Empower Students to Improve Communities
Classroom and Instructional Practices
- Reasonable class sizes staffed by highly qualified personnel who demonstrate competency in the state’s teaching standards;
- A strong core curriculum based on the state’s Common Core standards: balanced literacy program (reading, writing, phonics, phonemic awareness, word study), mathematics, science and technology engineering, history and social studies, wellness (health and physical education) art and music.
- Differentiation of instruction to include various learning modalities, including curriculum-based “academic choice” activities to meet the needs of ALL learners;
- Use of formative and summative assessments and standardized testing data to assess achievement and to inform instruction through pre/post test score analysis;
- Building-based teams who analyze school and student data, problem solve student success issues, and develop School Improvement Plans to increase student achievement through Data Teams (looking at student work, determination of the essential question:“What do we want students to know and be able to do in accordance with the Massachusetts Common Core State Standards?”), then designing instruction and assessment tools to reach student learning goals;
- Utilization of Massachusetts System of Student Support Intervention model and processes;
- Professional development for both professional and paraprofessional staff members to enhance instruction and student learning;
- Building-based cultural enrichment activities involving parent and community;
- Curriculum mapping of content and skills;
- The use of technology in the district to facilitate communication and instruction;
- A tiered support time during the school day dedicated to skill and concept reinforcement