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About

PHILOSOPHY

The Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical Academy is steeped in a proud tradition of providing outstanding academic and technical education. Putnam's
administration, faculty, staff and students work collaboratively to promote a school culture that fosters and supports the expectation of excellence among all our stakeholders, and, at the same time, respects diversity.

Additionally, the Putnam Community acknowledges that learning is a lifelong process. We are committed to ensuring that students receive the academic and technical skills necessary to continue their education; secure gainful employment; or pursue both in the global marketplace. Providing our students with college and career readiness options is the cornerstone of our outstanding academic and vocational programs. To that end, our rigorous
academic curricula are aligned to state standards across all content areas, and our Career and Technical Education courses continuously reflect prevailing
industry standards. Moreover, all our programs are enhanced and supported by partnerships with parents and families; other educational institutions, local industry, and the community at large.

Finally, the Putnam Community is committed to the belief that every student can learn and successfully participate in a rigorous academic and technical education in a supportive, respectful, and safe environment.

GOALS

Curriculum and Instruction

  • Employ the principles of teaching and learning to ensure the design and delivery of inquiry-based lessons in every classroom every day;
  • Consistently reinforce school-wide learning and behavioral expectations (Putnam's School-Wide “Non-Negotiables”) in order to improve academic and vocational achievement, communication, participation, and engagement;
  • Establish a teacher-driven Instructional Leadership Team responsible for implementing school-wide initiatives for instruction and planning and providing professional development in support of those initiatives;
  • Implement Internal Formative Assessments that are developed, implemented, and measured by teachers in all core academic areas;
  • Improve students' progress toward academic and vocational/technical proficiency by incorporating writing and reading strategies/initiatives (e.g. Grade 9 and 10 Enrichment Labs; 6+1 Traits of Writing; Tuesday School-Wide Open Response Initiative; Shop Research Paper) into all content-area curricula;
  • Expand and monitor the implementation of the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks/Common Core; the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI); and the Certificate of Occupational Proficiency (COPs);
  • Expand and monitor the integration of the academic and vocational/technical programs to include a project-based learning component to improve student achievement;
  • Continuously strengthen communication and collaboration within and across all academic and vocational/technical programs, especially through teacher participation in the Shops/Enrichment Labs and Integrated Collaborative Groups.

Staff Development

  • Align district and school professional development to better serve the needs of our teachers and students;
  • Ensure deep understanding and sustainable results by offering powerful, research-based professional development (e.g. Marzano's Classroom Management that Works; Marzano's The Art and Science of Teaching; Elmore's Instructional Rounds) to improve student learning and staff efficacy.

Guidance and Public Information

  • Expand the General Advisory Committee and the respective Professional Advisory Committees to include more institutions of higher education, businesses, and other community partners;
  • Continuously expand and support parent and family involvement by providing evening informational sessions; parent orientation sessions; parent recognition nights; parent award ceremonies; and access to the Springfield Public Schools web-based “Parent Portal”;
  • Implement and extend the Developmental Guidance Model in the Putnam Guidance Department
  • Expand the role of the teachers-of-deportment to include the delivery of grade-level character development lessons at regular intervals.

Programs and Services

  • Increase parental involvement through regularly-scheduled grade-level parent meetings for all “at risk” students;
  • Expand and monitor the scope and variety of services and interventions available that support and sustain student success (e.g. Saturday School; Credit Recovery; Attendance Recovery; Grade-Level Drop-Out Early Warning System (DEWS) Teams; vacation “Boot Camps”).

Facilities and Technologies

  • Continuously monitor the design of the Vocational Technical Programs/Areas to ensure compliance with Chapter 74 Regulations;
  • Implement new vocational/technical programs (to date, these include Retail Marketing and Finance; Medical Technology; Plumbing; Computer-Aided Drafting and Design; and Multi-Media Production);
  • Develop the role of the Putnam Technical Fund as Putnam's primary community liaison with regard to the assessment and acquisition of resources, technologies and equipment to enhance our vocational/technical programs;
  • Utilize the Professional Advisory Committees more effectively in reviewing and enhancing Putnam's vocational technical programs and in establishing stronger connections with local business and industry;
  • Foster greater involvement among the Professional Advisory Committees in planning of the annual spring General Advisory Committee Gala.

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