Milford Strategic Plan
Vision
The Milford School District will be an inspiring community where deep learning and strong relationships empower ALL students to become designers of their own story.
Mission
The Milford School District nurtures all learners to be designers of their own stories by supporting:
• relevant and engaging learning experiences.
• diverse perspectives that find common ground for the greater good through ongoing engagement.
• meaningful opportunities for student voice and choice.
• caring, supportive, and collaborative relationships in and across communities.
• well maintained facilities and infrastructure to enable and support student achievement, fiscal efficiency and cost effective delivery of programs and services.
• fostering innovation to ensure continuous improvement and excellence in our schools, district, and community.
• diverse perspectives that find common ground for the greater good through ongoing engagement.
• meaningful opportunities for student voice and choice.
• caring, supportive, and collaborative relationships in and across communities.
• well maintained facilities and infrastructure to enable and support student achievement, fiscal efficiency and cost effective delivery of programs and services.
• fostering innovation to ensure continuous improvement and excellence in our schools, district, and community.
Goal I: Student Success
Milford School District will provide an authentic, rigorous, and personalized experience for all students so they pursue their passions and become reflective, empowered, and contributing citizens of an ever-changing world.
I-A: We will develop curriculum that integrates content competencies, work study practices and Portrait competencies throughout PreK−12 by 2025, as evidenced by documenting the integrated curriculum frameworks.
Strategies:
1. Define and develop the curriculum components to be integrated with the content competencies, Portrait competences and work study competencies.
2. Develop a process for integrating the curriculum content, Portrait competencies, and work study competencies.
3. Identify grade-level/subject-area exemplars for demonstrating the fully integrated curriculum.
2. Develop a process for integrating the curriculum content, Portrait competencies, and work study competencies.
3. Identify grade-level/subject-area exemplars for demonstrating the fully integrated curriculum.
I-B: By 2025, curriculum and instruction across all content areas will be paced to reflect learning needs, tailored to learning preferences, and specific interests with multiple opportunities for growth and success.
Strategies:
1. All curriculum will be reviewed and revised all units and lessons to include differentiated content, process and/or product to assure ALL students are given the opportunities necessary to succeed.
2. Review, revise and develop a consistent, developmentally appropriate reporting out system with common goal and language.
3. All curriculum will be designed to provide multiple means of engagement, representation, action and expression to allow access to all learners at all developmental levels.
2. Review, revise and develop a consistent, developmentally appropriate reporting out system with common goal and language.
3. All curriculum will be designed to provide multiple means of engagement, representation, action and expression to allow access to all learners at all developmental levels.
I-C: We will develop an assessment system that supports and informs district progress towards student mastery of the integrated curriculum, by 2025.
Strategies:
1. Develop a schedule for designing grade-level /subject area assessments that support formative and summative purposes.
2. Develop data teams at each building and at the district with representation of building and district stake holders. A district calendar will be developed and set at the start of each school year.
3. Development of authentic assessments including performance tasks that are aligned with the Portrait Competencies, Content Competencies and Work Study Practices. We will pursue local, state, and other forms of support for this assessment work.
3. Development of authentic assessments including performance tasks that are aligned with the Portrait Competencies, Content Competencies and Work Study Practices. We will pursue local, state, and other forms of support for this assessment work.
I-D: We will provide embedded professional development and instructional strategy support for curriculum integration delivery, by 2025, as evidenced by a professional development plan presented to principals, teacher leaders, and the Board.
Strategies:
1. Beginning in the 2019−2020 school year, MSD will develop, provide and communicate a comprehensive professional development plan for faculty and staff, to prepare for the implementation of Portrait competency learning experiences.
2. We will implement Professional Learning Communities as a primary means for supporting these instructional changes.
2. We will implement Professional Learning Communities as a primary means for supporting these instructional changes.
3. Beginning in the 2019−2020 school year, we will provide professional development to teachers and support staff in the areas of differentiation of content, process and product to assure personalized assessment, instruction and learning opportunities within all lessons and units.
Goal II: Culture
Milford School District will promote a positive culture that ensures all staff and students feel safe, secure, engaged, challenged, and supported.
II-A: All Staff will be provided regular opportunities to collaborate with both their job-alike peers and interdisciplinary peers by the fall of 2021, as demonstrated by documented schedules for regular collaboration (Time/Opportunity Structure).
Strategies:
1. Establish/refine the structures for Professional Learning Communities at the elementary, middle, and high school levels (structures).
2. Provide professional development for professional staff around Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) throughout each year of the strategic plan.
3. Capture the successes and challenges that are experienced during the current year for informing the subsequent year's school year's implementation.
2. Provide professional development for professional staff around Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) throughout each year of the strategic plan.
3. Capture the successes and challenges that are experienced during the current year for informing the subsequent year's school year's implementation.
II-B: All staff will learn strategies to teach, embed, and integrate social emotional skills into learning environments by June 2022, as demonstrated by a district professional development plan for doing so.
Strategies:
1. Plan professional development around CASEL Social Emotional Framework for all professional PreK−12 staff.
2. Plan professional development around CASEL Social Emotional Framework for all classified PreK−12 staff.
2. Plan professional development around CASEL Social Emotional Framework for all classified PreK−12 staff.
II-C: Students will demonstrate social emotional competencies in self-awareness, social awareness, responsible decision-making, self-management, and relationship skills by 2025 (CASEL).
Strategies:
1. Engage diverse stakeholders in the program selection process.
2. Select materials/program for teachers to directly teach SEL skills.
3. Implement evidence-based SEL programs in the context of systemic district and school programming by dedicating time in the master schedule.
4. Collect data from multiple sources to identify number of interventions related to SEL needs.
5. Implement student and staff surveys to gain a baseline measure of current culture.
2. Select materials/program for teachers to directly teach SEL skills.
3. Implement evidence-based SEL programs in the context of systemic district and school programming by dedicating time in the master schedule.
4. Collect data from multiple sources to identify number of interventions related to SEL needs.
5. Implement student and staff surveys to gain a baseline measure of current culture.
II-D: Schools will develop tiered supports to meet social emotional needs of students by 2021, as demonstrated by the documentation of such supports for each school.
Strategies:
1. Form a district-level committee to develop a multi-tiered support structure
2. Identify at each building level the existing student supports and needed supports.
3. Provide opportunities for collaboration between adults and students to develop connections and strengthen trusting relationships.
2. Identify at each building level the existing student supports and needed supports.
3. Provide opportunities for collaboration between adults and students to develop connections and strengthen trusting relationships.
II-E: The district will develop a comprehensive wellness plan by 2022 to help staff and students learn about health, wellness, and emotional safety and how to successfully navigate challenging situations.
Strategies:
1. Review PreK−12 health and wellness curriculum.
2. Increase the number of lessons around emotional safety and navigating challenging situations.
2. Increase the number of lessons around emotional safety and navigating challenging situations.
II-F: District and building safety procedures and protocols will be reviewed and updated to meet current safety standards and other identified need areas as prioritized by Administration by 2022.
Strategies:
1. Review and modify current building safety plans by working in conjunction with our School Resource Officer and emergency services personnel.
2. Include and incorporate student feedback about physical and health safety.
2. Include and incorporate student feedback about physical and health safety.
Goal III: Policy & Communication
Communication stands at the heart of relationship quality. In order to amplify transparency, align understandings, and broaden and deepen relationships with all Milford School family, Milford School District will renew and strengthen two-way policy and communication efforts.
III-A: By 2024, all Milford Public School district Board policies will be updated and, going forward, part of a regular review cycle, as demonstrated by the policies themselves and a publicly shared policy review cycle during the 2019−2020 school year.
Strategies:
1. Develop a process and schedule for updating ALL policies over the next five years.
2. Develop a protocol for socializing policies before and after Board action for those policies that have practical implications for students, staff, administrators, and/or parents.
3. Research effective policy use for helping to discern the proper level of policy use, so as not to create policy bloat or policy deficiency in governing the district.
4. Employ relevant policies and communications to support the essential elements of self-determination theory as a means to heightening engagement and motivation for all stakeholders.
2. Develop a protocol for socializing policies before and after Board action for those policies that have practical implications for students, staff, administrators, and/or parents.
3. Research effective policy use for helping to discern the proper level of policy use, so as not to create policy bloat or policy deficiency in governing the district.
4. Employ relevant policies and communications to support the essential elements of self-determination theory as a means to heightening engagement and motivation for all stakeholders.
III-B: By 2022, Milford mass communication content and practices will be realigned with the tone and content consistent with the culture aspirations defined in Goal 2, as evidenced by a public Board presentation of the work done to execute on this goal during the spring of 2022 (several before and after examples), with progress updates leading up to then.
Strategies:
1. Identify and review major communication content for alignment between content/tone desired.
2. Identify and review major communication practices for alignment between content/tone desired.
3. Embed concepts within leadership across the district:
2. Identify and review major communication practices for alignment between content/tone desired.
3. Embed concepts within leadership across the district:
"People are down on what they are not up on,"
"Communication is at the heart of healthy relationships,"
"Communication is at the heart of healthy relationships,"
"The basis of most healthy relationships is active two-way communication"
Goal IV: Community Engagement
We will foster and solidify positive relationships among students and families, school staff, and the community at large in order to energize and support our students to be successful, contributing members of society, which will result in greater success now and in the future.
IV-A: By 2024, we will increase family engagement in the district/schools, as shown by annually doubling membership in each school's PTA/PTO/PTSA, Booster organizations, family nights, Open Houses, etc. (families). Each school will develop an Action Plan to create and implement family events to bring more families into the school and doubling attendance in events after reflecting upon the success of the events and determining the next steps needed to increase family accessibility and participation.
Strategies:
1. Research models and best practices for engaging families into the life of the district and school. (Access Authoritative Sources on Parent involvement) Schools need to be aware of working families and create and hold events at convenient times for all families.
2. Survey all parents in a multi-linguistic format to receive suggestions, guidance and feedback related to improving the district's/school's effectiveness at broadening the interest and participation of ALL parents in Milford schools. (Involve Key Stakeholders)
3. Implement initial ideas for expanding parent engagement, reflect, and feed-forward (Bias toward Action). Each event will allow for feedback of the event to determine what worked and what didn't work. Feedback will come from parents, students and staff and be reviewed by administration or the group sponsoring the event.
2. Survey all parents in a multi-linguistic format to receive suggestions, guidance and feedback related to improving the district's/school's effectiveness at broadening the interest and participation of ALL parents in Milford schools. (Involve Key Stakeholders)
3. Implement initial ideas for expanding parent engagement, reflect, and feed-forward (Bias toward Action). Each event will allow for feedback of the event to determine what worked and what didn't work. Feedback will come from parents, students and staff and be reviewed by administration or the group sponsoring the event.
IV-B: By 2024, we will increase student community engagement, as shown by doubling the number of developmentally appropriate community-based extended learning and service opportunities annually at each school.
Strategies:
1. Research models and best practices for engaging students in the life of the district and school. Provide students the opportunity to give suggestions and feedback to future community service events. (Access Authoritative Sources on student engagement)
2. Reach out and solicit feedback from all students for guidance and feedback related to improving the district's/school's effectiveness at broadening student engagement. We need to ask our students what is important to them and how do we make learning relevant to them. (Involve Key Stakeholders)
3. Implement initial ideas for expanding student engagement, reflect on implementation experience, feed-forward (Bias toward Action).
2. Reach out and solicit feedback from all students for guidance and feedback related to improving the district's/school's effectiveness at broadening student engagement. We need to ask our students what is important to them and how do we make learning relevant to them. (Involve Key Stakeholders)
3. Implement initial ideas for expanding student engagement, reflect on implementation experience, feed-forward (Bias toward Action).
IV-C: By 2023, we will expand social and business organization relationships with the district, as evidenced by doubling organizations in town that work with the school district in a collaborative manner. an inventory of such organizations available for student extended learning opportunities.
Strategies:
1. Research models and best practices for engaging business, social, and other local organization into the life of the district and school. Work with existing partnerships and strive to develop more partnerships with community groups and activities. (Access Authoritative Sources on social and business organization involvement).
2. Convene a District-wide advisory committee of social and business organization leaders to inform district strategies for deepening and broadening mutually beneficial relationships. We should strive to build coalitions with groups within town (Wadleigh Library, Boys & Girls Club, Amato Center, Hitchner, local restaurants, etc.) to foster work study relationships at all levels.
3. Convene a facilities committee to review the adequacy, upkeep/maintenance, and functional life of district facilities and infrastructure to enable and support student achievement, fiscal efficiency and a cost effective delivery of programs and services.
3. Convene a facilities committee to review the adequacy, upkeep/maintenance, and functional life of district facilities and infrastructure to enable and support student achievement, fiscal efficiency and a cost effective delivery of programs and services.
IV-D: By 2024, we will strive to become an example to other school districts for developing strong community engagement to support and educational opportunities for students. Service and community-based learning opportunities and events will become common-place and of high quality involving all stakeholders in the community.
Strategies:
1. Highlight and reflect upon existing community engagement efforts to learn what is currently working and what may not be. Receive feedback from all stakeholders to improve events and activities to continuously improve and grow community engagement over the course of this plan and into the future.
2. Inquire as to what research/professional journals suggest are promising practices for increasing community engagement in general for improving student educational experiences, however it is important to put into place practices that are unique to the culture of Milford as well.
3. Identify other exemplar schools/districts for sharing ideas, visits, and challenges/successes. These ideas can be brought back to the district and schools to be incorporated into the needs of the community and schools to increase community engagement as it relates to Milford.
2. Inquire as to what research/professional journals suggest are promising practices for increasing community engagement in general for improving student educational experiences, however it is important to put into place practices that are unique to the culture of Milford as well.
3. Identify other exemplar schools/districts for sharing ideas, visits, and challenges/successes. These ideas can be brought back to the district and schools to be incorporated into the needs of the community and schools to increase community engagement as it relates to Milford.
IV-E: A concerted effort will be made to actively engage Milford School District alumni in the community, at their lives after high school and in their places of work to provide feedback on how well prepared they felt they were. Alumni will also be garnered as a valuable resource to provide contacts top local businesses, community organizations and colleges for future graduates.
Strategies:
1. An Alumni Association will be developed to create a list of alumni names and contact information that could be used by the schools as a resource
2. We will examine the capabilities of the Naviance Career program being used by MHS Student Services and Career Guidance to determine the usefulness of the alumni tracking and feedback modules.
3. Alumni will be contacted and asked to participate in college and career ready programs as presenters.
2. We will examine the capabilities of the Naviance Career program being used by MHS Student Services and Career Guidance to determine the usefulness of the alumni tracking and feedback modules.
3. Alumni will be contacted and asked to participate in college and career ready programs as presenters.
THANK YOU TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS
Students
M. Bergen – MMS
A. Brew – MHS
C. Cevasco – MMS
N. Conforti – MMS
T. Cote – MMS
A. Farrell – MMS
G. Forrence – MMS
M. Bergen – MMS
A. Brew – MHS
C. Cevasco – MMS
N. Conforti – MMS
T. Cote – MMS
A. Farrell – MMS
G. Forrence – MMS
C. Raiano – MHS
M. Sawyer – MHS
H. Soucy – MHS
M. St. Onge – MMS
A. Wheelock – MHS
M. Wood – MHS
M. Sawyer – MHS
H. Soucy – MHS
M. St. Onge – MMS
A. Wheelock – MHS
M. Wood – MHS
E. Goodwin – MHS
C. Hopkins – MMS
E. Leak – MMS
J. Lydon – MMs
A. Maronie
C. Morgan – MHS
M. Peterson – MMS
C. Hopkins – MMS
E. Leak – MMS
J. Lydon – MMs
A. Maronie
C. Morgan – MHS
M. Peterson – MMS
Teachers & Staff
Debra Almeida – MMS
Jeff Frenkiewich – MMS
Corey Laird – MHS
Traci Lane – MMS
Jaime Morgan – IT Support
Kim Palmer - MHS Kristine Reilly – MMS Martha Sareault – HP Suzanne Schedin – HP Tricia Shea – MMS
Janet Steeves – Lead IT Support
Kim Szewczyk – Special Education Associate
Rich Paiva – Director of Technical Studies
Allison Pelletier – Asst. Director of Special Services
Meg Peterson – Title 1 Coordinator
Kim Szewczyk – Special Education Associate
Rich Paiva – Director of Technical Studies
Allison Pelletier – Asst. Director of Special Services
Meg Peterson – Title 1 Coordinator
Administrators
Chantal Alcox – Principal HP
Leslie Brigagliano – Curriculum Coordinator – Elementary
Paul Christensen – Director of Student Services
Anthony DeMarco – Principal MMS
Beth Gibney – Curriculum Coordinator – Middle School
Michael Hatfield – Director of Special Services
Jessica Huizenga – Superintendent of Schools
Kristin Kivela – Superintendent of Schools, Mason
Nancy Maguire – Principal Jacques Memorial
Jessica Huizenga – Superintendent of Schools
Kristin Kivela – Superintendent of Schools, Mason
Nancy Maguire – Principal Jacques Memorial
Christopher Saunders – Asst. Principal HP
Michael Tenters – Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Michael Tenters – Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Parents
Amanda Hodges
Sarah Martin
Amanda Hodges
Sarah Martin
Cynthia Peloquin
Dave Wilson
Dave Wilson
Community Members / Business Partners / Higher Education
• Ron Carvell – School Board Chair
• Monica Gallant – CAST
• Louise Goulet – Nashua Community College
• Chris Guiry – Mason School Board Chair
• Allen Hoyt – Pastor First Congregational Church
• Wendy Hunt – Souhegan Valley Chamber of Commerce
• Rishab Khanna – Fidelity Investments
• Douglas Knott – Knott’s Land Care
• Suzanne Levesque – HR Director Marmon Hendrix
• Jane Lyttle – Physical Therapy – Milford Medical Center
• Joelle Martin – State Representative
• Marcey Mason – Practice Administrator Family Dental
• Joe Ruelas – VP Spraying Systems Co.
• Jennifer Siegrist – School Board Member
• John Siemienowicz – Asst. District Governor, Rotary Club of Milford
• Ruth Sterling – Marketing Manager Amherst Label
• Corey Sullivan – Director of Operations, Boys and Girls Club of Souhegan Valley
• Timothy Sullivan, ESQ – VP Corporate Affairs and Services Hitchiner Manufacturing
• Monica Gallant – CAST
• Louise Goulet – Nashua Community College
• Chris Guiry – Mason School Board Chair
• Allen Hoyt – Pastor First Congregational Church
• Wendy Hunt – Souhegan Valley Chamber of Commerce
• Rishab Khanna – Fidelity Investments
• Douglas Knott – Knott’s Land Care
• Suzanne Levesque – HR Director Marmon Hendrix
• Jane Lyttle – Physical Therapy – Milford Medical Center
• Joelle Martin – State Representative
• Marcey Mason – Practice Administrator Family Dental
• Joe Ruelas – VP Spraying Systems Co.
• Jennifer Siegrist – School Board Member
• John Siemienowicz – Asst. District Governor, Rotary Club of Milford
• Ruth Sterling – Marketing Manager Amherst Label
• Corey Sullivan – Director of Operations, Boys and Girls Club of Souhegan Valley
• Timothy Sullivan, ESQ – VP Corporate Affairs and Services Hitchiner Manufacturing