2007-2008 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PLAN

What are the Research-Identified Strategies?

What are the Desired Student Products and Behaviors?

(emphasis on boys)

How Will You Accomplish This?

How Often?

What Evidence Will You Be Gathering Relative to the Desired Student Products and Behaviors?

Increase student motivation and increase student choice using differentiated instruction

a) Increased willingness to share their writing

- Students will be given regular opportunities to share their writing

- At least once a month: students complete a writing assignment and are given the opportunity to share

- A schedule of monthly submissions for school-wide sharing 

- Collect writing samples from Write-Ins for students to share in class and school-wide

b) Increased interest and enjoyment with writing

-  Each grade level will offer differentiated writing prompts

 - Grade levels experiment with other student choice variables (i.e. focus on action writing, easing appropriateness guidelines)

- Grade level workshops with male authors such as PO Lewis (Completed)

- Ongoing, by grade level: teachers share and record prompts which are most motivating

 - Six times: give interest rating question (survey) at the end of  the rough draft

 - One time: adopt appropriateness guidelines for action writing (e.g. violence, word choice, etc) (Completed)

- Collect results of Oct., Nov., Dec., Feb., Mar., Apr. interest rating questions (surveys) 

c) Increased number of students meet standard (3 or above) on grade level writing assessments

- Grade levels will give writing prompts from which they collect scoring data

- Grade levels meet to jointly score papers in order to give students consistent feedback

 - Grade levels meet to collaboratively brainstorm strategies for improving writing of struggling writers

- Three times: a single-prompt scored writing assessment completed no later than September 28th, January 31st, and May 15^th

 - Grade levels meet to jointly score papers after January and May assessments 

- Monthly: a member of each team brings two samples of a student’s writing that is problematic. Teammates brainstorm strategies that might improve that student’s writing

- First assessment: baseline data; January 31 and May 15 assessments: comparative (summative) data 

- Use anchor papers, by grade level, to calibrate meets standard (3) for “writes clearly and effectively” target

- A schedule for each grade level that indicates which teacher is bringing samples of problematic student writing

d) Increased number of students choose writing as an extracurricular activity

During 05-06, 06-07

- Develop an extra-curricular writing program to encourage writing outside the classroom (Write-On) (Completed)

 - Offer an enrichment writing class geared toward boys and action writers (Completed)

 During 07-08

- Modified Write-On to begin school-wide Write-In days in classrooms. Students complete and extend writing pieces created on these days at home.

- Monthly: PTSA will offer extra-curricular writing opportunities (October-May) and gather data on participation levels by grade level and gender (Completed)

 - Twice: we will offer two writing enrichment classes (second and third trimesters) and gather data on participation levels by grade level and gender (Completed)

 - November-March, Monthly: Write-On Write-In days

- Participation data from Write-On program and Writing Is Fun enrichment classes (Completed)

 - Parents will record student writing on the website

 - Students will share writing in the lunch room