Atlantic Middle School Improvement Plan 2024-2025
Quincy Public Schools
Atlantic Middle School Improvement Plan
2024 - 2025
Aliza A. Schneller, Principal
Elizabeth Roy, Assistant Principal
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Principal’s Path p. 3
- Data Reflection
- Goals Reflection
- VOCAL Reflection
II. School Improvement Plan
A. Goal Statements and Action Steps p. 5
B. Professional Development Plan p. 14
C. Extended Day p. 16
D. Family Engagement and Communication p. 17
III. School Demographics p. 18
IV. Facilities p. 20
V. School Needs p. 21
VI. Budget p. 22
VII. Appendix p. 23
- Spring 2024 MCAS Data
- MAP RIT Scores 2023-2024
- 2024 Accountability
- Spring 2024 VOCAL
- Completed Action Steps
- Staffing: Support Services
- School Council Members
- Principal’s Path
Dear Members of the Quincy School Committee,
We are pleased to present Atlantic Middle School's School Improvement Plan for the 2024-2025 school year, reaffirming our commitment to supporting this community that cultivates the academic, social, and personal growth of each student. Our school year has begun on a positive note, with success in academics, school culture, and student expectations. Throughout the year, we will continue to make adjustments as needed to support ongoing improvement.
Reflecting on the successes of the 2023-2024 school year, our data shows that Atlantic Middle School outperformed state and district averages in many areas—a testament to our community's dedication and hard work. At the same time, we recognize areas for continued growth as we aim to reach even higher standards.
Our primary focus this year, which is reflected in our academic goals and highlighted in our ELA goal, is to enhance students’ writing proficiency across all content areas. Writing is a crucial skill for academic and life success, and while last year’s MCAS scores demonstrated improvement, they also highlighted that this is an area of continued growth for our students. We know that this is also an area where we can see strong growth from our English Learners. Our SMART goals and action steps for this year are created to provide all students with the necessary tools for writing mechanics, structure, and endurance and are integrated across subjects, including math. With this initiative, we are confident that students will build confidence and competence in writing, preparing them for assessments and real-world communication.
Our 2023-2024 math goal focused on increases in geometry-related content and used MAP as a measurement tool. We exceeded the goal in two grades and fell short in one grade; moreover, our 2024 MCAS scores in geometry increased tremendously and exceeded the state at all grade levels. The action steps that we implemented last year to address geometry will stay in place, while we have added additional action steps to improve critical thinking skills and student performance on constructed response questions - in line with our school-wide writing initiative. Additionally, teachers will have an increased focus on probability content in the classroom throughout the year.
Our 2023-2024 science goal focused on the physical science strand. Our overall MAP performance was strong, including in the area of physical science. However, the specific metric - targeting our lower-performing students - that we were looking for was not met. We will continue to work with all of our students to improve their understanding and application of science concepts and are eager to see results after implementing several units of the OpenSciEd curriculum this year.
Our VOCAL data this year also reflects improvements in school culture and student interactions. We were pleased to see significant growth in positive responses to statements such as “Students respect one another,” “My classmates behave the way my teachers want them to,” and “Teachers support students who come to class upset.” This progress is a reflection of our dedicated staff and the intentional work we have done individually and collectively to foster a respectful, supportive environment. To further strengthen student interactions and emotional well-being, we are continuing to incorporate the use of Open Parachute and Community Circles and positive attendance initiatives, among other initiatives, to reinforce our culture of mutual respect and support.
The start of this school year has been marked by high participation in Extended Day programs, strong athletic involvement, and meaningful family engagement events, including our first Cultural Fair earlier this month. These accomplishments showcase the strong partnerships we have built with our families, and we look forward to further collaboration as we provide students with a supportive, engaging environment that prepares them for future challenges.
Thank you for your time, support, and ongoing commitment to the success of the students at Atlantic Middle School.
Sincerely,
Aliza A. Schneller
Principal, Atlantic Middle School
- School Improvement Plan
- Goal Statements and Action Steps
SMART Goal # 1: During the 2024-2025 school year, students in Grades 6-8 will improve their ability to respond to reading and writing prompts thoroughly and accurately. This will be measured by a 3% increase at each grade level in their MCAS scores in the area of writing, as published in the spring 2025 CU306 report.
Action Steps/Monitoring Plan
Step | Strategies/Activities | Timeline | Sources of Evidence | Team/Person Responsible | Status New, Revised or Continued | ||
1. | Implement elements of the Writing Revolution in ELA and reading classes, including sentence structure. | September 2024-June 2025 | Writing samples, lesson plans | ELA/Reading Teachers | New | ||
2. | Create and assign consistent quick writes in class, in which students will need to turn the question around, use complete sentences and proper punctuation. | September 2024-June 2025 | Writing samples, lesson plans | Special Education ELA teachers | New | ||
3. | Create a universal graphic organizer for expository writing. | September-November 2024 | Common expository writing graphic organizer for essays/ paragraphs | ELA/Reading Teachers | New | ||
4. | Guide students through the process of writing a multi-paragraph essay by modeling and supporting the use of the new graphic organizer for expository writing. | December 2024- March 2025 | Student graphic organizers and essays/ paragraphs | ELA/Reading Teachers | New | ||
5. | Collect and review data regarding the graphic organizer (ease of use, student success, teacher feedback). | March- June 2025 | Essays/ paragraphs | ELA/Reading Teachers | New | ||
6. | Create a descriptive language reference to support and enhance student writing in World Language. | September-November 2024 | Descriptive language reference document | World Language Teacher | New | ||
7. | Implement the descriptive language reference. | December 2024- March 2025 | Student writing samples | World Language Teacher | New | ||
8. | Measure and analyze the efficacy of the descriptive language reference. | March- June 2025 | Student writing samples, teacher feedback | World Language Teacher | New | ||
9. | Continue to create writing contests in classes and at all grade levels in order to increase student interest and create additional opportunities for students to practice writing. | October 2024-June 2025 | Writing samples, contest announcements | ELA / EL / Reading / Social Studies / Health / Media / World language teachers | Continued | ||
10. | Continue to create lessons and assignments that include the writing process to prepare students for writing argumentative, informational text and narrative essays. | September 2023-June 2024 | Writing assignments, graphic organizers, graded rubrics | Grade 6-8 ELA teachers | Continued | ||
English Learner Action Steps/Monitoring Plan
Step | Strategies/Activities | Timeline | Sources of Evidence | Team/Person Responsible | Status New, Revised or Continued | ||
1. | Begin to incorporate elements of TimeZones, the new EL curriculum, to further engage learners in classes. | November 2024-June 2025 | Lesson plans, student work | EL Team | New | ||
2. | Model live samples of assignments/projects step-by-step on poster-size writing paper. | September 2024-June2025 | Teacher displays of posters on bulletin boards | EL Team | New | ||
3. | Use visual graphic organizers/sentence and paragraph frames | September 2024-June2025 | Student work | EL Team | Continued | ||
4. | Scaffold reading and teaching contextualized vocabulary; provide background knowledge and vocabulary to support writing | September 2024-June2025 | Unit lesson plans | EL Team | Continued | ||
5. | Assign consistent journal entries, providing sentence frames, word boxes/walls. | September 2024-June2025 | Student work | EL Team | Continued | ||
Social Studies Action Steps/Monitoring Plan
Step | Strategies/Activities | Timeline | Sources of Evidence | Team/Person Responsible | Status New, Revised, or Continued | ||
1. | Develop a structured approach for analyzing and answering constructed response questions related to students' rights and responsibilities, including explicit instruction, modeling and self-assessment. | October 2024-June 2025 | Lesson plans | Grade 8 Civics teachers | New | ||
2. | Plan interdisciplinary activities that celebrate diversity through various media. | September 2024-June 2025 | Resources that emphasize students’ backgrounds and experiences. | Grade 6-8 Social Studies teachers | Continued | ||
3. | Create assignments and learning experiences to focus on chronological thinking. | September 2024-June 2025 | Timeline assignments /projects, note-taking templates, student work | Social studies teachers | Continued | ||
4. | Focus on using academic language in the Social Studies content when writing, during small group and whole group class discussions. | September 2024 - June 2025 | Writing assignments, vocabulary quizzes, vocabulary worksheets, Investigating History curriculum | Grade 6-8 Social Studies teachers | Continued | ||
SMART Goal # 2: During the 2024-2025 school year, students in Grades 6-8 will improve their ability to solve mathematical problems and respond in writing thoroughly and accurately. This will be measured by a 2% increase at each grade level in their MCAS scores in the area of constructed response, as published in the spring 2025 CU306 report.
Action Steps/Monitoring Plan
Step | Strategies/Activities | Timeline | Sources of Evidence | Team/Person Responsible | Status New, Revised or Continued | ||
1. | Create a universal method of answering constructed response questions. | October 2024 | Constructed response graphic organizer | Grade 6-8 Math teachers | New | ||
2. | Create and execute lessons with manipulatives to promote understanding of surface area and to develop background knowledge for solving different geometric problems. | September 2024-June 2025 | Lesson plans creating nets for cubes, rectangular prisms, and triangular prisms | Grade 6-8 Math teachers | Continued | ||
3. | Develop and execute additional strategies for helping ESL students acquire math vocabulary. | September 2024-June 2025 | Lesson plans including visuals, graphic organizers, modified questions, assignments, anchor charts, references and models, flashcards | Grade 6-8 Math teachers | Continued | ||
4. | Utilize strategies from Building Thinking Classroom by Peter Liljedahl. | September 2024-June 2025 | Lesson plans, teacher reflections | Grades 6-8 Math Teachers | New | ||
5. | Incorporate statistics and probability content throughout the school year. | September 2024-June 2025 | Lesson plans | Grades 6-8 Math Teachers | New | ||
SMART Goal # 3: During the 2024-2025 school year, students in Grades 6-8 will improve their knowledge of science. This will be measured by an increase of 5 RIT points for grades 6-7 as indicated by the Spring 2025 MAP Grade Report and an increase of 3 RIT points for grade 8 as indicated by the Winter 2025 MAP Grade Report.
Action Steps/Monitoring Plan
Step | Strategies/Activities | Timeline | Sources of Evidence | Team/Person Responsible | Status New, Revised or Continued | ||
1. | Implement new science curriculum units through Open Ed Science (NSCA). | September 2024-June 2025 | Lesson plans | Science teachers | New | ||
2. | Use Academic Language in the Science content for writing. | September 2024-June 2025 | Notebooks (digital/paper), homework assignments | All STE | Continued | ||
3. | Continue to review and remediate science practices and prior knowledge: asking questions, developing and using models, planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting data, constructing explanations, communicating information and engaging in argument from evidence. | September 2024-June 2025 | Hands-on activities, STEM challenges, listening to experts, inquiry labs, small group discussions and implementation of Aha connections page. | All STE | Continued | ||
4 | Incorporate real-world phenomenon applications in all content areas to increase student engagement and understanding. | September 2024-June 2025 | OpenSciEd curriculum | All STE | Continued | ||
5 | Review MAP data and continue to make adjustments with curriculum and instruction. | Winter 2025 | MAP data, lesson plans | STE team | Continued | ||
6. | Fully implement Project Lead the Way (Engineering curriculum) for all students in grades 6-8; including teacher training, professional development, supplies and equipment | September 2024-June 2025 | Lesson plans, course completion certificates, student projects | Technology/ Engineering teacher | Continued | ||
SMART Goal # 4: During the 2024-2025 school year, Atlantic staff and students will participate in community-building activities that will enhance their understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion issues and will improve their cultural competency and understanding of mental health challenges that they or their peers could face. This will be evident through each grade level participating in monthly DEI and Open Parachute lessons as well as achieving our chronic absenteeism target, as determined by the 2025 accountability report.
Action Steps/Monitoring Plan
Step | Strategies/Activities | Timeline | Sources of Evidence | Team/Person Responsible | Status New, Revised or Continued | ||
1 | Encourage excellent attendance and positive behavior through consistent school-wide and individual incentives. | September 2024-June 2025 | Student attendance data, parent outreach | All staff | New | ||
2 | Create and execute a schoolwide kindness initiative around the Sandy Hook Promise program after the Start With Hello training. Implement the SAVE Promise Club. | Winter 2025 | Presentation photos, written plan and activities | Principal, Assistant Principal, Guidance | New | ||
3 | Collect data regarding Open Parachute lessons for grade 6-8 students around destigmatizing mental health challenges and use it to plan classroom-level interventions. | Winter 2025 | Lesson plan, pre- and post-test results | Health teacher, Student Support Services, Open Parachute community partner | New | ||
4 | Execute Open Parachute lessons for all students during AMP and health classes. Reevaluate lesson topics and timing on an ongoing basis. | First full Wednesday AMP October 2024-June 2025; health lessons September 2024-June 2025 | Lesson plans | Principal, Assistant Principal, Guidance, Health teacher, AMP teachers | Revised | ||
5 | In conjunction with the NAN Project, work with students on mental health and ways for students to help themselves, seek help and help others. | January 2025 | Lesson plans | Health teacher, NAN community partner, Social Studies teachers, Guidance | Continued | ||
6 | Organize students to attend Out of the Darkness Walk to promote mental health awareness and suicide prevention. | October 2024 | Event photos | Health teacher | Continued | ||
7 | Revamp and execute Healthy Choices Day, a community event. | November 27, 2024 | Event photos | All staff | Revised | ||
8 | Create and administer mid-year and year-end student and staff surveys to gauge cultural competency and level of engagement in DEI and Open Parachute initiatives. | January 2025, June 2025 | Surveys through GoogleForms | Principal, Assistant Principal, Guidance | Continued | ||
9 | Create weekly videos that include DEI information and highlight student accomplishments. | Weekly, September 2024-June 2025 | Admiral Update videos | Video Production Club and Advisors | Continued | ||
10 | Incorporate Community Circles into AMP and in academic classes as necessary. | September 2024-June 2025 | Lesson plans | Principal, Assistant Principal, Guidance, AMP teachers | Continued | ||
B. Professional Development Plan
Date | Time | Location | Participants (Team/Grade Level) | Topic | Presenters | Goal # |
September 3, 2024 | 9:00 am | Atlantic MS cafeteria | All staff | Principal PD: Review teacher handbook Review safety, security and lockdown procedures Review mandated Reporting (51A), physical restraint, civil rights, harassment policies, Internet and technology policies, educator evaluation Review updated health guidelines for students | Administration, Guidance, Nurse | 4 |
September 11, 2024 | 1:00-3:00 pm | AMS Media Center | All staff | Principal PD: Team meetings, Educator evaluation | Administration and teaching staff | 1-4 |
October 9, 2024 | 1:00-4:30 pm | Atlantic MS | All staff | Assessment Day 1 Review and analyze MCAS and MAP test results to find strengths and weaknesses, to guide in the planning and creation of action steps and improvements for the 2024-2025 school year. | Administration | 1-4 |
October 23, 2024 | 1:00-2:30 pm | Atlantic MS | All staff | Principal PD: Team meetings, Accommodations and modifications | Administration and teaching staff | 1-4 |
November 5, 2024 | 8:30 am- 2:30 pm | Quincy High School | All staff | System-wide PD: Collaborate and plan with vertical content and program teams | 1-4 | |
January 8, 2025 | 1:00-3:00 pm | Atlantic MS | All staff | Principal PD: Team meetings, Writing Revolution | Administration and teaching staff | 1-4 |
February 12, 2025 | 1:00-4:30 pm | Various locations | All staff | System-wide PD: Collaborate and plan with vertical content and program teams | Directors, Coordinators, and Team Administrators | 1-4 |
February 26, 2025 | 1:00-2:30 pm | Central MS | All staff | Trauma-Informed Classrooms | Student Support Trainers | 4 |
March 12, 2025 | 1:00-3:00 pm | Atlantic MS | All staff | Assessment Day #2 Work in vertical and grade-level teams to discuss and reflect upon the status of SIP action steps. Assess progress and make recommendations for further action. | Administration | 1-4 |
April 9, 2025 | 1:00-3:00 pm | Various locations | All staff | System-wide PD: Collaborate and plan with vertical content and program teams | Directors, Coordinators, and Team Administrators | 1-4 |
April 30, 2025 | 1:00-2:30 pm | Central MS | All staff | Trauma-Informed Classrooms | Student Support Trainers | 4 |
May 28, 2025 | 1:00-2:30 pm | Atlantic MS | All staff | Assessment Day #3 Work in vertical and grade-level teams to discuss and reflect upon the SIP goals. Assess progress and make recommendations for the 2024-2025 school year | Administration | 1-4 |
June 11, 2025 | 1:00-3:00 pm | Atlantic MS | All staff | Principal PD: Goals set / Goals met, team meetings, advanced course lists for the 2025-2026 school year | Administration and teaching staff | 1-4 |
C. Extended Day Offerings
Dates | Club or Activity | Target Audience | Location |
2024-2025 school year | AM Homework Help | All students | Atlantic cafeteria |
Fall 2024 | Badminton Club | All students | Atlantic gymnasium |
Fall 2024 | Board Game Club | All students | Atlantic room 209 |
Fall 2024 | Crafting Club | All students | Atlantic room 216 |
Fall 2024 | Dungeons and Dragons Club | All students | Atlantic room 209 |
Winter-Spring 2025 | Homework Help | All students | Atlantic media center |
Fall 2024 | LEGO Robotics | Grade 7-8 students | Atlantic room 114 |
Spring 2025 | LEGO Robotics | Grade 6 students | Atlantic room 114 |
2024-2025 school year | Jazz Band | Band students | Atlantic room 115 |
2024-2025 school year | Morning Gym | All students | Atlantic gymnasium |
2024-2025 school year | Student Council | All students | Atlantic auditorium |
2024-2025 school year | Video Production Club | All students | Atlantic room 110 |
Fall 2024 | Working with Weights | All students | Atlantic gymnasium/fitness center |
2024-2025 school year | Yearbook Club | All students | Atlantic room 211 |
Winter 2024-2025 | School Musical | All students | Atlantic auditorium |
Winter 2024-2025 | SAVE Promise Club | All students | Atlantic media center |
D. Family Engagement and Communication
Date | Topic | Target Audience | Location |
September 17, 2024 | Back to School Night | All families | Atlantic Middle School |
October 8, 2024 | Tea with Teachers | English Learner families | Atlantic Middle School cafeteria |
November 7, 2024 | Cultural Fair | All families | Atlantic Middle School cafeteria and auditorium |
December 11, 18, 2024 | Report Card Conferences | All families | Atlantic Middle School |
January 14, 2025 | Winter Concert | All families | Atlantic Middle School auditorium |
September 23, 2024 October 16, 2024 November 20, 2024 January-June 2025 dates TBD | PAC Meetings | All parents - Communicated to families through hard copy flier, email reminders from Principal and PAC, PAC Facebook page | In person at Atlantic Middle School |
March 20, 2025 | STEM Fair | Grade 8 families | Atlantic Middle School |
Spring 2025 TBD | Literacy / Author night | All families | Atlantic Middle School |
April 4-5, 2025 | School Musical | All families | Atlantic Middle School |
May/June TBD | Spring Concert | All families | Atlantic Middle School |
June TBD | Grade 8 Promotion Ceremony | Grade 8 students and parents | Quincy High School |
Weekly Parent Communication | Comprehensive emails through Smore from the Principal with school information, important dates, health updates, etc. | All families | School Messenger, Aspen |
III. School Demographics as of 11/19/2024
Total Enrollment | Special Education | Low Income (Eligible for Free & Reduced Meals) | ELE (English Learners) | FEL (Former English Learners) |
601 (+36 from 23-24) | 96 (16%) | 285 (47.4%) | 111 (18.5%) | 131 (21.8%) |
Race | Subgroup Populations | Percentage of Enrollment |
Asian | 361 | 60.1% |
Black/African American | 26 | 4.3% |
Hispanic or Latino | 29 | 4.8% |
Multiracial, non-Hispanic | 17 | 2.8% |
Native American | 0 | 0% |
Pacific Island | 0 | 0% |
White | 168 | 28% |
Advanced Class Enrollment (Grades 6-8) | # of Students in Advanced out of # in Subgroup | % of Population |
All Students Enrolled | 166 of 601 | 27.6% |
Low Income | 65 of 285 | 22.8% |
Asian | 116 of 361 | 32.1% |
Black/African American | 4 of 26 | 15.4% |
Hispanic/Latino | 4 of 29 | 13.8% |
Multiracial | 1 of 17 | 5.9% |
Native American | 0 of 0 | 0% |
Pacific Island | 0 of 0 | 0% |
White | 41 of 168 | 24.4% |
Core Academic Class Sizes (General Education) (As of 11/19/2024)
20 or fewer | 21-23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | |
Gr. 6 - 8 112 sections | 10 (9.0%) | 45 (40.2%) | 17 (15.2%) | 15 (13.4%) | 11 (9.8%) | 9 (8.0%) | 5 (4.4%) |
- 77.8% of core academic class sections have 25 or fewer students, an 8.4% decrease over the 2023-24 school year.
- An additional Grade 6 teacher is expected to join the staff after Thanksgiving.
- The 25 class sections with 26 or more students are:
- 5 ELA: Honors ELA Gr. 7 & 8; Reading Grade 6 & 7
- 7 Math: Grades 6, 7 & 8
- 6 Science: Grades 6 & 8
- 6 Social Studies: Grades 6, 7 & 8
- 1 World Languages: Gr. 8 Spanish
2023-2024 SSDR Incident Data
Total Incidents | # of Incidents Resulting in Suspension | % of Incidents Resulting in Suspension |
35 | 28 | 80% |
IV. Facilities
2023-2024 Improvements
- Asbestos remediation in rooms 112, 115
- Replaced stair treads in stairway A
- Reattached water bottle filler/fountain in cafeteria
- Installed stove and oven in kitchen
- Repaired leak on roof
- Installed new overhead on loading dock
2023-2024 Facility Needs | 2024-2025 Facility Needs |
|
|
V. School Needs (Materials, Supplies, Technology, Etc.)
2023-2024 School Needs | 2024-2025 School Needs |
|
|
VI. Budget
Amount available in 2024-2025 | |
TEXT/LEARNING MATERIALS (textbooks and learning materials/supplies needed to support classroom instruction) | $ 9,000.00 |
SUPPLIES (pens, pencils, rulers, paper, glue, photocopy paper, etc.) | $21,300.00 |
ACTIVITY STIPEND ACCOUNT | $32,100.00 |
OTHER: (art supplies, science supplies, library, etc.) | |
Art Supplies | $ 2,160.00 |
Science Supplies | $ 1,800.00 |
Library | $ 2,500.00 |
SPECIAL FUNDING (gifts, grants, partnerships, PTO, etc.) | |
P.T.O. (approximate) Granite Telecommunications (basketball hoops) | $ 1,000.00 $14,000.00 |
TOTAL | $83,860.00 |
VII. Appendix
- Spring 2024 MCAS Data
(Spring 2024 MCAS Edwin PE303 Report)
English Language Arts (E/M %) | |||
Grade | School 2023 | School 2024 | State 2024 |
6 | 36% | 51% | 40% |
7 | 40% | 36% | 36% |
8 | 51% | 53% | 43% |
Mathematics (E/M %) | |||
Grade | School 2023 | School 2024 | State 2024 |
6 | 41% | 49% | 40% |
7 | 48% | 43% | 38% |
8 | 41% | 48% | 39% |
STE (E/M %) | |||
Grade | School 2023 | School 2024 | State 2024 |
8 | 48% | 44% | 40% |
B. NWEA MAP 2023-2024 Data
MAP Math RIT 2023-2024 | |||
Grade | Fall | Winter | Spring |
6 | 215.2 | 218.2 | 229.2 |
7 | 223.7 | 228.6 | 233.1 |
8 | 228.3 | 232.6 | 239.1 |
MAP Reading RIT 2023-2024 | |||
Grade | Fall | Winter | Spring |
6 | 210.4 | 212 | 216 |
7 | 213.6 | 217 | 218.6 |
8 | 216.4 | 219.5 | 219.6 |
MAP Science RIT 2023-2024 | |||
Grade | Fall | Winter | Spring |
6 | 207.8 | 208.8 | 212 |
7 | 211.3 | 214.2 | 216.6 |
8 | 214.3 | 217.1 | 217.9 |
C. Spring 2024 Accountability Data
D. Spring 2024 VOCAL Results (Grade 8)
Grade | Dimension | Description | Always/ Mostly True % | Mostly Untrue/ Never True % |
8 | ENG | Adults working at this school treat all students respectfully, regardless of a student's race, culture, family income, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. | 92% | 8% |
8 | ENG | My textbooks or class materials include people and examples that reflect my race, cultural background and/or identity. | 58% | 42% |
8 | ENG | Students from different backgrounds respect each other in our school, regardless of their race, culture, family income, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. | 78% | 22% |
8 | ENG | Students are open to having friends who come from different backgrounds (for example, friends from different races, cultures, family incomes, or religions, or friends of a different sex, or sexual orientation). | 96% | 4% |
8 | ENG | In my academic classes, I work with groups of students who are from different backgrounds (for example, students from different races, cultures, family incomes, or religions, or students of a different sex or sexual orientation). | 88% | 13% |
8 | ENG | My parents feel respected when they participate at our school (e.g., at parent-teacher conferences, open houses). | 91% | 9% |
8 | ENG | My teachers use my ideas to help my classmates learn. | 41% | 59% |
8 | ENG | I have a choice in how I show my learning (e.g., write a paper, prepare a presentation, make a video). | 70% | 30% |
8 | ENG | In my classes, my teachers use students' interests to plan class activities. | 61% | 39% |
8 | ENG | My classmates behave the way my teachers want them to. | 56% | 44% |
8 | ENG | In at least two of my academic classes, students are asked to teach a lesson or part of a lesson. | 43% | 57% |
8 | ENG | In at least two of my academic classes, students plan and work on projects that solve real-world problems. | 70% | 30% |
8 | ENG | In my academic classes, students review each other's work and provided advice on how to improve it. | 66% | 34% |
8 | ENG | In my classes, teachers use open-ended questions that make students think of many possible answers. | 80% | 20% |
8 | ENG | I can connect what I learn in class to what I learn in other classes. | 78% | 22% |
8 | ENG | In my academic classes, students wrestle with problems that don't have an obvious answer. | 66% | 34% |
8 | ENG | Students respect one another. | 66% | 34% |
8 | ENG | Teachers are available when I need to talk with them. | 89% | 11% |
8 | ENG | Adults at our school are respectful of student ideas even if the ideas expressed are different from their own. | 91% | 9% |
8 | ENG | My teachers promote respect among students. | 95% | 5% |
8 | ENV | Students have a voice in deciding school rules. | 36% | 64% |
8 | ENV | School staff are consistent when enforcing rules in school. | 84% | 16% |
8 | ENV | Teachers give students a chance to explain their behavior when they do something wrong. | 78% | 22% |
8 | ENV | My teachers will first try to help (guide) students who break class rules, instead of punishing them. | 71% | 29% |
8 | ENV | Students help each other learn without having to be asked by the teacher. | 79% | 21% |
8 | ENV | My teachers are proud of me when I work hard in school. | 89% | 11% |
8 | ENV | My teachers set high expectations for my work. | 84% | 16% |
8 | ENV | My teachers believe that all students can do well in their learning. | 94% | 6% |
8 | ENV | My school work is challenging (hard) but not too difficult. | 81% | 19% |
8 | ENV | My teachers support me even when my work is not my best. | 83% | 17% |
8 | ENV | The things I am learning in school are relevant (important) to me. | 74% | 26% |
8 | ENV | Students are given multiple opportunities to show that they have mastered their classwork. | 89% | 11% |
8 | ENV | Our school offers guidance to students on how to mediate (settle) conflicts (e.g., arguments, fights) by themselves. | 83% | 17% |
8 | ENV | If I need help with my emotions (feelings), effective help is available at my school. | 79% | 21% |
8 | SAF | If I tell a teacher or other adult that someone is being bullied, the teacher/adult will do something to help. | 94% | 6% |
8 | SAF | Teachers don't let students pick on other students in class or in the hallways. | 81% | 19% |
8 | SAF | Students at school try to stop bullying when they see it happening. | 48% | 52% |
8 | SAF | Students have spread rumors or lies about me more than once on social media. | 28% | 72% |
8 | SAF | Teachers, students, and the principal work together to prevent (stop) bullying. | 85% | 15% |
8 | SAF | In my school, groups of students tease or pick on one student. | 38% | 62% |
8 | SAF | I have been called names or made fun of by other students more than once in school. | 41% | 59% |
8 | SAF | In my school, bigger students taunt or pick on smaller students. | 25% | 75% |
8 | SAF | Teachers support (help) students who come to class upset. | 89% | 11% |
8 | SAF | I feel comfortable reaching out to teachers/counselors for emotional support if I need it. | 61% | 39% |
8 | SAF | Students will help other students if they are upset, even if they are not close friends. | 57% | 43% |
8 | SAF | Because I worry about my grades, it is hard for me to enjoy school. | 50% | 50% |
8 | SAF | Students at school damage and/or steal other students' property. | 37% | 63% |
8 | SAF | I have seen students with weapons at our school. | 14% | 86% |
E. Completed Action Steps from 2023-2024
** Indicates action steps embedded in typical day to day school operations. The following completed action steps are consistently implemented and have become a part of the school’s classroom expectations.
Step | Strategies/Activities | Timeline | Sources of Evidence | Team/Person Responsible | Goal # | ||
1 | Create writing assessment at end of each novel using a common rubric for evaluation. | Trimester 2, 3 | Written assessments, rubric | Grade 6-7 Reading Skills teachers | 1 | ||
2 | Read and analyze a novel in verse (Before the Ever After). Focus on the poem’s structure, language, literary elements, and content and respond to writing prompts. | Trimester 2 | Expository Writing Assignment; Daily Lessons | Grade 8 ELA teachers | 1 | ||
3 | Create and execute poetry unit with 5 winter poems focusing on figurative language, word choice, structure, text-to-self connections, and theme | December 2023 | Student generated interactive flip books; black out poetry; written reflection | Grade 6 ELA teachers | 1 | ||
4 | Apply Wordly Wise vocabulary in context beyond the textbook definition. | September 2023-June 2024 | Creative writing activity at the end of each unit | Grade 7 ELA/Reading Skills teachers | 1 | ||
5 | Relate Spanish and French roots and prefixes to their English counterparts to enrich advanced vocabulary acquisition. | September 2023-June 2024 | Thematic vocabulary and readings in the target language formative and summative assessments | World Language teachers | 1 | ||
6 | Read and respond to mini novels in the target language that relate to ELA and Reading Skills such as sequencing, character analysis, setting, conflict and solution | Month long unit, rotating each term | Use of Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish, Eva va a California to create independent and class book projects to demonstrate proficiency | Spanish teacher | 1 | ||
7 | Use cumulative review throughout the year to increase fluency in fraction operations. | September 2023-June 2024 | Lesson plans, Prodigy, IXL and Reflex data | Grade 7 Math teachers | 2 | ||
8 | Use technology for extending learning opportunities with basic math facts in multiplication and division (0-12). | September 2023-June 2024 | Reflex Math | Grade 6 Math teacher | 2 | ||
9 | Host grade-level assemblies with the MARC center from Bridgewater State regarding bullying and cyberbullying, fighting and conflict; conduct necessary follow-up. | Spring TBD | Assembly schedule | All staff | 4 | ||
10 | Plan and execute an orientation program for Grade 6 students to teach them expected behaviors and help them feel part of the Atlantic community. | September 2024 | Schedule and planning document, event photos | Grade 6 teachers, Principal, Assistant Principal, Guidance | 4 | ||
11 | Plan and execute new DEI monthly activities for all students during AMP (Academic Mentoring Period). | monthly | GoogleSlide presentation / lesson plans | Principal, Assistant Principal, Guidance, AMP Teachers | 4 | ||
F. Staffing: Support Services
1 | Nurse |
4 | Special Education Teachers (Resource Room/Inclusion) |
3 | Guidance Counselors/Chairpersona |
3 | ELL Teachers |
0.2 | Speech and Language Instructor |
0.5 | School Psychologist |
1 | Librarian |
G. School Council Members
A school council is a representative, school building-based committee composed of the principal, parents, teachers, community members and, at the secondary level, students, required to be established by each school pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 71, Section 59C. https://www.doe.mass.edu/lawsregs/advisory/schoolcouncils/
Chair/Principal: Aliza A. Schneller /s/ Aliza A. Schneller
Co-Chair: Elizabeth Roy /s/ Elizabeth Roy
Teachers: Leah Markarian /s/ Leah Markarian
Amy Curtin /s/ Amy Curtin
Eleanor Ballard /s/ Eleanor Ballard
Parent: Emily Hames /s/ Emily Hames
Community
Representative: Damian Outar, /s/ Damian Outar
City of Quincy Community Liaison