Sentinel & Enterprise
Friday, April 16,
2004 - LEOMINSTER -- Dr. William Hart, principal of Leominster High
School, told a small group of parents and teachers the pilot program for
small schools is off to a good start. "It's going quite well," Hart said of the pilot program. "The faculty has gotten together four times." Under the small schools pilot, a group of about 350 students will be coupled with a set of teachers who work collaboratively on curriculum. Students would volunteer for the program, which is designed to give them a sense of belonging in the 1,850-student school. Teachers will attend a two-day "retreat" in early May to develop a vision statement and identify goals for the school. They will also attend a weeklong training and planning event, which entails an overnight Outward Bound trip to Thompson's Island near Boston. The training will help teachers learn to deal with each other effectively and determine decision-making processes. "It's critically important that these folks come together as a team," Hart said. The programs will be funded through federal money for "small learning communities," Hart said. The $500,000 grant was offered in September and is administered over three years. The school council, which normally consists of about 10 parents and faculty members, also worked on the school improvement plan. Each school in the district has an improvement plan, which must be updated annually and submitted for approval by the School Committee. The plan includes specific goals, a timeline to complete the goals, which people are responsible for attaining them, and how to evaluate their success. Goals and plans being developed by the council include enhancing professional development, obtaining assessment and advice from outside educators and issuing a parent survey. |
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