Monticello Central School District

MODEL SCHOOLS2015

Changing our world one habit at a time…

From district-wide initiative to visible school change

OUR MONTICELLO TEAM

•Stacey Sharoff, Board of Education President

•Tammy Mangus, Superintendent Of Schools

•Nikki Horler, RJK Middle School Principal

•Dana Taylor, Elementary Representative

(and all-around rock star)

MONTICELLO’S MODEL FOR

SYSTEM-WIDE REFORM•A challenge from the Sullivan County Partnership

•Monticello - Team of 10

•2 x 2 (Noah’s Ark)

Board of Education Goals

District Goals 2012-20141. We will continue to improve instructional

programs in all areas as evidenced by continuous growth in proficiency for all students on state assessments.

2. Our budget process will include short and long range planning to ensure the district’s fiscal strength in the years ahead.

3. We will work to update, maintain and enhance school facilities.

4. We will ensure a safe and welcoming environment by fostering respect and responsibility so all students are able to learn.

5. We will communicate effectively to stakeholders emphasizing quality, civility and service.

District Goals 2014-20171. The Board of Education will

continue to monitor, evaluate and assess student improvement.

2. The Board will budget strategically to guarantee fiscal strength in the coming years.

3. The Board will update, maintain and enhance school facilities.

4. The Board will model and maintain its expectation that all staff and students will exhibit respect, responsibility and kindness.

MUTUAL AGREEMENT

THINK

ONE HABIT AT A TIME

Folks talk about culture and how it will prevail over all strategies…

But how do you change it?

We Do This Together

ONE MONTICELLO

How does this happen?

• BOE Belief Statements and Goals• Monti Navigator • Essential Habits and Questions• Shared Definitions• Shared Beliefs

ONE MONTICELLO

•Let’s tackle shared definitions first…

• We are not seeking automatons. We are seeking diverse views, really cool ideas and diverse actions centered around collective commitments.

• This is what great organizations do!

Innovation Matters...Ideas Rule!

2012-13

We need to lead Monticello’s

student population down the

appropriate path.

Education = Opportunities

2013-14

We need to lead Monticello’s

student population down the

appropriate path.1. Common Core Implementation2. Growth and Data-based Decisions3. Engagement, Engagement, Engagement!

2014-2015The Essential Question of the Year

Are you crazy enough to keep making a difference?

• This requires greater than average courage.• This requires greater than average hope.• This requires greater than average ideas.• This requires greater than average commitment.• This requires greater than average integrity.• This requires greater than average ferocity.• This requires greater than average kindness.

2014-2015The Essential Habit of the Year

Be Greater than the Average!

Can we? Why yes, we can!

This essential habit was “lifted” from Nikki Horler who “lifted it” from Colleen Corwin who lifted it from a t-shirt. This wasn’t actually stealing. Emulation is the sincerest form of flattery.

If we knew the guy or gal who created it, we’d tell em’ thanks…..At any rate, great idea Colleen and Nikki, and thanks amazing quote writer.

ELA GROWTH CHECK

2012-2013Percentage of students growing faster than the average:

52.6

MGP: 53.4

2013-2014

MGP: 46.6

MATH GROWTH CHECK

2012-2013

MGP: 41.4

• Percentage of students growing faster than the average:

64.4

2013-2014

MGP: 59.6

SUMMING UP

SUMMING UP– HEDI Growth

YEAR NWEA NYSED

2012-2013 7 7.5

2013-2014 12.25 15.75

Last year our growth was in the developing range. This year, we are solidly effective for the NWEA (which measures only growth in reading) and a mere 2.25 points away from highly effective growth on the NYS examinations!

Our growth is……GREATER THAN THE

AVERAGE!

How do we move forward in this mission?

We get there by

THINKing

TTRUTHFUL

and TRANSPAREN

T

Are you being truthful and atransparent in your words and

actions?

People are always watching (especially our kiddos) and your

words mean nothing if what you are saying is not what you actually do!

HHELPFUL

We must create an US + THEM = WE culture!

IINSPIRING

Are you inspiring fun and a sense of community every day?

Are your actions and teaching style inspiring others to learn and know more?

NNECESSAR

Y

Ask yourself...

Is this necessary for thesuccess of our kiddos?

KKIND

Be kind in all that you do.

We can be truthful, direct, helpful, inspiring and take courageous steps, and we can communicate with

kindness.

WE OWN OUR CULTURE!

THE ACTIONS WE CHOOSE DEFINE WHO WE ARE!

2014-2015The Essential Habit of the Year

• Be Greater than the Average!

• Mid-Year Nudge…..Be a district that folks want to watch!

Shared Definition TimeMore Habits:• October – Overcome challenges or find a new path to reach our

goals • November – Be intentional; be solutions-oriented, and be

inspiring!• December & January – Be a passionately aggressive learner• February– Set high expectations for yourself and those around

you as we seek to build a brighter Monticello!• March - Simplify, center our work around simple targets and be

accountable.• April – Essential learning revolves around three timeless points

of knowledge that all students needed to master: reading, writing and arithmetic• May – Innovate.

HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD IN THIS MISSION?

Keep it simple:

• This student will learn to read.• This student will pass this course.

• This student will learn appropriate behaviors.

Communicate POWERFUL, yet simple, expectations.

What have we been up to? O P E N I N G D A Y F E S T I V I T I E S

1 : 1 I N I T I AT I V E

F O U N D AT I O N F R I D A Y S

M O N T I C E L L O A P PA R E L F R I D A Y

S O C I A L E M O T I O N A L W E L L N E S S T O S A

S T U D E N T- C E N T E R E D O P E N H O U S E S

K L R G O L D E N D U S T PA N

D I S T R I C T-W I D E E L E M E N TA R Y M AT H S P E C I A L I S T

S T U D E N T S W O R K I N G W I T H O U R C U L I N A R Y T E A M

PA R E N T U N I V E R S I T Y B B Q

M AT H FA C T P I E F U N W I T H M R . M U R P H Y

D ATA J O U R N A L S AT K L R

C O O K E C O L L E G E V I S I T S

5 0 4 P R O C E S S R E VA M P I N G

S C R AT C H - M A D E M E A L S A N D S N A C K S

C O L L E G E A S S I S TA N C E P L A N N I N G P R O G R A M AT T H E H S

P R O G R E S S N O T E S A N D R E P O R T C A R D R E VA M P

= C R I T I C A L C O N V E R S AT I O N

H O M E L E S S L I A I S O N

PA R T N E R I N G W I T H O U R K I D D O S

N E W A D D I T I O N S T O O U R B U S

F L E E T

H E A LT H D E PA R T M E N T ’ S C O O L

K I D S P E E R P R O G R A M

L I T E R A C Y / W R I T T E N R E S P O N S E

I N I T I AT I V E

C O M E T O G E T H E R A C T I V I T I E S

AT H L E T I C R E B R A N D I N G

FA R M T O TA B L E S A L S A

S P I R I T W E E K

M O U S TA C H E G R O W I N G M A Y H E M

S T U D E N T C O U N C I L - C U L I N A R Y

T E A M PA R T N E R S H I P

N Y S S B A V I S I T

T H R E E T E A M S P L I T S … C U LT U R E ,

I N S T R U C T I O N A N D D ATA

What have we been up to? T R A C K I N G H O M E T U T O R I N G A P P L E T R A I N I N G A N D T H E I PA D S U M M I T T E N N I S I N S M A L L P L A C E S I N C R E A S E D S E C U R I T Y E F F O R T S B R O C K T O N V I S I T M S P TA PA R T N E R S H I P S S U B B I N D E R S F O R P P S H A N D L E W / C A R E S E C U R I T Y R E F E R E N D U M W O R K AT H L E T I C C A L E N D A R S C O M M U N I T Y T H A N K S G I V I N G D I N N E R 2 8 T H A N N U A L F O O D D R I V E T H E L E A D E R I N M E B E R N A R D W O M A M O B Y M A X S T U D E N T S C H A R T I N G T H E I R O W N G R O W T H E S L D I N N E R M S T H I N K V I D E O D O O R D E C O R AT I N G U G LY S W E AT E R D AY B U S B E H AV I O R T W I T T E R TA K E S M O N T I C E L L O C U L I N A R Y

A N D AT H L E T I C S T O Y D R I V E P R O C E S S , P R O C E S S , P R O C E S S … C R E AT I N G

T H E G U I D E S O F H O W W E D O T H I N G S

H A L L O F D I S T I N C T I O N S T U D E N T H O D R E S E A R C H FA C E B O O K F E AT U R E S T E A C H E R / E D U C AT O R S P O T L I G H T S C O O K E S C H O O L T E C H E X P O V I S I T C H A S E D ATA E X P E R T S U LT I M AT E F R I S B E E N E W L U N C H F E AT U R E S PA N T H E R R O O M S E R V I C E M S M U R A L PA I N T I N G I N T E G R AT E D C O -T E A C H I N G P L A N S C H O O L O G Y G O E S V I R A L G E N I U S B A R P E E R M E D I AT I O N S U E S A C H V I S I T F I X I T A N D M O V E O N R E G E N T S R E S C H E D U L E S M E N T O R I N G A W O R K I N G P D T C O M M U N I T Y PA R T N E R S H I P S D R A M A P R O D U C T I O N S S U M M E R S C H O O L R E VA M P ! L A B C O AT S F O R S C I E N C E F O L K S A N D A PA R T R I D G E I N A P E A R

T R E E … …

THE LIST GOES ON AND ON!

We Do This Together

OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL

ROCKING GROWTH

Climbing the charts from an 8 to a 17!

WHERE WERE WE?

• Lacked high expectations• Unaware of our role as a change

agent

WHAT DID WE DO?

CREATIVE INGENUITY: ALLOW PEOPLE TO FLY THEIR CRAZY FLAG

• PANTHER WORKSHOPS AROUND FOCUS POINTS - Set goals and together decided on BIG IDEAS for the year

• STUDENT ENGAGEMENT - Culture & Climate

• DATA DRIVEN INSTRUCTION - Data Team

• COMMON CORE - Teaching & Learning

• RIGOR, RELEVANCE & RELATIONSHIPS

RELATIONSHIPS MATTER

• Faculty members connect/text and share ideas

• If somebody has something that upholds the goals of the district and supports the essential habits and questions, do it!

• Always better to take a risk and fail miserably than never take that risk

RELATIONSHIPS MEAN EVERYTHING

• Birthday cards for all staff & faculty

• Sunshine club

• Warm & welcoming front office

• Welcome pot luck

• Holiday surprise luncheon

• Valentine bagels

• Teamwork water bottles

• End of the year barbeque

WHAT HAPPENS (OR DOESN’T) IS UP TO THE PRINCIPAL

• Allow Everyone To Call And Text

• Know Your Staff And Faculty

• Bi-weekly Newsletters

• New Furniture

• Think Posters

• LFA

ELIMINATE EXCUSES

•We try everything!• Some ideas work/some don’t. • Stop referring to the building as “montighetto”.• Failure is where we learn.

REBUILT THE MASTER SCHEDULE

• Traditional 9 period day

• 8 - 50 minutes periods

• Repurpose positions

• 5 marking periods

• Quintets- modify the curriculum

• Steam, reading, library skills- focus on what teachers do well

CREATE A NEW CULTURE

• 1 - hour delay schedule every Friday• Foundation Fridays• 30 minute duty time with students •Olweus, D.E.A.R. Digital citizenship•Wellness Room

ALWAYS ASK:

IS IT GOOD FOR THE STUDENTS?

THE POWER OF A T-SHIRT* (and Taco Bell)• Insert crazy flag ideas from t-shirts to pep rallies!

• RJK BACKPACK PROGRAM

• PROJECT CARE

• ATTENDANCE OFFICER- ALARM CLOCKS

• GARDEN

• MONTHLY GOAL SETTING

• FROST VALLEY

SEEING OUR WORLD FROM A NEW PERSPECTIVE• LibraryPBIS Activity Fun Day • Motivational media • Holocost survivor• Breaking the cycle • Pto mini grant • Maker space• 1:1 initiative• Murals• Fatheads

• We went to college…so can you!

• Spirit week • THINK video • Academic pep rally• Morning announcements• Moving Up Day• Field Day• PBIS Activity Fun Day • Motivational media • Holocaust survivor• Breaking the cycle • PTO mini grant

MY JOB IS TO FACILITATE REALLY GREAT, CRAZY IDEAS• DOOR CONTEST

• UGLY SWEATER DAY

• JIB JAB VIDEOS

• 100% TEST- SHOWER

• HALLOWEEN

• BLUE & WHITE DAY

• SMURFS

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WHAT’S IN FRONT OF YOU

• IHELP CAFE•3D PRINTER •DIGITAL SIGNAGE •BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB

BE YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF…

MODEL RISK TAKING AND WHEN YOU LEARNED FROM FAILURE

• “DON’T GO IN THE WATER”... MANY PEOPLE NEVER VENTURE INTO THE WATER OUT OF FEAR… WE NEED TO SWIM AWAY FROM

THE SHORE.

• “JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE TO GO BACK IN THE WATER”….SOMETIMES WE TAKE A RISK AND IT TURNS OUT

POORLY (WE FAIL).

• “YOU YELL SHARK AND WE HAVE A PANIC ON OUR HANDS”…WE NEED TO CREATE A SAFE AND HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

AND CULTURE

• “YOU’RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER BOAT”…FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN, OF WHAT WE MAY FACE… LEADS TO CONTINUAL

INACTION.

• “I’LL NEVER PUT ON A LIFE JACKET AGAIN”…WE HAVE TO LOOSE THE RESTRAINTS THAT BIND US AND SWIM OUT INTO

UNCHARTERED WATERS WITHOUT A LIFE JACKET.

“There’s nothing in the sea this fish would fear. Other fish run from bigger things. That’s their instinct. But this fish doesn’t run from anything. He doesn’t fear.” Peter Benchley

SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO BE THE SHARK!

DON’T JUST FOLLOW THE RULES

•Open school to different ideas

• Break the rules that do not make sense anymore

We Do This Together

Kenneth L. RutherfordEstablished 1960

Good work habits contribute to life-long learning and good citizenship

WHO ARE WE?

• 528 Students• 90 Faculty and Staff• 54% Female• 5% Limited English Proficient• 34% Students with Disabilities• 82% Economically Disadvantaged• 94% Attendance Rate• 1% Suspension Rate• Local Assistance Plan in place for not making adequately

yearly growth in specific sub groups for both ELA and Math

NYS EXAMS

Math ELA Science

2% 7

%

77

%

18

%

8%

87

%

PERCENT OF STUDENTS WHO WERE PROFICIENT ON THE STATE EXAMS IN 2012-13 & 2013-14

2012-13 2013-14

GOOD NEWS

UP 16% FROM 2013 TO 2014!!!!

KLR STUDENT

GROWTH FOR ELA

IS EQUAL TO THE

NYS AVERAGE!!

KLR STUDENT GROWTH FOR MATH IS ABOVE NYS AVERAGE!!!

COMMUNICATION TRICKLE DOWN: A SYSTEMATIC CHANGE

Photos (evidence of district wide goals at building level)

• THINK Bulletin Boards• Kindness Awards• Wall of Distinction-Kaveleski• Student Goal Setting• HW Flip Program• Technology- 1:1 I Pads• Relationships us+them=we (Susie looping)• SEW Program• Employee of the Month

CRAZY IDEAS

“A good leader listens first. I listen and then I let the faculty run with it” (insert Kim Patterson video)• The Leader In Me• Transitional First• Behavior Support Program• Six day special schedule

WE DO THIS TOGETHERPhoto collage

• EPIC• HS students-career readiness, govt, childrens literature

• Therapy dogs• Sheriff• Custodians• Office Staff• Bus drivers• Faculty meetings/professional development• PTO