The following information is the Summary from the Springfield (Vermont) School District's Blueprint for Change. As part of the New American Schools restructuring process, hundreds of individuals in the Springfield community worked to examine the schools, study restructuring strategies, and develop the roadmap for the five year plan. Feel free to distribute this file but keep this notice with the file. The Springfield School District reserves all rights to the information presented here. © 1994 Springfield School District, Springfield, VT. All rights reserved. Current State Curriculum, Instruction, Standards, and Assessment The current state in these areas is not much different from schools in many other communities around the country. Springfield Schools are fairly traditional. Although we have made many significant changes in our schools, there is little difference between their basic structure today and schools twenty or thirty years ago. With few exceptions our students progress through thirteen grade levels from Kindergarten through 12th grade. Curriculum Guides Although curriculum guides exist for most subjects at each grade level in the Springfield Schools, many of them are outdated and most do not clearly state the expected student outcomes. The School District is in transition from a culture of schooling that treats subjects as isolated and apart to a more interdisciplinary approach where subjects are related. This transition will require a complete overhaul of the curriculum guides. Instructional Practices Teachers in the Springfield School District use many different instructional practices. The trend, however, as students move up the educational ladder, is to move from active, participatory learning to more teacher-centered activity and lecture. At the elementary level teachers have large blocks of flexible time available to them. This also gradually changes as students reach the upper grades. Classes at the secondary level have been confined to forty minute blocks of time for many years. Starting with the 1993-94 school year, we are changing from this outdated time structure to flexible scheduling in grades 6-8, with teachers deciding the amount of time for instruction. Writing and Mathematics Portfolios Another positive trend is the use of writing and math portfolios for all students in the fourth and eighth grades. This allows us to evaluate a studentÕs application of skills and knowledge in these two areas, review their best work, and compare how well our students perform with others in the state. Portfolio use needs to be expanded to other grades and subjects. Resources Appropriate resources are needed to support curriculum and instruction in the Springfield Schools. Funding for instructional materials, physical space, and support staff is essential to make the changes called for in SpringfieldÕs restructuring efforts. The positive changes taking place in our schools and the further modifications we are making to meet the needs of a changing population requires the financial and emotional support of the community. One of the greatest needs for the 21st century will be training for teachers in new approaches, new technology, and a whole new world of work. Health, Education and Human Services Schools tend to be perceived as self-contained units rather than as part of a comprehensive system incorporating school, family and community. Health, Education, and Human Services are complex systems, each with a bureaucracy that is foreign and occasionally intimidating to the other. The schools and community service agencies know too little about one another to be mutually and effectively supportive. However, many of the needed policies and services already exist to make this happen. There are signs of change taking place in Springfield. The positive collaboration between the schools and the health and human service agencies in Springfield is exemplified in the establishment of the Springfield Area Parent Child Center, the integration of Mental Health Services into our public schools and the Success by Six Initiative. Springfield has become a pioneer in the effort to integrate services for children. Greater Stress on Children and Families A disturbing number of students at all levels do not have the essential support they need to learn effectively. Students from broken homes are common in Springfield as they are elsewhere in the country. Guidance counselors have reported a significant increase of children from homes where alcohol and drug abuse are routine. Some students are being physically and sexually abused, neglected, or put into dangerous situations that a decade ago would have been uncommon. The schools and health and human service agencies need to work together to improve the lives of children. High Performance Management The present management structure is traditional in style and focuses on short-term decision-making. This management style promotes internal competition for scarce resources, turf protection, and narrow, parochial views. In a system of this type, risk-taking is difficult--it is easier to do things the way they have always been done. Examples of Our Traditional Management Structure All teachers are supervised regularly and evaluated annually. However, this process is handled differently at each school. A comprehensive teacher evaluation and supervision system, based on current educational research, needs to be developed and implemented consistently at all levels. Budgets are developed annually without any major emphasis on longer range planning. Each school or department submits their own budget requests and competes with other schools or departments for limited resources. Pockets of Participatory Management Instructional Support Teams operate in each building to provide teachers with assistance in planning for students who experience trouble. The districtÕs Staff Development Committee, made up of teachers representing each school, conducts an annual needs assessment and plans an inservice education program for the entire K-12 faculty. Public Agenda Schools must continually engage the public in open dialogue about the need for changes in education and build public support for these changes. Some positive elements already exist to encourage community participation. These include very strong PTA groups, a tradition of volunteerism, and communication with parents and the community through frequent newsletters, local newspapers and radio stations. Business/School/Community Partnerships The Technical Center and many businesses in town have formed partnerships to educate students. The Adult Education programs provide courses for over 160 students, and the Community College holds classes at the High School and Middle School. Ben and JerryÕs, Central Vermont Public Service, and other businesses offer grants for creative educational proposals. Local organizations contribute a large number of scholarships to Springfield graduates. Technology Technology in the Springfield Schools is an area that needs much work if we want to improve our ability to keep pace with the demands of a new world. There is no district-wide coordination of technology. Many staff are completely unaware of technological efforts at other schools. There is an uneven distribution of equipment and technology in the schools, and no one person is responsible for the maintenance, repair, and distribution of the districtÕs hardware and software. Technology in the Classroom Most classrooms in the district do not have educational technology available on a daily basis. Due to lack of equipment, computers are rarely used at the elementary level. At the secondary level there are computer labs available, but too few to accommodate the demand. There is no systematic integration of technology into the curriculum. Training There is very limited training in technology for teachers. A staff development inservice course in classroom use of computers is limited to twenty teachers. The District received a boost with the Macintosh PowerBooks that Apple donated through the NAS Grant, and many teachers received training in their use. Staff cite lack of training as the main impediment to the use of technology. Desired State We recognize that meeting the conditions necessary to reach our desired state will require us to fundamentally change the structure of our schools, and this may take several years. We believe that Springfield must find the right people and enough resources to make these necessary changes. Curriculum, Instruction, Standards, and Assessment The Springfield Community will offer the most challenging and innovative course of studies with a clear set of high standards for each level, pre-kindergarten through graduation. These standards will be published and readily accessible to students, parents and the community. We will provide learners with the tools that will enable them to think and learn independently and cooperatively. Performance-Based Outcomes Students will know what the intended outcomes of the class are and work toward those goals. The students will perform tasks that let us know they have mastered the skills we intended to teach. For example, when a student gets a license they must take a written test and a driving test. The written test tells us whether or not they know the facts and rules of driving, but the driving test reveals whether they can actually drive. We need to give students more Òdriving testsÓ in all subjects. Student-Centered Classrooms Our classrooms at all levels will be student rather than teacher-centered. We will provide cooperative learning and active, participatory experiences for all students. Active, participatory learning happens when the child is truly engaged in the learning. Students work on projects, make presentations to the rest of the class, and explore subjects together. Students will take ownership of their learning. Interdisciplinary/Thematic Teaching We will change our structure from a separate subject approach to one providing opportunities for relevant and integrated experiences. Instead of teaching students by exposing them to a bewildering array of unrelated courses, we will emphasize the relationships of subject areas to each other and to real world problems. We will also take learning beyond the classroom walls. Health, Education and Human Services All students will have the essential support they need to learn effectively. Basic needs (food, shelter, nurturing, health care, clothing, etc.) will be met for children at all ages. The Health, Education and Human Services system will view the student in the context of family, school, and community and will provide a caring environment that takes responsibility for fostering the healthy development of all its citizens. Community of Learners Physical, economic and human resources will be allocated to ensure that students come to school ready to learn. Education will be viewed by all members of the community as a lifelong process. We will recognize that all community members have a right to an equal, appropriate and quality education. A Coordinated System Health, Education, Human Services and the community will operate collaboratively to assure student success. They will work together to integrate the needs of the individual with those of the family and the community. High Performance Management The Springfield Schools will commit to the ideals of the Total Quality Management approach. We will move from a traditional management style to a participatory management style. This structure will create a more participative, open style of leadership. Shared decision-making will become the norm, rather than the exception. In this approach all faculty, administrators, support staff, parents, students, and community members take part in decision making and take pride in the organization. Power is shared with everybody. Other elements of the Total Quality approach we will adopt include cooperation among different groups and a dedication to continuous improvement. School Board and Administration The School Board and administrators will be expected to break down barriers to change. As leaders, administrators must establish a friendly environment where trust encourages reasonable risk-taking, collaborative decision-making, and cooperative problem-solving. Public Agenda There will be ongoing two-way communication between the schools and the community. A welcoming atmosphere in the schools will be created in order to reduce the barriers to communication. The community will feel a sense of ownership in its educational institutions. The community will take pride in high performance for all students and be dedicated to continuous improvement of the schools. There will be a community commitment to life-long learning. The community will be viewed as a learning environment, and people will recognize that learning does not just take place in the classroom. Technology A district-wide plan for technology will address the issues of acquisition, repair, replacement and maintenance at each building. The plan will include the establishment of a technology inventory and provide coordination throughout the district to meet educational needs. The district budget must ensure the appropriate level of funding for all aspects of technology including assessment, curriculum development, maintenance, training, and capital investment. Integration of Technology Students will leave the school system with practical experiences that will enable them to be successful in continued education, the labor market, and their daily lives. Technology will be an integral part of each studentÕs education. Technology will be in the hands of all students in grades Pre-K to 12 and will be an everyday part of the school and classroom environment. Many forms of technology will be used as teaching and learning tools and not used in isolation from the rest of the curriculum. Action Plan How are we going to accomplish our Desired State for the Springfield Schools? Increased Involvement During the past year we had over a hundred participants involved in designing our Blueprint for Change. Now we must increase that number and involve even more people in the process. Teachers, parents, students, and community members need to be involved in every school in the district. We have set up a number of school-based and district-wide committees to complete the work outlined in the Blueprint. Below is a brief description of each committee and its major tasks. An application has been mailed to action team members and all teachers. You may also pick up an application in the SuperintendentÕs Office at Park St. School. Organizational Chart On the page following the committee descriptions is an organizational chart outlining the committees that will be set up to accomplish our work. The chart establishes the number of members on each committee and the flow of information between committees. The chart takes time to understand. Stick with it. Using the explanation of the committees on the next page and examining the chart for at least five minutes, will give you a clearer picture of what it means. If you still donÕt understand it, call David Kelley, Superintendent, at 885-5141, or Kathy Weaver at Southern Vermont Ed. Center, 885-5183. Timeline The two page timeline follows the organizational chart and outlines the major tasks to accomplish over the next three years. The page numbers on the Timeline refer to the full Blueprint for Change document for more information. This document can be found at every school in the district and at several locations in the community. Description of Committees Below is a description of the committees being formed to carry out the work outlined in the Blueprint for Change. Basically, there will be a greater number of working committees completing the tasks with a smaller number of people on each committee. Applications for participation on these committees, except for the Steering Committee, are due by August 27, 1993 in the SuperintendentÕs office. There are building level and district-wide committees for each of the following areas: ¥ Curriculum, Instruction, Standards, & Assessment ¥ Technology ¥ High Performance Management ¥ Public Engagement ¥ Community Services. Steering Committee This Committee will oversee the entire Blueprint for Change and give direction to the building level and district-wide committees. The Steering Committee will have seven members including: ¥ Superintendent of Schools ¥ Two representatives from the District-wide Curriculum, Instruction, Standards, & Assessment Committee ¥ One representative from the District-wide Technology Committee ¥ One representative from the District-wide High Performance Management Committee ¥ One representative from the District-wide Public Engagement Committee ¥ One representative from the District-wide Community Services Committee. The Steering Committee will meet every two weeks for two hours. Applications for this committee must be in by August 13, 1993. District-wide Committees The District-wide Committees will include one Steering Committee member and one representative from each Building Level Advisory Committee (two from both Riverside and the High School) in each of the five identified areas. Thus, there will be five District-wide Committees with eleven members on each committee. Parents, students, or community members involved on the Building Level Advisory Committees can be a representative to the District-wide Committee. The purpose of the District-wide Committees will be to give direction to the building level committees in each school and to get information back from them about what is going on in each building. These District-wide Committees will ensure that our work is coordinated across all levels in the district. Specific tasks for these District-wide Committees are outlined in the Blueprint for Change. These committees will meet every other week for at least two hours. Building Level Advisory Committees Building Level Advisory Committees will work in each building in the School District and the Parent Child Center. Each Building Level Advisory Committee can involve teachers, parents, students, or community members. The representative to the District-wide Committee will keep other members updated on what is going on at the district level. The Building Level Advisory Committees will each have six members, one representative from each of the five areas identified above plus the administrator for that building. The committee members will advise the principal or director for their building and get direction from the Administrative Council. Governance Council The Health, Education and Human Services Governance Council will include representatives from all agencies involved in services to children and families in Springfield. The purpose of this Governance Council will include both collaborative decision-making and ongoing evaluation of all aspects of the Health, Education and Human Services system. This will involve shared governance of the services to children and families. © 1994 Springfield School District, Springfield, VT. All rights reserved.