SCHOOL WIDE IMPROVEMENT PLAN SCHOOL WIDE DISCIPLINE BUILDING A DREAM TEAM TEACHER EVALUATIONS

1. In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most MercifulNEW ENGLAND COUNCIL OF ISLAMIC SCHOOLADMINISTRATIVE DEVELOPMENT SCHOOL WIDE IMPROVEMENT PLAN SCHOOL WIDE DISCIPLINE BUILDING A DREAM TEAM TEACHER EVALUATIONS

2. AGENDA 9:00 – 10:00 OPENING SESSION SESSION I: 10:00—11:30 SCHOOL WIDE IMPROVEMENT PLAN Forming a Team Quality Indicators Determining Priorities Drafting the Plan Evaluating the Plan SESSION II: 11:30--1:00 SCHOOL WIDE DISCIPLINE Introduction & Definitions Seven Steps Of Establishing School wide Discipline Classroom Management Tips For Teachers 1:00—2:00 LUNCH & ZUHR PRAYER SESSION III: 2:00—3:30 BUILDING A DREAM TEAM Seven Qualities of Effective Teachers Unique Qualities of The Islamic School Teacher 30 Teaching Tips SESSION IV: 3:30—4:45 TEACHER EVALUATIONS Setting the Expectations Informal/Formal Observations Pre & Post-Observation Conferences Goal setting and Goal Assessment Portfolio Assessment 4:45—5:00 CLOSING SESSION Q/A

3. SESSION ISCHOOL WIDE IMPROVEMENT PLAN

4. SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT • All schools want their students to succeed. But schools can only make a lasting difference when they focus on specific goals and strategies for change. • School improvement planning is a process through which schools set goals for improvement, and make decisions about how and when these goals will be achieved. • The ultimate objective of the process is to improve student achievement by improving the way the curriculum is delivered, by creating a positive environment for learning, by developing teachers, by improving board and principal leadership, by increasing the parent involvement.

5. WHAT IS A SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN? • A school improvement plan is a road map that sets out changes a school needs to make to improve the level of achievements. • School improvement planning is a process through which schools set goals for improvement, and make decisions about how and when these goals will be achieved. • Continuous improvement is a key to excellence. It is a process which starts by defining and setting standards, and then evaluating the school according to those set standards.

6. STEP ONEFORM A SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT TEAM The School Improvement Team will develop a School Improvement Plan which has seven steps: Step 1: Form a School Improvement Team Step 2: Collect and review data, and identify concerns Step 3: Agree on priorities Step 4: Form committees Step 5: Draft the plan Step 6: Implement the plan Step 7: Monitor, Evaluate & Renew the plan

7. SCHOOL WIDE IMPROVEMENT PLAN

8. WHO SHOULD BE ON THESCHOOL IMPROVEMENT TEAM? A school improvement team should be a small but representative group: • Board representatives • Principal • Teachers representatives • Parent representatives • Community representatives

9. SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLANGUIDELINES School Improvement Plan should focus in following four areas: • Mission driven: Focusing on mission and serving families and students within the stated mission • Data driven: Using good data and evidence for rigorous and accurate assessment • Results oriented: Working toward expected results and desired organizational outcomes. • Action oriented: Producing School Improvement Plan with action items and measurable goals.

10. STEP TWO COLLECT AND REVIEW DATA AND DEFINE THE AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT The principal must ensure that the planning team has the necessary information to identify which areas of the school is most in need of improvement. Schools are complex organizations, in which no single element guarantees success. Rather, there are different interrelated elements that contribute to the quality of schools. Research identifies ten components which contribute to the success of the schools and data is organized in ten categories corresponding to the Characteristics of Successful Schools.

11. Based on evidence from across America, there are several common components to successful schools. • WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS • OF QUALITY SCHOOLS? • Clarity of vision • Governance of the school • Leadership • Teaching Quality • Curriculum • Culture of High expectations • Parent Involvement • Financial Stability • Safety and Discipline • Accountability System

12. 1. CLARITY OF VISION The board and the the principal jointly creates, articulates, and guards the mission, vision, philosophy, goals, belief and value system of the school that is shared and supported by the community. The mission and vision of the school are clearly stated, effectively communicated to staff, parents, students & community members.

13. 2. GOVERNANCE “The board is responsible for creating the future, not minding the shop.“ John Carver • Establishing and Guarding the School’s Mission • Board Management • Selecting, Supporting and Evaluating the Principal • Financial Management • Strategic Planning • Policy Making • Legal Obligations • Monitoring • Accountability • Advocacy & Public relations

14. 3. LEADERSHIP: PRINCIPAL Successful schools have strong principals 1. Principal as the Inspirational and Spiritual Leader 2. Principal as a Visionary Leader 3. Principal as an Instructional Leader 4. Principal as a Manager, Managing the Organization 5. Principal as a Manager, Managing Finance 6. Principal as a Manager, Managing Facility 7. Principal as a Manager, Managing People 8. Principal as a Manager, Managing Self 9. Principal as a Builder, Building an Culture 10. Principal as a Builder, Building Community

15. 4. QUALIFIED TEACHERS • The quality school employs the best possible qualified, competent teachers to offer the best possible educational opportunities to the students. In order for children to learn at high levels, they must have continual access to highly effective, caring teachers who meet high state standards. • Well prepared • Experienced • Role-modeling • Instructional Strategies • Classroom Management • Professionalism • Relationships • Professional Growth

16. 5. STRONG CURRICULUM A quality school offers strong and varied curriculum aligned with Islamic thinking school’s mission and philosophy. The school develops and publishes curriculum guide to define curriculum goals and expectations and clarify what students learn in each grade level to the school community.

17. 6. CULTURE OF HIGH EXPECTATIONS Successful schools are staffed by principals and teachers who expect every child to learn at high levels. Shared, rigorous expectations drive student achievement.

18. 7. PARENT INVOLVEMENT • Successful schools assertively involve parents in the life of the school, making it possible for parents to support the learning process, influence decisions, and make choices about the children’s education. • The quality school has a community building events and activities, parent-school partnership plans and an effective PTO. • Communication between the parents and the school is two ways, clear and effective

19. 8. FINANCIAL STABILITY • The board is accountable for the financial stability of the school. • The board ensures that there are adequate amount of financial resources to implement the stated mission, vision and strategic goals of the school. • The board treasurer or the finance committee chair ensures that the school practices sound financial management. • The board treasurer or the finance committee chair ensures that the board receives financial reports in a timely manner. • The board develops financial policies to ensure sound financial practices. • The board monitors the school’s financial practices and its compliance with financial policies.

20. 9. SAFETY & DISCIPLINE • Successful Schools provide a safe, well disciplined, and caring environment for student learning. • They understand that unless students and teachers feel safe and secure, high achievement is not possible. They develop: • Crises Management & Emergency Plan • School-wide Discipline Plan • Conflict Resolution Plan

21. 10. ACCOUNTABILITY Achieving excellence is an ongoing process and an unfinished business. Define success: The first step in this long journey is to define success and agree on this definition. This requires the efforts of all that are involved with the school (board, administration, teachers, staff, parents and students) Setting Standards: Successful schools set high standards that are well known to students, parents, and teachers. Measurable Goals, Objectives, Strategies: After all the stakeholders agree on what excellence looks like, then the next step is to set measurable goals, objectives and strategies Evaluating the School According to the Set Standards: Every aspect of the school will be evaluated periodically using the agreed upon standards

22. STEP THREEAGREE ON PRIORITIES • In this step, the School Improvement Team prioritize the areas of concerns that will be addressed in the improvement plan. • The goal in this step is to choose a few of the most pressing concerns that will be the focus of the improvement plan. • Concerns that are not designated as a priority for immediate improvement are retained within the program so that they can be addressed at a later date.

23. STEP FOUR FORM COMMITTEES Once the school has set its priorities for improvement, task forces or committees can be formed and they can start working: 1.___________________ 2.___________________ 3.___________________ 4.___________________ 5.___________________

24. STEP FIVEDRAFT A SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN • School improvement team will decide who will write the plan. The writer captures and crafts the group’s ideas. • School improvement team needs to plan for the review process. The final approval comes from the board. • The committees work independently and they draft their action Items. The Action Items will outline the following points: • Goals • Identify Strategies • Target Date • Responsibility • Progress

25. SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT Plan • Action items :Outline the specific tasks that need to be accomplished to achieve the goal within the school improvement plan. • Goals: The development of goals is a key step in effective school wide improvement plan. Goals can be defined as a written target of where an organization wants to be within a specific time frame.(SMART Goals) • Responsibilities: Identify who (e.g., staff, board, committee or others) will be held responsible for accomplishing the task. • Resources: Identify the resources needed to accomplish the action items. • Target Date: Include exact dates (months and year) by when each task should be completed. • Progress: Measure achievements against quantifiable objectives.

26. SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLANFINANCE COMMITTEE

27. SETTING SMART GOALS • Specific: The more specific the goal is, the more likely the organization is to achieve it. • Measurable:There must be a way to determine whether or not the organization is making progress toward the goal, and there needs to be a way to clearly define the moment when the goal is achieved. • Attainable: Achievable within the time prescribed and with existing resources and constrains. • Results-oriented: Focused on outcomes and short term achievements to gain longer term goals. • Time specific: A time frame for completion is established. Tying to set a goal with a deadline is critical. Goal achievement is usually based on a specific time frame, and accountability for achieving the goal is significantly enhanced when it is linked to a deadline.

28. IDENTIFY STRATEGIES • The strategies are systemic changes that your team will implement to reach your improvement goal. • In this step, the School Improvement Team to identify the strategies to reach each goal.

29. STEP SIXIMPLEMENT THE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN Schools should ensure that the school improvement plan is implemented effectively and planning documents must be merged to an annual plan. The following points need to be considered for implementing the school improvement plan: • Design an implementation plan. • Align the school’s operation to the school improvement plan. • Empower the people who execute the plan. • Allocate resources effectively, putting money where the future is. • Turn strategic priority issues into assigned, measurable action plans. • Embed departmental planning. • Develop an accountability system.

30. STEP SEVENMONITOR, EVALUATE & RENEW To ensure that the improvement plan is having the desired effect, the School Improvement Team will establish evaluation criteria for each improvement goal, as well as for each strategy: • Establish formal annual assessment of the school wide improvement plan. • Make sure the school improvement plan is directing every action of the organization. • Revitalizing the planning process and entering a new cycle of planning.

31. SESSION IISCHOOL WIDE DISCIPLINE SESSION I INTRODUCTION & DEFINITIONS SESSION II SEVEN STEPS OF ESTABLISHING SCHOOL WIDE DISCIPLINE SESSION III CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT SESSION IV TIPS FOR TEACHERS

32. WHAT ARE THE IMPORTANT FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO STUDENT LEARNING? Herbert Walberg (1986) stated that three factors contribute to student success and learning: • Student Aptitude • Teacher Instruction • School Environment

33. THREE IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OFSCHOOL ENVIRONMENT • Discipline 2. School wide Discipline 3. Classroom Management

34. THE GOAL OF DISCIPLINE The goal of discipline is replacing unacceptable behavior with acceptable behavior. The ultimate goal of discipline is building self-discipline in children.

35. WHAT IS SCHOOL WIDE DISCIPLINE? • An entire school, with everyone working together, to teach a child expectations and procedures and to develop a positive climate. • Total school discipline is not by chance or luck. It is planned and acquired.

36. THE GOAL OF SCHOOL WIDE DISCIPLINE • The goal of school wide discipline is school wide consistency. • School wide discipline is more general than classroom management. Examples: • All students are to follow uniform guidelines. • Students are expected to maintain a respectful demeanor with adults. • Students are expected to show respect for school property.

37. SCHOOL WIDE DISCIPLINE / CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT SCHOOL WIDE DISCIPLINE

38. WHAT IS CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT? • A classroom management is a practice which will minimize classroom disturbances and maximize learning. • A classroom management plan supports the school wide discipline plan. • Education cannot exist in the classroom unless order and discipline are present.

39. THE GOAL OF CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT • The goal of classroom management is to create an environment where learning proceeds without interruption. • Classroom rules are more specific than school wide discipline: • Follow the classroom rules. • Follow directions. • Stay in your seat unless you have permission to get up. • Keep hands, feet, and other objects to yourself.

40. OBEDIENCE MODEL vs. RESPONSIBILITY MODEL • Authority figures • External Control • Fear of getting caught • Detached • Self-discipline • Internal Control • Desire to do the right thing • Involved

41. STEP 1DISCIPLINE COMMITTEE STEP 7 MONITOR & EVALUATE THE PLAN STEP 2 DISCIPLINE PLAN STEP 6 COMMITMENT TO DISCIPLINEPLAN STEP 3 PROVIDE TRAINING STEP 5 CLASSROOMMANAGEMENTPLAN STEP 4 RESOURCE MATERIALS SEVEN STEPS OF ESTABLISHING SCHOOL WIDE DISCIPLINE

42. SEVEN STEPS OF ESTABLISHING SCHOOL WIDE DISCIPLINE Step 1: Create a “School wide Discipline Committee” Step 2: Establish the “School wide Discipline Plan” Step 3: Provide training to teachers, students and parents Step 4: Create and make available resource materials Step 5: Assist teachers in establishing their “Classroom Management Plan” Step 6: Require everyone to commit to the School wide Discipline Plan Step 7: Monitor and evaluate the School wide Discipline Plan

43. STEP 1ESTABLISH A SCHOOL WIDE DISCIPLINE COMMITTEE Teamwork of all adults is critical to establish a positive school environment. • Principal • Teachers • Students • Parents • All adults that are in charge

44. CREATE A SCHOOL WIDE DISCIPLINE COMMITTEE SCHOOL WIDE DISCIPLINE STUDENTS TEACHERS PARENTS BOARD PRINCIPAL SUPPORT STAFF

45. THE PARENTS’ RESPONSIBILITIES • Reviewing school rules with students. • Cooperating with school staff in enforcing the school’s disciplinary measures. • Reinforcing appropriate behavior of students at home. • Developing an interest in the student’s academic and school related activities.

46. THE STUDENTS’RESPONSIBILITIES • Behaving in the school and the classroom in a manner that does not disturb or interfere with the rights of others. • Respecting the authority of teachers, administration and other school personnel to enforce school rules. • Using and caring for school property.

47. THE TEACHERS’ RESPONSIBILITIES • Establishing “classroom rules, consequences and rewards” and a classroom management atmosphere. • Assisting in the development and enforcement of school rules. • Communicating with parents and students regarding students‘ performance.

48. THE ADMINISTRATION’S RESPONSIBILITIES • Enforcing the discipline policies within the existing school policies and state and federal laws. • Supporting teachers by holding conferences with disruptive students and, when necessary, with their parents to obtain commitments to improve behavior. • Advising students and parents of possible consequences for continued violation. • Ensuring that the due process rights of students are observed.

49. STEP 2ESTABLISH SCHOOL WIDE DISCIPLINE PLAN • Create a common vision and understanding of positive school environment. 2. Establish a School wide Discipline Plan in order to address the following: • Discipline Philosophy • Goals and Objectives • Guidelines and Strategies 3. Get everyone’s commitment to the School wide Discipline Plan. 4. Monitor the School wide Discipline Plan.

50. STEP 3PROVIDE TRAINING The committee provides training and shares the School wide Discipline Plan with the teachers, students and parents.