Improving Student Learning - Montana Catholic Schools€¦ · Jeri Montgomery 5 Rita Brown Business Manager Krista Wahl 5 John Perez Custodial Jolene Dow 6 Ted Sherman Custodial Tom

E844 St. Francis School Page 1 of 55

Improving

Student

Learning

© Copyright 2013

A Self Study for:

Billings Catholic Schools: St. Francis

215 N 31st St., PO Box 31158

Billings, MT 59107

Continuous School Improvement Focused On High Achievement Of All Students

2016


List of School Personnel ...................................................................................................................... 5

CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 6

A. HOW THE SELF STUDY WAS CONDUCTED ....................................................................................... 6

B. INVOLVEMENT AND COLLABORATION OF SHAREHOLDERS IN COMPLETING THE SELF STUDY .................................................................................................................................................................... 9

CHAPTER 2 – CONTEXT OF THE SCHOOL .................................................................................... 12

A. SCHOOL PROFILE (with supporting data) ..................................................................................... 12

B. USE OF PRIOR ACCREDITATION FINDINGS TO SUPPORT HIGH ACHIEVEMENT OF ALL STUDENTS ......................................................................................................................................................... 14

CHAPTER 3 – QUALITY OF THE SCHOOL’S PROGRAM ............................................................ 15

A. ASSESSMENT OF THE SCHOOL’S CATHOLIC IDENTITY ............................................................. 15

B. DEFINING THE SCHOOL’S PURPOSE ................................................................................................ 18

C. ORGANIZATION FOR STUDENT LEARNING TO SUPPORT HIGH ACHIEVEMENT OF ALL STUDENTS ......................................................................................................................................................... 23

Organizational Chart ..................................................................................................................................... 24

D. DATA ANALYSIS AND ACTION TO SUPPORT HIGH ACHIEVEMENT OF ALL STUDENTS 26

E. HIGH ACHIEVEMENT BY ALL STUDENTS TOWARD CLEARLY DEFINED SLES AND CURRICULUM STANDARDS ......................................................................................................................... 28

F. INSTRUCTIONAL METHODOLOGY TO SUPPORT HIGH ACHIEVEMENT OF ALL STUDENTS ......................................................................................................................................................... 31

G. SUPPORT FOR STUDENT SPIRITUAL, PERSONAL, AND ACADEMIC GROWTH .................. 33

H. RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT TO SUPPORT HIGH ACHIEVEMENT OF ALL STUDENTS ................................................................................................................................................ 37

CHAPTER 4 – ACTION PLAN ............................................................................................................. 42

A. DESIGN AND ALIGNMENT OF THE ACTION PLAN WITH THE SELF STUDY FINDINGS ... 42

Goal #1: Provide more academic support opportunities to allow for either the enrichment of students already experiencing success or for differentiation to support students that are struggling in class. .................................................................................................................................. 45


Goal #2: Provide professional development to support using MAP assessments to inform instruction and drive curriculum change. ............................................................................................ 48

Goal #3: Develop more opportunities for faith development and formation for staff, faculty, and students to enhance our Catholic Identity. ................................................................... 51

B. CAPACITY TO IMPLEMENT AND MONITOR THE ACTION PLAN ............................................ 54

Appendix A-1 School Profile – Basic Information .................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Appendix A-2 School Profile – Current Enrollment Information ..... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Appendix A-3 School Profile – Instructional (Teaching) Staff ........... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Appendix A-4 School Profile – Support (non-teaching) Staff ............. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Appendix A-5 School Profile – Participation in IDEA ........... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Appendix A-6 School Profile – Participation in Federal Programs .. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Appendix A-7 School Profile – Standardized Testing Program ......... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Appendix A-8 School Profile – Staff Development Program .............. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Appendix B-1 Data Analysis – Enrollment Trends ................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

Appendix B-2 Finances Per Pupil Cost Over Time ................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Appendix B-3 Disaggregation and Analysis of Test Results: Quintile Analysis ....... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Appendix B-4 Disaggregation and Analysis of Test Results: Student Growth Over Time ....................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Appendix C Survey Results ............................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

Appendix F Action Plan Timelines .............................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Appendix I In-Depth Study ............................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.



List of School Personnel

Shaun Harrington President Codie Wahrman 6-8 Music / Orchestra

Deb Hayes Principal PK-2 Branden Martinez 6-8 Music / Choir

Timothy Lowe Principal 3-5 Susan Elliot Paraprofessional

Jim Stanton Principal 6-8 Traci Harsha Paraprofessional

Jeannine Nielsen K Michelle Mulholland Paraprofessional

Jill Powers K Michelle Trafton PK

Kristine Wagner K Allison Walsh PK

Chelsea O'Neil 1 Kim Studer K-2 Physical Education

Radene Ostwald 1 Melanie Marsh 3-8 Physical Education

Sarah Yerger 1 Mary Landry 7-8 Religion

Laura Linn 2 Marjorie Larson 3-5 Science

Jeanine Reed 2 Dale Rumph 7-8 Science

Erika Schaff 2 Sarah Stevens K-2 Special Education

Lynette Swanson 2 Mary Clark 3-5 Special Education

Elizabeth Glumbik 3 Sally Toner 6-8 Special Education

Ashley Johnson 3 Pam Bull 6-8 Technology

Deena Miller 3

Kevin Andriolo 4 Kelly Fallang Admin Assistant

Mary Lague 4 Phyllis Hochmuth Admin Assistant

Julia Lynch 4 Betty Reid Admin Assistant

Marianne Kale 5 Marlo Rockwell Admin Assistant

Jeri Montgomery 5 Rita Brown Business Manager

Krista Wahl 5 John Perez Custodial

Jolene Dow 6 Ted Sherman Custodial

Tom Ramlow 6 Sue Saks Early Childhood

Gemma Strizich 6 Leanne Leligdowicz Early Childhood

Cathy Read K-5 Art Kathy Harris Marketing

Lisa Fine 7-8 Art Margaret Stiles PK-2 Nurse

Nichole Hamnes K-5 Counselor Rhoda Byorth 3-5 Nurse

Joan Micheletti 6-8 Counselor Annie Compson 6-8 Nurse

Linda Gray 7 English

Bill Hope 8 English

Colter Bethurem 7-8 History

Katie Day K-2 Library

Donna Pettricione 3-8 Library

Kyla Steppler 7-8 Math

Tony Milburn 7-8 Math / Spanish

Deborah Murtagh K-2 Music

Glenda Newman 3-8 Music / Band


CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION

A. HOW THE SELF STUDY WAS CONDUCTED

The self-study process began in the Fall of 2014 when Dr. Tim Uhl, Diocesan Superintendent of

Schools for the Diocese of Great Falls- Billings, provided the timelines and principal’s guides to

each of the St. Francis Schools. It was decided to complete one combined self-study for St.

Francis Primary, St. Francis Intermediate, and St. Francis Upper by the Fall of 2015. The St.

Francis Schools asked for an extension to complete the self-study due to the following reasons:

a) Harold Olson, the president of the Billings Catholic Schools was retiring and search

began to hire someone to fill that position.

b) The teachers were going through the arduous process of converting to Standards Based

Reporting, which was significantly different from what they were used to.

c) The implementation of one-to-one iPad use in each of the classrooms began and time

was needed for training and setting up the iPads.

d) A very rigorous campaign had begun to build a new K-8 school, to be opened in the Fall

of 2017.

e) Chris Read, principal at St. Francis Intermediate retired and a new principal had to be

hired.

Dr. Uhl agreed to have the self-study completed in time for the Visiting Committee to come in

the Spring of 2016. So, the work continued in the Spring of 2015 with the establishment of the

Leadership Team. The team met to discuss the timelines and procedures necessary to begin

the process of completing a self-study. It was decided to use S.M.I.L.E. as the acronym to use

to create the Schoolwide Learning Expectations since the theme for St. Francis Schools is Make

God Smile.

Surveys were created and sent out 2 weeks after Easter. In April, the leadership team met to

create the Schoolwide Learning Expectation drafts. On May 1, 2015 the SLEs were given out to

the staff members at each school to look at and edit if desired. The staff at the Primary School

expressed a desire to simplify the SLEs so that the students could understand them better. A

simplified version was created.

On May 28, 2015 the principals and Dr. Uhl participated in a teleconference to discuss and

clarify the steps needed to complete the Accreditation process for St. Francis Schools. Tim

Lowe and Deb Hayes, the co-chairs, met on August 23, 2015 to create an agenda for the

teachers’ meetings and to establish the committees that would be responsible for writing

sections A-H in chapter 3 and the timelines to have this work completed.. The committees met

on August 24th and the 25th to work on each section. Once all the focus groups completed the

reports and lists of goals, the principals, Dr. Uhl, and Shaun Harrington met to discuss and edit

each section. We chose five critical goals to consider and focus on. The areas to focus on

were:


Provide more academic support opportunities to allow for either the enrichment of

students already experiencing success or for differentiation to support students that are

struggling in class.

Provide professional development to support using MAP assessments to inform

instruction and drive curriculum change.

Develop more opportunities for faith development and formation for students, faculty and

staff to enhance our Catholic Identity.

Provide professional development and support structure to enable vertical and horizontal

teaming to increase alignment of content and expectations across grades and within

grades.

Provide professional development and resources to support the 1-to-1 iPad program to

cover all grades, to be used as a source for differentiation of instruction in ways that are

connected to content.

The staff completed a survey to choose the three critical goals to focus on. The first goal

chosen was to develop more opportunities for faith development and formation for students,

faculty and staff to enhance our Catholic Identity. The second goal is to provide more academic

support opportunities to allow for either the enrichment of students already experiencing

success or for differentiation to support students that are struggling in class. The third goal is to

provide professional development to support using MAP assessments to inform instruction and

drive curriculum change.

Leadership Team

Tim Lowe St. Francis Intermediate (SFI) - Principal/Education Director – Co-chair

Deb Hayes St. Francis Primary (SFP) - Principal – Co-chair

Shaun Harrington President

Jim Stanton St. Francis Upper (SFU) - Principal

Kathy Harris Marketing Director

Sarah Stephens Special Education - SFP

Mary Clark Special Education – SFI

Kyla Steppler Math – SFU

Mary Landry Religion - SFU

Catholic Identity & Spiritual Growth

Deb Hayes Principal – SFP - Chair

Mary Landry Religion – SFU

Cathy Read Art – SFP & SFI

Ashley Johnson 3rd Grade – SFI

Lynette Swanson 2nd Grade – SFP

Deborah Murtagh Music – SFP

Mary Lague 4th Grade – SFI

Jolene Dow 6th Grade – SFU

Gemma Strizich 6th Grade – SFU

Bill Hope 8th Grade – SFU

Joan Micheletti Counselor - SFU


Evidence

Committee Meetings as outlined in Appendix D

Committee Meeting Notes

Leadership Team Notes

Tabulated Survey Results

Student Learning & Data

Jim Stanton Principal – SFU - Chair

Krista Wahl 5th Grade – SFI

Chelsea O’Neil 1st Grade – SFP

Kim Studer Physical Education – SFP

Melanie Marsh Physical Education – SFI & SFU

Sarah Stevens Special Education – SFP

Nicole Hamnes Counselor – SFP & SFI

Laurie Linn 2nd Grade – SFI

Tom Ramlow 6th Grade - SFU

Linda Gray 7th Grade – SFU

Dale Rumph 7th & 8th Grade – SFU

Student Learning Objectives & Methodology

Tim Lowe Principal – SFI - Chair

Erika Schaff 2nd Grade – SFP

Kevin Andriolo 4th Grade – SFI

Radene Ostwald 1st Grade – SFP

Mary Clark Special Education – SFI

Jeannine Nielson Kindergarten - SFP

Kristine Wagner Kindergarten – SFP

Kyla Steppler 8th Grade – SFU

Deena Miller 3rd Grade – SFI

Colter Betherum 7th & 8th Grade – SFU

Margie Larson Science Specialist – SFI

Julia Lynch 4th Grade – SFI

School Purpose & Resources

Shaun Harrington President – Chair

Marlo Rockwell Secretary – SFI

Kelly Fallang Secretary – SFU

Betty Reid Secretary – SFP

Jeri Montgomery 5th Grade – SFI

Glenda Newman Band/Music – SFI & SFU

Jill Powers Kindergarten – SFP

Marianne Kale 5th Grade – SFI

Sarah Yerger 1st Grade – SFP

Jeanie Reed 2nd Grade – SFP

Pam Bull Technology Education – SFU

Rita Brown Chief Financial Officer


B. INVOLVEMENT AND COLLABORATION OF SHAREHOLDERS IN COMPLETING THE SELF STUDY

Accreditation Factor #1: The school involves all shareholders in data review, analysis

and dialogue about perceived accomplishments in the area of student learning, and in

developing, implementing and monitoring goals for improvements in student learning.

Saint Francis Schools has a strong tradition of involving our stakeholders in identifying,

implementing and monitoring goals for improvements surrounding student learning.

In developing the leadership team we considered people from across the system with skills to

see the “big picture” as well as the ability to objectively disaggregate data for determining areas

of improvement and commendations. The final leadership team was composed of teachers with

demonstrated ability to manage data, a strong background in Catholicism, and the ability to look

objectively at survey data. Building principals and system leadership also serves on the

leadership team.

After the leadership team gained an understanding of the self-study process, meetings were

held with faculty and staff to inform them of the self-study and gain input that came from their

perspective about how to proceed with an in depth examination of our practices and

procedures. The staff was given opportunities to add and make suggestions throughout this

development and creation of the self -study. Building meetings were conducted to allow for

direct involvement with this process.

From those meetings, came the suggestion of designing surveys to gather input from all of our

stakeholders to gain information that may not come to us through any other manner. It was

decided that anonymous surveys would allow parents, students and staff to express themselves

candidly and increase participation in the process. The staff researched education surveys to

look for field-tested questions that would provide us with information constructive to the process

with specific questions about culture, academic support and rigor, and spiritual development of

our staff and students.

Stakeholders directly involved with the schools; parents, students and staff, were then given the

opportunity to provide input through a comprehensive survey that also allowed for written

comments. The surveys were distributed electronically to all parties in the spring of 2015. The

data received from the surveys served as a starting point for our self-study.

The leadership team met to disaggregate the data and culled five areas that could be targeted

for improvement. Those five areas where developed into goal statements that were then given

to the staff for discussion and input about which three goals would affect the most positive

change in our schools, if systematically addressed. As part of those discussions, strategies for

achieving those goals were also defined. Those three goals and the accompanying strategies

are the basis for our improvement efforts.


The three selected goals were then taken to the Catholic Culture Committee and the Education

Committee which are composed of parents, administrators, community members, school board

members, the dean of the College of Education at a local university and a parish priest for

further refinement. Both subcommittees report directly to the school board and serve as a

liaison to the board. Both committees were actively involved in this accreditation process.

The other major area of focus was the development of Student Learning Expectations. Over the

last year a great deal of effort was devoted to the implementation of standards based report

cards. Going through the process of defining the standards and creating rubrics by which to

assess individual student progress towards mastery, helped in the identification of our SLE’s.

Each school was involved in the development of the SLE’s through faculty meetings and K – 8

vertical meetings on PIR days. It was decided that we would incorporate, “Make God Smile”

since it was well-known system wide and something our stakeholders could readily identify.

Each letter in S.M.I.L.E. identifies a separate group of SLE’s that the entire staff established.

The visiting committee will see the SLE’s displayed in that manner in all of our buildings.

Lessons were designed and delivered by each staff during the opening days of school and

again at semester time to teach our practices, procedures and SLE’s to students. It is our belief

that we need to teach all of our expectations to the students on multiple occasions and by

multiple means so that they have direction and support in being successful.

Evaluation of achievement varies depending upon if the data examined is in relation to behavior,

academic performance or spiritual development. Evaluation of student progress is ongoing

including formative and summative assessments for all SLE’s. For academic achievement we

use the MAP test and work individually with each student setting academic goals for

advancement based their individual results. We use the ACRE Test for measuring student

understanding of our religion standards and behavior data for other SLE’s.

Parents, teachers, and administrators are involved in the Education Committee, Catholic Culture

Committee, and School Board. Parents are also involved with the school formally via the Home

and School parent association, and informally through classroom and extracurricular

volunteering. Shareholders are provided information on school achievements from school

marketing, Foundation, newsletters, open house night, parent-teacher conferences, the website,

and numerous other social opportunities. Through these formal and informal relationships, the

shareholders have the ability to receive information about the progress of the school, make an

assessment on the effectiveness of the progress, and communicate the results of their

assessments to the administration as feedback. Our system even offers an email address

through which shareholders can provide their feedback anonymously.

EVIDENCE

Survey data

School Newsletter

PIR days and Early Out- in-service


Committee meetings – Educational and Catholic Culture

School Board Minutes

Minutes and notes of the leadership team


CHAPTER 2 – CONTEXT OF THE SCHOOL

A. SCHOOL PROFILE (with supporting data)

The Catholic education system first came to Billings in 1911 when St. Patrick’s Elementary

School was founded by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, in the old Saint Joachim’s church

building located at 33rd Street and 1st Avenue. Sister May Louise Madden and Sister Mary

Barbara Sammon were the first teachers, who started the year with 48 students and ended the

year with 80 in grades 1-5. Between 1912 and 1916 the sisters were joined by two more sisters

and were able to expand the school to include grades six and seven with 135 students attending

classes.

By 1917, the Kate Fratt Memorial Building was completed with money left to the school by Kate

Fratt, the wife of a pioneer cattleman in the Billings area. The school opened with 170 students

from grades one through eight. Seeing the need for a high school, in 1921, the first St. Patrick’s

High School opened and held classes in the Fratt building for three years before it closed. Built

primarily as an elementary school, Kate Fratt Memorial served the needs of the Catholic

community until the 1940’s when a building boom ensued.

The need for a Catholic high school was apparent to Bishop W.J. Condon and with the help of

local individuals; construction began on St. Patrick’s High School in 1944, at the corner of

Division and 1st Avenue. High school aged students continued to attend Fratt until the new

building was completed. In 1947, the name was changed to Billings Central Catholic High

School and the first graduation ceremony was conducted with 13 graduates. When the corner

stone of the building was laid in 1948, the building was already in use.

During the 1950’s the enrollment of Fratt grew to over 700 students. In 1951, Little Flower

school opened its’ doors to ease the load of students at Fratt and was followed in 1952 by Holy

Rosary and in 1958 by St. Pius X.

Attendance at these five Catholic schools (Billings Central, Fratt Memorial, Little Flower, Holy

Rosary and St. Pius X), reached its’ peak in the 1960’s, but enrollment began to slide in the

1970’s and 1980’s. In May of 1983, Bishop Thomas J. Murphy, facing closure of the Catholic

grade schools, formed a committee to look at ways to keep the Catholic education system alive

in Billings.

After years of study, the recommendation of the committee was a consolidated system and the

formation of Billings Catholic Schools under one umbrella of governance. Little Flower school,

which had already closed, became the site of the administration and also housed a daycare

facility to meet the needs of Billings’ south side residents. Holy Rosary School was renamed St.

Francis Primary School serving students in kindergarten through second grade along with a

daycare and pre-school. St. Pius X became St. Francis Intermediate serving the cities third

through fifth graders and Kate Fratt became St. Francis Upper School serving sixth, seventh

and eighth graders. St. Patrick’s High School, previously re-named Billings Central Catholic


High School is home to our high school aged students. All five parishes in Billings (St. Patrick’s

Co-Cathedral, St. Thomas the Apostle, St. Bernard’s, St. Pius and Mary Queen of Peace), now

support the Billings Catholic Schools by contributing over $600,000.00 annually.

Today Billings Catholic Schools are flourishing and our future is bright. We have a stable

population of around 1000 students and in two of our schools, St. Francis Primary and St.

Francis Upper we have no room for growth which affects our ability to grow as a system.

As a result of aging buildings and an inability to grow in our current locations, the Billings

Catholic Schools Foundation is in the process of raising money for a new K-8 school. The

fundraising efforts began four years ago by hiring a consultant to assess our ability to raise the

required money to build and maintain a new school. A business case was completed to

examine what financing would look like at 85%, 90% and 95% capacity in a school able to

educate approximately 730 students. It was determined that if current enrollment was stable we

would move into the new building at 85% capacity and that we could maintain the building.

Fundraising began two years ago by notifying the community of our intent to build a new school

and assembling a Campaign Leadership Team to help direct fundraising efforts. The Building

on Faith campaign began by contacting known BCS supporters with the capacity to donate,

promotional gatherings at supporters homes, and mass marketing the construction project.

BCS Foundation staff and Campaign Leadership Team members have written grants, contacted

Foundations and alumni to become involved in the cause.

Architects, engineers, and a contractor for the project have been hired, all K – 8 staff members

have been involved in the design phase and we are currently completing construction

documents. The project is estimated at $18,500,000.00 for the school portion and another

$1,300,000.00 for the gym and locker rooms. According to Diocesan Finance Council policy,

we must have half of the total cost in the bank before we may begin construction.

Fundraising efforts continue but we anticipated that we will break ground on the new school in

the spring of 2016 and move into the new St. Francis Elementary in August of 2017. This

building is the dream of our Foundation and schools, ushering in a new era for Billings Catholic

Schools and ensuring our ability to provide a quality Catholic education for generations to come.


B. USE OF PRIOR ACCREDITATION FINDINGS TO SUPPORT HIGH ACHIEVEMENT OF ALL STUDENTS

Accreditation Factor #2: The school has used the prior accreditation findings, both those

discovered by the school and those identified by the Visiting Committee, and other

pertinent data to ensure high achievement of all students and to drive school

improvement.

As this Self Study is the first to be completed as a part of an accreditation process, there are no

prior accreditation findings to reference.


CHAPTER 3 – QUALITY OF THE SCHOOL’S PROGRAM

A. ASSESSMENT OF THE SCHOOL’S CATHOLIC IDENTITY

Accreditation Factor #3: The school is Catholic, approved by the Local Ordinary (Canon

803), provides authentic Catholic teaching, opportunities for community worship and

participation in the sacraments, and promotes evangelization and service to the

community.

St. Francis Catholic Schools are committed to the Gospel of Jesus, expressed by providing a

Christian atmosphere, by stressing the beliefs and traditions of the Catholic Faith, by promoting

academic excellence in a safe, secure environment; and by engaging all students in the learning

process. Students celebrate faith as evidenced by their involvement in liturgical services,

retreats, daily prayer, and community service. 75% of the students attending St. Francis

Catholic Schools are Catholic. Students come from different parishes around the greater

Billings Montana area.

Prayers are incorporated throughout the day at various times such as the beginning of the day,

end of the day, lunch time, and when the need arises within various class periods for special

intentions. Students are provided daily religion classes that adhere to the USCCB curriculum

approved by the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings. The St. Francis Catholic School faculty attends

professional development that fosters an understanding of the Catholic faith. Staff members are

working towards certification as catechists through a diocesan program with Marian

University. All staff members and volunteers are required to participate in ongoing training

through Safe Environment, ensuring the safety and security of each child. 70% of SFCS staff

are active members of the Catholic Church. Approximately 69% of the teachers indicated on a

survey that they are satisfied with the way our school meets the spiritual needs of our students.

St. Francis Catholic Schools participate in the celebration of the Eucharist and liturgy on a

frequent basis. Students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade serve as leaders in

various capacities at each Mass or Faith Community Service such as: altar servers, lectors and

music ministers. St. Francis Catholic Schools offer enhanced religious education to support the

local parishes however; students and their families are encouraged to pursue RCIA classes and

sacramental preparation through their home parishes.

School Masses and spiritual celebrations are open to the public. School staff keeps families

informed through newsletters, parish bulletins, the school website and the St. Francis Catholic

Schools handbook. According to the most recent survey, 80-88% of the parents indicated that

the school provides regular opportunities for the school community to experience prayer and the

Sacraments. Also, about 73-75% of the parents felt that the school works with families to

support Catholic values and the staff represents the school and its Catholic values in a positive

manner.


Students participate in promoting evangelization and service to the community by participating

in local, state, national, and global outreach projects. In addition, students participate in service

work and class retreats.

Students celebrate various Catholic feast and Holy days such as that of St. Francis of Assisi,

The Immaculate Conception, and The Annunciation of Christ. Rituals such as Stations of the

Cross, during Lent, and participation in recitation of the Rosary are practiced in individual

classrooms as well as by the school as a whole. St. Francis Catholic Schools provide a

Catholic environment as evidenced through demonstration of St. Francis’ values in all

interactions and school-wide celebration of rituals of Roman Catholicism. Students recognize

Holy Days of Obligation, and learn traditional Catholic prayers.

St. Francis Catholic Schools’ students have constant exposure to signs and symbols of Roman

Catholicism. Liturgical season-appropriate decorations, Catholic prayers, crosses, Catholic art

and statues, as well as school uniforms all serve to create an enriching, Catholic atmosphere.

New religion standards were presented to the administrative staff in the spring of 2015. The

Archdiocese of Seattle developed the standards to include alignment with some common

religion texts and a recommended standards-based reporting format. The St. Francis religion

teachers were provided these standards for planning and alignment in the 2015-2016 year. The

report card will be updated to include the six standards of religious instruction shown below:

Knowledge of the Faith

Liturgical Education

Moral Education

Life of Prayer

Community of the Church

Missionary Education

Significant Accomplishments

Formal religious formation training for staff

Community wide reputation for students modeling Christian beliefs

Participation by all students in the liturgy, celebrating the Eucharist and Roman

Catholic traditions, at each individual building and at All School Celebrations as well.

Our students live their faith by exhibiting a deep sense of responsibility to serve beyond

the walls of our school.

A religious curriculum in accordance with USCCB standards; “We Believe” “Christ Our

Life”

A clearly articulated Mission Statement and values that define the schools’ identity as a

Catholic institution


Goals

Encourage and foster relationships between our students and Religious leaders; such as

priests, nuns, and deacons, through parish outreach on a more regular basis.

Provide more sacramental opportunities for students

Investigate the realignment of staff to teach religious education curriculum at the

younger grades as opposed to having the regular classroom teachers teach it.

Work with the Catholic Culture Committee to develop opportunities for faith development

with staff.

Evidence

SFCS mission and values

Catholic Culture Committee Minutes

Curriculum-based assessments (ACRE Test)

Christmas and Lenten projects

Visual representation of Roman Catholic traditions (crucifix, statues, paintings and

Images of saints and church leaders, liturgical calendars, prayers and rosaries)

Visual presence in the community (license plates, t-shirts, prayer garden)

Parent surveys

Staff surveys

Service projects such as:

o Collecting food for the Food Bank and St. Vincent de Paul

o Recycling and cleanup projects to save the environment

o Collection of items for B.A.R.K. (animal rescue program)

o Supporting and sponsoring a Special Olympics track team

o Mentoring and tutoring of younger students provided by older students

o Service to Angela’s Piazza

o Hygiene kits

o Palanca and placemats created for Cursillos

o Letters to military and religious people as well as people who are incarcerated

o Collecting shoes and socks for St. Vincent de Paul Friends

o Donating $250 collected from wearing Cat/Griz gear to The Rescue Mission

Women’s and Children’s Shelter

o Serving lunch to St. Vincent de Paul friends


B. DEFINING THE SCHOOL’S PURPOSE

Accreditation Factor #4: The school’s purpose is defined through the school’s mission

statement, philosophy, measurable Schoolwide Learning Expectations, Arch/diocesan

curriculum standards (local curriculum standards where Arch/diocesan standards don’t

exist), and other governing authority expectations.

Mission Statement:

The Billings Catholic School community will develop lifelong learners in an atmosphere of

academic excellence, which stresses the beliefs and traditions of the Catholic faith.

Below are the Schoolwide Learning Expectations for St. Francis Schools, with rationale

provided in-line:

Make God…

Serving God as active Christians by:

Gaining knowledge about Catholic doctrine and Scripture and applying that knowledge

to make moral choices.

Showing spiritual growth through prayer, reflection, liturgy, and faith experiences.

Performing service to our church, school, local, and global communities in our daily lives,

providing a good example for others.

Rationale:

We have a defined religion curriculum that will be aligned to the new religion standards and

delivered by our teaching staff after professional development. All of our behavior expectations

are based in doctrine and designed to reinforce moral choices. As with all educational pursuits,

parents are the first teachers and as such, are encouraged to work as partners in every aspect

of the education they receive in our schools.

Each of our schools start and end every day with a prayer and grace is said at lunchtime. In

each of our buildings we have either Faith Community or mass once a week. On a rotating

basis, each class shares their talents in planning the liturgy or worship service. Special masses,

such as Second Grade Celebration, The Feast of St. Francis, Thanksgiving mass, etc. are

celebrated at various times throughout the year as well.

The concept of community service is taught in all of our schools. Naturally, depending on the

age of the students we engage them in different ways. Because of student age, many of our

projects center around our campus or projects that can be worked on in the schools and then

taken to the community.


Modeling St. Francis in our relationships by:

Taking responsibility for self-discipline and self-control.

Demonstrating safety habits and encouraging such habits in others.

Developing positive self-esteem, respecting the feelings of others, and showing

forgiveness.

Respecting and protecting the environment.

Rationale:

We base our behavior expectations loosely on the Montana Behavior Initiative in that all

behaviors are taught, modeled, practiced and reinforced. Each building has an age appropriate

plan for teaching and reinforcing appropriate discipline and control.

Lessons have been developed to teach the students school-wide behavioral expectation and

positive behavior supports are built in to the plan to acknowledge appropriate behaviors.

Appropriate behavior and behavior plans are explained and published in the student/parent

handbook. All appropriate behaviors are taught at the first of the years and positively reinforced

throughout the year to assure a safe and orderly school environment. Behavioral expectations

are completely explained to parents at the first of each year. Students are taught research

based processes and procedures to maintain a safe environment through fire and lockdown

drills in our emergency procedures.

Time is spent encouraging and engaging students in activities designed to give them a sense of

fulfillment and success. It is through that success that students gain the confidence and

courage that improves their self-esteem. Role modeling respect and forgiveness is a powerful

tool with students. It takes time to process through situations with students to get them to think

outside of themselves and come to forgiveness.

Our schools have recycling programs with lessons designed around them to encourage

respecting and protecting our environment. Students recycle paper, cans and plastics in all

areas of the schools and lunchroom. Some teachers take their students on field trips to places

like the Audubon Society to help reinforce the need to care for our environment.

Instill effective communication by:

Learning to listen rather than to just hear others.

Striving to learn language skills to speak and write clearly.

Appreciating that one can read both for understanding and enjoyment.

Rationale:

As our students live, work, and play with each other every day they experience conflict and the

first step of solving conflict through effective communication is to listen to all of the parties

involved. This instruction in proper social behavior and conflict resolution is supported by the

administration as a part of discipline, and the faculty as a part of managing classroom or

playground behavior. Academically, every student has a structured English class that works

specifically on written language and speaking skills. The content is standards based and


students are measured on their achievement in meeting those standards. To help improve

engagement of the students, they use their electronic devices with applications such as

Notability or Moodle to complete English lessons. Our schools strive to meet the individual

needs of each student by providing data and standards driven instruction with resource room

support when appropriate. As part of the reading curriculum, students have structured reading

classes with support from a library in each building. As part of that instruction students, need to

read for both information and recreation. All reading activities are designed with mission of

purpose to improve our students’ ability to gain information, research to problem solve, enjoy a

good book. Our schools strive to meet the individual needs of each student by providing data

and standards driven instruction with resource room support when appropriate.

Living as a responsible citizen by:

Accepting the differences of others.

Recognizing and responding to local and global issues.

Understanding and showing appreciation for our multicultural society.

Recognizing the importance of having a healthy body, spirit, and mind.

Rationale:

Students are taught the same philosophy of acceptance as St. Francis. We educate our

students on the differences of people because with understanding comes acceptance. We can

appreciate the differences of others and accept people for who they are at this time. Students of

all races, cultural diversity, denominations, as well as academic ability and socio-economic

backgrounds are accepted in our schools.

Our students participate in many community service projects each year. Once a month our

students bring in canned food to benefit the Billings Food Bank and another day is dedicated to

recycling to improve the environment. Student music groups perform at nursing homes and

memory care facilities. Special projects are carried out throughout the year, such as collecting

items or money for B.A.R.K., The Montana Rescue Mission Women’s and Children’s Center,

Heifer International, hygiene kits, and St. Vincent de Paul. Students from The Peace Studies

Program at Rocky Mountain College do a presentation at St. Francis Primary each year to teach

the children about other cultures around the world. At Christmas time, the teachers at St.

Francis Primary do units that teach different traditions/celebrations from countries around the

world. Parents bring in cultural foods and various symbols to help the students experience

another country’s culture.

Every student participates in a health and physical education program appropriately designed

for grade levels. At each grade level, appropriate curriculum is taught to encourage a healthy

lifestyle.

Spiritual life is an emphasis every day in our schools. We start and end our day with a prayer,

deliver the religious instruction according to our religion standards, and students plan most

liturgies throughout the year.


Excelling in academics by:

Acquiring decision-making skills in order to analyze modern issues and make

appropriate intellectual choices.

Exhibiting an understanding of the endless potential for learning academically and

through life experience.

Using technology effectively in the pursuit of knowledge.

Demonstrating an ability to provide, accept, and respond to constructive criticism.

Rationale:

In a complex world where information arrives to us from many means, we strive to provide the

students critical thinking skills to analyze the problems presented to them and make appropriate

choices. As students get older, they are involved in discussions that involve an increasing level

of complexity to cover modern social and scientific problems. Teachers guide students to

research topics, analyze the gathered information, and produce an appropriate response,

whether verbal or written.

We strive to meet the individual needs of each student by using assessment data in

conferencing with the student to provide direction and goal setting to help each student reach

their potential. Each goal setting activity includes a conversation on how to always reach for the

next level and keep moving forward.

Whether through the use of technology or the sharing life experiences, students are called upon

to connect what they are learning to their own lives for relevance. By the fall of 2016, all

students in Billings Catholic Schools will have their own electronic device provided by the

school. All teachers are using the personal electronic devices for instruction and assessment.

Specific instruction is given to students on the appropriate use of the device for acquiring

knowledge and use in problem solving. Professional development for the teachers is ongoing.


Development of the SLEs

Unifying the mission statement with the high school

Have a culture of Catholicism that supports the SLEs

Staff and students have access to modern technology to support the SLEs

Adoption and progression of a standards-based grading and reporting process to

support academic success

Goals

Create a process by which the school can monitor how staff model, and students can

demonstrate their understanding of the SLEs

Constantly re-evaluate the tools used to communicate with parents about student

academic progress to make sure the communication is timely and effective


Evidence

The SLEs are posted in every building.

Standards-based report card

Mass schedules

Service Projects

Red Ribbon Week activities for healthy relationships

Catholic Schools Week activities for Catholic identity


C. ORGANIZATION FOR STUDENT LEARNING TO SUPPORT HIGH ACHIEVEMENT OF ALL STUDENTS

Accreditation Factor #5: The organizational structures of the school focus on high

achievement of all students, and communicate student progress to all shareholders.

St. Francis schools, in conjunction with the BCS school board, priest, principals and staff

members work together to promote and foster catholic identity in its schools. The recent

creation of a Catholic Culture Committee, works to improve, maintain, support and assess our

current standards and benchmarks for effective catholic schools. Curriculum standards are

maintained and monitored by both the Principals and the Educational Director that too, reports

to stakeholders in the BCS system. Parents, priests, principals and members from local

parishes have a voice in this process.

The school board supports the BCS administration in its quest to modify and adapt curricular

changes that will enhance student learning. St. Francis Schools participates in ACE curriculum

consortium to help our leaders and teacher align teaching with adopted curricular standards,

and provides opportunities for staff development. The board and BCS Foundation have worked

hard to allocate funds to maximize high student achievements.

The culture of our system allows our teachers to commutate strength and weaknesses of our

student progress to parents. We have daily contact with parents on line, and the uses of this

system allows daily, weekly or monthly performance texts or emails to the shareholders.

Reminders are also sent out via our school newsletter to have parents check on the progress

and attendance of their child. Our system conducts child study team meetings that bring

together all partners to work on strategies and identify areas of student learning that need

attention. MAP scores are used for both advance placements as well as to help identify and

support those individuals that are low achievers. Students are given opportunities to enhance

their learning and compete academically in such things as speeches, science fair projects,

essay contests, and by participating in local and national organization such as the Catholic

Daughters contests, which allow student to write, draw and construct projects.

The Educational committee which reports to our school boards works in strategic planning to

support high achievement. The committee is made up of teacher, administrators, board

members, and parents. The committee meets regularly and reports to the board in areas of

curriculum alignment and development, professional development, and students standardize

test scores. This committee works in conjunction with our Technology committee to develop and

implement the use of technology to achieve curricular goals.


Organizational Chart

The organizational chart above shows how the various committees, which are staffed by the president, principals, teaching staff, and volunteer parents, support the president and the school board. With the exception of the Catholic Culture committee, which is led by parent volunteer Carlos Arce, a staff member that focuses on that content area leads each committee. This arrangement of committees creates opportunity for shareholders to be involved and communicate upward through the respective director, or downward through the principals. The Billings Catholic Schools Foundation is a separate entity with its own supporting structure. The BCSF President attends school board meetings to connect the two entities in terms of communication. The BCSF board, which is almost entirely comprised of community volunteers, has occasional combined meetings with the school board to provide additional opportunities for communication between shareholders.


Establishment of the Catholic Culture committee

One to One iPad program and Promethean boards to enhance instruction

Implementation of Standard base grading, k-6

Power School, parent-teacher and student communication tool

Development of school wide student learning expectations


Goals

Integration of new religion standards.

Horizontal and Vertical mapping for all grades and subjects

Use MAP results to target staff development and assess alignment to stands

Evidence

Updated technology- Director position

Curriculum Director

Monthly board meetings

Educational / Technology / Catholic Culture Committee meetings

MAP data

Online lesson planning- Moodle

Parent access to Power School, newsletters and School Reach, regarding events and

activities and student progress

School –wide participation in prayer intentions, prayer chains, service projects, Stations

of the Cross, Reconciliation and church feast days.

Weekly Mass and Faith Community prepared by students and staff

Religious formation and instruction for staff development

Professional Development

Strategic planning

8th grade Retreat


D. DATA ANALYSIS AND ACTION TO SUPPORT HIGH ACHIEVEMENT OF ALL STUDENTS

Accreditation Factor #6: The school uses educationally sound assessment processes to

collect data. The school disaggregates and analyzes student performance data and

uses the analysis as a basis for instructional/curricular improvement.

St. Francis schools faculty and staff disaggregate, analyze and report standardized tests scores,

as well as other assessment data to support instructional and curricular improvements. This

date is used to target instruction and assess alignment of instruction to our curriculum.

Currently, St. Francis schools use a variety of assessment tools to foster student growth. MAP

(Measure of Academic Process) begun during the 2014-2015 school year with two testing

sessions, and we are currently through two testing periods for this current school year.

Students in general are tested in the fall, winter, and spring to monitor growth. This test

identifies current grade level achievements or benchmarks in math, reading and language arts.

Disaggregation of data allows our team to identify students that are above, at, or below

proficient levels. This data also helps identify students to be placed in advance classes, as well

as, targeting individuals for remedial help in both reading and math.

The collection of this data has allowed our team of teachers to set goals with students,

analyzing their strength and weaknesses in math, reading, and language arts. Our teachers

have implemented intervention strategies, such as Moby Max, which is an adaptive testing

device of drill and practice, which allows students to grow in both math and reading. This

program also identifies where the student is academically by comparing their progress towards

standards and benchmarks. The students, parents and teachers have access to this information

on a daily bases. We are currently, seeking and working on ways to use the current school day

to intervene and support instruction to those individual who have not reached a proficient level

of understanding in math and reading.

At grades 5, 8, and 12, students take the NCEA ACRE (Assessment of Catechesis/Religious

Education) assessment for faith formation. Although the results of the assessment are

considered for a large-scale understanding of student progress, it is not designed as a growth

model assessment, nor does it provide alignment data to our adopted standards. Therefore

using the assessment for more than big picture trends is problematic. One of the continuing

issues with an assessment of faith formation is the introduction of students at transition grades.

For example at 7th grade there may be an increase of 15% in the student population, many of

which are either non-Catholic or have never had a traditional background in faith formation.

This presents a problem for a single religion class that is supposed to address the needs of

these new students and the majority of the remaining students who have had as much as 8

years of traditional religious education.

As of the 2015-2016 school year, St. Francis has a full-time special education teacher at each

building. These teachers use both formal and informal methods for tracking student progress

and providing targeted support for their individual learning needs. These resource teachers


monitor student progress on MAP and engage classroom teachers when new students need to

be identified for support evaluation.

With the adoption of a standards-based report card, classroom teachers are provided a

structure in which not only can they more readily identify class content that aligns with the MAP

assessment, but they can also use the standards-alignment process to identify and monitor

student progress on content that isn’t assessed through a standardized method. This transition

is not complete, as it is expected to expand to PE, music, art, and religion in the 2016-2017

school year. It is expected that with additional staff development and time within the new

grading and standards-driven process, instructor awareness of student achievement of the

standards will be more accurate and responsive.


MAP/ACRE Testing implemented

Read 180 program

3 full-time resource instructors, and aids at SFP and SFU

Moby Max

Goals

Disaggregation of MAP testing data

Communicate results of MAP testing to all stake holders: students, staff and parents

Use the data to target professional development for our staff

Use the data to implement intervention programs/process for student growth

Better use of ACRE test

Math 180 and use of a Math Coach

Evidence

MAP Scores and reports

ACRE results

Read 180, Math and Reading programs

Use of instruction aid

Creating opportunities in the school day for intervention and re teaching instruction


E. HIGH ACHIEVEMENT BY ALL STUDENTS TOWARD CLEARLY DEFINED SLES AND CURRICULUM STANDARDS

Accreditation Factor #7: All students make acceptable and measurable progress toward

clearly defined Schoolwide Learning Expectations and challenging, comprehensive, and

relevant curriculum standards.

During the spring of 2015 the administrative team formed a group with a selection of teachers

across the grades to develop a written set of Student Learning Expectations (SLE). We used

Billings Central Catholic High School’s Expected Schoolwide Learner Results as a target for the

development of the SLEs. Two different versions were created and provided to the entire K-8

staff and the superintendent. The final accepted version of the SLEs form an acronym of a

portion the common phrase used throughout Billings Catholic Schools: St. Francis Students

Make God Smile. Below is an abbreviated version of the meaning of “Smile,” which is used on

the posters displayed throughout the schools. For teachers, an expanded document is provided

with supporting bullets for each phrase so they can approach the instruction and reflection on

the SLEs in a grade appropriate manner. Although the SLEs have now been formalized, St.

Francis is still in the process of creating assessment criteria for all of the covered areas within

the SLEs.

Serve God

Model Good Relationships

Instill Effective Communication

Live as Responsible Citizens

Excel in Academics

At the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year, St. Francis implemented a standards-based

grading and reporting system. The initially covered grades were K-5, with expansion into 6th

grade during 2015-2016 and 7th and 8th grade to follow in kind in subsequent years. No longer

are students graded based on a percentage of content accomplished, but instead have their

performance measured against standards for each subject. On the report card, the first

subjects that were expanded into separate standards were English Language Arts and

Mathematics. The 2015 school year started with the expansion of the science standards and

formal evaluation of the provided religion, music, art, and physical education standards.

To help teachers monitor student progress on the standards we implemented standards-based

testing called Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), provided by the Northwest Evaluation

Association. MAP tests cover English and mathematics and once they have completed

alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards St. Francis plans on adding the science

component to the testing process. Students in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 all have individual

iPads, with K, 5, and 8 to follow in the 2015-2016 school year. Teachers can use an iPad or

computer and sign students onto a service called MobyMax, which also tracks student

achievement of English, math, and science standards. These tools provide a significant amount

of data for teachers to monitor student progress and respond to student needs through

modification of the instructional process.


Each year students in grades 5 and 8 take the National Catholic Educational Association

Information for Growth (NCEA IFG: ACRE) assessment. During the spring of 2015, with

direction provided by the superintendent, the Diocese of Helena and Diocese of Great Falls-

Billings, adopted a standards-based religion program originally developed by the Diocese of

Seattle. St. Francis is still in the process of connecting the results of the ACRE assessment to

the provided standards. At this time ACRE testing data is used for general monitoring of

religious education. Once formal tools can be developed for connecting ACRE results to grade

level instruction, a reflective process will be instituted so changes to religious education are

more data driven. St. Francis purchased the aligned textbooks for the 2015-2016 school year,

and is currently evaluating the exposure of the following standards on the report card for the

2016-2017 school year:

Knowledge of the Faith

Liturgical Formation

Moral Formation

Prayer

Church and Community Life

Missionary Spirit

The Catholic faith is a central part of the student experience at St. Francis. There are many

formal times for prayer: before and after school, before eating, and weekly Mass or Faith

Community. Across the grades students are involved in community service both within and

outside of school. Parents are invited to be a part of these events as they come to Mass, eat

with their children at school, and help them do our many community service projects.

At the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year, Billings Catholic Schools deployed

PowerSchool, a student information system. PowerSchool allows parents to monitor their

child’s progress through any Internet connected device. PowerSchool displays standards and

student progress on those standards so parents can make informed decisions based on the

educational progress of their child.

Billings Catholic Schools is also a member of the Alliance for Curriculum Enhancement (ACE),

an organization of schools that works together to support the instructional process. St. Francis

teachers have been involved with various working groups at ACE and have helped create some

of the standards documents used at St. Francis.


Developed SLEs for implementation in the fall of 2015.

Implemented a standards-based grading and reporting process.

Started collecting data using MAP in grades K-8 and ACRE in grades 5 and 8.

Integrated technology with a 1-to-1 iPad program and Promethean ActivBoards.


Goals

Continue expansion of standards-based reporting to cover grades K-8, with the inclusion

of religion, music, art, physical education, and social studies.

Complete the 1-to-1 iPad deployment and create a professional support process for

teachers.

Create formal processes to track, assess and discuss student achievement of all SLEs.

Evidence

Survey Data

MAP Results

ACRE Results

Standards-Based Curriculum for: Religion, ELA, Math, Science, Music, Art, PE

SMILE Board at SFP

The “trees” at 3-5 at SFI

Optimus Speech at SFU


F. INSTRUCTIONAL METHODOLOGY TO SUPPORT HIGH ACHIEVEMENT OF ALL STUDENTS

Accreditation Factor #8: The staff applies research-based knowledge about teaching and learning in the instructional process. Assessment is frequent and varied, integrated into the teaching/learning process, and informs curriculum planning.

St. Francis School has certified teaching staff in all positions and has a number of teachers in

grades 6-8 that are certified for grades 5-12 in their subject area. Billings Catholic Schools has

an Education Director that helps provide support on curricular decisions, technology adoption,

and professional development. Annually teachers are provided professional development

opportunities through ACE, the Education Director, and any other research-based options that

are funded through the Title II allocation.

The teaching staff supports the school’s mission of strengthening student Catholic identity by

serving as role models, as leaders during religious activities and community service, and by

having high expectations for students as it relates to their faith. Through the support and

direction of the superintendent, all teachers have been attending classes on religious formation

from Marian University. Teachers take advantage of classroom instructional opportunities to

relate the content to Catholic social values. Billings Catholic Schools also has documented

policy to preferentially hire Catholic staff when possible.

Teachers have access to the latest in technology, whether it be iPads as they are deployed to

target grades, an interactive whiteboard in every classroom, individual student response

systems that connect to their whiteboard, or online services like Moodle to provide access to

classroom content for parents and students when they are in and out of school. Teachers

regularly meet with parents to discuss student progress and they use modern best practice

approaches to reporting on student achievement through tools like PowerSchool and MAP.

For the past four years, using funds provided by Title II, the teaching staff has been provided a

“summer institute” of classes to support their instructional practices in the classroom. These

classes have always provided continuing education credits and at times college credit. These

classes have covered:

Transitioning to Common Core Mathematics

Use of the Promethean ActivBoard in the Classroom

Use of Moodle to Engage Students and Communicate to Families

iPad Integration into the Classroom

Standards-Based Grading

Standards-Based Rubrics

Formative Feedback to Support Standards-Based Grading

Standards-Based Report Cards and Communication to Parents

In the primary grades (K-3), teachers often meet to discuss content alignment, pacing,

assessment, instructional strategies, and communication with parents. In grades 4-8 teachers


are departmentalized to increase their ability to focus on the instructional process within a

specific subject, and to take advantage of advanced certifications in grades 6-8. Monthly,

school is released early to provide additional time for teachers to work on topics like standards

alignment, student assessment, and reporting of student achievement. The staff also works

with public school teachers as a part of the professional development opportunities provided by

ACE.

St. Francis teachers use many instructional strategies to include: active learning, alternative

assessments, behaviorist models, blended learning, class publications, direct instruction,

experiential learning, facilitative questioning, speech and debate, learning centers, etc. They

conduct both formative and summative assessments throughout their instruction and use the

results of those assessments to modify and respond to students through their instruction. The

availability of iPads has allowed teachers to explore an individualized approach to learning, in

addition to meeting the needs of a number of students who experience learning difficulties.

These instructional strategies and use of technology are monitored by the administrative staff as

a part of informal walkthrough observations and formal observations.


Implementation of Standards-Based Grading

Adopting a common assessment format across the grades to use in making instructional

decisions.

Providing online tools (Moodle, PowerSchool) that allow teachers to communicate

student achievement to parents.

Created a transition for the instructional process across the middle grades from a

primary self-contained model to a departmentalized subject specialist approach.

Goals

Provide better tools for managing the curriculum alignment and pacing process.

Provide more opportunities for quality professional development that improves

instruction.

Provide more opportunities for horizontal and vertical discussions within the staff to

increase alignment across the grades and within the primary grades.

Evidence

Survey Data

Education Director Summer Instruction Schedule

ACE Professional Development Opportunities

Technology Plan


G. SUPPORT FOR STUDENT SPIRITUAL, PERSONAL, AND ACADEMIC GROWTH

Accreditation Factor #9: Within the school’s community of faith, students have

opportunities to participate in support services and activities to assist them in accessing

the curricular and co-curricular program to achieve the Schoolwide Learning

Expectations, Diocesan curriculum standards (local curriculum standards where

Diocesan standards don’t exist), and other governing authority expectations.

St. Francis Catholic Schools provide all students with the opportunity to develop their potential

academically, emotionally, socially, physically, and spiritually. There is a shared responsibility

for supporting an enriching learning environment among school personnel, parents, students,

community members and parish families.

St. Francis Catholic Schools’ students and staff serve God as active Christians and responsible

citizens by performing services to our churches, school, local, and global communities in their

daily lives. We show spiritual growth through prayer, reflection, liturgy, and faith

experiences. We live our faith by gaining knowledge about Catholic doctrine and Scripture that

helps us to make moral choices. St. Francis Catholic Schools promotes the acceptance of

individuals’ differences and appreciation for our multicultural society. We strive to recognize the

importance of having healthy bodies, spirits, and minds.

We take pride in modeling St. Francis in our relationships by demonstrating and encouraging

safety habits; taking responsibility for self-discipline and self-control; respecting and protecting

the environment; and by showing forgiveness, respecting others, and developing positive self

esteem. Many staff members have attended local Social Thinking workshops that provided

resources and strategies to help students struggling with behavioral issues and social skills.

St. Francis Catholic Schools promote excellence in academics and the endless potential for

learning by using technology effectively; and by providing the skills necessary to make

intellectual choices and to acquire decision-making skills. Academic growth support includes

tutoring sessions lead by special education teachers, paraprofessionals and parent volunteers,

creating modified assignments, mentoring provided by Central High School students,

and regular weekly counseling sessions in groups and on an individual basis as needed.

Teachers and administration are committed to keeping the parents informed of student progress

by relaying information via emails, phone calls, and personal visits. Funds for Title programs

and limited special education services are provided through Billings School District #2.

However, both of these services are somewhat limited due to the fact that we do not employ

school psychologists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, etc. Students requiring the

services from specialized therapists must seek assistance from private practices outside of the

school setting. The Special Education teachers at each school provide academic support to

students in group settings and individually as well. We strive to meet the individual needs of

each student by using assessment data in conferencing with the student to provide direction


and goal setting to help each student reach their potential. Each goal setting activity includes a

conversation on how to always reach for the next level and keep moving forward.

Art classes and music instruction give the students the opportunity to enhance their cultural and

spiritual abilities. Programs for students in grades 5-6 such as volleyball, basketball, soccer,

and cross-country, are provided by parents and other personnel outside of the school.

Extracurricular programs for students in grades 6-8 include: cross country, volleyball, football,

school play, girls’ and boys’ basketball and track and field. Co curricular activities include

music, band, art, science bowl, optimist speeches and orchestra. Various clubs that promote

community and relationships are the annual Christmas concert, fly fishing club, knitting club,

Grandparents’ Day prayer services, Cub Scouts, Irish dancing, and Girl Scouts.

The counselors at each school provide weekly lessons in each classroom. The counselor also

promotes various programs/activities such as

Red Ribbon Week to encourage the students to say no to drugs, alcohol, and tobacco

Healthy Relationships Month to enhance empathy development

Raising money for Power Up, Speak Out

Arranging free training for teachers about modeling/teaching healthy relationships

Selling the “tweets” which were kind messages that students bought to compliment,

thank, or encourage others

“Let’s Be Safe Month” to provide age-appropriate lessons and focus on personal safety,

safety using technology, safety with medicines/drugs, and safe/healthy choices with

nutrition.


Incorporating the use of technology devices such promethean boards, iPads, and

document readers;

Enriching applications and programs such as Moby Max, Fast Facts, Casper Suite,

MAPs testing, Power School, School Reach, MOODLE;

Very successful, enriching preschool program for ages 3-5 years

Participating in many service projects and opportunities to serve God that are fulfilled

throughout the year exemplifying our Catholic values;

The implementation of MAPs testing and using the results to drive instruction

Implementation of S.M.I.L.E., Clip-Ups, and other programs to recognize positive

behaviors and the demonstration of positive citizenship skills

Active Home and School group that provides academic, social, athletic, and spiritual

support

Full time special education teachers (in the past these teachers were only at each

building half days)


Goals

Provide more academic support for those students who are struggling or are in need of

more challenging programs

Develop programs across the grades in anticipation of a new K-8 school.

Invite and encourage the participation of our local priests, nuns, and other church

leaders more regularly in our daily school schedules and activities at school

Continue to recognize and celebrate students’ positive spiritual, emotional, academic,

and social attributes

Evidence

List of all the clubs, counselors and counseling activities

Newsletters

Website

Surveys done by parents, staff, and students

Participation in service projects throughout the year:

o Collecting food for the Food Bank and St. Vincent de Paul

o Recycling and cleanup projects to save the environment

o Collection of items for B.A.R.K. (animal rescue program)

o Supporting and sponsoring a Special Olympics track team

o Mentoring and tutoring of younger students provided by older students

o Service to Angela’s Piazza

o Hygiene kits

o Palanca and placemats created for Cursillos

o Letters to military and religious people as well as people who are incarcerated

o Collecting shoes and socks for St. Vincent de Paul Friends

o Donating $250 collected from wearing Cat/Griz gear to The Rescue Mission

Women’s and Children’s Shelter

o Serving lunch to St. Vincent de Paul friends

New safety measures put into place (cameras at the doors, buzzer system, fire and

disaster drills practiced)

Rocky Mountain College Peace Studies presentations yearly

On-going Faith formation by students and staff

Implementation of new religion standards

Adoption of “We Believe” religion curriculum

Safe Environment training

Masses and Faith Communities

Field Trips

o Museum of the Rockies 6th

o MT History trip to Butte 7th

o Washington/Williamsburg/Gettysburg – American History trip 8th grade

o Fly fishing club trip to the bighorn river

Academic


o Spelling Bee- local and State

o Geography Bee- Local , State and National

o Science quiz bowl

o Science Fair- School and Local

o Optimist speech – Local , State and National

o Catholic Daughters competition.

o School play

o Art classes- county fair

Community Service

o Advent and Lenten projects- classrooms raise funds, clothing, food and other

areas of need to locate charity groups

o Foodbank dress down days

o Catholic Schools week community service projects- 8th- Visits to Nursing homes

and participate in activates with the residents

o 7th- Created valentine treats bags , with gloves and socks to St. Vincent’s

o 6th – reading and mentoring opportunities with primary students

o Mayfair and jog a thon

o Pink day for cancer

Spiritual

o Retreats 8th

o Choir and instrumentals at Mass

o Participate in all church ministries

Student Council participation

o Greek Olympics

o Wax Museum

o Career day - students pick and choose from a variety of community members to

listen about their job and how to start preparing.


H. RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT TO SUPPORT HIGH ACHIEVEMENT OF ALL STUDENTS

Accreditation Factor #10: The pastor, principal, and school board develop, implement,

and monitor resources and plans to ensure and support high achievement of all

students of the Schoolwide Learning Expectations, Arch/diocesan curriculum standards

(local curriculum standards where Arch/diocesan standards don’t exist), and other

governing authority expectations.

Overview

Billings Catholic Schools (BCS) operates under a unified budget, which includes a daycare

facility, and a Catholic education system consisting of preschool through 12th grade in Billings,

Montana.

Does the school use a Diocesan approved chart of accounts or one that is acceptable

under general accounting practices?

BCS uses a chart of accounts that follows Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

See Exhibit A for the chart of accounts currently utilized by BCS.

What is the budgetary process and cycle of the school? When is a balanced budget

created and by whom? To whom and how often are financial reports given?

BCS operates under the constraints of a limited budget. The budget is “zero based” and

incorporates expected student population, annual tuition increases, along with anticipated

support from Billings’ local parishes and the Billings Catholic Schools Foundation (BCSF) on the

revenue side. The budget process consists of several committees.

The first committee meets in late November or early December to analyze revenue and possible

tuition increases. This committee also reviews all revenue sources and makes

recommendations to the Business Committee to include in the budget process. The next

committee reviews the needs of the facilities to ensure the buildings are operated in a safe,

comfortable and efficient manner. This Committee reviews all facility needs and makes

recommendations to the Business Committee to include in the budget process.

The Business Office also meets with Principals and Administrators to determine their needs for

the upcoming school year. The Finance Officer then puts all of the information into a proposed

preliminary budget for the Business Committee to discuss and review generally in May.

Depending on the outcome of the Business Committee decisions, the budget is re-worked until

the Business Committee is satisfied with the proposed budget. The Business Committee then

makes a recommendation to present the proposed budget to the School Board for final

approval. Generally this process is completed as early as June and as late as September due

to the dynamics of the revenue and expenses needed to meet the demands of operating the

schools.


Monthly business committee meetings are conducted to discuss the operations of the schools

and to review the prepared financial statements. The Business Committee consists of six

members including a chairperson, the Finance Officer, the President of BCS, and at least two

members of the School Board and two to five community members. The Finance Officer

presents monthly and year-to-date financial statements that consist of a Statement of Activities,

Statement of Financial Position, and Cash Flow Statement. The Finance Officer also presents a

Board Report which explains differences between actual and budgeted operational numbers.

These same reports once approved by the Business Committee are presented to the School

Board for approval along with a report by the Business Committee Chairperson summarizing the

Business Committee meeting.

What are the qualifications of expertise of the persons who review these reports?

Members of the Business Committee all have a unique skill set that qualify them to be on the

Committee. Some own businesses of their own, others are Certified Public Accounts, marketing

experts, and financial analysts. Because of their knowledge and expertise, they have the ability

to understand and analyze the financial statements to ensure compliance with GAAP and to

ensure the financial integrity of BCS. The School Board does rely on this expertise for advice

and recommendations.

By whom and how often is the budget revised/corrected during the school year?

Generally, once the budget is approved by the Board, no changes are made to the original

budget. When the budgeted revenues do not appear to be obtainable, the Business Committee

has requested that the Administrative staff go back and reduce expenses to avoid any loss by

the end of the school year. Administrative staff has had to go back to reduce expenses in the

past and present the cuts to the Business Committee for approval. Once approved, the new

budget would then be presented to the School Board for their approval of the changes.

How is the school’s financial status/progress communicated to its shareholders?

As noted earlier, monthly meeting s with both the Business Committee and the School Board

are held. Details of all transactions and operations are reviewed monthly with the Business

Committee to ensure the school is on target to meeting goals and budgets established. Review

of the financials and the Board report are also presented monthly to the School Board. The

Superintendent receives all financial information monthly to review.

BCSF is our fundraising arm for our schools. An annual report is posted annually on the

website and is available to anyone who requests a hard copy to be sent to them.

How are human, instructional, and other resources allocated on based upon the

assessment results of the students?

We are currently striving to present budgets and strategic planning for three years at a time

versus just a yearly basis. When comparing our budget to our assessment scores, we will have

the ability to look down the road and staff our schools with the appropriately certified teachers to

meet the needs of our students. With improved use of our Title I funds, we anticipate being able

to more appropriately remediate specific skills for identified students in the areas of math,


reading and written language. This will be accomplished through the implementation of research

based remediation strategies and technology to engage students at a higher level. We currently

use READ 180 as an intervention and hope to purchase MATH 180 this year.

Does the school budget include technology acquisition, maintenance and replacement?

Annual budgets do include funding for technology acquisition, maintenance, and

replacement. BCS has a Director of Technology and an IT aide. A technology replacement

plan is reviewed annually to ensure technology is replaced timely and/or improved or expanded

as needed to meet the demands of the technology utilized in the classroom as well as

administrative support. We also review technology needs monthly to ensure Internet services

are meeting the needs of the students, teachers, and administrators. We are also nearing our

goal of every student having a 1:1 devise – most specifically, an iPad for every student. The

last three grades will get their iPads in the fall of 2016.

What relationship is there between the decisions about resource allocations, the

school’s purpose and assessment of students’ achievement of the SLEs?

Resources are always allocated based on what is best for the students and families we serve.

Our purpose is to provide a quality Catholic education that emphasizes formation in faith, spirit,

academic excellence, service, justice and peace. Our SLE’s all come from that purpose.

We must start with our largest and most important expense; qualified staff to teach and role

model for our students. Approximately 76% of our budget goes to staff our schools with

qualified, caring staff to teach our SLE’s to the students and assess their progress. We have

just completed our third season of MAP testing and are disaggregating the data to help inform

instruction as we look to more appropriately meet the needs of our students.

We have also set technology integration as a priority, providing an iPad to every student to help

increase engagement and instructional resources for the teachers. Next school year, we will

complete deployment to the last three classes needing devices and our system will be totally 1:1

kindergarten thru 12th grade. Instructional Apps are pushed out to student devices and teachers

use them for instruction and assessment.

Behavioral, moral, and faith development are taught and practiced in and out of our schools.

Each building starts and ends the day with prayer and has at least one time set aside for

worship or devotion during the week. Under the guidance of our staff, students share in all

aspects of faith formation contributing to the liturgy or Faith Community each week. Students

are intimately involved in picking readings, music and offerings so that they understand the

mass and gospel.

What sources of funds comprise the school’s revenues?

Tuitions and Fees

BCS receives approximately 65% of its revenue from tuition and fees. The tuition structure is

based on each family’s income level as determined by FACTS Tuition Management System

(FACTS). Tuition discounts offered include the Tier discount as determined by FACTS, Parish

subsidy if the family is an active member of one of our Billings’ churches, and a multi-student


discount if they have more than one child in grades K-12. See Exhibit B for the tuition fee

schedule.

Fundraising

BCS has a fundraising requirement of $495 per family that each family is required to earn either

through the Jog-A-Thon fundraiser held each fall or through our Scrip program. This fundraiser

requirement generates approximately 5% of BCS total revenue. If the family does not raise the

money, the funds are collected as part of tuition the following year. If the family raises, more

than the requirement, the excess is split between income for the schools and a credit for the

family’s tuition the following year.

Preschool and Daycare Income

BCS’ Preschool and Daycare programs generate another 5% of the operational revenue utilized

by the schools. These two programs also generate future students which ensure the strength of

the schools.

Parish Support

The Billings Catholic parishes support BCS by offering a percentage of their collections back to

the school to support the parish subsidy discount offered to members of their parishes. The

funds make up approximately 10% of BCS total revenue.

Foundation

The BCSF donates approximately 7% of BCS’ budgeted revenues to support the school. BCSF

is the fundraising arm of the schools and thus has several fundraisers throughout the year for

the benefit of the schools. These fundraisers generate another 6% of budgeted revenues. The

foundation also holds in trust several endowments that are utilized for the maintenance of the

buildings and facilities.

Other Revenues

Other revenues are generated from advertising sales, license plate sales, rental income, mineral

rights, and donations.

How often and by whom is an outside audit of the school’s finances conducted?

A formal audit by an outside agency is done on an annual basis. Douglas Wilson and Co

performs the audit in October of each year. We have always had an unqualified opinion on both

the school and foundation audits.

How did the school respond to the recommendations from the last audit?

No recommendations were noted on the previous two audits. The foundation had received two

recommendations from the previous audit, which were corrected for the current year’s audit.


How does the school plan for emergency situations that could have a financial impact on

the school?

The current budget includes depreciation which is a noncash expense which allows the school

to maintain a positive cash flow. The Business Committee meets annually to discuss needs for

the facilities to be maintained in a safe and comfortable environment reducing the chance of

emergency situations. The Business Committee recognizes the boiler is a significant expense

that will require attention and could possibly have a significant financial impact on the

schools. Building cash reserves yearly will allow the school to meet these emergency

situations. The Business Committee will continue to strive to build reserves to ensure the long-

term sustainability of the schools.

What resources does the Diocese provide to assist the school financially?

The Diocese of Great Falls – Billings supports BCS financially by providing use of the school

buildings. BCS rents the buildings for St Francis Primary, St Francis Intermediate, and the

Administration offices from local parishes. BCS does not currently have any other debt with the

Diocese.

What resources does the parishes provide to assist the school financially?

There are five major Catholic parishes in the Billings community; St Patrick’s, St Thomas, St

Pius, St Bernard’s, and Mary Queen of Peace. These five parishes support BCS financially by

donating approximately 10% of the operating revenues of BCS.


Establishment of the BCS Foundation to support the BCS schools

Active and involved Business Committee and School Board

Hiring of an effective business office

Goals

Support the Foundation’s efforts to build a new K-8 school building

Strengthen partnerships with the parishes

Refine the technology plan to incorporate sustainability for the 1-to-1 iPad program and

professional development and training for the teachers

Evidence

Financial reports

Budget reports

School Board minutes

Business Committee minutes

Diocesan Finance Manual

School Board Policies


CHAPTER 4 – ACTION PLAN

A. DESIGN AND ALIGNMENT OF THE ACTION PLAN WITH THE SELF STUDY FINDINGS

Accreditation Factor #11: The Action Plan addresses the school’s critical goals to

enhance student learning that supports high achievement of all students of the

Schoolwide Learning Expectations, Arch/diocesan curriculum standards (local

curriculum standards where Arch/diocesan standards don’t exist), and other governing

authority expectations.


Formal religious formation training for staff

Community wide reputation for students modeling Christian beliefs

Participation by all students in the liturgy, celebrating the Eucharist and Roman

Catholic traditions, at each individual building and at All School Celebrations as well.

Our students live their faith by exhibiting a deep sense of responsibility to serve beyond

the walls of our school.

A religious curriculum in accordance with USCCB standards; “We Believe” “Christ Our

Life”

A clearly articulated Mission Statement and values that define the schools’ identity as a

Catholic institution

Establishment of the Catholic Culture committee

One to One iPad program and Promethean boards to enhance instruction

Implementation of Standard base grading, k-6

Power School, parent-teacher and student communication tool

Development of school wide student learning expectations

MAP/ACRE Testing implemented

Read 180 program

Resource instructors and aids

Moby Max

Developed SLEs for implementation in the fall of 2015.

Implemented a standards-based grading and reporting process.

Started collecting data using MAP in grades K-8 and ACRE in grades 5 and 8.

Integrated technology with a 1-to-1 iPad program and Promethean ActivBoards.

Implementation of Standards-Based Grading

Adopting a common assessment format across the grades to use in making instructional

decisions.

Providing online tools (Moodle, PowerSchool) that allow teachers to communicate

student achievement to parents.

Created a transition for the instructional process across the middle grades from a

primary self-contained model to a departmentalized subject specialist approach.


Incorporating the use of technology devices such promethean boards, iPads, and

document readers;

Enriching applications and programs such as Moby Max, Fast Facts, Casper Suite,

MAPs testing, PowerSchool, School Reach, MOODLE;

Very successful, enriching preschool program for ages 3-5 years

Participating in many service projects and opportunities to serve God that are fulfilled

throughout the year exemplifying our Catholic values;

The implementation of MAPs testing and using the results to drive instruction

Implementation of S.M.I.L.E., Clip-Ups, and other programs to recognize positive

behaviors and the demonstration of positive citizenship skills

Establishment of the BCS Foundation to support the BCS schools

Active and involved Business Committee and School Board

Hiring of an effective business office

Significant Goals

Encourage and foster relationships between our students and Religious leaders; such as

priests, nuns, and deacons, through parish outreach on a more regular basis.

Provide more sacramental opportunities for students

Investigate the realignment of staff to teach religious education curriculum at the

younger grades as opposed to having the regular classroom teachers teach it.

Work with the Catholic Culture Committee to develop opportunities for faith development

with staff.

Integration of new religion standards.

Horizontal and Vertical mapping for all grades and subjects

Use MAP results to target staff development and assess alignment to stands

Disaggregation of MAP testing data

Communicate results of MAP testing to all stake holders: students, staff and parents

Use the data to target professional development for our staff

Use the data to implement intervention programs/process for student growth

Better use of ACRE test

Math 180 and use of a Math Coach

Continue expansion of standards-based reporting to cover grades K-8, with the inclusion

of religion, music, art, physical education, and social studies.

Complete the 1-to-1 iPad deployment and create a professional support process for

teachers.

Create formal processes to track, assess and discuss student achievement of all SLEs.

Provide better tools for managing the curriculum alignment and pacing process.

Provide more opportunities for quality professional development that improves

instruction.

Provide more opportunities for horizontal and vertical discussions within the staff to

increase alignment across the grades and within the primary grades.

Provide more academic support for those students who are struggling or are in need of

more challenging programs


Develop programs across the grades in anticipation of a new K-8 school.

Invite and encourage the participation of our local priests, nuns, and other church

leaders more regularly in our daily school schedules and activities at school

Continue to recognize and celebrate students’ positive spiritual, emotional, academic,

and social attributes

Support the Foundation’s efforts to build a new K-8 school building

Strengthen partnerships with the parishes

Refine the technology plan to incorporate sustainability for the 1-to-1 iPad program and

professional development and training for the teachers

Critical Goals

Provide more academic support opportunities to allow for either the enrichment of

students already experiencing success or for differentiation to support students that are

struggling in class.

Provide professional development to support using MAP assessments to inform

instruction and drive curriculum change.

Develop more opportunities for faith development and formation for faculty and staff.

Provide professional development and support structure to enable vertical and horizontal

teaming to increase alignment of content and expectations across grades and within

grades.

Provide professional development and resources to support the 1-to-1 iPad program to

cover all grades, to be used as a source for differentiation of instruction in ways that are

connected to content.


Goal #1: Provide more academic support opportunities to allow for either the enrichment of students already experiencing success or for differentiation to support students that are struggling in class.

Rationale for this goal:

Classrooms have always contained students that exhibit a wide variety of ability level. Teachers are required to provide the same opportunity to all students, yet they need to do so in a way that is appropriate to the student’s ability. With our current ability to assess students (MAP), and existing technology in the classroom (ActivBoards, iPads, student response systems), there should be a comprehensive professional development program to use these technologies and curriculum resources in effective ways to reach students at all levels.

Alignment with mission, philosophy, SLE’s:

The mission, philosophy, and school wide learning expectations clearly emphasize academic excellence. It is the duty of the administrative and instructional staff to support an effective instructional environment that meets student at their ability level. Doing so should increase the capacity for student growth academically.

Strategy #1 Provide academic support for students that have difficulty with grade level

materials in math and reading.

Activity #

1. Read 180

2. Math 180

3. Moby Max

Cost or

Resources &

Sources

Cost to hire an instructional teacher or coach. Startup cost for computers,

programs and instructional materials. These cost are support by our special

educational funds

Person(s)

Responsible

For

Implementation

1. Administration

2. Teachers

3. Resource personal

Process

For

Monitoring

1. NWEA/MAP website

2. Results reviewed with teachers

Baseline

Assessment

Special Educational students individual learning plans

MAP testing

Ongoing

Assessment

1. Comparing of individual test scores for growth

2. Monitoring trends by grade level and subject

Timeline

Start/Stop

Ongoing

Process for

Communicating

to

Shareholders

Parents are sent individual student reports and results.

Administration reporting progress to educational committee and school

board.


Strategy #2 (add strategies

as needed)

Provide academic enrichment opportunities for students.

Activity #

1.Optimist speeches 2.Science bowl competition 3. Competitive writing contests in English and history classes. 4.Science fair 5. Art projects to the county fair 6. Catholic Daughters completive projects and writings 7. Geography Bee

Cost or Resources &

Sources

Co-curricular teacher involvement Time to dedicate towards these goals outside of the regular school day

Person(s) Responsible

For Implementation

1.Teachers with support of the administration

Process For

Monitoring

Teachers with support of the administration

Baseline Assessment

Continuously look for activates that will challenge the students beyond the regular curriculum

Ongoing Assessment

Principals converse with staff Feedback from students and parents

Timeline Start/Stop

Ongoing

Process for Communicating

to Shareholders

Provide results of competition in our newsletter Invite parents and other supporters of the school to these events

Strategy #3 Curricular adoption

Activity #

Implementation of new language arts curriculum at grades K-6

Cost or Resources &

Sources

Staff development MAP assessment Time and cost to dedicate toward this goal beyond the regular school day


For Implementation

1.Administration 2. Teachers


Process For

Monitoring

Lesson Plans Curriculum reviews MAP Assessment

Baseline Assessment

Individual teacher assessments Formative classroom testing MAP

Ongoing Assessment

Testing results Classroom teachers

Timeline Start/Stop

Ongoing


to Shareholders

1. Board reports from Administration and Educational Director 2. Reports to parents

Strategy #4 (add strategies

as needed)

Implement the use of technology to support all learners

Activity #

Adoption of IPad use at all grade levels

Cost or Resources &

Sources

One to One technology costs Teacher training and development


For Implementation

1. Administration 2. Teachers

Process For

Monitoring

Teacher feedback Feedback from Educational director

Baseline Assessment

Monitor student and teacher needs to enhance usage

Ongoing Assessment

Continue to evaluate effectiveness of IPad usage

Timeline Start/Stop

On going


to Shareholders

1. Board reports from Administration and Educational Director 2. Foundation newsletter to parents, alumni and donors


Goal #2: Provide professional development to support using MAP assessments to inform instruction and drive curriculum change.


In the winter of 2015, St. Francis Schools adopted the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP)

set of assessment tools. This provided the school with the ability to do standards-aligned

assessments to monitor student growth with feedback to teachers on how students were

progressing on specific standards. This was the first time the school system had access to such

a tool and in order to make our instructional process as effective as it needs to be, we need to

institute a formal professional development plan for our staff.


The mission, philosophy, and school wide learning expectations clearly emphasize academic

excellence. It is the duty of the administrative and instructional staff to support an effective

instructional environment that makes informed decisions about the learning of the

students. Doing so will help students be better communicators by learning to write clearly,

demonstrate the ability to read for understanding, acquire decision-making skills, and use

technology effectively in the pursuit of knowledge.

Strategy #1 Provide staff and faculty professional development on how to use the MAP

assessment system, retrieve reports, and determine where student

strengths and weaknesses are.

Activities 1. Staff development classes offered either within our system or as a

partnership with District 2 or other Diocesan schools.

2. Have the administration develop a plan for the desired outcomes and

provide opportunities to communicate that plan to the faculty.

3. Time for staff to work within and across grades to discuss results and

appropriate actions to respond to those results.

Cost or

Resources &

Sources

1. Cost to provide professional development classes.

2. Time allocated in the calendar for staff to conduct the assessments,

then meet and discuss testing results.

Person(s)

Responsible

For

Implementation

1. Administration

2. Education Committee

3. Current classroom teachers

Process

For

Monitoring

1. Principals check in with staff

2. Guidance from Education Committee

3. Teacher input for effectiveness of staff development


Baseline

Assessment

1. Survey teachers for basic needs, concerns, ideas for staff

development.

Ongoing

Assessment

1. Principals converse with staff

2. Staff surveys

3. Completion of professional development

4. Monitoring student progress within the MAP system

Timeline

Start/Stop

January 2016 and ongoing

Process for

Communicating

to Shareholders

Staff meetings, principals report to the Education Committee, President of

Billings Catholic Schools, BCS website, and St. Francis newsletters

Strategy #2 Provide staff and faculty professional development on how to use the results

of the MAP assessment system to communicate to students and parents in

effective ways so parents can support their child’s learning and students can

be self-supporting in their learning process.

Activities 1. Staff development classes offered either within our system or as a

partnership with District 2 or Diocesan schools.

2. Have the administration develop a plan for the desired level of

communication (such as at parent conferences) and provide

opportunities to communicate that plan to the faculty.

3. Provide time for the faculty to meet with and across grades to discuss

how they are providing appropriate goal setting instructions to

students and how those goals are tracked and supported by both

faculty and parents.

Cost or

Resources &

Sources

1. Cost to provide professional development classes.

2. Time allocated in the calendar for faculty to meet to discuss plans of

action in relation to goal setting.

3. Possibly allocate time within the school day for teachers to have an

ongoing communication with students about their goals and goal

tracking.

Person(s)

Responsible

For

Implementation

1. Administration

2. Education Committee

3. Current classroom teachers

Process

For


2. Guidance from Education Committee


Monitoring 3. Teacher input for effectiveness of staff development

4. Parent surveys for understanding of how well goals are

communicated

Baseline

Assessment


development.

Ongoing

Assessment


2. Staff surveys

3. Completion of professional development

4. Evaluation of parent engagement with the goal tracking process

Timeline

Start/Stop


Process for

Communicating

to Shareholders

Parent conferences, student conferences, staff meetings, principals report to

the Education Committee, President of Billings Catholic Schools, BCS

website, and St. Francis newsletters


Goal #3: Develop more opportunities for faith development and formation for staff, faculty, and students to enhance our Catholic Identity.


By providing a quality education based upon a caring Christian atmosphere that emphasizes the

Catholic Faith, we can pursue academic excellence through education of the “whole

person”. As we look for ways to help our students achieve academically, it is crucial that we

continuously strive to strengthen our faith in a variety of ways. Each classroom teacher in

grades K-5 is responsible for teaching the religion curriculum. The students in grades 6-8

receive their religious education from one teacher. Many of our teachers are not Catholic and

feel somewhat uncomfortable and unqualified to teach religion effectively.


The mission, philosophy, and school wide learning expectations clearly emphasize promoting a

Christian atmosphere by stressing the beliefs and traditions of the Catholic Faith; by gaining

knowledge about Catholic doctrine and scripture; and by applying that knowledge to make moral

choices.

Strategy #1 Provide staff and faculty opportunities to develop basic knowledge and

concepts of the Catholic Faith.

Activities 1. Staff development at PIR days (ex. Marian Classes)

2. Continue conversations with and seek guidance from The Catholic

Culture Committee

3. Develop a brochure, with the help of the Catholic Culture Committee

that fields Questions and Answers that staff may have presented in

regards to the Catholic Faith.

4. Restructure the staff to accommodate having one teacher be

responsible for teaching the religious curriculum in grades K-5.

5. Re-establish Montana Catholic Schools conference

6. New teacher orientation at Diocese level

Cost or

Resources &

Sources

1. Cost to hire or realign teaching staff

2. Cost to hire presenters for staff development at PIR Days

3. Time to dedicate toward this goal beyond the regular school day

Person(s)

Responsible

For

Implementation

1. Administration

2. Catholic Culture Committee

3. Current Religious education teachers


Process

For

Monitoring


2. Guidance from Catholic Culture Committee

3. Teacher input for effectiveness of staff development

Baseline

Assessment


development

Ongoing

Assessment


2. Staff surveys

3. Completion of Marian courses

Timeline

Start/Stop


Process for

Communicating

to Shareholders

Staff meetings, principals report to Catholic Culture Committee, President of

Billings Catholic Schools, BCS website, and St. Francis newsletters

Strategy #2 Partner with local parishes to develop increased awareness of youth groups, parish

outreach programs, and get to know the priests, deacons, and other leaders within

the Catholic churches affiliated with St. Francis Schools.

Activities 1. Invite the priests, deacons, youth group ministers, etc. to attend functions at

the schools 2. Provide opportunities for priests from all of the parishes to say mass at each

school periodically 3. Assist local parishes in fulfilling various projects throughout the year

Cost or

Resources &

Sources

Minimal costs

Donations from students for various projects

Gift of time


For

Implementation

1. Administration and Catholic Culture Committee 2. Principals 3. Religious education teachers

Process

For

Monitoring

1. Periodic surveys with staff, students, and the church leaders indicating the

effectiveness of interactions with the local parishes 2. Conversations with the parents, students, and parish members seeking

opinions/feelings about the interactions

Baseline Assessment

Inventory all of the current programs and activities in each parish that St. Francis

takes part in

Ongoing Assessment

1. Continue to add to the inventory of each activity, along with basic

evaluations of them 2. Encourage discussions with staff, students, and church leaders about the

activities’ effectiveness in enhancing our Catholic Identity


Timeline

Start/Stop January 2016 and ongoing

Process for

Communicating

to Shareholders

1. Have various representatives report to the Catholic Culture Committee 2. Parish bulletins 3. St. Francis newsletters and BCS website

Strategy #3 Continue to develop more student awareness of faith development and formation.

Activities 1. Instruction aligned to the Religious Standards provided 2. Student participation in activities, masses, and service projects being

sponsored by local parishes 3. Student interaction more regularly with local priests, nuns, church leaders

within the daily schedules and activities at school

Cost or

Resources &

Sources

1. Cost of Diocesan approved religious education books and materials 2. Gifts of time 3. Items or money collected for service projects


For

Implementation

1. Principals 2. Teachers 3. Church leaders

Process

For

Monitoring

1. Student/staff participation 2. Periodic surveys with all stakeholders in involved 3. Classroom assessments related to Religious Standards

Baseline Assessment

List all current activities that the students participate in involving the local parishes

and any current assessments for religious education

Ongoing Assessment

Continue to evaluate effectiveness of the programs and activities that the students

participate in and how effectively they are meeting the religion standards

Timeline

Start/Stop January 2016 and ongoing

Process for

Communicating

to Shareholders

1. School newsletters 2. Parish bulletins 3. BCS website


B. CAPACITY TO IMPLEMENT AND MONITOR THE ACTION PLAN

The school demonstrates the capacity to implement and monitor an Action Plan that ensures

high achievement of all students of the Schoolwide Learning Expectations, Arch/diocesan

curriculum standards (local curriculum standards where Arch/diocesan standards don’t exist),

and other governing authority expectations.

St. Francis School has the capacity to implement and monitor an Action Plan that ensures high

achievement of all students while highlighting our Schoolwide Learning Expectations. Our

school is also dedicated to working toward meeting all Montana academic standards as well as

those provided by The Great Falls-Billings Diocese.

St. Francis School is a part of the greater Billings Catholic School System comprised of a

Primary School (preschool – second grade), Intermediate School (grades 3-5), Upper School

(grades 6-8), and Central Catholic High School (grades 9-12). The School Board, along with

the President of Billings Catholic Schools, an excellent and dedicated faculty, supportive

parents and a strong administrative team strive to support the high achievement of all of our

students. Guidance and assistance to implement the Action Plan is provided by the following

committees as well: Catholic Culture Committee, Education Committee, Technology Committee,

Finance Committee, Business Committee, and the Foundation Board.

The first critical goal will be to provide more academic support opportunities to allow for

differentiated instruction for all of the students. The administration and instructional staff will

continue to assess students, monitor progress, use technology support, and seek to adopt a

new Language Arts curriculum for kindergarten through 8th grade. The cost to hire an

instructional coach and the startup cost for computers, programs and instructional materials can

be supported by our special educational funds. We will request that the Finance Committee

include an increase in the budget to allow for the adoption of new Language Arts curriculum.

The second goal is to provide professional development to support using MAP assessments to

drive instruction and curriculum change. Continued staff development on how to use the MAP

assessment, retrieve reports, and determine individual student growth will be necessary. The

principals, Education Committee and instructional staff will be responsible for monitoring this

goal. Probably one of the biggest challenges of this goal will be to find the time needed to

collaborate and receive professional development.

As we look for ways to help our students achieve academically, it is crucial that we continuously

strive to strengthen our faith and pursue academic excellence through the education of the

“whole person”. Collaborative efforts by the Catholic Culture Committee, the instructional staff,

local parish leaders, and the principals is necessary to achieve this goal and continue to be a

vital part of our educational system. The major cost will be to purchase Diocesan approved

religious education books and materials, along with the costs to provide professional

development opportunities such as Marian courses.


As we continue to pursue and fulfill this Action Plan, progress will be reported to the various

committees involved. We will also use the BCS website and newsletters to keep the

stakeholders of St. Francis School involved with the progress of these critical goals.

Documents

Improving Student Learning - Montana Catholic Schools€¦ · Jeri Montgomery 5 Rita Brown Business Manager Krista Wahl 5 John Perez Custodial Jolene Dow 6 Ted Sherman Custodial Tom