Frontier Jr./Sr. High School School Improvement Plan 2020-2021
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2020-2021
Frontier Jr./Sr.
High School
School
Improvement
PlanSchool Improvement Team
Jeff Hettinger, Principal
Jillian Layton, Vice Principal
Stacy Snoble – Teacher
Amanda Szabela – Teacher
Kelly Knochel – Teacher
JoAnna Mathis – Teacher
Mason Shreve - Teacher
Kathy Bassett, Guidance Director
Stepheny Lemenager, Instructional Coach
22019-20 Profile of Frontier Jr./Sr. High School
Narrative Description
Frontier Jr./Sr. High School (FJSHS) is a grade seven through grade twelve public school
building built in 1978 that currently houses 306 students and 24 instructional staff
members. FJSHS is one of four high schools that lie within the boundaries of White
County. The Frontier School Corporation represents the consolidation of the former
Brookston and Chalmers High Schools and is located in Chalmers, Indiana.
The facilities at Frontier Jr-Sr HS consist of twenty-four classrooms, an auditorium, a
gymnasium, a cafeteria/commons, a library, and two computer labs
FJSHS’s current 2019-20 enrollment configuration by grade level is as follows:
Grade Class Total
7th grade 50
8th grade 47
9th grade 55
10th grade 47
11th grade 56
12th grade 45
Totals 300
Frontier School Corporation
Frontier Jr - Sr High School is part of the Frontier School Corporation, which currently
serves approximately 662 students in one elementary school and one junior/senior high
school. The attendance area includes three townships, Prairie Big Creek and portions of
West Point - all of which lie within White County. The three corporation facilities are
located in the two communities, the elementary school in Brookston (population 1,544-
2017) and the Jr –Sr high school and corporation office in Chalmers (population 508-
2017).
White County Demographics
White County is located on the banks of the Tippecanoe River and is an easy stop off I-65. It
is located about halfway between Indianapolis, IN and Chicago, IL. White County was
formed in 1834 and named for Isaac White, a fallen hero who was killed at the Battle of
Tippecanoe in 1811. The county has a population of 23,999 (estimated 2016). White County
reached its peak population in 2000 and has seen a decrease every year since.
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 24,643 people, 9,741 households, and
6,849 families residing in the county. The population density was 48.8 residents per square
mile and 12,970 housing units at an average density of 25.7 per square mile. The racial
3makeup of White County is 93.9% white, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.3% black or
African American, 3.7% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of
Hispanic or Latino origin made up 7.1% of the population.
Of the 9,741 households, 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them. 56.1%
were married couples living together and 9.3% of the households had a female householder
with no husband present. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size
was 2.96.
The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a
family was $52,626. The median home value in White County is $114,900. Based on 2015
reports, the educational attainment level beyond high school for adults in the county is well
below the state average. Commendably, the 2015 data indicates that 89.5% of county
residents hold a high school diploma as compared to 87.8% for the state of Indiana.
However, only 15.5% of the adults in White County have a Bachelor's Degree or higher
while the state average is 24.1%.
The Indiana Department of Workforce Development data indicates that the skills most in
demand in White County are:
Ability to perform basic assembly
Ability to perform repetitive tasks in assembly setting
Ability to operate precision measuring tools and equipment
Ability to apply loading and unloading procedures
The Local Economy
From the days of native peoples and pioneers to today’s agribusiness owners, agriculture
has successfully sustained this northwest region of Indiana. About two-thirds of White
County is prairie with rich soil, easily farmed to produce wheat, corn, rye, oats, soybeans
and fruit. Because grass also grows well in this prairie land, no part of Indiana is better
adapted for raising livestock. In addition to being home to seed corn companies, White
County is the number-one producer of popcorn in the state, and Indiana is one of the top
popcorn-producing states in the United States.
Since White County is centrally located in the northwest region of Indiana and has
proximity to convenient routes, it enhances the advantages this area offers to logistics
industries looking for a new place to locate and distribution companies. White County
offers manufacturers trained and experienced workers who still display a strong Midwest
work ethic and loyalty to their employers. It offers so many a high quality of life, away
from the demands and pressures of densely urban settings.
As of April 2017, White County’s unemployment rate was 3.6% which was well below
the state average of 5.4%. With the influx of new factories and business, it has helped to
keep the unemployment rate low. That factor doesn’t mean that our FJSHS community is
without hardships. During the 2018-2019 school year, 32% of our students qualified for
free and reduced priced meals.
4Frontier Jr./Sr. H.S. Students
As of spring 2018, the student enrollment at FJSHS was 308 students and was comprised
of approximately 1% Multi-racial students, 3.2% Hispanic students, and 95.8%
Caucasian students, as shown in the chart below:
FJSHS's remains much less racially diversified than the rest of the state. Caucasians make up
96% of the county population while they account for only 87.6% of the state population.
One hundred percent of our students live in English-speaking homes. We have several
5funded programs that focus on helping "at-risk" student and the special needs of all students.
This assistance is provided by specialized instruction and/or specialized adaptations and
modifications of the content curriculum. 16.6% of our total school population receives
services provided for by Indiana (Article 7) and federal (IDEA) law. See the chart below:
Attendance
The Frontier Jr/Sr High School attendance rates slightly exceed state averages. In 2016-2017,
the school posted a 96.9% attendance rate, while the state average is 95.8%.
6Frontier Jr./Sr. High School Staff
The staff at FJSHS is composed of 27certified staff members. There are 24 teachers, one
guidance counselor, one principal, one assistant principal, and one athletic/transportation
director who maintain other corporation and building level duties. Support personnel include
three Paraprofessionals, one and a half secretaries, a four-fifths bookkeeper, and a one half-
duty school nurse that splits time between our building and the elementary school. Teachers
are contracted to work 183 days with extended contracts for summer school and some other
duties. The teaching day spans from 8:00 am until 3:30 pm; it is comprised of seven 47-
minute periods, a 40 minute Student Resource Time, a 30 minute lunch, and six four minute
passing periods. The class size of FJSHS is slightly below the state average with a
student/teacher ratio of 13 to 1 as referenced by 2016-2017 DOE Compass data.
Administrators
Our Principal is Mr. Jeff Hettinger. Mr. Hettinger was a classroom teacher for nineteen years
and has been an administrator for eleven years.
Our Assistant Principal is Mrs. Jillian Layton who works between both the elementary and
the high school working with students with discipline issues, school safety, monitoring bus
duty, and is involved in assisting teachers in areas of curriculum with the principal.
Troy Burgess serves as our ½ time Athletic Director and ½ time Transportation Director.
Description and Location of Curriculum
The curriculum is updated based on the Indiana Department of Education's standards.
Indiana has elected to follow the Indiana Academic Standards. The current curriculum is
located in each of the teachers' classrooms, the main office and on-line at
http://www.corestandards.org/
Titles and Descriptions of Assessment Instruments
The following assessment instruments have been adopted for evaluating student educational
progress:
ILEARN/ISTEP+ (Grades 7, 8, and 10): State required exams in mathematics, language
arts, and science
End of course Assessments (Phasing out) (Grades 11-12): State required exams for
students in the 2017 and 2018 graduation cohorts in Algebra I and English 10. Students must
pass the Algebra I and English 10 ECAs in order to graduate, unless they meet the
requirements of the waiver process established by the IDOE.
PSAT Test: PSAT/NMSQT stands for Preliminary Student Achievement Test/National
Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. This test is given to all sophomores and juniors. It is a
7standardized test that provides firsthand practice for the SAT Reasoning Test. Juniors are
also eligible for the National Merit Corporation (NMSC) scholarship program.
SAT & ACT Test: The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and the American College Testing
Exam (ACT) are taken by juniors and seniors and measures their scholastic abilities in
comparison to other students throughout the United States. Colleges review the SAT and
ACT test scores as a part of requirements for admissions.
ASVAB: The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery or ASVAB was developed by
the U.S. Department of Defense. This test provides students with information that can be
linked to civilian and military occupational characteristics. This test is given each year to the
junior class.
SRI: Frontier utilizes the Scholastic Reading Inventory assessment to measure reading
comprehension. Students take the test three times per year. The Assessment helps determine
placement, instruction, and interventions.
NWEA: For progress monitoring purposes, Frontier Jr-Sr High School will assess students in
grades 7-10 to determine progress in math and Language Arts. The data will be used to guide
curricular decisions and drive and modify instructional pathways.
ECA (Pilot): Frontier is participating in the third year of a “non-tested” End of Course
Assessment pilot program designed to measure student growth. A beginning of course
“preparedness” assessment will be given and an End of Course Assessment will then
measure students’ growth in content areas over the course of the school year. This data will
provide teachers with information to guide planning and instruction.
Vision Statement
Going Beyond the Frontier for Every Student, Every Day.
Mission Statement
The primary mission of the Frontier Jr-Sr High School is to challenge and enable students to
think logically, act responsibly, recognize their own self-worth, and become contributing,
committed members of the global community.
Conclusions and Comments about the Learning Environment
The Curriculum and Indiana Academic Standards
Curriculum updates and alignment are addressed in an ongoing manner. ISTEP+ Assessment
teachers meet regularly to ensure vertical alignment, plan activities correlating to
assessments, and analyze progress monitoring efforts to drive instructional decisions.
8The Frontier Jr-Sr High School curriculum encompasses all Indiana Academic Standards as
described on the state website at http://www.doe.in.gov/standards. Additionally, each
department incorporates supplemental material and activities supporting these standards.
Instructional Strategies and Indiana Academic Standards
Current research indicates students learn best using a variety of teaching strategies.
Therefore, varied instruction is important. The teaching staff at Frontier Jr-Sr High School
demonstrates skilled usage of multiple strategies in the classroom. Administrators observe
teachers’ most frequently used strategies which include: lecture, discussion, cooperative
learning, questioning, homework, demonstration, role play, technology-enhanced instruction,
independent and guided practice, games, writing, reading, audio visual presentations,
artwork, peer assistance, and experiential learning.
The Indiana Academic Standards require concept mastery, higher-order thinking, and
application, in addition to specific rote learning. Many staff members utilize mastery
learning or a variation of mastery learning which encourages concept mastery. Teachers
make themselves available to assist students in concept mastery outside of class time.
Similarly, students are challenged to transfer knowledge to solve complex problems requiring
higher-order thinking skills. Hands-on learning is used in most classrooms, providing the
experiential component to students.
Frontier Jr-Sr High School incorporates Service-based learning into its curriculum. Senior
students are required accumulate community service hours for both a United States
Government Grade and to satisfy a graduation pathway requirement.
Additionally, Frontier Jr-Sr High School utilizes a 1:1 technology initiative providing
teachers and students additional academic and curricular opportunities. All Frontier Jr-Sr
High School students have Chromebooks to enhance learning opportunities as well as
increase student ownership in learning.
Analysis of Student Achievement
Below is a breakdown of Frontier Jr-Sr High School accountability data. As indicated by the
data, an area of immediate concern is junior high language arts student performance and
student growth. While all areas reflected in the DOE school accountability require systematic
and systemic interventions, the data is showing a greater need for immediate-targeted
language arts instruction followed by routine informative assessments to guide modifications.
For most data categories, Frontier Jr-Sr High School is slightly above state average while
exceling in the area of College and Career Readiness – reporting at 25% higher than the state
average.
92017-2018 Report Card
B
Letter Grade
Frontier Jr-Sr High School
Frontier Jr-Sr High School received a B as its final letter grade for school accountability.
Overall Summary
Weighted
Points Weight
Points
Performance Domain Grades 3-8 64.50 0.163 10.51
Performance Domain Grade 10 51.00 0.135 6.89
Growth Domain Grade 4-8 85.90 0.163 14.00
Growth Domain Grade 9-12 101.10 0.135 13.65
Multiple Measures Domain Grade 12 100.00 0.405 40.50
Overall points 85.6
Overall grade B
Performance Domain
Elementary - Mathematics
67.4% of students passed the assessment.
This rate is above the state average.
99.0% of students participated in the assessment.
Elementary - English/Language Arts
61.5% of students passed the assessment.
This rate is below the state average.
100.0% of students participated in the assessment.
10High School - Mathematics
37.3% of students passed the assessment.
This rate is above the state average.
100.0% of students participated in the assessment.
High School - English/Language Arts
64.7% of students passed the assessment.
This rate is above the state average.
100.0% of students participated in the assessment.
Growth Domain
A school's letter grade may increase, decrease, or remain the same based on student improvement.
Elementary - Mathematics
95.1 points for Top 75% Growth
89.1 points for Bottom 25% Growth
92.1 points for Growth
Elementary - English/Language Arts
77.6 points for Top 75% Growth
81.5 points for Bottom 25% Growth.
79.6 points for Growth
High School - Mathematics
98 points for Top 75% Growth
90.4 points for Bottom 25% Growth
94.2 points for Growth
0.6 points bonus for 10th-12th Grade Improvement
94.8 points for Overall Growth
High School - English/Language Arts
105.9 points for Top 75% Growth
105.8 points for Bottom 25% Growth.
105.9 points for Growth
1.4 points bonus for 10th-12th Grade Improvement
107.3 points for Overall Growth
Multiple Measures Domain
Graduation Rate
92.3% of students graduated within 4 years.
100 points awarded for 4 year graduation rate
93.3% of the students graduated within 5 years
0.00 points awarded is awarded for 5 year graduation rate
College & Career Readiness (CCR)
87.5% of students achieved CCR.
100.00 points awarded for CCR.
Student Performance (3rd - 8th Grade)
Mathematics – Percent Passing
11English/Language Arts – Percent Passing
Student Performance (9th - 12th Grade)
Algebra I End of Course Assessments
English 10 End of Course Assessments
12Graduation Rate % of On-Time Graduates
College & Career Readiness % of AP, IB, Dual Credit, or
Industry Certification student success
Increase level of parent involvement and student recognition
Intervention:
1. Award ceremonies each nine weeks for all junior high school students to recognize
grades, most improved and attendance. This event could take place in the evening or in
the morning – “Breakfast of Champions.”
132. Pursue volunteers to come in during lunch (parent or guardians) to meet with students
in non-threatening environment.
3. Pursue volunteers to come in during certain times to work with/help students.
4. Account and login access to Power School for parental interest and support.
5. Utilizing Naviance, a College and Career platform to partner with parents accounts so
that parents can take an active role in career choices, college searches, and scholarship
pursuits.
6. Ongoing parent-teacher conferences and opportunities to meet with guidance counselor
when needed.
7. Utilizing Power School, the Frontier Administration and faculty identifies trending At
Risk students and requires communication with the home. Teachers are provided
guidance with how to communicate with households and to encourage support from
home.
8. Promote parent involvement and support with information and help links on school
webpage.
9. Communicate with parents utilizing the automated phone/text system on important
dates and other information.
10. Continue promoting parent involvement as statistics show students of engaged
parents are typically more successful than those not involved. Call upon those parents
that are inactive. Many parents want to get involved but don’t know how. Statistics show
that a personal invitation can help inactive parents get involved.
11. Clearly define avenues for parents to get involved. Continuously recruit involved
parents to lead committees and ask them to personally recruit new parent volunteers.
12. Investigate opportunities to provide special evening or weekend events that provide
hands-on application of what students are learning (i.e. Forensics Night, Geography
Exploration using global positioning systems to locate hidden treasures, etc).
13. Offer quarterly seminars or workshops to deal with issues related to positive
parenting or call upon members of the community to speak about parental concerns (i.e.
gang activity, etc).
14. Utilize the Naviance program to involve parents in their students’ college and career
choices.
Technology as a Learning Tool
We place a great emphasis on the use of technology by staff and students. All Frontier
students are assigned an email address to conduct educational business with their teachers.
Teachers receive training on a regular basis for use of technology in the classroom. FJSHS
maintains one computer lab for routine technology needs and one advanced computer lab for
higher processing and improved graphic needs, as well as being a Business Department lab,
and a Computer-Aided Design/Computer programming/robotics lab, which is part of our
Industrial Technology department. These labs are used extensively. All classrooms are
internet / Wi-Fi accessible. The school utilizes Power School as well as Google Classrooms.
All students are assigned email addressed which facilitates on-line and e-learning
opportunities.
14Students are able to use a variety of technology learning tools. Each teacher utilizes Google
Classrooms to conduct online learning and blended learning opportunities. Students utilize
the Microsoft Office Suite to generate documents for class and create classroom
presentations. A small ISTEP+ remediation lab utilizes computers and software to help
students increase their ISTEP+ scores and pass the Graduation Qualifying Exam (GQE) or
End of Course Assessment Tests in English and/or Algebra. In addition, students requiring
added support for Standardized testing are placed into classroom lab settings where on-line
technology provides teachers with targeted interventions based on student starting points.
It has been observed by administrators and reported by staff that several teachers use
technology extensively in their classrooms. Examples of technology use for increased
learning include web quests, research, technology based science labs, online journals,
primary source instruction, computer based drafting, and technology as a visual aid.
Frontier is in the 6th year of the 1:1 Technology initiative. Every student on the 7-12 campus
is issued a Chromebook. Teachers have received extensive training and instruction and
technology is used is used daily in every classroom. While mastering the standards remains
as Frontier’s primary focus, the school believes that using technology will prepare students to
achieve college and career goals.
A Safe and Disciplined Learning Environment
FJSHS and the Corporation are both committed to providing a safe environment for learning.
At the site level, there is an emergency preparedness plan with regularly implemented fire
and emergency drills. Planning and collaboration of various potential emergencies is
coordinated with regional agencies, the Corporation, administration, and the school safety
committee. The main focus of these occurrence, involves stressing safety for the students
first.
Frontier School Corporation has a full-time Student Resource Officer on site and continues to
be proactive in preventing violence on campus through supervision, security measures,
conflict resolution, good community relations, and strict enforcement of conduct rules. An
expanded surveillance system was added in the summer of 2014 and upgraded in 2019 to
help better supervise the building both inside and outside of the regular school day. In
addition, the corporation has instituted annual trainings to teachers and staff involving de-
escalation strategies to better support students through trying moments. On-site, there is a
crisis intervention team, composed of trained individuals, who have completed the full course
of crisis intervention from the area cooperative for school services.
Specific safety concerns regarding buildings and grounds at the school site are handled by the
maintenance department. If their assessment determines that the safety issue cannot be
remedied by site custodians or utility workers assigned to site duties, they notify the
maintenance director for further evaluation One maintenance director, one assistant, and
one student employed through the school work-based program manage ongoing maintenance
for the facility.
15Other aspects of the school safety program include:
• Campus supervision
• Visitors check in procedures
• Corporation-level safety meetings
• Bus evacuation drills
• Fire safety inspections
• Severe weather drills
• Comprehensive evacuation drills
• Expanded campus surveillance
• Exterior door numbering system
• Internal Lock-down drills
• External Lock-down drills
• Safety Door signage
• Two administrators are certified by the DOE on School Safety
FJSHS provides a disciplined but stimulating, learning climate for students. Student
discipline is the responsibility of all FJSHS staff members. We recognize that it is
imperative to strive toward a positive climate for learning to assure student achievement,
enhance self-esteem, and develop positive social behavior. To attain this goal, FJSHS offers
many opportunities for student participation and recognition. Examples of the opportunities
for participation and recognition include attendance, athletics, fine arts, vocational programs,
academic competition, and academic achievement recognition.
Students are encouraged and expected to maintain appropriate behavior at all times because
disruptions interfere with the learning of others. Student handbooks and other information
about school and classroom rules are distributed and discussed in class meetings at the
beginning of the school year. Furthermore, these rules are reinforced throughout the school
year.
Overall, we have a well-behaved and well-disciplined student body. Expulsions and
suspensions are very low compared to other schools. Listed below are the numbers of
students that have served an Out of School Suspension for the specific school years.
2015-2016: 42 2016-2017: 24 2017-2018: 42 2018-2019 – 8.1%
The Frontier Jr-Sr High School student handbook is critiqued and revised on an annual basis.
School rules and policies are administered and enforced consistently by administration and
staff. Open lines of communication between administration, staff, students, and parents have
proven to be essential and effective.
Professional Development
Professional development is an ongoing process that is supported through the staff's
attendance at state, regional and national-level conferences, and professional subject area-
specific clinics and workshops. Several staff members are assigned to attend Wabash Valley
16Education Center workshops and bring what they have learned back to school in a “train the
trainer” format. Ongoing collaboration must continue to take place despite such restraints as
no common planning hour and limited time before and after school for teacher collaboration.
Due to the Corona Virus pandemic and mitigation efforts, Frontier Jr-Sr High School has
begun the year meeting every other week for staff professional development. The format of
Professional Development is a combination of in person and virtual efforts. When normalcy
returns, Frontier conducts professional development one time per week for 41 minutes. The
schedule is altered to allow teachers to receive much needed guidance, work time, and
collaboration. “In-House” professional development is intended to improve classroom
instruction by focusing on best practices, analysis of data, technology, and collaboration.
Specifically, the topics below will be addressed this school year:
Digital Classrooms
Emphasis is placed on the SAMR model with several professional
development workshops scheduled for the 2019-2020 school year.
Problem Based Learning
E-Learning
Reading Comprehension Strategies
Literacy Standards
Curriculum Alignment
Course Mapping
Classroom Management & Learning Environment
School Safety
Data Driven Instruction and Standards Mastery
Rigor, Bloom’s Taxonomy, and Depth of Knowledge
Meeting the Needs of all Learners
Differentiated Learning.
Objectives and Interventions Based on School Improvement Goals
1. Frontier Jr-Sr High School students will score higher than the state average
on all state mandated assessments.
2018 ILearn/ISTEP Assessment - State
7th Grade 8th Grade 10th Grade
Math English Math English Math English
41% 49% 37% 50% 36% 62%
2018 ILearn/ISTEP Assessment - Frontier
7th Grade 8th Grade 10th Grade
Math English Math English Math English
43% 49% 49% 53% 31% 73%
Interventions:
17a. School Wide
i. A school-wide implementation of best practices will
be developed and honed by all teachers in order to
teach reading strategies for successful understanding
of reading content.
As measured by classroom observations, professional
development agendas, and assessment scores.
ii. Teacher in-service and teacher instructional coaching
in the use of content area reading strategies.
Measured by observations from administration,
instructional coach, and peer teachers, lesson plan
documentation, and SRI assessment.
iii. Teacher in-service in common writing procedures for
all teachers and expectation of implementation.
iv. Teacher training in reading/writing strategies, more
specifically in-service in effective vocabulary
instruction and note taking to be included.
v. Using Scholastic Reading Inventories, students will be
provided differentiated classroom instruction. The
students will be tested three times annually to
monitor student progress and to adjust classroom
interventions as needed.
vi. Remediation Labs - Target “At-Risk” student’s with
proactive intensive interventions. Students
recommended by data and faculty will be provided
with additional targeted remediation during labs. The
labs will diagnose and measure student challenge
areas and apply specific remedies. Study Island and
USA Test Prep will be utilized to assess, instruct, and
modify student interventions.
vii. ILEARN Boot Camps will provide specific instruction
and skills to target deficit areas in preparation 7th &
8th Grade ILEARN.
viii. Frontier Success Program (Currently on HOLD) –
Based on curriculum grades, students who require
additional intervention will be identified weekly and
required to attend two study sessions (Tuesday &
Thursday after school) per week. In analyzing data, a
very high percentage of unsuccessful students hinges
upon non-completion of work. Study Sessions are
designed to provide additional time to complete work
that otherwise isn’t being completed. In addition, for
those students who require tutoring or teacher
interventions, then arrangements are made for that to
happen during the student session. A corporation bus
is provided to transport all students at the end each
study session.
18ix. Department/Classroom Interventions
1. Language Arts
2. Math
3. Science
4. Social Studies
5. Vocational
6. Fine Arts
2. 90% of Frontier Jr-Sr High School students will improve their reading ability.
a. At the start of the 2019-2020 school year 72% of students read at or
above their reading level.
Interventions:
b. Classroom based instruction to incorporate content area reading
strategies.
i. Specific and targeted teacher professional development to
improve literacy instruction.
c. Intensive Reading Class.
d. Tier 3 interventions for identified students.
3. 90% of Frontier Jr-Sr High School students will complete a college and career
program. (% of AP, Dual Credit, or Industry Certification)
College & Career Readiness, 19-20
Frontier State Average
91.7% 68.3%
Interventions:
a. College visits, college fairs on a three year hosting rotation with two
adjacent schools to coordinate fairs such that students may participate
yearly.
b. Seek articulation agreements with Ivy Tech and Indiana University for
dual credit opportunities. Double Up opportunity with Ivy Tech
allowing seniors to attend classes on campus during their senior year.
c. Continue with Problem Based Learning to facilitate collaboration and
problem solving. Each student is required to complete a problem
based scenario while working within a group to accomplish a task or
recommend a plan of action.
d. Continue to explore the credentialing process.
19e. Continue to encourage students during scheduling to take advantage
of college and career readiness opportunities.
f. Incorporate a college and career scope and sequence tasks and
activities using Naviance.
4. Student attendance rate will be 97% or higher.
Attendance Rate, 19-20
Frontier State Average
75.3% 65.3%
Interventions:
a. Enforcement of the school's attendance policy.
The total number of allowable days of absence per semester (exempt,
excused, and unexcused combined) has been reduced within the school
attendance policy by forty percent (40%) over the last four years. The
policy is currently in place and the administration will continue to monitor
the progress quarterly and will report back to the school improvement
team and staff in general.
Attendance letters are sent home after a student has recorded 3 and 5
absences. Attendance contracts are signed and mailed after 5
excused/unexcused and 10 exempt to ensure students do not lose credit
due to attendance issues.
Incentives (such as Perfect Attendance Awards and gift cards) will be
utilized to motivate students to strive toward better attendance across
quarters, semesters, and the entire school year. Students are recognized
and rewarded each semester and end of school year for their Perfect
Attendance Record.
Frontier Jr-Sr High School will provide students with an opportunity for
attendance recovery. At least twice per school year, a Saturday school will
be identified for the purpose of maintaining class credit.
5. 95% of Frontier Jr-Sr High School students will graduate.
Graduation Rate, 19-20
Frontier State Average
92.% 86.4%
Interventions:
a. Studies show that students who do not graduate usually have
unsuccessful 9th and / or 10th grade years. In an effort to improve
20graduation rates, through the Frontier Success Program, students with
failing grades are targeted and encouraged to attend study sessions
after school twice per week.
b. All students will participate in the PRIDE program to reinforce the
relationship between success in school and success in life.
In addition, based on data accumulated from Power School and the
Frontier Success program, At-Risk students are targeted and provided
the services of a remediation specialist. The remediation specialist will
focuses on student organization, schedules, and provides support in
areas of skill deficits.
c. At-Risk students will be targeted with intense counseling efforts and
referred to meet with a Wabash Valley Counselor.
d. Freshman Accountability. Freshman grades will be monitored and any
freshman failing a core class at the end of semester one will be
assigned a credit recovery opportunity during Activity Period. The
student will complete online curriculum for 120 minutes per week to
recover credit in core classes.
Benchmarks
Benchmarks for progress
In order to evaluate the success of the school improvement process to achieve
continuous improvement in all areas of the education system, benchmarks will be
used. These benchmarks include: 1) the ILearn / ISTEP+ results for seventh, eighth,
ninth and tenth graders, 2) Classroom Formative Assessments 3) graduation rate, 4)
attendance rate, 5) Core 40 Diploma rate, 6) Honors Diploma rate, 7) PSAT / SAT
results, 8) DOE Accountability Report, 9) ASVAB Results, and 10) Stakeholder
surveys 11) SRI Reading Assessment, 12) NWEA Results, and 13) Professional
Development Faculty Surveys.
Diploma Types:
Academic Honors, Technical Honors and Core 40 Diplomas
Provisions to allow all students access to an Academic and/or Technical Honors
Diploma
Every student is given the information about coursework and requirements associated with
earning an Academic Honors and/or a Technical Honors Diploma. No one is denied the right
to purse these diplomas.
Provisions to encourage all students to earn a Core 40 or Honors diploma
21Various programs that are in place encourage both the Academic and Technical Honors
Diplomas. Multiple dual credit opportunities with local postsecondary institutions are
available. Frontier also offers three Advanced Placement classes along with the end of year
AP Exam.
Diploma Types Presented 2020
Academic Honors Diploma- 52.2 %
Core 40 Diploma – 19.6 %
General Diploma -28.3 %
Professional Development
The professional development plan is a stand-alone document that is included in the
school improvement plan. Its purpose is to support and sustain our school
improvement efforts. Faculty members formulate professional development SMART
goals each year. The goals are reviewed, revised, and reflected upon quarterly.
1. What is your school's vision toward which this Professional Development Program
will lead?
We will, as a staff, with appropriate discussion, work together to develop a
professional development program which will be driven by a long-term, school
improvement plan. It will align professional development, curriculum, instruction,
and assessments with a comprehensive standards-based program that encourages
rigor and higher order thinking. In addition to being driven by the school
improvement plan, it will be inspired by our school vision and mission
statements.
2. What is (are) the goal(s) of your Professional Development Program?
The goal of this professional development plan is to provide staff and teachers
with the support and tools that they need to assume their organizational roles and
their responsibilities for student learning. The primary emphasis will be on
individual, collegial, and organizational improvement. Faculty and staff document
progress towards achieving their professional development goals via lesson plans,
SMART Goal reviews, observations, and evaluations.
22This program will recognize staff leadership capacity and encourage growth in
intellectual and leadership abilities. All efforts will be based on best practices in
current research, as well as opportunities and deficits identified during classroom
observations. The program will be a continuous cycle of inquiry and improvement
through collegial teaming and exploration.
There will be multiple and varied activities embedded in the school day in which
staff members can participate as members of a collegial team. The five minutes
prior to and twenty minutes after school may be utilized, as can the teachers’ prep
time. In addition, the faculty will participate in approximately 30-36 professional
development sessions each year. The PD sessions will take place once a week.
3. How will all staff members be involved in continuous learning? How will
continuous learning be embedded in practice?
Professional development is embedded into our weekly schedule. Teachers spend
one session each week on professional development efforts. Further, we will plan
on utilizing before or after school times for professional
development. Information regarding school data will be disseminated and
discussed as much as possible to encourage the use of student level, teacher level,
and school level data in making informed curricular changes and improvements.
In house experts will be utilized to cultivate a professional learning community
and to allow us to utilize the many talents of our teachers in working together to
improve student, school and district performance.
An Instructional Coach is utilized to provide targeted professional development to
the staff each nine weeks during “mini-PD” sessions. The topics addressed are
determined based on need from the administration and from requests made from
the faculty.
Purpose
Great teachers help create great students. In fact, research shows that an inspiring and
informed teacher is the most important school-related factor influencing student
achievement, so it is critical to pay close attention to improving and supporting both new and
experienced educators.
Schedule
COVID19 – Mitigation efforts will alter our PD schedule to meeting every other week in a
combination of in-person and virtual meetings. Upon a return to normalcy, the faculty will
meet in the Media Center every Monday during Activity period from 12:49 – 1:30. Please
mark your calendar. Professional development is considered part of the work day. If you are
going to be absent from PD please complete the appropriate absence forms.
23PLC Topics (Subject to change)
PLC Topics (Subject to change)
Date Topics / Overview
Wednesday, School Procedures / School Safety – Admin
August 19
Wednesday, Matt Miller, 8 Techy Ways to make Class Unforgettable
September 2
Wednesday, Parent Teacher Conferences
September 16
Wednesday, De-Escalation Training.
September 30
Wednesday, Matt Miller, Surfing the Webb - Deep Learning with Tech and DoK
October 14
Wednesday, Test Administrator Certification - Lemenager
October 28
Wednesday, Content Area Reading Strategies
November 11
Wednesday, School Safety Protocol – table talk
December 2
Wednesday, Increasing classroom rigor.
December 16
Statutes and Rules
No statutes and rules will be requested for waiver at this writing.
Implementations, Review, and Revision Time Line
The School Improvement Team will complete the first version of the
School Improvement Plan by May 1, 2020.
Upon completion of the first version, The School Improvement Plan will
be submitted to the superintendent for review.
The Final version of the School Improvement Plan will be submitted to the
superintendent for school board approval by September, 2020.
Utilizing the goals and interventions found in the School Improvement
Plan, the professional development committee will develop a professional
development schedule to strengthen faculty efficacy in targeted areas.
Using the ILearn / ISTEP+ DOE web link, the assessment teachers in
science, math, and language arts will meet to complete the following:
o 1) Ensure alignment between planning / instructional activities and
ILearn ISTEP+ assessment blueprint.
o 2) Incorporate new ILearn / ISTEP+ assessment practice
opportunities (both content and process) into your planning.
24o 3) Plan and evaluate formal assessments to determine to what
extent the students are mastering the standards and modify
instruction based on updated data.
School Year 2019-2020
The school improvement plan will be reviewed, revised, and re-submitted
to the state.
Student data will continually be analyzed to provide additional support,
enrichment and remediation where possible.
o Remediation Labs – based on data students will be targeted to
remediate skill deficit areas.
o Frontier Success Program – based on weekly grade reports,
students will be targeted to attend “study tables” with the primary
focus of providing additional time on classroom assignments.
o Instructional Coach – using the school improvement plan, the
professional development plan, and working with the
administration, the Instructional Coach will work with the teaching
staff to reinforce best practices.
The administration will continue to review the attendance statistics
quarterly to evaluate student attendance. The policy, as written, will be
enforced.
Assessment data will be reviewed to determine program efficacy and
resources will be allocated to provide targeted interventions.
o Intervention Specialists
o Frontier Success Program
o Math and Language Arts Remediation Labs
Study Island
o Problem Based Learning Project
Graduation Pathway
o ILearn
o NWEA
o SRI
o ISTEP +
o SRI
The administration will review the attendance incentive program and re-
implement a functional version for the 2019-20 school year.
Monitoring of the Anti-Bullying program through classroom curriculum,
Power School records and school programing will continue. The school
improvement team will evaluate the program using student questionnaire
instruments to determine its effectiveness. From that data, they will make
recommendation to administration concerning its continuation for the
2010-20 school year.
o Discipline data will be evaluated to determine the efficacy of
school interventions.
25School Year 2020-2021
The school improvement plan will be reviewed, revised, and re-submitted
to the state.
Student data will continually be analyzed to provide additional support,
enrichment and remediation where possible.
o Remediation Labs – based on data students will be targeted to
remediate skill deficit areas.
o Frontier Success Program – based on weekly grade reports,
students will be targeted to attend “study tables” with the primary
focus of providing additional time on classroom assignments.
o Instructional Coach – using the school improvement plan, the
professional development plan, and working with the
administration, the Instructional Coach will work with the teaching
staff to reinforce best practices.
The administration will continue to review the attendance statistics
quarterly to evaluate student attendance. The policy, as written, will be
enforced.
Assessment data will be reviewed to determine program efficacy and
resources will be allocated to provide targeted interventions.
o Intervention Specialists
o Frontier Success Program
o Math and Language Arts Remediation Labs
o Problem Based Learning Project
o ISTEP +
o SRI
SSR Remediation Reading Comprehension Groups
The administration will review the attendance incentive program and re-
implement a functional version for the 2020-21 school year.
Monitoring of the Anti-Bullying program through classroom curriculum,
Power School records and school programing will continue. The school
improvement team will evaluate the program using student questionnaire
instruments to determine its effectiveness. From that data, they will make
recommendation to administration concerning its continuation for the
2019-20 school year.
o Discipline data will be evaluated to determine the efficacy of
school interventions.
26School Year 2021-22
The school improvement plan will be reviewed, revised, and re-submitted
to the state.
Student data will continually be analyzed to provide additional support,
enrichment and remediation where possible.
o Remediation Labs – based on data students will be targeted to
remediate skill deficit areas.
o Frontier Success Program – based on weekly grade reports,
students will be targeted to attend “study tables” with the primary
focus of providing additional time on classroom assignments.
o Instructional Coach – using the school improvement plan, the
professional development plan, and working with the
administration, the Instructional Coach will work with the teaching
staff to reinforce best practices.
The administration will continue to review the attendance statistics
quarterly to evaluate student attendance. The policy, as written, will be
enforced.
Assessment data will be reviewed to determine program efficacy and
resources will be allocated to provide targeted interventions.
o Intervention Specialists
o Frontier Success Program
o Math and Language Arts Remediation Labs
o Problem Based Learning Project
o ISTEP +
o SRI
SSR Remediation Reading Comprehension Groups
The administration will review the attendance incentive program and re-
implement a functional version for the 2020-21 school year.
Monitoring of the Anti-Bullying program through classroom curriculum,
Power School records and school programing will continue. The school
improvement team will evaluate the program using student questionnaire
instruments to determine its effectiveness. From that data, they will make
recommendation to administration concerning its continuation for the
2020-21 school year.
o Discipline data will be evaluated to determine the efficacy of
school interventions.
27Frontier Jr-Sr High School
2019-2020 School Improvement Plan
Exclusive Representative Support of Professional Development Plan
511 IAC 6.2-3-10 requires the teachers’ exclusive representative must provide their signature
to local administrators as an indication of support for the professional development plan
component of the school improvement plan.
___________________________________ ______________________________
Kelly Knochel Date
___________________________________ ______________________________
Sharon Wright Date
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