SIG Community Meeting Brainstorming Notes

These notes are from the Monday, April 5th meeting, held in the High School Cafeteria. The main purpose of the meeting was to give a brief explanation of what the School Improvement Grant (SIG) requires of the school and then to generate ideas from the community members who were present.

1) Developing and increasing teacher and school leader effectiveness
-peer observations by teachers that are not necessarily in their content area
-students held accountable every week
-curriculum is developed and documented
-increasing students' value of assessments like SAT, look at other higher performing schools that have higher SAT scores
-PLC's happen within the school day, specific people to sub during the school day during PLC meeting times,
training subs to implement lesson plans
-hire a few extra full time certified teachers to help with this work to help lessen the load of classroom teachers (reduce burnout, increase flexibility, peer observations)
-teachers and administrators can visit other exemplary schools in the country or other communities in Maine
-build upon primary and middle level experiences to promote a positive culture
-blog could be created to open topics for discussions, other links, websites and communications between community members
-curriculum development between 8th and 9th grade. Teachers of 8th and 9th grades spend time together to discuss students
-Use grant money to smooth out budget bump of retiring teachers
-partner with a high performing school, use technology to build distance and alliances
-how to attract young teachers, come for a three year appointment, pay higher salaries
-school survey done by students (done last in 2005, ongoing)


2) Comprehensive instructional reform strategies
-Can grant money go to improving school or teacher space?
-IEPs for all students, goals set with parents/teachers/students at the beginning of the year
-improve self esteem and self confidence with a mentor, volunteer possibly after school (learning center)
-Responsive Classroom principles extended in to the HS
-help elementary school with grant money
-aligned curriculum grades K-12
-k-8 students are prepared to take college courses at the hs
-increase rigor in science and math by redoing labs, computer upgrades, more use of existing science center
-STEM is becoming STEAM, include rigor in the arts and art integration
-cross pollination between grade levels, socio-economic groups to bridge groups
-project based education
-lack of experiences for all students (everyone fishes for a day)
-use sports to expand math and science curriculum, language skills
-peer led writing centers, improves literacy skills
-look at everything going on behind the scenes (family or personal life) of students


3) increasing learning time and creating community-oriented schools
-continuing the CREST program
-expand areas of opportunities for students (different ways of thinking about the future)
-look at Jackman model, giving more leverage for academic success
-PTAs, PLC for parents and community members
-defined areas where community members can contribute - Volunteer coordinator
-list of community members who have special interests or experiences that teachers could tap into
-data results may help bring in community members to offer assistance
-create a structure that is sustainable with this grant
-community of teenagers – stakeholders in this process, feel that they have a say in what happens. Make
-them more of a part of the school.
-employers communicate directly to students


4) providing operational flexibility and sustained support
-less micro management by SB
-SB is not involved in instruction, supportive by making resources available
-SB should trust staff to develop curriculum
-get experts in to assist (consult) in curriculum development – arts, music (departments with small numbers)
-hard to define
-SB has supported proposals by administrators
-bring outside people in to give expertise
-teach health care, embed math, science, business, literacy into the course
-start school at 10 goes to 6, rotate teacher schedules to accomplish this. Keep students in school longer –
-pizza academy, peer help. this increases learning time.
-publicize the budget process and schedules