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Liberty Central School District

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Liberty High School Comprehensive Education Plan 2023-24

Liberty High School is identified by the state as a Targeted Support and Improvement School (TSI) under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act.  TSI schools are identified as having one or more subgroups that fail to make significant progress toward achievement and/or graduation rates for three consecutive years. The school must work with stakeholders to develop a SCEP (School Comprehensive Education Plan).  The plan includes specific commitments and goals to lead the school toward the required achievement levels for all students. 

Commitment 1 | We commit to improving the overall positive experience for students, staff, and families to support inclusivity and increased student attendance.

SMART Goal

By the end of June 2024, the average quarterly student attendance will meet or exceed 88%.

Why we are making this commitment

This commitment fits what we envision for the school as it fulfills and relates to the district’s mission and vision.

This commitment relates to what we heard when listening to others by reflecting on the needs expressed not being fulfilled by the stakeholders.

The data presented reflects that stakeholders expressed not feeling included, connected, or having a positive experience. The chronic absenteeism and referrals for insubordination may be due to certain students having a negative educational experience.

Research and evidenced based strategies support these perceptions and were used in conjunction to create our commitment and strategies.

Progress Targets

By the end of the year, we will look to the see the following occur:

End of the year goals, reviewing attendance and behavior data and PLC Surveys we hope to see:

  • Increased attendance
  • Decrease discipline (late to school and skipped classes)
  • Increased strongly agree and agree on PLC survey: I feel welcomed and part of my school
We believe these Spring survey responses will give us helpful feedback about our progress with this Commitment:
  • Student Survey: From the PLC surveys: I feel welcomed and part of my school, 36 % agree or strongly agree now, we hope to see 42 % agree or strongly agree.
  • Staff Survey: From the PLC surveys: Our school is student-centered, 64% agree or strongly agree now, we hope to see 69% agree or strongly agree
  • Family Survey:
We believe achieving the following Mid-Year Benchmark(s) will give us good insight into our ability to reach our year-end goal:

By reviewing attendance and behavior data, and creating a beginning of the year and mid-year survey that will invite responses to: I feel welcomed and part of my school, we will see

  • Increased attendance
  • Decrease discipline (late to school and skipped classes)
  • Increase in students feel welcomed and part of my school.
  • Mid-year attendance rate of 88% or higher.
We believe we will be on track to meet our Mid-Year Benchmark(s) if six to ten weeks into the school year, we are able to reach the following Early Progress Milestones:
  • Student Data: By reviewing Attendance we hope to see attendance report data identifies an increase in building attendance and compare to previous years
  • Adult/Schoolwide Behaviors and Practices: By reviewing participation in the Shadow a Student Activity, w hope to see all teachers are scheduled to participate
  • Student Behaviors and Practices: By reviewing students attending Ask Adams, we hope to see Student participation

Strategy | September kick-off followed by quarterly class meetings to review chronic absenteeism data, academics, disciplinary data and create goals for each class.

Methods

Grade level assemblies held every 10 weeks facilitated by building administration.

Resources
  • Admin: Schedule meetings
  • Reserve auditorium
  • Communicate to staff and students
  • Dates: 9/8/23, 11/28/23, 2/6/24, 4/23/24

Strategy | Recognize students who have maintained and improved their attendance, behavior, and academics on a quarterly basis.

Methods

Quarterly stellar (or other designee)  student  recognition and gathering (ice-cream, pizza, etc).  BLT will work to develop and share criteria.

Resources
  • BLT: Set criteria
  • Schedule celebration
  • Communicate to staff and students
  • Assign resources for celebrations

Strategy | Shadow a Student Activity.

Methods
  • Teachers and administrators shadow a minimum of one student for an entire day during the 2023-2024 school year.
  • A debrief occurs at the end to share what is learned throughout the process
  • High School administration will work with staff on details.
Resources
  • Admin/Main office: Finalize protocol
  • Identify students
  • Schedule staff
  • Cost for substitute teachers

Strategy | Genius Hour Day

Methods
  • Develop a process 1 to 2 times during the 2023-2024 school year to focus on topics of interest between students and staff to make additional connections (examples include chess, baking, book club, gaming, coding).
  • Lighthouse Team/ Leader in Me will work on logistics.  Explore including parents or guardians as part of the second Genius Hour Day.
Resources
  • LIM Lighthouse team: Time for Lighthouse Team to plan
  • Scheduling dates
  • Identify resources needed
  • Communicate to staff, students, and families
  • BLT to assist.

Strategy | Real Talk with Mr. Adams

Methods

Monthly opportunity for students to connect with the principal during lunch periods to share questions and/or concerns as well as celebrations. Building principal will set up and communicate the schedule.

Resources
  • Adams: Suggestion Box
  • Time for principal
  • Schedule dates
  • Communication with students
  • Table decorations
  • Dates: 9/11/23, 10/2/23, 11/20/23, 12/11/23, 1/10/24, 2/12/24, 3/4/24, 4/15/24, 5/13/24, 6/3/24

Strategy | Leader In Me (LIM) Embedded Language

Methods

Creating LIM Habits through visualizations and communication including classroom posters, hallway/classroom/bathroom murals.

  • Morning announcements including LIM language and suggestions.
  • Friday afternoon positive LIM announcement.
  • Slideshows presented on the TV monitors including the LIM habits.
  • Posters of habits in each teaching area.
  • Planning for murals through the LIM Lighthouse team.

Referring to LIM Habits and embedding habits into daily life and lessons. Examples include:

  • Choosing a habit each month to use as a theme in lessons throughout that time period.
    • When Curly wants to fight Lennie in “Of Mice and Men,” what could George have done differently to create a win-win (habit 4) situation?
    • Student self-assessment (Be proactive-habit 1, Putting first things first-habit 3).
    • Seek first to understand, then to be understood (habit 5) through discussion protocols
    • Class presentations, debates, jigsaw activities, etc. (Student voice-habit 8)
    • Problem solving, group discussion, pair/share, turn/talk activities, higher order thinking domains (Synergize-habit 6)
Resources

Posters:

  • Money for posters.
  • -Student volunteers create bulletin boards.

Strategy | Seal of Civic Readiness Implementation

Methods

Complete phase 1 of the Seal of Civic Readiness Implementation as outlined to offer the option to students in the class of 2025.

Resources

Outlined in the LCSD Seal of Civic Readiness Handbook

Commitment 2 | We prioritize offering engaging and relevant lessons that support students to grow and thrive.

SMART Goal

By the end of June 2024, 75% of informal walkthroughs and formal observations will contain at least 2 identified SCEP commitment strategies as measured by the 2023-2024 HS SCEP Walkthrough Form.

Why we are making this commitment

According to student and teacher surveys and conversations, lessons that are engaging and relevant to students are important to student growth. They need to feel that what they are learning is important to them and will help them be prepared for life. We are committed to modernizing lessons when possible to provide more opportunities for students to feel part of the learning process.

We found that the current curriculum and learning methods need to be updated to better serve our students’ growing needs. Students expressed feeling like classroom seating arrangements and learning methods do not always excite them when entering the classrooms. They also expressed missing opportunities to discuss ideas and material together and work with one another.

Only 34% of students indicated on the survey that teachers provide the opportunity to discuss material and learn from each other. Only 57% of staff think students and teachers work together in the learning process.

Research and evidenced based strategies support these perceptions and were used in conjunction to create our commitment and strategies.

Progress Targets

By the end of the year, we will look to the see the following occur:

End of the year goals, reviewing PLC teacher and student surveys, we hope to see:

  • An increase in:
    •  Teachers provide time for students to discuss topics and learn from each other.
    • Our students and teachers  work together as partners in learning.
    We believe these Spring survey responses will give us helpful feedback about our progress with this Commitment:
    • Student Survey: From the PLC surveys: Teachers provide time for students to discuss topics and learn from each other, 34 % agree or strongly agree now, we hope to see 39 % agree or strongly agree.
    • Staff Survey: From the PLC surveys: Our students and teachers  work together as partners in learning 57% agree or strongly agree now, we hope to see 62% agree or strongly agree
    • Family Survey:
    We believe achieving the following Mid-Year Benchmark(s) will give us good insight into our ability to reach our year-end goal:

    By create a beginning of the year and mid-year survey that will invite responses to:  Teachers provide time for students to discuss topics and learn from each other, we will see

    • Increase in students sharing that teachers provide time for students to discuss topics and learn from each other.
    • A 75% or higher rate of observed SCEP commitments as collected through informal walkthrough and formal observation.
    We believe we will be on track to meet our Mid-Year Benchmark(s) if six to ten weeks into the school year, we are able to reach the following Early Progress Milestones:
    • Student Data: By reviewing Attendance we hope to see attendance report data identifies an increase in building attendance and compare to previous years
    • Adult/Schoolwide Behaviors and Practices: By reviewing Administrative Walkthrough Data, we hope to see an increase in teachers providing student choice and voice, relevant content connections, flexible seating, and incensed in academic student interactions
    • Student Behaviors and Practices: By reviewing Administrative Walkthrough Data, we hope to see an increase in teachers providing student choice and voice, relevant content connections, flexible seating, and incensed in academic student interactions

    Strategy | Integrate formal lesson closure on a daily basis.

    Methods

    Commit to one classroom closure technique each lesson to have students sum up what they have learned, apply it in a different/real-life/future context, connect with the learning target, answer the essential question, or give feedback on their learning in an effort to reinforce and apply skills/knowledge. Options include the following in connection with learning targets, essential questions, and LIM habits:

    • Exit ticket- Google forms, Google Classroom practice sets, Jamboard, Mentimeter, etc.
    • Formative assessments
    • Open ended writing- Summary free write; 3, 2,1; The stamp; etc
    • Questioning and check for understanding techniques
    Resources
    • Modeled by administration, and examples provided.

    Strategy | Bring in more relevant materials and build relevant connections during lessons.

    Methods

    Commit to one additional teaching strategy based on student interest or relevancy. Some options include:

    • Focusing on real life connections and examples for what is learned in classes.
    • Connecting classic ideas such as The Outsiders and outlaws to a more recent text or have students analyze taboos in our own society.
    • Learning content through the lens of diverse cultures to learn about the world outside of Liberty.
    • Each teacher or department can create a questionnaire or survey to be used with students in September to determine interests.

    This will be introduced and explained during opening day conference days.

    Resources
    • Subscriptions to teacher resources
    • Update book list for English Department (new books are in the book room but updated list needs to be created and approved by the BOE – if needed)

    Strategy | Utilize classroom space to optimize lesson effectiveness.

    Methods

    Commit to one classroom spatial strategy in an effort to diversify the classroom environment and optimize lesson effectiveness. Options include:

    • Desks arranged in groups, partners, and single desks
    • More comfortable chairs
    • Flexible seating options
    • Lights off when it’s fitting for the activity
    • Materials accessible for students to use/borrow when appropriate
    • Reserve the Library Media Center Classroom
    Resources
    • Flexible seating options (need educators who want to pilot this)
    • Repurpose furniture available (tables, chairs, etc.)
    • More charging stations with longer cords
    • Softer light options for classrooms

    Strategy | Allow opportunities for student choice and voice.

    Methods

    Commit to use one method that provides students choice in the classroom.  Options include the following list:

    • Selecting a topic to work on
    • The option to work solo, in a partnership or in a group
    • Providing the choice of paper or digital medium when possible
    • Choosing the way to demonstrate knowledge (paper, video, poster, Tik Tok, etc.).
    • Choice boards
    Resources
    • Professional development session
    • Teacher PD study groups to brainstorm and grow these methods

    Strategy | Build in opportunities within lessons for students to work together.

    Methods

    Commit to one instructional strategy that allows for students to work together. A list of possibilities is below:

    • Projects
    • Discussions (Academic Conversations)
    • Games
    • Peer review activities
    • Think-Pair-Share (and similar activities that allow for some communication between students as part of the learning process)
    • Jigsaw methods
    • Team building activities in classrooms or class levels so students can get to know each other better and improve their ability to work together in different situations
    Resources
    • Professional Development opportunities – group activities, classroom management

    Evidence-Based Intervention

    All CSI and TSI schools must implement at least one evidence-based intervention as part of its SCEP. The intervention identified must meet the criteria of a Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3 evidence-based intervention under ESSA. More information can be found at http://www.nysed.gov/accountability/evidence-based-interventions

    Schools may choose one of three options for identifying their evidence-based intervention:

    School-Identified (option 3)

    Evidence-Based Intervention Strategy Identified

    Evidence based pedagogical strategies outlined in the plan above to build collective teacher efficacy

    We envision that this Evidence-Based Intervention will support the following commitment(s) as follows

    Commitment 2

    How does this evidence-based intervention connect to what the team learned when exploring the Envision/Analyze/Listen process?

    Directly finds solutions to issues identified by students through building collective teacher efficacy to positively impact students.

    Link to research study that supports this as an evidence-based intervention (the study must include a description of the research methodology

    https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/the-power-of-collective-efficacy