PATH TO SUCCESS Stoughton Public Schools

Stoughton joins an elite group of high performing school districts by achieving a majority (4 of 7) Level 1 schools this year.

 All Stoughton Schools are now Level 1 or Level 2 bringing the District’s rating up to Level 2  Last year in Massachusetts there were 505 Level 1 schools – this year there are only 424  While other districts are losing Level 1 schools, Stoughton is gaining

Stoughton has achieved this milestone while the number of students in poverty and ELL has increased

How did we do it?  These achievements are the product of 5 years of comprehensive planning, budgeting, and implementation – guided by a compelling vision  A strong and stable leadership team supporting a professional and dedicated faculty

Five Year Strategic Plan  Expand Curriculum to meet students’ needs  Significantly improve achievement levels  Upgrade or replace existing facilities  Expand technology throughout the community  Enhance intergovernmental relations

 Provide extended school day opportunities for remediation and enrichment  Expand STEM, Wellness, and Arts curricula to nurture higher order thinking  Acquire and utilize advanced technology  Increase family engagement  Add Chinese to the World Language Curriculum Three Year World Class Education Plan

Three Year District Improvement Plan  Address student learning needs with targeted interventions  Provide after school enrichment programs  Implement a comprehensive writing curriculum

Assessments and Interventions  Aimsweb K-8  Benchmark Assessments K-12  System of common formative assessments  Targeted Interventions  Progress Monitoring

District-Wide English Language Arts Achievement and Growth  95% of SHS 10 th graders scored proficient or higher on the 2014 ELA MCAS which is 6% above the state average  No high school student failed the 2014 ELA MCAS  SPS is in the top 25% of all MA districts in MCAS ELA growth and achievement Achievement by Standards: K-5  Stoughton outperformed the state most strongly in writing with an average of 7-8% above the state average.  Some elementary schools saw an increase in growth of 16-20% in Reading and Language Standards over the 2013 ELA MCAS scores How did we achieve this growth?  A coordinated and cyclical program of research, curriculum writing, professional development and modeling, as well as financial resource allocations from the Town of Stoughton.

K-5 Literacy Lesson Plans  Stoughton began the process of researching and writing a new literacy curriculum  field tested the curriculum, edited the lesson plans, and created benchmark assessments  field testing the benchmark assessments and editing performance assessments COST to Stoughton  Race To The Top and MA FC 738 Competitive Literacy Grant has funded 96% of research, curriculum writing, and professional development initiatives  Materials (Books, manipulatives, and technology) provided through the generosity of Stoughton Taxpayers

District-Wide STEM Achievement & Growth  83% of SHS students scored proficient or higher on the 2014 Math MCAS which is 4% above the state average  85% of SHS students scored proficient or higher on the 2014 Science MCAS is 14% above the state average  OMS students scoring advanced or proficient on the 2014 Math, Science and ELA MCAS is 3-4% above state averages on all exams Highlighted Achievements:  Grade 8 science scores increased 9% over 2013 results  Grade 5 Math MCAS results narrowed the achievement gap across nearly all subgroups Next steps:  Revision of the K-12 science curriculum  Increased use of differentiated instructional strategies to meet the needs of all learners

STEM Initiatives  all math and science curricula across the district was revised to meet the demands of the Common Core State Standards. Resources include:  EnVision Math program K-6  Discovery Science Techbook K-8  Elementary Science (Engineering) Enrichment Grades 3-5  all science curricula K-12 will begin revisions to meet the new draft state science standards (Next Generation Science Standards)  Math curricula will include focus on differentiated instruction and inclusion of PARCC-style assessments  Expand opportunities across all grades for students to engage in STEM activities

Data Teams and Systems of Assessment  2013 to Present-All grade 6-12 teachers have received 2 full days of training  Early adoption and enthusiasm on the part of faculty  All grade 6-12 teachers working in Professional Learning Communities  System of Assessments Created or in Draft Stage-Grades 6-12  Writing Toolkits (Research Paper, Analytical Essay, Argumentative Essay, Lab Reports, Experimental Research Projects, and Fine Arts Writing and Critique)  Common Formative Assessments  Common Summative Assessments (Mid-terms, Finals, summative writing and research projects) The Leadership team hopes to expand Data Teams at the K-5 level as additional human resources become available.

Organizational Structures that promote and expand achievement  K-12 Curriculum Steering Committees exist for: Mathematics, Science, History/Social Studies, English Language Arts, and World Languages  Review MCAS or other Assessment Data  Discuss curriculum trends and necessary revisions to assessments and instruction  Provide updates on professional development-internal and external  Forum for communication between and among administrators and educators in Grades K-12  Ongoing Curriculum Revision and Review  K-5 Enrichment Program  4 programs in Science (Rockets, Catapult, Race-cars, and Robotics)  2 in ELA (Creative Writing and Reading/Writing Non-Fiction)  2 in Fine Arts (Visual Arts and Performing Arts)

School Leaders  Stoughton’s principals are experienced, educational leaders who work together as a supportive and high functioning team  Each principal takes the district’s goals and applies them to their individual school in a way that works for their population and school culture

Stoughton High School  Fully aligned curriculum to new state standards  Targeted assistance through Academic Support Grant  Professional Development on differentiated instruction  School Council designing strong School Improvement Plan  New schedule to provide well rounded program  More academic support labs for students who need them  Expanded drop out prevention program to include ninth graders

Robert G. O’Donnell Middle School  Data Action Plans  MCAS support outside the school day  Three Tiers of Academic Support, depending on need  Changing Special Education model  Fostering “GRIT”

Joseph R. Dawe, Jr. Elementary School  Professional Development coaching during the school day with writing specialist  Before and after school academic support classes  Teachers meeting in Professional Learning Communities as data teams, for common planning, to focus on literacy strategies  School-wide math  Parent support, home involvement

Joseph H. Gibbons Elementary School  Commitment to excellence  Team planning that includes reading and Special Education staff  Staff who reflect on practice and try different approaches  Professional Development Partnerships  Phonemic reading instruction to classroom curriculum  Kurzweil  Parent commitment and support

Helen H. Hansen Elementary School  Weekly Special Education staff meetings with the principal  Monthly grade level meetings with principal  Retired teachers working with small targeted groups during the day  MCAS conferencing and MCAS data day in October  Math and Literacy night

South Elementary School  Committed staff, willing to raise expectations and to support each child to reach new growth each year  Coordinated and planned integration of specialists in classrooms  Homework help run by SHS honor/ AP students four afternoons a week  Data driven selection for students needing before/ afterschool remediation and Tier 3 support  BOKS Building Our Kids' Success 2 times a week at 7:30 am  Commitment and focus on writing and literacy using the district developed lessons aligned to CCSS

West Elementary School  School Culture  Collaboration teams that meet for data analysis and common planning  Scheduled differentiation block at the end of each day for all grades  Extended day support programs  Summer enrichment program  Title 1 and ELL staff members for extra support

Stoughton Public Schools are moving in the right direction due to 5 years of planning, budgeting, and implementing a comprehensive vision for school improvement We look forward to the challenge of continued improvement

Partners in Success  Students and their families  Faculty and Staff  Leadership Team  School Committees  Finance Committee  Town Government  Town Meeting Members  Taxpayers