Supporting An Effective Learning Environment
Supporting An Effective Learning Environment
Supporting An Effective Learning Environment
The school’s vision and mission should be the blueprint for its Continuous Improvement
Plan (CIP). Lakeview School is an alternative school that serves students with unique and
specific circumstances. However, its mission is to provide students with supports and resources
that will help them become academically, socially, emotionally, and behaviorally successful
when they transition to their base school or post-secondary options. The School-wide
Improvement Team (SIT) uses the contents written in the vision and mission statement and
individual data, to write their specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely (SMART)
goals. The focus areas include literacy, core academic, social-emotional learning, behavioral
The CIP’s action supports an effective student learning environment that meets the needs
of all students
Apart from a very small percentage of students at Lakeview come from low-income
households and high-crime areas of the district. Moreover, students represent families that deal
with food insecurities and homelessness. Therefore, the action plan includes areas that support
students’ physical needs such as food and clothing, which help them focus on what is taught
rather than surviving. Small classroom sizes afford an individual approach to teaching and
learning, which supports the exceptional circumstances that most students present. Ongoing
professional development for teachers and specialists is a critical part of action plans as they
provide for elements associated with fidelity, efficacy, and mastery that support achievement and
Lakeview’s CIP includes specific goals and precise, actionable plans. The School
Improvement Team is deliberate with regards to shared leadership and responsibilities, to ensure
that plans are carried out successfully and effectively. Moreover, SIT is comprised of various
faculty and staff members who are masterful in key areas. SIT also collaborates with other
stakeholders such as the district’s Multi-Tiered Student Support (MTSS) team, therapeutic
services, Durham County Juvenile Justice (DCJJ), Department of Human Services (DHS), and
other organizations and agencies that provide support and resources to students and families.
who would have normally done poorly at their base school achieved success at Lakeview,
primarily due to smaller classroom sizes which allowed for more individualized instruction and
fewer distractions. Siting academic success, intervention, and the provision of wrap-around-
services, parents petitioned the school board for the option of making Lakeview their students’
base school. This fact is mentioned as confirmation that all items listed in the CIP’s action plans
are implemented.
Although Lakeview had already made it a practice to collaborate with other schools’
professional learning communities (PLC) for strategies and parallel instruction, the school board
made it a requirement for those and other reasons. The school’s CIP is data-driven; however, the
SIT uses input and information gathered for the PLCs to determine the efficacy of action plans.
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Moreover, the CIP is reviewed quarterly by the area superintendent, who after reviewing, meets
with the administrator to discuss the plan. The CIP showed areas that needed improvement based
on the data percentages such as attendance and state assessments. Additionally, these are critical
areas that are a constant discussion when the team meets as a school, with the area
superintendent, and with other schools. There is data to support every goal; however, these areas
require more attention. Last year, the district approved the request for making Lakeview an
optional base school and increased staff allotment for the hiring of an additional social worker