
Resources:
INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS  +  Support Services  +  Community  +  Climate/Culture
Key Questions to Address:
1.	What is it that we expect kids to learn?
2.	How do we know if they are learning it ?
3.	How do we respond when they don’t learn?
Top 10 questions that Successful/Thriving Schools Ask:
1.	Are your students actively engaged in learning?
2.	Is collaboration part of instruction at your school?
3.	Does instruction integrate academic rigor with social development?
4.	Do your students have literacy power?
5.	Can they read with fluency and comprehension?
6.	Do your students take responsibility for their learning?
7.	Do your students show understanding of different points of view?
8.	Do your students have respect for each other? 
9.	Is there joy in learning in your school?
10.	Is your school a caring community of learners?

Common Elements of Successful Schools:
1.	Focus on achievement and measurement, not excuses. 
2.	Multiple opportunities for student success.
3.	Weekly assessment.
4.	Concentration on WRITING across the curriculum.
   High Quality Student Work:  3 Elements of High Quality Work
1.	Clearly focused in expectations.
2.	Connects with the real world.
3.	Stretches the student.
      Categories of High Quality Student Work:
1.	Clear, compelling standards.
2.	Authenticity.
3.	Critical thinking.
4.	Product focus.
5.	On-going assessment.
6.	Student choice.
       Analyzing Student Work:
1.	What is the task?  
2.	How will it be assessed?
3.	What objectives do they relate to?
Formula For Obtaining High Quality Student Work:
Use Best Practices +  Student Work  + Evaluate student work against categories of high quality student work
Example of Best Practice:
Differentiated Instruction

Language of Differentiated Instruction:
1.	Bloom ( all domains).
2.	Brain based learning.
3.	Constructivism  ( active learning).
4.	Features of differentiation:
•	Pacing
•	Degree of independence of the learner
•	Complexity of tasks
•	Learning centers
•	Multiple Intelligence Theory ( Gardner) 8 variations of intelligence ie: verbal, visual, etc.
•	Portfolios

SO…………………………. AFTER ALL OF THIS, WHAT IS OUR VISION?????????
Our vision must be that all students must read and write well.
HOW WILL WE GET THERE???????????????????????
1.	What is taught?
2.	How is it taught?
3.	How well is it learned?  What does the data tell us?
4.	How well is it re-taught?
ONE LAST ITEM:  STAFF DEVELOPMENT:
The following relationship will guide staff development in our district:
Student Achievement Data  +  Best Practices  = Staff Development