Norwell High School

CONDITION FOR SCHOOL EFFECTIVENESS:

Goals:

Action Steps:

Aligned curriculum: The school’s taught curricula are aligned to state curriculum frameworks and the MCAS performance level descriptions, and are also aligned vertically between grades and horizontally across classrooms at the same grade level and across sections of the same course.  

Review current curricula offerings, make appropriate adjustments, and implement new and expanded course offerings in the 2024-2025 Program of Studies.  

• Explore the creation of a course focused on the development of leadership skills.   

• Foster the development of the new 9th Grade Seminar and the 12th Grade Internship Pathways courses and explore opportunities to build on the learning experiences associated with each course.

• Review and make appropriate adjustments as needed to Physical Education course offerings. 

• Expand business course offerings including creating an opportunity to offer AP Economics.  

Tiered instruction and adequate learning time: The school schedule is designed to provide adequate learning time for all students in core subjects. For students not yet on track to proficiency in English language arts or mathematics, the school provides additional time and support for individualized instruction through tiered instruction, a data-driven approach to prevention, early detection, and support for students who experience learning or behavioral challenges, including but not limited to students with disabilities and English language learners. 

Review our current schedule and explore opportunities to increase academic intervention time in specified academic subject areas as well as increasing tiered interventions for students needing social and emotional support.  

• Create a Flexible Learning Committee to explore the possibility of offering additional student-teacher intervention time in our current schedule.

• Maintain the Math Tutor position and reimplement the academic support position to the Transitions Program.   

• Provide targeted and tiered support to students who are missing significant class time due to social-emotional challenges.

Students’ Social, Emotional, and Health Needs: The school creates a safe school environment and makes effective use of a system for addressing the social, emotional, and health needs of its students that reflects the behavioral health and public schools framework.

Foster a safe and supportive climate for the social-emotional well-being of our students and explore opportunities for increased social-emotional learning (SEL)

• Review and analyze of the 2022-2023 Panorama Survey results.

• Implement the Panorama Student Profile Portal 

• Provide staff with professional development opportunities to meet and support the social and emotional needs of students 

• Implementation of an alternative seating option for students during lunch.   

• Explore increased access to a high school counselor in August.  

Family-School Engagement: The school develops strong working relationships with families and appropriate community partners and providers in order to support students’ academic progress and social and emotional well-being.

Continue the student, staff, and family focus for the 2023-2024 school year on the theme of Community with the objective of increasing each student’s sense of belonging at NHS.   

• Maintain an advisory committee comprised of students, teachers, and administrators with the goal of continuously establishing activities associated with advisory that promotes our sense of community and belonging at NHS. 

• Explore opportunities to partner with parent and student organizations to build on the social climate of the school and increase student participation in targeted school activities.

• Identify and organize school-wide social events to increase feelings of belonging in the school community.