Administrative Structure at the St. Johnsbury School

1. Administrative Structure at the St. Johnsbury School 2009-1010

2. What is the administrative structure of other like schools in Vermont?

3. Why do we have a Principal and an Associate Principal? • St. Johnsbury is a school ranging from Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade of approximately 700 students (numbers fluctuate slightly from month to month) • Children learn best in a safe, consistent, and engaging environment • For student achievement to improve, conditions surrounding both instruction AND school climate must be functional • The Principal is our instructional leader and must focus exclusively on guaranteeing the quality of instruction • The Associate Principal is our school climate leader and focuses on student behavior • Student performance has not met AYP targets for four years • Behavior problems have persisted and can interfere with instruction and learning

4. What is the designated use of the federal funds we receive? • Title I “Pass-through” funds are granted specifically to address needs of schools not meeting testing targets (AYP – adequate yearly progress) through restructuring, supplementing, or developing data-based approaches to teaching and learning • Consolidated Federal Programs – Title I, Titles IIA and IID – granted to all schools based on various formulas, including socio-economic indicators for the purpose of providing professional development, help for struggling students, and expanding use of technology • ARRA Title I funds (American Recovery and Re-investment Act or “stimulus” ) – provided through additional Title I funds to create and/or preserve jobs and must be used to directly impact student performance • Title I funds MAY NOT BE USED to supplant normal school operations or be used for administrative tasks and MUST demonstrate how they will impact students in need

5. How do we use our Title funds? • Direct academic assistance to students (lab teachers, after school programs, summer school) • Direct behavior management assistance to students (Behavior Specialist, Behavior Coach, substance abuse education) • Class size reduction in the early grades • Professional development for teachers – consultants and faculty positions (formative assessment, behavior and instructional strategies, literacy, math, and science development, curriculum development, use of data to inform instruction, integration of technology to enhance instruction)

6. What do the key behavior positions do now? • Associate Principal – funded through local revenues (requires administrator’s license) • Lead all climate and behavior initiatives • Enforce all school behavior rules and comply with all state and federal regulations • Chair Healthy Schools and Crisis Teams • Responsible for lockdowns, fire drills, and emergency procedures • Supervise and evaluate personnel (Behavior Specialist, nurses, guidance counselors, home-school coordinators, health and PE teachers) • Responsible for all suspensions and harassment investigations • Responsible for After-school programs • Oversee transportation and food service issues (other than financial aspects) • Write grants dedicated to improved student behavior and climate • Train personnel in key behavior techniques

7. What do the key behavior positions do now? • Behavior Specialist – funded through CFP Title I (requires administrator or supervisor license) • Run Behavior Intervention Team meetings (BITs) and “Kid Talk” meetings • Supervise the Student Support Centers and evaluate the paraeducators that run them • Supervise the Behavior Coach • Support teachers in following through with plans made during BIT meetings or processing done in the Student Support Centers • Run “restorative circles” with whole classes or small groups as needed • Work with students in need and follow-through with parents and teachers • Assist in training personnel in key behavior techniques

8. What do the key behavior positions do now? • Behavior Professional Development and Liaison – funded through Title I “Pass-through” • Provide support and embedded professional development to teachers in both behavioral and instructional strategies • Serve on the instructional strategies “Pyramid of Academic Support” and data team • Serve on the behavioral and climate “Pyramid of Behavioral Supports” team • Provide the linkage between behavioral and academic data and strategies • Run the student “Community Council” to engage students in the improvement of their school community and to organize assemblies and other school-wide events

9. What do the key behavior positions do now? • Behavior Coach – funded through ARRA Title I • Work directly with students, particularly during unstructured times to engage them in positive activities, to model appropriate behaviors, help diffuse conflicts before they escalate • Supervise in-school suspensions • Target students at-risk for assistance and supervision, as directed by the Behavior Specialist

10. Proposed Amended Structure

11. Key considerations: • The structure we put into place this year was a response to past issues of inconsistency, ineffectiveness, and the negative impact of difficult behaviors on academic success. • Overload was causing all administrators to step in at times to handle behavior issues which resulted in the above-mentioned inconsistency and interference with all of us being able to effectively do our own jobs. • This year, fully staffed and supported in both academic and behavior areas, there has been a measurable reduction in referrals to the Student Support Centers and an increase in reported improvements in overall climate. We have yet to see if there will be an impact on our student academic achievement. • Just because grant funds which support some of these positions might at some future time not be available does not justify not using the money now for our needs. These funds, if not spent, are lost. Some of these funds have been guaranteed and steady for years. Grant-funded positions are never guaranteed for more than one school year and if all the funds were to disappear, we would, as always, make our priorities in preparing a locally funded budget. There is no obligation of the taxpayers to maintain positions formerly funded by disappearing grants. • The bottom line is that we are expected to do everything we can to help our students to succeed. No one wants us to continue to fall short of required outcomes. We have been provided these funds at this time to assist us in doing just that, and we intend to thoughtfully use these funds to make the biggest impact possible.