Hillcrest School Improvement Plan

Wednesday, October 26, 2022

  HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

30 Griswold Street, Turners Falls MA 01376   

Sarah Burstein, Principal

          

 

School Improvement Plan

2022 -2023

 

Goal 1.  FAMILY ENGAGEMENT: We will welcome and engage families as active partners to support the academic and social-emotional development of all students. 

Initiative A: Re-establish monthly All School Meetings beginning in October 2022. 

Initiative B: Each grade level will host at least one classroom-based event for students’ families featuring opportunities for students to share their learning. 

Initiative C:  Hillcrest will host a Family Math Night featuring the Bridges Program and Math Recovery and a Family Literacy Night featuring Wit & Wisdom, Fundations, Heggerty and the Diverse Books Family Lending Library. 

Measurable Outcomes:

  1. Hillcrest family members will have multiple opportunities to engage in All School Meetings and to observe student learning in action.

  2. Hillcrest family members will have opportunities to visit their students’ classrooms, build connections with educators, and learn about grade-level learning.

  3. Hillcrest family members will have multiple opportunities to learn about schoolwide curriculum programs and to engage in hands-on learning with their students. 

  

Goal 2. STUDENT ENGAGEMENT: Staff will welcome and engage students as active partners in their learning, who take pride in their efforts, and make positive contributions to the school.

Initiative A: Hillcrest classrooms will engage in key Responsive Classrooms practices each day. These will include Morning Meeting, Quiet Time and Closing Meeting.

Initiative B: All Hillcrest students will have the opportunity to present their learning at an All School Meeting. 

Measurable Outcomes:

  1. Evidence of Responsive Classroom practices will be documented in classroom observations. 

  2. All School Meeting agendas and photographs will provide documentation of student participation. 

 

Goal 3. GROWTH & ACHIEVEMENT:  Educators will regularly monitor the impact of instruction on student learning and will make adjustments to maximize student growth and achievement.

Initiative A:  Kindergarten and first grade educators will participate in four Curriculum Summits during the 2022-2023 school year. 

Initiative B: Kindergarten and first grade educators will participate in Literacy Data Meetings three times per year. 

Initiative C: Kindergarten and first grade educators will participate in Math Data Meetings three times per year. 

Initiative D: Preschool educators will meet in grade level teams to review student data in November, March and May. 

Measurable Outcomes:

  1. Notes from Curriculum Summits will document educator work products.

  2. Notes from data meetings will provide evidence of appropriate instructional groupings for Tier One and Tier Two literacy instruction. Progress monitoring data will provide evidence of student progress.

  3. Notes from data meetings will provide evidence of appropriate instructional groupings for Tier One and Tier Two mathematics instruction. Progress monitoring data will provide evidence of student progress.

  4. Team Time agendas will include evidence of professional collaboration around student progress in early literacy and early mathematics development

 

Goal 4. GRADE APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTION: Educators will deliver grade-appropriate instruction with high expectations for all students and provide scaffolding to ensure access to learning 

Initiative A:Develop and implement a consistent and uniform SST process. 

Initiative B: Continued implementation of Ready Bodies, Learning Minds in the preschool classrooms and introduction to Ready Bodies, Learning Minds in the kindergarten classrooms. 

Initiative C: Continued implementation of Wit & Wisdom and Geodes in Kindergarten and First Grade.  

Measurable Outcomes:

  1. Referrals to SST will be tracked schoolwide and SST Action Plans will be implemented and monitored.

  2. Evidence of  Ready Bodies, Learning Minds practices will be documented in classroom observations. 

  3. During ELA observations, use of the Wit and Wisdom curriculum and instructional methodologies will be observable in 100% of lessons.

 

Goal 5. INCLUSION & EQUITY: Educators commit to creating an inclusive and equitable school environment that provides relevant and accessible educational opportunities, embodies social justice practices, and affirms all students’ cultures and identities.

Initiative A: A team of Hillcrest educators will contribute to the selection of an SEL curriculum that will be implemented in the 2023 - 2024 school year. 

Initiative B: Hillcrest educators will teach lessons focused on SEL on each of the 16 early release days. 

Initiative C: Hillcrest staff members will establish monthly opportunities for families to access the Diverse Books Family Lending Library. 

Measurable Outcomes:

  1. Staff Meeting agendas will include time for professional collaboration around the selection and review of an SEL curriculum.

  2. Classroom observations on Early Release Days will provide evidence of SEL lesson implementation.

  3. A schedule of monthly Family Lending Library sessions will be shared with Hillcrest families in order to increase borrowing rates.