Building a culture centered on evidence of high levels of learning for all students started with the establishment of a mission and vision oriented on this principle. The creation of teams, structures, systems, and goals to guide the process followed the establishment of our school mission. In the 2018-19 school year our district reconfigured from five K-6 schools to three grade level centers. We opened as a school housing 5th and 6th grade students in the Fall of 2019. During this process, the opportunity was taken to reconfigure and reimagine our practices. In the beginning phases, Guiding Coalition and PBIS/SEL teams were created. They guided the process and worked collaboratively to establish the foundations of our school. We intentionally focused on the big ideas of a PLC and the 4 essential questions with the ultimate focus being on making decisions based on what is best for students. Teams have worked over the past couple of years to implement a Guaranteed and Viable curriculum focused on essential learning for all students.  Team norms, essential standards, common assessments, goals, and collective commitments drive our daily and long-term practices. Along this journey we have continued to identify areas for growth, engage in professional learning, and research and share best practices and successful teaching strategies. Instructional coaches, team leaders, teachers, and administration have worked together during each phase of this to help facilitate the process. These structures have been continued through the challenges faced during the Covid-19 pandemic. With an ever changing landscape of in-person and remote learning, the stance taken by teacher teams and leadership has been that while our methods of delivery and engagement are different, our work of ensuring high levels of learning of essential content has not. Our teams and structures have been more important than ever as we share practices and work together with a focus on student learning. We continue to enjoy this non-linear, adaptive journey in order to meet the needs of students.

1. Monitoring student learning on a timely basis.

Teacher teams working collaboratively are a foundational part of the learning process for students. During the summer months, teams meet to review and recommit to what is considered essential for students. This includes alignment across teams and vertically among grade levels. Some tasks include unpacking standards into learning targets and specific skills, writing and reviewing common assessments, updating pacing guides, and structuring units. Teams also look at areas that were identified for review during the previous school year. During the school year, teams meet twice per a six day cycle to review data and collaboratively plan for reteaching and enrichment. Common assessments are foundational to this process. Teams work to align scoring through rubrics and by looking at examples of student work to align common understanding of proficiency and to identify common misconceptions.  Potential skill gaps are discussed prior to the start of the unit. A misconception sheet is developed for use during the scoring of common assessments. This allows teams to target potential skill gaps during initial teaching. Data is reviewed after the assessment and students are grouped by specific skill based needs. Students are also identified for extension and enrichment during this process. Teams discuss teaching practices and share ways to reach students. Overall data is tracked to determine progress toward meeting team based interdependent goals. This helps to identify our highest needs areas to be targeted throughout the year.

2. Creating systems of intervention to provide students with additional time and support for learning.

The guiding coalition and administration has worked to develop and continually improve structures that ensure time and support are available for all students. Time exists within the master schedule to allow for teams to collaborate as well as for all students to access all three tiers of instruction. Teacher teams focus primarily on tiers 1 and 2 while intervention specialists focus primarily on tier 3 needs for academic learning. An intervention team was developed to guide process and practice related to tier 3 instruction. Teams also meet regularly to specifically address SEL needs. A leadership team guides tier 1 instruction related to social and behavioral learning. Teams also meet regularly with support from related service providers and administration to address tier 2 SEL needs. For both academic and social-emotional learning, best practices are regularly discussed. Teams also utilize flexible grouping to address academic needs. Every students’ learning needs are tracked and updated using misconception sheets. Teams work collaboratively and continually spiral learning to meet the unique learning needs of every student.  

3. Building teacher capacity to work as members of high performing collaborative teams that focus efforts on improved learning for all students.

The work of teams was first identified when the mission and vision were established for the school. Every structure, system, and decision has been vetted based on it’s impact on achieving high levels of learning for all students and what is best for all students. As our understanding of the process has grown, we have continued to reflect upon and define our practices. This has led to the development of team norms and collective commitments to guide our daily practices. Teams regularly use these commitments as a means of reflection in order to identify areas of growth. Progress is measured through building and team goals and based on data of student results. The school’s Guiding Coalition guides this process and identifies ways to increase our collective learning. This relates to the practices of teams as well as engagement and teaching strategies within classrooms. Teams also reflect and identify ways to grow their practices.

Achievement Data Files

• aimsweb-data.pdf

Additional Achievement Data

Due to COVID-19 NYS testing data is unavaible. As a district we have used AimsWeb Plus as a universal screener to assist in monitoring student progress. Team rely on data from common formative assessments to monitor student learning and plan instruction. Each teams sets goals using this data and regularly compares results. Assessments, data trackers, and misconception sheets work together to break down results into actionable items by student and skill. 

The school has not received any special recognition at this time. 

Files

• randall_mission_vision-3.pdf
• student-misconceptions--inference--example-names.pdf
• collective-commitments-5618.pdf
• gaps-in-learning--math--6_2020.pdf
• 20-21-5g-math-data-tracker--no-names--class-lists.pdf
• ela-misconception-sheet-2020_21--example-names.pdf
• g5-eom-student-misconceptions--u4-part-1--example-names.pdf
• 2020-2021-5th-grade-ela-data-tracker--no-names--class-lists.pdf
• 2020-2021-6th-grade-math-data-tracker--no-names--6-rp-3a-ratios.pdf
• gc-meeting-agenda-5_27_21.pdf
• 2020-2021-6th-grade-ela-data-tracker-no-names.pdf
• 2_11_21-gc-meeting-agenda.pdf
• 2020-2021-pacing-guide-6th-grade-math.pdf
• 20-21-g5-math-pacing-guide.pdf
• 20-21-6th-grade-ela-pacing-guide.pdf
• 05-20-21-g6math-ttct-meeting-notes.pdf
• may-3--5--g5-ela-ttct20-21.pdf
• 20-21-5th-grade-ela-pacing-guide.pdf
• 05-13-21-g6-ela-ttct-meeting-notes-2020-21.pdf
• 4-26-21-and-4-30-21-g5math-ttct-meeting-notes-2020-21.pdf
• 6th-grade-ela-essential-standards-and-learning-targets.pdf
• 6th-grade-math-essential-standards-and-learning-targets.pdf
• 5g-math-essential-standards-and-learning-targets.pdf
• g5-cfa3-mult-fraction-x-fraction-u4.pdf
• g6-mod-5-cfa-1.pdf
• rodriguez-inference-cfa-u2.pdf
• 5th-grade-ela-essential-standards-and-learning-targets.pdf
• reasoning-cfa.pdf
• u4-distributive-property-misconceptionsheet--example-names.pdf