Schoolwide Improvement Plan (SWIP)




School Leadership Team

ESSA requires that all stakeholders provide meaningful input in the planning and improvement process. School leadership teams are an effective strategy for ensuring staff participation in creating and implementing the schoolwide plan. Describe the governance of the team. 



How are agendas set? 

Agendas are set by examining district and school based needs and initiatives. Staff members may also speak with administration about adding agenda items as needed


Who chairs the team?

The School Principals heads the Fairmont Junior High Leadership team (made up of department chairs and team leadership) and the AVID Site Team which is aimed to collaborate on school initiatives, policies, planning, and instruction. 


How are decisions made? 

Decisions are typically made after having informed discussions as a staff or as a leadership team. Decisions are also driven through gathering evidence, gathering surveys from a variety of stakeholders, and examining data. 


How frequently does the team meet? 

The AVID Site Team and the school leadership team meet separately, and each team meets once a month. 


What is the process for communicating with district leadership? 

The principal in our building is the conduit used for District communication with our district area directors or other district personnel. 


How are agendas set? 

Agendas are set by examining district and school-based needs and initiatives. Staff members may also speak with administration about adding agenda items as needed.

School and Community

Describe the school community demographics. 


Have there been recent changes in the community, such as school staff, administrator, and board changes; rising unemployment; etc. which have adversely impacted the school community?

In addition to the normal issues with a low income school, Fairmont has dealt with a wide variety of incidents, changes, and adverse events that have impacted the community at Fairmont Junior High:

2020 – 2021: Fairmont principal medically retired because of esophageal cancer. Temporary principal is placed from Jan – March 2021. A new principal is appointed in March 2021. COVID shutdown begins 4th quarter of 2020-2021 School Year.

2021 – 2022: Fairmont's former principal dies from symptoms related to esophageal cancer. Fairmont student commits suicide, COVID continues.

2022-2023: Fairmont long time social worker is accused of inappropriate behavior with a student, as a result the , social worker commits suicide in December of 2022. The current principal is placed on administrative leave pending a criminal investigation regarding the social worker accusation. Current principal, Jeff Roberts is named new principal in January of 2023. Current teacher is charged with rape of a former student (incident occurred in 2020) in April 2023 and is placed on leave pending the criminal investigation. Said teacher pleads guilty and is sentenced to prison. October 2023 Current Fairmont teacher dies from an apparent suicide. All of these events have had a significant impact on Fairmont Jr. High.

Academic Achievement 

The school’s academic achievement data can be found on the Assessment Summary tab.

If the school is in school improvement, please list the reasons the school has been identified for Comprehensive Support and Improvement (ELA, Math, Graduation Rate, etc.). What do the data suggest are strengths and weaknesses in student learning? The ISAT data from Spring 2023 shows 40.5% of our students were proficient and 53.5% made growth in ELA. According to ISAT data ELA is our strongest area for student learning. 22.2% of our students were proficient and 32.4% made growth in Math on the ISAT in spring of 2023. This is an area of concern because our percentile rank in the State is 8.3% and 8.0 % respectively.  EL growth rank was 7.6 % which means 20.4% made growth on the ACCESS test in Spring 2022 which makes it an area of concern as well.

Student Learning Needs 

Based on the specific student learning needs identified, provide a description of the process used to identify the root causes that if solved would result in higher outcomes for students. 


Fairmont is in a low income area of Boise and is designated as a Title I school. As with many low-income schools, family involvement in student education can be problematic. This year Fairmont has a ML (Multi Language Learner) population of roughly 18% of the school population including an influx of new immigrants.

Our current ML percentages at each composite level:

21% Level 1 - Entering

28% Level 2

46% - Level 3

4% - Level 4.

Roughly the same number (15%) of students are on IEP’s for special education needs. In addition, low ISAT scores at Fairmont are due to students not recognizing why they are taking the ISAT and how it impacts them. There is a shared understanding among students that the ISAT does not matter, and they do not need to take it seriously. Students tend to rush through the test. Math ISAT scores have not been traditionally shared and explained to students. Fairmont does not use ISAT data to drive Math placement or instruction. We do not look at ISAT data to set math goals for the year. Teachers may look at ISAT data for an additional data point when looking at students' historical math progress alongside other Math student evidence (I Ready, formative, and summative classroom assessments) when referring students to an intervention class.

Core Curriculum-

What curriculum materials are being used? 

To what extent are the materials research/evidence based (as determined by evidence from vendor/ publisher/ reviewer or another source?


  • Schoolwide- 

    • AVID: AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a proven college readiness system, established over 35 years ago, that uses research-based strategies and curriculum to help close the achievement gap by preparing all students for college readiness and success in a global society. AVID is a school-wide approach to curriculum and rigor.

    • ISAT: The Idaho Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) Comprehensive Assessment System consists of Interim Assessments which are optional tests given during the school year to help monitor student progress; year-end Summative Assessment and access to Tools for Teachers which provides resources to teachers to use to improve student learning. Each of these are part of a coherent and comprehensive system of assessment designed to be used together to improve teaching and learning.

    • BSD Scope & Sequences: Each and every school in the Boise School District offers students a rigorous and relevant curriculum developed by our District's highly qualified professional educators and administrators to prepare our students for success in college, career and citizenship.

    • STAR: Built with cutting-edge computer-adaptive technology and based on more than thirty years of data about how children learn and grow, the research-based Star Assessments provide educators with accurate, trustworthy data about their students' achievement and growth.

    • PRE-AP: features grade-level instruction intended to give all students the opportunity for growth; offers a focused framework, instructional support, model lessons, classroom assessments, and an optional final exam; focuses on skills that students will need to succeed in AP courses, college, and careers.

    • Science- The Boise School District curriculum follows the Next Generation Science Standards. Curriculum is delivered by highly qualified teachers.

    • History -House Bill - 650: When our district/department adopts new curriculum materials, half of the people on the "Curricular Adoption Committee" will be educators and half of the people will be non-educators (parents, citizens, etc.).  

To what extent is the core curriculum delivered with fidelity? 100%

  • Schoolwide - The AVID system has been a continued foundation supporting all course materials, schoolwide goals, and preparation for testing since 2006 and schoolwide since 2011. Staff is continuously trained on the strategies and foundations to deliver the curriculum to students with fidelity

  • ELA-. The Language Arts curriculum is aligned with Common Core State Standards and College Board. 

  • Math- The Math curriculum is aligned with Common Core State Standards and College Board. 

  • Science- Fidelity is monitored by the administration through yearly evaluations. 

  • History -The social studies curriculum has been aligned with the Idaho Core Curriculum.  Quote from BSD Website:  "Each and every school in the Boise School District offers students a rigorous and relevant curriculum developed by our District's highly-qualified professional educators and administrators to prepare our students for success in college, career and citizenship. Boise School District's curriculum aligns with the Idaho Core Curriculum Standards and is provided in detail below by clicking on the appropriate content area links." 


How is fidelity monitored?

  • Schoolwide - Fidelity in all core content areas is monitored through: AVID evidence, classroom observations, lesson plans, unit plans, professional learning plans and student growth data collection. It can also be seen in yearly data through the STAR program, Pre-AP Program

Core Instruction

To what extent do teachers adjust their instruction to meet the needs of all learners based on assessment data and student feedback? 

What formative assessments do teachers use to determine students’ needs?


  • ELA- Students are offered various types of formative assessments including, but not limited to, exit tickets, quizzes, quick writes, collaborative discussions (partner, small group, whole group), homework, surveys, observations by teachers, utilizing interactive notebooks, philosophical chairs, gallery walks, 4 corners, summaries and reflections. 

  • Math- Examples are vertical spaces (Thinking Classrooms), exit tickets, student self-assessment in relation to Success Criteria, weekly formative quizzes, and homework.

  • Science- Multiple formative assessments are used by different teachers, examples may include but limited to: critical reading strategies, quizzes, labs, or concept maps.

  • History -Teachers consistently provide formative assessments (scaffolding, classroom observation, exit tickets, graphic organizers, concept maps, student surveys, pre-tests, KWL charts) to determine student readiness levels in order to prepare all students for summative assessments. Teachers are also introducing many strategies that have been rolled out through Clarity Training (Learning Pit, I Can Statements, Learning Intentions, and Success Criteria). 



How are students grouped for instruction (homogenous, heterogeneous, mixed)?


  • ELA-  ELA students are all placed into the pre-ap program that features grade-level instruction intended to give all students the opportunity for growth; offers a focused framework, instructional support, model lessons, classroom assessments, and an optional final exam; focuses on skills that students will need to succeed in AP courses, college, and careers. Students are heterogeneous mixed at random (multilingual, IEP, 504s, Behavior Plans, Success Plans, etc. all in the same class periods)

  • Math- Students are placed based on a prerequisite Math course.  WIthin each individual Math class there can be a mix of grades 7-9, therefore during class instruction students are grouped in homogenous settings. 

  • Science- Random and intentional grouping depending on the activities and the teacher. 

  • History -Heterogeneous/mixed (Multilingual, IEPs, 504s, Behavior Plans, Success Plans, Gifted, TVMSC).  


How are all students, including each subgroup of students (e.g. English learners, migrants, students with disabilities...), provided with opportunities to meet proficient and advanced academic achievement levels? 


  • ELA- Students are provided with scaffolding, accommodations and modification where appropriate as determined by their teachers, IEPs, 504s, or ELP goals.

  • Math- In our Math department we have 4 content teachers who co-plan instruction weekly and co-teach 5 sections of Math with our Multilingual learner  (ML) specialists. The goal of the co-teaching program is to blend the content expertise of the classroom teacher with the language strategies and expertise of the ML specialist and make content accessible to students regardless of their language level. ML teachers add scaffolds and language supports to rigorous lessons created by our Math teachers. This program not only supports our English learners but also provides opportunities for other subgroups to access content standards. We also Special Education para educators offer one on one or small group support with IEP students.

  • Science- all students are exposed to a rigorous curriculum. I may provide different reading levels or accommodated activities depending on the needs of the student.

  • History -AVID, PBIS, MultilingualTeachers - CoTeaching, IEP Study Skill Teachers, School Nurse, and classroom accommodations like Google translate and using visual representation to both teach and allow students to show understanding and mastery of the curriculum.  


Alignment of teaching and Learning


To what extent is teaching and learning articulated within grade levels? Within subject areas?


ELA- Teachers are paired with a mirror teacher in grade level core classes based on student enrollment. Those teachers collaborate with each other to create and align lessons based on Idaho Content Standards. 9th grade English and the Speech teacher also collaborate and share resources to enhance the ELA experience/comprehension for students.


Math- Due to scheduling and minimizing a teacher's number of preps, teachers in the math department do not have mirror teachers like the other courses at Fairmont.  During previous CLC cycles we have collaborated with our quadrant junior high and worked on priority standards, learning intentions, and success criteria.  Within our building the courses that do have mirrors, the teachers collaborate weekly.


Science- Earth Science and Physical Science teachers are paired with a mirror teacher. Those teachers collaborate with each other to create lessons based on Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Boise School District Curriculum.  The Life Science and Biology teacher works to create their lessons on their own and with other content teachers in the district. 


To what extent do grade level teachers collaborate about teaching and learning expectations across the grade? 


The Boise School District has initiated a Clarity through Learning intentions and Success criteria program this year. This is a work in progress as all staff members will be trained over time. Teachers use the same essential questions to ensure that they are on the same page.


To what extent do students in the same grade/subject area receive a consistent learning experience?


Fairmont grade level teachers have a common prep time to plan together and teach the similar lessons, within reason, to all students in that grade level/class level.


To what extent is teaching and learning articulated across grade levels and subject areas? 

Collaborative Learning Communities have replaced our Professional Learning Communities to ensure that teachers continue to improve their practice through collaboration on problems of practice in their prospective subject areas and then share with all staff members so that everyone can benefit from the work of the entire staff. This is a weekly small group meeting that requires student generated evidence. 


To what extent do content teachers from different grades collaborate about teaching and learning progressions across grade levels?


In most cases Collaborative Learning Communities are made up of teachers from different subject areas. The research and evidence is then shared with all staff members so that everyone can benefit from the work of the entire staff. This is a weekly small group meeting that requires student generated evidence.



Universal Screening

Are all students screened to identify who needs additional support? 

What universal, evidence-based, reliable and valid screening tools are used to identify students at risk? (in ELA? in Math?) 


  • ISAT: The Idaho Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) Comprehensive Assessment System consists of Interim Assessments which are optional tests given during the school year to help monitor student progress; year-end Summative Assessment and access to Tools for Teachers which provides resources to teachers to use to improve student learning. Each of these are part of a coherent and comprehensive system of assessment designed to be used together to improve teaching and learning. (7th & 8th Graders)

  • STAR: Built with cutting-edge computer-adaptive technology and based on more than thirty years of data about how children learn and grow, the research-based Star Assessments provide educators with accurate, trustworthy data about their students' achievement and growth. (ELA classes)

  • PRE-AP: features grade-level instruction intended to give all students the opportunity for growth; offers a focused framework, instructional support, model lessons, classroom assessments, and an optional final exam; focuses on skills that students will need to succeed in AP courses, college, and careers. (9th Graders)

  • iReady MATH - Learning is a collection of high-quality instructional resources that help students learn and grow by accessing grade-level materials. Grounded in best-practice instructional design, these tools provide rigorous and motivating reading and mathematics instruction that: Engages students of all levels and backgrounds, Motivates students to persist in skill building, Provides scaffolded support that meets the needs of all students, and Creates personal learning pathways for each student in i-Ready Personalized Instruction

Connects to i-Ready Diagnostic data so teachers can make informed teaching decisions


  • ACCESS test  - (Test given to kindergarten through 12th grades to assess their progress learning English), Imagine Learning (An individualized, multimodal language and literacy software program designed to help English learners, struggling readers, students with disabilities, assess and master essential reading and speaking skills), MyOn (A student-centered, personalized digital library that give students access to more than 7000 enhanced digital books and magazines in a variety of lexile levels).


Do the tools have defined cut scores for determining who is at risk? Yes, all standardized testing including ISAT, STAR & iReady Math, have defined cut scores that include percentile rankings according to national norms.


Are different/additional measures used to identify students who are English Learners and not achieving academically? 

In addition to ACCESS testing, we complete grade checks for ALL our ML students monthly, we ensure either one of two co-teachers, or our ML paraeducator, checks in with them daily during class or in the hallway, and we collect anecdotal data from their teachers who we communicate with frequently.


Students who are socially at risk and not achieving?
PSIT team (Problem Solving Intervention Team) meets once per week and is led by the School Psychologist. The team includes counselors, Administration, nurse, social worker and School Resource Officer. Discussion and decisions are based on referrals from teachers/staff and anecdotal social/emotional concerns that would impact a student’s personal and academic wellbeing. There is also a data-mining component to identify students with risk factors such as grades, attendance and behavior records. This information is shared from elementary through high school.The outputs of this team include referrals to programs, schedule changes, SPED evaluations, meeting with parents, mental/social work resources, legal support, etc. 


How are screening decisions reviewed to determine accuracy and adjust decision rules or follow-up procedures accordingly? 

We use multiple data points including in class assessments, iReady diagnostics, 

Student engagement (including attendance), etc.


This can be a frustrating reality with standardized testing. Results from the tests are usually received months post-testing, sometimes when students have already moved grades or schools.


How is the information documented? 

According to determination, the following methods are used:  ML database, ELLevation, Google Doc Folders, Imagine Learning, Students cum files, STAR & i-Ready math data


How is it shared with teachers, families, and the school Leadership Team? 

What are the follow-up procedures?

ISAT is shared with families at the end of the year. Data is also available to teachers via Infinite Campus.


ELL (ML) students: sent to teachers, counselors, and admin in Google Doc folders, Emails, Letters home, PSIT recommendations


Tiered Instruction and Academic Interventions


In what areas are academic interventions provided? How often? 


At the beginning of the 2021-22 school year an Advisory period was created to be the first class of the day for students. This is a schoolwide tier 1 intervention that all teachers and students participate in. Each day students work on AVID strategies to help them get organized to hold themselves accountable through written weekly agendas, weekly grade checks, organized study groups, video announcements, and social emotional learning lessons. 


Recently, an intervention was put into place where teachers allow students who need extra help to sign up for a limited amount of space to receive direct instruction during this period on Wednesday mornings.


Tier 2 interventions for 2023-2024 - Our Academic Support classes will be Tier 2 intervention classes. Students will be placed in these classes based on testing data identifying them as at risk. These classes will specifically use targeted instruction to fill in gaps in literacy and focus on skill improvement. 


To what extent are tiered interventions used to focus on foundational skills that support students’ progress in core instruction? 


The interventions begin with tier 1 in class by giving clear instruction through posted weekly agendas for all students to see. Students get organized each week on Monday by writing the agenda down in their planner every Monday. Tuesdays students check grades and missing assignments and create a plan to fix any issues. This is also when students sign up for small groups in core classes (Tier 2 interventions) that they might need help in. Wednesdays are the structured study hall and small group instruction. Thursdays are social emotional learning to help students with their mental health. Fridays are for weekly video announcements and revisiting agendas to make a weekend plan for homework.


How are tiered interventions coordinated to support student progress in core instruction?


This is done through weekly grade checks and small group interventions on Wednesdays.


Are the interventions pull-out or push-in? 


Both pull out and push in strategies are being used to help students get small group reteach/instruction in the areas that they may be struggling in. Much of this is done in the first period advisory class.


What is the size of the groups? 


Teachers are working with groups of 3 students in most cases.


What evidence-based programs and instructional practices are used for interventions? In ELA? In math? 


The idea of Clarity based on research from John Hattie is the model for Learning intentions and Success criteria for students in the Boise School District, introduced for the 2022-23 school year. Fairmont is also an AVID demonstration school so AVID strategies are used in every classroom. These best practice strategies can be used in any subject matter.


To what extent do these programs demonstrate efficacy with target populations?


The Clarity Model has been proven to help all students. An example is how our math teachers track student comprehension through a basic chart with sticky notes to better understand where students are at in the lesson so that the teachers can meet them there. 


AVID strategies are “Best Practices’ teaching strategies that help all students access the curriculum based on their individual needs. A couple of examples are using graphic organizers for writing assignments and having students read directions back to the teacher to ensure that they know what they should be trying to accomplish.


How do the interventions support the needs of students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds? 


Boise School District placed two co-teacher’s at Fairmont for the ML department. They have created support systems for all students from diverse cultures and linguistic backgrounds. One example is a basic background on each of these students including where they are originally from, their home language, their strongest learning style, and background on each student so that the teachers can walk in with a better understanding of the students and their needs.


How is explicit instruction used?


Explicit instruction starts with well written lesson plans. Our faculty must post their weekly agenda for all parents and students to see. Posting the agendas adds transparency for all teachers. The expectation from administration, and the district, is that all teachers use explicit instruction whenever possible to ensure that students fully understand the lesson.


Who provides tiered interventions (teachers, paraprofessionals, Title I teacher, volunteers)? 


Classroom teachers and faculty leadership.


If tiered interventions are provided by an instructional paraprofessional, who will plan the instructional activities and who will evaluate the achievement? 


Our Special Education teachers oversee all special education paraprofessionals. Special education teachers plan instruction and evaluate achievement of students. The teachers monitor student interventions and work progress, even if paraprofessionals are the ones administering the interventions.


How is progress monitored?


Progress is monitored in a variety of ways. We use several nationally normed diagnostic and progress monitoring assessments to monitor student special education growth and compare it to same-grade peers in the district, state, and country. There are growth checks in iReady, the diagnostic exam used to monitor math progress for 7th and 8th graders. Our 9th grade students use STAR Math to monitor their progress. All students have their reading monitored through the STAR Reading program. 

 

In addition to these nationally normed diagnostic and progress monitoring assessments, we use a variety of smaller progress monitoring tools to measure growth biweekly. Special education is highly individualized, so there is no cookie cutter format for monitoring progress of individual goals, but we do use several programs that allow us to monitor the individual goals of our students. These include smaller math assessments on specific skills (i.e., combining like terms on single variable equations) or smaller reading assessments where the students read a non-fiction text and answer 7 multiple choice questions and respond to 3 short answer questions that are designed to assess their ability to find main ideas and support their convictions with appropriate text evidence. Ultimately, we use a variety of methods and tools to monitor the highly individualized goals of our students.

 

What tool is used? 


Some of the tools we use are: Aimsweb, STAR Reading, STAR Math, iReady for math, Readworks, Imagine Learning and math-drills.com. Our Excel and ERR programs use these as well as other progress monitoring tools. Our team is constantly adjusting and learning to meet the needs of our students, and we're constantly researching new and better progress monitoring tools.



What decision rules are used for determining how progress is being made, when a student needs an instructional change or may be referred to more intensive support? 


Fairmont’s Problem Solving and Interventions Team (PSIT) holds weekly meetings to discuss students' academic progress and instructional changes. PSIT meetings are attended by administrators, counselors, social workers, school psychologists, special education, and other department chairs, weekly. 


How often does progress monitoring take place? 


Progress monitoring is managed by the students' academic teacher or case worker.  Information is reviewed at each meeting putting the priority on the most high risk students.


Who participates in the process?


Administration, counselors, social worker, psychologist, special education, and other department chairs.


Which students receive progress monitoring?


Students who have been identified as at risk and students who have been put on support programs. This is open for any teacher to bring up a student to this group.

Learning Time

What is the school schedule?


Fairmont Junior High School

2023-24 Bell Schedules

All School Schedule

1st - Advisory (Falcon's Nest)

7:50

8:13

23 minutes

2nd Period

8:16

9:00

44 minutes

3rd Period

9:03

9:47

44 minutes

Break

9:47

10:01

14 minutes (Bell 9:56)

4th Period

10:01

10:45

44 minutes

5th Period

10:48

11:32

44 minutes

6th Period Lunch

11:32

12:12

40 minutes (Bell 12:07)

6th Period - classes

11:35

12:19

44 minutes

7th Period Lunch

12:19

12:59

40 minutes (Bell 12:54)

7th Period - classes

12:12

12:56

44 minutes

8th period

12:59

1:43

44 minutes

9th Period

1:46

2:30

44 minutes


Is there a master schedule that includes intervention and extension? 

Currently at FJH we have an advisory period (Falcon’s Nest) that is utilized as a platform for intervention and extension. 

Starting this school year we have instituted a Tier 2 interventions focused on students who are struggling in reading and literacy comprehension. These will be individualized daily classes with proven reading interventions.

We also have academic support classes for all grade levels.



Non-Academic Student Needs


What activities and strategies are in place to support students’ non-academic needs including counseling, school-based mental health programs, specialized instructional support services, mentoring services or others?


We have three Counselors provide individualized counseling based on student needs.


Our Social Worker provides resources to students from the community.


Basic Support Groups based on student’s identified needs (per a schoolwide survey):  Girls’ Group, Anxiety Groups, Peer Relationship Group, Resiliency, ALATEEN


A Schoolwide Mental Health Survey was issued and a parent-listening session has been scheduled


We have established a Falcon Ambassador program that is designed to support new students as they transition into our building. 


Our Behavioral Intervention Specialist assists teachers with individual student behaviors and checks in with students about behavior.  They additionally gather behavioral data on specific students to help inform future behavioral plans.


Well-rounded Education 


Well-rounded education is defined as “Courses, activities, and programming in subjects such as English, reading or language arts, writing, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, geography, computer science, music, career and technical education, health, physical education, and any other subject, as determined by the State or local educational agency, with the purpose of providing all students access to an enriched curriculum and educational experience (Sec. 8101(52))”


How does your school address well-rounded education?

One facet offered at Fairmont to ensure everyone has access to an enriched curriculum is the AVID system. This system is based on the foundation of a Growth Mindset that is truly the cornerstone of a culture of success for all students. Systems are in place that provide opportunities for students to access rigorous courses via differentiation in all content classes.

Additional Opportunities For Learning


If applicable for your school, what opportunities are in place for students to learn about and prepare for postsecondary education and the workforce, including career and technical education programs, access to coursework to earn postsecondary credit while still in high school (e.g., Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, dual or concurrent enrollment, early college high schools)?

Fairmont Junior High has the distinction of being an AVID National Demonstration School (only 2% of schools worldwide have this distinction).

 AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a structured research based College and Career Readiness System working to prepare all students for success in a global society. AVID school-wide exhibits a college and career readiness system that is evident across the campus through rigor and high expectations for all students. Additionally, students have access to higher-level courses and Advanced placement classes. 

School Transitions


If you are a middle school, what process or activities do you conduct to assist middle school students in successfully transitioning from middle school to high school?

9th grade students are invited to attend an Open House at our feeder high school at the start of second semester. In addition, 9th grade AVID students get to take a field trip and tour the campus, meet staff and students, and learn more about the programs at the high school. 


Capital high school offers a sophomore introduction night where 9th grade students can meet teachers and get information on clubs and sports as well. This is advertised at our school so that all freshmen can get the information and attend.



Professional Development  

What opportunities are in place (e.g., professional learning communities) to help teachers reflect on and improve their instruction? 

In an effort to find out the “why” surrounding PLC,  the BSD has now transitioned to Collaborative Learning Cycles (CLCs) to encourage professional reflection, improved instruction, and education opportunities. There is one CLC per quarter which is approximately 9 weeks, totaling 4 CLCs in one school year.  


Are PLCs well established and functioning?

In the past, FJH attended 30 PLC meetings throughout the school year. Beginning this school year (2022-2023), our school district adopted a new process of Collaborative Learning Cycles. These are established, and functioning each quarter. 


Is collaboration time built into the master schedule and the contract? 

Yes common preps, common lunches


Who provides professional development? 

The district provides a variety of professional development for staff to sign up for or participate in. An example of PD offerings is linked here

An annual Professional Development plan is established for both district leadership and building teams.


What is the expectation of school leadership for participation in professional development activities? Principal and Asst. principals participate in numerous PD throughout the School year

Clarity Cycle

Lead Learner Summitt

Co Teaching

AVID



How is this expectation communicated?

Google invites

Phone calls

Emails

Remind APP

Weekly Faculty Bulletin


Is there an instructional coach (or similar position)? 

Yes. Paige Somoza is Fairmont Junior High’s full time Learning coach. 


What professional development does the district/school offer teachers/staff for English learner students?

One of the consistent PD offerings put on by our school district is WIDA. This PD offers engagement for ML learners and examining ELD standards.

Critical Reading Strategies. 

Clarity 1.0

Clarity 2.0

AVID conferences

Learning Summit


Family and Community Engagement 


Parent Engagement Surveys

Spring Community BBQ

Quarterly Community Meetings

PTO - Fairmont Families

Sporting Events

Monthly Newsletters


Recruitment and Retention of Effective Teachers  


What percentage of teachers meet state certification requirements? 100%


What strategies are in place to recruit and retain effective teachers, particularly in high need subjects? District Level


Coordination and Integration With Other Programs

If appropriate and applicable for your school, describe how your Title I-A program (schoolwide and/or school improvement) is developed in coordination and integration with other Federal, State, and local services, resources, and programs, such as violence prevention programs, nutrition programs, housing programs, Head Start programs, adult education programs, career and technical education programs, and schools implementing comprehensive support and improvement activities or targeted support and improvement activities.

Not Applicable for Boise School District Junior Highs