School Improvement Plan - Peacock Middle School

The F. E. Peacock Jr. High School Improvement Plan is being developed to strengthen and expand the design of instructional strategies to more fully support the learning needs of all students. The plan also focuses on improving our professional development programs by aligning them more directly with the desired results for student learning.

The plan is consistent with our school’s profile, mission, goals, and desired results for student learning. The staff has worked together through Peacock’s teaming process and identified areas of strength and weakness.

Strategies already in place are:

Tutorial Program — Students have the opportunity to participate in both before- and after-school tutorial programs. These programs are staffed by teachers and select students available to assist students who need support in core areas.

Homework Hotline — Students and parents may access daily homework assignments through a phone dial-up homework hotline that is updated daily.

Community Library Partnership — Students may preview current core subject texts and associated materials at the local library.

Staff Availability — Teachers are available both before- and after-school to assist students in need of help in specific subjects.

Computer Lab — Peacock’s computer lab is open before- and after-school to allow student to complete projects and assignments.

Reading/Language Arts Support — A language arts teacher is available to all students on an appointment basis during afternoon blocks for remedial and extension activities.

Common Planning Times — Each grade level team has a daily common planning period of 43 minutes to address curricular and student related issues.

Staff Development — Members of each team are encouraged and offered the opportunity to attend annual local, state, and national middle level conferences in an effort to gain knowledge of best practices for this age level and curriculum focus. In addition to middle level training, teachers are also encouraged and supported to attend subject specific professional development opportunities.

Parent Perception Survey — All parents of students in grades 6-8 are surveyed annually on their opinions of the job being done in our school of educating the adolescents of Itasca.

The plan will focus on the following key factors:

Technology — In-service programs conducted by trained in-house personnel and the district’s technology director will take place monthly during staff development release days (Thursdays) or as needed to provide staff with strategies for the integration of technology-based resources to support and enhance instructional programs.

Engaged Learning — Classroom activities and teacher behaviors that take into account student learning styles, interactive learning processes, and collaborative work environments.

Communications — Promote more effective communications between school/staff, parents and the community.

Assessment of Students and Staff Perceptions of Peacock — A formal survey of opinions similar to the one used to assess community opinions will be developed for students and staff.