Dear Mitchell Families,
I am writing to share that the Mitchell school
improvement plan has been updated for the 2017-18 school year. You can find it
under the "Our School” tab of the school website or you can
access it by using the link at the bottom of this communication.
The plan is important because Mitchell
School achievement data is not yet what we expect. As of fall 2017, we see
patterns of achievement that are both encouraging and concerning:
·
NWEA scores that, on average, show growth
rates that represent more than one year of growth in a school year for
all grades at Mitchell last year in reading and math;
·
Report card data that, on average, shows growth
rates that represents more than one year of growth for all grades at
Mitchell last year in the area of reading;
·
M-Step proficiency rates in
reading and math that are lower than other schools in Ann Arbor but higher on
average than other schools in Michigan;
·
NWEA scores and M-Step achievement rates that
indicate certain groups of students predictably achieve less than other groups
of students. These groups of students include African American students,
Hispanic or Latino students, Special Education students, Economically
Disadvantaged students and English Language Learners.
The school improvement plan is based on achievement
information AND an analysis of our achievement data to understand which areas
of teaching need to be focused upon most this year to best address student
achievement needs.
For the 2017-18 school year, we believe the following
areas are most important to address to maximize student growth and proficiency:
·
IB Units of Inquiry:
o
Delivery of units that integrate state standards
in science, social studies and literacy
·
Literacy Instruction Including:
o
Guided reading and writing instruction
o
Vocabulary instruction and development
o
Additional reading support for students who
show need
·
Math Instruction Including:
o
Guided math instruction
o
Vocabulary instruction and development
o
Extended day and extended year support for
students who show need
I’m also asking families to support student
achievement at Mitchell by:
·
Reading at home each night for at least 15
minutes
·
Practicing math facts at home – addition,
subtraction and multiplication, division as appropriate
·
Attending school events
·
Talking with your child’s teacher regularly
These at home supports will help your child to grow as
a learner and achieve at high levels.
The Mitchell staff and I expect even better results to
report by the end of this school year. Our goal is to have all students
learning at the expected grade level proficiency at Mitchell School. I hope
you’ll feel free to ask questions about achievement and school improvement at
Mitchell. I’d be happy to talk with you.
You can find the plan by clicking HERE.
Sincerely,
Matt
