Superintendent’s [Re] Briefing

1. Superintendent’s [Re]Briefing • Principals’ Meeting • August 24, 2010 • December 2010 • Las Cruces Public Schools • Stan Rounds

2. Las Cruces Public Schools - A Responsive Learning Community • Our Mission: The Las Cruces Public Schools, in partnership with students, families, and the community, provides a student-centered learning environment that cultivates character, fosters academic excellence, and embraces diversity.

3. A Responsive Learning Community • Budget reductions cannot limit our mission to provide “a student-centered learning environment that cultivates character, fosters academic excellence, and embraces diversity” • Educational plans must emerge from student achievement data and be purposeful and targeted • School-based EPSS due on September 30[Target Met - EPSS Peer Reviews conducted; November 1 all EPSS ready for PED review, PED comments forthcoming; outcomes drive revisions, revisions are ongoing, evidence linked to goal attainment, and revised EPSS due January 24, 2011] • EPSS [review] includes essential elements discussed at the Administrators’ Retreat [revisited today] • COGNOS will be a valuable tool[Limited implementation]

4. A Responsive Learning Community • We must expand our definition of “intervention” to include those in the upper quartile without compromising our commitment to those in the lower quartile • Who are your upper quartile students? • Who are the students reading below grade level? [How many students are reading below grade level?] • Who are the students not meeting proficiency standards in mathematics? • What is your acceleration model? [Acceleration Guidance Manual posted as part of IKE and Instructional Framework Tools] • Are interventions meeting the needs of students? • Are these questions [answers, and progress] addressed [documented] in your EPSS? • Parental and community involvement is essential

5. A responsive community Is Attentive to current data NMSBA: Students Proficient or Above In Mathematics

6. A responsive community Is Attentive to current data NMSBA: Students Proficient or Above in Reading K-2 It’s all about you (getting them ready for third grade reading level)

7. A responsive community Is Attentive to its plan of Action • Transformational Model - a rigorous intervention model that all schools commit to implement(AY 10-11 focus on Tier I - Classroom Based Interventions prior to referral to Tier II intervention) • Reading, language arts, and mathematics proficiency for all students • Instructional leadership(PLC’s are focused on student achievement and learning plans emerge that allow for differentiation of instruction and Tier I classroom-based interventions [no more than 15% are targeted for Tier II]) • Comprehensive and purposeful data analysis to ensure that ALL students are learning [MAP growth August to December]

8. A responsive community Is Attentive to its plan of Action • Focus on the “whole child” through a robust interdisciplinary curriculum that includes the arts, music, physical education, science, & social studies[recess](Critical at the elementary and middle school - PDT professional development will begin to focus on this aspect of the learning process [examine PDT agendas]) • Implementation of the core curriculum with fidelity(District Curriculum Instructional Framework Tools posted on web site)

9. A responsive community Is Attentive to its plan of Action • Highly qualified teachers and para-professionals • Hiring process to attract & retain the “best” [report on highly qualified in review by HR and Federal Programs] • Beginning teacher induction program & mentoring [mid-year review scheduled with Associate Superintendent] • Proficiency levels for English Language Learners in all academic subjects(Bilingual Department available for technical assistance and working with PLCs on appropriate strategies and in-class support for teachers) [ELL Task Force continues to meet, recommendations due in March; master schedules continue to reflect the needs of ELL students] • Alignment and use of NM ELD standards[at all levels; principals’ responsibility to ensure use of the standards]

10. A responsive community Is Attentive to its plan of Action • Curriculum maps guide and align instruction(Current focus is on aligning the middle grade maps with Common Core Reading and Language Arts Standards and Springboard [National Core Standards in Language Arts and Mathematics adopted on October 21, 2010; district review and alignment during the 2011-2012 AY with full implementation in August 2012]) • Differentiated professional development that is job-embedded and data driven(Classroom Walk Throughs, MAP, NM SBA, ACCESS, other qualitative data that emerges from PLCs [ongoing and documented in EPSS (i.e., PD 360 usage reports, PLC agendas & minutes, achievement growth and/or regression)]) • Classroom walk through protocol(Are we ready? Walk throughs should begin this week; what is your schedule? [PDC coordinator preparing report for Superintendent for use in principal evaluation discussion beginning in January; each teacher receives 2 visits per month])

11. A responsive community accepts & Meets challenges • Increase attendance rates by 1.5% (baseline 09-10; attendance interventions as outlined in JEA-R; documentation reviewed during principal evaluation ) • Increase graduation rate by 20% at all high schools (withdrawals, transfers, and drop outs are monitored monthly by Directors of Elementary and Secondary Instruction ) • All subpopulations show growth in measured achievement areas by at least 10% (regression is not an option, cohorts monitored through MAP & NM SBA [AAR staff will prepare MAP growth reports for discussion during principal evaluation])

12. A responsive community accepts & Meets challenges • Career and college counseling is provided to students, not some but ALL (critical at the high school, exposure at the middle school, exploration at the elementary school) • Examination of the critical role that counselors play in the educational, social, & behavioral context(a change in practice; an action plan is in development by the Directors of Elementary and Secondary Instruction) • Central office personnel provide support that is timely and productive (Associate Superintendents will gather principals’ input [survey will be distributed in February; please respond honestly and openly])

13. A responsive community Is Attentive to a plan of Action • Coordinated review of all interventions above the core (Directors of Elementary and Secondary Instruction, in collaboration with building principal, review progress each semester; process to address needs of dyslexic students rolled out in September [in progress, December meeting will address full roll out]) • Safe, Drug-free schools conducive to learning(Federal Program Office reviews all referrals and develops action plan with each building principal to address emerging issues on a semester basis [Anti-Bullying plans are embedded in EPSS]) • Careful analysis of discipline referrals and consequences(School Leadership Team meets in PLC to analyze referrals and determine actions steps)

14. A responsive community Is Attentive to a plan of Action • Valuing and encouraging parental involvement(School Advisory Council is conducted monthly and agendas are kept on file; representative from the SAC attends District Advisory Committee [Superintendent’s Office will distribute summary report for each building in January]) • Exploring alternative education opportunities(The school EPSS defines a process to identify and work with students who are in need of alternative education options at the school - academic, behavioral, & social) • Support for student transitions from one level to the next(The EPSS specifies a clear articulation plan for students who transfer from one level to the next [promising practices are emerging, i.e., Onate and two feeder campuses; 9th grade support study has identified this as a significant strategy])

15. A responsive community Accepts & Meets challenges • Teachers, principals, and assistant principals call a parent every day with a positive message(The EPSS identifies this as a proactive strategy and also specifies a monitoring strategy) • Teachers take accurate attendance daily within the first ten minutes of class(The school leadership team monitors this practice and identifies a plan of action to work with teachers who are not taking accurate attendance) • School staff welcome all parents and visitors professionally (“the 8-second rule”) (How is your school doing in this regard? School Leadership Team discusses proactive strategies and implements these strategies)

16. A responsive community Accepts & Meets challenges • Communication loop is closed within 24-hours (schools and central office) with minimal transfers (Community survey results show marked increase in parent satisfaction in this regard) • Criticality is the measure for all travel(Is travel required to meet EPSS goal, strategy, & action? Can the goal, strategy, & action be accomplished without travel to a meeting or conference? Is video conferencing an option? All travel requests must include specific school-based EPSS goal, strategy, & action) • We must take a proactive attitude to address budget challenges

17. A responsive community Is Attentive to its plan of Action • We must will continue to embrace our challenges • We must will continue to ensure that all decisions are student focused • We must will continue to alter our course when student needs dictate such a change