Weston High School Improvement Plan May 10, 2012

NEASC Accreditation Successful visit resulting in continued accreditation. On-going work on NEASC recommendations in all standards. – Curriculum Cabinet – Principal’s Advisory Council – School Council – Administrative Council

Focused Goals for Advisories Weston High School “Bridge” Program Delayed Opening Proposal

Excerpt from NEASC Self-Study Survey Results May 2010

ADVISORIES: Data Student Survey Teacher Survey

ADVISORIES: Core Values Advisories will: – Encourage Engagement with the school community – Foster Resiliency through stronger connections to supportive adults – Develop Responsibility to ourselves and to others – Cultivate personal Integrity Students will meet regularly at a specified time with a faculty or staff member. Groups are randomized within grades, so students will get to know peers and adults with whom they may not regularly interact. The goal is for every student to be known personally by an adult and to strengthen our school community.

Weston Middle and High School Students Who Report Having Adults to Talk with If They Have a Problem (2011) 71% ‘09 MA-YRBS 10% Increase since 2008

ADVISORIES: Learning Expectations Furthermore, student advisories would also support our school’s 21 st century learning expectations: – Critical Thinking, Creativity, and Problem Solving – Initiative, Resilience, and Personal Responsibility – Collaboration, Leadership, and Community Engagement – Effective Oral and Written Communication – Global Awareness – Effective and Appropriate Use of Technology Summer workshop mapping out a curriculum that supports these learning expectations.

ADVISORIES: District Vision Weston’s student advisories enhance one of the stated missions contained in the Weston Public School’s Vision Statement: The learning environment in Weston will stimulate and support all students in their intellectual, social, and personal growth to prepare them to become good citizens and to enable them to achieve whatever personal or career goals they pursue. Students will be encouraged to take risks and assume responsibilities; they will respect themselves and others, and be committed to serving the wider community with honesty and integrity. Approved by Weston School Committee 7/10/96

WHS “Bridge” Program NEASC recommendation supported by high school self study: “Create and implement a program with appropriate staffing to address the needs of students identified as high-risk or with social and/or emotional disabilities.”

Student Name Number of Days Absent Time with Nurse Comments minutes (11 hours) Medical - Frequent concussions minutesMedical minutes (49 hours) Medical/Psych – seizure disorder, bipolar (?) minutes Medical/Psych – anxiety (?), abdominal migraines minutesMedical - Chrone’s Disease minutes Psych – anxiety, school refusal, depression minutesPsych – depression minutes (51 hours 28 minutes) Psych – bipolar minutes (6 hours 43 min) Psych – depression minutes (14 hours 40 minutes) Psych – depression minutes (50 hours 50 minutes) Psych – panic disorder Psych – long term suspension, tutoring 2010 –2011 School Year Attendance Data 27 students out of 745 were absent more than 14 days during the school year -One third (9) of these have diagnosed social/emotional/psychological conditions o These 9 students have accrued 466 days of absence mainly due to their conditions -Three of the 27 (no overlaps) were absent due to significant medical issues and have accrued 111 days

Trends in Depression, Self-Harm, and Suicide in the Past 12 Months Among Weston High School Students (‘05, ‘08, ‘11) 24% ‘09 MA-YRBS *Respondents were asked, “During the past 12 months, did you ever feel so sad or hopeless almost every day for TWO WEEKS OR MORE IN A ROW that you stopped doing some usual activities?” **Respondents were asked, “During the past 12 months, how many times did you hurt or injure yourself ON PURPOSE? (For example, by cutting, burning, or bruising yourself on purpose.)”. 110 WHS students 68 WHS students 58 WHS students 49 WHS students 21 WHS students

Mission Statement An individualized therapeutic program focused on supporting students who exhibit a high degree of emotional, psychiatric, and/or medical needs that prevents them from accessing their education and hinders their progress toward graduation. The goal of this program will be to build a student’s capacity to be resilient, responsible, and positively engaged with their peers and teachers in mainstream school life.

Program will be located in room 24 at the high school. Will be supervised by the Guidance Department and staffed by a full-time case manager. Students in this program would be referred by the high school Student Support Team (SST). Approximately students anticipated to be eligible for this program in Entrance and exit guidelines must be written and data maintained so that the program can be evaluated.

Delayed Opening Proposal Student Matt Levine’s schedule proposal. “Changing School Start Times – Weston High School: Proposal and Supporting Research,” by Karen L. Meslin (January 2012). Superintendent will be organizing a district-wide committee to review start and stop time for all schools. – School Committee – Transportation – METCO Program – Athletic Director – Administrative Council Form a subcommittee within school council and reach out to several different school and community leaders in Weston. Starting point: – League of Women Voters – Traffic & Sidewalk Committee – Board of Selectmen – Neighboring schools who have implemented delayed start times Additional questions pertaining to a later start time/sleep deprivation added to annual parent survey.