2023-24 Highland School Improvement Plan
Goal #1
Statement of Goal
Highland School will improve students’ mathematical abilities by implementing the Dreambox Learning resource designed to provide targeted instruction based on student's individual needs with all students during the 2023-2024 school year in all grade levels.
Rationale for Goal
The Highland School Instructional Leadership Team met several times to review student data and assess areas of strengths and areas for potential growth within our school. A common trend across all grade levels was a need for increased student access to personalized resources, particularly resources that are able to be used independently. This was especially prevalent in students with an average propensity in mathematics across grade levels, according to ECRA.
Implementation and Support of Goal
School-based professional development will be provided for all staff during several professional learning Monday’s and additionally during faculty meetings, as needed. This professional development will focus on utilizing the Dreambox Learning platform, including how to effectively monitor student progress, set individual student goals, and creating a meaningful connection to the home environment. The scope, sequence and delivery of this professional development will be guided by the Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) and instructional coach. In addition, the ILT will use dedicated collaboration time to monitor the success of this professional development and make any necessary changes.
Plans and Timelines to Measure Effectiveness
The success of this goal will be measured by students’ usage of the Dreambox Learning platform, as well as their progress on the platform itself. This goal will be measured using quantitative measures including usage reports, as well as student progress reports. In addition, the success of this goal will be measured by average propensity student achievement on the Winter NWEA MAP assessment as reported by ECRA.
Goal #2
Statement of Goal
Highland School will implement District 58’s tenets of Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe in all areas of our building with fidelity during the 2023-24 school year.
Rationale for Goal
District 58’s Mission Statement states: “The mission of District 58, in partnership with parents and community, is to challenge and engage each child by providing quality educational programs and support services in a safe, nurturing and child-centered environment in order to prepare all students to be lifelong learners and contributing members of a global society.” Research consistently demonstrates that a safe, positive school environment leads to improved student and teacher outcomes, and a reduction in disciplinary actions (source: Center on PBIS).
A district committee was formed during the 2022-23 school year to develop district-wide approaches to positive behavior supports. During the 2023-24 school year, each of the 13 buildings in District 58 will implement a system that includes those district-wide principles, describing and encouraging positive behaviors throughout the school environment.
Implementation and Support of Goal
Classroom expectations will be created for all classrooms using the tenets of Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe. These expectations will be clearly and consistently displayed in each space to help promote student awareness throughout the building. In addition to the staff at Highland reviewing the common expectations for each common space with students, conversations centered around behavior will have a focus on the tenets of Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe. The Highland Building Leadership Team will continue to review the implementation of common expectations, as well as Highland’s positive reinforcement system, the Husky High-Five. Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe will continue to be a focus at monthly Highland All-School Meetings.
Plans and Timelines to Measure Effectiveness
The success of this goal will be measured by the presence of Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be Safe throughout all the spaces at Highland and during the discussions with students and families regarding student behavior. Student behavior data will be reviewed and analyzed by the Highland Building Leadership Team, and Highland Culture Team, with adjustments being made as needed.
Goal #3
Statement of Goal
Highland School will implement the School Wide Writing Fundamentals Program in Grades K-5 with fidelity in the 2023-24 school year.
Rationale for Goal
For the past several years, review of District 58 data has revealed that student’s writing achievement, particularly on the state assessments, was an area of relative weakness. A writing sub-committee has spent several years reviewing best practice and exploring writing resources that could potentially strengthen instruction. In June of 2023, the Board of Education approved the purchase and adoption of a core writing resource for Kindergarten through fifth grade in District 58.
As stated in the What Works ClearingHouse publication “Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers,” an early foundation in writing offers students a valuable tool for learning, communication, and self-expression. The implementation of the core resource School-Wide Writing Fundamentals in grades kindergarten through fifth grade, will not only provide daily instruction and time for students to write, students will use the writing process for a variety of purposes, build writing fluency, and engage with a community of writers as aligned to the four recommendations in Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers.
Implementation and Support of Goal
District-wide training on the School Wide Writing Fundamentals Program initially occurred in August of 2023 during teacher institute days. Teachers will participate in additional professional development facilitated by the district throughout the year during professional learning Mondays. In addition, the Highland Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) will work to determine what additional professional development is needed by Highland staff and create opportunities for that professional development to occur.
Plans and Timelines to Measure Effectiveness
The success of this goal will be measured by the presence of writing instruction aligned with the resources, strategies and pedagogy within the School Wide Writing Fundamentals program. This instructional presence will be verified using a combination of observational and feedback tools, including but not limited to principal walk-throughs and observations, teacher reflection and feedback, review of lesson plans and materials, student artifacts and outcomes, grade level collaboration and conversations and year-end review of sequence and pacing.