After each school leadership team reflected on its school culture, community, and the key contributing factors to student growth, they used this information to select the Strategic Plan Indicators that would have the greatest positive impact for their students.  Each school was directed to select two to six indicators on which to focus during the 2018-19 school year.  Certainly, we all know that if we focus narrowly and deeply, we are more likely to realize positive results.  The indicators that this school’s leadership team selected are noted below.

Throughout the next 3 years, schools will focus on their chosen Strategic Plan Indicators as the drivers to increase student engagement and achievement within their schools. They will choose strategies to help them grow or increase within each indicator and will monitor and evaluate the student and school changes that take place along the journey.  Below you will see what this school imagines their students and school to look like in 2021 after having focused and worked on their chosen indicators for three years.

Teachers will continue to use qualitative and quantitative formative assessment strategies to inform decisions for flexible small group instruction and to determine effective instructional steps to challenge each learner. Students will receive timely feedback about their progress through the use of the Formative Five strategies. Student supports for reteaching in small groups or opportunities for advanced learning challenges will be provided based on individual performance. Students will continue to be encouraged to express their thinking when responding to open-ended questioning, as teachers challenge learners to be risk-takers when approaching new content. Collaborative discussion opportunities and small group discussion will continue to increase student engagement. Number sense routines and Pose a Problem will continue to be part of daily mathematics instruction. Students’ perseverance to solve complex problems will increase. Intervention support (Title I) will be closely aligned to the diagnostic information presented during Data Discussions. Teachers will increase their effectiveness with purposeful dialogue during Collaborative Planning (Professional Discussions at GES) to truly understand and learn from each other’s strengths.

Students will indicate that their teacher knows them as a learner. Students will feel that their teacher cares about their learning and has a strong relationship with them. Support structures are in place to help them excel to high levels with learning and to reinforce areas of academic need.Students will indicate that there is someone who is available to help and support will be offered when they need to move forward with success. Students will continue to feel that their teacher encourages them to aspire to achieve. Students will report that other students are willing to work together and students enjoy working collaboratively toward a goal. Students will  feel that they’ve been able to address real world issues with projects of caring. 

Staff at our school indicate that employees at Germantown care about the kids. Staff report that we work to understand each learner and embrace the growth mindset for student academics and behaviors. Staff indicate that when new students enter our school, either from another country or from another surrounding school, we quickly seek to build trusting relationships. St Parents and business supports take notice of our caring environment, the variety of afterschool clubs, and develop a deeper knowledge of the PYP planners and how students are learning to be global thinkers.

Restorative Practices will increase the students’ sense of being valued. In addition to creating an environment where our students feel embraced, parents, staff, and businesses provide valuable contributions to our school. All students and staff will regularly use the Restorative Circles (RC) routine in the classroom. Restorative Circles Training will be ongoing for all new staff. Restorative Circles B and C trainings will continue for designated staff during the 2019-2020 school year and beyond. Consistency with the fidelity of RC will be monitored and success or growth indicators will be communicated to staff.