Identify the school-based RtI Leadership Team.

The school based RTI Leadership Team will consist of the school administrators and select teachers, including our ESE teacher.

Describe how the school-based RtI Leadership Team functions (e.g. meeting processes and roles/functions).

The process is just beginning at NDHS. The RTI team will meet and review the data provided to us by our departmental Professional Learning Communities. School wide data will be analyzed as well as attention being given to the problem areas presented by the Dept. PLCs.

Describe the role of the school-based RtI Leadership Team in the development and implementation of the school improvement plan

Being a small school with only 25 staff members, everyone is involved in the development and implementation of the SIP. The RTI team will contribute by establishing goals to be addressed from the data and discussions held during their meetings.

Describe the data management system used to summarize tiered data.

The development of this is still in progress.

Describe the plan to train staff on RtI.

Provide staff information on the district wide RTI professional development opportunities being conducted through out the school year.

Data Disaggregation 2008-2009 FCAT Data

What strengths and weaknesses were identified in the 2009 data by grade level, subject area, and clusters/strands?

Professional development is provided to all staff members on Data Analysis so that the data provided to them is meaningful. From the data analysis, the following has been identified:

Strong gains were shown this year in the bottom quartile for both reading and math. In addition, 90% of our 10th graders scored level three or better on the math FCAT, with 98% passing the math portion to meet the FCAT graduation requirement. In addition, 95% of our students demonstrated proficiency in writing.

Reading is our struggling area particulary when it comes to making AYP. No subgroup made AYP in reading. All subgroups met AYP in math. Both the ninth and tenth grade groups at NDHS had the weakest score in Reference and Research. The ninth grade math scores indicated a weakness in Measurement, while the tenth grades struggled the most in Geometry. Our eleventh grades struggled in all areas of science with the weakest being Chemical/Physical.

Instructional Calendar Development

What is the process for developing, implementing, and monitoring an Instructional Focus Calendar for reading, writing, mathematics, and science?

A school-wide instructional calendar is developed for the school that indicates our CIM FCAT areas of concentration for each week. In addition, each teacher works within their department and develops instructional focus calendars and curriculum maps for each course taught that lists the Sunshine Standards and the FCAT benchmarks that are being addressed each day/week.

Which instructional Benchmarks will be given priority focus, based on need, for each content area (reading, writing, mathematics, and science)?

Both the ninth and tenth grade groups at NDHS had the weakest score in Reference and Research. The ninth grade math scores indicated a weakness in Measurement, while the tenth grades struggled the most in Geometry. Our eleventh grades struggled in all areas of science with the weakest being Chemical/Physical.

What is the process to ensure instruction is based on individual students’ needs, as opposed to the master schedule?

Professional development in Data Analysis is offered as part of the pre-planning activities. Together as a school we look at all the data and look for school-wide trends or patterns. Each teacher then is provided student FCAT data in which they use to analyze for each of their classes. They develop data binders that hold data profiles for each one of their students. This is what they use to drive the development of their instruction and lesson development. In addition, the master schedule is developed after FCAT data has been returned so that we can have the instructional needs drive decisions to build the schedule.

How does the school incorporate applied and integrated courses to help students see the relationships between subjects and relevance to their future?

We are a project based school which incorporates applied projects in all content areas. Inter-disciplinary thematic units are also encouraged so that students experience the relevancy of what they are learning and its connection to the world and content outside one particular class. Bi-annual project fairs are held where student work is displayed for parents and the community to see.

How does the school incorporate students’ academic and career planning, as well as promote student course selections, so that students’ course of study is personally meaningful?

The school offers students elective courses in the performing arts, business, technology, and career study. Many of these courses focus on job skills and offer students internships. In addition it is recommended that all incoming 9th grade students take our Career Research and our Voluntary Public Service courses so that they have opportunity to explore their interests and strengths and find careers and organizations in the community that match.

Every year, after FCAT testing, students and parents participate in a course selection process that exposes them to next year’s curriculum to inform their course selection. Parents are invited to participate in the process and final course selection is sent home for parent’s signature.

In addition, each week the 12th grade students will have a homeroom period that will focus on college readiness, SAT/ACT test taking strategies, and will be assisted in the college application and scholarship process.

Direct the Instructional Focus

How are lesson plans and instructional delivery aligned across grade levels and subject areas?

NDHS has a lesson plan template that has 8 components that incorporate all area of the FLCIM. Within the frame of the lesson plan, teachers must provide the following: Guiding Question, lesson objective, FL Sunshine Standards being addressed, Instructional Focus Activity, Tutorial and Enrichment activities, Assessment, ESE/ESOL Strategies, and Literacy Strategies.

NDHS has Professional Learning Communities (PLC)broken down by Departments and grade level that will also meet monthly to discuss trends, strengths and weaknesses across grade levels and departments. Instruction will be aligned with the stermined student needs.

How are instructional focus lessons developed and delivered?

Focus lessons will be developed through departmental PLC and by individual teachers for each subject area based on a review of previous assessments where students were struggling. The focus lessons selected are aligned to the Benchmarks and standards for each subject area and cover those Benchmarks that are annually assessed on the FCAT.
The 5 to 10-minute focus lessons will be taught at the beginning of each class period. In addition, weekly homerooms broken down by grade level for reading, math and science will
• Who will teach the focus lesson (content area teachers only?)?
Reading, math, and science teachers will teach the focus lesson that correlates with their subject area. In the future, depending on need, elective and social studies teachers may also teach focus lessons.

How will instructional focus lessons be revised and monitored?

Student mastery on mini-assessments based on the focus lessons will determine if the focus lessons need to be revised and/or re-taught. In addition, pre-, mid year, and post tests given on the FCAT benchmarks during our homeroom program will be collected, distributed back to the homeroom PLCs, and the data analyzed.

Assessment

Describe the types of ongoing formative assessments to be used during the school year to measure student progress in core, supplemental, and intensive instruction/intervention.

Mini CIM assessments will be conducted regularly in each teachers own classroom. This data of course will be monitored by the teachers. School-wide grade level and FCAT content area assessments will be given at the beginning, middle and end of the school year.

In addition the new FAIR assessment will be given during the three assessment periods during the school year to all level 1 and 2 students. On going progress monitroing will be conducted by the reading staff with the students.

How are assessments used to identify students reaching mastery and those not reaching mastery?

Mastery will be set at the traditional score of 70% to ensure student proficiency of each benchmark.

The assessment results will be used to determine the instructional focus of whole group lessons. An Item-Analysis of the assessment will be utilized to re-teach the questions that students missed most frequently. Departmental and Homeroom teacher PLCs will discuss the data to make changes to instruction to address the students needs.
Teachers will then differentiate their instruction as indicated by assessment results to provide intensive instruction to those students earning less than 50%, additional instruction and practice opportunities for those students earning between 50-70%, and enrichment/advanced instruction to students earning 80-100%.

Maintenance

How is ongoing assessment and maintenance of Benchmark mastery for each grade level and content area built into the Instructional Focus Calendar?

Each week the school wide instructional focus calendar lists the FCAT area being addressed. This will be done through the weekly homeroom program. In addition, each teacher will follow their own course instructional calendar/curriculum map to incorporate the FCAT benchmarks into their content/lessons.

Describe the process and schedule for teams to review progress monitoring data (summative and mini assessments) to identify the required instructional modifications that are needed to increase student achievement.

Monthly there will be scheduled PLC meetings. One FCAT Area PLC (a reading, a math, and a science PLC) is scheduled for 4th Wednesday of each month and one Departmental PLC is scheduled for the 2nd Wednesday of each month. These PLCs will meet ot review data, monitor student achievement and discuss plans to implement changes in instruction as needed.

Monitoring

Describe the Principal’s and Leadership Team’s roles as instructional leaders and how they will be continuously involved in the teaching and learning process.

The Directors will meet with teachers either during PLC meetings, or one-on-one to discuss assessment results and student progress. During these meetings, lesson plans and data binders will be utilized to provide evidence of instruction, assessment, and differentiation to address individual student needs.

Individual Professional Development Plans will be developed with each teacher and will also be visited regularly to make sure that the plan is addressing the needs of the students and the teacher.

In addition, the Directors will work with the staff by providing professional development that is needed.

Supplemental and Intensive Instruction/Interventions

Identify the core, supplemental, and intensive instruction and interventions.

The Sunshine State Standards still drive the foundation of the instruction. Resources from the state adopted textbooks which are designed for intensive instruction will be utilized. Computerized programs or instructional software, in addition to Internet instructional Web sites such as FCAT Explorer will also be utilized. Teachers will utilize instructional strategies or best practices discussed in Professional Learning Communities to provide different methods of providing instruction to students in non-mastered areas. Resources and strategies provided at professional development workshops will also be utilized. Students consistently demonstrating non-mastery may be required to be placed into intensive classes, or use the PLATO web based progeam for remediation.

How are supplemental and intensive instruction/interventions and tutorials structured to re-teach non-mastered target areas?

Teachers develop interventions for each lesson and state them on their lesson plans. Activities are already known by the teacher so that when the assessment is done of the classwork and lack of mastery is determined, the enrichment or tutorial activities are implemented.

How does the school identify staff’s professional development needs to improve their instructional strategies?

The staff is surveyed to determine professional development needs the teachers may have. In addition the Literacy Leadership Team uses school wide data to determine literacy professional development that may support instructional needs of the staff. The various PLCs on campus will also discuss what professional development needs arise from their discussions and present this to the Directors. In addition, the staff is encouraged to take advantage of the various professional development opportunities offered within the School District of Osceola County.

Which students will be targeted for supplemental and intensive instruction/interventions?

Initially, all students scoring level 1 and 2 in the FCAT reading and math areas will be placed into intensive classes. All studens school-wide will receive weekly intensive FCAT strategies trough their homeroom period.

How will the effectiveness of the interventions be measured throughout the year?

The effectiveness throughout the year will be measured by the teachers classroom assessments and by the school-wide reading, math, and science benchmark assessments given at the beginning, middle and end of the year.

Enrichment

Describe alternative instructional delivery methods to support acceleration and enrichment activities.

Teachers develop interventions for each lesson and state them on their lesson plans. Activities are already known by the teacher so that when the assessment is done of the classwork and lack of mastery is determined, the enrichment or tutorial activities are implemented. Enrichment activities may consist of further research into an area being taught/learned, advanced students assisting those in class who have not mastered material, more challenging activities to complete while struggling students are remediated.

Describe how students are identified for enrichment strategies.

Through progress monitoring and analysis of data, struggling students are determined. In addition, during PLCs, discussions are held amongst team members that can identify struggling students.