School Improvement Plan

Highlight 3-5 strengths of your school and how those strengths foster belonging, wellbeing and learning.

Endeavour is a place where innovation and collaboration have always been a key to our success.  We have staff that are willing to take on the hard tasks and support each other through new learning in order to do what is best for kids.  This grassroots effort has developed a collaborative, growth-mindset culture throughout our staff.  Here are some of the strengths we have as a staff:

Positive Culture of Collaboration and Learning

• Staff as early adopters and role models: Teachers and staff collaborate and show a passion for learning new things together.  Many teams model the importance of teamwork and doing what is best for students.  When new staff join Endeavour they see how working towards a shared purpose, promotes success and belonging. 
• Consistent & unified vision and purpose: As a staff we have had a common goal of creating an inclusive and supportive learning environment for ALL students over multiple years.  This singular focus and collective goal allows us all to use the same lens when making student centered decisions.  Students see the through line and are supported in developing their learning in common ways year after year. 
• Utilizing resources to support collaboration: Grade levels are given three (3) half-day release days throughout the year to come together to collaborate, calibrate, and focus on the needs of their students.  Using data protocol, planning tools, and support from building and district coaches and TOSAs are all ways to enhance the work teams do on a daily basis to dig deeper and do longer range planning.  We also have developed a robust Block Schedule over the past four years that ensures grade level teams have common planning time multiple times a week to allow for collaboration and calibration on a daily basis that is more fluid and organic. 

Supporting Student Belonging through Teacher Connections

• Understanding our students:  Staff find ways throughout the year to collaborate and share insights about students, pedagogy, and successful systems & structures – this means we are able to develop personalized supports for students and let them know we see and understand them as learners and people.
• Consistent, unified support: ALL staff work together to make sure ALL students have a consistent experience at Endeavour that supports them academically and emotionally.  This helps us create a safe, predictable environment where students know we are ALL working together to support their success.  Consistency across the school, at all grade levels, in all areas of the building is important. 

Fostering a Culture of Learning for Both Staff and Students

• Encouraging innovation and new learning: Our staff is always willing to learn new things and be the first to try out new strategies.  When there is an eagerness to be creative among the staff it leads to the early adoption of new teaching methods, technologies, and strategies that benefit ALL students.  Teachers are supported in trying out new ideas and pushing their professional growth to find new and engaging approaches to their classroom – all leading to enhancing student learning and meeting them where they are.
• Developing growth mindsets: Staff continually show students how they themselves are learning new things and trying out new strategies.  This shows students that the adults around them are always learning and reflecting on their practices – building resilience and a love for learning. 
• Collaborative staff environment: Endeavour is a place where staff feel comfortable learning from and with each other.  The support we give throughout the building reduces the stress of all we have on our plates and creates a positive learning environment for staff and students.

Strengthening the School Community

• Building a sense of collective responsibility: We have been working hard over the past several years to make sure our collaborative efforts create a strong sense of shared responsibility for ALL students – not just those in individual classrooms. The motto “ALL students are ALL of our students” is said by many of us!  The approach has made sure no student falls through the cracks – reinforcing the schoolwide culture of support and inclusion.
• Create a welcoming environment: As a staff we want to find more ways to welcome our families and community into our school and support the school-to-home connection.  The hope is to foster trust and a sense of belonging for families and to allow them to see that their student is a part of a supportive and cohesive environment. 

Staff collaboration and a commitment to supporting ALL students are central to creating a learning and working environment where both students and staff feel valued, supported and engaged in the important work every day.  We constantly reflect on what we are doing to support the well-being and academic success of ALL students throughout our building and adjust to the needs of the students before us.  

Based on your data and observations, describe 2-3 of the challenges you hope to address through school improvement? Be sure to address areas of gap closure.

Students with IEPs historically have lower scores than other groups – though we know this group has been identified because they are typically working below grade level.  Supporting staff to develop data-informed growth goals that address closing this achievement gap specifically is something we continually work on.  Having data-driven conversations with staff and collaborating with instructional stakeholders (such as LRC, ML, LAP, and even SAGE staff) to support specific, measurable goals will give teachers insight into effective strategies for both academic and behavioral progress across this group.

Enhancing Family and Community Partnerships has been a goal for our building that has not gained the traction we would have hoped.  Though we have at least two to three well attended PTSA events (such as Spooky Supper, Heritage Night, and Art Walk), there is still a need for academic focused and school driven family events.  As a community we need to create a strong connection between home and school; there has been a desire to find opportunities for families to engage in academic goal setting and understanding of curriculum and standards.  We know the need to implement multilingual resources and family nights focused on learning can strengthen these partnerships and ensure all families feel empowered and engaged.  Learning more about the Community Conversation Toolkit through the Roots of Inclusion organization and partnering with the district Equity Department is a planned first and next step to support enhancing this partnership.  

Describe 2-3 opportunities in the coming years your school can leverage for this school improvement plan and to address disproportionality?

Endeavour has been focusing on multiple actions over many years that promote equity and inclusivity in hopes to address disproportionality and support the needs of students at all levels.  Some of the work we have been doing focuses on:

Data-Driven Interventions & Monitoring

• Data: We continually use disaggregated data (specifically i-Ready, SBAC, attendance & discipline) to identify gaps, disparities, access needs, and successes throughout the school and within specific groups.
• Protocols: Grade level teams and instructional support staff use various Data Analysis Protocols to dig deep into the data and develop powerful next steps that will support students at all levels.  Utilizing the Success Block model and implementing multiple Release Days and professional development opportunities to collaborate and calibrate instruction – students across a grade level are getting similar powerful instruction. 
• Monitor: As a staff we regularly monitor data (after each i-Ready Diagnostic, throughout the year in core subjects, utilizing inventories, etc.) which allow us to adjust at regular intervals or in the moment to meet the needs of our students at that time.  Over the years we have been able to develop a more equitable learning environment for all students – focusing on academic and behavioral needs and outcomes. 

Professional Development

• Understanding: Support district developed and school specific professional development that addresses cultural competence and implicit bias – knowing these are areas that can address disproportionality in achievement and behavior.  We utilize instructional support staff, specifically our Inclusionary Practices Coach (Special Services Pilot) to model what UDL practices can look like throughout the day for striving students; implementing the push-in model along with the support of Block Scheduling.   
• Methodology:  Training that is focused on Visible Learning practices and Universal Design for Learning help teachers understand how to meet the needs of ALL students by adjusting their instructional practices and creating a more inclusive classroom environment.
• Engagement: Making sure teachers are engaged with their own personal learning in order to gain the skills they need to engage students from diverse backgrounds will continue to be important.  This work fosters a sense of belonging for staff and students and allows the unique needs of everyone to be addressed. 

Family and Community Engagement

• Opportunities: Find more ways to engage the community in the school improvement process.  Making sure as many voices are heard and as many needs are addressed as possible will support the confidence and enjoyment of being a part of the Endeavour community.
• Events: Develop academic and social opportunities (outside of the PTSA events) to have families and community members in the building to learn about what we do every day and how partnerships can be made to support students in all areas of their day. 
• Impact: Find ways to monitor and track the impact of involving the community in decision making processes – allowing us to build strong relationships and trust with our community.  Learn how our work and interventions are addressing the root cause of disproportionality and utilize our resources to reflect the needs and aspirations of the Endeavour Community. 

The hope is by thinking about and implementing these strategies over the next three years, we will be able to address the ever-changing needs and demographics of our school community in a very structured, intentional way – leading to success for ALL students. 

Based on previous School Improvement Planning & Tiered Fidelity Inventories, describe 1-2 systems, structures or practices recently introduced or expanded that shows promise for student achievement and will be continued? What impact are you observing? What data are you using to monitor impact?

 

Two areas Endeavour has been developing, tweaking and monitoring are around our Tier I and Tier II systems.  Our school continually analyzes the effectiveness of our schoolwide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) systems and the implementation of discipline data collection through SWIS.  We also have been developing and adapting our MTSS/Tier II systems and structures to make sure our students and staff are getting the interventions and supports they need to address academic and behavioral needs.

PBIS and the Culturally Responsive Tiered Fidelity Inventory (CRTFI):

• Expanding the use of the CRTFI for both our Tier I and Tier II teams has given us a lens to think about the inclusive and equitable practices we do or do not have in place.  Supporting teachers to implement ways to teach and reinforce positive behaviors and not relying on punitive measures has reduced the behavioral issues we had seen in the past and given staff a more robust toolbox to support students.
• Promoting positive student behavior across the school has reduced the number of referrals and strengthened student relationships with all of the adults in the building.  The school climate continues to be positive and students express excitement and sense of belonging when they are at Endeavour.
• Data for monitoring impact:
  • Behavior Data (SWIS): The Tier I and Tier II team analyze patterns in the discipline data to track reduction in disproportionality among groups – especially for those groups or students that have been present in the data for multiple years.  Working with the classified staff as well to develop skills and strategies to work with students during unstructured times has been supportive.
  • School Surveys: Endeavour collects feedback from students, staff, and families through the PTSA, administrator developed surveys, and classroom surveys.

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)/Tier II for Academic and Behavioral Interventions:

• Over the past 3+ years, Endeavour has been working to expand our MTSS team and focus to include more robust, data-driven referrals, interventions, and data collection at all levels to address both academic and behavioral needs and disparities. 
• The MTSS team, and our staff as a whole, have been working to increase the frequency and quality of small group instruction, personalized learning plans, and proactive behavior management systems.  We have been able to target the students who are struggling academically or behaviorally earlier so they are able to get more robust interventions sooner.
• Getting support for students who are high achieving is also being addressed through enrichment and extension activities, as well as coaching and co-teaching by our highly capable staff members.  This work allows for opportunities for growth for this group of students as well.
• Data for monitoring impact:
  • Academic Growth Data: Monitoring universal screening data (i-Ready, classroom assessments, etc.) at the student, teacher, grade level, and whole school level allows us to track progress over time and identify students more quickly for interventions.  Academically, the CRTFI has given us insight into curriculum, activities, and assignments that may not be reaching all of our students, especially our disproportionate groups.  Thinking about UDL practices has supported the work around addressing these needs.
  • Behavior Data: Tracking SWIS referrals, recess referrals, and “hallway conversations” allows us to gauge areas, times of day, specific grade levels, or even students that need additional supports to be successful throughout the day.  Working with classified and certificated staff to track what has been implemented and what is or is not working allows the MTSS team to determine who to focus on each meeting.
  • Teacher Input:  Having staff join the MTSS meetings to discuss student needs, data collection, and interventions that have been put into place has allowed us to gain a more well-rounded picture of a student in need and given us opportunities to develop more robust interventions. 

Being able to expand our MTSS and PBIS systems, we have been able to continually evolve and develop a strong, more supportive systems for students.  Both our academics and behavior outcomes have improved and staff confidence in addressing student needs has increased as well.  Improving practices for all staff, at all levels, is a commitment our teams make every day.

 

What proactive steps is your school taking through this school improvement plan to disrupt predictable patterns, actively dismantle institutional racism, and address the disproportionality in academic achievement among students of different backgrounds?

There are many steps we can take at Endeavour to address and disrupt the needs and achievement of all of our students.  Over the years we have been focusing on our students with disabilities, while keeping a keen eye on our students in other groups.  Our work has been, and will continue to be in the following areas:

Data Informed Student Growth Goal Setting:  Working with teachers and setting my own growth goals that focus on closing gaps in achievement for students in historically marginalized communities (students with IEPs, Multilanguage Learners, and dually qualified students).  Using disaggregated data conversations are around specific and targeted measures. Working with staff to become proficient at using formative assessments to track student progress and growth helps identify trends and adjust interventions for both academic and behavioral needs.

Inclusionary Instructional Practices: Focus over the past five years has been around designing differentiated instruction to meet the varied academic needs of students.  Now we are adjusting our learning and practices to include Universal Design for Learning (UDL).  This is providing flexible instruction that allows students to engage in and represent their understanding in multiple ways.  Teachers are getting rid of the one-size-fits-all model that has left many students behind. 

The MTSS team is also continuing to develop systems for early identification and intervention for any student that needs additional academic and behavioral supports.  Learning more about culturally responsive interventions has supported us in addressing needs without bias or inequity.

Family and Community Engagement: Moving forward we are committed to creating inclusive family events that celebrate and address the needs of our changing community.  Working to learn how we can offer multilingual resources and translators will allow us to welcome more families into our school.  When focusing on academic events, find ways to involve families in setting learning goals for their students – without always using “traditional” benchmarks.  Family nights to support families understanding the academic standards and how they can support student’s growth at home is a next step for our staff. 

By beginning to think about and incorporate these steps into our School Improvement Plan, we can begin to address the inequities and create an environment where all students can thrive.  These strategies promote collective ownership – something I strive for in my leadership, and require us to have constant reflection, revision and an ongoing commitment to equity.