Summary of Interview Findings

After discussing the SIP with the participants it was determined that the plan needs to demonstrate the importance of getting families and the community involved with the school. Several studies have shown a positive relationship between parent involvement in a student's education and a student’s academic success. Students with parents who are highly involved tend to achieve higher levels of educational success compared to those with less involved parents (Topor et al., 2010). Developing strategies that increase family and community support could help create a more supportive learning environment for all students. The participants also identified the need for the SIP to have a stronger focus on professional development for teachers. Teachers need more opportunities to increase their understanding of culturally relevant teaching in addition to behavior management. Focusing on increased professional development helps improve teaching practices and teacher effectiveness, and improves overall student success. For decades, the importance of continuous learning for teachers has been significantly acknowledged. The American Federation of Teachers stated, “Continuous, high-quality Professional Development is essential to [the] nation’s goal of high standards of learning for every child” (Phillips, 2008). The participants shared their concerns about the lack of consistency regarding student behavioral issues and emphasized the need for better-developed behavior plans. The participants also recognized the school's commitment to restorative justice practices and all agreed that providing more opportunities for professional development in restorative justice strategies would be beneficial for all stakeholders. This recommendation is important because student behavior can greatly impact the learning environment and school culture. Adding a better-developed plan that addresses behavioral issues consistently using restorative justice strategies can help create a more inclusive and positive learning environment for all students. Lastly, the group suggested that the SIP needs to be more in line with the school’s overall goals and vision to strengthen their academic achievements and improve the school’s overall performance. This is important because the SIP should provide a framework for students to achieve their academic goals and become better students and citizens. By aligning the SIP with the school's goals and vision, it provides a clear plan for improvement to ensure that the school is moving in the right direction. The SIP shows all stakeholders how to achieve the school's goals it wants to achieve. By addressing the identified weaknesses, the SIP can be used as a more effective tool for improving student success and the school’s success overall. The SIP’s strengths of having restorative justice practices already established along with a multi-tiered system of support will help the school create a better foundation for improvement. Addressing the concerns of student behavioral issues and academic shortfalls, the school can strengthen the SIP and create a more effective plan to help improve the school’s overall performance.