DDM Self Study

Self Study Questionnaire – Drafting and Design Management Program

I. Background Data - Part I should be completed by the individual(s) most familiar with the overall curricula and the instructional delivery system of the school district.

1. Attach a copy of the program of study or course selection guide.

(Attached)

2. Describe how the school provides a carefully planned curriculum consistent with its mission and which reflects the needs of students, community, and business/industry and reform initiatives.

The mission of the Schenectady City Schools is to ensure that all students achieve their fullest potential as responsible members of a society through a system characterized by:

· Creative leadership

· Challenging curricula

· Innovative, varied, and engaging methods of learning and teaching

· Integration of modern technology

· Strong partnerships

· A safe, healthy, and supportive climate

All curriculum is developed and aligned with NYS standards as well as national skill standards where possible.

3. Explain how the curriculum delivery model is organized (e.g., department, team, house, cluster, and academy).

The courses offered for this program are available through the CAD Program and the Office Management Program and are open to all students at Steinmetz Career and Leadership Academy. The courses are taught by highly qualified Technology Teachers, Business Teachers, and Career and Technical Teachers.

4. Indicate the types of programs offered (e.g., academic, technical, college preparatory, general, electives).

There are a variety of programs offered to meet the needs of the students. They include academic, technical, credits and Industry Certifications. Students are also offered the opportunity to earn college credits.

5. Describe the English Second Language, bilingual or rural migrant education programs, if applicable.

All students are screened upon admission to the school. They receive intervention based on their individual needs.

6. Describe any supplementary program offerings (e.g., "school-within-a-school," academy, work-study, cooperative education, field placement, off-site training).

Students have internship opportunities available to students in their senior year. They also participate on various job shadows and field trips to various businesses.

7. Describe the instructional material selection procedures (e.g., texts, software, commercially prepared materials).

An extensive review of various textbooks, software and commercially prepared materials is conducted each time a new book is needed. Review materials are gathered from vendors and generally Teachers and Department Coordinators will meet to discuss the pros and cons of each option with particular attention to readability by our student population.

8. Describe and list affiliation and/or articulation agreements.

We currently have an articulation agreement with Schenectady Community College in which the students earn transcript credit upon successful completion of the CAD class for 3 credits, and the Microsoft Office class for 3 credits.

9. Indicate the average numbers of classes for which teachers are responsible.

Teachers are responsible for five (5) classes.

10. Indicate the average numbers of preparations for which teachers are responsible.

On average teachers in this program are responsible for 5 preparations.

11. Describe the school’s grading policy.

Currently, our schools grading policy is being reviewed by a committee of teachers and administrators. Basically, it is a 0-100 scale, with teachers encouraged to give no grades lower than a 50 or a NG meaning no grade. The committee’s most recent brief is attached, and pasted below:

Schenectady High School Grading Practice

Schenectady High School grading practice requires grades that reflect student proficiency of subject area standards. Individual teachers develop their grading procedures based on department and district guidelines. Quarterly grades are provided to students and parents with the intent of communicating progress of the student’s understanding to date. Ultimately the final grade reflects the level of student mastery of the subject area standards. It is the goal for all Schenectady High School students to achieve mastery level.

While the following is important information for us to share with parents, it will not be used in calculating the quarter or final grades for achievement for freshman, sophomores, or juniors.

o Participation

o Effort

o Discipline

o Attendance

o Homework (no more than 10% of quarter or final grade)

Students

• Only graded assessments will be used in calculating grades
• Have the right to see their grades
• Should contact their teacher to create a plan to improve achievement and to retake an assessment, if necessary
• Final course grades may or may not be an average of four quarters and the final exam, and will reflect overall academic progress

Teachers

• Will only use graded assessments when calculating grades
• Will allow students to retake assessments (when possible), if students have successfully completed remediation
• Will provide evidence to support each grade they assign
• Will strive to use common assessments whenever possible
• Will make grades available for timely review in Home Access

Options for Report Card Grading:

NG (No Grade) – For students whose grades are below a 55 and who have not completed enough assessments for an accurate grade.

I (Incomplete) – to be used for students who have missed school time for an excused reason

**Seniors are grandfathered in for quality point calculations.

*Updated January 2013*

Due to a change in NYSED’s regulations, our local policy, “If a student passes a final assessment they will have earned at minimum a passing grade for the course” has been removed. NYSED has stated that a passing Regents score cannot be the sole factor in determining course credit. Others factors can include evidence that support student achievement and overall academic progress.

12. Describe the student attendance policy.

Expectations for Good Attendance

Students are expected to attend scheduled classes. The insistence on good attendance serves a clear and constant reminder of the importance of good instruction, enabling the student to:

• · Learn subject matter and earn good grades
• · Develop responsible work and study habits, and
• · Prepare for the world of work

Under the New York State Education Law Section 3205, parents are responsible for the regular attendance of their children.

Attendance/Student Grades

Participation Policy:

This is best addressed by the grading policy above.

13. Describe the following: graduation requirements, promotion requirements and/or retention policies.

Students must meet NYS graduation requirements. Schenectady High School requires that students earn a total of 22 points to graduate. A minimum of 5 points is required each school year to move up to the next grade.

14. Describe the philosophy, process and/or procedures utilized in the development of the master schedule. Please include the student course selection process, development of the master schedule and resolution of scheduling conflicts.

On or around the beginning of the new calendar year, students meet with his/her Guidance Counselor to select classes for the upcoming school year. Once the courses are selected they are inputted by the Guidance Counselors into the SCSD master system called eSchool. The master schedule is then produced and conflicts are resolved manually by the Guidance Counselors and house principal.

15. Describe the school's procedures for monitoring student progress (e.g., deficiency reporting, grade reporting, competency reporting).

Students receive an Interim Progress Report halfway through the quarter (approximately 10 weeks). The progress is entered into the eSchool system by the teachers and electronically mailed to the parents.

Student progress is also tracked by the student’s team of teachers. Advisory Interventions are set with students throughout the quarter to touch base with students deemed at risk for failing and/or underachieving.

Students and parents may also monitor progress the Home Access. Home Access allows parents and students to view teacher grade books, attendance and discipline information.

16. Describe the school's homework policy.

The school has no official homework policy. It is at the discretion of the individual teacher.

17. Describe the school's response to educational reform initiatives and explain how it has affected or will affect the instructional delivery system.

The District Administration and the Teacher’s Union have been pro-active in response to educational reform. One example is that last year the APPR process that the district and the SFT (Teachers union) developed was cited as a model for other districts. Over the summer of 2012, administrators attended the NYSUT evaluator training to facilitate the whole APPR process. Unlike many other districts attending the training, Schenectady paired each of its administrators with a teacher to go through the training together. It represented a truly collaborative, rather than combative, effort.

18. Describe the school’s curriculum development process.

An Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction oversees all curriculum development. In addition, there is a Curriculum committee made up of the Assistant Superintendent, Department Coordinators, Teacher Representatives, Professional Development Representatives, and a Union Representative. This committee meets monthly and on an as needed basis to ensure a continuous improvement and development of curriculum in the School District. All curriculum is developed in accordance with the New York State Standards and other appropriate measurements.

19. Describe the level of budgetary support of the curriculum development process.

The process of supporting the curriculum development initiatives is recognized as a critical process in the overall development of student program offerings and achievement. This area is given the full support of the District Administration as well as the School Board.

20. Describe the school’s equipment replacement and modernization plan which includes physical plant considerations.

Infrastructure renovations in present facilities are regularly assessed and include compliance with state and ADA codes, as well as upgrades such as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, replacement of furniture and flooring.

21. Provide the school’s educational technology plan.

Below is an overview of the District’s Technology initiatives:

The district vision of connecting students and teachers to the world beyond the classroom has indeed become a reality. Entering the eighth year of the technology program, students, staff and families of the Schenectady City School District are benefiting from a network infrastructure that connects throughout each building, has access to each building, and connects to outside networks. The network is comprised of a high-speed fiber optic ring, which circles the city. The ring is tied together between five schools using high speed Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) Technology. The network supports 100Mb switched Ethernet, as well as positions the district to support ATM and Gigabit (1,000Mb) Ethernet services across the network. Stability, flexibility, manageability, performance, and cost-effectiveness support the infrastructure.

Schenectady has employed Windows NT/2000/2003 as the network operating system. A server farm of 51 servers has been installed to provide specialized support services including file sharing, shared printers, shared applications, CD ROM, DVD, and video servers, electronic mail on site, web hosting for district Intranet and public web site, and security and proxy filtering services.

The Schenectady City School District student per computer ratio is 4 to 1.

Taking an aggressive approach to preparing fourth and eighth grade students for standardized testing, Schenectady has installed clusters of computers in each of the third and seventh grades classrooms. Five computers were placed in five science labs at the high school for use with microcomputer based laboratory probes for data collection.

Connectivity has also enhanced communication and contributed to a most efficient system of operations throughout all seventeen schools and administrative offices.

Infrastructure, maintenance and program modification are guided by a technology consulting firm and district technical staff. Twenty-four hour support to the technology program is provided through out-sourcing. “The Help Desk” provides daily assistance and service, including one-on-one and small group training to all district personnel.

The Steinmetz Career & Leadership & Academy (SCLA) in the Schenectady City School District has implemented a 1:1 laptop initiative as funded by a grant from the US Department of Labor. All students in grades nine and ten at SCLA (who have met basic eligibility requirements of attendance and appropriate behavior) receive HP ProBooks, model 4320T for their personal use in this digital program. Students can access the Internet in school at their classroom teacher’s discretion. All students also receive flash drives to save their work if they do not have Internet access once they leave the school building.

22. Explain how adequate time is provided to ensure that an integrated program is ensured and that program objectives are met in the following areas: applied academics, technical education, student services, special education, student support services, student activities, English as a second language, and bilingual education.

Students are provided with many after school programs to ensure that program objectives are met. ESL and Special Ed Students are integrated into classes where teachers apply multiple teaching techniques to reach a diversified student body. Additionally students will be put into advisory groups where they will participate in activities by interest. Students are also encouraged to join any Schenectady High sports or activities. A daily bus goes to the high school to facilitate this. Additionally, SCLA has its own Interact chapter as well as a ACE environmentalist club.

23. Explain how the school encourages innovative and experimental programs designed to serve the needs of students and to contribute to the school’s stated mission.

Schenectady High School has made significant changes for the 2010-2011 school year.

The changes were required because of low Regents test scores and a low graduation rate for at least five consecutive years.

The restructuring plan that was implemented beginning in September 2010 reflects changes in philosophy as well as programming changes and new initiatives, organizational and structural changes, increased resources and supports, increased staffing and enhanced professional development. The Department of Labor Grant focuses on three major initiatives:

1. Major education strategies will include developing:

• A 9th grade academies in each of the house of the high school,

• A targeted program for Repeat 9th graders,

• Establishing a new career-themed Digital Academy, and

• Making significant improvements to existing career-themed houses to enhance career connections as well as improving rigor and relevance.

2. To Improve the School Environment and Student Behavior DOL grant funds will support:

• Educational changes (9th grade Academies, additional career themed satellite house and alternative education programs) that will reduce overcrowding in the hallways and cafeteria on the SHS main campus, reducing potential for conflict.

• Bullying programs such as the Student Ambassador Leadership Program to facilitate greater communication between student groups and SHS faculty and administration.

• Gang awareness training for students, parents, and staff will be essential to changing the school climate.

• Digital Citizenship Training will be aimed at stopping online student bullying which has been cited as one cause in a recent suicide cluster event.

• Intensive interventions such as Aggression Replacement Therapy and Functional Family Therapy will be targeted to students with repeat aggressive behaviors.

• 6 Case Managers each serving a case load of approximately 20 highly at-risk students

3. Employment Strategies is an essential component of the DOL program.

• Career awareness and exploration will begin in 9th grade with career fairs, speakers, and visits to colleges and tours of places such as the nearby GE Research and Development Center.

• Career interest inventory and establish a career portfolio in 9th grade before selecting a career themes house for 10th-12th grades.

• Six-week program offing half-day academic skills program to build SCANS Competencies paired with half-day work experiences or service learning experiences.

24. Explain how Individual Education Plans are implemented and maintained on file for each special needs student.

The House Principals maintain the Individual Education Plans (IEP) for each Special Needs Student. The files are made available to the teachers in order to provide students with the appropriate instructional methods to meet his/her needs. Open communications exists between the Special Ed Teacher, Regular Ed Teacher, Guidance, Principals, and parents. An annual meeting with parents is utilized to update the student IEP and make adjustments as necessary.

Self Study Questionnaire – DDM Program

II. Educational Program: Self-Study Narrative - Part II must be completed by each department within the school responsible for curriculum and the delivery of instruction. That includes, but is not limited to, technical, academic, bilingual, special education, and other or unique programs.

Curriculum

1. Describe the school’s technology plan and explain how it is consistent with the school’s mission and curriculum.

Steinmetz Career & Leadership & Academy (SCLA) in the Schenectady City School District has implemented a 1:1 laptop initiative as funded by a grant from the US Department of Labor. All students in grades nine and ten at SCLA (who have met basic eligibility requirements of attendance and appropriate behavior) receive HP ProBooks, model 4320T for their personal use in this digital program. Students can access the Internet in school at their classroom teacher’s discretion. All students also receive flash drives to save their work if they do not have Internet access once they leave the school building.

The district vision of connecting students and teachers to the world beyond the classroom has indeed become a reality. Students, staff and families of the Schenectady City School District are benefiting from a network infrastructure that connects throughout each building, has access to each building, and connects to outside networks. The network is comprised of a high-speed fiber optic ring, which circles the city. The ring is tied together between five schools using high speed Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) Technology. The network supports 100Mb switched Ethernet, as well as positions the district to support ATM and Gigabit (1,000Mb) Ethernet services across the network. Stability, flexibility, manageability, performance, and cost-effectiveness support the infrastructure.

Schenectady has employed Windows NT/2000/2003 as the network operating system. A server farm of 51 servers has been installed to provide specialized support services including file sharing, shared printers, shared applications, CD ROM, DVD, and video servers, electronic mail on site, web hosting for district Intranet and public web site, and security and proxy filtering services.

The Schenectady City School District student per computer ratio is 4 to 1.

Connectivity has also enhanced communication and contributed to a most efficient system of operations throughout all seventeen schools and administrative offices.

Infrastructure, maintenance and program modification are guided by a technology consulting firm and district technical staff. Twenty-four hour support to the technology program is provided through out-sourcing. “The Help Desk” provides daily assistance and service, including one-on-one and small group training to all district personnel.

2. Describe how the Program Advisory Committee is effectively utilized to recommend program modifications based on changing technology; assist with the development of an equipment acquisition plan; assist in the development of the educational technology plan; review both the technical and academic curricula and communicate recommendations to the appropriate authority.

The DDM advisory committee will be a sub-committee of the SCLA advisory board. The committee will be committed to achieving all of the objectives required to insure the programs success.

3. List the names of advisory committee members by program. Include their titles and business affiliations

See attached.

4. Describe how advisory committee minutes are developed and maintained.

Minutes will be maintained by the secretary of the advisory committee. (Currently Jennifer Cass)

5. Explain how the program design ensures that every student, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity and disabling condition is offered a quality education.

The academic portion of the DDM Program combines the skills needed to function independently in the workplace through curriculum designed to align with the current NYS Learning Standards. This provides all students with the skills necessary to be successful in the workforce. Guidance and special education personnel work closely with the faculty to ensure students are placed in programs appropriate to their interests and ability. Special education staff meets frequently with teachers to monitor student progress, make modifications and to provide assistance to students and staff when necessary. Resources are available to meet students’ individual needs regardless of their gender, race, ethnicity, or handicapping condition.

6. Describe the process used to devise, update and revise or modify scope and sequences for your program.

The teachers will seek continuous improvement by modifying the scope, sequence and levels of curriculum to meet the needs of the population. The advisory committee will make recommendations on the curriculum to meet industry and technology standards. Updates, revisions, and modifications will be done in a like manner and with input from the advisory committee.

7. Explain how your curriculum design creates opportunities for students to understand educational expectations, to receive recognition for achievement, and guidance to improve performance.

The DDM Program will provide clear and concise expectations to all students. During opening days of school students will be provided with the following:

Outline of the course

Grading policy

Safety procedures

Discipline code

Attendance policy

These expectations are further reinforced through timely meetings between teacher, student, guidance counselor, and social workers where applicable.

The DDM Program will provide students with the opportunity to receive accolades for their achievement on a daily basis. The utilization of interpersonal communication skills between teacher and student will foster an environment that allows for verbal, non-verbal and written feedback concerning student performance. The feedback is delivered individually, in small groups and to the class as a whole. Further recognition of achievement is given by:

Daily performance grades

Perfect attendance

Employment recommendations

The DDM Program will also provide ample guidance for the improvement of student performance. Students will receive constructive reviews of their performance. This feedback will be delivered in a tactful and efficient manner that bolsters student confidence as they continue to progress in the proper direction. Additional reinforcement will be provided by:

Assignment grades

Tests and quizzes

Progress reports

Report cards

8. Describe the competency based system utilized and how it is built upon clearly defined duties and/or tasks.

We will utilize and align the NYS Standard competencies with the curriculum to clearly define duties and/or tasks.

9. Describe how you, as a department, provide for expected student outcomes through your instructional design.

The Business, Family and Consumer Science, and Business department utilize the following learning outcomes when creating instruction design:

Cognitive Areas

1. Activities which give evidence of knowing
2. Activities giving evidence of comprehension
3. Activities giving evidence of application of knowledge/understanding
4. Activities giving evidence of analysis
5. Activities giving evidence of synthesis
6. Activities giving evidence of creativity
7. Activities giving evidence of evaluation

Transferable Skills

1. Psycho-motor skills
2. Self Appraisal and Reflection on Practice
3. Planning and Management of Learning
4. Problem-solving
5. Communication Presentation
6. Interactive and group skills

10. Describe how co-curricular activities within your program are provided to enhance students’ leadership, self-esteem and career awareness.

Students enrolled in the DDM program are encouraged to help to facilitate all of the school events that happen during the year. This includes things that happen on campus during the school day such as the 2012 Career Fair held in our Gym and our back bus loop; on campus after school such as our awards night; and off campus on weekends such as the celebrate Schenectady 2012 celebration.

Additionally, students have the opportunity to participate on various job shadows and career focused field trips throughout the year. Students in the CAD class are also required to do a teach back to the class for one section of the class. It could be a whole unit, or just a part of a unit.

11. Describe how your instructional program is designed to meet the licensure or certification requirements.

The DDM Program is designed to meet the competencies aligned with the NOCTI CAD examination, and the Microsoft Office Specialist Certification exams. (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel)

12. Describe procedures used in your program to promote student participation in school-to-work and cooperative work experiences. (Refer to I.6.)

Students are strongly encouraged to participate in school-to-work and cooperative work experiences. Students participate in annual Job Shadow Events, Experience Your Future Day, Construction Career Days. Students also help to plan and implement our first Career Fair, which was a recommendation of our advisory board. We had over 30 careers present from all areas. Next year, we plan to expand the fair and host it for the whole distict.

13. Explain those affiliations and/or articulation (i.e., Tech Prep) agreements appropriate to your program.

Students in the DDM program can receive 3 college credits in the CAD class, and 3 college credits in the Microsoft Office class through Schenectady County Community College. These credits are on a transcript and are fully transferable.

Instruction

14. Explain how the design of your instructional program reflects the mission of the school.

By offering students real world experience and exposure to the business world students are given the opportunity to become responsible members of society through a system characterized by those defined in the school district’s mission.

15. Describe the strategies used within your program which provide for the integration of academic and technical instruction.

Below are the strategies used to provide for the integration of academic and technical instructions:

Help students to prepare for learning.

Establish the importance of the topic and the connection to what has been previously learned. Help the student to use prior knowledge about the topic through such questions as What do I already know about the topic?, What do I need to learn?, How does what I will learn relate to what I already know?, What is important about what I will learn?

Help students to organize learning. Show connections among new ideas and prior knowledge, and show how the new knowledge is organized and how parts are related. Call attention to key concepts and issues, and ask students to elaborate on what they are doing.

Help students to control their own learning. Assist students in acquiring the capability to plan their own activity, reflect on their performance, monitor success or failure, alter responses, and take corrective action. Help students to become aware of factors that affect their own thinking, and to take control of their own thinking. Have students identify what they already know and what they need to know. Have students identify the assumptions that they are making, and engage students in self-questioning. Have students determine what cues to look for, and how to tell if a task is satisfactorily completed.

Help students to attach meaning. Ask "why" questions; have students organize what they know into structures. Have students explain differences between their initial ideas and what actually happened, and to compare their explanations with formal explanations. Have students identify and compare their own problem-solving processes with those of an expert, or another student. Have students integrate their ideas into a body of prior knowledge. Encourage generalizations to other situations.

Help students to use learning. Relate what they already know to the to-be-learned information; ask students to go beyond the immediate problem originally addressed to solve related problems. Move in a series of steps to problems that are different from the first problem. Include activities requiring students to use new ideas in multiple contexts. Use the same learning to develop new ideas; have students construct solutions to new problems by recalling concepts previously learned.

16. Describe how teachers are fully utilizing available technology in their planning, teaching, and data collection, analysis and reporting.

Teachers utilize the following techniques:

· Utilize PowerPoint, the Internet, and Web pages as instructional tools

· Utilize School District student management software (ESchool) to report grades, attendance, and homework so that parents can access the information on-line

· Utilize basics Microsoft Word and e-mail to maintain contact with parents.

· Utilize SmartBoards for instruction

· Utilize various software to create graphic organizers and templates for students

17. Explain how the application of computers is integrated within your instructional program.

There are many opportunities to integrate technology into the instructional program by providing opportunities for students to use hardware and software for classroom learning experiences. Some examples include the following:

· Integrating spreadsheets for student data gathering. Using word processing and PowerPoint for reporting the data.

· Using Autodesk products including AutoCAD, Inventor, and Architectural Desktop to facilitate the design process

· Using alternate CAD platforms including ProDesktop and SolidWorks to ensure that students learn the process over the software.

· Teaching students to evaluate online resources for accuracy and to access online reference materials.

· Integrating SmartBoards to provide students opportunities for interactive learning.

· Creating E-Portfolios

18. Explain how the learning resources required to implement your instructional program are made available to and utilized by you.

Learning resources are made available through a variety of methods including funding for textbooks and other resource materials through various grant programs. In addition, the CTE teachers are very resourceful and find many materials for free.

19. Describe how you demonstrate creativity and initiative and utilize a variety of resources in the delivery of your instructional program.

A variety of resources are utilized to reach students at various levels of learning as well as on multiple intelligence levels. Integrating real world projects into the curriculum for the DDM Program is the best way to accomplish this.

20. Explain how instructional materials are developed to address a variety of learning styles and ability levels.

Instructional materials are developed with an emphasis on developing the skills necessary to create meaningful hands-on projects that builds on the skills learned. When presenting information a variety of techniques are utilized to insure that student needs will be addressed based on their learning styles. The learning styles considered as follows:

· Visual (spatial). Students prefer using pictures, images, and spatial understanding.

· Aural (auditory-musical). Students prefer using sound and music.

· Verbal (linguistic). Students prefer using words, both in speech and writing.

· Physical (kinesthetic). Students prefer using your body, hands and sense of touch.

· Logical (mathematical). Students prefer using logic, reasoning and systems.

· Social (interpersonal). Students prefer to learn in groups or with other people.

· Solitary (intrapersonal). Students prefer to work alone and use self-study.

21. Where applicable, explain how you provide safety instruction, instruction in hazardous chemical awareness, and written and applied safety testing.

Using a computer is not generally thought of as being one of the most hazardous activities to engage in. Yet health and safety risks do exist. These risks are reviewed with students at the beginning of each course and as situations arise to remind the students of these safety hazards. Some of the risks include the following:

· Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) results from performing repetitive movements, e.g. using the mouse, for a long period of time.

· Strained Eyes

· Stress

· Epilepsy

Students also have the option to complete the 10-Hour Construction Industry OSHA Certification Course which covers various safety tips and procedures one should follow while in the workplace.

Whenever students are introduced to a new tool, safety and maintenance are stressed and continuously reiterated.

22. Explain how you utilize IEPs or /504 Plans to maximize students’ success in your program.

The teachers work closely with the Special Ed teachers to insure that the IEPs or 504 Plans are being utilized and that the student is realizing the benefits from the modifications.

Evaluation

23. Explain the student assessment measures you have established to measure the attainment of expected performance levels in your program.

A variety of methods are utilized including student self-assessments, peer-to-peer evaluations, teacher developed tests, textbook exams, industry certification exams, performance-based activities and standardized tests.

24. Explain what measures you have instituted regarding the evaluation of student performance and how they are reviewed periodically to measure student achievement, design curriculum improvement strategies, and improve teaching and learning.

Benchmarks for student achievement and continuous improvement are established to ensure that measured learning is increased year over year. This is done by enhancing the curriculum and teaching techniques each year to improve results. The unit plans are developed using a Universal by Design model that incorporates reflection into the process. Additionally, the APPR NYSUT teaching rubric is designed to help the teachers to become more reflective and responsive in their planning.

25. Describe the process you use to review your program(s) to guarantee effective program design.

The program will be reviewed annually by the teachers, school and house principals, and the department coordinator. Going forward the advisory committee will be part of the program review.

26. If your state requires high stakes tests, report the testing program score results since the last decennial visit by year, by educational program and by subject area. Indicate how those results impacted the school’s educational program to improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning.

The district is in the process of an initiative to have all of its teachers focus on testing and research date to focus curriculum and instruction. Many of the teachers in our building have attended the Universal by Design Shackleford training which stresses this. Additionally student will take the NOCTI CAD exam (practical and written), the Microsoft Office Specialist Certification exams as well as having the option to take the CareerSafe OSHA certifications, which will be reported back to the state.

27. In detail, describe how your school assesses the effectiveness of teaching and learning. Provide evidence that your school has implemented an assessment program designed to measure the effectiveness of teaching and learning in all educational program areas.

Teachers are evaluated according to the attached APPR process as approved by the Schenectady City School District, the Schenectady Federation of Teachers, and New York State Education Department. The details are attached.

28. Describe the methods/types of assessments and the sources of data used by the school to determine the attainment of student academic and technical achievement.

NYS regent’s exams and technical assessments (NOCTI CAD exam, Microsoft Office Specialist Certification exams, and CareerSafe OSHA exams) include written, performance and visual.

29. Explain how the school currently evaluates its assessment program and list any possible changes for the future. Give timelines for such changes.

The school evaluates its assessment program through the analysis of the results achieved through standardized testing including the Regents Exams. These results are matched to teacher focused assessments and modifications are made as necessary.

The school has recently begun utilizing and training teachers on PerformancePlus as a way to evaluate its assessment program. This has allowed core content areas to give common assessments on a regular basis.

30. Explain the process utilized to communicate assessment results to parents, community members, teachers and governing boards.

The district’s new initiative called the Home Access Center (HAC) enables parents to get daily access to their children’s school information including attendance records, grades, class work, discipline referrals, teacher contact information and more from their home computers. Students may also access the data through Student Access Center.

In addition, the teachers utilize a variety of methods to communicate assessment results, including, AIS notification, CSE reports, interim reports, report cards, phone calls, email and letters home to parents. The PerformancePlus system allows teachers to access student test data.

31. Describe how assessment results have been used to systematically improve teaching and learning. Cite examples of changes that have been made in curriculum and instruction in the last three years due to analysis of student and school performance data.

The district has put an emphasis on incorporating reading and literacy strategies to improve student reading comprehension across the curriculum areas. All teachers have been given professional development training and additional training is on-going.

This year teachers are being trained in PerformancePlus, this system provides educators a single point of contact to easily access state, national, and local assessment data. Data is organized into live charts and graphs for easy viewing and thorough analysis. This will allow teachers to evaluate and adjust curriculum as necessary based on actual results.

SCLA has also become a project based digital academy. A component of this is that our students have been given laptops to help them to access their materials. Another component is that teachers have been given extensive training and time to allow for them to get their classes up on the web and accessible by the students and parents.

32. Indicate who is responsible for ensuring that assessment results and data sources are organized, analyzed, interpreted, reported and utilized in the evaluation of curriculum and instruction.

There is a curriculum review committee that is charged with continuous improvement of curriculum to match assessment results. This committee utilizes data from a variety of sources to analyze and interpret the impact that the curriculum has on the results.

Communication

33. Describe parental involvement in the IEP team process.

Parents are included in the initial process as well as the ongoing evaluation of the student.

34. Explain what measures are taken to insure that parents understand the program developed by the IEP process.

The special education teachers work closely with the parents and other interested parties to ensure that they fully understand the program being administered for his or her child.

III. Follow-up to Previous Evaluations - Part III must be completed by each department within the school responsible for curriculum and the delivery of instruction. That includes, but is not limited to, technical, academic, bilingual, special education, and other or unique programs.

1. Describe changes in your curriculum and instruction over the last three years and the rationale prompting those changes, i.e., previous accreditation evaluations, state educational agency reports, legislation, state or local assessments of teaching and learning effectiveness, follow-up studies, needs assessments, advisory committee recommendations, etc. (Specify the source of the impetus for change.)

Curriculum in the DDM Program will be constantly reviewed and revised. The DDM program is a combination of the CTE approved CAD program, and the CTE approved Office Management program. It is designed to train and prepare students for various careers in which computer design is a part of the job, such as the “Nanotech” field, Green Energy, and a host of other careers. Students who complete the course of study will find themselves leaving high school with the skills necessary to find entry level drafting positions at many companies. They also will be able to continue their education in a host of various related degree programs at many colleges and universities, especially including Hudson Valley’s Associates Degree in CAD. Enrolled students will also have the opportunity to earn three college credits through the CHS CAD class, and three credits through the CHS Microsoft Office class both through Schenectady County Community College. The DDM program has four classes for a total of 3.5 credits. As a part of the program students will take the NOCTI CAD exams, the Microsoft Office Specialist Certification exams in Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, and will have the option to take the CareerSafe OSHA certifications. Students will work on the AutoDesk (2013) suite of software, including Inventor, AutoCAD, and Architectural Desktop and Microsoft Office 2010.

2. Describe any recommendations of more than three years standing resulting from accreditation evaluations that have not been implemented and indicate the rationale for those decisions.

NOT APPLICABLE

IV. School Initiatives - Part IV must be completed by each department within the school responsible for curriculum and the delivery of instruction. That includes, but is not limited to, technical, academic, bilingual, special education, and other or unique programs. Additionally, Part IV should be completed by the individual(s) most familiar with the overall curricula and the instructional delivery system of the school district. This should be written from a systemic and summative perspective.

Identify any existing or planned program restructuring or other reform initiatives which have implications for the curriculum. Describe the implications for curriculum and/or instruction for each of these initiatives and provide timelines for the changes.

The Consolidated Action Plan that was implemented beginning in September 2010 reflects changes in philosophy as well as programming changes and new initiatives, organizational and structural changes, increased resources and supports, increased staffing and enhanced professional development. The plan comprised of the initiatives of the Department of Labor Grant, Incident Reduction, Restructuring and the Joint Intervention Team focuses on educational strategies, improvement of school environment, and employment strategies.

One of the educational strategies the DOL Grant has outlined is establishing a new career-themed Digital Academy. The Digital Academy at SCLA has focused on the implementation of 1:1 laptops computing for students in grades nine and ten, integration of 21^st Century Skills across content areas, and project based learning. Although these initiatives posed significant changes for other content areas the CAD Program was already utilizing these instructional practices.

Other initiatives include the development of effective systems and procedures for the creation and use of assessments, data management tools and effective uses for data analysis. Although there are currently not any standardized testing results for technology available the department has been discussing ways to utilize the results available through PerformancePlus to inform their teaching.

The district also is reviewing the policy and procedures to improve grading, attendance, promotion and graduation rate.

V. Summary - Part V must be completed by the individual who answered the self-study questionnaire under Roman Numeral I and by each department within the school responsible for curriculum and the delivery of instruction who responded to the self-study questionnaire Roman Numeral II, III and IV. That includes, but is not limited to, technical, academic, bilingual, special education, and other or unique programs. Additionally, Part V should be completed by the individual(s) most familiar with the overall curricula and the instructional delivery system of the school district. This summary should be written from a systemic and summative perspective.

1. Strengths/Commendations

List and prioritize major strengths or areas that warrant commendations with regard to this standard. Identify efforts which will be expended to maintain these.

Up-to-date curriculum is consistent with the schools mission and is designed to ensure that every student regardless of gender, race, ethnicity or disability is offered an equal education. Teachers seek continuous improvement by modifying the curriculum as needed to stay current with industry requirements. The development of a Program Advisory Committee will continue to ensure the most up-to-date programs are covered in the curriculum.

Teachers demonstrate creativity and initiative and use a variety of resources in the delivery of instructional programs to address a variety of learning styles and ability levels. Continued participation in professional development by teachers will ensure the development of instruction to meet diverse learning styles and ability levels.

The program design provides for the identification of expected student performance and learning outcomes and creates opportunities for the student to understand the educational expectations. Students are recognized for achievements and are given guidance to improve performance to meet testing requirements.

Teachers utilize all available technology and resources in their planning, teaching and data collection, analysis and reporting. Teachers will continue to stay abreast of technology developments through professional development opportunities and through the development of relationships with industry leaders.

2. Concerns/Problems to be Addressed

List the major concerns, needs or problems that have been identified in the questionnaire.

The school offers a carefully designed technology plan which is consistent with its mission and its curriculum plan; this includes but is not limited to a vision, goals, school wide objectives, administrative plans, professional development, instructional technology integration, and planned steps to accomplish the goals.

Program Advisory Committees are effectively utilized to recommend program modifications based on changing technology; assist with the development of an equipment acquisition plan; assist in the development of the Technology Plan; and review both the technical and academic curricula.

Co-curricular activities are provided to enhance the students’ leadership skills, self-esteem, and career awareness.

The development of more business partnerships and mentoring opportunities for students.

3. Recommendations to Resolve Concerns/Problems

List and prioritize major recommendations to address the identified needs, concerns or problems as they relate to maintaining strengths and addressing concerns.

The district’s technology plan is currently being reviewed and updated by the District Technology Committee.

A Program Advisory Committee is being formed and will play an integral role in the program’s continued development and success.

Partnering with Junior Achievement to offer more programs and opportunities for students to develop leadership skills, self-esteem, and career awareness.

Partner with the Schenectady Chamber of Commerce and the Advisory Committee to develop business partnerships and mentor opportunities.

4. Adherence to the Standard

Given the information reported above, assess the degree to which the school adheres to the Standard on Educational Program.

By and large with few exceptions the school adheres to the Standard on Educational Program. The outlined steps will be taken to resolve the identified concerns/problems.

VI. Materials for Accreditation Team

Ø Program of Studies for the current school year

Ø Teacher Handbook

Ø Student Handbook

Ø School Brochure/Pamphlets/Flyers

Ø Competency based curriculum

Ø Vocational Technical Task Listings

Ø Scope and Sequences/Course Outlines

Ø Competency Lists

Ø Master Schedule

Ø Faculty Contracts

Ø Advisory Committee Agendas and Minutes

Ø Advisory Committee Attendance Record by Program

Ø System wide Assessment Batteries

Ø Sample curricula (vocational technical, academic, integrated, modified for SPEC)

Ø School Technology Plan

E = Exceeds Expectations M = Meets Expectations N = Needs Improvement

3. Educational Program

E M N

E M N

E M N

E M N

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