Strategic Plan Update
Juvenile Services Education System of MSDE
The Strategic Plan Verification Project Newsletter: January 2018, #10
This fall the UMD team and Deb Pulley have piloted a Strategic Plan (SP) site visit checklist to use in conference with school principals to show progress or ways to improve. JSES principals have done a good job gathering agendas, logs, lists, calendars, student work and other evidence to document the status of Strategic Plan indicators at each school site. This has led to fruitful conversations about starting or adding education topics to Student Councils (SP 1.2), hearing progress on Student Improvement Teams goals (SP 3.5), brainstorming about on-site professional development (SP 3.2) and flexible grouping of students (SP 1.4) with continuing work needed on communicating with and involving parents/families/guardians (SP 1.8).
These conversations and visits will provide progress data for the Annual Report of the Strategic Plan and give JSES schools a chance to push towards best practices in juvenile services education. Each site visit has lasted about 1 hour. Thanks to principals Angelique Aman, Lisa Nelson, Marilyn Myers, Prakash Anthony, and Dena Evelo for beginning this process.
Art For Justice - PHOTO OF WINNING POSTER ABOVE
Several JSES schools participated in Justice Policy Institute (JPI) sponsored Art for Justice in concert with Department of Juvenile Services.
JPI celebrated twenty years of justice reform in the US by hosting an art competition on the theme of Re-imagining Justice. Artists were asked to represent the question, “If you could re-imagine the justice system, what would it look like” through art, creative pieces (like one JSES student-made quilt), poems and audio visual contributions.
JSES had many entries from Cheltenham, Backbone, Hickey, Cullen, Carter and Waxter. These were judged at JSES central office and some were selected for the JPI competition. One student at Carter described her work as a poster of the US flag with a poem she wrote about Black Lives Matter superimposed on the flag. She was proud that her creative work was selected for the competition and met JPI's goal of “admiring the creative spirit….encouraging each artist to live their truth through experiences that shape a world view of justice”. Her entry (above) won for Maryland DJS facilities awarded at the JPI 20th Anniversary celebration. Dr. Leone said her work was "powerful both conceptually and visually".
Students made shirts
Poster contest
Staff's college bulletin board
Maryland College Application Campaign at Carter (MCAC)
Carter marked MCAC Week, October 23-27, 2017 (see link below) with a contest and class activities. Maryland HIgher Education Commission (MHEC) sponsors MCAC Week to increase the number of underrepresented groups in higher education, including those in juvenile facilities, by having them apply to at least one post-secondary institution. JSES participated for the first time at Carter with classroom guidance lessons, guest speakers, contests and many other activities. Ten girls researched and made walls full of beautiful and clever college posters. Students made t-shirts to match their college choices. Staff added a bulletin board displaying their alma maters. Teachers, staff and visitors are voting for best poster efforts. All will be repeated during College Month in March (Go Terps!).
http://marylandpublicschools.org/about/Pages/DSFSS/SSSP/MCAC.aspx
Solar Eclipse Activity at Waxter
On Monday, August 21, 2017 life at Waxter was put on hold --the daily to do list, the assignments in school, the heated final exam debates and credit recovery. Everything subdued, overtaken by the celestial event of the century suddenly looming over DC area.
As the Great American Eclipse made landfall in South Laurel, the much awaited staff and student body were stunned by the sight into sounds of excitement.
7 Habits Adorn the Walls at Hickey
Hickey started off the year with an art project, for the staff! As part of school opening activities, staff painted the walls with “Education =” and “7 Habits of Effective People” by Sean Covey http://www.theleaderinme.org/main-menu-items/resources/7-habits-posters/ .
Teachers included these principles into the first week of class working through the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens book.
The students have “bought in” as evidenced by their respect of the art on the walls that are still looking good!
Resident Advisor of the Week
Principal Prakash Anthony reports on a tangible outcome of the School Improvement process. Waxter School Improvement Team (SIT) decided to try out incentives to improve the culture and climate of the school by adding RA of the week. DJS supported the initiative by providing additional perks for the recognized staff such as food. The staff will be recognized during student of the week assembly and will receive a certificate. The idea was well received by RA's.
Strategic Plan Newsletters Have a Link
This is the 10th edition of the Strategic Plan Update, newsletter published as a part of the partnership of MSDE/JSE and the University of Maryland. Many of you have received the link to the newsletter on the website, www.smore.com, via email. To reach more viewers (and those that may have gone to SPAM) we have made the newsletter available through the JSE homepage (tab to the left – University of Maryland Partnership) where pdfs of Updates will be archived. We hope you read and tell others to view updates on the Strategic Plan implementation, JSE news and events. Find out more here:
http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/programs/Pages/JSE/index.aspx
We will continue to archive Updates and periodic project reports.