WPS COMPASS_revised_9-26-14 copy

The WPS COMPACT Delivering on High Expectations and Outstanding Results for All Students♦ 100 percent of students will be guaranteed a rigorous core curriculum resulting in measurable gains in student learningMilestones for College and Career Readiness♦ A 50 percent reduction in the proficiency gap in English Language Arts, Mathematics and Science & Technology/Engineering by 2016-17 ♦ In ELA, a CPI of 88.1 by 2016-17 ♦ In Mathematics, a CPI of 83.7 by 2016-17 ♦ In Science & Technology/Engineering, a CPI of 80.8 by 2016-17♦ Increase the WPS graduation rate to 90 percent over 4 years or 95 percent over 5 years by 2016-17♦ A 50 percent reduction in the annual dropout rate to 1.9 percent by 2016-17♦ 100 percent of graduates will successfully complete high school coursework that prepares them for both college and career



Worcester Public Schools District Instructional FocusAll personnel in the Worcester Public Schools will align efforts to have allstudents show growth in their ability to read fluently, comprehend deeply,think critically and respond effectively. This will be accomplished throughthe implementation of rigorous evidence-based instructional practices anda standards-based curriculum across all content areas. Multiple measuresincluding formative and summative assessments will be used to monitorour progress, refine our practice and improve our capacity to ensure allstudents reach and exceed grade level expectations and graduate collegeand career ready.All Worcester Public Schools students will regularly engage in listening,speaking, reading, and writing to become highly literate, creativecollaborators, strategic problem solvers and effective communicators. Ourstudents will be self-directed learners who critically examine varied pointsof view and carefully weigh and manage complex information presentedthrough multiple media. Our students will also demonstrate respect andunderstanding of their position as contributing members in their local andglobal community.











Working Definitions of High Quality Reading, Writing and DiscourseREADINGWhen teachers +systematically support the match of text readability to student reading performance,explicitly key students into text structure, andframe the assigned reading with a question,teachers effectively use reading to support improved learning outcomes.When students +read text with clear connections to the student and learning standards,read to develop their skills and content knowledge, andread to deepen their thinking, writing and disclosure in the content areas,students effectively read to support improved learning outcomes.WRITINGWhen teachers +frame writing as a performance task that defines outcomes for skill and contentdevelopment,scaffold skill and content development to ensure students meet performanceexpectations, andExplicitly teach students to use patterns of thinking consistent with the structure ofcontent areas,teachers effectively use writing to support improved learning outcomes.When students +write text to reflect content-specific thinking and framed by a specific structure,write to develop their skills and content knowledge, andwrite with evidence connected to multiple sources and prior knowledge,students effectively write to support improved learning outcomes.DISCOURSEWhen teachers +use academic language to frame discourse to prompt deeper thinking about content,use discourse to promote the exchange of knowledge and evidence, andexpect discourse to reflect the conventions of thinking reflected in a specific contentarea,teachers effectively use discourse to support improved learning outcomes.When students +speak with others to exchange ideas, knowledge, and thinking,speak with others to create new knowledge, andspeak with others using conventions of thinking reflected in a specific content area,students effectively engage in discourse to support improved learning outcomes.

Worcester Public SchoolsLeadership ExpectationsA. Identify and Implement a School-wide Instructional Focus There is obvious evidence that the school is living the school-wide Instructional Focus through its words, actions, and deeds.B. Deepen Professional Collaboration Teams to Improve Teaching and Learning Using protocols and strategies, teacher teams meet regularly to talk about student work, teacher assignments, effective teaching and learning practices and data that demonstrate progress towards eliminating achievement gaps. The principal participates in these meetings. These meetings drive improvements in teaching and learning.C. Share Leadership with an Instructional Leadership Team The Instructional Leadership Team meets at least twice a month and is providing strong, shared leadership and support around the instructional focus and the implementation of the Leadership Expectations.D. Identify, Learn, and Use Evidence-based Teaching Practices and Develop a Targeted Professional Development Plan that Builds Expertise in Selected Evidence-based Practices The school’s Professional Development Plan supports the school-wide instructional focus and the narrow list (3-5) of evidence based teaching practices. The targeted Professional Development Plan focuses on building teacher and staff expertise, ensuring change in practice, and promoting high expectations for all. Teachers and staff are held increasingly accountable for implementation of the focus and the evidence based teaching practices.E. Create and Monitor an Internal Accountability System Growing Out of StudentLearning Goals that Promote Measurable Student Gains in Learning for EveryStudent and Eliminate Achievement GapsThe school and grade level/department teams have made at least two school-wideSMARTe goals. One is around a statewide measure and one is around a local, internalmeasure of student performance. Results are easily available and publicly posted. Thedata is part of an internal accountability system and is used by ILT and teacher teamsas a lens for decision making. Students are setting personal learning goals and can talkabout their plan to achieve these goals. CONTINUED ...

Worcester Public Schools Leadership ExpectationsF. Realign Resources (Time, People, and Money) to Support the Instructional Focus The school can demonstrate clear evidence that it is making decisions around aligning its resources to support the school-wide instructional focus. Specific attention is given to ensuring that tiered intervention support is being offered to students.G. Engage Families and the Community in Supporting the School-wide Instructional Focus The school has a targeted plan for engaging families. The plan involves creating opportunities for families to be engaged in learning opportunities which will help them to better support the instructional focus and District and School wide expectations.H. Principal as Instructional Leader The principal is meeting the goal of spending at least 50% of the instructional day in classrooms and in conversations with teachers around their teaching and learning practices. Time is also spent meeting with teacher teams to review student work and data, assisting in delivering professional development and providing follow up support.I. Central Services and Wider Community Support is Evident Central Office continues to realign their work to support schools around the WPS Leadership Expectations by providing leadership, coaching, support, supervision, resources, and creative problem-solving to ensure schools dramatic and sustained growth in student achievement.