Explain the activities in which your school will participate to increase your overall rating. Include specific details.

As evidenced in the SES Band Data, which content area(s) will be the focus for improving student achievement and why was this area chosen?

Within Broward County, McFatter Technical High School is the highest performing school within our SES band for the 2017 – 2018 school year. We are extremely proud of the fact that we’re an “A” rated by the State of Florida as measured by the high school accountability model.  In order to improve on our success in the current school year, we are planning on utilizing additional online resource such as Khan Academy and College Board resources to improve our student performance on the  EOC Math Assessments and SAT Assessments. These content areas were chosen based on our overall performance within the current SES Band Data and our current PSAT and SAT Performance data.  Our overall School Improvement Goals for the 2018 - 2019 school year is to increase student performance on FSA Assessment, EOC Exams Assessment Math and Biology, Advanced Placement Performance, SAT, ACT, Course Passing Percentage, and Industry Certification Passage Rate by 3% or more by May 2019.

What specific BEST Practice(s) will be implemented or scaled-up to improve teaching and learning in order to increase performance within the SES Band?

The Best Practices that we are scaling-up at our school to ensure that our school is the BEST Performing school in our SES band will include some of the initiatives listed below. 
* End of Course/Advancement Placement prep sessions in mathematics and other content areas - before, during and after school and select Saturday's
* Implement Professional Learning Communities
* F.A.S.T. Program (Fostering Academic Success Together) - after school tutoring program every Monday and Wednesday
*Enhanced marketing techniques to increase the overall awareness and useage of the Khan Academy and College Board resources by students and parents

Describe in detail how the BEST Practice(s) will be scaled-up.

The BEST Practices listed below will be scaled-up by implementing the initiatives highlighted below.
* School-wide Professional Learning Communities will focus on sharing of "Best Practices" to improve student achievement in reading and math by infusing Technology.
* Enhance Progress Monitoring techniques - will involve identifying students that are struggling in math by monitoring attendance and grades monthly, as well as working with teachers, guidance counselors and students to design an individualized plan of support for our struggling students.
* F.A.S.T. Program (Fostering Academic Success Together), which is whole child approach to increasing student achievement in all content areas by fostering a safe learning environment that will address study skills, effective time management, one-on-one tutoring from academic teachers as well as student leaders. 

What specific school-level progress monitoring data is collected and how often?

McFatter Technical High School utilizes several school level progress monitoring tools throughout the school year to support our struggling learners.  Some of the performance data that drives our instructional practices and intervention programs include the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA), End of Course Exams for Algebra I, Geometry, Biology and U.S. History, Advanced Placement Courses, PSAT AND SAT Assessments.  Throughout the school year, administrators, teachers and guidance counselors monitor interim grades and develop action plans to support students that are not being successful or falling behind in certain classes.  In the 9^th & 10^th Grades, the English Instructors are using the USA Test Prep program, which provides an effective and comprehensive online solution for students to prepare to take the English Language Arts FSA 9 & FSA 10 Assessments. The USA Test Prep tasks and curriculum resources are aligned to the most recently released state standards, and show progress for each student, as well as for each core standard. This tool helps teachers to prepare their students for the different types of questions they will encounter on the Reading FSA. The ability of USA Test Prep to target specific areas of student weaknesses individually, allows teachers to differentiate instruction and really help students to work to improve in all four language domains.  In the 11^th & 12^th Grades, the teachers utilize Khan Academy and College Board resources to provide individualized practice problems for both Math and English.  Additionally, teachers, guidance counselors, our Literacy Coach and administrators  monitor  grades and attendance monthly to determine if students should be referred to our Response to Intervention (RTI)/Multi-Tiered Support System (MTSS) Team.  We have a robust team of individuals that meet monthly to collaborate and develop action plans to support our high school students that are struggling academically, behaviorally, socially and/or emotionally.

How does the school ensure the fidelity of students not progressing towards school and district goals?

At McFatter Technical High School we work as a team to ensure we are supporting and guiding our students that are not progressing towards our school and district goals. Our small size and personalized learning environment lends itself to effectively working as a cohesive unit to support students that are struggling academically, behaviorally, socially and/or emotionally. We have a robust RTI/MTSS Team that works closely with the teachers to identity struggling students early on in the school year. Throughout the year, our Literacy Coach provides comprehensive support to our Level 1 & Level 2 struggling readers by providing one-on-one support to students as well as model high yield instructional practices in various classrooms.  Additionally, our F.A.S.T., Fostering Academic Success Together Program, which is a whole child approach to increasing student achievement in all content areas by fostering a safe learning environment that will address study skills, effective time management and tutoring support. 

How does the school ensure that all classroom instruction is accessible to the full range of learners using Universal Designs for Learning (UDL) for effective instructional design (planning) and delivery (teaching)?

McFatter Technical High School instructors are utilizing high yield instructional strategies that promote critical thinking, problem solving skills and collaboration techniques to solve real world problems.  The high school instructors provide hands-on and project based learning activities which contribute to the Universal Design for Learning. Several of our classroom instructors utilize online learning platforms such as CANVAS, Desire2Learn and other technology tools that lend itself to the Universal Designs for Learning. The aforementioned technology tools address the needs of different learning styles. 

How does the school ensure Tier 1 Standards-Based classroom instruction is being implemented properly and effectively?

The Marzano classroom observations that administrators complete bi-weekly provides us with information needed to ensure Tier I Standards-Based instruction is being implemented properly and effectively.  During our bi-weekly Professional Learning Community (PLC) meetings, teachers meet to review and discuss school initiatives, instructional best practices as well as explore technology tools that can maximize student learning.  Our Literacy Coach provides additional support to teachers by providing them with content specific instructional best practices to assist our students with being successful in an “AP for ALL” learning environment.

Describe texts used for core, supplemental, and intervention programs at each grade level. How does the school ensure students have access to a balance of literary and informational text in a variety of mediums?

McFatter Technical High School employs several strategies to ensure our students have access to a balance of literacy and informational text in a variety of mediums.  The list below includes a brief overview of some of these strategies:
All core academic instructors utilize state adopted Honors or Advance Placement textbooks to deliver instruction within all classrooms. 
All teachers have access to applications/websites such as NewsELA through Broward Schools Single Sign-On. Best Practices PLC will cover these applications and allow teachers to explore/discover other options for getting students access to subject-relevant informational text. 
Media center facilitation of student learning opportunities and media center specialist collaboration with our high school's research and writing PLC (ELA & Social Studies) ensures student access to a variety of informational texts in various mediums. 
In addition, the District is exploring the development of additional performance tasks through the Keystone Task Force, a new initiative of the District. This initiative relies on the GRASP model, developed by Defined Learning (formerly Defined Stem). 

How does your school implement the Broward County Public Schools Social and Emotional Learning Standards to ensure students are developing social and emotional skills?

McFatter employs several strategies to ensure we are implementing the Broward County Public Schools Social Emotional Learning Standards to students in order to develop social and emotional skills.  We believe the success that we are achieving as an institution is directly attributed to our small size and personalized learning environment.  Currently, we have 150 students per grade level with one guidance counselor that supports and guides the same group of students for 4 years.  Within the classroom, teachers utilize group projects that provide them with an opportunity to work collaboratively and problem solve to accomplish team goals.  The Kids of Character program allows our teachers and support staff the opportunity to nominate and honor students monthly.  The Social Emotional Learning Standards are embedded within the bi-weekly practices of our guidance team. This year, the guidance counselors have facilitated the Dating Violence and Anti-Bullying trainings with 9^th -12^th grade classes to provide our students with decision making skills, coping strategies and other resources that are essential in preparing our student’s to be productive citizens in the future.  Additionally with the addition of the Sandy Hook Promise program we are including new strategies to reduce isolation of individual students within the school society.  With the “Start with Hello” and “See Something, Say Something” components, students are empowered to advocate for peer social emotional healthy relationships.

In which ways are the five competencies of the Social Emotional Learning explicitly taught and/or integrated school-wide and in the classroom?

The five competencies of the Social Emotional Learning are explicitly taught and/or integrated school-wide and in the classrooms in various ways.  The Social Emotional Learning Standards are embedded within the bi-weekly practices of our guidance team. Some of the opportunities in the classroom to help students develop self-esteem include peer tutoring, group projects and cooperative learning.  The major tenants of our school-based positive behavior plan provides teachers and students with specific classroom lessons on self-awareness and responsible decision making through Naviance and other counseling related activities.  Social awareness, Relationship skills, and Self-Management are being reintroduced through the Sandy Hook Promise initiatives and reinforce during small group, classroom and individual counseling meetings with students. Throughout the year there are monthly activities built in to the Annual School Counseling Plan (ASCP) that also focus on teaching Social Emotional Learning.

How does your school-wide policy and practices support the social emotional learning for students?

Our school-wide policy and practices support the social emotional learning for students in various ways.  In addition to the AdvancED Survey data that’s collected at the end of the school year, administrators meet with groups of 9^th -12^th grade students periodically to gauge their level of engagement in the school community and explore ways to improve the learning environment as a whole.  Counselors are trained to identify barriers to learning, and are well versed in the community resources in place to support students and families. We have adopted the Sandy Hook Promise Program initiatives within our school by sending a team of guidance counselors to the district training.  Throughout the school year, we will implement several of the program’s components to promote social emotional health for students.  In addition to this program, we have implemented a Peer Counseling Club that will allow our students the opportunity to work with the guidance counselors, and select students, that are trained peer counselors to provide support in dealing with teenage issues in a positive manner. Utilizing activities available through Naviance, Learning Style Inventory and Career Key Programs provide students with self-awareness that will couple together with the skills being addressed with the Sandy Hook Promise program curriculum.  In January, staff members will expand their knowledge by attending a training on the second component of the program, “Say Something” where we empower all members of the community to look for warning signs, signals, and threats, especially in social media, and say something to a trusted adult to get help.