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Working with a Faculty: A Strategic School Change Plan and Process

Wheeling Park High School

Shelly Cox
1.3 Data Collection & Analysis Activity

School Climate Survey Results and Deficiencies

In April of 2019, I conducted a school climate survey among faculty, staff,
administration, students, and families of Wheeling Park High School. The surveys were given
digitally via Microsoft Forms. Those surveyed include 34 teachers, 2 staff members, 2
administrators, 12 parents, and 54 students. Participants were volunteers and guaranteed
complete anonymity of results.
Strengths:
Much of the survey generated like results among stakeholders. Nearly 75% of those
surveyed felt as though Wheeling Park High provides a safe learning environment. Majority of
students like coming to school, feel welcomed, are treated with respect, and have an adult they
can talk to. Majority of faculty, staff, and administrators feel as though they are supported by
their peers, get along with peers, and fit in and are connected to others at Wheeling Park High
School. 100% of parents surveyed feel welcome at Wheeling Park High School, 75% of which
are active in activities and participate in parent teacher conferences.
Weaknesses:
The results, however, did yield areas of deficiency. One main are of deficiency pertains
to Private Learning Communities (PLC’s). Faculty responded overwhelmingly with only 36%
enjoying working within their PLC’s. In the area of high standards for student achievement,
nearly 89% of staff, faculty, and administrators, 75% of parents, and only 50% of students felt as
though Wheeling Park High School sets high standards for academic achievement. We know
from research the importance of PLC’s and the importance the collaboration among teacher
presents in the overall achievement of students.
The second deficiency is found with student recognition for positive behavior. Of those
surveyed, an astounding 78% of students feel that students are not recognized for good behavior.
Faculty and staff surveyed present only 48% in agreeance. Only 50% of parents surveyed feel
students are recognized for positive behavior. This gap must be lessened for a positive
environment to occur. These results do not come as a surprise to me, but draw a major need to
enhance what we are currently doing to promote and acknowledge positive behavior.
Vision
The vision for Wheeling Park High School:
Provide exceptional learning experiences in a safe and healthy environment that prepares every
student to achieve success.
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Working with a Faculty: A Strategic School Change Plan and Process
Wheeling Park High School

Goals
My goal is to create a learning environment that fosters high standards for academic
success through the use of Private Learning Communities and hearten positive student behavior
through the implementation of a Positive Behavior Intervention System.
A specific goal to improve high standards for academic success is to increase the amount
of innovation in our classrooms. With the ever-changing world and technology, our students
need to be engaged with deeper pedagogy which can be accomplished by implementing
innovative curriculum.
A specific goal to improve the recognition of positive behavior in students is to provide
professional development to faculty and staff on the importance of rewarding positive behavior.
Utilizing student surveys, staff and administrators can gather ideas of ways to reward and
recognize good behavior.
Theories
Employing the transformational leadership theory will deepen the sense of a shared
purpose and motivate faculty to work collaboratively during PLC times. Through the use of
transformational leadership, faculty will work as teams collaborating in the decision making
process to enhance the standards of academic success for all students.
Involving stakeholders in the change process is imperative for successful implementation.
One such change theory that would impact the recognition of positive behavior of students at
Wheeling Park High School is the Instructional Impact Team Model, designed by Green and
Cypress in 2009. With this theory, data driven decisions can be made and used to drive the
necessary change. With this model, student achievements would be celebrated with the entire
school community.
Action Plan/Process
Throughout the year, all faculty members will participate in PLC teams specific to their
curriculum content. It is imperative that we provide professional development at the entrance of
each school year on the effects of PLC’s and how crucial they are to student success. The
professional development needs to emphasize the expectations of members within the group and
a common goal of deepened student learning with high expectations of academic achievement as
a goal. Creating a digital notebook to use during PLC times will provide a tool for teachers to set
norms, expectations, goals, taking notes for reference and administration to collaborate with
faculty. Faculty will have time during Professional Learning days to discuss their PLC’s and
collaborate with others in their respective departments. An emphasis on collective inquiry
enables team members to develop new skills and capabilities that in turn lead to new experiences
and awareness. Gradually, this heightened awareness transforms into fundamental shifts in
attitudes, beliefs, and habits which, over time, transform the culture of the school.
In the area of recognizing positive student behavior, it is essential to have all staff on
board with a Positive Behavior Intervention System (PBIS). Hiring a professional to present
professional development on PBIS to staff at the opening of the school year is key to successful
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Working with a Faculty: A Strategic School Change Plan and Process
Wheeling Park High School

implementation. The goal is that within three years, students will have an increased sense of
recognition for positive behavior. With such a large student population, the resources to provide
rewards to students are spread thin. Attaining resources to promote positive behavior is of high
importance. Incorporating families and the community in this program will be and ingenious
approach to attaining resources. Educating faculty and staff on the importance of a PBIS is of
utmost importance as well. For the PBIS to be successful and promote a positive culture, the
system needs to begin at the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year and all staff and faculty
need to be willing participants. A balance of fairness and equity will be sought for all students in
academic, elective, and career based courses.
Specific Improvements
Specific instructional improvements can be made within PLC’s by incorporating
innovative lessons into the curriculum. Ohio County Schools has an Innovative Team compiled
of five members who are an essential resource for educators in our county. PLC teams will meet
collectively with members of the innovation team to gather ideas and materials to add innovation
into the curriculum. In the book, the New Meaning for Educational Change, Michael Fullan
states that “education for the future must produce, within the same person, the independent
thinker and the collective citizen (2015).” Teaching students with innovative curriculum
deepens the pedagogy and requires students to be leaders in learning.
Evaluation of Plan
In order to assess both the use of PLC’s and PBIS, surveys at the beginning of the school
year, during the school year, and at the end of the school year will provide insight to the overall
views of faculty, staff, students, and parents on the success of the programs. Increased student
performance on standardized testing and lessoned negative behaviors will also indicate the
overall success of the individual programs. Changes will be made as necessary based on input
gained through surveys.
Use of Technology for Instruction
At the beginning of the 2019-2020 academic year, each student at Wheeling Park High
School will receive a chromebook. There are unlimited technological opportunities available to
students having one to one devices. Technology should not be the primary mode of instruction,
but students will be required to work collaboratively with peers on projects in core classes and
utilize Khan Academy during advisory period as a study tool for higher achievement on
standardized testing. Students will be able to gain access to textbooks on the device and teachers
can easily share material and communicate with students through the schools online learning
management system, Schoology. The technology provided with the chromebooks will serve as a
tool that teachers and students can use to compliment and extend deepened pedagogy in the
classroom and beyond.
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Working with a Faculty: A Strategic School Change Plan and Process
Wheeling Park High School

Use of Technology for Management

Currently at Wheeling Park High School, administrators, faculty, and staff use the West
Virginia Education Information System (WVEIS). WVEIS is used to track attendance,
disciplinary referrals, student records, individualized education plans, etc. This system lacks the
ability for administrators, faculty, and staff to gather reports of positive behavior and rewards.
Wheeling Park High School will need to invest in reporting software to increase the involvement
of teachers with PBIS. As a future administrator, I would find grant funding to purchase
software to support PBIS.
Ohio County Schools employs Schoology, a learning management system for grades and
communication. Schoology provides a platform of open communication with students, parents,
other educators, and administrators. Teachers can use Schoology as a hub for assignments and
resources. Teachers can also join communities of other teachers and become members of groups
to gain ideas and resources. Schoology can also be used as a form of lateral collaboration
amongst educators.
Conclusion
After reviewing the school climate surveys, it can be concluded that the need for
increased attention to the areas of recognizing positive behavior and high standards for student
achievement is imperative at Wheeling Park High School. Changes can be introduced through
effective professional development, instituting a Positive Behavior Intervention System, and
incorporating innovation in to curriculum. By making these changes, Wheeling Park High
School will be on an increased path to success in implementing the vision to provide exceptional
learning experiences in a safe and healthy environment that prepares every student to achieve
success.

References:
Fullan, M. (2016). The NEW meaning of educational change. New York, NY: Teachers College
Green, R. L. (2017). Practicing the art of leadership: A problem-based approach to
implementing the professional standards for educational leaders. NY, NY: Pearson.
PLC at Work®: Become a Thriving Professional Learning Community. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.solutiontree.com/our-solutions/plc-at-work