Strategic Plan 2001

June 2008 - 2010

INTRODUCTION

This document presents the strategic plan for the Warwick Public Schools and establishes a long-range direction for the district. The strategic plan provides a clear focus for future pursuits and establishes priorities for improving schools.

Strategic Planning is a process of creating an organization’s preferred future. It is a planning process for organizational renewal and transformation that provides a framework for improving programs, management functions, and evaluation of an organization’s progress. Strategic planning helps organizations think and act strategically, develop effective strategies, clarify future directions, establish priorities, improve organizational performance, build teamwork and expertise, and deal effectively with a rapidly changing environment. The strategic planning process involves a series of steps that moves an organization through:

· understanding relevant external trends and their implications;

· assessing organizational capacity to change and improve;

· developing a mission, and guiding beliefs;

· establishing goals, objectives, and action plans designed to move the organization to where it wants to be;

· setting a strategic direction to follow to achieve its mission and objectives;

· communicating its mission, beliefs, and goals/objectives to all stakeholder groups;

· implementing the action plans it has developed; and

· monitoring progress, solving problems, and renewing action plans.

Organizations implement strategic planning to effectively deal with change in a proactive, rather than reactive, manner by establishing a common purpose, a sense of direction, priorities for change, and a blueprint for action. This plan reflects the continuation of the strategic planning process that was established in 2001. This plan includes an analysis of the school district’s strengths and weaknesses as well as the opportunities and threats anticipated by current trends and future conditions. Based upon these understandings and analysis, this document defines the mission, guiding beliefs, goals and objectives, which will guide the school district during the next three to five years (2008-2010).

To be successful, this strategic plan demands the support from all stakeholder groups: the School Committee and other governmental leaders; the Superintendent; teachers, administrators and support staff; parents; students; business leaders; and the general community.

This strategic plan is the culmination of analysis and work by a strategic planning committee consisting of teachers, administrators, parents, students, government leaders, business representatives and community members.~ The committee followed the process of strategic planning as described in this document and depicted in the following figure.

Strategic Planning Process

Pre-Planning - involves forming the strategic planning team, selecting an external facilitator, gathering needed resources, training the strategic planning team, and establishing dates, times, and location for strategic planning meetings.

Creating the Plan - consists in conducting the environmental scan and developing guiding beliefs, mission statement, goals and objectives, learner goals, and parameters.

Communicating the Plan - involves establishing processes for communicating the components of and building support for the strategic plan.

Action Planning - includes prioritizing of objectives, establishing action steps, identifying persons responsible for implementing each step, establishing timelines, determining indicators of accomplishment, and establishing budgets for action plan implementation.

Monitoring and Evaluation - involves monitoring the implementation of all action plans and assessing the degree of accomplishment of the strategic plan components.

WARWICK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Kathleen Adams, Principal, Holden Elementary School

Noreen Bamford, Teacher, Potowomut Elementary School

Denise Bilodeau, Coordinator, Technology

Robert Bushell, Director of Elementary Education

Mary Caporelli, Principal, Gorton Junior High School

Dorrie Carter, Parent

Candace Caluori, Assistant Principal, Toll Gate High School

Lynn Conti, Principal, Robertson Elementary School

Richard D’Agostino, Director, Special Services

Kathy Desrosiers, ELA Supervisor

Emo DiNitto, Supervisor of Athletics and Health

Claire Flaherty, Executive Director of VOWS

Christopher Friel, Warwick School CommitteeFran Gray, Parent

Sam Holtzman, President, Warwick Teachers’ Union

Antonia LaBella, Student, Pilgrim High School

Tim Kane, Assistant Principal, Warwick Veterans High School

Marilyn Massey, GBP Coordinator, Pilgrim High School

Deb Meiklejohn, Prnt. Coord./Title I Prnt. Advis.

Victor Mercurio, Director of Secondary Education

Dennis Mullen, Principal, Pilgrim High School

Susan Perkins-Brillat, Physical Education Department Head, Aldrich Junior High School

Ron Poirier, Math/Science Supervisor

Susan Pucillo, Special Education Department Head, Winman Junior High School

Maria Rollin, ELA Department Head, Aldrich Junior High School

Joanne Schofield, RI Mentor Partnership

Anne Seisel, Associate Director of Curriculum

Eric Simonian, Math Department Head, Veterans Memorial High School

Peter Horoschak, Superintendent

Linda Sheehan, Teacher Assistant, Warwick Independent School Employees’ Union

Dianne Silvia, MIS Manager, Warwick Public Schools

Nancy Sinotte, Literacy Coach – Title I Schools

Donna Tobin, Guidance Department Head, Pilgrim High School

Stephen W. Lowery, Facilitator, Coordinator of Grant Programs, Warwick Public Schools

Carol Maloney, Senior Clerk/Technical Assistant, Warwick Public Schools

Mission Statement

The mission of the Warwick Public Schools, working cooperatively with families and the community, is to provide challenging learning environments that enable all students to develop skills and knowledge necessary to become self-directed, life-long learners, highly productive responsible citizens, and contributors to a technological and diverse society.

Guiding Beliefs

We Believe:

· All students can learn at high levels.

· Learning and teaching are continuous, life-long processes.

· Education is the shared responsibility of students, families, school staff, and the entire community.

· Schools are safe, secure, and nurturing learning communities.

· School and student performance are assessed in a variety of ways.

· Schools foster a strong work ethic in students.

· Schools prepare students to be creative thinkers, problem solvers, and effective communicators.

· Schools meet the individual needs of students by providing diverse programs.

· Schools foster and develop relationships with institutions of higher learning.

· All members of the school community are treated with dignity and respect.

· Schools provide students with a framework for moral and ethical decision making.

· Schools use current technology to support teaching and learning.

· Schools instill a sense of global awareness.

· Schools prepare students to participate productively in the local and international business, civic, and economic communities.

Goals and Objectives

The targets developed by the Warwick Public Schools will enable all students to be proficient in mathematics and reading by 2014 as established by the federal legislation “No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.” To meet the 2014 federal mandate, we have established the following three-year goals and strategic objectives.

By the year 2010, we will:

GOAL 1 – To increase the proficiency of students in reading across all subject areas (K – 12) as measured by the New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP Grades 3-8 & 11).

Elementary and Junior High

· Increase the percentage of students meeting or exceeding the standards in reading to 84% proficiency by 2010 as measured by the NECAP (Grades 3-8).

· In 2007, 33% of the students with IEPs were proficient (grades 3-8) as measured by the NECAP. The district will continue to reduce the reading performance gap between special education students and general education students and this will be demonstrated by students with disabilities meeting the state target for students with disabilities on the 2010 NECAP assessment.

· Staff development for all special education teachers (K-8) will focus on the use of assessment to drive instruction. Provide special education teachers in grades 7 & 8 with staff development on the efficient use of the reading process and reading strategies. All special education teachers will also participate in all district ELA professional development.

· Continue to implement, and evaluate Personal Literacy Plans for students (K-8) who are reading below grade level.

· Continue to collect constructed responses to established proficiency bench marks; continue looking at student work across ELA content areas and continue implementing The Comprehension Tool Kit (K-6)

· Evaluate and revise our data collection and record-keeping processes to facilitate the use of the new Response to Intervention Model in order to qualify students (K-6), who are reading below grade level, for supplemental services.

· Continue to implement the elementary reading program which is aligned with the New England Compact’s Grade-Level Expectations (GLE) as part of the preparation for annual assessment using the NECAP.

· Compile a collection of informational articles which will be used with the ELA Curriculum for improving the comprehension of informational text (Grades 7 & 8).

· Provide staff development on the use of the newly created English Enrichment Curriculum.

· Provide opportunities for teachers to participate in teams of various size and focus for the purpose of learning together reading curriculum, instructional practice/pedagogy and ensuring schools disaggregate school level data for use in developing School Improvement plans.

Senior High

· Increase the percentage of students meeting or exceeding the standards in reading to 76% proficiency by 2010 as measured by the NECAP (Grade 11).

· In 2007, 26% of the students with IEPs were proficient (grade 11) as measured by the NECAP. The district will continue to reduce the reading performance gap between special education students and general education students and this will be demonstrated by students with disabilities meeting the state target for students with disabilities on the 2010 NECAP assessment.

· Provide special education teachers who are co-teaching and content teachers for “reading classes” in grades 9-12 with staff development on the efficient use of the reading process and reading strategies. All special education teachers will also participate in all district ELA professional development for high school teachers.

· Continue to implement, and evaluate Personal Literacy Plans for students (9-12) who are reading below grade level.

· Compile a collection of informational articles which will be used with the ELA Curriculum for improving the comprehension of informational text (Grades 9-12).

· Provide staff development on reading comprehension strategies with an emphasis on differentiated instruction, reciprocal teaching and direct instruction modes that include the modeling of effective reading strategies.

· Provide opportunities for all teachers to participate in teams of various size and focus for the purpose of learning together – curriculum, instructional practice/pedagogy and ensuring schools disaggregate school level data for use in developing School Improvement plans.

GOAL 2 – To increase the proficiency of students in writing across all subject areas (K – 12) as measured by the New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP Grades 5, 8 & 11).

Elementary and Junior High

· Increase the percentage of students meeting or exceeding the standards in writing to 67% proficiency by 2010 as measured by the NECAP (Grades 5 & 8).

· In 2007, 17% of the students with IEPs were proficient (grades 5 & 8) as measured by the NECAP. The district will continue to reduce the writing performance gap between special education students and general education students and this will be demonstrated by students with disabilities meeting the state target for students with disabilities on the 2010 NECAP assessment.

· Title I students will meet or exceed the standard on the NECAP Writing Assessment.

· Provide follow-up staff development for Special Education Teachers in “Kidwriting” and “Empowering Writers”.

· Collect benchmark pieces representing all levels of proficiency.

· Evaluate and revise the current WPS writing rubric as well as the current spelling, language and handwriting programs.

· Continue to align the elementary writing program to the Grade-Level Expectations (GLE) in writing.

· Continue to present “Empowering Writer’s” staff development (grades 2-6) in expository writing.

· Pilot the use of the “Six Traits” rubric in Grades 7 & 8; and, provide “Six Traits” staff development to special education and content area teachers.

· Use released NECAP writing prompts in Grades 7 & 8 to chart and monitor student progress on short constructed and extended responses.

· Provide opportunities for all teachers to participate in teams of various size and focus for the purpose of learning together – writing curriculum, instructional practice/pedagogy and ensuring schools disaggregate school level data for use in developing School Improvement plans.

Senior High

· Increase the percentage of students meeting or exceeding the standards in writing to 46% proficiency by 2010 as measured by the NECAP (Grade 11).

· In 2007, 9% of the students with IEPs were proficient (grade 11) as measured by the NECAP. The district will continue to reduce the writing performance gap between special education students and general education students and this will be demonstrated by students with disabilities meeting the state target for students with disabilities on the 2010 NECAP assessment.

· Continue the implementation of research-based “best practices” in writing effectiveness using the “Six Traits” staff development model with the English Teachers and Special Education Teachers.

· Pilot the use of the Six Traits rubrics and use the newly adopted rubrics to select bench mark papers for each proficiency level.

GOAL 3 - To Increase the proficiency of students in mathematics across all subject areas (K-12) as measured by the New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP Grades 3-8 & 11).

Elementary and Junior High

· Increase the percentage of students meeting or exceeding the standards in mathematics to 74% proficiency by 2010 as measured by the NECAP (Grades 3 - 8).

· In 2007, 27% of the students with IEPs were proficient (grades 3 - 8) as measured by the NECAP. The district will continue to reduce the mathematics performance gap between special education students and general education students and this will be demonstrated by students with disabilities meeting the state target for students with disabilities on the 2010 NECAP assessment.

· Continue to partner with Providence College by providing a course that supports elementary teacher knowledge of math skills and concepts.

· Provide students with real life problems that allow them to apply mathematical skills and concepts.

· Provide teachers with professional development that will allow them to better understand the relationship between problem solving and scoring rubrics using professional consultants for presentation and follow-up.

· Implement differentiated instructional strategies to help all teachers close all equity gaps and better differentiate instruction to meet the student's needs.

· Provide teachers with the opportunity to participate in "Thinking Math" professional development and provide follow-up mathematics coaching for those who do participate.

· Provide teachers with professional development that will allow them to instruct students in real life problems and provide students with real life problems that allow them to apply mathematical skills and concepts.

· Facilitate principal and teacher review and analysis of student work with district supervisory staff to adjust the instructional program as necessary.

· Continue to improve and make consistent the math enrichment programs at each junior high school.

· Develop a partnership and vertical articulation between grade 6 teachers and content area teachers at grades 7 & 8.

· Provide opportunities for all teachers to participate in teams of various size and focus for the purpose of learning together - mathematics curriculum, instructional practice/pedagogy and ensuring schools disaggregate school level data for use in developing School Improvement plans.

Senior High

· Increase the percentage of students meeting or exceeding the standards in mathematics to 45% proficiency by 2010 as measured by the NECAP (Grade 11).

· In 2007, 1% of the students with IEPs were proficient (grade 11) as measured by the NECAP. The district will continue to reduce the mathematics performance gap between special education students and general education students and this will be demonstrated by students with disabilities meeting the state target for students with disabilities on the 2010 NECAP assessment.

· Implement differentiated instructional strategies to help all teachers close equity gaps.

· Facilitate principal and teacher review and analysis of student work with district supervisory staff to adjust the instructional program as necessary.

GOAL 4 – Implement the R.I. Board of Regents Regulations Governing Elementary and Secondary School Reform.

· Target 1- Proficiency Based Graduation Requirements (PBGR)-Access and Opportunity, Alignment, Sufficiency, Fairness and Standard Setting.

· Target 2- Supports to Students-Comprehensive Guidance Program (K-12), Individual Learning Plans (ILP) Grades 5-12, Personalization (advisory at secondary schools).

· Target 3- Supports to Staff-Common Planning Time (secondary schools) and Professional Development – 15 hours (secondary schools).

GOAL 5-To increase the percentage of students in the healthy range of the Body Mass Index (BMI) scale by improving the health and wellness of all students through physical activity, Health Education, Physical Education, and Nutrition Education.

· Continue to implement the physical Education curriculum as revised in 2007-2008.

· Teachers to receive follow-up training on the use of the pre and post test BMI district data.

· Communicate the district BMI results to all stake holders.

· Implement the Warwick Wellness Collaborative initiative in Grade 2 classes and provide all Grade 2 teachers with materials and staff development to implement. Communicate to all parent groups the availability of the Warwick Wellness Collaborative and its potential benefit to students and families.

Vision

Statement

The Warwick Public Schools is a safe, secure, and nurturing learning community, which provides challenging environments where students become self-directed life-long learners.

Our students are actively engaged in and are responsible for their own education and are acquiring the skills necessary for participating productively in a world of constantly changing technology, cultures, and societal values.

We are committed to promoting partnerships with students, parents, faculty, staff, administrators, and the community to accomplish our mission and goals.

Learner Goals

Our overall goal is to prepare all students to be life-long learners, responsible citizens, and productive workers. To that end we will graduate students who meet district academic expectations for learning:

Communicate effectively via listening, speaking, reading, writing, visual and technological means by:

· Listening actively and critically for comprehension;

· Speaking articulately and coherently for a variety of purposes and audiences;

· Reading widely and critically for comprehension;

· Using contemporary technologies to explore and enhance communication skills

· Writing clearly and concisely for a variety of purposes and audiences; and

· Receiving and processing information to express oneself creatively using a variety of visual forms.

Solve problems effectively by:

· Identifying and describing the problem;

· Accessing, interpreting, organizing, and analyzing information related to the problem; and

· Utilizing data and creative/critical thinking to demonstrate an effective solution.

Possess a broad perception of the world with an appreciation of diverse cultures, environments and the arts by:

· Explaining democratic and social principles and practices and steps necessary to take an action within a political system;

· Utilizing historical and contemporary evidence to formulate positions and demonstrate an understanding of current issues;

· Analyzing basic economic issues confronting individuals, nations and the world;

· Demonstrating an awareness of cultural diversity and its impact on society; and

· Demonstrating a thorough understanding of various concepts, skills and creative expressions related to the fine and applied arts.

Reach logical and reasoned conclusions by utilizing scientific, mathematic and technological skills by:

· Identifying and describing the problem;

· Collecting, interpreting, organizing, analyzing, and utilizing data to arrive at effective solutions applicable to the real world;

· Communicating ideas and information of a scientific nature; and

· Utilizing technology to locate, organize and communicate information.

Demonstrate positive health habits, including physical exercise, in order to enhance physical and emotional well being by:

· Understanding and practicing the concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention as a foundation of healthy life;

· Demonstrating an understanding of the influences of culture, media, technology and other factors of health; and

· Demonstrating and understanding ways to enhance and maintain one’s own health and well being.

Display a strong sense of self-discipline, which enables them to act responsibly by:

· Setting and assessing goals;

· Applying ethical principles which demonstrate a respect for the value of effort and the work ethic;

· Recognizing and respecting cultural diversity and individual contributions;

· Making informed career and life decisions

· Accepting consequences for their actions; and

· Understanding and practicing good citizenship skills, including community service; and

· Being aware of their interdependence with the environment.

Parameters

The district strategic planning committee has established the following parameters to guide their work in implementing the district’s strategic plan:

· Nothing will take precedence over the improvement of student performance.

· All action planning and implementation teams must be fiscally responsible and work within their allocated budget.

· We will not implement any new instructional programs without providing appropriate professional development.

· Provide an on-going mentoring program for all new professional and classified staff.

· The strategic planning, action planning, and implementation teams will have diverse representation and will seek input from the community.

· We will not tolerate discrimination of any kind.

· All work of action planning development and implementation teams must be approved by the district strategic planning committee.

· The school committee must review and approve adoption of the district strategic plan.

· Student intervention teams will be expanded to include all schools to address the needs of diverse learners.

· Self-studies will be completed at the school level in accordance with guidelines established by the Commissioner of Education.

· We will maintain interagency agreements with state and local agencies for the coordination of services to children and families to include the identification, provision of services and transitional needs of preschool children with disabilities and children and youth with behavioral health care needs.

· We will annually update the district’s technology plan. The current update is titled, Technology Supporting Proficiency 2008-2010.