Instructional Focus Statement

Students will demonstrate progress in all subjects as a result of the implementation of systems and structures to support our instructional focus

School Mission

The mission of PS 169- Baychester Academy is to foster a safe and supportive learning environment with strong parental partnerships and collaboration amongst educators.  We strive to educate the whole child academically, emotionally, and socially.  Through data-driven instruction and rigorous tasks, we prepare each child with foundational tools necessary for success in middle school, high school and college.

Beliefs 

  • If high expectations are set, every student can achieve the highest levels of academic excellence.

 

  • All adults are responsible for ensuring that all students excel academically. We will unlock the potential of each and every student.

 

  • Great schools are led by great staff members. At Baychester Academy, a school of great expectations, every staff member will be an instructional leader who is responsible for coaching and serving every student. 

 

  • All students will develop the competence, critical thinking, social and civic skills to reach their highest potential in the classroom and in life.  

Instructional Focus:

Using Assessment in Instruction

At Baychester Academy, we define instructional focus as a common goal that inspires school-wide collaboration, creates a common language, and directly impacts teacher practice and student performance. For the 2016-2017 school year, we will continue to strengthen our instructional focus: Using Assessment practices to monitor student learning and improve performance.

Theory of Action

If students are provided with meaningful feedback and multiple opportunities to effectively revise their work as well as monitor their own progress then they will be empowered to improve their work.

Students will:

  • Self-assess/peer assess based on assessment criteria.
  • Revise and reflect on their weekly test results on common assessments in ELA and Mathematics.
  • Track their data on weekly common assessments and set goals to improve their performance

 

Teachers will:

  • Provide small group instruction and one-to-one conferences with students.
  • Provide timely, specific and accurate feedback to students so that they have opportunities to make revisions and move toward next steps.
  • Use and provide rubrics that outline clear assessments criteria
  • Incorporate ongoing checks for understanding (stop & jots, turn & talk, entrance tickets, exit tickets).
    • Plan a variety of learning activities that have multiple entry points and are at all DOK levels to increase student engagement during independent work.
    • Engage students in meaningful discussions so that the teacher serves as the facilitator, while asking questions that elicit evidence of students’ understanding.

 

Teacher Teams will:

  • Analyze data and student work.
  • Meet horizontally and vertically to develop school-wide instructional practices and improve student achievement while using protocols to guide the team discussions.
  • Participate in differentiated professional development opportunities (peer-observations, inter-visitations) where there is a direct alignment and focus to the, Danielson Framework for Teaching (3b, 3c, 3d), QR Indicators 1.1, 1.2, 2.2 and common assessments.

 

School Leaders will:

  • Provide timely and specific feedback to teachers about their instructional and assessment practices.
  • Provide professional development opportunities that are tailored to teachers’ needs.
  • Assist teachers in designing CCLS aligned assessments
  • Create and monitor systems and structures to ensure that teachers are using the data to provide students with the supports needed to make progress.

 

Parents will:

  • Participate in workshops that will help in supporting their child at home.
  • Attend every Parent Teacher Conference and other school events to learn about their child’s performance and progress.
  • Monitor child’s attendance and ensure that he/she arrives to school on time and prepared every day.