SILVER CREEK - The high school Comprehensive School Education Plan was the last of the three to be heard Wednesday night by the Silver Creek Board of Education.
High School Principal James Klubek's presentation began with the board's goals.
He said the high school's goal for a 90 percent graduation rate "is where the rubber meets the road."
Principal Klubek added the board's goal for character education is important for the graduation rate and meeting state standards in that if there is not a healthy school environment, students will not attend and the other goals "go out the window."
He said teachers are preparing curriculum maps to get curriculums in line with the common core state standards. This is different from the elementary and middle schools in that the state has not started to develop a curriculum for the high school level. He said teachers are also creating scope and sequence maps which take the bulk of content to be taught in a course and break it down into units.
Klubek said teachers have been supportive of the recent changes and the union has been great in working with administration to meet goals.
The high school is also doing the same as the other schools in the area of pre-assessments to measure student growth. One difference is that Klubek had to create all the pre-assessments this year because third-party suppliers, like eDoctrina in the middle school, did not have questions available at that time. He said these should be available when it is time for post-assessments.
He explained from the data derived from the pre-assessments, teachers create Student Learning Objectives to cover any weaknesses.
One difference at Silver Creek from other schools is it requires teachers without a state assessment to create an SLO, something that is not required by the state. This includes subjects like art, physical education, technology, business and other courses which will not have a pre-assessment but will set a goal for what students need to know.
Klubek said the high school is making strides to create a better climate through character education.
It's first step in this was forming an initiative of students who came up with ideas to improve the school environment. Some of their ideas include getting students and faculty involved in decorating the foyer with artwork, getting students and faculty to play holiday music in the foyer before class as well as the successful faculty basketball game held in October.
Klubek said he also intends to review the code of conduct. He said he has not decided whether to go along with the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports System, as is going forward in the middle school, but said he likes the idea of getting faculty more involved with students in positive ways.
He said he will come to the board in the future with a more definitive character education plan.
The next board meeting will be held on Dec. 12 with a workshop on consolidated grants.
In other business:
The school's Annual Performance Professional Review plan was approved by the state. View the plan at usny.nysed.gov/rttt/teachers-leaders/plans/.
High school students will be released from school early Dec. 13 and 18 for data team and staff development. A global connect message will be sent out to parents Friday.
The School Resource Officer served his first week in the school. He will be in the school two days per week.
Superintendent Daniel Ljiljanich said he would like to have more conversations with the board about the location of the nurse's office in the capital project. Otherwise the dates for a pre-bid meeting on Jan. 3 and bid day on Jan. 15 stand as scheduled.
