MCAS Scores and Other Uses of Data

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education recently released the MCAS scores from Spring 2012.  Here is a look at recent trends in SSVT's MCAS scores. The scores continue to head in the right direction as they have for several years! One key indicator to review is the percentage of students scoring Advanced and Proficient. 

Our faculty will be spending time analyzing results and making instructional adjustments as needed, because such adjustments in curriculum and instruction will increase opportunities for students to be highly successful on MCAS testing.

MCAS scores generate a lot of attention to be sure.  But at SSVT, we collect data on student growth and achievement every day, and we place equal importance on student growth and achievement in all of our programs, regardless of whether it has a MCAS test.  Every time a car leaves our Automotive Shop or a client leaves our Cosmetology Salon, we have engaged students in high stakes, real world tests, where customer satisfaction and accuracy of the completed task are essential!  Furthermore, as a school district, we value the importance of collecting data and using it to make decisions, whether that is in setting a budget, planning a school lunch menu, or differentiating math lessons. 

The way data are organized also tells an important story.  Parents of 10th-12th graders may have noticed this when we altered our report card structure last school year.  Previously, just having a single letter grade of C+ did not clearly distinguish between success with the curriculum and the effort being put forth to achieve success.  By reorganizing the data collected in teachers' rank books and issuing two letter grades per course, we can clearly tell two stories: a letter grade for Achievement (what have they learned) and a letter grade for Work Habits (what effort and habits of mind do they exhibit in pursuit of learning).  

I'll post further comments later in the year regarding student assessment, data, the difference between "growth" and "achievement" in testing results and how SSVT is using data to make decisions.

Meet Your Child's Teacher Night, September 26

On Wednesday night, we held our annual Meet Your Child's Teacher (MYCT) Night.  If you attended, I hope that that you found the evening informative!  This event marks the beginning of an enduring connection between a caring teacher and a committed parent.  Administrators were thrilled to see so many parents in the halls and classrooms.

SSVT teachers and counselors value the importance of a strong home-school connection.  The purpose of MYCT Night was to give parents time to meet teachers and learn more about their course goals and expectations for the year---As a parent I know how helpful it is when my child's teachers set clear expectations and routines; it makes it easier to reinforce those expectations at home.

Aside from the face to face meetings, another way to stay connected is by using iParent, which allows parents to track their child's assignments, attendance and discipline records.  On Wednesday night, our technology director Crystal Paluzzi helped parents in our library media center register on iParent,   If you have not registered yet, please contact Mrs. Paluzzi. 

In closing, I'd like to thank our dedicated parents who staffed our Parents Association and Viking Athletic Association tables at the event.  Parent networking is another important facet to our regional school community!  Check out our website www.ssvotech.org for more information on upcoming Parent Association events and fundraisers.

NEASC Accreditation Visit for October 2013

South Shore Vo-Tech is in the midst of preparing for an October 2013 visit. Thirty educators from across New England will spend four days at the school as  part of the decennial accreditation process sponsored by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

Below is a press release on this topic which includes our recently adopted school mission and goals.

I want to thank all of our faculty members who are undertaking this process as a means for reflecting on the school's strengths and areas for future growth.  This accreditation visit will help us chart the next 10 years of vocational technical education for the South Shore Vo-Tech community.

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South Shore Vocational Technical High School

Press Release

September 17, 2012

 

Superintendent-Director Tom Hickey announced that the South Shore Vocational Technical High School is undergoing a yearlong self-study process as part of its October 2013 accreditation visit from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).

 

The NEASC self-study process involves faculty and the South Shore Vo-Tech community.  “We are committed to ongoing data collection and reflection on how our school fulfills its mission, and we welcome this review,” Hickey said.  On October 7-10, 2013, a team of 30 vocational and academic educators from New England will evaluate all aspects of the school’s operations.

 

Hickey noted that a Steering Committee was formed last year to oversee all aspects of this self-study and accreditation visit process.  The Steering Committee co-chairs are Math instructor Jane Lombardi and Electronics instructor Vincent Barba, along with Mark Aubrey, Jeanne Boretti, Toni Bourgea, Matthew Fallano, Christopher Johnson, Alison Thibodeau, and Bob Francis.

 “Our steering committee and entire faculty and staff are committed to getting the most out of this valuable exercise,” Hickey said.  Last school year the faculty and School Committee approved a revised school mission and goals statement.  The revision from 2007 preserves the school’s core vocational mission in the 21^st century.

 

SOUTH SHORE VOCATIONAL TECHNICAL SCHOOL MISSION AND GOALS

Mission Statement

To provide technical, academic, and social experiences so that our students can do the following:

■   be college- and career-pathway ready;

■   achieve competency in technical and academic standards; and

■   develop work habits that foster independence, self-awareness, civic-mindedness, and commitment to personal growth.

 

SCHOOL AND STAKEHOLDER GOALS

In order to fulfill our mission, the SSVT community will use the goals below as a guide to assess our current effectiveness and to plan for the future.

School Goals

1.       School Climate: Provide our students with a safe and supportive environment that empowers them to develop advanced technical, academic, and social skills for college and career pathways.

2.       Facility: Maintain a clean, safe, environmentally- and fiscally-conscious facility that meets the needs of the school and community.

3.       Community: Utilize multiple means of communication to engage current and prospective all students, parents, staff, and program advisors.

4.       Curriculum & Instruction: Teach current core content and technical standards to develop students who are college- and career-pathway ready.

5.       Assessment: Measure and report student achievement and work habits based on technical, vocational, and core content standards, and to use these results to improve instruction.

6.       Transfer Skills: Identify and develop skills that cross all content areas, such as critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, work ethic, and sense of personal responsibility.

7.       Literacy Practices: Identify and develop strategies to build strong content knowledge by responding to the varying demands of audience, task, purpose, and discipline in a variety of forms.  

8.       Equipment & Technology: Utilize current industry-standard equipment for our vocational technical programs, and current instructional technology tools and resources for all programs.

9.       Student Engagement: Help students develop strong, positive relationships with teachers and peers via co-curricular and extracurricular programs that shape their intellectual, physical, social/emotional development, and work ethic.

10.    Instructional Support: Provide a continuum of support services to help all learners meet their academic and technical goals.

11.    Student Recruitment and Retention: Implement recruitment and retention strategies that lead to sustained full school enrollment, steady student retention, and preparation for college- and career-pathways.

12. Staff Recruitment and Retention: Identify, recruit, develop, and support highly qualified administrators, instructors, and support staff dedicated to fulfilling the school’s mission.

 

Stakeholder Goals 

South Shore Vocational Technical High School’s success depends on its stakeholders: people who have a shared interest and commitment to the school district. South Shore Vocational Technical High School’s stakeholders will strive to meet the following goals:

1. Our School Committee, School Council, Parents’ Association, and Educational Foundation will support the mission of the school by advocating for resources and actions that ensure continuous school improvement. 
2. Our instructors, administration, and support staff will develop strong, positive relationships with our students and parents. Faculty and administration will stay current in program and academic standards, will use effective strategies to help students learn, and will support students’ enthusiasm for their studies. Instructors and administrators will assume the primary responsibility for achieving school goals. Support staff will provide essential services that assist in the overall school mission and function of the school district.
3. Our industry partners, area colleges, program advisors, alumni, and co-op employers can support our students with relevant and challenging experiences that complement their high school education. They will provide SSVT instructors and administrators with advice on how to consistently improve our capacity to fulfill our mission.
4. Our parents will develop strong, positive relationships with the school and their children’s teachers.  They will remain informed about school activities, and be active participants in the emotional and intellectual development of their children.
5. Our students will be college-and career-pathway ready, able to think critically, problem solve, and listen actively in their shop, workplace, and classroom setting. Our students will be self-aware, understanding the value of strong work habits. They will take initiative, and they will be innovative and tolerant.

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South Shore Vo-Tech was last accredited in 2003 by NEASC.  South Shore Vo-Tech serves the communities of Abington, Cohasset, Hanover, Hanson, Norwell, Rockland, Scituate and Whitman.  For further information on South Shore Vo-Tech’s self-study process, please call 781-878-8822.



Manufacturing on the Rise

According to a new state report, manufacturing jobs are on the rise in Massachusetts.  Governor Deval Patrick was in Avon recently to advocate for a new program which will promote manufacturing training in community colleges and vocational technical high schools.

At SSVT, we have a Precision Machine Technology program and a Metal Fabrication & Welding Program.  We will pay close attention to this initiative to see how SSVT can benefit from state funding for our 9-12 student population, and possibly to expand adult training using our facility after regular school hours.

SSVT Celebrates 50 Years!

Hello to the SSVT Community and welcome to the 2012-2013 school year!

Along with the excitement of the start of the school year we also note that SSVT has been providing high quality vocational techincal education for the past 50 years. The school district was formed in 1960 and began instructing students in 1962. We are planning several events this year, and we encourage alumni to visit our website at www.ssvotech.org for more updates.

For parents and families of students in the classes of 2013-2017, I want to welcome you back to SSVT. This blog will be an opportunity for me to share various updates on topics dealing with SSVT, our local communities, and public education in general.

How can you stay in touch with upcoming blog posts? Simple.  You can click “subscribe” at the right of the page and the SSVT Superintendent’s blog will show up in your reader. You will also receive an email notification each time an update is posted. There will also be a link to the most recent blog on our school website, http://www.ssvotech.org. Lastly, an automated email will be sent out using our Family Communication tool, iAutoalert, so be sure you have your email address on file with the school if you’d like to receive an email notification each time this blog is updated. To add your email address to our database, send an email to iparenthelp@ssvotech.org or call the guidance department at 781-878-8822 x419.