GOAL #1 - SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING

Year 2 (2021-2022)

Theory of action 

The Theory of Action explains the rationale behind the strategic priorities, i.e. how the strategies will move the district forward. 

If Hopkins School develops equitable and inclusive school-wide practices that provide opportunities for students and staff to acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes associated with core competencies of social-emotional learning, then a safe and inclusive learning environment will be fostered emphasizing respect, connection and embracing diversity.

Actions

Actions are the specific activities to be undertaken in each year to progress the key improvement strategies. There may be more than one action for each strategy. Schools will choose to describe actions with different levels of detail.

• Ongoing staff professional learning community focused on diversity, inclusion and social-emotional learning practices as lever for equity

• Collaborate with Director of Social Emotional Learning, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction and Director of English Language Acquisition, Equity & Access to deliver high quality professional learning opportunities

• Continued implementation of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) practices, including Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

  1. Refine consistent, school-wide expectations for behavior across all school environments

  2. Develop tracking system to monitor student behaviors across settings to improve adjustments to instruction and practices

  3. Document the school staff’s “Toolkit” of approaches/resources to support all learners

  4. Foster partnerships to support SEL through community/school conversations and shared resources

  5. Partner with Playworks to conduct “Recess Reboot” at Hopkins with HEF grant

  6. Collaborate across elementary PBIS/SEL teams through participation in PBIS Academy

  7. Develop SEL scope and sequence of instruction for integration into Morning Meeting and cross-curricular experiences

  8. Refine teacher and self-monitoring tools associated with grading practices for areas of personal development (classroom & community skills as well as approaches to learning)

  9. Expand school-wide Core Values practices through Principal’s Cabinet initiatives and CARES Cards recognition program
      

• Develop and expand culturally relevant and responsive practices
   
  1. Collaborate across HPS DEI teams as part of Blackprint CRPLA
  2. Advance diversity awareness and identity discussions, including how it applies to curriculum, instruction and individual               pathways for success
  3. Engage staff in conversations about ways to advance CRP and anti-racist/social justice instruction for 4/5th graders, in  developmentally appropriate manner.

     • DEI Book Study Groups during BBMs: Culturally Responsive Teaching for Multilingual Learners: Tools for Equity; We Got This. Equity, Access and the Quest to Be Who Our Students Need Us to Be; So You Want to Talk About Race; and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You

     • Target implicit bias in our curricula through curriculum interrogation/bias protocols to ensure curriculum is reflective of and respectful to the learners and promotes socially just learning for all

     • Examine/review ELA & social studies scope and sequence at both grade levels to ensure culturally responsive lens, emphasizing social justice
        

• Communicate the tiers of support through creation of MTSS flowchart to document ways Hopkins meets the needs of all students, including social/emotional/behavioral, as well as identifying students in need for greater levels supports

  1. Refine support structures for students struggling with return to school setting following pandemic (small group, individual, family-based)

  2. Collaborate with building BEST to refine roles/responsibilities of members across building in Tier 1-3 support model

  3. Expand building EMPOWER model, partnering with BRYT to improve alignment with Elmwood/HMS, develop tracking mechanisms and entrance/exit criteria

  4. Reinstate/expand disability awareness curriculum through both Peer-to-Peer and Understanding our Differences programming

  5. Develop counseling lessons/lunch groups  addressing upper elementary SEL needs (divorce, loss, identity, anxiety)
      

•  Measurable Success Criteria

Success criteria are markers of success. They are useful in demonstrating whether the strategies and actions have been successful. Success criteria often reflect observable changes in practice or behavior. To simplify and focus the school’s monitoring of progress, only a limited number of success criteria should be set.

• Demonstration of expectations across all school environments

• Incorporation of  flowchart, office referral, and SWIS to deal with major and minor behaviors

• Data gathered from tracking system to analyze and improve student behaviors  across all school settings - EMPOWER

• Documented interventions and models of support (MTSS), incorporating practices of PBIS available to community

• A compilation of resources “Toolkit” will be developed (i.e. observations, meetings, shared readings) for staff to access that includes opportunities for collaboration to expand learning

• Building leadership teams: SEL/PBIS, CRP, BEST, CRT

• Meeting schedule incorporating trauma-informed instruction and anti-racist/diversity conversations/education/exercises for all staff

• Established and implemented SEL scope and sequence and lessons with mini-lessons for each grade level that incorporates diverse texts (i.e. F&P IRAs) for Morning Meeting and/or Reader’s Workshop lessons 

• Documented interventions and models of support (MTSS), incorporating practices of PBIS 

• Continue updates to social studies scope and sequence that incorporates multiple viewpoints, diversity, and social justice at each grade level

• Meetings and professional development opportunities for staff to expand their knowledge of anti-racist education and social justice

• Updated bank of report card comments to support personal development section

 

GOAL #2 - DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION ACROSS CURRICULAR AREAS: High-Quality Instruction to Meet the Academic Needs of Each Learner

Year 2 (2021-2022)

Theory of action 

The Theory of Action explains the rationale behind the strategic priorities, i.e. how the strategies will move the district forward.

If we use assessment data to differentiate instruction while embracing student identity, as well as individual choice and voice, then we ensure that each student is supported and challenged to achieve and grow through expanded opportunities for personalized learning.

Actions

Actions are the specific activities to be undertaken in each year to progress the key improvement strategies. There may be more than one action for each strategy. Schools will choose to describe actions with different levels of detail.

Across All Curricular Areas:

1. Support teachers and curriculum specialists in further developing high-impact collaborative teams

support the flexible grouping of students across grade levels to increase opportunities for personalized learning

• Define and highlight social-emotional/personal learning objectives across curricular areas

• Promote sharing of effective instructional practices with peer observations and PLCs
• Support high-performing school-based teams to promote collaborative planning of targeted instruction based on data
• Continue to develop team teaching approaches which promote flexible grouping and personalized learning across National Park teams/grade levels to promote increased opportunities for differentiation

  2.  Use data from formative assessments to drive instructional adjustments/differentiate learning

• Engage in discussions regarding the use of ongoing assessments to inform and guide teaching through whole-group, small-group and individual instruction models. 
• Continue development of authentic formative and summative assessments, grading practices, and assessment tools (i.e. rubrics, data  tracking sheets) that are aligned to the standards, clearly track student progress, and provide clear and specific feedback

3. Guided Inquiry Practices: Expand and enhance use of guided inquiry model of instruction across curricular areas and embed further in units of study

English Language Arts:

1. Continue implementation of F&P Classroom and use of the Literacy Continuum (Tier1)

   • Refine and implement Reading Scope and Sequence/Curriculum Maps to integrate F&P Classroom practices in Readers’ Workshop

   • Expand formative assessments in literacy to monitor ongoing skills development and drive responsive teaching in guided reading 

   • Provide enrichment opportunities to extend learning in literacy for students exceeding grade level standards

   • Expand use of book clubs within Readers Workshop, emphasizing student voice and choice in literature selection

   • Expand use of Interactive Read Alouds across curricular areas through topics and themes highlighting personal identity and emphasizing social-emotional learning

   • Refine writing curriculum maps, embedding discrete skills instruction throughout the year
      

2. Review processes for identifying students at-risk and, provide appropriate interventions, and monitor growth (Tiers 2 &3)  

• Evaluate the existing continuum of services for interventions within general education and special education support models 
• Utilize screenings to identify students requiring decoding/encoding instruction (Just Words/Wilson, F&P Word Work, Spire etc) and implement intervention groups
• Utilize assessment data to identify students requiring targeted and direct instruction strategies to accelerate learning 
• Continue assessment and refinement of the Learning Support Team process (including goal setting), clearly communicating outcomes and expectations to staff/families 

Mathematics:

1. Utilize grade level screening tools to identify students with gaps in understanding to provide responsive teaching

   • Refine math support model 

     • gen ed paraprofessionals to support differentiation in math workshop model (tier 1)

     • improved math tutoring model to target specific learning standards & instructional needs (tier 2)

     • improve calibration and collaboration between classroom teachers and special education staff for scoring common assessments (tier 2 &3)

2. Implement quarterly formative open response assessments

3. Refine strategies to support student understanding and engagement during Guided Practice in Math Workshop (questioning, scaffolding, and modeling) 

4. Use formative and summative math assessments to inform teaching in order to meet the needs of each student, reflect on each unit and share these best practices during PLCs.

5. Continue to develop varied approaches focused on increasing opportunities for differentiation, including scope/sequence links for reteaching and Essential Standards curriculum as well as extension/enrichment lessons for each topic of study within math standards

Measurable Success Criteria

Success criteria are markers of success. They are useful in demonstrating whether the strategies and actions have been successful. Success criteria often reflect observable changes in practice or behavior. To simplify and focus the school’s monitoring of progress, only a limited number of success criteria should be set.

• Peer observations/learning walks of instructional practices emphasizing differentiation

• Staff develop individual goals for personal instructional growth revisiting during the year to assess progress

• PLC participants share best practices 

• 95% of students will have demonstrated a years growth based on a baseline measure

• PLC meeting time focused on review of data (based on assessment calendar) as well as creation of differentiated instruction models

• Teacher observation

• Revised scope and sequence/curriculum maps

• Development of digital lessons/staff resources emphasizing differentiated instruction (within Schoology/Google Drive) 

• Refined comment banks for report cards, aligned with assessment data and highlighting social-emotional development

 

Click here for link to printable document.