Part 1
CARE Model
As I completed my internship activities I
participated on the district and high school campus site based committees that
review and make recommendations for district/campus improvement
innitiatives.
Concerns
1. Maintaining
the same or higher standard of student achievement with the transition from
TAKS to STAAR.
2. Improving
district/campus communications with the community and parents.
3. Better
serving our students who are on vocational tracks in high school.
Affirmations
1. The
district is being very proactive in what seems to be a vast area of
unknowns. Teachers are meeting across
curriculums and grade levels to align curriculum and ensure that students are
prepared for STAAR EOC exams in high school.
2. Parent
newsletters and school/teacher websites are great communication tools and
should be continued.
3. The
district should continue to make additions to the CTE offerings for students in
the district.
Recommendations
1. Push
information to teachers/parents/students as it becomes available and provide
teachers with quality professional development opportunities within their
curriculum areas.
2. Utilize
SkyAlert more frequently for key dates within the district.
3. Develop
a CTE committee to better coordinate the vocational course offerings and
certifications in the district.
Evaluations
1. Review
lesson plans and instructional methods of teachers at the high school level
where students are required to take End of Course exams as well as monitor the
use of technology within the classrooms and ensure the required capabilities
are in place for the use of the technology.
2. Research
ways to involve parents and communicate better with parents on the high school
campus.
3. Work
to develop a flow chart that shows courses leading to certification or
articulation agreements with junior colleges throughout the state for students
and parents to better plan for post secondary goals.
Part 2
Reflection As I utilized the CARE Model to analyze the campus/district improvement projects I participated in during my internship, I was able to focus more on the areas that could make our district better for educators, students, and parents. There were three main areas of concern that I indentified: 1) maintaining the same or higher standard of student achievement with the transition from TAKS to STAAR; 2) improving district/campus communications with the community and parents; and 3) better serving our students who are on vocational tracks in high school.
The district as a whole is being very proactive in
what seems to be a vast area of unknowns when
it comes to STAAR testing, in particular the End of
Course exams for high school students.
Teachers are meeting across curriculums and grade levels to align curriculum and ensure that students are
prepared for STAAR EOC exams in high school. We have seen collaboration of teachers and
administrators to develop ways further improve this area. After the first year of STAAR testing it is
obvious that our efforts are being productive as our scores were some of the highest in our area,
however there is still room for improvements as the standards will continue to increase over the next
few years. As it becomes available, information should be pushed to teachers/parents/students
regarding passing standards and how the test will be figured into overall course grades. With budget
cuts, our district has restricted professional development to those opportunities provided by our ESC.
With increased rigor in the curriculum and expectations, teachers should be given opportunities for
quality professional development within their curriculum areas. There are even opportunities for the
district to maybe send department chairs to workshops and have them provide professional
development opportunities on campus. Overall, our campus is doing a great job transitioning from
TAKS to STAAR as evidenced by our first year results. In reflection I would contine curriculum
alignment activities throughout the district, at least until we reach full integration of the End of Course
exams. I would also review lesson plans and instructional methods of teachers at the high school
level where students are required to take End of Course exam and continue to monitor student
progress through the use of benchmark exams. I would also monitor the use of technology within the
classrooms and ensure the required capabilities are in place for the use of that technology. Our district
is very forward in the acquisition of technology for education, however at this point some of the
infrastructure (wireless routers, etc...) is inadequate or does not function to its capacity in cinderblock
constructed buildings.
Improving communication with parents and the community is always an area that can be improved in any district. Currently parent newsletters and school/teacher websites are being utilized and are great communication tools that should becontinued. The district could utilize SkyAlert more frequently for key activities involving students/parents. For example the high schools open house. If we rely on students alone to get the information to their parents then we will never achieve 100% notification. Also our high school billboard sign is on campus which is not on a highly traveled roadway. The district could look into a sign that could be more visible to parents. I would recommend researching ways to involve parents and communicate better with parents on the high school campus.
The final concern that was identified in the CARE Model was serving our students who are on vocational tracks in high school. Even though the state wishes for every student to be college ready, that does not mean that every student has plans to attend college. We must not forget those students who are not planning for post secondary education and what are our districts doing to prepare them for the workforce. My recommendation is that the district continue to make additions to the CTE offerings for students in the district. This should include vocational tracks for lower preforming students. This could be achieved through the development of a CTE committee to oversee trends in industry and make recommendations for course offerings. Furthermore, a flowchart should be developed that outlines all CTE course offerings and how to achieve certification upon graduation or any articulation agreements that are offered by junior colleges throughout the state that could lead to certification. Parents should also be made aware of the tuition savings that articulations could have for students who are planning to further their education at a post secondary institution. I feel these efforts would allow the district to better serve these students and help them in their course selection/4 year planning to ensure that we are preparing them for their post secondary goals.
