AMHERST COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS Sharing our Six Year Plan with New Teachers March 2006 Melanie Lewis

1. AMHERST COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLSSharing our Six Year Plan with New TeachersMarch 2006Melanie Lewis

2. Framework for the Future Approved by the Amherst County School Board June 19, 2003

3. Purpose: • Introduce new teachers, such as yourself to the current six year plan of Amherst County Public Schools. • (2) Explain and demonstrate what long term goals are held by Amherst County Public Schools. • (3) Evaluate and Reflect on these goals • (4) Encourage your endorsement of our goals so that together we can work toward the recognition of these goals.

4. Historical Scan: What we recognize to be important about our history - • Change in community demographics resulting change in expectations of our learners • Valuing of choices and empowerment • Continuous improvement • Valuing of small size and sense of community • Challenges brought by technology • School funding LEARNING FROM OUR PAST

5. PROUDS: What we know is working well for us now… • Quality of staff • Positive family-school relationships • Safe, positive atmosphere • Sense of community; kids and adults • Educating the “whole child” • Meeting and excelling in student achievement on State Standards of Learning Test • Community support REFLECTING ON OUR PRESENT

6. SORRIES: What we wish were different about our current reality… Inability to motivate higher percentage of students Need to parent students before we can teach them Pressure from federal and state mandates Having to be too frugal REFLECTING ON OUR PRESENT

7. FORCES AT WORK: What we see coming at us in the future Global economic forces at work Lots of opportunities to solve complex issues Social forces, ex. Changing family structures Students as active parts of community International security issues will increase need to educate students about their place in the world Impact of technology and management of it in schools ANTICIPATING FUTURE TRENDS

8. A Plan WAS DEVELOPED BASED ON AMHERST’S VISION AND MISSION TO HELP AMHERST MEET ITS GOALS

9. Garrison Keillor wrote, “Nothing you do for a child is ever wasted. They seem not to notice us, hovering, averting our eyes, and they seldom offer thanks, but what we do for them is never wasted.” Goethe wrote, “If you treat an individual as he is, he will remain as he is. But if you treat him as he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be.” Taken from the Superintendent’s Message included in the Six Year Plan, August 2000

10. Our Vision The Amherst County Public School Division will be recognized as an educational leader in Central Virginia. Developed by the Amherst County School Board, August 2000

11. Our Mission The mission of the Amherst County Public School Division is to provide an appropriate education in an environment that ensures success in the classroom and in future endeavors. Developed by the Amherst County School Board, August 2000

12. Our Goals The goals of the Amherst County Public School Division include: G1. Ensuring continuous improvement in student and school achievement. G2. Maintaining a safe, clean, and healthy environment conducive to teaching and learning. G3. Promoting a positive climate for all personnel. G4. Enhancing school, parent, and community collaboration. G5. Promoting professional development centered on improving student achievement and school safety. Developed by the Amherst County School Board, August 2001

13. Our Priorities The Amherst County Public Schools has defined the following priorities as essential for the education of its students. These priorities are categorized under Student Achievement, School Safety, and Communication. The school board goals listed previously serve as the framework for all priorities.

14. Student Achievement P1. We will work to ensure that all students are successful academically and can demonstrate this success by passing required Virginia Standards of Learning tests, and ultimately, by graduating with a Virginia high school diploma awarded by Amherst County Public Schools. a. To be successful, all students must possess appropriate reading and writing skills. Programs will be developed and implemented to help students at all reading and writing levels continue to build and expand their literacy skills.

15. b. Core-area K-12 curricula in math, English, science, and history/social sciences will be reviewed and aligned with the appropriate Virginia Standards of Learning. Curriculum guides that incorporate pacing, and assessment guides providing SOL “look-alike” questions, will be developed and used in a consistent fashion across the division. Curriculum work will be on-going and subject to constant review to determine effectiveness and alignment with the Standards of Learning. c. Nine-week assessments will be developed at the division-level in core-area K-12 courses and used to assess student progress in gaining Standards of Learning proficiency. Remediation and intervention will be targeted for individual students based on identified areas of need.

16. d. Electronic progress charts will be developed and used for all K-8 students to monitor student progress on Standards of Learning and Phonological and Literacy Screening (PALS) tests, as well as locally implemented nine-week assessments. e. Technology will be used to help students gain and demonstrate content knowledge and thinking skills, as well as provide a mechanism for measuring student progress and success at the local level.

17. P2. We will work to provide all teachers and instructional staff with the skills and training needed to meet state and federal requirements for becoming “highly qualified”. • Every effort will be made to recruit and maintain a diverse staff of highly qualified, professional educators and Para-professionals. b. Appropriate professional development activities will be provided to help teachers and teacher assistants build expertise in content area knowledge, as well as develop instructional strategies and differentiation techniques.

18. c. Curriculum and assessment development activities will be on-going, with all teachers encouraged and expected to participate. These activities will include the development and implementation of division-wide curriculum guides, pacing guides, nine-week assessment packets, and student progress reports designed for flexibility and functionality.

19. P3. With the great emphasis on a standards-based educational program, we must also work to ensure that our students receive a well-balanced education that provides ample opportunities for explorations in a variety of fields. Ultimately, any child who is a product of the Amherst County Public Schools should be a good citizen who is able to contribute to his or her community. a. Programs will be reviewed based on the expected progress of a student as he or she proceeds through the K-12 educational span. The focus of these programs must be the core content areas of math, English, science, and history and social science as identified by the Standards of Learning, the Standards of Accreditation, and the No Child Left Behind Act. But fine arts, practical arts, health and physical education, technology, and career and technical programs must not be neglected.

20. b. Daily schedule options will be reviewed in order to provide students the time for strong core content instruction; participation in exploratory and elective programs for arts, technology, and career opportunities; and remediation and enrichment activities designed to strengthen and reinforce basic knowledge or extend student learning beyond normal expectations. c. A comprehensive, K-12 guidance plan will be developed and implemented to help monitor student needs and student progress, as well as providing additional information about students as they move across grade levels. Such a plan should also help ensure more individual counseling is available so that special needs for all students are considered and incorporated into an appropriate educational plan.

21. School Safety • P4. We will provide safe, clean, healthy, and drug-free environments that are conducive to learning. • P5. We will develop and implement crisis-management plans to help us be prepared for emergency situations. • P6. We will promote active involvement of students, families, and other community members in the activities of the schools and school communities. • P7. We will continue to develop a comprehensive capital-improvements plan based on short- and long-term student enrollment projections to provide for building utilization, renovation, and construction.

22. Communication • P8. We will work to develop and implement ways for improving communication across all levels within the school division in order to promote awareness and understanding of all aspects of the educational process, and ensure all children will be on track to graduate from high school with the appropriate skills and knowledge. • P9. We will promote ways to improve communication between the school division and the community at large – including further establishments of business and educational partnerships. • P10. We will make use of technology to facilitate communication within the school division and the local community, including education and business partners, and expanding beyond local boundaries to gain benefits from resources across the world.

23. How can teachers help the Division reach its goals? Amherst strives to hire dedicated, hard working staff in all areas. With respect to instructional staff, Amherst desires to create reflective teacher- leaders who are willing to reflect and refine and grow their practice to insure that they are learning and moving forward along with their students.

24. Actions The actions following are essential for the education of our students. They provide concrete examples of ways in which the priorities of the county may be met. This action list is not intended to be exclusive or exhaustive – as situations develop, actions to take advantage of the current conditions will be determined and implemented as these relate to the identified categories of Student Achievement, School Safety, and Communication. It is important to note implementation of any actions will be dependent on the availability of necessary resources.

25. In our county, Mrs. Evelyn Woodruff’s vision is to have all students reading by grade three. In three out of our seven schools we have a Reading First Grant in place to help reach that goal.All schools offer tutoring in the area of literacy.Early Intervention programs such as Smart Start Preschool are also offered.

26. Teachers have access to SOL pacing guides, SOL Curriculum Frameworks, and Enhanced Scope and Sequence in both print and electronic forms. Teacher input is obtained when voting on new textbook adoptions.

27. Our Division’s Informational Technology Director works closely with our attendance Coordinator to insure that data bases are maintained and are accurate.

28. Teachers have access to the SOL Disaggregater to help plan for remediation. Nine Weeks tests are scanned on site immediately after testing and results are made available to teachers for remediation purposes.

29. All schools have had their labs upgraded. They are constantly being evaluated by the Technology Support Team. The Informational Technology Department works closely with Instructional Technology Staff to insure that Best Practices with regard to technology are available for student achievement.

30. Solar was replaced by the Division’s own nine week testing system. SOLar proved difficult to operate.

31. Four Instructional Technology Resource Teachers Have been hired to help integrate technology best Practices into daily instruction. In addition to these Four ITRTs, two elementary SOL resource teachers Have been hired to assist teachers in planning quality Instruction.

32. Dr. Maryanne Mayhew has a vision for creating a learning community. Hiring and keeping qualified staff is something she celebrates. for this reason, she is the driving force behind Amherst’s Mentor program which is based on the Santa Cruz model. Teacher-Leaders in our learning community are encouraged to share their talents by hosting staff development opportunities for their peers. Staff salaries are a top priority and annual increases are fought for during budget negotiations.

33. Release time is given for teachers to visit other schools and classrooms. Observations of these visits are expected to be shared in faculty meetings. Teachers are also encouraged to allow observations of their own classrooms by peers. Professional Development points are awarded in both situations to count toward observations or recertification.

34. Teachers share common planning time with teachers of the same grade level within their own building. The Principal meets often with teachers to discuss grade level concerns. County grade level meetings once every 6 weeks provide opportunities to meet with teachers across the Division.

35. All grades from K-12 are involved in Character Counts.

36. Fine Arts Teachers collaborate with classroom Teachers to integrate the targeted SOLs into Arts Instruction.

37. Principals work closely with their staff to develop the best scheduling for instruction. Teachers’ preferences as well as students’ needs are taken into account when creating a school schedule.

38. Counselors are available to meet with teachers to provide counsel in dealing with classroom needs. They have copies of the SOLs and will be able to provide guidance in helping a teacher differentiate instruction to meet the needs of special learners. Counselors also give staff workshops as needed On behavioral and learning needs.

39. School safety is very important. Crisis management plans are in effect in all schools; teachers are required to be familiar with these. Teachers are encouraged to promote volunteer involvement. School nurses are available in all buildings to assist and collaborate with teachers. Workshops are provided for parents by school Personnel to promote issues of safety.

40. Dr. Ratliff’s favorite quote, “The illusion of communication is believing that what you have stated is actually what was understood.” Nevertheless, good communication is what we strive to create. To do this, county email is used to communicate information across the division. Surveys are used yearly to gain input from all those who have a stake in student achievement. Teachers are encouraged to seek parental involvement in a student’s classroom life. Business partners are sought after by each school and then included in school affairs. Schools each have a parent handbook; teachers are encouraged to insure that each parent receives a copy. Each school has a website; teachers should encourage parents and students to refer to the website often. When possible, teachers should help with the upkeep of the website by submitting material about classroom happenings to the school web master.

41. Meeting the needs of our student population is of utmost importance. We need to build a learning community run by teacher-leaders such as yourself if we want to meet our students’ needs.

42. What can you do to help? The following slides give credit to our many regional and business partners. Most of these partnerships were founded by teachers seeking to meet the needs of their classroom. As we move through, reflect on partnerships you may wish to start.

43. Regional Partnerships Amelia Pride Center The Amelia Pride Center is an alternative education environment offering programs for students in grades 8 - 12. The Amelia Pride Center curriculum is based on the NOVEL (New Options-Visions for Effective Learning) Internet-based software correlated to the Virginia Standards of Learning and designed to meet the needs of students at all levels of ability. Instruction is no longer limited to the traditional classroom or expensive learning labs. Education is available anytime and anywhere Internet access is provided: in homes and libraries, at work or school. NOVEL breaks down logistical and social barriers that prevent some students from completing their high school program of studies. The NOVEL curriculum is fully accredited by the nationally recognized Distance Education and Training Council and is based on coursework that has been approved by all fifty states.

44. Blue Ridge East NCLB Educational Technology Consortium The Virginia Department of Education is distributing nearly $5 million in federal grants to train teachers and other educators how to use advanced technology to improve instruction and raise student achievement. The money is part of the funding Virginia receives under Title II, Part D, of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which provides funds to states to increase learning through the use of instructional technology. This funding stream is known as the “EdTech” program. Eight regional consortia consisting of school divisions, colleges and universities, businesses, and nonprofit organizations will receive EdTech grants ranging from $500,000 to $800,000 a year for the next five years, contingent on annual congressional appropriations. Each regional consortium will provide professional development for teachers, media specialists, and administrators. Training programs will focus on the integration of instruction and curricula with advanced and emerging technologies. All of the funded training activities will be based on research demonstrating their effectiveness in improving instruction and raising student achievement. Programs must include an accountability process to evaluate their impact on instruction and the ability of students to meet academic standards.

45. Central Virginia Governor’s School for Science and Technology The Governor's School, founded in 1985, serves 108 juniors and seniors from the school divisions of Amherst County, Appomattox County, Bedford County, Campbell County, and the City of Lynchburg. Students take mathematics and science courses at the Governor's School in the morning and return to their home high schools in the afternoon for the remainder of their classes. The school employs six faculty members, a secretary, and a custodian. The program is housed in its own state-of-the-art facility and is governed by a regional board comprised of a school board member from each participating division. Financial support for the school is provided by the participating school divisions, the Gifted Programs Office of the Virginia Department of Education and Region 2000 business and industry partners.

46. Central Virginia Community College Dual Enrollment Programs The Tech Prep/College Prep Program is a partnership between Amherst County High School and Central Virginia Community College (CVCC). Students successfully completing the high school portion of Tech Prep/College Prep program may be eligible to receive college credit for selected courses at CVCC. Articulated courses offered at CVCC include Advanced Engineering and Design Technology, Micro-Computer Automation, Marketing, Office System Technology, and Welding. College level dual enrollment courses are available to students in the Tech Prep/College Prep Program. Dual enrollment courses provide students the opportunity to take college courses and receive both high school and college credit at Central Virginia Community College. As a result, time and money are saved in the pursuit of postsecondary education. High School counselors can provide more information about the requirements for dual enrollment participation. Dual enrollment courses offered at ACHS include Advanced Composition, Advanced Biology, Calculus, Precision Machining Technology (Machine Tools), and Heating/Ventilation/Air Conditioning (HVAC), Micro-computer Software Applications.

47. Character Counts In partnership with the Virginia Cooperative Extension Agency, the Amherst County Public Schools offers the Character Counts! program. The purpose of this program is to fortify the lives of America’s young people with consensus ethical values called the “Six Pillars of Character.” These values, which transcend divisions of race, creed, politics, gender and wealth, are: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. In turn, these values reflect three primary beliefs: 1) There are enduring, universal moral truths – principles of thought and conduct – which distinguish right from wrong and define the essence of good character. 2) Character really counts! In personal relationships, in school, at the workplace – in life – who you are makes a difference. 3) Character is not hereditary, nor does it develop automatically; it must be consciously developed by example and demand. The Joseph & Edna Josephson Institute of Ethics — a nonprofit teaching organization based in Marina del Rey, California — helped organize the CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition in 1993. Many of the country’s leading educational and youth-serving institutions belong to the Coalition, including the YMCA, 4-H, Little League, Boys & Girls Clubs, the NEA and the National Association of Secondary School Principals. The Coalition is guided by an independent, volunteer Council of Advisors.

48. Mentor Teacher/Clinical Faculty Partnership Program The Amherst County Public Schools, Randolph-Macon Woman's College, and Sweet Briar College Mentor Teacher/Clinical Faculty Program is a collaborative program designed to assist pre-service teachers and beginning teachers to make a successful transition into full-time teaching. The mentor program provides experienced teachers with an opportunity to develop professionalism, collegiality, mentoring, and leadership skills. As they serve as mentors and clinical faculty members, they have an opportunity to grow professionally; therefore, this program is viewed as a vehicle for growth for the new teachers as well as the experienced teachers. The program is designed to meet the new professional's need whether the new teacher is an experienced teacher new to the Amherst County Public Schools or a new teacher in the first year of teaching. Mentors have been trained to recognize the stages of teaching so that they can tailor their assistance to meet the specific needs of the new teacher. For example, an experienced teacher new to the Amherst County Public Schools may need orientation regarding curriculum, specific school and division procedures, and networking with other professionals. While a beginning teacher may need more intensive assistance including strategies for classroom management and effective instruction. Regardless of the needs, the mentor is available to assist the new professional to help him/her be a successful member of the Amherst County Public Schools' team. Make sure you are meeting with your mentor regularly!

49. Laurel School Partnership LAUREL, Central Virginia’s regional public education program, is located at the Armstrong School in Lynchburg. It is governed by its own school board with five areas school divisions represented. The LAUREL program provides classroom instruction for regional students, ages 2-21, who are severely and profoundly mentally or physically handicapped or autistic. In addition to the specialized classroom program, other services available to eligible students include speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, vision services and services for the hearing impaired. LAUREL also offers occupational therapy, physical therapy, vision services, and services for the hearing impaired on an itinerant basis to participating school divisions. An alternate educational program is available for pregnant teenagers. The program is designed to allow them to continue their education in a supportive and adult atmosphere.

50. Sweet Briar College High School Scholars Program Sweet Briar College offers this program to qualified Amherst County High School juniors and seniors under the auspices of the "Partners in Learning" Program between the college and the school system. Qualified juniors and seniors may apply to take a course for credit at Sweet Briar College as part of their class schedule. Juniors with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher are eligible to apply for one course and seniors with a grade point average of 3.70 or higher are eligible to apply for two courses.