Academic Excellence

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Transcript Academic Excellence

Orchestrating
Academic Excellence
Center Grove Community School
Corporation
Shared Academic Vision
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To develop the best academic programs
for all Center Grove Community School
students. We want all students to achieve
to their highest potential.
Curriculum Mapping
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Purpose: To share and develop a
challenging K-12, teacher-designed
curriculum which avoids gaps and overlaps
in instruction and which documents K-12
learning experiences.
Curriculum Mapping Status
Teachers are working to document what is
taught and assessed in each classroom and at
each grade level to avoid gaps or overlaps in
instruction.
 Teachers have selected the most important
Indiana math standards to teach and assess in
each grading period.
 Teachers will repeat the process with
reading/language arts, science and social
studies.
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Curriculum Mapping Status
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Grades 6-12 teachers in each school have
selected the most important Indiana
standards to emphasize in each subject.
Curriculum Mapping Status
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K-12 teachers are in various stages of
developing tests or other assessments
given at the same time to all students in
the same course to check learning
Curriculum Mapping Vision
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K-12 teachers: will develop a district plan for
reading/language arts (June 2008)
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Eventually all K-12 teachers will have for their
grade level/course :
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District level plans of the most important standards
Grade or subject plans for instruction
Tests or assessments that measure the standards
Shared Assessments that frequently measure student
learning
Additional data from each assessment will be used to
guide instruction.
Curriculum Mapping Vision
Teachers will have an updated individual
plan each year.
 Students, parents and teachers will be
able to view the district and grade or
subject area plans for the school
corporation.
 Teacher-led curriculum reviews will occur
frequently to reflect changes in student
needs.
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New Reading Adoption
(Scott Foresman: Reading Street)
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We believe this series offers the most
comprehensive approach to:
 increase
rigor
 foster independent reading
 provide strategic intervention for struggling
students
New Reading Adoption
(Scott Foresman: Reading Street)
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My Sidewalks is the companion,
supporting intensive intervention program
for students with the greatest needs.
New Reading Adoption
(Scott Foresman: Reading Street)
The program is based on current reading
research and focuses on the use of:
whole-group instruction
 flexible, small group instruction matched to
student needs
 independent reading
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New Reading Adoption
(Scott Foresman: Reading Street)
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Over 540-960 leveled readers (books
written for a variety of reading levels) are
available for each teacher.
New Reading Adoption
(Scott Foresman: Reading Street)
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Allows for differentiation for high-ability,
at-level, below-level and ENL students
using leveled readers and focused
vocabulary instruction.
New Reading Adoption
(Scott Foresman: Reading Street)
K-5 textbook adoption was selected by a
group of CG teachers.
 They received additional professional
development in reading prior to last year’s
materials selection.
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Waterford Early-Reading Software
This software is currently being installed in
all 6 elementary buildings.
 Financed with a state grant.
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Waterford Early-Reading Software
Individualized and leveled reading
instruction occurs daily (15-20 minutes)
 Supporting materials available for school
and/or home use
 Provides remediation, at-level, and
accelerated literacy work from K-1
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Classroom Novels
Issue: To address teacher and parent concerns
about students reading the same book more
than once in different grades.
 Results:
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Grades 3-6 common novel list created last year
Two to four common novels were selected and
purchased for each grade
NCA/PL221 Goals
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This is the year that each school will select new
academic target goals for both NCA accreditation
and for PL221 state evaluation.
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Literacy has been a common theme among
district leaders.
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Stay tuned as building steering committees
select goals.
Literacy Audit
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Purpose:
Examine current resources and practices
 Gather information to guide future decisions for
professional development and literacy practices
 Recommend a literacy framework
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Literacy Audit
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Consultants have:
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observed instruction in each building
surveyed and/or interviewed parents, students,
teachers and administrators
examined resources and data
Literacy Audit
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Results of the audit should be available to
administrators in December.
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We plan to share this information with the
Board and staff in the second semester.
Instructional Coaches
2.5 literacy coach positions and .5
instructional coach position have been
added at the elementary level
 A special programs coordinator oversees:
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 Literacy
coaches
 Title I program
 High Ability services
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These positions are paid for through grant
money.
English as New Language Learners
Created 2 full-time teaching positions for
ENL instruction this year
 Increased learning materials for ENL
students and teachers
 Provided professional development to
West Grove teachers on working with ENL
students in the general classroom.
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High Ability Task Force
Our goal is to increase services to our K12 high ability students.
 The state has a new law requiring schools
to identify and provide services to high
ability students in K-12.
 Task force groups are developing
recommendations to better serve our
students.
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Curriculum, Instruction and
Assessment (CIA Cadre)
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This dynamic group of teachers is focused
on professional development that will
impact student learning.
 Completed
action-research projects
 Attended differentiation conferences and
implemented classroom strategies
 Investigating assessment practices
 Developing their leadership skills so they can
positively influence their colleagues
Technology
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High tech multimedia classrooms to
enhance instruction being piloted by 119
corporation teachers
 Year
1 of a 3-year rollout
Middle school technology standards
 Epsilen Project –online courses and
portfolios
 Grade 3 technology education
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Targeted Instructional Support
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OASIS
 Increased
number of tutors from 5 in 2005 to
38 in 2007.
 Tutors volunteer with K-3 students in 5 of our
elementary schools
 Tutors work on literacy skills 30 minutes each
week
Targeted Instructional Support
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RTI:
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Response To Intervention (RTI) is a program to
identify students who struggle with specific skills
and/or behavior.
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Provides a daily targeted intervention for 30 minutes.
Purpose is to reduce the number of special education
referrals.
Current interventions target reading.
Math and behavior interventions will be the next
phase.
Kindergarten
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Kindergarten Camp:
 Funded
through the Johnson County CAPE
Grant for early literacy
 Students (120) with the greatest academic
need are identified through screening
 Students attend K-Camp to learn pre-literacy
skills, phonemic awareness, classroom
procedures, and enjoy reading and writing.
Kindergarten
Full Day Kindergarten (FDK) expanded
 11 sections of FDK are offered. About ½
of all kindergarten students attend fullday.
 Program provides expanded curricular
opportunities
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Creating Positive Relationships (CPR)
We have replaced the “Always Changing”
5th grade adolescent education program
with the CPR program to provide more
consistency.
 CPR has provided a 6th grade program.
 This year the 7th grade program was
added in response to parent requests.
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Summer Remediation Programs
Funded through state remediation funds
last summer.
 A two-week academic jumpstart program
provided additional instruction to students
in elementary, middle and high school.
 Instruction focused on math and
reading/language arts.
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Middle School Courses for H.S. Credit
First year world language courses were
offered at both middle schools for high
school credit.
 This year Honors Algebra I is now being
offered for high school credit.
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Middle School Programming
The Middle School Task Force is
examining the best practices of Middle
Schools.
 Our goal is to develop and implement the
BEST middle school programs for our
district.
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High School Redesign
Has expanded teacher participation in the
process of developing the best high school
programs
 Is focused on exploring programming
options to maximize student potential
 Has representatives visiting Denver, New
York, Houston, and Portland, OR to view
sample programs
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High School Redesign
Parents from the Coalition of Visioneers
have joined high school staff in developing
program direction
 Paul Buck has provided leadership and
cohesiveness for the High School Redesign
Team.
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CARE
The CARE alternative high school program
offers all core courses needed for graduation.
 Two teachers work full-time with students.
 On-line components provide individualized
instruction to meet student needs.
 30 students participate in this program.
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According to state funding regulations, the studentteacher ratio can be no greater than 15:1.
SATs
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A higher percentage of Center Grove High
School students are taking the SAT than
at any other high school in the county.
Advanced Placement
CG successfully completed the national AP
audit last year.
 With the addition of AP Spanish, we now
have 20 AP courses offered at the high
school.
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 In
the past five years, six AP courses have
been added to the high school offerings.
Advanced Placement
Brad Timmons, the AP coordinator, actively
recruits students to enroll and complete the
exams.
 Mr. Shockley speaks to parent groups at the
middle schools each spring to encourage
enrollment in Honors and AP courses.
 Goal: To increase the number of CG students
taking AP courses and taking the AP exams.
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National Merit
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Goal: To have 20 National Merit finalists
within 5 years.
 Last
year, 1 CG student was named a National
Merit finalist
 This year, 5 CG students were named
National Merit finalists
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High school administrators are developing
a long-term plan to achieve this goal.
High School Dual Credit Options
CGHS offers 11 dual credit courses
through area colleges and universities and
is working to expand offerings
 High school administrators have met with
5 post-secondary institutions to explore
additional opportunities.
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Higher Expectations
 Higher
expectations (from good to great)
have been set for everyone
A
New Teacher Induction program emphasizes
high expectations
 Early Release Wednesday provide ongoing
opportunity for staff professional development
Higher Expectations
 Administrative
expanded
 CG
professional development has
is growing our own administrators through
teacher-leaders
 New administrator professional development
supports transition to Center Grove
 Administrators are planning their own Professional
Development based on district needs
 Several PD opportunities including Cognitive
Coaching, Curriculum Mapping Institute, National
Staff Development Conferences and NCA are
planned.
Higher Expectations
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Professional development for
administrators has emphasized:
 Increased
rigor of teacher evaluations
 Closer monitoring of new hires
 Classroom walkthrough expectations
 Knowledge of best practices in literacy
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Collegiality and common purpose have
accelerated the growth of the team
Higher Expectations
The addition of two elementary assistant
principals has added teacher support and
allowed the principals to monitor instruction
more closely.
 We have a focused effort to target recruitment
for ALL POSITIONS to the best and brightest,
and have increased expectations for evaluation
and retention of employees.
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