Curriculum+Essay+Section

At Intercoastal High School, we have focused our school improvement plan towards reaching three goals: improve facilities and the school environment, create a challenging curriculum, and develop collegial relationships among teachers and reach out to the community. Intercoastal High believes in the full-academic potential of our students. The faculty and staff is committed to the intellectual, social and emotional growth of every child coming through our doors. In order for IHS to help students become the compassionate and reflective leaders of our community and beyond, we have created an action plan listing specific objectives to accomplish our goals, actions necessary to reach our objectives, and a description of how resources and responsibilities will be allocated to turn our vision into a reality.

Intercoastal High lacks a curriculum and there is a large percentage of teachers in our faculty that are teaching subjects they are not certified in teaching. We, the school action committee, will establish (with suggestions from teachers and staff) a formalized curriculum that includes regular level classes, Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) classes and a community service requirement. In order for our curriculum to be effective, teachers need to be certified and are teaching within their field. Teachers, who are currently teaching courses outside their expertise, will have to develop a plan to attain the appropriate certificate within three years. At Intercoastal High School we have the latest in technology, but there is limited use and integration of technology in classrooms. Teachers need to integrate technology within their instruction. And finally, IHS wants success for every students and the school action committee would like to create facilities that provide an optimal learning environment for all students, and improve services for students with learning difficulties.

By conducting a survey seeking student and parent feedback on which classes should be added, removed and kept in the current curriculum framework. An ad hoc committee on curriculum and instruction will be formed to examine the current instructional program and address the need for more AP classes and electives. Forming teachers, who are certified, into departmental curriculum groups, the committee on curriculum and instruction will work with teachers and faculty to develop an overall 9-12 curriculum for every discipline with the appropriate assessments to evaluate teachers and students. Teachers, who are not certified, will work to get certified by developing a professional development plan (PDP) that includes courses and tests necessary to be certified. They will be paired with a mentor teacher in the discipline they are seeking certification. As part of their in-service training, non-certified teachers will observe and be observed by their mentor teacher. An exceptional education specialist and technology specialist will be hired, The exceptional education specialist will work with teachers and create workshops on how all teachers, in their disciplines, could implement practices to help students, with or without learning disabilities. The technology specialist will install computers, smart boards, and projectors, and teach teachers on how use the equipment. And under the current curriculum program at IHS, the students attend eight periods a day. We will re-structure the master schedule to a modified block schedule and expand choices of electives.

The principal and the assistant principal will work on the master schedule and the teacher assignment. A department head will be created from the the newly formed departments in each discipline. It is the responsibility of the department head to ensure that their department is in compliance with curriculum guide and bring any issues or suggestions to administration. The ad hoc committee on instruction and curriculum will be responsible for addressing the need for more AP classes and electives. The committee on instruction and curriculum will work with department heads on developing curriculum guides for 9-12. The exceptional education specialist will lead workshops to help teachers make appropriate assessments and lesson for students with learning disabilities, and make sure the RTI initiatives are made for targeted students. The technology specialist will be responsible for installing and maintaining technology, and providing assistance to teachers struggling with technology. The curriculum action plan will be implemented over the course of the school year. Before the new school year begins, the principal and her assistant principal will create the master schedule and teacher assignments. The ad hoc committee will meet, initially, at the beginning of the school year to layout the foundation of the curriculum. Department heads will be created and they will work, over the course of the year, with the curriculum and instruction committee to make sure their department is work towards integrating technology into their classroom and training teachers who are not certified.