MR. UMSTEAD'S PRINCIPAL PAGE
 
OUR VISION: EVERYONE WILL LEARN AND SUCCEED!!!

 Professional Learning Teams (PLTs)

The greatest responsibility we have as a community is the education of our children. We are committed to providing an environment in which all students reach their full academic potential.

Part of that commitment includes the continual improvement of how we teach. We are always seeking the best possible teaching methods and learning from each other. This helps our school community ensure each child’s success.

 

Collaboration at our school is an important part of our efforts, and we regularly hold team-based learning sessions at our school. These meetings are called Professional Learning Teams (PLT) and are a time for teachers to discuss classroom strategies, individual student performance, and best teaching practices.

 

In the spring, the Wake County Board of Education approved a school schedule for the 2009-10 school year that allows for more collaboration and Professional Learning Teams (PLT) sessions.

 

Mark your calendar for these important changes

 

  • Every Wednesday, all Wake County Schools will release one hour early to allow for PLT meetings.  We dismiss at 2:45 and we call these days “Wake Wednesdays”.

 

  • Six early-release days are also included in 2009-10. All Wake County schools will dismiss 2.5 hours early, 1:15 at Swift Creek.  These “early release days” also occur on Wednesdays.  They are 9/23, 10/21, 12/2, 2/3, 3/10, and 4/21.

 Wednesday only after school care is available.  Call the school (233-4320) or check our website (swiftcreekes.wcpss.net) for more information.

 

Ten minutes has been added to the school day

 

To meet the state requirements of 180 days of instruction and 1,000 hours of instruction, 10 minutes have been added to the school day to make up for the time used in the PLTs.  Swift Creek will start at 9:05 this year.

 

We hope that you will support our efforts at improving learning and teaching for our students. We are committed to helping your student reach his or her full potential, and PLT time will help us in these efforts. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call me.

 


 

 

My Goals 

As part of my professional growth and evaluation process, I have chosen two goals for improvement.  Below is the second of my goals.

 
Goal 2:  Improve the function of PLTs by using Intervention Alignment and assessments to provide resources to increase growth and proficiency for all learners and to effectively monitor their progress. 

Standard(s) addressed by the goal:

 

Instructional Leadership

a)      Focus on Learning and teaching, curriculum, Instruction and Assessment

b)      Focus on Instructional time

Cultural Leadership

a)      Focus on Collaborative Work Environment

Human Resource Leadership

Professional Development/Learning Communities

Actions to be taken to meet goal and identified standard(s) will include, but are not limited to:

  • The Principal will direct the use of AIMSweb assessments within the first two weeks of school to identify students who do not meet the benchmarks in reading fluency.
  • The Principal will mandate the giving of running records and/or DRAs to all students who do not meet AIMSweb benchmarks
  • Principal will monitor the staff training on the use of the Pyramid of interventions for students below benchmarks on running records/DRAs
  • Principal will assign an intervention coordinator for each grade level to progress monitor the use of interventions, decide if working or need more intensive interventions
  • Principal will monitor the training of progress monitoring of the intensive interventions, continue those interventions if working, use more intense interventions if not working and refer to the Intervention Team if not working over the long term
  • Principal will direct the Intervention Team to begin working on a Pyramid of Math Interventions
  • The Principal will review those assessments to drive school improvement