School Improvement Plan

At Gibson Ek, each student has an advisor who knows their students and families well. Advisors work on a more personalized level with about 20-22 students. Advisors meet daily with their advisory and 1 on 1 with students each week. We worked closely as a team to identify students who needed additional outreach, support, and guidance as we returned to school.

The return to school initially focused on student dignity and belonging. Reconnecting with one another and finding some renewed focus on school and community were priorities. Many strategies were utilized including advisor outreach to students and families; restorative practices embedded into advisories; assessing the building for accessibility and engagement; and supporting students as they established new personalized visions and goals for learning.

In addition to the yearly training on student and staff wellness, Gibson Ek staff engaged in professional development and collaboration on student wellness, engagement, and community/culture. We have a strong staff commitment to building a school community focused on dignity and belonging and engaging our school community create spaces that are inclusive and accessible for all students. Communication to all students about the importance of creating a safe school for all students with information about how to report or seek adult help is ongoing. Advisories worked together to establish advisory norms and communication that is respectful. Ongoing advisory team building occurs weekly whether through daily check ins, games, or restorative conversations. Encouraging all students to engage in health and wellness on Tuesdays and Thursdays keeps students working toward health and wellness goals.

As a competency based school, Gibson Ek has 20 competencies that are at the core of learning, evidence collection, and assessment. Assessment of student learning in the 20 core areas is personalized and progressive monitoring of students’ attainment of competencies in the 5 Learning Goals is ongoing by each advisor for their advisory students.

Advisors establish baseline understanding of students’ skills, strengths, and challenges when students enter Gibson Ek. Throughout 4 years, students demonstrate new learning, growth, and mastery of these 20 competencies. These assessment practices are in alignment with professional development that advisors have been engaged in over the last 2 years. Students are engaging in learning both inside and outside of school; collecting evidence of learning; reflecting on competency attainment; articulating learning; and working with their advisor to show mastery of competencies at a level appropriate for each student. Students have also completed exhibitions to show growth and challenge in the areas of personalized learning, authentic new learning, and community influence.

Gibson Ek staff continue to engage in several areas of staff professional development including building a community that prioritizes dignity and belonging; designing authentic and challenging Design Labs; creating a culture for feedback; implementing competency assessment that is personalized; identifying learning progressions that are appropriate and personalized; and evidence based assessment and the use of portfolios.

Monthly staff meetings and additional staff collaboration meetings each month; morning stand up check in meetings 3 times per week; shared planning time for collaborative planning; small work groups established as needed.

The Gibson Ek team has redesigned an assessment dashboard to capture evidence of learning across the program and in all competency areas. The team also uses individually designed student HUBS to improve communication across all staff members to optimize student support. All staff, students, and families access Google for Education including Google classroom, email, drive, and student portfolios using Sites.

The SIP plan and goals will be shared at a General PTSA meeting on January 11, 2022.

As a small school, the entire Gibson Ek team engages in ongoing monitoring of data, student progress, and success. Data includes monthly attendance; Design Lab completion rates; competency assessment and attainment; math data including time spent, topics mastered, and completion percentages; and level up and gateway progress.