| Lexington High School | |
Professional Development for 2007-2008 |
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K-5: Literacy | Mathematics | Science | Special Education, Wellness |
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| BACKGROUND INFORMATION | |
| The New England Association of Schools and Colleges is the accrediting agency of which Lexington High School is a member. Through its research affiliation with Brown University and the participation of member schools, the Commission on Public Secondary Schools within the NEASC has developed seven broad standards, each with a set of indicators that establish measurements of effective high schools. Member schools are expected to participate in a ten-year process of improvement, culminating with a four-day visit from a team of professional educators from around new England utilizing a process that includes document review; interviews of teachers, students, administrators, parents, and school committee members; classroom observations; and student shadowing. This team writes a report that is reviewed by the Commission, which, in turn, makes a decision on the accreditation status of the school. Lexington High will host its visiting team between May 4 and May 7 of 2008. | |
| Lexington High School continues to be immersed in the re-accreditation process having created and adopted a new Mission and Expectations Statement, final versions of school-wide rubrics for its Academic Expectations and indicators for it Social and Civic Expectations. The High School expects to continue work throughout the year on adapting these generic, cross-disciplinary expectations to individual departments and courses. The work of the self-study committee guided by NEASC standards has resulted in 8 reports and executive summaries approved by the entire faculty that reflect the strengths and weaknesses of the school. We have developed and implemented a consistent format for our curriculum guides and have begun the process of aligning the school-wide rubrics to course specific grading criteria. Finally, we have begun the process of implementing the principles of "Professional Learning Communities" for the purpose of providing common planning time for the faculty. We have begun this process by reflecting as a community on how we might improve our efforts to ensure that all students succeed. | |
| The following individuals are serving as "chairs" for those committees: Self-Study Steering Committee: Rob Collins, John Papadonis Mission and Expectations: Henry Turner Curriculum: Marie Murphy, Sherry Coughlin Instruction: John Shea Assessment: Maria Nardone, Wendy Cordero Leadership and Organization: Gary Simon, Martha Queenin School Resources for Learning: Jim Keefe, Mel Buttaro Community Resources for Learning: Jeff Leonard, Karen Russell School and Community Profile: Les Eggleston, Christopher Doucette |
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| All members of the High School faculty are required to participate in the following professional development activities on the appointed dates. 2007-2008 | |
| NOVEMBER 28, 2007 Full Day | |
| Dr. Richard DuFour: "Making the Case for Professional Learning Communities" Location: LHS Auditorium 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Building-based Professional Learning Community work: 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. |
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| On November 28, 2007 Dr. Richard DuFour, a nationally known expert, will be the keynote speaker at our annual Professional Development Day for all Lexington Public Schools teachers. Because of the generosity of the Lexington Education Foundation, we were able to invite Dr. DuFour to talk about the importance of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), and how focused teacher collaboration leads to significant academic gains for all students. | |
| According to DuFour, a Professional Learning Community is defined as "Educators committed to working collaboratively in ongoing processes of collective inquiry and action research in order to achieve better results for the students they serve. Professional Learning Communities operate under the assumption that educators focus on student learning and use student data to plan appropriate classroom intervention that promotes student academic success. When teachers work interdependently, analyze student work, problem-solve, and share best practices, all students perform better. Establishing true PLCs is not a program, rather it is a process by which teachers are committed to continuous improvement and high academic standards. | |
| The following dates will be dedicated to advancing the work of the High School’s curriculum development project, as well as the collaborative work designed to further the growth of Professional Learning Communities for faculty | |
| October 25, 2007 - Curriculum Development: Curriculum Alignment | |
| November 19, 2007 - Faculty Meeting: Introduction to the Principles of "Professional Learning Communities" in preparation for Dr. DuFour’s presentation. |
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| November 24, 2007 - Department Meetings in preparation for Dr. DuFour’s presentation | |
| November 28, 2007 - See above description for all K-12 faculty Dr. Richard DuFour: 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. all K-12 faculty in LHS Auditorium 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. District Leadership Team with Dr. DuFour in Commons II 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. Faculty workshops on "Professional Learning Communities" |
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| January 10, 2008 - Curriculum Alignment and Common Assessments | |
| March 6, 2008 - Curriculum Alignment and Common Assessments | |
| May 8, 2008 - De-briefing sessions on "further steps" based on preliminarysummary from NEASC visiting team of May 4-7, 2007 | |
K-5: Literacy | Mathematics | Science | Special Education, Wellness |
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| Michael Jones Principal, Lexington High School 781.861.2320 Copyright November 2007 |
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