Maria Geryk Self Evaluation 2015

EVALUATION RUBRIC: END-OF-CYCLE SELF-ASSESSMENT
Evaluation Rubric
Standards, Indicators and Elements for Administrative Leadership
End-of-Cycle Self-Assessment
STANDARD I: INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP

The education leader promotes the learning and growth of all students and the success of all staff by cultivating a shared
vision that makes powerful teaching and learning the central focus of schooling.
Self-Assessment for Overall Standard I Instructional Leadership:
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
X
Indicator IA: Curriculum
Ensures that all instructional staff design effective and rigorous standards-based units of instruction consisting of well-structured lessons with
measurable outcomes.
I-A. Elements
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
I-A-1.
Standards-Based
Unit Design
Does not set the expectation that

administrators use effective
strategies for ensuring
development of well-designed
standards-based units, provide
adequate resources or support for
this activity, and/or monitor or
assess progress.
Provides limited training and/or

support to administrators to
employ effective strategies for
ensuring well-designed standardsbased units. May sometimes
monitor and assess progress and
provide feedback.
Provides support and assistance for

administrators to learn and employ
effective strategies for ensuring that
educators and educator teams design
standards-based units with measurable
outcomes and challenging tasks
requiring higher-order thinking.
Frequently monitors and assesses
progress, providing feedback as
necessary.
Empowers administrators to employ

strategies that empower staff to create
rigorous standards-based units of
instruction that are aligned across
grade levels and content areas.
Continually monitors and assesses
progress, provides feedback, and
connects administrators to additional
supports as needed. Is able to model
this element.
I-A-2.
Lesson
Development
Support
Does not state expectations for

administrators that they establish
effective strategies to ensure
development of well-structured
lessons, does not provide training
or support, and/or does not
discriminate between strong and
weak strategies for ensuring
effective lesson-planning practices.
Provides limited training to

administrators on how to establish
effective strategies for ensuring
that educators develop wellstructured lessons and/or does not
consistently identify and/or
address patterns when there is
evidence of a weak strategy being
employed.
Supports administrators to learn and

establish effective strategies for
ensuring that educators develop wellstructured lessons with challenging,
measurable objectives and appropriate
student engagement strategies, pacing,
sequence, activities, materials,
technologies, and grouping.
Supports administrators to collaborate

on developing strategies that enable
educators to consistently develop
series of interconnected, wellstructured lessons with challenging
objectives and appropriate student
engagement strategies, pacing,
sequence, materials, and grouping and
identifies specific exemplars and
resources in each area. Is able to
model this element.
SELF-ASSESSMENT RATING FOR INDICATOR IA CURRICULUM:
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
X
Indicator IB: Curriculum [SCHOOL COMMITTEE PRIORITY INDICATOR]
Ensures that practices in all settings reflect high expectations regarding content and quality of effort and work, engage all students, and are
personalized to accommodate diverse learning styles, needs, interests and levels of readiness.
I-B. Elements
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
I-B-1.
Instructional
Practices
Does not look for evidence of and/or

cannot accurately identify ways that
principals identify effective teaching
strategies when the principals observe
practice and review unit plans..
While the superintendent may observe

principal practice and artifacts, s/he
only occasionally looks for evidence
that principals are identifying effective
teaching strategies and practices when
they observe practice and review unit
plans.
While observing principal practice

and artifacts, ensures that principals
identify a variety of effective
teaching strategies and practices
when they observe practice and
review unit plans.
While observing principal practice

and artifacts, ensures that principals
know and employ effective
strategies and practices for helping
educators improve instructional
practice. Is able to model this
element.
I-B-2.
Quality of Effort
and Work
Does not set high expectations for the

quality of content, student effort,
and/or student work district-wide, or
expectations are inappropriate.
May set high expectations for the

quality of content, student effort, and
student work district-wide, but allows
expectations to be inconsistently
applied across the district.
Sets and models high expectations

for the quality of content, student
effort, and student work districtwide and supports administrators to
uphold these expectations
consistently.
Sets and models high expectations

for the quality of content, student
effort, and student work districtwide and empowers administrators,
educators and students to uphold
these expectations consistently. Is
able to model this element.
I-B-3.
Diverse
Learners Needs
[SC PRIORITY
ELEMENT]
Does not look for evidence of and/or

cannot accurately identify ways that
principals identify effective teaching
strategies and practices that are
appropriate for diverse learners.
While the superintendent may observe

principal practice, s/he only
occasionally looks for evidence that
principals are identifying effective
teaching strategies and practices that
are appropriate for diverse learners
when they observe practices and
review unit plans.
While observing principal practice,

ensures that principals look for and
identify a variety of teaching
strategies and practices that are
effective with diverse learners when
they observe practices and review
unit plans.
Employs strategies that ensure that

principals know and consistently
identify teaching strategies and
practices that are meeting the needs
of diverse learners while teaching
their content. Is able to model this
element.
SELF-ASSESSMENT RATING FOR INDICATOR IB CURRICULUM:
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
Indicator IC: Assessment

Ensures that all principals and administrators facilitate practices that propel personnel to use a variety of formal and informal methods and
assessments to measure student learning, growth and understanding and make necessary adjustments to their practice when students are not
learning.
I-C. Elements
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
I-C-1.
Variety of
Assessments
Does not communicate or monitor

a strategy for assessments, leaving
it up to administrators to design
and implement their own
strategies.
Provides administrators with some

formal assessment options and suggests
that they coordinate their assessment
practices within their teams and include
a variety of assessments but does not
monitor this practice.
Supports administrator teams to use

a variety of formal and informal
methods and assessments, including
common interim assessments that are
aligned across grade levels and
subject areas.
Leads administrator teams to develop

and implement a comprehensive
assessment strategy that includes
ongoing informal assessment and
common interim assessments that are
aligned across grade levels and subject
areas. Is able to model this element.
I-C-2.
Adjustment to
Practice
Does not encourage or facilitate

administrator teams to review
assessment data.
Suggests that administrator teams meet

to review data and plan for adjustments
and interventions but inconsistently
monitors this practice.
Provides the resources for planning

time and effective support for
administrator teams to review
assessment data and identify
appropriate interventions and
adjustments to practice. Monitors
administrators efforts and successes
in this area.
Leads, plans, facilitates, and supports

administrator team review meetings
after each round of assessments.
Monitors teams plans, adjustments to
instruction, and outcomes and shares
lessons learned with others. Is able to
model this element.
SELF-ASSESSMENT RATING FOR INDICATOR IC ASSESSMENT:
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
X
Indicator ID: Evaluation
Provides effective and timely supervision and evaluation of all staff in alignment with state regulations and contract provisions.
I-D. Elements
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
I-D-1.
Educator Goals
Does not support administrators to

develop professional practice,
student learning and/or
district/school improvement goals,
review the goals for quality, and/or
Supports administrators and

administrator teams to develop
professional practice, student learning
and, where appropriate, district/school
improvement goals but does not

administrator teams to develop and
attain meaningful, actionable, and
measurable professional practice,
student learning, and where

administrator teams to develop and
attain meaningful, actionable, and
measurable professional practice,
student learning and district/school
support administrators in attaining

goals.
consistently review them for quality

and/or monitor progress.
appropriate, district/school
improvement goals.
improvement goals and models this

process through the superintendents
own evaluation process and goals. Is
I-D-2.
Observations and
Feedback
Rarely conducts visits to observe

principal practice and/or does not
provide honest feedback to
administrators who are not
performing proficiently.
Makes infrequent unannounced visits to

schools to observe principal practice,
rarely provides feedback that is specific
and constructive for administrators,
and/or critiques struggling
administrators without providing
support to improve their performance.
Typically makes at least three

unannounced visits to each school to
observe principal practice every year
and provides targeted constructive
feedback to all administrators.
Acknowledges effective practice and
provides redirection and support for
those whose practice is less than
Proficient.
Makes unannounced visits to schools

throughout the year to observe
administrator practice and provides
targeted constructive feedback to all
administrators. Engages with all in
conversations with all administrators
about improvement, celebrates effective
practice, and provides targeted support
to administrators whose practice is less
than Proficient. Is able to model this
element.
I-D-3.
Ratings
Assigns ratings for performance,

goal attainment, and impact on
student learning without collecting
and analyzing sufficient and/or
appropriate data or does not assign
ratings for some administrators.
Assigns ratings for performance, goal

attainment, and impact on student
learning in a way that is not
consistently transparent to
administrators.
Exercises sound and reliable

judgment in assigning ratings for
performance, goal attainment, and
impact on student learning and
ensures that administrators
understand why they received their
ratings.
Exercises sound and reliable judgment

in assigning ratings for performance,
goal attainment, and impact on student
learning. Ensures that administrators
understand in detail why they received
their ratings and provides effective
support around this practice Is able to
model this element.
Does not review alignment between

judgment about practice and data
about student learning when
evaluating and rating administrators.
Occasionally reviews alignment

between judgment about practice and
student learning data.
Consistently reviews alignment

between judgment about practice
and student learning data and
provides guidance to administrators
to make informed decisions about
educator support and evaluation
based upon this review.
Studies alignment between judgment

about practice and data about student
learning when evaluating and rating
administrators and provides effective
support around this practice. Is able to
model this element.
I-D-4.
Alignment
Review
SELF-ASSESSMENT RATING FOR INDICATOR ID ASSESSMENT:
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
X
Indicator IE: Data-Informed Decision Making [SCHOOL COMMITTEE PRIORITY INDICATOR]
Uses multiple sources of evidence related to student learning, including state, district and school assessment results and growth data, to
inform school and district goals and improve organizational performance, educator effectiveness and student learning.
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
I-E-1.
Knowledge and Use
of Data
Relies on too few data sources to

represent the full picture of
school or district performance,
and/or does not analyze the data
accurately.
May work with administrators to

identify multiple sources of student
learning data, but these data do not
provide multiple perspectives on
performance, and/or analysis of the data
is sometimes inaccurate.
Guides administrators and supports

them in identifying a range of
appropriate data sources and
effectively analyze the data for
decision-making purposes.
Leads administrator teams to identify a

range of appropriate data sources,
including non-traditional information
that offers a unique perspective on
school and district performance, and
models effective data analysis for staff.
Is able to model this element.
I-E-2.
School and District
Goals
[SC PRIORITY
ELEMENT]
Gathers limited information on

school and district strengths and
weaknesses and/or does not use
these data to inform district plans
or actions.
Assesses school and district strengths

and weaknesses using data that are not
carefully analyzed and/or writes an
unfocused strategic plan.
Uses data to accurately assess school

and district strengths and areas for
improvement to inform the creation
of focused, measurable district goals.
Provides support to principals in
their efforts to create focused,
measurable school goals.
Involves stakeholders in a
comprehensive diagnosis of school and
district strengths and weaknesses using
appropriate data, and leads a
collaborative process to develop a
focused, results-oriented strategic plan
with annual goals. Is able to model this
element.
I-E-3.
Improvement of
Performance,
Effectiveness, and
Learning
Does not share assessment data

with administrators or provide
them with resources and support
to use data to make adjustments
to school or district plans, and/or
model appropriate data analysis
strategies.
Shares limited data with administrators

to identify student and/or educator
subgroups that need support; provides
limited assistance to administrator
teams in using data to improve
performance.
Uses multiple data sources to

evaluate administrator and district
performance. Provides
administrators and administrator
teams with the resources and support
to disaggregate assessment data and
assists them in identifying students
who need additional support.
Uses multiple data sources to evaluate

administrator and district performance.
Provides administrators and
administrator teams with the resources
and support to disaggregate assessment
data and assists them in identifying
students who need additional support.
Empowers educators to use a range of
data sources to pinpoint areas for their
own and schoolwide improvement. Is
I-E. Elements
Proficient
Exemplary
SELF-ASSESSMENT RATING FOR INDICATOR IE DATA-INFORMED DECISION MAKING:
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
X
SELF-ASSESSMENT NARRATIVE FOR STANDARD I- INDICATORS IA-IE
The Office of Teaching and Learning, our principals, our elementary instructional coaches, our curriculum leaders K-8, and our Department Heads have
made substantial progress in moving our curricular and instructional work forward. The focus of our District and School Improvement Plans are solidly
focused on improving the instructional core--the relationship between the student and teacher in the presence of content. The district and school
improvement plans have become much more aligned over the past five years focusing heavily on curricular alignment and instructional improvement
toward the goal of having a coherent program which provides a model of instruction that meets the needs of a highly diverse group of learners.
Curricular work was strong at all levels this year. The first year of Arts Integration at our elementary schools was highly successful. Faculty and staff
worked together and with various community partners to create engaging experiences for our students so that the curriculum was brought to life. The
elementary K-5 staff decided to work on one social studies unit per grade in the upcoming year, which will be integrated with the arts. Arts integration will
also be expanded to the middle school level in 2015-2016. A decision was finalized this year regarding the math curriculum sequence for ARHS.
Interactive Mathematics Program was selected and an implementation plan is underway. Implementation of early reading curriculum is in place for
kindergarten and grade one using Superkids. Student growth from fall to winter has been outstanding. Our students average scores rose at well above the
average rate and more students are in the above average range and fewer students were in the below average range. The mean growth was well above
average. A similar trend was seen in the growth in reading from winter to spring. We will begin strengthening reading programming for grade two in the
coming year. A standards-based report card was used to share student progress and areas for improvement with families for grade 6 mathematics.
In terms of curricular mapping, Middle School mapping is well underway in areas such as mathematics, social studies, health, physical education, science,
chorus, and drama. Elementary units such as the kindergarten life cycle unit are being mapped using Understanding By Design/Atlas Rubicon.
Performance tasks are important components of each unit. Design of the new 9th grade World Civilization is well underway using Understanding By
Design/Atlas Rubicon.
Instructional improvement was a strong focus of our work this year. The creation of structures to improve what happens in classrooms included utilizing
instructional coaches, expanding teacher leadership, implementing equity walks,using instructional rounds, and means of providing embedded professional
development. The creation of elementary curriculum leaders this year was instrumental in planning and using well the early release days established this
school year. Instructional coaches and reading specialists/intervention teachers provided embedded professional development for faculty and staff
regarding both planning, content knowledge, and instructional practice. Smaller peer observations in mathematics were conducted and created a basis for
Learning Labs being planned for elementary math in 2015-2016. These will focus on cognitive demand for all children. The elementary coaches worked
with the entire faculty of each school regarding the importance of cognitive demand during the grade level team meetings. This work is helping teachers
analyze their assignments and develop the ability to boost the level of cognitive demand for students. The use of instructional coaches to model and
provide embedded professional development and support will move into the middle (2.0 Instructional Coaches) and high schools (.3 instructional coaches
in mathematics) in 2015-2016. Instructional rounds were conducted this year at ARMS with a focus on gathering data regarding the level of higher order
thinking skills noted in the task, the teaching, and in the student conversation.
Beginning early in the school year, in September, along with several additional workshop times, all special education staff have participated in
professional development sessions to develop our practice in writing meaningful IEPs. We worked with an outside consultant, Carol Kosnitsky, on this
process and our Education Team Leaders and other special education staff are implementing practices to enhance our skills in this area. We are working
with our Special Education Parent Advisory Council to elicit ongoing feedback in this area. Through SEPAC several workshops, including a Basic Rights
Workshop and an IEP Clinic, have been offered for families so that our work and goals in this area are aligned.
We created a Professional Development model this year in collaboration with the APEA, our teachers association, to establish a process for generating
professional development opportunities from faculty and staff, often lead by faculty and staff. ARPS-U and PLCs were created as such a mechanism,
offered free of charge for our staff. ARPS-U provides credit which can then be applied to salary lane changes and PLCs provided Professional
Development Points toward state relicensure. 203 staff members participated in a PLC or an ARPS-U course in this first year.
The courses offered were:
1. Promoting Equity in the Classroom via Complex Instruction
2. Orton Gillingham- Creating Life-Long Learners
3. ARPS-U Google Apps
4. Deeping our Practice: How contemplative inquiry and meditation can offer clarity and insight to our teaching lives.
5. Equity Work with Recommended Readings
6. Working Memory and Its Impact on Learning
7. Everything Google: Google Apps for Education
8. Mimio Users Group
9. Teacher Reflection and Contemplative Practices: How cultivating awareness and mindfulness can infuse our teaching with insight and enthusiasm.
In addition, we created opportunity to grow our own faculty and staff. We created a special education in-district cohort program which allows for
faculty and staff to meet the competencies for state licensure in special education. We had 22-24 people enroll in these learning modules and had the
opportunity to hire two of these staff in a special education role this coming year. We offered a Board Certification for Behavior Analysts course,
along with a supervised practicum experience, through Elms College in which five staff participated this year. Clearly indicated in our offerings is our
focus on instructional improvement and meeting the needs of a diverse student body. In addition to the ARPS-U and PLCs, we provided substantial
professional development regarding co-teaching, restorative practices, and our school based series on equity directly connected to our practice. Finally,
we have purchased Chromebooks for all schools, specifically to support the students/teachers in co-teaching classrooms. We will offer a Chromebook
professional development opportunity this summer in which we will explore how Universal Design for Learning and having access to Accessible
Educational Materials (AEM) can change the classroom environment. Teachers will be introduced to how Chromebooks, with specific extensions and
apps, can support a wide range of students in the classroom who struggle with reading and writing. Specific strategies will be reviewed using the
technology to support teacher collaboration and planning.
We continued focusing on observation and providing meaningful feedback as required in the Massachusetts Evaluation Model during our District
Instructional Leadership meetings. We were acknowledged by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as one of four
districts who demonstrated a strong implementation of this model. We hosted members from the School Improvement Network and the Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) who filmed interviews with administrators, teachers, classroom instructors, and the District Instructional
Leadership Team. These videos will be shown nationwide.
In terms of use of data, we have become more expert in the use of data to inform instruction and to monitor the progress of our students. As required,
we are engaged in state required assessment. This year we opted out of the Kindergarten grant funding, with support from the Amherst and Pelham
School Committees, due to the significant amount of assessment required. We are more comfortable with internal measures connected to the
curriculum, and, most importantly, with formative assessment of student learning within the classroom to inform instruction. We would like to focus
more of our efforts on having teachers utilize a broader range of tools to access real time data in the classroom to inform instruction.
We use a variety of data to create our district and school improvement plans such as: standardized assessments; internal measures; survey data from
staff, students and families; state audit data; focus groups, and external consultant review. We implemented equity walks this year to inform our
professional development at the school level, and we continue to use Instructional Rounds to gather data for district/school improvement. In addition,
we implemented a school-family engagement review of each school that included focus groups, walk throughs, document collection, surveys and
photographic evidence. This data will be compiled and brought back to the focus groups, so that they can support the principal in developing action
plans to inform the school and district work. In the coming year, we will utilize an assessment of our schools 5Essentials from UChicago Impact
which will provide us multi-year improvement data.
SUPPORTING ARTIFACTS
(NOTE: Numerous additional artifacts are available in the shared folder on the Google drive.)
AIMSWEB Progress Report
ARMS Instructional Rounds, April 1, 2015
PLC and ARPS-U Feedback Summaries
Arts Integration Presentation
ARHS Math Curriculum Review Presentation
Co-Teaching Workshop PD
UChicago Impact
STANDARD II: MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS

Promotes the learning and growth of all students and the success of all staff by ensuring a safe, efficient and effective
learning environment using resources to implement appropriate curriculum, staffing and scheduling.
Self-Assessment for Overall Standard II Management and Operations:
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
X
Indicator IIA: Environment
Develops and executes effective plans, procedures, routines and operational systems to address a full range of safety, health and emotional
and social needs.
II-A. Elements
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
II-A-1.
Plans,
Procedures, and
Routines
Does not organize the district

effectively for orderly and efficient
movement of students.
May establish plans, procedures, and

routines to guide administrators, but
student entry, dismissal, meals, class
transitions, assemblies, and recess are
not consistently orderly and/or
efficient.
Develops systems, plans, procedures,

and routines for administrators to
implement that generally ensure
orderly and efficient student entry,
dismissal, meals, class transitions,
assemblies, and recess.
Establishes systems, plans, procedures,

and routines that empower
administrators, students and staff to
implement orderly and efficient student
entry, dismissal, meals, class
transitions, assemblies, and recess. Is
II-A-2.
Operational
Systems
Fails to establish systems and

procedures to support custodial and/or
other staff, so that the campus is not
generally clean, attractive, welcoming,
and/or safe.
Develops systems and procedures that

result in inconsistent supervision and/or
support of custodial and other staff,
resulting in a campus that is not
consistently clean, attractive,
welcoming, or safe.
Develops systems and procedures for

the effective supervision and support
of custodial, clerical, food services,
and other staff effectively so that the
campus is clean, attractive,
welcoming, and safe.
Creates and maintains a district

environment in which custodial and
other staff take personal responsibility
for keeping the campus clean,
attractive, welcoming, and safe. Is able
to model this element.
II-A-3.
Student Safety,
Health, and
Social and
Emotional
Needs
Does not develop consistent

procedures for student discipline;
district disciplinary practice varies
from school to school; often tolerates
discipline violations and/or enforces
district policies or procedures
inconsistently.
May urge administrators to demand

good student behavior but allows
varying standards to exist in different
schools. Supervises and supports
administrators in addressing student
discipline and bullying matters on a
case-by-case basis in the absence of a
Supports administrator teams in

developing systems and procedures
for positive student behavior; models
high expectations for student
behavior and provides appropriate
training for administrators to uphold
these expectations. Establishes
Guides administrators and teams to

develop practices that consistently
showcase high expectations for student
behavior and invest staff and students
in upholding these expectations.
Successfully implements district-wide
routines and consequences such that
system of procedures and

consequences.
district-wide routines and

consequences, including policies and
systems to prevent and address
bullying and other behaviors that
threaten students social and
emotional well-being.
students take ownership over

addressing bullying and other behaviors
that threaten students social and
emotional well-being. Is able to model
this element.
SELF-ASSESSMENT RATING FOR INDICATOR IIA ENVIRONMENT:
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
X
Indicator IIB: Human Resources Management and Development
Implements a cohesive approach to recruitment, hiring, induction, development and career growth that promotes high-quality and effective
practice.
II-B. Elements
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
II-B-1.
Recruitment and
Hiring Strategies
Does not successfully lead the

recruitment and hiring process.
Leads the recruitment and hiring

process but does not consistently
identify effective administrators and
educators.
Leads the districts recruitment and

hiring process and, through it,
consistently identifies effective
administrators and educators who
share the districts mission.
Consistently identifies effective

administrators and educators who share
the districts mission. Empowers
administrators and faculty members to
share in a structured, consistent
interview process. Is able to model this
element.
II-B-2.
Induction,
Professional
Development, and
Career Growth
Strategies
Does not support new administrators,

provide guidance to them to support
educators, organize high-quality jobembedded professional development,
and/or support the career growth of
effective educators.
Develops only a limited district-wide

induction program for new
administrators and teachers and/or
inconsistently implements the districts
induction strategy; organizes jobembedded professional development
that is not consistently high quality or
aligned with goals; and/or does not
consistently support effective
administrators and educators career
growth. Does not establish criteria for
Develops district-wide induction

support for new administrators and
teachers and/or faithfully implements
the districts induction strategy;
organizes high-quality job-embedded
professional development aligned
with district goals; and supports the
career growth of effective
professional personnel by
distributing leadership tasks,
developing criteria for the awarding
Facilitates the administrator-led design

and implementation of induction
support, job-embedded professional
development, and career growth
support all of which are aligned with
district goals; are consistently viewed
by professional personnel as effective
and helpful, and provide multiple
opportunities for administrator and
educator growth and learning. Leads
the administrator team in developing
the awarding of professional status.
of professional status, and

monitoring progress and
development.
district criteria for the awarding of

professional status. Is able to model this
element.
SELF-ASSESSMENT RATING FOR INDICATOR IIB HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT:
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
X
Indicator IIC: Scheduling and Management Information Systems
Uses systems to ensure optimal use of data and time for teaching, learning, and collaboration, minimizing disruptions and distractions for
school-level staff.
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
II-C-1.
Time for
Teaching and
Learning
Does little to minimize disruptions to

instructional time and minimize
disruptions and distractions for schoollevel staff, including principals.
Generally acts to minimize disruptions

to instructional time and minimize
disruptions and distractions for schoollevel staff, including principals.
Creates schedules, procedures and

related systems that maximize
school day disruptions and
distractions for school-level staff,
including principals; and consistently
monitors the extent to which these
systems are effective
Empowers administrators and teams to

contribute to the design and monitoring
of district systems that maximize
disruptions and distractions for all
school-level staff. Is able to model this
element.
II-C-2.
Time for
Collaboration
Sets unrealistic expectations for

administrator team meetings if at all
and/or does not create a schedule that
provides adequate meeting time for
teams. Does not work to prevent or
deflect time-wasting activities. Does not
establish norms for the administrator
team meetings.
Sets inconsistent expectations for

administrator team meetings and/or
creates a schedule that only provides
adequate meeting time for some team
meetings. Works to prevent or deflect
activities with limited success. Norms
for team behavior are unclear and/or not
consistently practiced.
Sets expectations for administrator

team meetings and creates a schedule
that provides sufficient meeting time
for all team meetings. Prevents or
deflects activities that interfere with
administrators ability to focus on the
agenda during team time. Establishes
norms for effective team behavior.
Is transparent and forthcoming about

expectations for all administrator team
meetings; creates and implements a
schedule that maximizes meeting time
for all team members. Collaborates with
team members to develop team norms.
Is able to model this element.
II-C. Elements
SELF-ASSESSMENT RATING FOR INDICATOR IIC SCHEDULING AND MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS:
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
Indicator IID: Laws, Ethics and Policies

Understands and complies with state and federal laws and mandates, school committee policies, collective bargaining agreements and ethical
guidelines.
Unsatisfactory
II-D. Elements
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
II-D-1.
Laws and
Policies
Demonstrates lack of awareness or

consistent non-compliance with some
or all state and federal laws and
mandates, school committee policies, or
collective bargaining agreements.
May know state and federal laws and

mandates, school committee policies,
and collective bargaining agreements,
but inconsistently complies with some
laws or policies.
Understands and complies with state

and federal laws and mandates,
school committee policies, and
collective bargaining agreements.
Provides the resources and support to
ensure district-wide compliance.
Provides the resources and support for

all school personnel to understand and
comply with state and federal laws and
mandates, school committee policies,
and collective bargaining agreements. Is
II-D-2.
Ethical
Behavior
Demonstrates lack of sound judgment

reflecting integrity and fairness and/or
does not adequately protect
administrator, student, family, and/or
staff confidentiality.
Generally demonstrates sound judgment

reflecting integrity and fairness with
occasional lapses in judgment and/or
does not always protect administrator,
student, family, and staff confidentiality
appropriately.
Reliably demonstrates sound

judgment reflecting integrity and
fairness; protects administrator,
student, family, and staff
confidentiality appropriately; and
expects all district personnel to
reflect this practice.
Reliably demonstrates sound judgment

reflecting integrity and fairness;
protects administrator, student, family,
and staff confidentiality appropriately.
Effectively supports all staff to do both
as well. Is able to model this element.
SELF-ASSESSMENT RATING FOR INDICATOR IID LAWS, ETHICS AND POLICIES:
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
X
Indicator IIE: Fiscal Systems
Develops a budget that supports the districts vision, mission and goals; allocates and manages expenditures consistent with district- and
school-level goals and available resources.
II-E. Elements
II-E-1.
Fiscal Systems
Unsatisfactory
Builds a budget that does not align
with the districts goals or
mismanages available resources.
Needs Improvement
Develops a budget that loosely aligns
with the districts vision, mission, and
goals or inconsistently manages
expenditures and available resources.
Proficient
Develops a budget that aligns with
the districts vision, mission, and
goals. Allocates and manages
expenditures consistent with
district/school-level goals and
Exemplary
Leads the administrator team to develop a
district budget that aligns with the districts
vision, mission, and goals with supporting
rationale; uses budget limitations to create
new opportunities for improvement, when
available resources.
possible; allocates and manages expenditures

consistent with district/school-level goals;
and seeks alternate funding sources as
needed. Is able to model this element.
SELF-ASSESSMENT RATING FOR INDICATOR IIE FISCAL SYSTEMS:
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
X
SELF-ASSESSMENT NARRATIVE
The emotional and physical safety of our students and staff is a priority. Our safety planning and crisis response plan is established and solidly in place.
We collaborate with the Amherst and Pelham Police Departments, the Amherst College and UMASS Police Departments, Amherst Fire Department,
Amherst Health Services, Amherst Town Officials, and state agencies in our prevention and response plans. At the start of each school year, we conduct
safety walk-throughs of all facilities that include building and central office administrators and Amherst Fire and/or Police Department Officers. In
addition, we have a safety flip chart located in all classrooms and offices in our schools. These flip charts are routinely reviewed and adjusted as necessary.
As you may recall, last year we moved the reception areas of Wildwood and Fort River to ensure clear views of the entries to ensure appropriate entry
protocols. This year, we added cameras to ARMS and ARHS non-instructional areas and exteriors to provide additional safety measures within our walls;
a project which is 85% complete. As part of the process of adding cameras, we have negotiated memorandums of understanding with our faculty and staff
regarding the purpose of the cameras and the process for accessing the footage captured by the cameras. In addition, we have signed a new bus contract
which includes placing cameras in all buses.
Our Facilities Department does an exceptional job maintaining our buildings, which can be a challenge due to the age of the facilities. We have built
internal capacity by hiring an electrician, a plumber, and staff who are skilled builders and mechanics. This has greatly increased our ability to be
responsive to the needs of our schools. In addition, we have systems in place which gives the Facilities Director the ability to monitor the conditions of the
buildings remotely to support energy efficiency and temperature of the buildings. A capital plan was established three years ago for our Regional Schools
to support the ongoing maintenance of our facilities. This process includes working collaboratively with our four towns to determine the financial viability
of maintaining the buildings within a multi-year perspective. In addition to connecting with each of the Towns Finance Committees regarding current
needs, at least two Four Town Meetings are facilitated annually to discuss the Regional Assessment and Capital needs and how these costs impact our four
member towns. This year we completed the ARHS boiler room renovation which was operational prior to the heating season, leading to significant energy
saving; installed cameras at ARMS/ARHS; and are currently engaged in repairs on the ARMS swimming pool. We work collaboratively with the towns of
Amherst and Pelham to address the capital needs of our elementary schools through the Amherst Joint Capital Planning Committee and through
collaboration with the Finance Committee and Select Board of Pelham. This year we worked through Amherst to install bus cameras, and we worked with
Pelham to address technology needs and lighting around the building.
We are actively engaged in a process to address the facility needs at the elementary level in Amherst to provide more functional and accessible schools to
support the education of our elementary students. This process will take a long view regarding the sustainability of our elementary schools and our districts
as a whole. Last year we submitted a Statement of Interest to the MSBA for state funds for further upgrades to Fort River and Wildwood. We were invited
into the process for Wildwood Elementary School. We have completed the MSBA steps to date and received approval from the Town of Amherst to
engage in a feasibility student of up to one million dollars. The study includes looking at multiple potential scenarios, including renovating Wildwood as a
K-6 school; building a new K-6 Wildwood; and reconfiguring our elementary schools and building a grade 2-6 school for students, which would include
closing Wildwood and Fort River Schools. We have a very functional and representative building committee, which has been meeting regularly throughout
the course of this project, and has focused well on keeping the community and the School Committee up-to-date with information. The process of hiring an
Owners Project Manager has been completed, with the hiring of Joselyn Lessor. We are in the process of interviewing four designer firm finalists, which
will occur on July 2, 2015. Once this part of the process has been completed, a substantial community engagement process will be implemented. The
feasibility study will be completed and a recommended step will be brought to the Amherst School Committee in January 2016.
The Pelham School Committee and the Pelham Town Officials are actively engaged in conversation regarding the future of Pelham Elementary School
given the enrollment projections and the fiscal constraints experienced by the Town as a whole.
At the secondary level, we are in the process of exploring the use of our facilities given the decline in enrollment and the reality of an ongoing structural
deficit. Kuhn Riddle Architects reviewed our high school to update us on the capacity of the building to ensure we could educate all students 7-12 in this
facility. It was confirmed that the building has the capacity to serve approximately 1700 students, and we anticipate our districts 7-12 enrollment being
1400 within two years. Currently teams are working on two components of the feasibility study related to facilities, both examining the opportunities and
challenges of a possible merge: 1) Review of special education space and programming requirements and 2) library collections and the need for any
modification of the ARHS library space.
Substantial steps were taken this year to improve the physical and emotional safety of our students. In terms of students physical health, we maintain
exceptional nurses in all of our schools and a Nurse Leader who works to align our guidelines and practices with state and federal regulations. We are
currently reviewing our nursing staffing given the number of students with health needs and the need to have nurses present on specific field trips and for
afterschool and summer programming. A Wellness Committee was established last year under the direction of the Director of Student Services to address
multiple issue related to student wellness. A policy recommendation was made to the Policy Subcommittee and a revised Wellness Policy has been
approved by the Regional School Committee. In addition, the Wellness Committee completed a grant with Whole Foods to install a salad bar at ARMS.
There is also ongoing discussion about exploring more Farm-to-Table opportunities in our schools. Next year, the Wellness Committee will focus on
physical activity.
In terms of mental health and behavioral supports, our schools continue to make substantial progress in implementing a positive behavioral framework of
tiered supports and interventions, including social emotional learning opportunities. The Director of Student Services has reconfigured the staffing and
roles/responsibilities of our school psychologists, guidance counselors and school adjustment counselors to provide a more coherent system of support and
intervention for our students. Substantial adjustments were made this past year at ARHS in terms of roles/responsibilities, and further clarification is
underway for this upcoming school year. We successfully implemented the BYRT (Bridge for Resilient Youth in Transition) program this year at ARHS
to support students who experience more chronic mental health needs, who are transitioning from or to hospitalization, and or who have medical needs
such as concussion. In our first year of the BRYT program, we have quickly seen the need and positive response from our review of the year. In 2014-15
we served 19 nineteen students in BRYT. Families were actively engaged in the BRYT referral and transition program. Family meetings and regular
communication with families and outside treatment providers are part of the program. BRYT offers intensive therapeutic and academic supports to help
students who are experiencing challenges remain engaged in school and transition back into their school program.
Professional development was provided for staff regarding threat assessment, using the Guidelines for Responding to Student Threats of Violence
by Dewey Cornell and Peter Sheras. This opportunity included our law enforcement partners, the District Attorney, and members of our neighboring
communities. We sent three staff to be trained on Lifelines through the District Attorneys Office which is for suicide intervention, prevention and
postvention. These staff members are working this summer to develop a plan and protocol for all schools. Our Anti-Bullying protocols were updated this
year and staff were provided training regarding the law and the requirement to report potential incidents of bullying. Relevant faculty and administration
were provided legal training regarding the appropriate process to follow in terms of investigating potential incidents of bullying. In addition, a link was
placed on all school pages so that people have easy access to reporting a suspected incident of bullying.
The state of Massachusetts has recently amended the law that governs school disciplinary practices. The law--referred to as Chapter 222--is consistent
with our belief that schools need to stop over-relying on suspension as a response to students inappropriate behavior and, instead, focus on prevention,
support and intervention and education. The goal is to support students so that they are able to be in classrooms learning. These changes build on the
foundational work we have been engaged in over the past few years regarding implementation of a positive behavioral framework, a tiered model of
intervention/supports and education, and the focus on improvement of school and classroom climate. Our Code of Conducts were significantly revised this
year for all of our schools, consistent with these goals. In addition, our attorney provided a training on these requirements to administrators and those in the
role of discipline/intervention this all. Given that these adjustments ask our faculty, staff, and administrators to learn new skills and respond differently, we
have provided substantial professional development in Restorative Practices. We had 45 faculty and staff trained by International Institute of Restorative
Practices through attending Introduction to Restorative Practices and Using Circles Effectively, and we had 12 people trained as trainers. In addition to
faculty and staff, an executive board member from our Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) participated in the Restorative Practices
training and is also now a certified Restorative Practices trainer. This will allow us the capacity to train all of our faculty and staff in this work so that we
can take a more problem solving, educational, and restorative approach within our schools. Our core group of trainers is working on a multi-year
implementation plan this summer.
In addition, we have created the After Action Review Structure which provides a consistent expectation and means of reviewing behavioral data from
Educators Handbook in a format that allows for analysis of disparities evident in low level behaviors and provides a structure to review suspension. The
elementary schools and ARMS has been engaged in the process of data review this school year, and we oriented ARHS to use of this data as well to
support individual students and to inform school-wide action plans. Now that we have a routine established, we will implement an additional level of
feedback to building principals as outcomes of the analysis at the district level. The goal is to raise questions that will support the principals in providing
support and feedback to faculty and staff regarding data trends so to implement school and/or classroom adjustments.
Our Human Resource Department leads the districts recruitment, hiring, and retention process consistent with the mission of our districts. The Assistant
Director of Human Resources sits on the Racial Imbalance Advisory Council, appointed by the Commissioner of Education. In addition she has been a
member of the Superintendents Climate Advisory working with faculty and a consultant focusing on recruitment, hiring and retention of faculty/staff of
color. In terms of recruitment, we advertise widely for open positions, including through outlets geared to recruitment of staff of color such as Nemnet (the
National Employment Minority Network), Minority Reporter and Teacher of Color Magazine. A recommendation came from the Superintendents Climate
Advisory Group to send openings to all staff so that they may send it by word of mouth to friends and connections. This recommendation has been
implemented. In addition, we are advertising now on the Town Website as well. We have revised our process for interviewing and practical assessments
based on the feedback from the Superintendents Climate Advisory Group as well. Diversity Ambassadors will be in place beginning in the 2015-2016
school year to play a role in supporting candidate recruitment and retention by supporting candidates of color through promoting a sense of welcoming,
providing information about our schools and community, and answering the diversity questions the candidates may have about our district and community.
We have a strong induction and mentoring program for all of our faculty for the first two years of employment. These include monthly professional
development requirements and ongoing support from a mentor. The first-year series is focused on Family Engagement and Communication,Growth
Mindset,Collaborative Work, Evaluation System, and Instructional Strategies. The second-year series is focused on Growth Mindset, Cultural Proficiency,
Social Justice Framework, Poverty and the Impact on Student Learning, and Family Engagement. This is our first year implementing an ALANA affinity
group, led by Monica Hall, Director of Diversity and Equity, and Marta Guevara, Director of Achievement and Accountability. This group met during the
school day with attendance ranging from 15-40 staff members per meeting. The group developed a mission and vision for their ongoing work.
In terms of scheduling and management, the use of time has been a major topic of conversation and action at all levels. We adjusted our schedules at all
levels to implement early release days, which allow for cohesive professional development horizontally and vertically. With the expansion of co-teaching,
we are reviewing elementary and secondary schedules to ensure collaboration time is included so that co-teachers have some schedule time to plan
together should they choose to do so. We continue the before school program in Amherst and Pelham and continue after school programs and/or
clubs/sports at all levels. We have implemented our first year of the 21 st Century Grant at ARMS. We are in the process of reviewing and strengthening the
advisory programs at ARMS and ARHS. The goals of the ARMS schedule change were to increase the amount of core academic instructional time; to
preserve our rich offerings of specials and expand access; to strengthen the instructional model: student centered, differentiated, rigorous; to ensure
sufficient time for teacher collaboration and co-teaching; and to strengthen advisory. While the implementation process was consistent with the negotiated
contract, it proved to be very challenging and not as smooth as we would have liked. The outcome of the schedule change process met the priorities and
will be implemented in September 2015. Please see the ARMS schedule presentation powerpoint presented to the School Committee in January and the
update to the School Committee on June 9. The ARHS schedule presentation was developed, informed by critical feedback regarding the ARMS
process/presentations. The information was presented to students, faculty/staff, and community. Feedback loop was implemented and a decision was made
consistent with priorities. The ARHS schedule change will be implemented in September 2016.
Our comprehensive spending plan is extremely strong by all standards. Our Director of Finance is highly skilled and has added a new executive summary
to these documents to forecast our finances looking forward. In addition, thoughtful planning is in place in terms of use of our E & D (reser ves), and the
use of School Choice to maintain our fiscal health moving forward. We work collaboratively with our four partner towns, and very closely with the Town
of Pelham and the Town of Amherst. During the FY16 budget development process, we hosted and presented at two Four Town Meetings of the Select
Boards, Finance Committees and School Committees of our Regional Communities. In addition, we presented at the Pelham Finance Committee, Amherst
Finance Committee and Amherst Select Board. We have worked to minimize the financial impact on our four communities by paying close attention to the
budget increases. For FY16, there is a 1.4% increase to our Regional Budget, 1.8 % increase for our Amherst Budget ($100,000 under target), and 2.1 %
increase for the Pelham Budget. As part of the districts fiscal policies, the Regional School Committee approved a Food Service Collections Policy, an
Investment Policy, and an OPEB policy in 2014-2015.
ADF: Wellness Policy
Human Resources Report to the School Committees link
Wildwood Building Project link
Regional Revisioning link
ARMS Schedule Information link
ARHS Schedule Information link
ARMS/ARHS Schedule Update to the School Committee link
Chapter 222 Law link
Discipline Presentation to the Regional School Committee link

Bullying Incident Report link
FY16 Budget Process Documents link
End-of-Year District Department Goals Update
Community Survey Summary Results
Staff Feedback Survey Results
Self-Reflection on Community and Staff Feedback
STANDARD III: FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Promotes the learning and growth of all students and the success of all staff through effective partnerships with families,
community organizations and other stakeholders that support the mission of the school and district.
Self-Assessment for Overall Standard III: Family and Community Engagement
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
X
Indicator IIIA: Engagement
Actively ensures that all families are welcome members of the classroom and school community and can contribute to the effect iveness of the
classroom, school, district and community.
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
III-A-1.
Family
Engagement
Does little to welcome families as

members of the district, classroom or
school community or tolerates an
environment that is unwelcoming to
some families.
May provide some resources and

support and make some attempts to
welcome families as members of the
district, classroom and school
community but does not consistently
use culturally sensitive practices and/or
work to identify and remove barriers to
family involvement.
Provides resources and support

for all personnel to use
culturally sensitive practices to
ensure that all families are
welcome and can contribute to
the district, classroom, school
and communitys effectiveness.
Works with administrators to
identify and remove barriers to
families involvement, including
families whose home language is
not English.
Provides resources and support for all

personnel to use culturally sensitive practices
and successfully engages most families,
ensuring that all families are welcome and
can contribute to district, classroom, school,
and community effectiveness. Works with
administrators, families, and organizations to
identify and remove barriers to family
involvement, including families whose home
language is not English. Is able to model this
element.
III-A-2.
Community and
Business
Engagement
Limits work to the immediate

context of the schools. Does not
make efforts to reach out to
community organizations,
community members, or businesses
that could otherwise contribute to
district effectiveness.
Engages some community

organizations, community members,
and/or businesses in annual district
events but does not make efforts to
increase their involvement to maximize
community contributions for district
effectiveness.
Establishes ongoing
relationships with community
organizations, community
members, and businesses.
Engages them to increase their
involvement to maximize
community contributions for
district effectiveness.
Establishes strategic partnerships with

community organizations, community
members, and businesses that improve
district effectiveness. Works to increase the
types and number of organizations with
whom the district partners in order to deepen
relationships and increase partner
contribution. Is able to model this element.
III-A. Elements
SELF-ASSESSMENT RATING IIIA ENGAGEMENT:
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
X
Indicator IIIB: Sharing Responsibility
Continuously collaborates with families and community stakeholders to support student learning and development at home, school and in the
community.
III-B. Elements
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
III-B-1.
Student Support
Does not work with

administrators to support
educators to identify student
needs, does not work with
administrators to support
families to address student
needs, and/or does not draw
upon internal or external
resources.
Asks administrators to identify

students struggling academically or
behaviorally and/or work with a
limited number of families to
address student needs, utilizing a
limited set of resources.
Provides resources and support

to enable administrators and
educators to identify each
students academic, social,
emotional, and behavioral needs,
including students with
disabilities and English learners.
Collaborates with administrators
to support families to address
student needs, utilizing
resources within and outside of
the district.
Provides resources and support to

enable administrators and
educators to identify each students
academic, social, emotional, and
behavioral needs, including
students with disabilities and
English learners. Collaborates with
administrators to support families to
effectively address student needs
and prevent further challenges,
connecting students with a network
of resources within and outside the
district. Is able to model this
element.
III-B-2.
Family
Collaboration
Does not set clear

expectations or provide
support for administrators to
regularly communicate with
families on ways to support
their childrens learning at
home and at school.
Sets general expectations and

provides occasional support for
administrators to engage families in
supporting their childrens learning
at school and at home and/or
supporting their children with
disabilities or limited English
proficiency.
Sets clear expectations for and

supports administrators to
regularly engage families in
supporting learning at school
and home, including appropriate
adaptation for students with
disabilities or limited English
proficiency.
Sets clear expectations and

provides differentiated resources to
support administrators to
consistently and regularly engage
all families in supporting their
childrens learning at school and
home, including families and
children with limited English
proficiency and/or children with
disabilities. Is able to model this
element.
SELF-ASSESSMENT RATING FOR INDICATOR IIIB SHARING RESPONSIBILITY:
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
X
Indicator IIIC: Communication
Engages in regular two-way, culturally proficient communication with families and community stakeholders about student learning and
performance.
III-C. Elements
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
III-C-1.
Two-Way
Communication
Does not set clear

expectations for or provide
support to administrators to
communicate with families.
District communication
regarding student learning
and performance primarily
occurs through school report
cards.
May set expectations for and

provide limited support to
administrators to communicate
with families but does not stress
the importance of two-way
communication channels. District
communication regarding student
learning and performance
primarily occurs through school
newsletters and other one-way
media.

provides support to
administrators to communicate
regularly with families using twoway communication channels,
including careful and prompt
response to communications
from families. Supports
administrators to maximize the
number of face-to-face
family/teacher interactions.

provides differentiated support to
ensure that all administrators design
and implement frequent
personalized communications,
respond carefully and promptly to
communications from families, and
solicit feedback from families that
informs improvement to
communication plans. Is able to
model this element.
III-C-2.
Culturally Proficient
Communication
Does not set clear

expectations for or provide
support to administrators
regarding culturally sensitive
communication and/or allows
inappropriate disrespectful
communication with families
that ignores different family
cultural norms.
May set expectations for

administrators regarding
culturally sensitive
communication but does not
provide support to them; and/or
occasionally communicates in
ways that are culturally
insensitive to some families
home language, culture, and
values.

provides support to
administrators regarding
culturally sensitive
communication. Ensures that
district-wide communication with
families is always respectful and
demonstrates understanding of
and sensitivity to different
families home language, culture,
and values.
Sets clear expectations for, models,

and provides differentiated support
regarding culturally sensitive
communication. Ensures that
district-wide communication with
families is always respectful and
demonstrates understanding and
appreciation of different families
home language, culture, and
values. Is able to model this
element.
SELF-ASSESSMENT RATING FOR INDICATOR IIIC COMMUNICATION:
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
X
Indicator IIID: Family Concerns
Addresses family and community concerns in an equitable, effective and efficient manner.
III-D.
Elements
III-D-1.
Family
Concerns
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
Fails to provide systems and

support for personnel to consistently
reach out to families in response to
concerns, and agreed-upon
solutions are often not in the best
interest of students.
May systems and support to

address concerns with families as
they arise, but agreed-upon
solutions are not always in the best
interest of students.
Provides systems, and support

for administrators to reach out to
families as concerns arise and
works to reach equitable
solutions in the best interest of
students.
Provides system and support for all

school personnel to reach out to
families proactively, as soon as
concerns arise. Effectively reaches
equitable solutions that satisfy
families, faculty, and staff and are in
the best interest of students. Is able
SELF-ASSESSMENT RATING FOR INDICATOR IIID FAMILY CONCERNS:
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
X
We have made substantial progress toward creating a systemic strength-based approach to family engagement. We have created broader opportunities for
families, community members, and partners to be involved in our schools. We are in our second year of our Family Center, which has served over 700
families this year and will continue to serve families during the summer. A Parent/Guardian Advisory Board has been created for the Family Center and is
meeting routinely with the Director to provide input and feedback into programming, services, and supports for all of our families. Family Outreach of
Amherst continues to partner with our staff to provide extensive support to families. A Family Outreach worker has an office space within our Family
Center so that we can provide seamless support. The Family Center provided a Family Center Lecture Series this year for all families and community
members about several topics of interest, including: Bullying Prevention, Math Pathways, Navigating the ARPS Powerschool Database, Learning
Developmental Milestones, MakerSpace, Promoting Early Literacy, and Homework Made Simple. In addition, the Family Center held Juntos We Play
events at Village Park (9/27/2014)Butternut (2/26/2015), Olympia Oaks (3/26/2015), North Village 4/18/2015 and the Middle School (6/20/2015).
Steps to Success is a comprehensive achievement program for at-promise low income students and their families attending district schools. Steps to
Success provides academic support and enrichment, on-going academic advisement, college awareness and readiness, work connections and internship
opportunities for students, summer camp opportunities, family education and the support services families need to support the academic achievement of
their children. Building upon the many strengths families have, Steps to Success advisors focus on school success and college completion as the main
goals for their students. As with all Family Center and district programming, we pursue educational equity and an end to generational poverty for all of
our students and their families. Currently, our advisors support 70 families and 125 students as part of this tier three intervention program.
Family University, the parent/guardian curricular component of our Family Center, was offered again this year. The main goals of this program are to help
families understand schooling in our community, learn about their rights, learn about community resources and learn strategies to support their childrens
academic growth. The Family University meetings focus on what children are learning in school, advocacy, parental leadership and effective parenting
skills in the 21st Century. This past year, meetings were held monthly on Wednesday mornings, the time most convenient for the parents/guardians who
enrolled in the program.
We created and implemented a Parent/guardian conference framework this year. The framework consists of questions that should be answered by the end
of the conference. The framework was delivered to principals in October to be shared with staff. The Family Center used this as a guide for parent
meetings. We will distribute this again at the start of the school year for families and staff and gather feedback regarding any potential
changes/improvements.
With our partners from the UMASS School Psychology Department, a Family Engagement Review Process was conducted at each school which includes
teacher and parent focus groups, walk throughs, document collection, surveys and photographic evidence. This information will be compiled this summer
and will be brought back to focus groups who will determine actionable recommendations for the school.
We are in the process of starting a Parent Teacher Home Visit Project. District leaders went to Boston in March to see the program implementation. They
also met with the leaders of the PTHVP organization from Sacramento, CA. We are partnering with the APEA to facilitate implementation of a modest
program for this school year. The initial training for elementary and secondary personnel was held on June 15, and we plan to offer the PTHVP to all
Kindergarten families in the Fall and in the Spring this coming year.
To strengthen student leadership that started in the summer of 2014, a Youth Culture Initiative (YCI) was created through our Family Center and in
partnership with Hampshire Youth Connect at Hampshire College. A safe space was created for this diverse group of students to:
Dialogue and critically explore racial complexities, and the intersection with personal identities;
Explore institutionalized structures which promote and sustain economic and academic inequities; and
Express their responses to events affecting their academic journey.
These students provided professional development for new teachers and facilitated dialogue with adults and students in school and at community events.
The Special Education Parent Advisory Committee has become a strong and connected partner in the work of our schools. The officers meet with the
Director of Student Service routinely to represent our families and students as well as to advise the district. I met with the officers twice this year and will
continue meeting routinely in the coming school year. The Director of Student Services, A School Committee member and I attended a three day
workshop with the SEPAC officers this spring where we created an action plan which is being implemented and will lead our collaborative work this
coming school year. In addition, the SEPAC and District partner together to present workshops for families, such as the Co-teaching Workshop. Last, A
SEPAC officer joined our professional development series on Restorative Practices and is now a trainer and part of the core group creating and
implementing the roll-out of this work.
District staff host and facilitate a monthly district meeting with the Parent Guardian Associations from each of our schools to support, facilitate and
coordinate this critically important work.
In terms of addressing conflict and concerns, we implemented an Ombudsperson position in 2011-2012 which provides families with a mechanism for
conflict resolution, mediation, and an impartial sounding board when they feel at an impasse with school staff. This position will continue with a new
ombudsperson in the upcoming school year since Barry Brooks has decided to retire from the position. We are happy to welcome Paul Wiley to the role.
In addition, we placed a bullying incident link on the web page of each school so that people have easy access to sharing their concerns. Forty five staff
were trained in restorative practices this summer to strengthen our ability to hear and work toward resolve on issues within our schools and within the
broader community. The core group of trainers are creating the roll-out plan for the schools in order to increase the capacity of all of our school faculty and
staff. Finally, we have increased the leadership team members ability to conduct investigations through professional development last fall regarding the
implementation of chapter 222.
In addition to our many workshops and offerings for families, we continue to host and support community events such as Latino Student Achievement
Night, African American Achievement Night, Cambodian New Year Celebration and First Day Celebration on the Common. We also continue to provide
computers, reduced-fee internet access, backpack and schools supplies, and car seats/booster seats annually in collaboration with our community partners.
The district continues to demonstrate growth in our creation of partnerships and have developed meaningful, collaborative relationships with community
partners such as institutions of higher learning, agencies, and community members that leverage resources and bring technical expertise into the schools.
The Superintendents Five College Advisory meets monthly to discuss, create and expand partnerships between the public schools, higher education, and
community organizations. Please see the attached list of partnerships. The Superintendents Climate Advisory includes community members and members
of higher education which partner on initiatives to improve classroom and school climate. A new partnership with Greenfield Community College to
leverage dual enrollment programming, technical/vocational certificate programs, and courses for our community/families/students is well underway with
a three year rollout plan. A partnership with UChicago Impact is currently being created so that ARPS will be able to access and benefit from the research
and technical support they can provide regarding school improvement.
In addition to efforts through our family center, we use multiple venues to share information about our schools with our families and community. We
continue using our blog and twitter. We conduct family surveys at each school to inform District and School Improvement Plans. We partner with Amherst
Media to provide Public Service Announcements and our ongoing segment Voices from our Schools, which included twenty episodes this year. In
addition, this year we had six informational articles published on Masslive and in the Daily Hampshire Gazette: The Benefits of a Continuous District
Improvement Plan, by Maria Geryk; Rigorous Instruction and Student Engagement, by Michael Morris; Standards-Based Curricula: How Districts
Enhance Learning for All Students, by Rhonda Cohen; Ensuring Positive Classroom and School-wide Climate for All, by Faye Brady; Equity at ARPS, by
Monica Hall; Response to Intervention, by Bobbie Finocchio; and School Climate by Marisa Mendonsa. Another new communication tool this year is a
weekly email and Update from the Superintendent newsletter for families and staff and a weekly email update to the School Committees.
In addition, our leadership team members are in attendance and/or make presentations at numerous town and community events. We have members
representing our schools at the Amherst Budget Coordinating Group, the Amherst Joint Capital Planning Committee, the United Way, Amherst Know
Your Neighbor Coalition, Amherst Human Service Network, Coming Together Events, And Amherst Community Health Planning Committee. We held
two Four-Town meetings to discuss the financial picture of our schools and attended a Shutesbury Select Board meeting to present the recommendation of
the Regional Assessment Working Group. We presented to the Amherst Finance Committee, the Amherst Select Board, the Pelham Finance Committee,
the Amherst Town Meeting, the Shutesbury Town Meeting, and the School Equity Task Force. We were in attendance at the Pelham and Leverett Town
Meetings. The League of Women Voters invited us to present on the state of our schools and to engage in question and answers.
.
2014-2015 ARPS Family Engagement and Diversity and Equity Plan
Co-Teaching Presentation for Families
Community Partnerships, Events and Projects

Voices from our Schools 2014-2015 (season 5)
o Aug 13 Amherst Together: Maria, Carol Ross & John Musante
o Sep 10 Know Your Neighbor: Betsy McGinnis & Cynthia Brubaker
o Sep 24 RTI at Crocker Farm: Shari Conklin & Jennifer Smith
o Oct 8 ARHS Dance program: Tracy Vernon & Xavia Perkins
o Oct 22 Fort River Leadership: Bobbie Finocchio & Diane Chamberlain
o Dec 3 Teaching & Learning: Rhonda Cohen & Ian Stith
o Dec 17 ARMS Leadership: Marisa Mendonsa & Talib Sadiq
o Jan 21 ARHS Student Advisory Council: Myles Olmstead & Gabriel Fontes
o Jan 28 Mindfulness & Reflective Study Group: Nick Yaffe
o Feb 4 AC/ARPS Equity Project: Noreen Swan & Athri Subragnathan
o Feb 18 Amherst College Lego Mindstorm Robotics: Chris Kingston & Henry Laney
o Mar 4 ARHS Vocational Program: Crystal Cartwright & Laurel Peltier
o Mar 18 Amherst College Education Summit: Robert Siudzinski, Megan Lyster, Dennis Quinn
o Apr 1 Latinos Unidos: ARHS students Sebastian Stiles-Sierwaki & Jocelyne Cruz
o Apr 15 ARHS Pakistan Delegation: Samantha Camera, Tom Fricke & Geoff Friedman
o June 3 GSA: Joe Koneizcy & Kim Kretzer
o Jun 8 Wildwood Building Project: Morris, Musante, Appy, Bohonowicz
o Jun 17 Summer Reading: Monica Cage & Brendon Stephen
o Jun 24 United Way: Jim Ayres
o Jul (upcoming) Regional Revisioning & GCC: Maria Geryk, Kathy Mazur, Mark Jackson, Robert Pura, Sher Hruska, Leo Hwang, Ellen
Story
o Jul (upcoming) Reader to Reader Family Engagement & Literacy: Dennis Quinn & AC interns
STANDARD IV: PROFESSIONAL CULTURE

Promotes success for all students and by nurturing and sustaining a school culture of reflective practice, high expectations
and continuous learning for staff.
Self-Assessment for Overall Standard IV: Professional Culture
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
X
Indicator IVA: Commitment to High Standards
Fosters a shared commitment to high standards of service, teaching and learning with high expectations for achievement for all.
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
IV-A-1.
Commitment to
High Standards
Does not encourage high

standards of teaching and
learning or high expectations for
achievement with the
administrator team, and/or may
demonstrate low expectations for
faculty and staff.
May ask administrators for

commitment to high standards of
teaching and learning with high
expectations for achievement for all
but does not support and/or model
it.
Fosters a shared commitment to

high standards of teaching and
learning, for all administrators,
with high expectations for
achievement for all.
Leads administrators in developing

a shared commitment to high
standards of teaching and learning
with high expectations for
achievement for all. Revisits and
renews commitment with
administrator team regularly. Is able
IV-A-2.
Mission and
Core Values
Does not develop core values

and mission statements for the
school.
May develop core values and

mission statements but rarely uses
them to guide decision making.
Develops, promotes, and models

commitment to core values that
guide the development of a
succinct, results-oriented
mission statement and ongoing
decision making.
Leads administrators to develop

core values and mission
statements, share these statements
with families and the school district
community, and use them to guide
decision making. Is able to model
this element.
IV-A-3.
Meetings
Leads administrator meetings

that lack clear purpose and/or are
primarily used for one-way
informational updates.
May lead administrator meetings

that include both one-way
informational updates and
participatory activities focused on
matters of consequence, but does
not clearly establish norms.
Plans and leads well-run and

engaging administrator meetings
that have clear purpose, focus on
matters of consequence, and
engage participants in a
thoughtful and productive series
of conversations and
Plans and facilitates engaging

administrator team meetings in
which small groups of
administrators learn together and
create solutions to instructional
leadership issues. Team has
established norms for behavior and
IV-A. Elements
Proficient
Exemplary
deliberations. Establishes clear

norms for administrator team
behavior.
consistently adheres to them.

Consistently evaluates the
effectiveness of the administrator
team meetings. Is able to model this
element.
SELF-ASSESSMENT RATING FOR INDICATOR IVA COMMITMENT TO HIGH STANDARDS:
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
X
Indicator IVB: Cultural Proficiency
Ensures that policies and practices enable staff members and students to interact effectively in a culturally diverse environment in which
students backgrounds, identities, strengths and challenges are respected.
IV-B.
Elements
IV-B-1.
Policies and
Practices
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
Develops and implements culturally

insensitive or inappropriate policies,
does not support administrators and
staff in building cultural proficiency,
and/or creates a culture that
minimizes the importance of
individual differences.
Takes pride in having a diverse

administration, faculty and/or
student body, but some policies are
not culturally sensitive; and/or
provides limited resources for
administrators to support the
development of cultural proficiency.
Develops and implements

culturally sensitive policies that
acknowledge the diverse
backgrounds, identities,
strengths, and challenges of
administrators, students and
staff. Provides administrators
with relevant resources to
support them in building cultural
proficiency and promotes a
culture that affirms individual
differences.
Leads stakeholders to develop and

implement culturally sensitive
policies that acknowledge the
diverse backgrounds, identities,
strengths, and challenges of
administrators, students and staff.
Empowers administrators with time,
resources, and support to build
cultural proficiency and collaborates
with community members to create
a culture that affirms individual
differences. Is able to model this
element.
SELF-ASSESSMENT RATING FOR INDICATOR IVB CULTURAL PROFICIENCY:
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
Indicator IVC: Communications

Demonstrates strong interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills
Unsatisfactory
IV-C. Elements
IV-C-1.
Communication Skills
Demonstrates ineffectual
interpersonal, written, or
verbal communication skills
at times.
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
May demonstrate adequate

interpersonal, written, and verbal
communication skills but
sometimes makes grammatical
errors or has difficulty expressing
ideas to stakeholders.
Demonstrates strong
interpersonal, written, and verbal
communication skills.
Demonstrates strong context- and

audience-specific interpersonal,
written, and verbal communication
skills. Is able to model this element.
SELF-ASSESSMENT RATING:
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
X
Indicator IVD: Continuous Learning
Develops and nurtures a culture in which staff members are reflective about their practice and use student data, current research, best
practices and theory to continuously adapt practice and achieve improved results.
IV-D. Elements
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
IV-D-1.
Continuous Learning
of Staff
Accepts the practice of

administrators working
largely in isolation, without
consideration of data and
best practices, and/or
discourages reflection
among administrators,
faculty and staff.
May encourage administrators to

reflect on the effectiveness of
interactions with faculty and
students and to use data and best
practices to adapt practice but does
not support administrators in these
practices.
Leads all administrators and

teams to reflect on the
effectiveness of interactions with
faculty and students. Ensures
that administrators use data,
research, and best practices to
adapt practice to achieve
improved results.
Models for administrators how to

reflect on the effectiveness of
interactions with faculty and
students and uses data, research,
and best practices to adapt practice
to achieve improved results.
Supports all educators to work in
teams as often as is feasible and
appropriate. Is able to model this
element.
IV-D-2.
Continuous Learning
Does not reflect on personal

practice or demonstrate new
ways of thinking about
Occasionally reflects on personal

practice, sets meaningful goals,
and/or researches ways to improve
Reflects on and improves

personal practice, sets
meaningful goals, and develops
Demonstrates openness and

commitment to learning; reflects on
personal practice; and relies on
of Administrator
administration and
leadership.
efficiency and practice.
new approaches in order to

improve efficiency and practice.
student data, current research, and

best practice to improve own
leadership. Is able to model this
element.
SELF-ASSESSMENT RATING FOR INDICATOR IVD CONTINUOUS LEARNING:
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
X
Indicator IVE: Shared Vision
Continuously engages all stakeholders in the creation of a shared educational vision in which every student is prepared to succeed in
postsecondary education and become a responsible citizen and global contributor.
IV-E. Elements
IV-E-1.
Shared Vision
Development
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Does little to engage

stakeholders in the creation of
a shared educational vision, or
the vision is disconnected
from college and career
readiness, civic engagement,
and/or community
contributions.
Engages administrators, staff,

students, families, and community
members in developing a vision
focused on some aspects of student
preparation for college and career
readiness, civic engagement, and
community contributions.
Proficient
At all grade levels, continuously
engages administrators, staff,
students, families, and
community members in
developing a vision focused on
student preparation for college
and career readiness, civic
engagement, and community
contributions.
Exemplary
Leads administrators, staff, students
of all ages, families, and community
members to develop and internalize
a shared educational vision around
preparation for college and careers
and responsible citizenship. Is able
SELF-ASSESSMENT RATING FOR INDICATOR IVE SHARED VISION:
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
X
Indicator IVF: Managing Conflict
Employs strategies for responding to disagreement and dissent, constructively resolving conflict and building consensus throughout a district
or school community.
Unsatisfactory
IV-F. Elements
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
IV-F-1.
Response to
Disagreement
Does not respond to

disagreement or dissent
and/or does not use
appropriate, respectful, nonconfrontational approaches.
May respond respectfully to

disagreement and dissent, but
responds inconsistently and does
not always employ a nonconfrontational approach
Employs a non-confrontational
approach for responding
respectfully and appropriately to
disagreement and dissent, using
both as opportunities for
learning. Models this practice for
the administrator team.
Models a variety of strategies for

responding respectfully and
effectively to disagreement and
dissent, using both as opportunities
for learning. Provides professional
development for the administrator
team to build these conflict
resolution strategies. Is able to
model this element.
IV-F-2.
Conflict Resolution
Does not address conflicts in a

solution-oriented and/or
respectful manner.
May attempt to respectfully resolve

conflicts as they arise, but employs
only a limited range of strategies.
Consistently employs a variety of

strategies to resolve conflicts in
a constructive and respectful
manner. Models this behavior for
the administrator team.
Consistently employs a variety of

strategies to resolve conflicts in a
constructive and respectful manner
and empowers and supports
administrators to use these
approaches. Is able to model this
element.
IV-F-3.
Consensus Building
Does not attempt to build

consensus within the district
community, or attempts at
consensus-building around
critical school decisions are
unsuccessful.
Employs a limited number of

strategies to build consensus within
the school district community, with
varying degrees of success.
Builds consensus within the

school district community
around critical school decisions,
employing a variety of strategies.
Employs a variety of strategies to

build consensus within the school
district community around critical
school decisions, while encouraging
dialogue and different points of
view. Is able to model this element.
SELF-ASSESSMENT RATING FOR INDICATOR IVF MANAGING CONFLICT:
Unsatisfactory
Needs Improvement
Proficient
Exemplary
X
An organization requires a clear structure for communication and decision making through which continuous improvement is possible. A substantial
amount of time has been devoted to developing the structure to set expectations, to improve practice, and to provide embedded professional development
(professional learning community). Inherent in this structure is the expectation that all administrators, faculty and staff are engaged in ongoing
development and improvement of skills. This structure provides an expectation and scheduled time for staff to meet together in dialogue to plan, review
student work, and analyze student data. This is also the structure through which administration can pose questions for feedback, for implementation of
action planning, and for embedded professional development. We have an effective District Instructional Leadership Team (DILT) which meets routinely
with a focus on instructional improvement. This group is representative of all schools and district educational departments and has spent a significant
amount of time norming expectations for our schools and developing a shared vision for our work. We learn together, review district data, and determine
District Improvement Plans, which are aligned to the School Improvement Plans. The District Improvement Plan includes the mission, core values, and
theories of action. The community, staff/faculty, and students provided input into the initial District Improvement Plan to form the core beliefs and goals
via survey five years ago. We will update this information again through our work with UChicago Impact coming year.
Our Leadership Team, through the DILT meetings and Principal meetings continues to work closely together to articulate common messaging for faculty
professional days, handbooks, and notices. The team models their commitment to learning during our meetings where we are asked to reflect on our own
practice and use current research to make improvements. We focus our work using agendas that include our mission and meeting norms. Dedication to the
mission and norms is held to, and they are reviewed routinely to ensure no changes are necessary. Strong supervision and support, as a group and
individually, is provided to our administrative team. We are actively engaged in giving and receiving feedback from one another in an effort to improve
our individual practice and the work of the districts. As Superintendent, I receive ongoing feedback from the community, faculty/staff, students, the
state/federal government, and the School Committees regarding my performance and the performance of our schools. I pay close attention to themes that
arise in this feedback, which can be contradictory at times. In addition, I am fortunate to rely on my leadership team, my Massachusetts Association of
School Superintendents colleagues, a group of experienced consultants and informal mentors as I strive to continuously improve my practice.
In turn, each school has a school-based leadership team and mechanisms for collaborative work. Elementary schools have collaboration time designated
for teacher teams and/or job alike teams across schools. ARMS has collaborative team time built into their day, and ARHS uses alternate Wednesday
afternoons for department meetings. All levels hold twice monthly faculty meetings and have six early release times across the year to facilitate
development and deep curricular/instructional work. A block of time is being designated for those teachers who are engaged in co-teaching at all levels.
We are currently creating the opportunity for our faculty, staff, students, families, and community to come together and vision what we would like our
secondary schools to become. There are a number of factors that are impacting our schools at the moment, and the post-secondary world has dramatically
changed for our students. We must consider these changes and adjust our schooling. An engagement process will begin this summer and culminate in a
visioning summit to be held in November to engage the community in this conversation. We are also creating ways for our students to envision their future
selves. We are starting projects for students in grades five/six through which adults help them to see they made it, so can I. It is incredibly helpful to
have an adult share his/her journey with students who may not envision that there are many pathways to prosperity. We are also in year one of preparation
for implementing the AVID program, which is designed to support a more diverse group of students in advanced courses. Finally, we are actively engaged
in partnership with Greenfield Community College to expand technical/certificate programs so that our students have multiple ways of accessing their
interests within our walls.
The focus of our work is to create a strong, equitable school system which educates all students well. Toward this goal, all of our work filters through the
lens of equity. The focus of equity must be infused in the review and implementation of curricula, instructional practice, grading, classroom and school
climate, behavioral support and intervention and extracurricular experiences. We have adopted a definition of equity from Dr. Rossi Ray-Taylor: Equity is
access to the system, participation in the system, and benefit from the system. You will see this work reflected in all of our meetings and the structures we
have completed to monitor and evaluate our work. Professional development for administrators, new staff, school-level faculty, staff (including
paraeducators, maintenance/drivers), included an equity series this year. We utilized technical support from consultants and community members at all
levels. We will continue to work with our current consultants in 2015-2016 to continue our professional development focusing on culturally responsive
instructional practices through school-based professional development, and supported through instructional coaches. We plan to create the opportunity to
offer courses to our faculty and staff that are representative of our school demographics and cultural/affinity groups this coming year.
Consensus building can be a challenging task in a public school system. Our leadership team structure provides a strong sense of community and a strong
accountability structure. Each school has a structure including a School Instructional Leadership Team (SILT) to support the work at the school level. In
addition, teacher leadership is established at ARHS, ARMS, and the elementary level. This year, elementary curriculum leaders and climate leaders were
added to bridge the gap between administration and teachers and to provide more authentic leadership and means of communication. In addition, coaches
at the elementary level play a strong role in providing support and building consensus. At ARMS, we are actively working on building a stronger focus on
teacher leadership in the upcoming year. We are working collaboratively with faculty to provide clarity regarding meeting structures, roles, and methods of
communication. In addition, instructional coaches will be implemented at the secondary level. For larger changes in our schools, consensus building is
critically important and more challenging. We had difficulty this year with building a process that felt inclusive regarding the ARMS schedule change. We
learned from that experience, and the ARHS schedule change benefitted from it. We engaged in a very positive process at the High School regarding both
the schedule change and changes in the mathematics pathway. We are engaged in a very collaborative and well-defined process regarding the MSBA
building project at the elementary level and are beginning a secondary visioning process which will follow a similar format using the Massachusetts Office
of Public Collaboration. In addition, we are prepared to support the Regional School Committees engagement process regarding the draft Regional
Agreement. Finally, we are engaged in a large-scale process with Amherst Together to inform school and community collective action.
We actively partner and engage with community groups and school groups around the work of our schools. The MTA and our unions, SEPAC, PGO
groups, community partners, and the SETF are a strong resource for our schools. We are actively working to build trusting, collaborative relationships so
that we can work together on behalf of our schools. One tangible step is the effort to meet routinely to discuss issues and potential changes prior to
implementation. It has been extremely helpful to think through topics with people with various perspectives in order to anticipate and address issues before
they become concerns.
This year we began implementation of a systematic means of assessing our schools through school/family engagement reviews. The data was gathered
through family focus groups, faculty focus groups, document review, and walk throughs. This work was conducted at each of our schools, supported by
our UMASS partners. The information gathered will be summarized for each school and will be the foundation for improvement moving forward. In
addition, we have begun training our staff so that we can begin a home visit program beginning in Kindergarten. These are excellent, research-based
strategies to build positive working relationships between our schools and families.
In general, I demonstrate strong communication skills with my leadership team and staff. I recognize it is critically important to create strong relationships
with faculty and staff in an organization that is comprised of a large group of people with such diverse backgrounds, experiences and attitudes. To make
movement in a social-sector organization requires a strong vision and the skills to help people find the drive to make the vision a reality. This requires the
ability to develop strong, collaborative working relationships based on trust and respect. Inherent in a system comprised of adults working together, who
also work with children and families, are many opportunities for conflict. My background in counseling and school psychology is often helpful. The ability
to hear all sides of issues and to work to bridge gaps is essential. It is also important to be able to say no in a way that allows people to hear and accept it.
This year, I was able to be present in our secondary schools more often to connect with faculty and staff in a less formal way; however, focused time to be
present in our elementary schools continues to be a focus for the upcoming school year.
To further support conflict resolution, we contract with the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for our schools. EAP provides counseling services for
staff and their families, support groups, referrals, crisis intervention, professional development, and mediation services. Having these services provided
locally has increased our ability to more routinely address issues related to faculty and staff needs. In addition, EAP and our partners from the UMASS
school psych and psychology department provide support regarding issues related to climate, cross-cultural competence and conflict resolution in the
workplace. In addition, we maintain the position of Ombudsperson to address concerns from our families and community members.
2014-2015 ARPS Family Engagement and Diversity and Equity Plan
Amherst Together Perception Data Report
Community Partnerships, Events and Projects
Elementary Early Release PD
Secondary Early Release PD

Community Survey Summary Results
Staff Feedback Survey Results
Self-Reflection on Community and Staff Feedback

Maria Geryk Self Evaluation 2015

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EVALUATION RUBRIC: END-OF-CYCLE SELF-ASSESSMENT

EVALUATION RUBRIC: END-OF-CYCLE SELF-ASSESSMENT

STANDARD I: INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP

Does not set the expectation that

Provides limited training and/or

Provides support and assistance for

Empowers administrators to employ

Does not state expectations for

Provides limited training to

Supports administrators to learn and

Supports administrators to collaborate

EVALUATION RUBRIC: END-OF-CYCLE SELF-ASSESSMENT

SELF-ASSESSMENT RATING FOR INDICATOR IA CURRICULUM:

Does not look for evidence of and/or

While the superintendent may observe

While observing principal practice

While observing principal practice

Does not set high expectations for the

May set high expectations for the

Sets and models high expectations

Sets and models high expectations

Does not look for evidence of and/or

While the superintendent may observe

While observing principal practice,

Employs strategies that ensure that

SELF-ASSESSMENT RATING FOR INDICATOR IB CURRICULUM:

EVALUATION RUBRIC: END-OF-CYCLE SELF-ASSESSMENT

Indicator IC: Assessment

Does not communicate or monitor

Provides administrators with some

Supports administrator teams to use

Leads administrator teams to develop

Does not encourage or facilitate

Suggests that administrator teams meet

Provides the resources for planning

Leads, plans, facilitates, and supports

SELF-ASSESSMENT RATING FOR INDICATOR IC ASSESSMENT:

Does not support administrators to

Supports administrators and

Supports administrators and

Supports administrators and

EVALUATION RUBRIC: END-OF-CYCLE SELF-ASSESSMENT

support administrators in attaining

consistently review them for quality

improvement goals and models this

Rarely conducts visits to observe

Makes infrequent unannounced visits to

Typically makes at least three

Makes unannounced visits to schools

Assigns ratings for performance,

Assigns ratings for performance, goal

Exercises sound and reliable

Exercises sound and reliable judgment

Does not review alignment between

Occasionally reviews alignment

Consistently reviews alignment

Studies alignment between judgment

EVALUATION RUBRIC: END-OF-CYCLE SELF-ASSESSMENT

SELF-ASSESSMENT RATING FOR INDICATOR ID ASSESSMENT:

Relies on too few data sources to

May work with administrators to

Guides administrators and supports

Leads administrator teams to identify a

Gathers limited information on