February 2 NEASC Day

Parents and students joined their committees for an exciting day--as these things go--of evidence gathering. Committees got down to work, running around the building to find evidence: the curriculum committee printed out a ton of paper for curriculum maps; central office was consulted for budget information; lesson plans were analyzed; tests and alternative assessments were scrutinized; and more. Overall, the energy was palpable at NHS as committees set about their tasks. Our next half day, March 1, will see committees analyzing their evidence as they begin to write their committee reports.

February 2, 2012

Our February 2nd half day will be semi-dedicated to NEASC (from 12:30-2:30). Our committees will meet their parent representatives as well as their student representatives. Once introductions have been completed, committees will have the opportunity to read the Endicott Self-Study and discuss and analyze this important document. If there exists any particular lack of evidence, committees will make plans to find and document this evidence. Though this is an ongoing process--for the next two years--most committees will begin to write their self-assessment reports after this meeting.

Here is the agenda:

NEASC Agenda for February 2, 2012 Agenda (12:30-2:30)

1. Meet and greet student and parent committee members
2. Overview of process for new committee members (students/parents)
3. Read/review Endicott Self-Study Report (copies will be provided)
1. select information to use in writing standard committee report
4. Review Roman Numeral 2 in Self Study Guide (Collecting Data Relating to the Standard)
1. Review/discuss to make sure appropriate evidence acquired (From the Self-Study Guide: “As soon as evidence has been collected, Committee members should begin to review and discuss the evidence according to the prompts in the Self-Study guide.”)

                                                              i.      Any lack of evidence should be remedied

                                                            ii.      What remains to be found? How? By whom? (All evidence should be gathered by 3/1)

5. If appropriate evidence has been gathered for an indicator, proceed to Roman Numeral 3 in Self Study Guide (Analyzing the Evidence, Drawing Conclusions, and Providing Supporting Details)

Letter to Students

The following is a letter that went out to our student representatives.

 

To: Student Representative to NEASC Committee

From: NEASC Committee Co-Chairs (Mr. Sturma and Mr. Abrams)

Welcome to the self-evaluation process and thank you for taking part in this important role as a representative of the NHS student body. You have been assigned to one of the following committees: assessment, instruction, school culture and leadership, community resources, school resources, curriculum, or core values.

Your job is quite easy—be a student. Let’s take a for instance. Let’s imagine that you are on the assessment standard committee.  One of the elements of this standard is the use of school wide rubrics. Your role would be to speak about your experience with school wide rubrics. As part of the process, your committee will have already gathered these rubrics to show you (or, hopefully, you will have already seen them). Your response might be, “I’ve never seen a school wide rubric,” or, “Yeah, I’ve seen them sometimes, in some classes like English, but not in history.”

The commitment is a series of half-days (starting this Thursday, February 2), where you’ll be asked to be at school from 12:30-2:30 to offer your input.

That’s essentially it. We want to hear your voice because it’s your school.

The following students are on committees:

Core Values: Jamie Orosz, Sam Wahlgren
Curriculum: Sydney Hitchcock, Kate McCauley
Instruction: Sydney Skaff, Blake Quintal
Assessment: Nick Mombello, Amy Morse
School Culture: Steve Simkins, Meri Adsit
School Resources: Emma Bartol, Graeme Potter
Community Resources: Ben Hanke, Matt D'Angelo

Unassigned: Catherine Ryan, Rachel Wallace

Full Day, Parents, Students

The NEASC committees met during the November 8th full professional development day to gather evidence. After an initial meeting with Ann Ashworth, our NEASC representative during the process, we changed a few details. First off, each steering committee member has been assigned as liaison to one of the committees. As it worked out, there was a diversity of members who had experience on committees, so our assigned liaisons really knew their standard. Second, we have assigned students and parents to committees so that our main constituencies have their voice heard. Our teachers have been out and about gathering evidence, contacting student support, city hall, and central office. The Endicott Surveys have also been completed: 90% of students participated; 40% of parents; 100% of teachers: solid numbers. We will be receiving these reports in 2-3 weeks and then will begin to analyze them and use them as we gear up to write our reports. Next up is the February half day of evidence gathering, analyzing the Endicott Surveys, and meeting our parent and student volunteers.

Endicott Survey

Dear Parents and Guardians of NHS students,

Newburyport High School is conducting an intensive self-study for our reaccreditation in Fall 2013 to determine our strengths and areas for improvement.

You are encouraged to join our self-study and committee work.

A critical part of our evidence gathering comes from you! Parent participation in the NEASC/CPSS survey is an excellent source of information for us. The survey should take only about 15 minutes. You will be asked to respond to  questions about your student's education at the High School and related topics. Your responses should be honest and candid about your  experiences.

1. Please go to: www.endicottresearchcenter.net
2. Enter the survey code and click GO. (If you misplaced the e-mail sent to you with the survey code, please send us an e-mail.)
3. Follow the instructions. Every question must be answered in order for your answers to be recorded. Skipped questions will presented again until they are answered.
4. When you reach the last screen, click SUBMIT.

We appreciate your time and effort to support the High School and your student's learning.

More Beginnings: Updates and a Call to Parents

Yesterday, September 22, committees met to begin the step-by-step in the self-study process. A lot of energy and enthusiasm in the building. Three points that came up: committees will be out and about--in departments, in the community, at central office--collecting evidence, everything from lesson plans to per pupil expenditures. Second, evidence lockers (plastic tubs with standards folders) will be placed in each office to ease with collection and drop offs. Submission sheets will be located beside the tubs. Finally, third, our Endicott College Surveys are in (or online anyway) and students, teachers, and parents will be completing these in the upcoming weeks.

Finally: a call out to parents. If you are interested in participating on a committee please contant Tom or Brandon at the e-mail address on the profile. We look forward to parental involvement.

You'll also notice that the format has become more computer friendly (skipped lines between paragraphs, no indents) to conform to the requirements of online text. It breaks the heart of this English teacher, but we're always learning.

Mission Statement and Learning Expectations

In the spring of 2011, a committee of students, parents, teachers, and administrators convened to reevaluate our Mission Statement and Student Expectations. The committee, named below, collaborated well, drafting a rough version in three meetings. The final version was both staff and school committee approved. Though many values and ideas stayed the same—after all, our general mission shouldn’t vary considerably—there were updates and reconsiderations. Most notably would be the hallmark of excellence to open the piece, the honoring of Newburyport High School’s many traditions, and the embracing of a changing, 21^st century world. The expectations were more concretely stated and values (academic, social, civic) specifically delineated. Following is a list of committee members, the new/current Mission Statement and Student Expectations, and the old Mission Statement and Student Expectations, copies of which adorn every classroom at Newburyport High School.

Committee Members

Kerry Johnson, Class of 2012
Adam Creamer, Class of 2012
Gretchen Cyros, Class of 2012
Alex Bradley, Class of 2012
Jillian Ouellette, Class of 2013
Meri Adsit, Class of 2013
Ryan Short , Class of 2013
Pamela Kipp, parent
Ned Pierce, parent
Janine Brunell-Looker, parent
Steven Cole, parent/School Committee
Graciela Cummins, parent/teacher
Shannon Osgood, teacher
Lori Solazzo, teacher
Mike Parent - Principal

Newburyport High School Mission Statement and Learning Expectations

NHS Mission Statement

Newburyport High School strives for excellence. We believe that this quest for excellence is a partnership among all aspects of a student’s life: home, community, schools, educators, and peers. NHS values the student as an independent, creative learner, and provides diverse learning environments to nurture different abilities and aspirations. NHS honors its traditions while embracing change and progress to prepare its students to succeed in a globally competitive world. Our mission is to foster a sustained passion for learning that each student will carry throughout life.

Expectations for Student Learning

Students of NHS will demonstrate

Academic

• proficiency in a diverse collection of communication techniques by
• writing clearly, concisely, and persuasively,
• reading widely across subject areas,
• listening and speaking effectively, and
• using technology responsibly to enhance education.
• problem-solving and critical thinking by
• making informed decisions,
• working individually and/or collectively, and
• using time and learning resources efficiently.

Social

• recognition and respect for individual differences.
• behaviors and habits of a healthy lifestyle by
• making informed personal, life, and career decisions, and
• taking personal responsibility for the positive and negative effects of their decisions.

Civic

• awareness of their role in the community, country, and world by
• participating in the local community,
• acquiring knowledge of the diverse characteristics of the country and the world, and
• understanding their potential to influence local, national, and global developments.

The old mission statement, for point of comparison, appears below.

Newburyport High School

Mission Statement

The Newburyport High School learning community strives to meet the diverse educational and social needs of its students. Using a variety of teaching strategies and learning options to accommodate student differences, we work to create the challenging, safe, and supportive environment necessary for the development for every student. Our mission is to educate our students to their fullest potential, equipping them with the academic, social, and civic skills necessary for lifelong learning, understanding, and participation in an ever-changing global community.

Expectations for Student Learning
Students will develop and demonstrate
• proficiency in a diverse collection of writing, reading, and communication techniques;
• strategies and abilities in order to solve problems and make decisions;
• skills, knowledge, and understanding of the behaviors and habits necessary for a healthy lifestyle;
• the ability to recognize and use appropriate learning and information resources;
• the knowledge, skills, and experiences to participate in and contribute to the community, the United States, and the world.