Greater Fall River

Regional Vocational School District

2012 - 2013

Table of Contents

• Vision, Mission and Objectives
• Goal #1 – Develop Conservation & Recycling Initiatives Throughout the Diman Community
• Goal #2 – Increase Recruiting Efforts Within the Sending Communities
• Goal #3 – Decrease Course Failures by 25%
• Goal #4 – Develop and Implement a Mentor/Protégé Program for New Students
• Time on Learning
• Professional Development Plan
• MCAS DATA and Cycle III Performance DATA (Adequate Yearly Progress)

Vision, Mission and Objectives

VISION STATEMENT

Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School graduates will be occupationally skilled workers whose academic, vocational/technical, and workplace competencies will make them responsive to socioeconomic, technological, and environmental challenges in a complex and changing society.

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of Diman RVTHS is to develop the unique potential of each learner by enabling students to acquire knowledge, skills, and dispositions that are needed to achieve personal, academic, vocational/technical, and civic goals.

OBJECTIVES

1. To ensure that every student is given opportunity to develop his/her potential without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, or disability.
2. To provide state-of-the-art, integrated academic and vocational/technical programs which optimize the potential of each student and prepare them to meet the state's performance standards.
3. To provide opportunities for students to acquire contemporary workplace skills such as communicating, organizing and analyzing information, solving problems, using technology, initiating and completing assignments, acting ethically and professionally, interacting with others, understanding the structure and dynamics of organizations, and taking responsibility for career and life choices.
4. To provide all grade 9 students with an opportunity to explore their interests in a wide array of trade/career options.
5. To provide counseling and assistance to students concerning social issues, employment and educational opportunities, and vocational orientation.
6. To provide programs and activities which contribute to health and well-being, a safe environment, a sense of belonging, and respect for self and others.
7. To use student assessment results to review and improve curricula, courses, programs, and instructional practices.
8. To encourage students to pursue professional improvement leading to certification/licensure in their trade areas and post secondary education.
9. To provide continuing adult education with a focus on developing technical skills.
10. To continuously seek, with the guidance of active Advisory Boards, new areas of training required for community and industrial development.
11. To provide personnel with the resources and the support needed to grow and develop professionally toward a goal of raising student achievement.
12. To promote cultural understanding within a diverse population.
13. To develop partnerships with business, industry, government, and the community.

Time on Learning

As a secondary school Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School exceeds the minimum 990 hours of instructional time while allowing some student release time days for faculty training and parent night. Our academic time structure is as follows:

7 periods/day @43 minutes	= 301 minutes
1 period/day @52 minutes	= 52 minutes
Total instructional minutes/day	=353 minutes
353 minutes/day x 90 days	= 31,770 minutes/year
31,770 minutes/year 60 minutes	= 529.5 academic hours/school year

Shop time on learning due to no passing time (except 7 minutes at lunchtime) is 356 minutes/day.

356 minutes/day x 90 days	= 32,040 minutes per year
32,040 minutes per year/60 minutes	= 534.0 shop hours/school year

The total academic and shop time spent on learning is:

Academic hours	=529.5
Shop hours	=534.0
	1063.5

In the above, both the Thanksgiving break, and parent night are accounted for. There may be a few early release days when students are dismissed at 11:00 a.m. for valuable staff training thus reducing student time on learning annually; however, not below the mandated 990 hours of instructional time.

Greater Fall River Vocational School District Professional Development Plan

1. By law, teachers are required to perform professional improvement for maintenance of licensure.
2. Maintenance of licensure is an issue between the teacher and the Massachusetts Department of Education. Neither the administration of Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School nor the Greater Fall River Vocational School District Committee has any jurisdictional control or authority over the Massachusetts Department of Education relative to teacher licensure.
3. By collective bargaining contract teachers are required to perform professional improvement which is totally separate and apart from the Education Reform Act of 1993, or any other applicable law requiring licensure and/or professional development obligations of a teacher or administrator.
4. Teachers and administrators have the responsibility of performing, professional improvement as required in order to maintain their license. The responsibility of documenting such professional improvement to the satisfaction of the Department of Education is also that of the teacher or administrator.
5. Professional improvement licensure activities completed by the teacher and/or administrator and approved in advance by the Superintendent-Director shall also be accepted as meeting the contractual professional development obligations to the extent of said activity meeting the requirements of the contract.

The Greater Fall River Vocational School District, for such period as mandated by state law, shall, as a provider of teacher/administrator professional development programs subject to the parameters of budget funding appropriation.

Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School will provide professional development opportunities for academic and vocational faculty, administrators, and support staff to expand their job knowledge; subject matter knowledge; expertise of standards based curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

It is recognized that licensed staff must perform professional development in order to maintain license. Professional development will be accomplished through a combination of the following as applicable to individual staff needs:

• College credit course offerings
• Workshops and seminars
• Site visits to business and industry
• Study groups
• In-service training
• Professional development through industry employment during school vacation periods

1. Provide in-service training programs. These programs will be of short duration during released time or after school when specific topic(s) of training will take place.
2. Form a Study Group. A study group will consist of any number of members necessary to accomplish the objective of the study. Said study group will meet after school and/or during school vacation periods with or without monetary stipend. Study group time must be approved by the Superintendent-Director prior to the start of the study group purpose or project. The group will be led by a convener who shall serve as chairperson. Each meeting, of the group shall have a written agenda. The group shall submit written documentation as evidence of work completed on a proposed project to be implemented. Upon receipt of documentation, each member of the study group shall be awarded appropriate profession at development points. Group hours may vary depending upon the scope of the project to be implemented; however, such time variations, which may require an adjustment in professional development points awarded, must have the advanced approval of the Superintendent-Director.
3. Reimburse the cost up to a maximum of fifteen (15) credits in graduate or undergraduate course offerings for every five-year (5) re-licensure period, provided that such course(s) is taken for professional development in the individual's area of primary certification. In order to qualify for tuition reimbursement:
   1. The course(s) must be taken at a Massachusetts state-supported community college, college, or university. Course(s) may be taken at private colleges or universities however, such courses will be reimbursed at state college or university rates.
   2. Prior approval for enrollment in a course offering must be obtained from the Superintendent-Director.
   3. Courses must be in an individual's declared area of primary license.
   4. Evidence of successful course completion and method of payment must be presented to the Superintendent-Director prior to any reimbursement.
4. Provide summer or school vacation professional development training days paid as a stipend determined by the Superintendent-Director based on the teachers' contract work beyond the normal school day rate.
5. Provide sufficient other no-cost professional development licensure opportunities to meet the requirements of the Education Reform Act of 1993) as further described in 603 CMR 44.00 while in effect. These licensure opportunities may be held at Diman Regional or at other Department of Education approved provider locations. To be eligible for said no-cost professional development licensure opportunities, the teacher/administrator must:
   1. Declare and have on file in the office of the Superintendent- Director his/her primary area of licensure.
   2. Submit evidence of enrollment in any professional development licensure program to the Superintendent-Director prior to the start of the program or as soon as possible thereafter. The teacher/administrator must pay any and all fees associated with said licensure program and will be reimbursed as specified in paragraph c. below.
   3. Submit evidence of successful completion and method of payment of a professional development licensure program to the Superintendent-Director to be reimbursed the cost of said program.
6. Textbooks and materials associated with any professional licensure program taken by a teacher or administrator necessary to complete the program will become the personal property of the teacher or administrator and the cost of which shall not be reimbursed by the School District.
7. Laboratory or library fees associated with any professional licensure program taken by a teacher or administrator necessary to complete said program will not be reimbursed by the School District.
8. In the event that a no-cost professional development program is offered at Diman Regional and there is insufficient Diman faculty/administrators to fill the minimum number of positions required, then:
   1. Said program will be offered to faculty and administrators from within the district school systems first. Should additional faculty/administrators be required to fill the program, then the program will be opened to other school systems.
   2. Any faculty/administrators from school systems other than Diman Regional will be required to submit an approved purchase order from their school system for attending the professional development program.

MCAS data and results are available ON-LINE at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website of: http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/results.html

GOAL #1: Develop Conservation & Recycling Initiatives Throughout the Diman Community
Past Performance: Recycling bins in the corridors, classrooms and offices

Strategy	Who's Responsible	Implementation Date	Status	Desired Outcome
Establish an Environmental Awareness Committee	Principal	9-1-2012		All stakeholders will increase strategies dealing with "greening" initiatives
Consult with the State Green Team	Coalition and Teacher Liaison	9-1-2012		Align Diman with state recycling initiatives
Establish a battery recycling center	Coalition and Teacher Liaison	9-1-2012		Increase awareness of recycling

Strategic Plan References: Goals # 1-5-9-14


GOAL #2: Increase Recruiting Efforts Within the Sending Communities
Past Performance: Advertisements, Admission Night, Open House, Counselor presentations

Strategy	Who's Responsible	Implementation Date	Status	Desired Outcome
New recruitment video	PPS	9-1-2012		Update Diman offerings and opportunities
Use current students in recruitment efforts	PPS	9-1-2012		Student centered approach to recruit incoming students
Increase use of social media for recruitment	PPS and Technology Coordinators/Webmaster	9-1-2012		Utilize media to make connections with students – Facebook, Twitter, You tube

Strategic Plan References: Goals # 7-10-12-14


GOAL #3: Decrease Course Failures by 25%
Past Performance: "F" policy, Student Success Plan, Credit Recovery, Intervention by Guidance Counselors

Strategy	Who's Responsible	Implementation Date	Status	Desired Outcome
Notify students whose grades are below 70 in any course to prevent failure	Parents Teachers Coordinator Counselors Students	9-1-2012		Students are aware of the potential of failing a course after each cycle
Increase the use of the Student Assistance Team	Principal Director of Guidance Guidance counselors Team Members	9-1-2012		Intervention services and strategies offered to students to improve course grades
Establish a tiered approach to review student performance and reduce the number of failures.	Principal Director of Guidance Coordinators Faculty Teams	9-1-2012		Beginning in the 2012 school year, all Seniors will be reviewed at Mid-Trimester for performance. Intervention services will be implemented when grades fall below 70 in any course in an attempt to reduce failures.

Strategic Plan References: Goals # 7-10-11


GOAL #4: Develop and Implement a Mentor/Protégé Program for New Students
Past Performance: Freshman Orientation, Non-traditional presentations.

Strategy	Who's Responsible	Implementation Date	Status	Desired Outcome
Establish a committee to develop and oversee a student mentor/protégé program at Diman	Principal Teachers Counselors Students	9-1-2012		Guidelines developed for a student Mentor/Protégé program
Mentors will acclimate new students to the Diman environment	Student Mentors Principal Teachers Counselors Students	9-1-2012		Improved school culture among new students
Partner trained, responsible Seniors with new students	Principal Teachers Counselors Students	9-1-2012		Less apprehension about transitioning into Diman

Strategic Plan References:  Goals # 3-7-8-14