School Improvement, Part 1: Barrows Elementary School

In accordance with Massachusetts Department of Education regulations, the Reading School Committee reviewed school improvement plans from each of the town’s six public schools at its Jan. 5 meeting.

The Committee voted unanimously to approve the plans.

Each school must separately submit its improvement plan, but they are linked by four overall goals, as defined and laid out by the district. The four goals are: Learning and teaching, performance management, human resources and resource allocation.

The learning and teaching section is focused on “teaching and integrating 21st Century skills within a challenging, standards-based curriculum.” Also covered are students’ social and emotional needs and creating a “safe, healthy and sustainable learning environment.”

Performance management is centered around assessing student performance and adjusting support to meet their needs.

Human resources is tasked with “realigning resources to compete for, support and retain top talent,” while resource allocation focuses on cultivating strong partnerships between families and community.

We’ll be taking a look at all six improvement plans over the course of the next week or so, starting today, with the plan for Barrows Elementary School.

Barrows Elementary School Improvement Plan

DISTRICT GOAL 1: Learning and Teaching.

School Goal 1: “Students in our school learn, live and will work in a 21st century environment. The Barrows School will work to assure increased growth in 21st century skills within the school environment.”

• 100 percent of the Barrows teachers will utilize the new standards-based report cards by utilizing APWeb teacher.
• 100 percent of the Barrows teachers will develop new methods of student progress to align with the new report card.
• Increase by 30 to 50 percent proficiency of technology skills by staff as determined by a technology assessment tool within the next two years.
• 100 percent of those classrooms with a full-time [special education] teacher and a full-time regular educator will experience a co-teaching model of education,
• Open Circle lessons will increase by 100 percent in classrooms of trained teachers to the level of at least two lessons per week.
• Increase parent participation at PTO events, activities and meetings by 10 percent over 2011 levels.

School Goal 2: “Working as a collaborative and collegial community will ultimately benefit the Barrows School students. It is the goal of the staff to work in a manner that professional, data analysis and data discussions will drive increased student growth and achievement.”

• 100 percent of the Barrows teachers will develop new methods of student progress to align with the new report card.
• 100 percent of those classrooms with a full-time [special education] teacher and a full-time regular educator will experience a co-teaching model of education.
• ELA scores will increase by 20 percent as indicated by MCAS results from present levels.

School Goal 3: “Health and safety is paramount to the educational process. Assuring the students are safe emotionally, physically and psychologically is the goal of the Barrows School.”

• Decrease by 10 percent the amount of safety infractions, especially in the areas of teasing, physical contact and bullying types of behavior, this school year.
• Continue to decrease by 20 to 30 percent the incidents of anxiety and school phobia, as reported by parents, teachers, school psychologists or administration within the next three years (ongoing goal).

DISTRICT GOAL 2: Performance Management.

• Barrows Elementary submitted no plan under this heading.

DISTRICT GOAL 3: Human Resources.

School Goal 3: “Health and safety is paramount to the educational process. Assuring the students are safe emotionally, physically and psychologically is the goal of the Barrows School.”

• 100 percent of Barrows students will participate in an established bullying prevention program this school year.
• Decrease by 50 percent the amount of safety infractions, especially in the areas of teasing, physical contact and bullying types of behaviors, this school year.
• Decrease by 20 to 30 percent the incidents of anxiety and school phobia, as reported by parents, teachers, school psychologists or administration within the next three years.

DISTRICT GOAL 4: Resource Allocation.

• Barrows Elementary submitted no plan under this heading.

Next in this series will be Birch Meadow Elementary School. Stay tuned.