SECTION I. Due September 30, 2013 SANDTOWN MIDDLE SCHOOL STRATEGIC PLAN 2013 2016 SEPTEMBER 2013 1 P age
SECTION I: Strategic Planning Background and Approach In May 2012, the Georgia Board of Education voted to make Fulton County Schools the state s largest charter system. The Charter System Model offers freedom and flexibility, both at the school level and system-wide, to employ research-based methods to improve student achievement, even if such innovations would require exemptions to current state laws and regulations. Given the new Charter System framework, individual schools within Fulton County have the ability to work in dramatically new ways. We are asking our communities to help drive change and to get involved in our schools. Our collective vision is that every Fulton County school will have a principal and local School Governance Council equipped to effectively lead in a charter system environment to improve student achievement through innovation and flexibility. Schools will be empowered to consider the best uses of resources at the local level and design innovative practices that align with school needs. Sandtown Middle School began the strategic planning process in the spring of 2013. In order to plan our strategic direction forward, we first had to engage with our community to understand our specific challenges and consider a path to collectively address them. Our process included three distinct phases: Information & Needs Analysis, Long-term Outcomes & Theory of Change, and Action Plan & Monitoring. Developed over a period of several months and designed collaboratively with input and guidance from many stakeholders, the strategic plan represents our deliberate approach to shape and guide what Sandtown Middle School is, what we do, and why. Our students deserve the best educational experience we can provide, and this plan sets our vision and direction for making that happen. SECTION I. Due September 30, 2013 2 P age
SECTION II: Context for the Strategic Plan: The School and Its Environment For every school, the strategic planning process must begin with a thorough consideration of the questions Where are we as a school? and What do we have to work with? By identifying strengths and weaknesses within the school and examining opportunities and threats within the external environment, schools lay the foundation for building a strategic plan that builds on their positive attributes while overcoming any weaknesses or areas for improvement. Sandtown Middle School began the strategic planning process by conducting an environmental scan. Through the scanning process, we sought to identify stakeholders perceptions of our school and enhance our understanding of the political, socio-economic, and demographic environment in which the school operates. The stakeholder groups that participated in our environmental scan included, but were not limited to: parents, teachers, students, local businesses, community organizations, and business partners. Our information was gathered primarily through surveys. Following the environmental scan, the planning process continued with an in-depth organizational assessment. By analyzing a comprehensive set of school data and reviewing school-based surveys and external school reviews, the leaders of Sandtown Middle School clarified performance trends and identified the school s most critical areas for improvement. I. Environmental Scan Process & Summary of Findings In the spring of 2013 we participated in a joint community meeting at Westlake High School in which various community stakeholders were invited to talk about their perceptions of our feeder schools. Unfortunately, there was limited participation; therefore, we were unable to draw meaningful conclusion from this effort. Over the summer, there was a leadership transition, which delayed our process. In September 2013 the leadership team met with the School Governance Council (SGC) to develop a plan of action for the environmental scan. It was decided that SGC would take the lead role in securing survey results from community stakeholders. Several SGC members created a brief survey that allowed stakeholders to provide a rating for Sandtown on each of the following statements: Sandtown Middle School is a good school that I would allow my children to attend. Sandtown Middle School has a strong school and community connection. Sandtown Middle School uses communication tools effectively to reach our school community (ex: school sign/marquee, email blasts, school website, etc.) Sandtown Middle School business partners are provided opportunities for involvement. Student uniforms are important. Parental involvement is necessary for student success. STEM Innovations (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) are important. The survey also gave stakeholders the chance to respond to the following questions: 3 P age
What is your overall impression of Sandtown Middle School? Without having to make any formal commitment, would your organization/business be willing to assist Sandtown Middle School with school improvement initiatives? We learned a number of things from our survey. Overall, Sandtown is a school to which community members feel comfortable sending their students. At the same time, our stakeholders had inconsistent knowledge of the school and its work. There are opportunities to develop partnerships with stakeholders to build positive relationships and become more visible in the community. II. Organizational Assessment Process & Summary of Findings As part of the organization assessment process, the leadership team reviewed and analyzed many data sources such as, perception survey results, Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT), demographic, attendance, projected enrollment, failure rate and Georgia Middle Grades Writing Assessment data. We identified our strengths and the highest prior needs of our school based on the data. According to our most recent Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) results, our school performed well in some areas and struggled in others. Ninety-six percent of our students met and/or exceeded the standard in the area of reading, and 93 percent of our students met and/or exceeded the standard in the area of English Language Arts. On the other hand, we noticed that student with disabilities were not meeting grade level expectations in areas of science and math. In addition, our 6 th and 8 th grade students performance in the area of science and math was an area of concern. We also noticed that not enough students were exceeding standards in English Language Arts or Reading. The first chart below shows the 2013 CRCT data for students with disabilities in all core subject areas. The second chart shows 2013 CRCT data by grade level. 4 P age
Graph 1: Student with Disabilities 2013 Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) data 5 P age
Graph 2: SMS 2013 Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) by grade level data A few other data points stood out to our team. For instance, only 3 percent of our 8 th grade students exceeded on the Georgia Middle Grades Writing Assessment; however, 95 percent of our 8 th grade students met and/or exceed the ELA portion of the CRCT. Approximately 29 percent of our students failed one or more semester. Ultimately, we decided to focus our greatest efforts on increasing student achievement math and science, increasing students academic preparedness for high school particularly our students with disabilities and increasing our students use of 21 st century skills. Collectively, our team agreed that these areas were of highest priority because of what our data reflected and the desire to connect our efforts with our feeder schools. Above all else, we are looking for avenues to improve instruction and provide an appropriately challenging environment for our students. SECTION III: Long-term Outcomes 6 P age
LONG-TERM OUTCOME 1: Increase student achievement in math and science. In an effort to cultivate critical thinker and provide our students with a strong math and science foundation, we want to increase the number of students who meet, exceed, or score significantly above average on all standardized tests. We will measure our progress on this long-term outcome using the following data: Percentage of students who meet or exceed in the areas of math and science Percentage of students failing math and/or science Student performance on math and science common assessments LONG-TERM OUTCOME 2: Increase students academic preparedness for high school. To ensure that Sandtown Middle School s students are prepared for high school, we seek to create a learning environment that engages students in meaningful instruction and builds interdisciplinary connections through constant collaboration and vertical planning with feeder high schools. We will measure our progress on this long-term outcome using the following data: Percentage of students that are taking advance and accelerated courses offered at SMS. Percentage of students with disabilities who meet grade-level expectations in the areas of science and math. LONG-TERM OUTCOME 3: Increase students demonstrated use of 21st century skills. We seek to provide an environment that is technological rich highly engaging and collaborative. We will measure our progress on this long-term outcome by the following data: Increase the percentage of students who complete technology-based cross-curricular projects. SECTION IV: Focus Areas, Objectives, and Strategic Initiatives FOCUS AREA 1: Student Support 7 P age
We will work to expand opportunities for individualized student learning and academic support. As measures of progress, we will: 1. Increase student usage of technology-based resources. 2. Increase the effectiveness of remediation and acceleration programs. 3. Improve parental awareness and participation in curriculum and technology through workshops and curriculum nights. Summary of Strategic Initiatives: Develop school-wide guidelines and expectations for student data review and goal setting. Research and implement computer based programs and resources that will improve foundational skills. Create a series of professional development offerings focused on differentiation, technology integration, and Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM). FOCUS AREA 2: School Climate We will build a student-centered learning environment that motivates students, retains great staff, and attracts community partners. As measures of progress, we will: 1. Improve AdvanceED survey results for all stakeholders. 2. Increase the number of partnerships that support SMS. Summary of Strategic Initiatives: Develop partnerships with parents, local universities, and businesses to support the school s STEAM efforts and increase visibility in the community. Effectively develop a communication plan that informs and invites stakeholders and their input surrounding the STEAM initiative. FOCUS AREA 3: Instructional Rigor and Relevance/21st Century Skills We will increase high order thinking skills in students through the utilization of 21st century skills. As measures of progress, we will: 8 P age
1. Increase the number of students that are taking advance and accelerated courses offered at SMS. 2. Increase the visibility of rigor, relevance, technology, and content knowledge in the classroom through professional development. Summary of Strategic Initiatives: Strengthen grade level and school wide Professional Learning Communities focused on technology and STEAM. Effectively communicate the criteria for placement in advance and accelerated courses. Incorporate and promote STEAM activities within the instructional framework. Ensure staff becomes Talented and Gifted certified. 9 P age
SECTION V: Next Steps Sandtown Middle School s principal will oversee the implementation of the Strategic Plan. The Assistant Principals, Curriculum Support Teacher (CST), Department Chairpersons, Parent Liaison, counselors, graduation coach and School Governance Council will assume shared responsibility with the implementation and monitoring of the plan. The progress of the plan will be shared and communicated through a variety of forums not limited to: faculty meetings, parent meetings, Professional Learning Community (PLC) meetings, website and Friday Notes. Progress of the Strategic Plan will be monitored throughout the year with quarterly status checks based upon the implementation schedule of various activities. SECTION V. Due September 30, 2013 10 P age