AR 0520School Improvement Plan - Development, Approval and Implementation

The Superintendent shall designate the individual responsible to oversee development of the school improvement plan. The plan must be developed and provided to the District for approval within 90 days of the school's notice of designation by the Department.

A. Plan Contents

Prepared in consultation with parents, school staff, and other interested persons, the plan should contain the following components:

1. Duration. The plan will cover a two-year period.
2. Strategies. The plan will incorporate scientifically-based strategies to strengthen the school's core academic subjects and address the specific academic issues that lead to the designation.
3. Policies. The plan will implement policies and practices concerning the school's core academic subjects that have the greatest likelihood of ensuring that all students demonstrate proficiency or better on state assessments by school year 2013-14.
4. Funding. The plan will provide for the school's allocation and spending of at least 10% of the funding allocated to the school under Title I in order to provide the school's teachers and principal with high-quality professional development that directly addresses the academic performance problem that caused the designation.
5. Professional Development. The plan will explain how the high-quality professional development will directly address the academic performance problem that caused the designation.
6. Annual Objectives. The plan will establish specific annual measurable objectives for continuous and substantial progress by all students collectively, and each subgroup of students, to ensure that all students demonstrate proficiency or better on state assessments by school year 2013-14.
7. Parental Notice. The plan will describe how written notice of the designation will be provided to the parents of each student enrolled in the school. To the extent practicable, the notice should be in a format and in a language that the parents can understand.
8. Responsible Parties. The plan will specify the respective responsibilities of the school, the District, and the Department of Education and Early Development in implementing the plan.
9. Parental Involvement. The plan will include strategies to promote effective parental involvement in the school.
10. Extended Day Programs. As appropriate, the plan will incorporate activities for students before and after school, during the summer, and during any extension of the school year.
11. Teacher Mentoring. The plan will incorporate a teacher mentoring program.
12. Proficiency. The plan will address what measures the school will take to ensure that students remain proficient in future years. This plan component must be included by those schools which have had proficient students decline from proficiency for any reason other than regression to the mean.

B. Plan Approval

Upon completion of the plan by the school, it will be submitted to the District for approval. A peer review process will be utilized to assist with a prompt review of the plan. The plan will be reviewed to determine if any modifications are necessary and to ensure compliance with the requirements of 4 AAC 06.845. Within 45 days of receipt of the school plan, the District must approve the plan for submission to the Department of Education and Early Development.

C. Plan Implementation

The school shall implement the plan immediately upon District approval. Should the Department of Education and Early Development determine that changes in the plan will improve the performance or progress of students, the school will implement the changes required by the Department.

The District will ensure appropriate technical assistance to the school during development of the plan and throughout the plan's duration. Technical assistance may be provided by the District, the Department, an institution of higher education, a private organization, an educational service agency, or another entity with experience in helping schools improve academic achievement.

SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY/SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

Technical assistance must be based on scientifically-based research and may include:

1. Assistance in analyzing assessment data and other examples of student work in order to identify and develop solutions to problems in instruction, parental involvement and professional development, and plan implementation, including district- and school-level responsibilities under the plan.

2. Assistance in identifying and implementing professional development and instructional strategies and methods that have proven effective, through scientifically-based research, in addressing the specific instructional issues that caused the school's designation; and/or

3. Assistance in analyzing and revising the school's budget so that the school allocates its resources more effectively to the activities most likely to increase student academic achievement and remove the school from its designation.

District Improvement Plan – Development and Contents

Within ninety (90) days of designation at Level 2 or higher, the District will develop a district improvement plan and submit it to the Department of Education and Early Development for approval.

Prepared in consultation with parents, school staff, and other interested persons, the plan should contain the following components:

1. Duration. The plan will cover a two-year period.
2. Strategies. The plan will incorporate scientifically-based strategies to strengthen the core academic program in the schools served by the District.
3. Improvement Measures. The plan will identify actions that have the greatest likelihood of improving student achievement on the state's academic performance standards.
4. Professional Development. The plan will address professional development needs of the instructional staff.
5. Goals. The plan will include specific measurable achievement goals and targets for all students collectively and each subgroup of students.
6. Needs Assessment. The plan will address the fundamental teaching and learning needs in the schools of the District, and the specific academic problems of low-achieving students, including a determination of why the District's prior plan failed to bring about increased student academic performance.
7. Extended Day Programs. As appropriate, the plan will incorporate activities for students before and after school, during the summer, and during any extension of the school year.
8. Responsible Parties. The plan will specify the respective responsibilities of the District and the Department of Education and Early Development in implementing the plan. The plan should specify any technical assistance to be provided by the Department.
9. Parental Involvement. The plan will include strategies to promote effective parental involvement in the District.