P177Q
The Robin Sue Ward School
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Domain 3
Safe, Efficient, Effective Learning Environment
Capacity Building
Developing potential and tapping existing internal expertise to promote learning and improve practice
Roles & Responsibilities Charts
Our two newest assistant principals are no longer Interim Acting, and became appointed during this past semester. They have both taken on different and new responsibilities, expanding their knowledge base and expertise to navigate the very complex organization of P177Q. For example, they are now actively undertaking the complicated and legally demanding role of completing School Based Investigations. This has proven to be immensely helpful for our Administrative team as a whole, as our other Administrators are now free to delve into student curriculum and other classroom and school based activities such as building and staff/student Safety protocols. Other areas that our new administrative colleagues have become involved in include are data collection and analyzation, event planning, after school activities, supervision of our off sites and inputting and evaluating OORS data.
Our 2 newest Assistant Principals IA, follow a bi-weekly mentoring schedule with Mr. Duffy to review roles and responsibilities.
Given the complexity of overseeing a complex, multi-faceted school organization, each Administrator, under the direction of the Principal, has been assigned specific functional roles/responsibilities to maximize efficiency and reduce redundancy and overlap in supervision. These roles are assigned in the summer, before the fall semester begins, but have been reevaluated and modified as needed. at regular intervals throughout the school year. Having specific responsibilities has provided each administrator with a targeted area to focus on. These AP specific roles were not assigned randomly, but done in a manner that has evaluated each AP’s instructional strengths and productivity. However, these defined roles have not precluded one administrative member from filling in for another when an emergency arises or when we are experiencing a severe staff shortage.
School Budget & Purchasing
Per-Session Lines
P177 allocated per-session funding to support student learning, school improvement, and enrichment events. Some recent per-session lines have included Special Olympics, Instructional Leadership Team, Events, Data Team, and Equity Team.
Staff Hiring
177Q hires highly qualified staff as openings arise and budgeting allocations allow. Recently 177Q hired new paraprofessionals and a school aide. The hiring committee is also working on filling an ENL vacancy.
Calming Corners
This year, over $25,000 was allocated for the purchasing of sensory materials and furniture for calming corners. Every 177Q classroom has been equipped with individualized sensory integration materials for student use.
Furniture
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New Class @ MVB- In September 2023. MVB will add an additional 8:1:1 making a total of 11 classes. To prepare for our new addition, student desks, chairs and technology was ordered.
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EFLs - Furniture was ordered for EFLs classrooms to ensure that all students had access to appropriate individual work stations and tables.
PAES Lab
The main site has purchased a PAES lab which will open in the Fall of 2023. Currently the school is exploring different options for the lab’s placement.
Arts Education
Our school budget promotes and infuses the Arts in instruction. For the 2023 Spring term our students will receive instruction in:
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Mask Making at the elementary level; Mixed Visual Arts and Dance at the high school level.
School Environment
The 177Q budget allotment supports and promotes a focus on a supportive and positive learning environment. Staff is provided training in specific strategies for managing behaviors. This year, 8 staff members were trained in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention Strategies.
Mini Golf
The APE Department recently ordered a glow in the dark miniature golf set for use with its APE classes.
The P177Q Budget aligns to the Vision and mission of our school for the improvement of instructional practices and student outcome.
Furniture has been purchased to support our structured teaching and EFLs initiatives in select classrooms, to help meet the needs of our students. Materials will provide a structured and organized environment for our students to engage in small groups, individualized instruction and independent work stations, to promote independence. Regularly scheduled meetings are held between the school's administration, secretaries and purchasing manager. In addition, a team of occupational therapists worked with classroom teachers to order sensory items. A sensory corner, supplied with sensory/fidget toys, and a bean bag, is available to our students in most classrooms.
Our budget encompasses teacher teams within our organization. Per-session funding is allocated to Title III After School, the Equity Team, Instructional Leadership Committee, College & Career Readiness, the special events committee, Special Olympics, and other programs that have a direct impact on student learning.
Curriculum and resource surveys have resulted in the purchase of Fundations reading curriculum, Unique licensing, Wilson reading curriculum and Equals. Staff who provide their feedback on instructional programs include teachers, deans, guidance counselors and speech therapists.
Funding is allocated for a teacher leader. The teacher leader is part of our school's ILT and curriculum committee and has an active role in the purchasing of instructional resources. The teacher leader supports instructional staff and teacher teams through classroom inter-visitations, information conversations, and targeted support.
CCR funding allocations for human capital have allowed our Transition Team Leader (TTL) to provide family outreach to families of students who are transitioning out of our school at the end of this school year as well as others who aged-out at the end of the 2021-2022 school year but are still in need of support. The TTL also provides support for the transition planning for students over the age of fifteen. Due to the challenges and uncertainties families face when exploring post-secondary programs, one-on-one conversations and support has provided families with the resources needed to navigate the 'aging out' and transition process.
Distributive leadership
Having two additional Assistant Principals has given us the flexibility to distribute leadership roles to support staff in important projects, initiatives. For example, our BRT Emergency officer works daily as a School Aide, but has also been assigned the role of BRT Emergency Officer. This is a very important role given that the Emergency Officer is the only one who can take over for the BRT Leader if needed in a dangerous situation. Another example of distributed leadership is seen in our Afterschool Enrichment Program. A Speech Therapist and a Paraprofessional have been instrumental in working with our Assistant Principals in creating, initiating and making sure that the program runs efficiently, safely yet still maintains the elements of a instructionally rigorous program.
P177Q consists of a vast network of different , yet intricately connected components. These include, but are not limited to instructional, behavioral, social/emotional, safety, parental and community involvement. Basic operational requirements of budgeting and the physical building maintenance t are necessary to endure a vast and active school organization. The inclusion of an additional 2 Assistant Principals has afforded our school organization the flexibility and opportunity to distribute oversight of each component. This distribution has provided for a more efficient and cohesive level of school operations.
Special Education Coordinator
Our SPED Coordinator is responsible for the myriad details of our intake, articulation and progress monitoring for every classroom of students throughout our organization. He has been providing administration with a detailed list of IEP progress and student movement as we progress through the Spring semester. Currently, our IEP compliance record is 90 %. This is a reflection of the rigorous system of evaluation that we have put into place to make certain that our IEP’s are completed in a timely and efficient manner. This spring we have been working closely with the District 75 placement office to assess that students coming to our organization are an appropriate fit not only for the student, but their families as well.
A Special Education coordinator, and a team of ancillary staff, are responsible for overseeing the IEP process, from the initial student mandate to the date of implementation. This is maintained through email communication, staff meetings, workshops and individual training and support. This has enabled our school organization to keep a concise and up to date record of IEP compliance. The SPED coordinator is a resource for our teachers, paraprofessionals, related service providers and support staff for any impediments with IEP implementation.
Articulation and class placement is ongoing. The PPT team meets monthly to discuss student needs, class placement and class vacancies. There is ongoing communication with the placement office regarding new admits and school transfers.
177Q Surveys
School surveys continue to ensure that stakeholders in our school continue to feel empowered. Recent survey focus include:
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Vocational interest Survey
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Data team feedback survey
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Student Council Form
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ILT Surveys
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PD Feedback
School surveys have ensured that all stakeholders in our school organization feel empowered, and that their input is also valued and accounted for. Being transparent with the results of these surveys demonstrates a real and tangible commitment by the Administration to create a truly inclusive school environment. Most importantly, we have demonstrated tangible and concrete actions that were taken as the result of.surveys that have been distributed. 177Q continues to utilize surveys to make informed decisions about school-wide practices and programs. Recent surveys that have been conducted include:
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Mission and vision Parent, staff and student
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Data Team: Data collection methods
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PBIS Students & Staff Surveys
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Transition Parent Survey (MVB)
Culture
Attitudes, knowledge, behaviors and beliefs that characterize the school environment and are shared by its stakeholders.
Staff Handbooks
During the Spring semester, we have done a thorough review of our staff handbook to make certain that all elements of remote learning have been removed and replaced with appropriate guidelines for in person learning. We have already begun the meticulous evaluation of our handbook to prepare for our rapidly approaching Chapter 683 program. All relevant stakeholders have been briefed about the process, and what will be required for a smooth transition to the summer.
Staff Handbook
Our staff handbook is a live document with links and online resources. Our Staff Handbook is monitored and updated for each school year, including the Chapter 683 Summer Program. The handbook provides guidance and is a blueprint of P177Q expectations and responsibilities of all staff members throughout the organization. Our Staff Handbook is monitored and updated for each school year, including the Chapter 683 Summer Program. The handbook is a collaborative document, as Unit coordinators from our different sites, and other specialists, such as Deans, Food services and the UFT provide input for the final document. The Staff Handbook clarifies and delineates all staff responsibilities and is used as a reference point for any questions/concerns about what specifically is expected.
For the Fall 2022 Semester, the most salient revision of the Handbook was a transition to a fully in person student/staff model of instruction. This consolidated all staff responsibilities into one concise set of guidelines and expectations, allowing for a more comprehensible set of expectations for Staff. . For example, all Staff are now required to physically sign in for the morning, and out when dismissed. This has greatly simplified time keeping for staff members’ respective secretaries, and also added an important safety element. Administrators are now always aware where each staff member is or has been in the event of a student or building emergency.
Paraprofessional Handbook
Lead Paraprofessionals write and update the Paraprofessional Handbook yearly. The Third Edition of the handbook was completed in the 2022-2023 school year and includes pertinent information that clearly defines the multidisciplinary roles of the paraprofessional. .
Safety Team / Deans
During the Spring semester, we have hired an additional Dean/Behavior specialist to our team. This gives us greater flexibility in assigning these specialists across all of our organization’s sites to ensure access of Tier 1 Universal supports for all students. This semester we have seen a higher degree of collaboration between the Dean’s and Guidance Departments. Our guidance counselors have been very active in notifying the behavior specialists of any incipient conflict or tension that they notice. This will often preclude any acting out or aggressive actions by the students they encounter. The Deans have also been able to monitor and evaluate the distribution of our
P177Q “Panther Points,” and collaborate with the Administration in Celebrating our students’ positive behavior records during monthly assemblies.
Dean’s Intake data is utilized to identify students in need of Tier 2 and Tier 3 behavior support. The counselors then plan and provide in-service Bite Size PD’s on how to utilize Tier 1 Universal supports and how to progress monitor Tier 3 behavior data. All instructional teams with students who have assigned Behavior Support Paras are partnered with a behavior specialist to support with designing; implementing and monitoring behavior plans.
To ensure evidence based practices are utilized for managing students’ behaviors, 8 members of the 177Q community were recently trained in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention.
Our Deans, in collaboration with the Guidance Department and attendance team regularly evaluate trends in overall student behaviors, and monitor individual students who require regular oversight. This has had the effect of mitigating immediate behavioral issues, and helped to mitigate any incipient behavioral problems that may be arising. Our Parent Coordinator has become an essential part of student wellness and behaviors. Areas of concern are immediately brought to the attention of parents/guardians, and the Administration is included in these discussions when deemed necessary. An area of concern can sometimes be problematic student attendance, which is analyzed and evaluated by our attendance teacher, who can identify which issues/problems/situations have led to a student’s poor record of attendance. This has helped to rectify several ongoing student attendance issues..
STARS Programming, Encounter Attendance & IEP Compliance
As of March 2023, our data reports from the District 75 Office of Assessment and Accountability show that we are currently at 98% in the STARS-SESIS program services report. Our report continues to show 100% compliance for Valid SESIS subject, 99% for Special Education Program matches STARS, 98% for STARS language matches SESIS and 99% in all other areas.. The reason we are not at 100% overall compliance is multifold. One reason is that our students enrolled in Home Instruction pending and Residential cases are not programmable in STARS. Another reason is that some of our new admitted students from outside NYC are still undergoing initial evaluations and/or are waiting for their comparable services plans to be changed to IEPs. Another reason is that many students are recommended for bilingual class programs in their native language and language of assessment (i.e. Spanish, Mandarin, Bengali, etc.) but these programs are not offered in the NYC DOE. These students receive ENL services in the interim.
For related services, as per our most recent accessible report from SESIS, we are currently at 98% for the percentage of services encountered/first attended with 25 mandates not encountered/first attended. Additionally, we are also at 97% for the percentage of services encountered/first attended for counseling with only 6 mandates not encountered due to student non attendance. Some reasons why students have not been first attended and/or encountered is due to recent changes in the students mandate (i.e. individual to group), lack of available RS providers in the school and awaiting a potential independent provider, and/or the student has little to no attendance and is thus unable to receive their mandated service.
For IEP compliance, our IEP teams are continuing to schedule IEP meetings by their compliance dates and making every effort to finalize them 10 days after the meeting as per the SOPM guidelines. We are more than halfway complete with our student’s Annual and Triennial reviews this year and unit coordinators, in conjunction with the SPED, are supporting Teachers and Related Service Providers to increase compliance amongst the off-sites.
As of November 2022, our data reports from the District Office of Assessment and Accountability show that we are currently at 97% in the STARS-SESIS program services report. Our report continues to show 100% compliance for Valid SESIS subject, 98% for Special Education Program matches STARS, and 98% in all other areas.. The reason we are not at 100% overall compliance currently is that our students enrolled in Home Instruction pending and Residential cases are not programmable in STARS. The other reason is that some of our new admitted students from outside NYC are still undergoing initial evaluations and/or are waiting for their comparable services plans to be changed to IEPs.
For related services, as per our most recent accessible report from SESIS, we are currently at 96% for the percentage of services encountered/first attended. Additionally, we are also at 92% for the percentage of services encountered/first attended for counseling with only 16 students not encountered due to student non attendance.
For IEP compliance, our IEP teams are continuing to schedule IEP meetings by their compliance dates and making every effort to finalize them 10 days after the meeting as per the SOPM guidelines.
Unit coordinators, in conjunction with the SPEC, are supporting Teachers and Related Service Providers to increase compliance amongst the offsites.
Student
Attendance
Team
The school Administration working closely with our Attendance team has seen an increase of student attendance by 2.5 % from 85.6 to 87.7 While this may seem to be a modest increase, given the fragile nature of some of our students health-wise, this increase should be considered statistically significant. Some factors contributing to this are classroom staff, through training, are becoming more cognizant of the importance of regular student attendance for academic success, as well as the safety and well being of our vulnerable student population. In addition, this semester we have initiated a celebrations element for student attendance, where classes with the best attendance are celebrated and rewarded with a certificate of recognition.
Members of the Attendance Team include: The Pupil Personnel Secretary; 1 Attendance Teacher; IEP Coordinator; 2 Guidance Counselors and 1 administrator. During the 2022/23 School year, P. 177 Q has been diligent in having student attendance physically recorded and brought to the Main Offices at each respective site. This must be done by 9:30 A.M, and specific procedural guidelines put into place. For example, if a student has not arrived by 9:30 A.M, they are marked absent. If arrival is after that, the record is rectified to indicate present. This has been instrumental in keeping attendance records accurate, and also, important for student safety and the school’s accountability.
As of November 2022, our school’s year to date attendance rate is at 86% compared with the city’s overall rate of 90%. Out of our 511 students currently on register, 4% of total students are considered at risk as being chronically absent, and have an attendance rate below 50%, 7 students have still not shown but are pending home instruction enrollment.
Due to the overwhelming outreach and attempts made by our attendance team and guidance departments, our daily attendance rate for the past three months (September-November) has ranged from 84% to 86% Some of the strategies that we have implemented to increase our attendance rate are :PIF conferences, supporting families in home instruction and home schooling applications, attendance teacher home visits and wellness checks. Students who are absent receive daily phone calls, which are then documented on the attendance log. The attendance teacher remains in close communication with absentee student teacher teams. Classes with the highest monthly attendance rate receive attendance certificates.and earn pizza parties for good attendance. .
School-Wide
Calendar
The school wide calendar allows for staff from all sites to coordinate shows and events. Just a few days ago, Ms. Freifeld (dramatic arts teacher) and I looked at the June calendar to select the date for the Broadway Jr. performance of The Lion King. June will be a celebratory month with the senior social and Graduation.
A school wide activity calendar is created and updated on a monthly basis. This calendar contains important dates/holidays/events that are taking place and is distributed to all stakeholders within and outside of our organization. The calendar has proven to be especially important given that the P. 177Q school Organization is so large. The calendar aligns activities and events across all sites and serves as a valuable information source for events, workshops and programs. Some recent highlights include:
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School-wide activities: Spirit Week, Holiday celebrations
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Senior Activities: Prom, Awards Night, Graduation
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Curriculum: Culminating Activities and Lab Classrooms
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Trainings & Workshops: IEPs, SSI
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PTA: Book Club & Meeting/ Parent engagement
Sustainability
A focus on continuance and meaning beyond the present moment, contextualizing today’s successes and improvements as the legacy of the future
Unit Coordinators: Communicative & organizational practices
Articulation
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The articulation team is comprised of an administrator, Unit Coordinators, Special Education Coordinator and Pupil Accounting Secretary. As we prepare for Summer and Fall planning we look at the number of students, class ratios, and student needs. We work with the D75 placement office and offer school tours to families.
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The articulation team shared an LRE Blueprint which teachers can use to determine if a student is ready to move into a least restrictive environment. The Blueprint will guide conversations of the educational teams, including students, caregivers, teachers, paraprofessionals and related service providers, to ensure the student is placed in gaining a rigorous and supportive education.
Unit coordinators actively seek peer reviews regarding the effectiveness of substitute teachers and paras. A feedback form is filled out by staff and reviewed by the Unit Coordinator to determine future placements and jobs.
Unit coordinators oversee office staff, support the parent coordinator with school tours, and work closely with the bussing and Circular 6 team to ensure student safety.
The P177Q Organization currently comprises our main site and four additional off sites. A Coordinator or a lead teacher supervises all of our sites. Each Unit specializes in servicing a specific student population, and all are an integral part of the host buildings. However, our offsites are still intimately connected to the P177Q organization, with a centralized structure that enables us to communicate directly with our coordinators. The coordinators, under the auspices of a Supervising A.P., are responsible for disseminating important instructional, parental and operational information. For example, all teachers, irrespective of which site they are assigned, attend monthly grade conferences, and Principal Duffy regularly hosts an informal chat for all staff via Zoom. These initiatives provide every staff member with a concrete means of participating in our organization as a whole. In addition, all of our compliance components such as IEP’s are centrally generated and synthesized, but our Coordinators take a leading role in their oversight and implementation. Overseeing a large school Organization can be unwieldy and complex at times, but our coordinators have first hand knowledge and information about what specific needs and supports the students in their buildings require.
The Unit Coordinators’ roles have become more expansive and important during the 2022/23 School year. This is due largely to the re-introduction of our full time in person learning model. In-person substitute staff requires a much greater level of oversight and supervision, as they are charged with working with our challenging and often vulnerable student population. Substitutes, and the plethora of support staff and therapists must be carefully and judiciously placed in classrooms to satisfy our organizations large daily need of such personnel. Att 177 Q, we rely on the keen eyes and judgment of our Unit coordinators to monitor the effectiveness and competence of these substitute educators.
Dismissal Procedures
Our dismissal procedure continues to work as a well coordinated, organized and safe operation. Teams of support staff at all sites (excluding inclusion which has a small number of buses), continue to utilize our novel color coded bus list. In addition, other teams of staff coordinate parent pick up of students, which, at the Main Site, takes place from a separate entrance/exit as our bus students. This ensures that there is no confusion or mix up of where students are to be escorted during dismissal. . This semester we have fine tuned our procedure further, as an Afterschool Enrichment program has been initiated. All staff, classroom, therapists as well as our bussing personnel have worked together to ensure that students safely go to their proper location at the end of the regular school day.
Students, across all sites, (excluding inclusion) are dismissed, by following our color coded Bus Map. Students of late buses go to a designated area within each site, where they are supervised by staff until their buses arrive. Radio communication is utilized during the entire dismissal process to ensure that staff and students are apprised of when late buses will arrive.
During the 2022/23 School year, our dismissal procedure has become more efficient, organized and safe for our student population. We have doubled the number of walkie-talkies, and distributed them throughout dismissal and classroom areas. Any busing or emergency issue has been quickly rectified with this added layer of safety communication. In addition, staff members are now required to physically sign out in the afternoon, and remain on school grounds until the appointed dismissal time. This has enabled Administration to quickly locate any staff member if the need arises at the end of the day.
School Safety
We’ve continued to evaluate, adjust and modify if necessary all of our building safety protocols. At present we are ahead of schedule with regards to our 12 Mandated Safety drills, (10 have been completed), and we are incorporating additional, non mandated drills, (Shelter in) for enhanced preparation. This Spring we have fine tuned our students transitioning throughout the day protocols. All related service providers now sign a form when they take and then return a student for mandated services. This form is dated and time stamped so there can be no confusion as to the students whereabouts at any time during the day.
P. 177 Q has made a complete transition to a full time brick and mortar in-person learning environment during the Fall, 2022-23 School Semester. The most salient element of this transition has been the elimination of the Random Covid 19 testing protocol at the school level. Thus far ,an informal review of our schoolwide data shows that there has been no measurable increase in incidence of Covid infections for students and staff members at our school. However, other important safety precautions still remain in effect, such as 5 day quarantine period for those infections that do occur, and the regular distribution of Covid testing kits for all students and staff. In addition, along with staff, all visitors to the building must show proof of vaccination before entering our school buildings.
Crisis Intervention
Team &
Dean Referrals
The Crisis Intervention Team includes our 2 3 deans and 5 Guidance Counselors. The newest hire to the dean team is a teacher who leads the Special Olympics. Members of the CIT are proactive and strive to cultivate positive relationships with students. Our deans and counselors know each student well and understand the unique strengths and needs of all students. The priority focus for the Spring term is to provide emotional and or behavioral support for students within their class setting and to decrease removal of students from the classroom. The analysis of dean’s intake data indicate a significant decrease of students who require removal from the classroom to successfully de-escalate. To date there is a 67% decrease from October to March of students who receive support in the deans office.
The P177Q School community is committed to supporting students’ social, emotional and behavioral well being. Instructional teams are expected to utilize the Tier 1 resources provided for teaching students the 5 school wide expected behaviors (C.A.R.E.S). However, students who do not respond to any of the proactive Tier 1 strategies, may require more intensive individualized support for managing their behaviors. Students who are referred to the deans, receive (Tier 2) 1:1 dean support in a small nurturing environment. Anecdotal forms are completed to document and track students’ behavioral episodes. When a student needs to be removed from the classroom to receive more intensive instruction on coping strategies, anecdotal forms are completed, and the students’ parent/guardian is contacted. Currently, there are 50 or 10% of our student population receive Tier 3 supports and are assigned to Behavior Support Paras. However, the first cycle of progress monitoring data reveal that six students will have the support of the Behavior Support Para terminated.
School
Leadership
Team
The SLT recently voted to conduct all remaining meetings in-person at the 177Q main site. The SLT discusses school purchasing and budget allocations that impact students, instructional decisions and CEP goal progress, as well as school-wide issues and concerns such as school safety and building cleanliness.
The SLT meets monthly to discuss the needs of the school and plan accordingly. Through strategic planning, the team makes informed decisions that have a direct impact on 177Q students. Recent SLT votes have included monetary decisions, curriculum decisions, and special events. Oftentimes, stakeholders are invited into SLT meetings to present updates and seek approval for special initiatives. In November 2022 SLT the SLT met to review the principal’s recommendation for the two open assistant principal positions at 177Q and approved the candidates’ appointments to the positions.
Professional
Development
Professional development extends beyond instruction and the classroom in order to ensure student safety and well being. Recent topics have included:
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Mind Up
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Mindfulness and SEL
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PBIS
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Tier 3 supports
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School safety and health
All staff are invited to participate in their workshops and to apply what they have learned to their classrooms and to their own personal well-being.
To ensure the safety of our students and continued learning of our staff, Staff engages in professional development weekly. Staff follows a PD calendar with links and dates of the PD’s that are offered. Professional development topics are identified through needs assessments and staff feedback.
One of the PD series includes a behavior series. The counselors are working with teachers and behavior support paraprofessionals on how to read and implement a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) and a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) and how to take data and progress monitor every 8-10 weeks.
Collaboration between P177Q and P811Q for a Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Schools PD in February 2023 at P177Q Main Site.
P177Q is working with the District 75 Autism Coach, providing asynchronous and synchronous training to staff on how to implement Structured Teaching and Essentials For Living to ensure our 6:1:1 and 8:1:1 student population are receiving rigorous and individualized instruction which promotes independence.
The AP of Security attends a yearly BRT training, which will expand to our Unit Coordinators of our offsites to ensure consistency and to keep all sites informed of current information and protocols.
Custodial
Our main site has undergone a major renovation/construction project which is now nearly complete. New windows, bathrooms and wheelchair accessible ramps have all been installed. The school administration worked closely with the Custodial staff and the School Construction Authority to ensure that the project was completed on time, and followed strict safety protocols in the process.
Custodial requests are made through a google form on our school’s website. The Administration Team collaborates with the custodian on an ongoing basis regarding the needs of the school and requests from staff.
Instructional Program
Design and delivery of high quality curriculum that produces clear evidence of learning
ILT & Curriculum Team Purchasing
The ILT explores new curriculum and resources and recommends programs for purchase. Some recent purchases and recommendations include:
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Attainment programs that address life skills, health, & hygiene. These areas were identified in ILT meetings, surveys, and EFL team meetings. New programs include ‘It's My Life’ and ‘In the Know.’
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Next step for Fundations classes will include Core Curriculum purchasing.
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Expansion of Handwriting Without Tears use.
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Wilson reading programs
The curriculum committee reviewed new and current programs while planning for the Fall 2022 school year. In their planning, the team reviewed curricula that are aligned to the Chancellor’s Four Pillars, our P177Q Educational Focus and literacy plan. A representative from the Curriculum Committee, ILT and DATA team met in the beginning of the school year to ensure that all curricular decisions for the 2022-23 school year were data-driven and aligned to the needs of 177Q students as evidenced by SANDI and FAST data trends. Curriculum programs reviewed and purchased for the 2023-23 school year include:
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Fundations
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Equals
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Unique
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EFL’s
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Attainment
Equity Team
Our school has partnered with the No Place for Hate Organization and members of the Equity Team has expanded their focus from Self-Advocacy to activities that promote: Respect for All; Anti-Bullying; Diversity and Identify. Our students are using their Self-Advocacy skills to share their personal experiences; lead student assemblies that build awareness about topics that address diversity; anti-bullying and identify.
The Equity and PBIS team engage in monthly collaborative meetings to examine Equity in PBIS and ensure that all students have access to Tier 1 Interventions.
The Equity Team is committed to providing access to a nurturing learning environment for all, regardless of race; gender or disability.
For the 2022-2023 School year, members of the Equity Team continue to advocate for intellectual; academic; social/emotional; and material support for all students and their families. Increasing and expanding students’ engagement and participation at IEP meetings continue to be a priority focus for ensuring access and opportunity in the educational process. Our school budget supports this focus and has added a teaching line to focus on the work of students’ self-advocacy in the IEP process. Increasing students’ understanding of their role at the IEP Meeting is one step to ensuring students’ voice and participation. Equity team members have developed and shared student friendly presentations on: “How to Participate at my IEP Meeting.” The target audience for this work is with our upper high school age students..
The second priority focus area is to increase parent participation at their child’s IEP meeting.
Substitute teachers and paraprofessionals
With nearly 400 full time staff members, our school’s need for substitutes continues unabated. Our coordinators have maintained a vigorous level of outreach, looking for qualified personnel to fill specific needs. This semester we have experienced several staff members taking extended leaves of absences, necessitating substitutes to fill these vacancies. We have been able to fill some of these spots by utilizing the services of retirees from our own organization. They have proved to be valuable while returning to full time duty. The retirees that we have chosen are familiar with our diverse student population, and understand the rich culture that exists at P177Q.
During the Fall of 2022, our school’s need for qualified substitute teachers and paraprofessionals has remained at a high level. This is due to several factors, such as illness, family emergencies, Professional Development commitments and staff retirements. Our site Coordinators perform regular and persistent outreach, searching for suitable candidates. Once they are brought in as substitutes, substitutes must go through a rigorous vetting process, which looks at factors such as competence, attendance, temperament and accredited certification before they are considered for full time employment. This fall we have hired a number of such individuals that will continue to be evaluated even after they achieve full time employment. 177Q seeks feedback about a substitute’s performance in the classroom from the homeroom team.
