September 25, 2020

Dear Parent/Guardian:

I am writing this letter to let you know that Heritage has been designated as a Targeted Support & Improvement Additional Targeted Support (TSI-AT) school by the North Carolina State Board of Education.  As stated in ESSA Section 1111(d)(2), North Carolina had to identify schools for targeted support and improvement. TSI-AT schools in North Carolina are those that have a subgroup that is under-performing as measured by student proficiency on End of Grade or End of Course Testing.  Like the vast majority of schools across North Carolina that serve a subgroup of Students with Disabilities (SWD), this subgroup’s test scores have led to Heritage’s identification as a Targeted Support and Improvement school.

As a TSI-AT school, Heritage is required to develop a comprehensive plan that specifically addresses how the school will improve student achievement. The plan will also include how our district will support us and monitor the progress of our school. The comprehensive plan will address the following areas:

• Classroom Management
• Standards-aligned Instruction
• Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)
• Instructional Leadership
• Recruitment & Retention of Effective Teachers
• Support for Grade-to-Grade Transitions
• Implementation of a Tiered Instructional System
• Data-Driven Decision Making
• Student Support Services
• Family and Community Engagement

We have set the following goals for Heritage this year:

• Students that are served by the Exceptional Children’s program will meet or exceed growth in both reading and math on End-of-Grade assessments as measured by the EVAAS growth tool.                                                             

Our students need to experience higher achievement levels, but it will require hard work on the part of staff, students and families. Here are some strategies Heritage will be implementing:

• Differentiated instruction in math and reading
• Small group remediation
• Teacher-led direct instruction
• Parent conferences
• The use of manipulatives
• Benchmarking student mastery through the NC Check Ins assessments as a way to track student progress
•  Classroom walkthroughs
•  Freckle Intervention Program for English and Math-Small group interventions
•  Reading plus for 6th grade/ Read Theory for 7-8th grades
• Focus on student discussion/learning in lessons
• Checks for understanding and higher order thinking questions to ensure comprehension is taking place
• Restorative Practice to improve behavior and create a positive social/emotional environment

Parent engagement is at the heart of our school improvement efforts. Here are some ways we can work together:

·   Make sure that both you and your student are aware of academic expectations set for your student this school year.  A list of learning objectives in student-friendly language is available from your student’s teacher(s).

·   Call Heritage if you have questions or concerns about your student or to set up an appointment to meet with a school staff member who will be working with your student.

         ·   Make sure that your student is prepared and attends school each day.

         ·   Monitor your student’s homework.

·   Monitor the progress your student is making and attend meetings with your student’s teacher(s).

·   Keep track of our website and social media sites https://hms.burke.k12.nc.us/, https://www.burke.k12.nc.us/- https://www.facebook.com- HMSeagles, Twitter-@HMSEaglesnest, HMS Monthly Parent Smore

Sounds like a lot but preparing our students so that they can succeed is not easy and is a group effort. Here are some resources available to help:

          ·   Graduation requirements: www.ncpublicschools.org/gradrequirements/

          ·   K-12 standards in academic subjects: www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/

          ·   State student achievement test results: www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/

          ·   N.C. School Report Cards: https://ncreportcards.ondemand.sas.com/src 

We’re excited about this school year and are working to make it a success for your student. Already, we have:

• Using a digital wall to progress monitor student performance.
• Trained staff on how to properly use “checks for understanding” and higher order thinking questions
• Trained additional staff through Harvard differentiating instruction
• Trained staff on how to better utilize instructional technology with the 1-1 initiative.(Chromebooks)

If you have questions about the content of this letter, please contact Dillon Sain at dsain@burke.k12.nc.us or call 828-874-0731

Sincerely,

Dillon Sain

Principal, Heritage Middle School