Morton High School

School Improvement Plan (SIP) 2011– 2013

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Table of Contents I. II.

AYP Performance Targets…………………………………………………………………. 3 2009-2011 School Improvement Plan Summary and Updates.............. 4

School Improvement Plan-2011-2013 III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X.

Report Card Data……………………………………………………… 8 Local Assessment Data………………………………………………… 11 Attributes and Challenges……………………………………………… 14 Educator Qualifications, Staff Capacity & Professional Development 17 Parent Involvement…………………………………………………… 19 Summary Conclusions ………………………………………………… 21 Controllable Factors ……………………………………………………24 Action Plan …………………………………………………………… 26 A. Objective I- Student Achievement……………………………26 B. Objective II- Professional Development …………………… 28 C. Objective III- Technology Integration……………………… 29 XI. Goals Alignment for 2011-2013………………………………………. 30 XII. Learning Standard Implementation ……………………………………30 XIII. Family and Community Involvement………………………………… 31

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AYP Performance Targets The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires all states to measure each public school's and district's achievement and establish annual achievement targets for the state. The goal is for all students to meet or exceed standards in reading and mathematics by 2014. Each year, the state will calculate a school or district's Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) to determine if students are improving their performance based on the established annual targets. How Illinois Calculates AYP: Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) calculations in Illinois are now based on three factors, beginning in 2003: The percent of reading and math scores that meet or exceed standards, compared to the annual state targets; The participation rate of students in taking the state tests, which must meet or exceed 95%; and The attendance rates of students in elementary and middle schools, and the graduation rates of students in high schools, which must meet or exceed the state's annual targets. Federal and state laws specify adequate yearly progress (AYP) as an accountability measure for Illinois public schools in: Reading Mathematics Percent of students tested The graduation rates of high school students Three of these measures – reading, mathematics, and percent of students tested – are further disaggregated by ten subgroups, making 41 performance targets in all. The School Report Card provides AYP information in Yes/No format for each of the 41 performance targets, as applicable. At a minimum, a school must include in its SIP those performance targets marked “No” (not met). By law, any unmet target becomes a school’s performance target.

At this time Morton High School MEETS all applicable AYP performance target areas. Please see the attached School Report in Appendix A.

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2009-2011 School Improvement Plan Summary and Updates 2009-2011

Action Plan Highlights:

Goal 1: Improve Student Learning and Performance in the Core Areas of Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies.           

Continue to use priority scheduling for students with special needs. Read 180 Continue Study Skills in the classroom Addition of the writing component to LA 11/12 Pullout Math Credit Recovery for Spring 2010 ACT Readiness Standards for core areas RtI Explore, Plan Test Dual Credit AP Classes Registration allowed for all AP Tests

Goal 2: Improve curriculum and instruction at Morton High School to promote student learning.  

Mapping of all classes Mapping used in departments for curriculum alignment and determining gaps

Goal 3: Improve the Response to Intervention (RtI) process, to help identify the individual needs of students and help them to be successful. 

Staff development on differentiated instruction and Tier 1 interventions

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Use RtI process to identify students and develop interventions

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2009-2011

Action Plan Update:

Goal 1- Improve Student Learning and performance in the Core Areas of Reading, Writing, Mathematics, and Science and Social Studies. Measurable Objective: Increase the percentage of students in the MEETS and EXCEEDS categories of the PSAE such that the percentage of students in the MEETS and EXCEEDS categories will increase by at least 1 percent each year until 100% is attained. Special Attention will be given to improving the performance of students with special needs and students at-risk. Supporting Activities: 1. For students with special needs, at-risk, and NOT MEETING State testing goals: A. Priority scheduling is given to students with special needs as the master schedule is being built. This occurred in both 2009 and 2010. It continued for 2011. B. 13 students were placed in Read 180 during the first semester and 9 students in the second semester of 2009-2010. 13 students were scheduled for the first semester, and 7 students scheduled for second semester of 2010-2011. C. Teachers have been encouraged to imbed specific study skills into the each course as they relate to organizational skills, textbook reading skills, test-taking skills, listening skills, and note-taking skills. This is to reinforce skills learned at the Jr. High. Some additional focus took place in the fall of 2010. D. Credit recovery via APEX on-line programs was implemented during the second semester of 2009-2010 and also utilized in summer school. Spring enrollment saw 8 of 10 students completing the coursework assigned and summer school enrollment was with 18 students and 22 classes. E. More focus on writing has been introduced into the Pull out section of LA 11/12 beginning in the fall of 2009 and continued in the fall of 2010. F. Professional development was provided for teachers regarding ACT/PLAN/EXPLORE, including an increased awareness of student performance and the process of analyzing test data for monitoring student improvement. More specific training was given to Dept. chairpersons and to members of the Internal Review committee, to assist in working with teachers in each department. All teachers have been introduced to ACT Readiness Standards and Benchmarks, as well as to Ideas for Progress. These are published by ACT and the College Board. G. Members of the Student Assistance Team act as the RtI team and meet weekly to address the needs of student referred for assistance and intervention. The staff has been provided with information on making referrals and intervention have been implemented on a number of students. Interventions include Read 180, 5

APEX credit recovery and summer school, Illini Counseling, Tutoring, Morton After School Study Association (MASSA), ARC, and others. 2. For Underclass PSAE Assessment Preparation: A. EXPLORE testing continues to be given to 8th and 9th graders. This information is then used to assist in student placement at the freshman level and to monitor student achievement progress during the freshman year. Placement continues to include map testing, teacher recommendations, and class grade data as well. B. The RtI team meets weekly to review referrals and monitor interventions 3. For Upper Class Student: A/B. 4 dual credit classes and 1 AP class was added to the curriculum during the 2009-2010 school year. Additional classes in these areas continue to be explored. Advanced Speech was offered for dual credit during the Fall and Spring semesters of 2010-2011 school year. This was the most recent dual credit addition. C. MHS continues to offer AP Exams in a variety of areas for students interested in AP testing and the benefits associated with high scores on these exams.

Goal 2: Improve curriculum and instruction at MHS to promote student learning. Measurable objective: By January 2010, teachers were equipped to review curriculum maps in light of ACT Readiness Standards and State goals. Teachers will use the maps 1-3 times per year to collaborate with their department and assess, improve, or evaluate the department curriculum. Supporting Activities: A. Teachers have continued generating curriculum maps for selected courses. Each dept. targeted specific mapping targets for 2009-2011. Maps were created and/or reviewed over the course of the 2 years, but not all aspects of this goal have been met as of the summer of 2011. Each department has reviewed some of their maps to assess the alignment with ACT Readiness Standards and Benchmarks. 1-3 meetings occurred, but the quality of the interaction is not where it needs to be at this point. However, a great deal of progress has been made now that maps exist. B. Curriculum Maps have been a target for collaboration within departments and across disciplines. More needs to be accomplished in this area for 2011-2013.

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Goal 3: Improve the Response to Intervention (RtI) process, to help identify the individual needs of students and help them to be successful. Measurable objective: Teachers will receive 1-3 training sessions per year on RtI and/or differentiated instruction. We will also measure that they are using the RtI process 1-3 times per year and incorporating differentiated instruction into their classroom 1-3 times per year. Supporting Activities: A. MHS has supported several teachers in attending workshops, classes, and sessions on Differentiated Instruction throughout the 2009-2011 school years and summers. Many teachers have worked toward implementation, but the number of incidents has not been monitored closely in the first year. More will need to be accomplished with respect to this goal during the 2011-2013 school years. B. Teachers are utilizing the referral process to for students in need of intervention. The team meets weekly to accommodate the needs of students and to monitor their progress. Goals Alignment for 2009-2011 Goals for the 2009-2011 School Improvement Plan continued to be aligned with the general goals for the district. District goals continue to be pursued in order to provide a focus for MHS and the other schools in the district. Moreover, the SIP plans coupled with the District goals, provided for better articulation and alignment for each building’s school improvement plan and the goals for the District. Reflection on the 2009-2011 SIP Plan: A great deal of progress has been made at MHS over the last 2 years with respect to several areas. Support and professional development to make sure the support is effective has been implemented in such areas as credit recovery (APEX), summer school (APEX), Read 180, AP Calculus, and dual credit courses that include Economics, Business Law, Expository Writing, Advanced Speech, Advanced Chemistry, Honors Earth Science, Music Theory, and Comparative Political Systems. A great deal of professional development has been conducted in regard to Collaborative teaching, ACT/PLAN/EXPLORE/WorkKeys, and the related standards and benchmarks. Data has been collected and analyzed by classroom teachers and the results have been shared with departments for collaborative interpretation. Curriculum mapping is at a point where maps can be used to pinpoint areas of curricular weakness, as well as for individual student needs. The RtI program at the high school is a model for secondary schools with interventions that include internal and external counseling services, tutoring support, ARC support, MASSA support, APEX credit recovery, and options for Read 180. A formalized approach to collecting data is being put into place and the end result should provide for significant levels of improvement in both the overall curriculum and individual student performance as we look to the future. 7

School Improvement Plan- 2011-2013 Current Data and Analysis Section 1A- Report Card Data– What do the School Report Card data tell you about student performance in your school? What areas of weakness are indicated by these data? What areas of strength are indicated? School Information: 

Mobility rates continue to remain relatively stable over the last several years at around 5.1%

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Attendance rates continue to remain relatively stable around 93.8%

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Graduation rates remain stable as well, around 95.6%; however, that’s down from the early 2000’s where it was 98-99%. Our dropout rate remains stable at about 2%.

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The school population is stable at about 996 students, +/-20 students annually

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A very small increase in LEP students in the last 2 years (2 additional students), but our minority population continues to remain at about 5% total

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MHS has a lower average class size than that of the State, 21.4 vs. 19.7

Achievement Information: 

MHS has only 2 subgroups with 45 or more students (all students and white students categories.), and both of these groups made AYP. This is consistent with student performance over most of the years since the NCLB Act. However, overall student performance in 2010 was the lowest in several years (75% M+E), where previous scores hovered around 78% as in the preceding year, and well above most school across the State.

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Additional subgroups have not had 45 or more students and have not been a factor in past years or in 2010.

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The number of IEP students is growing and the performance gap between these students and their peers show growth over the last 2 years. This is a negative trend in the data. Similarly, the performance of the economically disadvantaged is also lower than that of the other student groups. This potential trend is true in both Math and Reading achievement.

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In general, student achievement on PSAE remains relatively stable at around 77%, and there is little change in student performance over the last 3-5 years. This trend suggests that AYP may not be made during the 2010-2011 school year. During the 2009-10 school year, the PSAE scores were the lowest in the past five years at 74.7. ACT performance continues to improve incrementally over the last 3-5 years.

Factors - What factors are likely to have contributed to these results? Consider both external and internal factors to the school  The school information data would indicate that our Mobility, Attendance, Truancy, and Graduation rates continue to remain stable and may play a minimum role in any adverse student performance. In fact, this stability would support the high performance of students at MHS, and these indicators are looked upon as positive indicators for the school and district. 

 High levels of student achievement may be occurring due to school improvement goals focused on improving student learning and performance in the Core Areas of Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. Here MHS teachers and administrators have been implementing a number of activities, programs and interventions designed to support high levels of student achievement for all students. These include: o The use of priority scheduling for students with special needs. o Implementation of Read 180 for selected students. o Continued focus on selected Study Skills in each classroom. o The addition of writing components to LA 11/12 Pullout classes. o Implementation of a Math Credit Recovery program via APEX for Spring 2010 o Implementation and staff development on ACT Readiness Standards for core areas o Implementation of RtI for at-risk students. o Utilization of Explore/Explore/ Plan Testing for achievement monitoring (8th grade to 10th grade) o Addition of Dual Credit and AP Coursework to the curriculum (8 dual credit additions and 1 AP addition over the last 4 years) o Registration/participation in all appropriate AP Testing

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o Addition of “Why Try” curriculum in the ARC program (ARC- Alternative Resource Center) o Addition of Morton After School Study Assistance program (MASSA) o Implementation of APEX coursework for summer school for selected students. o Incorporation of Curriculum Mapping as a reflective tool for what teachers are teaching.  The lack of significant, on-going improvement may be due to a level of complacency on the part of staff and the community, as well as: o A reduction in the number of staff members and vocational course electives, leading to larger class sizes and student/teacher ratios, as well as fewer options for career exploration for students o

The lack of an effective data collection/analysis system for improvement

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A potential lack of rigor in some coursework and/or curricular pathways, primarily at the standard level

Conclusions - What do these factors imply for next steps in improvement planning? MHS continues to among the top performing high schools in the State (Chicago Sun Times Top 50 High Schools, A+ Bright Star Award District), and it has been recognized nationally (2009, US News & World Report’s Bronze recognition). Average ACT composite and other scores at MHS continue to increase slightly as well. The concern for MHS is that as the AYP bar continues to move even higher, our scores do not continue to move at the expected pace. Even with concerns about all students meeting/exceeding by 2014, MHS academic performance is still only at about 1 in 4, or 1 in 5, students not meeting/(exceeding) the State goals. In a review of our student data, it seems reasonable that more of our students should be meeting and exceeding, but our performance remains relatively stable. We should see more growth. As a result, we have begun to work at pinpointing those areas necessary for student improvement by:  Continuing with the programs, activities, and supports currently being implemented in order to assist in improving academic achievement as they relate to scheduling, Read 180, APEX, Dual Credit and AP coursework, “Why Try”, MASSA, and Curriculum Mapping  Implementing the use of EXPORE/PLAN/ACT data to both target individual student weaknesses and to make adjustments in the curriculum to meet the State and National goals and expectations for student learning  Revisiting Study Skills needs of students at the freshman level and at the individual classroom and department levels

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 Implementing an RtI support service model that addresses students at risk for both behavioral and academic needs  Focusing staff development on the areas related to student achievement, curriculum/assessment, Response to Intervention (RtI), differentiated instruction/assessment, and instructional technology 

Improved parent/community communication

 Maintaining/implementing effective programs in core academics, vocational electives, athletics, music, and community service

Section I-B - Local Assessment Data- Briefly describe the relevant local assessment data used in this plan. What do these data tell you? What areas of weakness are indicated by these data? What areas of strength are apparent? EXPLORE/PLAN/ACT Data- Morton High School utilizes EXPLORE/PLAN/ACT testing to locally assess students. Students are given EXPLORE in the winter of their 8th grade year and again in the spring of their 9th grade year. Sophomores are given PLAN in the spring as well. ACT is given to Juniors as a portion of the PSAE and in the spring of their junior year in accordance with State testing requirements. Students are tested in Math, Science, English, and Reading. Scores are reviewed and compared to grades students earned within these core content classes. They are also reviewed with respect to the ACT Standards and Benchmark Scores. Attention is paid to students not meeting benchmark scores. Additional attention is paid to students earning a C or better in their core classes and not meeting ACT benchmarks in the corresponding class. These “target students” are then contacted, their parents contacted, and the teachers, whose class they are in the following year, are also contacted so that interventions can be identified and targets for improvement can be established on an individual basis within each of the classes they are currently enrolled. ACT Standards and Ideas for Progress are provided to parents and teachers so that modifications in the classroom curriculum can be addressed as necessary and appropriate, and parent support can be provided outside of the classroom. Additional research was conducted with respect to an item analysis of the test results in Math, English, Reading, and Science and “curricular targets” were identified when areas of weakness in student performance appears so that adjustments could be made in “target classes” where content and skills can be modified and/or amended to accommodate student needs. From this research, weak areas in Math and Reading performance became the focus for improvements. The findings were as follows: 

In Math (from PLAN testing) o 60 of 250 sophomores did not meet ACT benchmarks in Math (target students)

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o 41 of 60 had missed the benchmarks by 3pts. or less, but had earned a C or better in Freshman and Sophomore math classes (target students) o Classes from which these students had taken Math included Applied Math, Algebra IA, Algebra I, Algebra I Honors, and Geometry standard. (target classes) o Areas of weakness included working with charts & graphs, application of mathematical concepts in real life situations, extrapolating information from charts & graphs, applying mathematical expressions to visually displayed data, reviewing concepts from previous coursework. (curricular targets) 

In English and Reading (from PLAN testing) o 70 of 250 sophomores did not meet ACT benchmarks in Reading (target students) o 39 of 70 had missed the benchmarks by 3prt. or less, but had earned a C or better in Freshman and Sophomore LA classes (target students) o Classes from which these students had taken LA or Social Studies included Standard LA-9, Standard LA-10, Speech, and Elements of Geography (target classes) o Areas of weakness included Reading for Understanding, Identifying the main idea of a passage, esp. when implied, Making generalizations and conclusions, Identifying the main idea based upon the author’s approach, Understanding topical sentences, esp. when implied, and Summarizing the meaning of a passage. (curricular targets)

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Similar data was collected on students’ EXPLORE scores at the freshman level. Item analysis identified the same areas of weakness in both Math and Reading skills. Similar results were found via an analysis of data from the science assessments in PLAN and EXPLORE, reinforcing the need to focus on these curricular areas.

Factors - What factors are likely to have contributed to these results? Consider both external and internal factors to the school. 

Inadequate teacher focus on essential learning standards as defined by ACT in math and reading may be a cause in lower test scores in some classes. Curriculum and/or delivery may not address ACT College Readiness skills as assessed on EXPLORE and PLAN assessments. Teachers may not be using EXPLORE/PLAN/ACT data to change instructional strategies for students.

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Teachers may not know how to meet the academic needs of all students in their classes and may not be implementing differentiation of instruction. 12

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Content area teachers (non-math or language arts) may be unfamiliar with effective strategies to promote literacy in math and reading in content areas beyond math and language arts.

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RTI is relatively new and parents, students, and staff may not be fully aware of the processes for student interventions.

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There may be a disconnect between classroom grades with a class and performance on the EXPLORE/PLAN/ACT assessments locally.

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Students may not be motivated to do their best on EXPLORE/PLAN/ACT.

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Students may not have taken ACT review classes to familiarize themselves with the test format/timing.

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External factors might include transfer students who have had different instruction and courses prior to taking the EXPLORE/PLAN/ACT.

Conclusions - What do these factors imply for next steps in improvement planning? 

Individual teachers need to reflect on their classroom curriculum and identify where the targeted weak areas are being covered, how often they are being covered, and what level they are being addressed. This can be done via reflective curriculum mapping and familiarization with the ACT standards/benchmarks/ideas for progress

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Individual teachers need to become cognizant of the students in their classes not meeting benchmarks and provide differentiated instruction to address the needs of these, and the other students in their classes.

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Departments need to examine the pathways students are following to make sure that target skills are being introduced, enriched, and mastered as students’ progress through departmental offerings. This can also be accomplished via an analysis of curriculum maps within departmental pathways and comparing/linking the curriculum with the state standards.

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Staff development needs to be provided on ACT Standards/Benchmarks/Ideas for progress and the Model Curriculum as defined by the study “On Course for Success”

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Staff development needs to be provided on differentiated instruction

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Interdisciplinary learning groups need to collaborate on activities that support and reinforce the target curricular goals for individual students and classes as a whole in order to reinforce the knowledge and skills targeted for improvement throughout the schoolwide curriculum. 13

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The school staff may need to research ways of motivating students for these tests. Looking at other school’s methods and gauging their applicability to our school could be helpful.

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The school staff may need to further encourage ACT review classes, or (as some already have) include more ACT review into their own classes.

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The school staff may need to familiarize themselves with the format of PLAN and EXPLORE tests and provide some rudimentary test preparation before students take the test.

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Teachers/counselors need to identify transfer students and develop differentiated instruction to ensure transition to Morton high school’s curriculum and identify any learning gaps that might have occurred as a result of student transfer. Teachers/counselors need to become familiar with APEX and evaluate the usefulness of this technology in getting transfer students “up to speed”.

Section 1C- Item 1- Attributes and Challenges- Briefly describe attributes and challenges

of the school and community that have affected student performance. What do these data and/or information tell you? Morton High School is a four-year, comprehensive high school offering a wide-range of courses in core academics, vocational programs, modern language, and fine arts. Academically, MHS has been recognized as one of the top performing high schools in Illinois. Morton High School has consistently been ranked as one of the Top 50 high schools in the state of Illinois by the Chicago Sun-Times. We have also been recognized as one of America’s Best Schools in the Bronze Category by U.S. News and World Report. MHS offers nearly 125 courses designed to meet the needs of students at all levels. Within the curricular offerings are 8 Dual Credit courses, two foreign languages, and a number of full inclusion programs for students with special needs. MHS offers a number of support programs designed to maximize individual student success, some of these programs are tied to RtI interventions. MHS was the first high school in Illinois to become a certified Project Lead the Way school, and it takes pride in the success of the academic programs available to students. MHS also offers a number of extra-curricular options for students. Within these areas, MHS has also enjoyed a great deal of success. The MHS Marching Band has earned 1st place in its class in State level marching competition for the last 6 years in a row, and in 2010 placed 3rd in Nationals. In addition, MHS advances a number of teams and individuals to Regional, Sectional, and State level competitions annually. In 2010 there were state appearances in boys and girls tennis, the entire boys cross country team, as well as numerous recognitions for our other sports and academic teams. A number of Regional and Sectional honors in other areas of extracurricular activities were earned as well. Parents are actively involved in providing support and assistance, among the parent organizations are Potter Parent Power, and boosters in Athletics, Band, Orchestra, and FFA. 14

High expectations for student success are shared by teachers, parents, and the community which creates an environment of support and success. When compared to other districts, MHS does well. Student academic success is almost taken for granted as performance is typically well above most schools of similar size throughout the state. As a result, improving performance becomes a challenge, both in state testing as well as in local assessments. Performance on day two of the PSAE- WorkKeys portion of the assessment is often looked upon by students as somewhat less consequential and unimportant in their performance. Reductions in school funding have begun to impact programs at MHS in 2010. District 709 was one of the top Hold Harmless districts in the state and changes in legislation caused a 1.4 million dollar reduction to the District. In addition, the state financial condition reduced the funding provided by the state in 2010. As a result nearly $200,000 in cuts was required for the 2010 school year with additional cuts projected for the next year. These cuts caused reduction in teachers and aides, as well as in supplies and equipment. It led to reductions in programs and larger class sizes. On-going additions of technology, such as smartboard systems, have been added to special education classrooms and to a number of areas throughout the building, with at least one in each subject area. On-going staff development continues in this area to provide teachers with training on effective use of this powerful instructional tool. A number of support services and RtI interventions have been introduced and supported over the last three years to assist students in meeting individual needs. These include APEX credit recovery programs, APEX remedial summer school programs, Read 180 for low ability readers, and Morton After School Study Association (MASSA- an after school program designed to assist at-risk students with homework). These interventions, along with on-going programs like Peer tutoring, adult tutoring, substance abuse counseling, and mental health counseling, all contribute to the support services provided to students who struggle with academics and/or behavior at school. Factors - In what ways, if any, have these attributes and challenges contributed to student performance results? 

High expectations have led to high performance and common goals for teachers, parents, and the community

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Higher performance as compared to other schools may be a limiting factor in current further improvement

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High ACT performance coupled with lower PSAE performance may indicate that Day 2 of PSAE may not be taken as seriously by students taking PSAE

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Reductions in funding have begun to impact programs, staffing, support programs, and class size

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High levels of parent and community support exist for MHS programs and offerings 15

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Traditional classroom instruction is coupled with the use of up to date instructional technologies

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RtI supports have been developed to successfully assist teachers in meeting the needs of all struggling students

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High end dual credit and AP courses have been introduced into the curriculum in order to ensure rigor within upper level coursework for college bound students.

Conclusions - What do these factors imply for next steps in improvement planning? 

As funding becomes more of a challenge for the district and the school the focus on course offerings and pathways will need to be more clearly defined so the integrity of the curriculum can be maintained

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Effective communication will need to be implemented in order to assist parents and the community in understanding the changes that may occur over both the short run and long run

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Teachers and administrators may need to place more emphasis on the second day of testing and on the Workkeys assessment on PSAE

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Additional focused research may be necessary to more specifically identify areas to target for academic improvement and student performance

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The continued addition of Smartboards and related instructional technologies will need to be focused on meeting the needs for the majority of students and matched to the teachers’ capabilities

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Additional courses will probably not be able to be added to the curriculum without taking away another course

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RtI supports will need to be evaluated for effectiveness and a determination made as to whether each of the supports will be able to be maintained and/or sustained

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Section IC- Item 2- Educator Qualifications, Staff Capacity, and Professional Development- data on educator qualifications and data and/or information about staff capacity and professional development opportunities related to areas of weakness and strength. What do these data and information tell you? All of MHS teachers are highly qualified; however, one section of Pull-out U.S. History and one section of Pull-out Civics, is taught by a special education teacher. A great deal of turnover in staff has occurred over the last 4-5 years. In 2009, 53% of the staff was non-tenured, but by 2010 only one new staff member was hired. This was due in part to budget cuts and coupled with a small reduction in force. MHS students are supported by a number of aides and assistants. Most of these are in the special education program assisting students with disabilities. Additionally, aide support is found in study hall, in-school suspension, tutoring service, library assistance and one computer lab. All have the necessary certification to perform their duties. Administratively, the principal’s position has been stable for the last 8 years, but there has been a great deal of turnover in the Assistant Principal positions. There have been 7 different assistance principals in the last 8 years with only 2 years having the same team on board. There are 2 Administrators in these positions in any given year. In each case, they have moved on to larger schools, principal positions, or director positions. MHS supports 3 school counselors and one external counselor, who is in attendance 2 days / week to assist with personal, mental health, and/or substance abuse counseling. Stability has existed in these positions over the last 3 years. Professional development at MHS has focused on a number of areas, most of which are tied to the school improvement plans submitted annually. Among the types of professional development provided to teachers includes: Curriculum Mapping, RtI training, ACT Standards/Benchmarks training, Study Skills support, training for differentiated instruction and grading, collaborative teaching, smartboard and other technology training, and support for improving content areas in each department. Staff reductions in 2009-2010 led to increased class sizes and more instructional aide support to classes that were formerly co-taught. It also led to reductions in the Art, Agriculture, IT, Business, music, Language Arts, and FCS. Though these program areas were reduced, they were not completely eliminated. Factors - In what ways, if any, have educator qualifications, staff capacity, and professional development contributed to student performance results?  Staff additions have been excellent and they have not led to a reduction in student performance. New staff members have helped to establish a positive working environment in a time of financial concern. 

Budget reductions will cause a need to re-focus on priorities in curricular offerings and pathways for student programs

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Professional development will need to continue to focus on area designed to improve achievement and success. These areas need to focus the whole staff on: o ACT benchmarks o Curriculum mapping – analysis and data review o Data analysis and review with respect to student performance indicators and assessment results o RtI- Universal screening, progress monitoring, and research based interventions

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Stability in staff will assist MHS in focusing improvement in a common direction and reduce the amount of individual mentoring of new staff that is necessary

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Budget reductions may reduce the amount of support provided by aides and impact programs and/or support services like the external counselor

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Additional professional development will be necessary and on-going for differentiated instruction, curriculum mapping, EXPLORE/PLAN/ACT data review, and instructional technologies like smartboard

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Assessment on the effectiveness of utilizing aide support vs. teacher support in collaborative classes will need to be reviewed

Conclusions - What do these factors imply for next steps in improvement planning? 

Budget cutbacks will impact the school an district in a number of areas including: o o o o

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Professional development will continue to focus on the priority areas of o o o o

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staff morale curricular pathways and course offerings aide support and aide supported programs professional development opportunities

ACT standards and benchmarks Curriculum Mapping Data Analysis and review on standardized and local assessments RtI- Universal screening, progress monitoring, and research based interventions

Analysis of the effectiveness of utilizing aide support vs. teacher support in collaborative classes needs to be reviewed.

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Section IC- Item 3- Parent Involvement- Briefly describe data on parent involvement. What do these data tell you? Morton High School provides a number of opportunities for parents to participate in student learning an in creating a community learning environment. Recognizing that parents differ greatly in their willingness, ability, and available time for involvement in school activities, the school provides a variety of options for parent participation including: 

Booster Organizations o Potter Parent Power (PTO organization)

o o o o o

Athletic Boosters Orchestra Boosters Band Boosters Choral Boosters Individual team parent support groups, including Ag Advisory Council, and PLTW Partners

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New Student Orientation

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Freshman Orientation

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Meet the Teacher Night

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Parent/Teacher Conferences

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Welcome to the Real World

Avenues for parent communications include: 

On-line access to student grades and daily announcements via PowerSchool

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Regular Newsletters

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Programs broadcast on Channel 20

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District 709, MHS, and teacher websites coupled with PowerSchool on-line gradebook

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Opportunities for parent input are available via parent organizations, as well as participation on such committees as IRT, Wellness, CAC, and Discipline Committees.

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Parents are also invited to attend programs such as: 

All school assemblies

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Homecoming Pep Rally

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MHS volleyball and service day

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Other programs and field trips as opportunities present themselves

Factors - In what ways, if any, has parent involvement contributed to student performance results? 

Parent involvement at MHS contributes significantly to the positive school culture and high expectations experienced by students, staff, and administrators.



Parent involvement at MHS provides both direct support (donations, supervision, volunteerism, chaperoning, etc.) and indirect support from parents and the community through the knowledge base parents have with respect to the programs, curriculum, and extra-curricular activities in which students are involved

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Parent involvement is appreciated via the outreach individual parents and parent organizations provide to teachers (teacher appreciation luncheons, treat days, classroom grants, athletic grants, music contributions, etc.)

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Parent involvement has led to the establishment of foundation accounts in Orchestra, Band, Cross-country, and in Scholarships funds

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Parent involvement has led to a very positive relationship between the school and local businesses including equipment donations, student internships, scholarships, and field trip opportunities for students, as well as training opportunities for teachers and counselors.

Conclusions - What do these factors imply for next steps in improvement planning? Parent involvement on many levels is necessary to ensure that the parents and the community are informed about opportunities for education, partnerships, and support for students at Morton High School. Opportunities should be available for all parents in the district to participate, support, and contribute the school. A number of avenues are in place for these things to happen and parent and community support is excellent at this time.

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Data & Analysis - Key Factors Summary Conclusions: I-A. Report Card Data MHS continues to be among the top performing high schools in the State (Chicago Sun Times Top 50 High Schools, A+ Bright Star Award District), and it has been recognized nationally (2009, US News & World Report’s Bronze recognition). Average ACT composite and other scores at MHS continue to increase slightly as well. The concern for MHS is that as the AYP bar continues to move even higher, our scores do not continue to move at the expected pace. Even with concerns about all students meeting/exceeding by 2014, MHS academic performance is still only at about 1 in 4, or 1 in 5, students not meeting/(exceeding) the State goals. In a review of our student data, it seems reasonable that more of our students should be meeting and exceeding, but our performance remains relatively stable. We should see more growth. As a result, we have begun to work at pinpointing those areas necessary for student improvement by:  Continuing with the programs, activities, and supports currently being implemented in order to assist in improving academic achievement as they relate to scheduling, Read 180, APEX, Dual Credit and AP coursework, “Why Try”, MASSA, and Curriculum Mapping  Implementing the use of EXPORE/PLAN/ACT data to both target individual student weaknesses and to make adjustments in the curriculum to meet the State and National goals and expectations for student learning  Revisiting Study Skills needs of students at the freshman level and at the individual classroom and department levels  Implementing an RtI support service model that addresses students at risk for both behavioral and academic needs  Focusing staff development on the areas related to student achievement, curriculum/assessment, Response to Intervention (RtI), differentiated instruction/assessment, and instructional technology 

Improved parent/community communication

 Maintaining/implementing effective programs in core academics, vocational electives, athletics, music, and community service

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I-B. Local Assessment Data 

Individual teachers need to reflect on their classroom curriculum and identify where the targeted weak areas are being covered, how often they are being covered, and what level they are being addressed. This can be done via reflective curriculum mapping and familiarization with the ACT standards/benchmarks/ideas for progress



Individual teachers need to become cognizant of the students in their classes not meeting benchmarks and provide differentiated instruction to address the needs of these, and the other students in their classes.



Departments need to examine the pathways students are following to make sure that target skills are being introduced, enriched, and mastered as students’ progress through departmental offerings. This can also be accomplished via an analysis of curriculum maps within departmental pathways and comparing/linking the curriculum with the state standards.



Staff development needs to be provided on ACT Standards/Benchmarks/Ideas for progress and the Model Curriculum as defined by the study “On Course for Success”

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Staff development needs to be provided on differentiated instruction

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Interdisciplinary learning groups need to collaborate on activities that support and reinforce the target curricular goals for individual students and classes as a whole in order to reinforce the knowledge and skills targeted for improvement throughout the school-wide curriculum.

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The school staff may need to research ways of motivating students for these tests. Looking at other school’s methods and gauging their applicability to our school could be helpful.



The school staff may need to further encourage ACT review classes, or (as some already have) include more ACT review into their own classes.

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The school staff may need to familiarize themselves with the format of PLAN and EXPLORE tests and provide some rudimentary test preparation before students take the test.



Teachers/counselors need to identify transfer students and develop differentiated instruction to ensure transition to Morton high school’s curriculum and identify any learning gaps that might have occurred as a result 22

of student transfer. Teachers/counselors need to become familiar with APEX and evaluate the usefulness of this technology in getting transfer students “up to speed”.

I-C item 1. Attributes and Challenges of the District and Community that have Affected Student Learning 

As funding becomes more of a challenge for the district and the school the focus on course offerings and pathways will need to be more clearly defined so the integrity of the curriculum can be maintained



Effective communication will need to be implemented in order to assist parents and the community in understanding the changes that may occur over both the short run and long run

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Teachers and administrators may need to place more emphasis on the second day of testing and on the WorkKeys assessment on PSAE

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Additional focused research may be necessary to more specifically identify areas to target for academic improvement and student performance

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The continued addition of smartboards and related instructional technologies will need to be focused on meeting the needs for the majority of students and matched to the teachers’ capabilities



Additional courses will probably not be able to be added to the curriculum without taking away another course



RtI supports will need to be evaluated for effectiveness and a determination made as to whether each of the supports will be able to be maintained and/or sustained

I-C item 2. Educator Qualifications, Staff Capacity, and Professional Development Data and Information 

Budget cutbacks will impact the school an district in a number of areas including: o o o o

staff morale curricular pathways and course offerings aide support and aide supported programs professional development opportunities

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

Professional development will continue to focus on the priority areas of o o o o



ACT standards and benchmarks Curriculum Mapping Data Analysis and review on standardized and local assessments RtI- Universal screening, progress monitoring, and research based interventions

Analysis of the effectiveness of utilizing aide support vs. teacher support in collaborative classes needs to be reviewed.

I-C Item 3. Parent Involvement Data Parent involvement on many levels is necessary to ensure that the parents and the community are informed about opportunities for education, partnerships, and support for students at Morton High School. Opportunities should be available for all parents in the district to participate, support, and contribute the school. A number of avenues are in place for these things to happen and parent and community support is excellent at this time.

Controllable Factors Section IA- Report Card Data, which may lead to improvement in academic performance: 

 A potential lack of rigor in some coursework and/or curricular pathways, primarily at the standard level

Section IB- Local Assessment Data, which may lead to improvement in academic performance: 

 Professional development in the following areas: o Increasing the awareness, instruction, and implementation of ACT Benchmarks and Standards into the curriculum o Differentiated Instruction o Improved reading and math instruction in non-language arts/math areas o Improved implementation of RtI interventions and supports



 Educating the students and parents on the importance of EXPLORE/PLAN/ACT/WorkKeys assessments



 Examining any disconnects between classroom grades and standardized testing results 24

Section IC- Additional Data, which may lead to improvement in academic performance: 

 More focus and awareness needs to be placed on the second day of PSAE testing with respect to students, parents, teachers and the community.



 Clearly defined academic and career pathways need to be incorporated into the curriculum that make sure the academic needs/expectations for students are being met along the EXPLORE/PLAN/ACT/WorkKeys continuum.

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 On-going, focused research will need to continue as it relates to identifying areas to target for academic improvement and student performance.

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 Improved use of instructional technologies, ie. Smart Boards, etc. will need to be evaluated and implemented as appropriate for both teaching and learning skills.

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 RtI interventions will need on-going review and monitoring.

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 Curricular Mapping as a tool for curriculum renewal and review will need to be an ongoing activity, providing a tangible source for curriculum assessment and review.



 On-going monitoring or the RtI process needs to continue, with focus on effective universal screening, progress monitoring, and research based interventions.

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Morton High School School Improvement Plan 2011-13 Section II-A Action Plan Objective- 1 Student Achievement- While our current student achievement in Reading & Math is consistently above 75% meets/exceeds, and we currently meet AYP, it is our goal to in increase the number of students who meet/exceed State reading goals to 85% for 2011, and 95% for 2012, and continue to make AYP for each subgroup.

Strategies for accomplishing this goal include the following: I. EXPLORE Strategies: A. Eighth Grade EXPLORE assessments will be taken by students during December of their 8th grade year. Performance on this assessment will be used to: i. Establish a baseline for student performance as measured by ACT Readiness Standards and establish ACT Benchmark targets for subsequent EXPLORE/PLAN assessments. ii. Provide insight into strengths and needs for the freshman curriculum in Reading and other areas of study iii. Identify career interests for targeting vocational electives B. Ninth Grade EXPLORE/WorkKeys assessments will be taken by students during April of their 9th grade year. Performance on this assessment will be used to: i. Measure the progress of students' performance as measured by changes in ACT standards/benchmarks, with a target of 2 points or better growth from the EXPLORE assessment taken as an 8th grader. ii. Provide insight into the strengths and needs for freshman/sophomore curriculum in Reading and other areas. iii. Continue to monitor career interests and targets for vocational elective offerings. C. Curriculum Mapper will be used by teachers to monitor curriculum strengths and deficiencies as they relate to student performance and as to ACT Standards and Benchmarks.

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II. PLAN Strategies: A. Tenth Grade PLAN/WorkKeys assessments will be taken by students during April of their 10th grade year. Performance on this assessment will be used to: i. Measure the progress of students' performance as measured by changes in ACT Standards/Benchmarks, with targeted growth to be 2 points or better for each student as compared to 9th grade EXPLORE results. ii. Provide insight into the strengths and needs for sophomore/junior curriculum in Reading and other areas. iii.Curriculum Mapper will be used by teachers to monitor curriculum strengths and deficiences as they relate to student performance and as to ACT Standards and Benchmarks. III. ACT/PSAE Strategies- In preparation for ACT/PSAE assessments, the following strategies will be implemented in order to prepare students for PSAE assessments in their junior year: A. On-going staff development will be provided to teachers regarding information and resources available for classroom use as it relates to ACT Standards, Benchmarks, and Ideas for Progress. B. Appropriate teachers and staff members will be provided with student data regarding performance on PLAN/WorkKeys assessments, both as a class and as individuals enrolled within teacher's classes. C. Appropriate counselors/teachers/administrators will meet with individual students to discuss goals and review opportunities for ACT/PSAE preparation. D. ACT, WorkKeys and PSAE review and preparation opportunities will be provided for students within, and outside of the school day. E. Review strategies utilized within each class will be indicated within curriculum maps as appropriate and implemented. F. Success will be measured by the improvement in scores obtained from ACT/PSAE performance with target performance at 2 points or better growth scores obtained on PLAN and WorkKeys assessments taken as underclassmen. G. Curriculum Mapper will be used by teachers to monitor curriculum strengths and deficiencies as they relate to student performance and as to ACT Standards and Benchmarks. This information will be used to make appropriate changes in the Jr/Sr. level curriculum in the appropriate areas.

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IV. Study Skills Strategies- As a supplementary action to the Standardized test practice and review, a study skills program will be implemented for freshman and transfer students in the second year of this plan. This will be accomplished by: A. Identifying key study skills with which incoming students seem to lack. Primary targets here will include organizational skills, note taking skills, textbook reading skills, listening skills, and test taking skills. This will be determined by a study skills committee, charged with the assessing the staff and students for perceived study skills deficiencies. B. A delivery system will be developed i.e. Study Skills Seminars, to provide students with instruction on selected study skills and methods by which teachers can reinforce these skills in their classes and across the curriculum. C. Staff Development will be provided and the program implemented in year 2 of this plan. Objective- 2 Professional Development- In order to accomplish the Student Achievement objectives for 2011-2013, professional development focused on areas supporting student achievement must be a target. The goal here is to direct professional development in such a way as to assure that 100% of teachers and staff have received appropriate & current training in the following areas over the next 2 years of this plan:

o Awareness, instruction, and implementation of ACT Benchmarks and Standards into the curriculum o Differentiated Instruction, RtI, and effective collaborative teaching o Improved reading and math instruction, esp. in non-language arts/math areas o Improved implementation of RtI interventions and supports o Improved instructional technologies, ie. smartboards, netbooks, ebooks, etc. o Study Skills o Curriculum Mapping Strategies for accomplishing this goal include the following: I. General Staff Training- School improvement days will be used to focus on the types of training that are necessary to focus on improved classroom instruction and student performance. As a result, the general sessions for SIP days and monthly faculty meetings will concentrate on familiarizing staff with ACT/WorkKeys benchmarks & standards; improved curricular mapping; strategies for improving reading and math instruction across the curriculum; study skills implementation; and data analysis. Pre- and post- assessments of what teachers know and implement will be assessed, and a list of training sessions will be recorded. From the pre-assessments, workshops and training activities will be developed with postassessments provided from the staff for an on-going measure of the need and proficiency for staff development in these areas.

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II. New Teacher Training- New teachers with training needs will be provided with a mentor who will provide individualized training in specified areas, as they relate to the new teachers’ immediate assignment. This may include support for collaborative teaching, RtI interventions, ACT benchmarks/standards/resources, data analysis, study skills, etc. Individual new teachers will be assessed and professional development needs identified. New teachers may also be encouraged to participate in external professional development as necessary. Success in accomplishing this goal will also be determined by pre-and post- assessments on individual new teachers- as well as in what is being implemented into each classroom. Professional development for new teachers will take place via mentors, department chairpersons, general staff meetings, new teacher meetings, and specialized external training opportunities. III. Specified Training- Specialized professional development will be provided to individual teachers or groups of teachers who have responsibilities for leadership, committee work, training, and/or other needs that may be specific to their assignments. Specified training will generally mean external training for a specific purpose. Examples may include instructional technologies (netbooks, smartboards, ebooks, etc.), collaborative teaching, improved RtI, etc., that the teachers can learn and then bring back to the building to share with other teachers. Here again, success will be measured by both the number of teachers trained and the amount of implementing that takes place as a result of their sharing and training for others. Year one of this plan will act as a baseline and year two will measure growth.

Objective 3- Review Technology Integration- In order to stay abreast of best practice instruction, teachers and administrators need to stay up to date with current technologies. This can be accomplished in a number of ways, even in tight economic times. This objective is to systematic review the following technologies- netbooks, smartboards, ebooks (Kindles), IPADS, Graphing calculators, and maybe others, to determine their effectiveness as classroom tools for students at MHS. Success here will be measured by targeted areas of exposure for each of the technologies in the first year, and recommendations for appropriate implementation for the second year- if expanded use is determined. Strategies for accomplishing this goal include the following: I. Netbooks- 30 netbooks have been purchased for use with the new WIFI system at MHS. These books will be made available for check out from the library. Currently, 2 uses are being considered for this technology. Students may be allowed to check them out of the library in order to complete homework assignments in study halls, without having to go to the computer lab. A second option will be for a classroom teacher to check out a selected number of them for use in their classroom, without scheduling time in the computer lab. It has yet to be determined which system of check out provides the most benefit for students and staff, and whether or not this technology is an important next step in implementing computer upgrades at the high school. The goal here is to utilize the netbooks in a number of ways in the first year of this plan and make a recommendation in the second year for how the technology may be best utilized, and to what extent, in subsequent years. 29

II. Kindles/Ebooks- 30 Kindles (Ebooks), have been obtained in part though a grant from the Morton Community Foundation for the Novels classes. At this time, several novels have been down loaded to them and they are being used in class in place of the books students normally would read. The goal here is to examine their effectiveness for student use as well as for general use in the future. Cost analysis, student use feedback, teacher feedback, etc. will be assess as they are used in the first year of the plan and in the second year, a proposal for how their use may be best utilized in the future, and to what extent. III. IPADS and Other Technologies- 4 IPADs have been purchased at the request of 4 teachers in two different departments to utilized over the course of the first year of this plan and then to make recommendations for their potential and use in the second year of the plan. In a similar fashion, the use of smartboards, graphing calculators, and other technologies have been tested and their implementation carefully calculated and considered. This approach seems to have merit and makes sense as an on-going and important part of our school improvement plan. Measured success is determined by the numbers of each type of technology tested and then utilized in subsequent years, as determined by a proposal for implementation that includes cost effectiveness, considerations for “best practice”, and ease of use/implementation.

Goals Alignment for 2011-2013 Goals for the 2011-2013 School Improvement Plan are aligned with the general goals for the district. These goals have been established in order to provide a focus for each of the schools within the district. Moreover, it provides for better articulation and aligns each building’s school improvement plan toward common goals defined by the district office.

Learning Standard Implementation The Illinois Learning Standards are represented in our district’s instruction and classrooms and are clearly identified in each District Curriculum Guide. Our competitive scores on State assessments indicate that the Illinois Learning Standards are effectively implemented in our curriculum and instruction. Since the Illinois Learning Standards were adopted in 1997, all district K-12 objectives have been aligned to them. The district’s procedure for curriculum renewal facilitated a comfortable process to align objectives for each curricular area. Consensus building and teacher involvement have always been integral to this process of curricular review. Each curricular area is scheduled for review each 5 – 7 years, but there are provisions to address necessary adjustments yearly. Each summer our District Curriculum Guides are collected from each teacher and administrator and revisions are made to reflect any changes, while maintaining alignment to Illinois Learning Standards.

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Family and Community Involvement Parents are very involved at MHS. Our “Meet the Teacher,” parent-teacher conferences, and “Open House” are well attended. Our PPP (PTO group), our athletic boosters, and our music boosters are very supportive of our school and its programs. The PPP sponsors/supports assemblies throughout the year, assists in many of our career programs, sponsors prom and promenade support, and purchases many items for teachers to use in the classrooms. These organizations also assist in a great deal of fundraising throughout the year. Various businesses throughout Morton and the surrounding area have also supported efforts of MHS. Many businesses have supported our athletic programs, bands, chorus, and orchestra each year. The Morton Community Foundation has also been supportive by making generous contributions to the school, as well as assisting in scholarship programs. Morton is a community that values education and it is proven by the support that it provides to the local schools.

Review, Monitoring, and Revision Each year individual building principals are paired up with a board member to review school improvement plans upon their completion. After this review is completed, the building principals then make a SIP presentation to the Morton CUSD 709 Board of Education at an official board meeting. After the presentations the School Board takes official action supporting the building School Improvement Plans. During the school year, individual school buildings collect data in the form of local and state assessments. The PSAE, EXPLORE, PLAN, ACT, AP, ISAT, WorkKeys, and classroom data is used to monitor students’ progress. Every effort is made to keep cohort data on each class as they pass through the Morton school system. Instructional decisions and SIP revisions are based in a large part by the information gathered from these data sources. Teacher input is also a resource used to determine aspects of school improvement plans. Several times throughout the school year, SIP teams in individual buildings monitor the progress of the action plans of each. They discuss what has been accomplished and what still needs to be completed. SIP in-service days are also set aside for professional development opportunities related to SIP action plans. Some of these days are used for revision of current SIPs and planning for future SIPs.

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Since parents and families are partners in the educational process and routine communication with home takes place. Parents and board members on the Review Team have an important role to play on behalf of the school community. Their efforts assist in the effective dissemination of the SIP’s; however, the results of the school improvement plans are routinely disseminated via the District 709 website, parent groups (PPP), the school newsletter, and the local paper.

Respectfully Submitted by the Internal Review Team (RIT) - May 2011

Dennis Johnson- Principal Joel Zehr- Math Department Kathy Rademaker- Counseling Jacob Tierney- Science Department Kara Powers- Special Education Department Jamie Goveia- English Department Amanda Mettelmann- English Department Robert Hornsby- Social Science Department Kristin Schmidt- Music Department

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