Intercoastal High school

1. Developing an Effective School Improvement Plan for Intercoastal High school Principal – Tara Smith Assistant Principal/Curriculum – Devyani Balladin Assistant Principal/Student Services – Sara Schumacher AP Coordinator – AmaanMohiuddin Lead Teacher – Laureen Alexander- Perelion Community Leader – Sandy Hawk

2. The History Porterdale – The Mill Town

3. The Open Classroom Intercoastal High School built 1971 Built to accommodate 3,500 students

4. The Good Years

5. Current Status • Ubiquitous low morale • Out of control crime-laden discipline • Ineffective disjointed instructional program

6. The New Team • Vision StatementIntercoastal High School students, regardless of ethnicity, socio-economic status or personal challenges, will achieve personal success and become responsible, productive citizens who impact their community. Intercoastal graduates will make a difference.Mission StatementIntercoastal High School is a model school that will foster, in a safe and secure environment, strong leadership and character. We are a supportive learning community that seeks to develop leaders who will excel and be catalysts for change in our sphere of influence.

7. Belief and Value Statements • Collaboration • Critical Thinking • Character Development • Leadership • Community Relationships • Life-long Learners

8. Current Status: School spirit is at an all-time low. Attendance at school activities including sporting events and theatrical productions, by parents, students and community members is almost non-existent. There is a lack of interest by staff to participate in after-school events, so much so that an outside company has been hired to supervise and provide security at these events. There have been prolonged district employee contract negotiations which explains the reluctance of teachers to work beyond the regular school day. Intercoastal Staff Morale

9. Goal Statement • Intercoastal High School endeavors to provide an environment that fosters a positive community by providing teaches various opportunities to interact with each other on a social basis, thereby creating a strong personal bond among faculty and staff.

10. Action Plan • Build better relationships and foster collaboration in the workplace. • Create a productive and positive working environment. • Develop untapped talent among faculty and staff. • Challenge faculty and staff to interact and communicate with each other.

11. The Sunshine Committee • Create a committee of teachers and staff to brainstorm and develop team-building activities, some of which will be implemented during pre-planning week in August. • The Lead Teacher, along with committee members, will work on activities to boost school-wide morale.

12. Tasks At Hand • Committee members will first identify the issues facing the faculty and staff. • Develop guidelines and set clear expectations [goals] for the group [The Sunshine Committee].

13. Committee Members • The members will reflect the school learning community, as well as that of the community outside of the school. • There shall be one [1] representative from each sector of the school community, and at least two[2] from outside. • Committee members will be selected from the following areas: teachers; PTSA; student body; custodians; bus drivers and monitors; cafeteria; businesses that support school activities.

14. Morale-Booster Campaign • Develop a full week of back-to-school activities for faculty and staff. [Welcome back local businesses.] • Solicit donations from local businesses • Establish a calendar of activities for the school year. Responsibility: Lead Teacher and designated Committee members Resources: Community businesses, parents, faculty & staff. Timeline: Implement from pre-planning week and throughout the school year. Monitoring: Develop a survey form and provide a suggestion box for feedback/input from Community: Invite representatives from local businesses to submit ideas on how they could best contribute to the school. Embark on a marketing program to identify employment opportunities for students within the local businesses.

15. Critical Needs: Discipline • Steady increase in student referrals for past 3 years to over 6,000 referrals in 2010 • Major increase in suspensions for drugs and fighting – both doubled in number from 2008 • Increase in bullying • Gang activity • Decrease in attendance to 80%

16. Goal Statement Intercoastal High School endeavors to provide a safe and secure environment that fosters a positive strong learning climate by empowering students to take responsibility for their actions.

17. Action Plan • Enforce zero tolerance for bullying, drugs, fighting and gang activity. • Reduce the number of referrals by 50% in one year. • Implement a positive behavior program. • Review Code of Conduct handbook.

18. Positive Behavior Committee • Create a committee of teachers and staff to implement and monitor the positive behavior program. • The AP for Student Services, along with committee will work with Principal on school discipline.

19. Zero Tolerance • Encourage student clubs create posters of policy to post around campus • Posters will be posted in the classrooms along with the behavior chart of new policies Responsibility: All staff Resources: School Resource Officer, school clubs Timeline: Implement from day one of school with posters created during pre-planning Monitoring: Use PLC’s and faculty meetings to share progress, data Community: SAC committee, sessions at open house

20. Reduction of Referrals by 50% in One Year • Professional development for teachers on effective classroom management • Reteach students appropriate behavior • Increased supervision around campus • Peer mediation for conflict resolution • Team up with community agencies for parent workshops Responsibility: All staff Resources:SRO, Pre-planning for professional development and refreshers throughout the year Timeline: Implement from day one of school with staff Monitoring: Use PLC’s and faculty meetings to share progress, data Community:Reports to SAC committee

21. Implement Positive Behavior Program • Develop a token program for reinforcement • Celebrations for students and staff • Alternatives for suspensions – ISS • School assemblies for presentation to students and faculty Responsibility: All staff Resources: Training on new procedures during pre-planning Timeline: Implement from day one of school year Monitoring: Use PLC’s and faculty meetings to share progress, data, advisory committee Community: SAC committee, sessions at open house

22. Review Code of Conduct Handbook • Committee review of handbook • Review with students during first week of school Responsibility:Administrators and advisory committee Resources:Copies of new handbook, posted on school website Timeline: Implement from day one of school with staff training during pre-planning Monitoring: Use faculty survey for feedback Community: SAC committee, sessions at Open House

23. CURRICULUM Current Situation • An 8-period class schedule • Lack of a curriculum and teachers teaching outside of their expertise • Low graduation rate • Removal of AP classes, AVID and the ROTC • Low FCAT scores • Little confidence in the principal • Limited use of technology in the curriculum and classroom

24. Goal Statement for Curriculum • At Intercoastal High School, we believe in the full-academic potential of every student. Every teacher and member of faculty is committed to the intellectual,emotional and social growth of the students at IHS. We strive to create a curriculum the promote higher-order thinking, problem solving and reasoning throughdifferentiated instruction in constant collaboration with parents. Our students, through continuous reflection and self-inquiry, will become culturally aware of the world around them and become the compassionate leaders in our community and beyond.

25. Objectives 1. Re-align teachers so that they are teaching within their field. For those not certified in their area of expertise, a professional plan must be established where certification is earned within 3 years. 2. Establish and communicate revised diploma tracks to include a college prep/scholars program of AP and Honors courses, a standard program that could include both challenging and regular level classes, and mandatory community service hours. 3. Target special services needed for students with learning difficulties. 4. Teachers will integrate technology within their instruction. Evidence of this integration will be required during teacher classroom observation. 5. Intercoastal High will design existing facilities to provide optimal learning environments.

26. Actions Taken 1.Re-structure master schedule so that teacher assignments are alignment area of certification. Work with uncertified teachers in developing their professional plans to include coursework, in-service training, or PEC 2. Develop overall 9-12curriculum guides for every discipline. Develop departmental curriculum groups. 3. Hire exceptional education specialist to coordinate special services. Include Intensive Reading, Intensive Math or other remedial courses for struggling students. 4. Hire a technology specialist to both train and maintain current supply of equipment. Install existing interactive boards, projectors, etc in classrooms. 5. Ad hoc committee including community design and construction professionals. End result -hire an architect to redesign existing space to include interior walls, modern furnishings, and up-to-date equipment. Contractors to install networking, sound barriers, address storage issues. 6. Ad hoc committee to examine instructional program, addressing ideas for advanced classes and additional elective courses. 7. Conduct a survey of parents and students to inquire what changes they would like to see in terms of added classes 8. Modified block schedule - 6 or 7 periods. Expansion of electives

27. Responsibilities 1. Principal/AP - master schedule and teacher assignment 2.Department Head - to lead curriculum group in the compilation of curriculum guide 3.Exceptional education specialist - ensure RTI initiatives are developed for targeted students, teachers - tutoring sessions, 4.IT Coordinator - staff training, maintenance and installation 5.Facility ad hoc committee 6.Academic ad hoc committee

28. FCAT Data Chat Review Analysis of data 2009-2011 • There was a decrease in proficiency in math, writing and science. • An increase in proficiency in Reading. • Learning gains over the 3 year period was declining every year.

29. Curriculum Needs to Address Data • Reading and writing across the content area. • Integrate using research based practices and strategies in the curriculum. • Example: Cornell note-taking in each class regardless of content. • Incorporate the use of a data room available on campus. • Have school goals visible to all staff and students.

30. Needs cont’d • Have data chats with students and peers. • Add tutor centers available during the school day at lunch. • Motivate the students to want to do better and add a culture that supports the vision to make a difference.

31. Expand Student Interest • Incorporate CTE program back in the school • Survey student interest by using: • ASVAB • Master schedule • Facts.org • Look at Dual Enrollment opportunities by partnering with tech schools, and community colleges.

32. Student Interest cont’d All of these initiatives will assist in providing: • Promoting a college going culture • Creating a want for post secondary goals • Create a positive school culture where students feel they are supported.

33. Community focus - Low teacher morale*field trip for teachers during pre-plan*Give teachers a welcome back to school gift (monetary donation for their classroom)*form a social committee that plans events and activities to get teachers involved*faculty birthday celebrations*suggestions/questions/concern box*Take a teacher to lunch, no duty for the day, early release time*Teacher of the month*Through PTA funds, order lunch out for teachers once a month

34. Low Parent Morale*Have a parent night to go over the vision and mission of the school.*Create a School Advisory (Improvement) Committee with administrators, teachers, parents and students. Parents become more involved with the decision making concerning their students--have more ownership in the process.*Consider a weekend open house where more parents can attend.

35. Low Student Morale*Let students be a part of the SAC, giving students a say in what happens--again ownership of process.*List things that students can earn for making the right choices..off campus for lunch, helping out in the office during class period, their own parking place on campus, etc.*Pep-rally for students during the first week of school*Create students of the week for students who have achieved something positive within the school that week. Could be academic or just good citizenship--cleaning up campus, etc.

36. Discipline issues-bullying, gangs, drugs, fights*A dress code will be strictly enforced to help with gang colors and symbols*Develop a zero tolerance policy when it comes to drugs and weapons on campus*Teachers stand in hallways during switching of classes*Have a full-time officer on campus at all times*No back packs allowed, which will help with students not bringing harmful items onto campus.

37. Curriculum which addresses low performance, technology, community involvement*Arrange assemblies at school where local clergy, police, and victims of bullying can speak to small groups of students concerning the issue of bullying*Arrange for a “school community” picnic on a weekend on school grounds. Possibly local retailers will donate food supplies. Local groups such as YMCA and other organizations could participate and explain after school activities available for students.*Fix up the school..landscape, paint, etc. Make it a place where people will want to go.

38. Make the school inviting. The school could get sponsors to pay for improvements. Set up a committee of students who would like to do the work on weekends.*Make a nice billboard to stand outside of school that lists sponsors and organizations helping out the school to make a difference.*Write up a technology grant to get a computer lab set up for students. Find sponsors to help fund the computer lab.*Teachers must bear the first responsibility in communication with parents. Teachers must call home for good reports as well as bad. Home visits also need to be considered.

39. Timeline

40. Conclusion • Future plans – design charrette/building revisions • School Improvement Plan saturates Porterdale. Partnership established. • As Intercoastal becomes stronger, Porterdale’s outlook changes • Community investment back into the school