Priority Focus Statement

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To build teacher capacity, we will engage in targeted professional learning in explicit instruction, adjusting small groups based on data, and providing corrective feedback to students. This differentiated support will increase students’ ability to master the standards in ELA and Math.

 

Instructional Absolutes

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1. The use of Next Generation Learning Standards as the foundational language for every teaching point and/or lesson focus/objective. “I can” statements should be visible at all times in the front of the classroom for all subject areas.

 

2. Teachers will confer with students regularly and gather information which will be used to derive future lessons. Teachers will use data from assessments in order to address the specific needs of students.

 

3. Modeling exemplary thinking, writing and problem solving for students: In ELA this would mean using well-written texts as an example of how good authors write and/or analyzing the author’s crafts.  This expands to how good readers think, meaning teachers will think aloud so that students can hear the decisions good readers make in order to understand texts.  In math, this might mean demonstrating for students what it means to explain their thinking by thinking aloud and making the problem-solving process transparent for students.

 

4. Thematic Instruction: Teachers should link every lesson to the previous lessons and connect content through constantly building on background knowledge through discussion, exposure to additional texts and other resources.  Teachers should make every attempt to create the platform for students to independently research content and ideas that relate to the theme they are studying. With this in mind, teachers will build and maintain accessible classroom libraries that provide students with an abundance of reading resources for consumption both at home and in school.  To support this endeavor, teachers will introduce new vocabulary which is reflective of the unit of study and provide students with daily opportunities to access it visually through word wall displays as well as usage in discussion, class and homework assignments.

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 5. Journals/Notebooks:

Journal questions will allow the students to think and respond critically using correct vocabulary and sharing examples that support the thinking process.  Math journal entries will include problems from the Exemplars program and daily word problems. Reading notebooks/journals will reflect student responses to independent reading.  Journal entries will have periodic, actionable teacher feedback that will create a conversation about the students' work.

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6. Flexible grouping:

The grouping of students (emergent, on, and advanced learners) will be derived from an immediate assessment of the lesson taught whereas all students know what is expected in the group and what exemplary work will look like using the rubric assigned to the task. 

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 7. Students will use anchor charts as a resource of what exemplary work looks like or as a source of reference to lessons taught or explained. Hence, the students will know how to read the room for information.

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PS 181 Mission Statement

 

As a collaborative school community of educators and parents, we are committed to a high quality of instruction, where the expectation for all students is to achieve high standards of academic excellence.

    Administrators and staff, working with the support of the School Leadership Team and parents, will provide students with standards-based classroom instruction, individualized student assessment and the necessary support services to attain success.

    We are committed to reflecting upon and refining our practice in order to strengthen the integration of the citywide instructional expectations to prepare all students, including students with disabilities, English Language Learners to graduate college. We will use a common language and build a shared understanding of high quality instruction.

    The physical, intellectual, emotional and social growth of all students including English Language learners, Special Education students within the New York Continuum, gifted and talented, and pupils in need of Academic Intervention Services will be discussed and assessed at Parent Teacher Conferences, staff conferences, PTA meetings, and school leadership committee meetings.