As you know, we began a process to develop a District Improvement Plan during the last school year.  We developed Core Values, a district Vision and a district Mission.  During this school year, we have been gathering and analyzing the data that we need to complete the improvement plan and set measurable goals with a total focus on increasing student achievement.

I am going to frame this district report by referencing our Core Values as it is these identified values that form the underpinnings for everything that we do.

     The first Core Value is Respect for Self and Others.  As part of this Core Value and with communication as an integral part of it, the following committees, events and publications have occurred: 

·        District Communication Committee

·        Superintendent’s  Advisory Council

·        Superintendent’s Bulletin

·        PTA/PTO Presidents’ Meetings

·        Budget Forums

The second Core Value, Excellence for All, incorporates the data gathering and analysis activities linked to the District Improvement Plan.  In order to answer the question, “Who Are We?” we are looking at Perceptions, Student Learning, Demographics, and School Processes.  We continue to look at the perceptions of our stakeholders in the district.  We have surveyed staff, faculty and students.  Parent questionnaires will be sent home within the next few weeks.  We will also be using information that we will gather from the middle school and high school principal search process, specifically the focus groups that will be held for community members, parents, staff, and students to round out our information about school and district perceptions.  A comparison of multi-year MCAS results by student status groups for each school has been completed and is under analysis in order to learn more about student achievement.  District and school demographics provide valuable information to us as we move forward in our plan for data driven decision making.  We have gathered data regarding:

·        Community (population trends and community resources)

·        School District (history of the district)

·        Individual Schools

We are currently working on data related to:  Students over time, and by grade level including compiling multi-year data and completing comprehensive analysis of the following:

·        K-12 Retention Rates

·        Free/reduced lunch numbers

·        Attendance/tardies/dismissals

·        Dropout Rates

·        Advanced Placement participation and scores

·        SAT and  ACT scores

·        College entrance data

We will also be collecting data about our staff over time and about our parents. Staff information will include such data as retirement projections, attendance rates, and educational training for instructional assistants.  Parent data will include involvement in school activities, educational levels and socioeconomic status.

The District Improvement Plan also includes data on School Processes such as professional development programs and services.  This year we have two full professional development days and five half days.  The primary focus of these days has been responding to the NEASC recommendations at the high school; developing an improvement plan in response to our AYP designation at the middle school as well as programs on the writing process (6-8); and, at the elementary level, multi-year MCAS data analysis, implementation of Investigations, technology integration, and the development of common assessments has been ongoing.

According to Dr. Victoria Bernhardt, the author of the book Using Data to Improve Student Learning, analysis of demographics, perceptions, student learning, and school processes provides a powerful picture that will help us understand the school’s impact on student achievement.  When used together, these measures give schools the information they need to improve teaching and learning and to get positive results.

The third and final Core Values is Integrity in Words and Actions.  As part of this Core Value the district is committed to having an inclusive budget process including the following:

·        Open Forums

·        School Committee presentations and hearings

·        Proactive collaboration with Town Officials

·        Information on District Website

The work we have been doing is extremely important.  There has been no cost to the district other than the time and effort of our current administrative team.  While our efforts are laudable, there is much more to be done.  We predict that recommendations from our data analysis will require additional spending for staff, programs and materials to make us competitive with high performing districts.