2018-2019 Annual District Performance Report
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Annual District Goals And Performance Report School Year 2018-2019 NCSD PERFORMANCE REPORT • SCHOOL YEAR 2018-2019 Members of the North Clackamas School District Board of Directors: Each year, I am provided with an opportunity to reflect on the accomplishments and achievements of our students, staff, and the board of directors. We have much to celebrate regarding the 2018- 2019 school year, and it is my honor to acknowledge the outstanding work that occurred in our schools and work units. Highlights of the past year include: • North Clackamas students outpaced the state at nearly all grade levels on state assessments and 87 percent of students graduate in four years – up 21 percentage points since 2011 • Sustained progress on delivering all the commitments in a six-year, $433 million capital construction bond project with scheduled improvements at all district facilities with 17 of 41 projects complete • Maintained success in student attendance; On average over the past five years, NCSD ranks 1st out of the 15 largest school districts in Oregon • The historic naming of a future elementary school for Beatrice Morrow Cannady, a local, female African-American civil rights leader and a future high school for Adrienne C. Nelson, the first woman of color on the Oregon Supreme Court and Happy Valley resident • Strong community support that formed behind the five-year local option levy that passed in the fall of 2018 • Rolled out an online student enrollment student system This report reviews strategic actions taken during the 2018-2019 school year and also contains a non-exhaustive list of significant completed projects that fall outside the strategic plan. Readers of this report should take note of the volume and quality of accomplishments during the 2018-2019 school year. Our school district has become widely viewed as a focused organization due to our strategic investments in equity and quality relationships and is regarded as a school district on the right path. While I submit this report annually, no one person alone is responsible for the remarkable systems and programs available within NCSD. The breadth of accomplishment within the school district can be traced back to our school district’s core values of equity, engagement, care, integrity and excellence. It is, and has been, my privilege to work with a committed, caring Board of Directors, and a talented staff of over 2,000 focused on supporting our 17,000 students. Respectfully, Matthew Utterback Superintendent 1 NCSD PERFORMANCE REPORT • SCHOOL YEAR 2018-2019 2 NCSD PERFORMANCE REPORT • SCHOOL YEAR 2018-2019 District-wide Initiatives 3 NCSD PERFORMANCE REPORT • SCHOOL YEAR 2018-2019 District Initiatives: 1. Staff Development Design A comprehensive three-year professional learning plan for new teachers was developed by a planning committee. The learning will focus strongly on building relationships and connections among the educators and with students. Tactical and operational information about routine aspects of being a teacher will also be provided. Each new teacher will be connected with a mentor for the first two years of employment and a full-time staff member will be assigned to work with the mentor pairs. This new model began implementation in the Fall of 2019. 2. Curriculum Adoption Implementation and Curriculum Improvements English Language Arts: Instructional coaches and classroom teachers across the district are charged with, and were provided support in, building capacity among other teachers for implementing the district’s new English Language Arts curriculum. The K- 12 English Language Arts leadership team worked to ensure that classroom instruction aligned to state standards through the use of new curriculum. In addition, teachers at all grade levels had access to multiple professional learning opportunities, including observing colleagues’ instruction (referred to as “Learning Walks”) and viewing/reflecting on model classrooms. Mathematics: A system of support focused on math instruction for educators, including a three-day “How Math Teaching Matters” course, was completed in Fall 2018 for newer teachers. Four schools were identified to receive support and professional development related to math instruction. These schools participated in ongoing job-embedded learning targeted on math instruction. Through collaboration with Teachers Development Group, teachers learn methods to improve instruction by anticipating what students may say or do while solving math problems and having planned responses that further the students’ understanding. Middle school math teachers met monthly during late starts to develop and revise common assessments, practice sense-making discussions, increase mathematical thinking by justifying why a math concept works or does not work, and develop interactive math notebooks. Teachers in grades 3-5 met during 4 NCSD PERFORMANCE REPORT • SCHOOL YEAR 2018-2019 districtwide in-service days to further integrate culturally responsive teaching practices with the adopted curriculum. Health: Elementary health instructional development included a group of teacher leaders reviewing and proposing curriculum options, adoption of curriculum, district-wide curriculum mapping, and developing a communication plan for parents. Middle School health teachers collaborated during late starts and three full-day meetings during the school year developing curriculum maps of common assessments. Additionally, the district-wide K-12 Comprehensive Sexual Education Plan was revised during the winter and spring. A community forum was held, teacher leaders met to incorporate community feedback into the plan, and the School Board approved the plan. 3. Transitions Between Grade Span Levels A focused effort was undertaken to ensure that each student enters 9th grade prepared for the academic rigor and social demands of high school and to firmly establish a track to career and college. Students visited local colleges and universities with trained staff, including Clackamas Community College, University of Oregon, Oregon State University and University of Portland. 8th grade students visited Sabin-Schellenberg Professional Technical Center with guided tours and debriefed their visits with their teachers. These visits occurred prior to forecasting for high school electives in order to provide students with more informed choices as they planned for high school. Additionally, increased efforts were undertaken to share with 8th graders about all of the school options available at high school, including their neighborhood high school, charter schools, and magnet opportunities. 4. Culturally Relevant/Responsive/Conscious Practices The District Administrative Instructional Leadership Team worked closely with consultant Dr. LaMont Terry on understanding cultural consciousness with a specific focus on K-12th grade mathematics. Two teacher leaders from each school were routinely included in these learning opportunities, and school teams at four secondary schools conducted instructional walkthroughs with Dr. Terry. Together with the two teachers from each school, school administrators were expected to develop school capacity around culturally relevant decision making and school plans about culturally relevant practices (CRP). Instructional Coaches were included in this work in order to serve as resources to schools and to infuse CRP into all professional development opportunities. As an example, one middle school professional learning community practiced modeling CRP that increased student dialogue and engagement in the classroom. 5 NCSD PERFORMANCE REPORT • SCHOOL YEAR 2018-2019 Teacher leaders from multiple schools and instructional departments attended the two-day Zaretta Hammond “Ready for Rigor” workshop and developed plans for enhanced student-to-student discourse and opportunities for students to deepen their thinking. 5. Early Learning Opportunities and Coordination Staff met regularly with community partners to plan events that assist in a successful transition into elementary school. These events, including a preschool fair, county health services, parent education, and a resource fair, provided an opportunity to families, school staff and community providers to share information and learn from one another. School staff members benefited by learning about the families and students who were enrolling and about current services provided to preschoolers, while families and students received information and resources about successfully entering elementary school. Kindergarten Jump Start was a 2-week program at eight NCSD elementary schools held in August to create a successful transition for 200 students and parents entering kindergarten. The half-day program was a time for children to meet teachers, make new friends, and get familiar with kindergarten skills, routines, and expectations. Parent meetings were led by Metropolitan Family Services twice a week to provide parents with the tools to support their child at home and school. Families were provided breakfast and lunch and received free books from the Clackamas County Library. Transportation was provided through the NCSD transportation department. Research conducted within Clackamas County during the 2018-2019 school year led to some Headstart opportunities being restructured for fall of 2019. After several site visits, classroom observations, and a quick planning, five half-day Headstart classes were relocated from other locations in the county into an NCSD elementary school for the fall of 2019. While the Clackamas