Dr.

Nehrig- Forrest Lake Elementary School

Mr. Struska- Palm Terrace Elementary

1. How do you use the school’s vision and mission in making instructional decisions for your
school?

Our mission statement is, “The mission of our Forest Lake Elementary community is to
provide a learning environment where all students can achieve academic success” For me,
what that’s telling me- that it involves collaboration because it stresses community, it
emphasizes equity because it talks about all students. It also talks about the learning
environment, As a leader to make decisions, I emphasize PLCs to emphasize collaboration
and equity through teachers to supporting each other and identifying student need and
developing strategies to meet those needs. Everything the teachers do through collaboration
and PLCs is about meeting those student needs and helping them achieve. My role is to
ensure that I place the right person in the right place to do their best work for kids. If I
successfully do that in every position we have, if I have the best person for each person,
based on skills, knowledge, talent, etc. then that is when students are going to be successful
because we have the best person in each position.

Instructionally, the decisions have to be made to meet every learner where they are at to
ensure one year’s worth of growth, or more, in one year’s time. That is in line with “creating
21st century learners”- students who are ready to enter the workforce. By ensuring students
are given the opportunities they need in school, we are promising to prepare them for the
jobs that are not yet created. By asking teachers to use data to help drive instruction, we
are asking them to meet their students where they have needs to ensure they are learning
as much as possible and becoming as prepared as they can for their future.

2. What is the process used at your school/district for the development of the school’s
Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP)? How does this correlate to federal and state
regulatory compliance?

We begin by, nearing the end of the school year, our leadership team begins analyzing the
data that we have been gathering to then begin the process of developing next year’s plan.
We also involve stakeholders through our School Advisory Council. Based on the state’s
template, we go through an 8- step problem solving process. As we draft our plan, the
strategies and action plan that we developed are then monitored on an on-going basis
throughout the upcoming school year. As we go through the next school year and
implement that plan, our leadership team and SAC monitors the plan and make
improvements so that at the end of the school year we are already improving and planning
for the next school year to begin the process again.
 We meet multiple times throughout the year to review our school improvement plan, after
it is built. As far as building it- we meet as a team with district support. We meet and align
our school improvement plan to the district improvement plan using data from the previous
year’s standardized testing results. This data determines where our highest needs are and
allows us to tailor our goal to not only align with district goals, but to ensure we are meeting
all of our students where they show their highest needs.

3. How often is the CIP plan reviewed?

I would say minimally twice a year, because we have a required mid-year process. Once a
month our SLT and SAC meet to look at the CIP.

Quarterly by the SLT, District personnel, and SAC committee. We monitor using data and
analyze if/when goals are being met or if they need to be changed.

4. What impact does the CIP have on curricular decisions?

Not a lot. The focus is more on delivery of instruction as opposed to the actual curriculum
itself. As teachers are discussing students need in PLC, they will decide to modify the
curriculum if it is needed. This is sometimes impacted by the CIP, however, the CIP is
more focused on how we meet needs of students to ensure their success in mastering the
curricular needs of their respective grade levels.

The school improvement plan drives our decisions because it also ties into our title 1 budget
which determines what we purchase curriculum wise. They affect allocations for staffing
such as science interventionists, reading interventionists, etc. They all align, and all support
our goal.

5. How curricular decisions are made regarding intervention strategies that promote the
academic success of all students?

Goes back to PLC and how teachers collaborate to meet the needs of students. Aggregate
data and use it to make small groups for instruction and recommendation for intervention
and tutoring referrals are made based upon this same data- OPM Ongoing Progress
Monitoring

Using the goals that are outline in the CIP, we make plans for interventionists to appropriate
time to certain groups of students. Usually, these are students who are on the verge of
mastery of standards and who may require the extra support to meet and exceed their
learning goals for the academic year. We also appropriate time for these interventionists to
meet with students within the full range of mastery and ask them to take part in weekly
PLC’s to review data and regroup students with their classroom teachers.

6. What is the process used in your district/school for textbook selection? How is this process
evaluated for effectiveness
 As a principal, I am somewhat removed from that process unless I was asked to sit on a
committee myself. I know that it is a representative committee. They ask for input from
stakeholders, community members and parents. After we are told what our new curriculum
is there isn’t much after that.

There is a committee that is formed, and they listen to all publishers that the district has chosen.
From here, they narrow down the choices to three publishers. The three textbooks are then sent
to schools for teachers to review and decide which one they would prefer. When all teachers
have voted for their choice, the most popular textbook will be chosen. After the district is able to
work out a purchasing plan, they must allow time for public review-this means any community
members, parents, friends, etc. may come and view the text. If they have concerns, they are able
to voice them and the district will address them accordingly. If there are no serious or evident
concerns or issues, the textbooks will then be purchased district-wide.