HOME OF THE SHAMROCKS
Table of Contents
Summary of priorities
- Provide an Inclusive, Nurturing Environment
- Restorative Practices District Wide
- Promote continued growth in effective, culturally relevant curriculum and instruction.
District: Salmon River Central School District
Superintendent: Dr. Stanley Harper
Priority 1
Our Priority
What will we prioritize to extend success in 2025-26?
Providing an Inclusive, Nurturing Environment with Restorative Practices
Why is this a priority?
Things to potentially take into consideration when crafting this response:
- How does this Priority fit into the District’s vision, values and aspirations?
- Why did this emerge as something to prioritize?
- What makes this the right Priority to pursue?
- How does this fit into other Priorities and the District’s long-term plans?
- Districts with schools identified for TSI, ATSI, or CSI should also consider
- In what ways is this influenced by what was learned through the Envision-Analyze-Listen activities in your school(s) identified for TSI/ATSI/CSI supports?
- In what ways does this support the SCEP Commitments of your school(s) identified for TSI/ATSI/CSI supports?
Students previously identified that this is an area of concern for them, as they don’t feel welcomed, nurtured, or safe in school. Through student interviews and surveys, we have seen growth in students feeling safe at school, but we still have some work to do. During discussions within our schools as they completed the Data Triangle Survey, it became apparent that our district needs to continue to focus on providing an inclusive, welcoming, safe environment. This priority aligns with district initiatives for implementing the culturally responsive framework and SEL programming to provide a safe supportive learning environment while honoring individuality. The staff and parents emphasized the importance of the school addressing these social-emotional needs of students so that they can feel secure enough to succeed academically.
Through our surveys, many indicated that there is a need for students to learn to take ownership for their actions through the process of restorative practices. The DCIP Committee also discussed a continued need for a safe place for students to be able to share their concerns within all buildings. The team discussed the need to continue to reteach students the everyday routines and expectations of the school and classroom environments. We will work to create consistency in the classrooms and support students in further developing their self identity. The students are presenting with a lack of empathy for others and are not acclimating well to school community expectations.
Due to our school’s strong belief in providing a safe, supportive learning environment, we believe that a continued focus on restorative practices will greatly enhance our school culture. We will continue to use mindfulness, community-building activities, crisis counselors/assistants, safe spaces for students, training for staff, and using a restorative approach to student behavior incidents and progressive disciplinary approaches.
Key Strategies and Resources
What strategies will we pursue as part of this Priority?
Develop authentic connections with and among students.
What does this strategy entail? What will implementation look like in our district?
Administrators, staff, and students continue to build relationships. Examples: Greeting students at the door in the morning, addressing each student by their preferred first name, acknowledging their presence in the hallway, cafeteria, shared area, etc.
Social-emotional check-ins.
What resources (Schedule, Space, Money, Processes, Individuals) are necessary to support these strategies?
Funding will be needed for the BIMAS program.
Human resources- counselors, classroom teachers, administrators, coaches, & PD consultants
Funding for Triangle survey.
Building partnerships with families in the community.
What does this strategy entail? What will implementation look like in our district?
Continue partnerships with community agencies to provide support to families.
Strengthen Parent-Teacher Organizations and involvement in each building to include trending topics and activities. Provide alternative means for parent participation. Examples: Zoom, Google Meet, Facebook live, or other technological tools.
Communication with families and community using multiple tools. Examples: Parent Square, Webpage, Facebook, Class Dojo, radio, and newspaper.
What resources (Schedule, Space, Money, Processes, Individuals) are necessary to support these strategies?
Funding for the Data Triangle Surveys and parent-engagement activities.
Human resources- Home-school coordinator, Ombudsman, staff and students
Funding for Triangle survey
Title I Parent Engagement Funds
Provide activities and programming for students to participate in order to develop deeper connections within the school community. Create positivity within our school culture and community in support of the PRIDE initiative.
What does this strategy entail? What will implementation look like in our district?
Such as: Book celebrations, awards nights, school mixers, literacy nights, dances, Family Paint Nights, Spirit Days, Class Olympics, reading buddies, Sources of Strength, Agricultural Inquiry programs, Alcohol and Chemical Dependency Program, Holistic Life Foundation, Shamrockin’ at the River, Back to School Event, orientations, sports, after school clubs, show choir, Entrepreneurship Fair, Inter and Intra school mixers, multicultural night, writing buddies
What resources (Schedule, Space, Money, Processes, Individuals) are necessary to support these strategies?
Human resources- staffing
BOCES COSER funding
Ensuring safety measures are in place.
What does this strategy entail? What will implementation look like in our school?
We will hold conversations with students about concerns regarding safety at school.
At building levels, brainstorm plans to address safety in school.
Monitor progress through Schooltool behavior data and student survey data.
What resources (Schedule, Space, Money, Processes, Individuals) are necessary to support these strategies?
Staffing to conduct and analyze survey and student interview data.
Mindfulness practices
What does this strategy entail? What will implementation look like in our school?
Expanding and utilizing and building sustainable systems in mindfulness resources, such as Holistic Life Foundation, and Mindfulness spaces. The system must include clear expectations for teachers for consistent proactive and regular implementation of mindfulness and strategy use of breathing techniques/practices. Create or access daily mindfulness videos, cue cards, anchor charts for teachers to use at more appropriate times in their daily schedule so teachers and students learn it and use it, thus reducing the need for students to leave the classroom.
PD sessions to build a staff tool box, such as belly breath, for students to be able to practice within the classroom. HLF staff push into classrooms and revisit scheduling quarterly.
Opportunities for parents to learn mindfulness/yoga practices.
What resources (Schedule, Space, Money, Processes, Individuals) are necessary to support these strategies?
Funding for Holistic Life Foundation
Space for Mindfulness Rooms
Process such as walkthroughs for administrators to monitor continued implementation of mindfulness strategies in classrooms
Expectations & Techniques in Teacher Handbooks
Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum
What does this strategy entail? What will implementation look like in our school?
Second Step curriculum is taught and reinforced Pre-K through 8th grade. Reinforcement/connection making by all staff, and reminders using PA system.
What resources (Schedule, Space, Money, Processes, Individuals) are necessary to support these strategies?
Funding for Second Step curriculum Pacing calendar
Teachers of curriculum share topics and themes with all staff to reinforce practices schoolwide
Community-building activities
What does this strategy entail? What will implementation look like in our school?
Social circles
PTO events
Culturally Relevant activities
Open House/Parent Nights/Back to School event
Book of the Month reinforcement through interactive topic-focused conversations; copies shared with local groups for use in family/community spaces
Summer transitions/orientations for students
Shamrockin’ at the River Day
Summer Proactive and positive home visits for “Operation Graduation”
What resources (Schedule, Space, Money, Processes, Individuals) are necessary to support these strategies?
Home-School Coordinators
Outside agencies
Ombudsman
Teachers and administrators
Attendance supervisors
Funding-
Vendors, books of the month, supplies for events,
stipends for family and student focused events,
stipends for “Operation Attendance” summer staff
Creating safe spaces for students
What does this strategy entail? What will implementation look like in our school?
The use of the Holistic Life Foundation and counselors to provide support in an area of the school that students can go to where their perspectives and differences are affirmed and valued.
Continued professional development on cultural sensitivity and trauma-informed practices.
CRT training will be provided to staff to turnkey in the district for de-escalation.
District crisis intervention process will be revisited and communicated to all staff. Training will be provided as needed.
Consistently incorporate district transition protocol (Title I) for students returning to school from an extended absence.
Consistent documentation of ABC charts for behavior data
Counselor assistants will provide additional support to our intervention system.
What resources (Schedule, Space, Money, Processes, Individuals) are necessary to support these strategies?
Holistic Life Foundation Counselors/Assistants Sources of Strength Attendance Supervisors Ombudsman Home-School Coordinators District Mental Health Team Admin. Team
Funding- PD costs and survey costs
Shifting to a restorative approach to student behavior incidents.
What does this strategy entail? What will implementation look like in our school?
Provide PD to address how challenging behaviors will be met with a restorative approach by teachers, support staff, and administrators as needed, requiring students to reflect, have empathy, and take action to make things right. Partner with parents as appropriate.
Progress monitor our system to transition students back into the classroom through repairing harm and restoring relationships.
Provide differentiated professional development for all staff on Restorative Practices.
What resources (Schedule, Space, Money, Processes, Individuals) are necessary to support these strategies?
Funding-
PD Restorative Practice Consultants
Surveys
BIMAS
Individuals-
Counselor assistants
Psychologists/ Counselors
Ombudsman
Home-School Coordinator
Measuring Success
Throughout the Year
In order for the District to reach the end-of-the-year success criteria above, there will need to be progress throughout the year. What are the benchmarks and milestones the district will look for during the year to know that we are on track to meet the end-of-the-year success criteria listed above? Consider both implementation milestones and improved outcomes.
- Success Criteria (What data will we review and what improvements do we hope to see when reviewing that data?)
- BIMAS: We are going to track the progress in “Areas of Concern”/”High Risk” categories three times a year.
- When we would want to achieve that success criteria
- Tri-Annually (Three benchmarks throughout the year)
- Success Criteria (What data will we review and what improvements do we hope to see when reviewing that data?)
- Discipline Data: decrease in discipline referrals
- When we would want to achieve that success criteria
- Monthly
- Success Criteria (What data will we review and what improvements do we hope to see when reviewing that data?)
- Review of Attendance Data
- When we would want to achieve that success criteria
- Monthly
End of the Year
What will success look like for this Priority at the end of the year?
Provide quantitative data and/or qualitative descriptions of where the district strives to be at the end of the 2025-26 school year.
BIMAS: We are going to track the progress in “Areas of Concern”/”High Risk” categories three times a year.
Data Triangle Survey: We will show improvement in positive student responses related to questions that incorporate feeling safe, supported, and welcomed in the school.
Data collected from annual Surveys will indicate an increased level of feeling safe in school.
Absenteeism rates – we are setting a district goal of 85% average daily attendance
Student discipline referral rates will indicate a decreased level on an annual basis.
Student and parent participation in activities (i.e. Social circles, PTO events, Open House
Summer transitions/orientations for students) will increase on an annual basis.
Behavior Intervention Monitoring Assessment System (BIMAS) data: Percentage of students in the SEL category will decrease annually.
Walkthrough data will indicate an increase in mindfulness practices in the classrooms.
Priority 2
Our Priority
What will we prioritize to extend success in 2025-26?
Multi-Tiered System of Support Implementation and Structure
Why is this a priority?
Things to potentially take into consideration when crafting this response:
- How does this Priority fit into the District’s vision, values and aspirations?
- Why did this emerge as something to prioritize?
- What makes this the right Priority to pursue?
- How does this fit into other Priorities and the District’s long-term plans?
- Districts with schools identified for TSI, ATSI, or CSI should also consider
- In what ways is this influenced by what was learned through the Envision-Analyze-Listen activities in your school(s) identified for TSI/ATSI/CSI supports?
- In what ways does this support the SCEP Commitments of your school(s) identified for TSI/ATSI/CSI supports?
Key aspects of Salmon River District’s vision are valuing academic achievement and cultural diversity, within a safe, supportive learning environment. Therefore, the team believes that a goal of having a strong curriculum and effective tiered instruction is essential to promote academic and behavioral success.
The team plans on implementing a system of tiered instructional practices to reach this goal. We plan to further our understanding and use of a multi-tiered system of support, effective teaching practices, implement more authentic learning experiences, and utilize data to provide targeted support for students in academic/behavioral need.
Key Strategies and Resources
What strategies will we pursue as part of this Priority?
Implement full MTSS structure across the district
What does this strategy entail? What will implementation look like in our district?
What resources (Schedule, Space, Money, Processes, Individuals) are necessary to support these strategies?
Training for staff
Provide targeted tiered instruction
What does this strategy entail? What will implementation look like in our district?
Staff will support students within the classroom (Tier 1) based on assessment data. Tier 2 or 3 placements will occur outside of the general education setting for identified students.
What resources (Schedule, Space, Money, Processes, Individuals) are necessary to support these strategies?
Second Step
Character Ed
Essential Standards
PD – Stagr and Becky Peppler
Assistant Counselors/Counselors
Mindfulness
Restorative Practices/Circles
CRT
Triangle Survey Data
Analysis of student data
What does this strategy entail? What will implementation look like in our school?
Review data quarterly to inform student groupings and intervention goals.
What resources (Schedule, Space, Money, Processes, Individuals) are necessary to support these strategies?
Grade Level Meetings
DDI Meetings
Disciplinary Referrals
Attendance Data
BIMAS, iReady, IXL data
Provide professional development for staff around small group instruction.
What does this strategy entail? What will implementation look like in our district?
Staff will be trained in phases throughout the school year
What resources (Schedule, Space, Money, Processes, Individuals) are necessary to support these strategies?
On-going professional development
Job-embedded coaching
Grade Level/Department Meetings
Provide after-school support
What does this strategy entail? What will implementation look like in our district?
Students will stay after-school for re-teaching, extra support, and practice.
What resources (Schedule, Space, Money, Processes, Individuals) are necessary to support these strategies?
Classroom teachers Interventionists
TAs
Special Area teachers
Measuring Success
End of the Year
What will success look like for this Priority at the end of the year?
Provide quantitative data and/or qualitative descriptions of where the district strives to be at the end of the 2025-26 school year.
Academic: Increase number of students are performing at/above proficiency
Reduction in the number of students who require Tier 2 and Tier 3 services
Behavior Intervention Monitoring Assessment System (BIMAS) data: Percentage of students in the SEL category will decrease annually.
BIMAS: We are going to track the progress in “Areas of Concern”/”High Risk” categories three times a year.
Data Triangle Survey: We will show improvement in positive student responses related to questions that incorporate feeling safe, supported, and welcomed in the school.
Data Triangle Survey: We will show improvement in positive student responses related to the question “Student behavior does not interfere with instruction during class time”
Data collected from annual Surveys will indicate an increased level of feeling safe in school.
Absenteeism rates – we are setting a district goal of 85% average daily attendance
Student discipline referral rates will indicate a decreased level of disruption of education and insubordination on an annual basis.
Walkthrough data will indicate an increase in consistent best practices in the classrooms.
Throughout the Year
In order for the District to reach the end-of-the-year success criteria above, there will need to be progress throughout the year. What are the benchmarks and milestones the district will look for during the year to know that we are on track to meet the end-of-the-year success criteria listed above? Consider both implementation milestones and improved outcomes.
- Success Criteria (What data will we review and what improvements do we hope to see when reviewing that data?)
- BIMAS: We are going to track the progress in “Areas of Concern”/”High Risk” categories three times a year.
- When we would want to achieve that success criteria
- Tri-Annually (Three benchmarks throughout the year)
- Success Criteria (What data will we review and what improvements do we hope to see when reviewing that data?)
- Discipline Data: decrease in disruption of education and insubordination referrals
- When we would want to achieve that success criteria
- Monthly
- Success Criteria (What data will we review and what improvements do we hope to see when reviewing that data?)
- Review of Attendance Data
- When we would want to achieve that success criteria
- Monthly
- Success Criteria (What data will we review and what improvements do we hope to see when reviewing that data?)
- I-READY/IXL Data; students will show meet growth targets
- When we would want to achieve that success criteria
- Mid year diagnostic
Priority 3
Our Priority
What will we prioritize to extend success in 2025-26?
Promote continued growth in curriculum and instructional practices
Why is this a priority?
Things to potentially take into consideration when crafting this response:
- How does this Priority fit into the District’s vision, values and aspirations?
- Why did this emerge as something to prioritize?
- What makes this the right Priority to pursue?
- How does this fit into other Priorities and the District’s long-term plans?
- Districts with schools identified for TSI, ATSI, or CSI should also consider
- In what ways is this influenced by what was learned through the Envision-Analyze-Listen activities in your school(s) identified for TSI/ATSI/CSI supports?
- In what ways does this support the SCEP Commitments of your school(s) identified for TSI/ATSI/CSI supports?
Key aspects of Salmon River District’s vision are valuing academic achievement and cultural diversity. Therefore, the team believes that a goal of having a strong culturally relevant curriculum, effective instruction, and academic success for students is essential.
The team plans on implementing many consistent strategies to reach this goal. We plan to further our understanding and use of culturally-responsive practices, common planning time, instructional coaching, continue opportunities for vertical and horizontal collaboration, provide more PD on effective teaching practices, implement more authentic learning experiences, and utilize data to provide targeted support for students in academic need.
Key Strategies
Key Strategies and Resources
What strategies will we pursue as part of this Priority?
Culturally Responsive
What does this strategy entail? What will implementation look like in our district?
Differentiated Professional Development will be provided to staff to further their understanding of culturally-responsive practices.
321 Insight digital program for Parasharp and Trauma Informed Trainings for all staff as needed, targeted for new staff and paraprofessionals
Incorporate Consistent “Circles” and similar activities to model and building community
Update and monitor curriculum flows and Year at a Glance (YAG) in each building for teacher lessons that incorporate culturally relevant materials and instruction.
What resources (Schedule, Space, Money, Processes, Individuals) are necessary to support these strategies?
Funding for PD – trainers and consultants to work with staff and students regarding culturally-responsive practices.
Vertical and Horizontal Collaboration
What does this strategy entail? What will implementation look like in our district?
Teams will collaborate on student needs, cross-curricular planning, grade level decisions, curriculum alignment, interim assessment data, and state testing planning.
Guidance will be provided to vertical teams by administration.
Vertical teaming will occur at least quarterly. Admin will meet to create agendas prior to vertical meetings.
Admin will remind teachers through email and principal notes to continue to update digital YAGs (and reshare) that include writing and teaching methods on how to teach content while bringing in authentic practice, voice, & choice for students.
Continue PD to implement writing across all content areas.
What resources (Schedule, Space, Money, Processes, Individuals) are necessary to support these strategies?
Scheduling of regular meetings and PLCs.
Structured agendas and protocols to ensure goals of alignment, rigor, progression with NG standards, and efficient use of time in meetings.
Consultants for Science, Social Studies, ELA, and Math standards connections.
MS implementation of PBL – PD consultants, coaching
Increasing instructional capacity and raising student achievement
What does this strategy entail? What will implementation look like in our district?
Continue implementation of a consistent system that includes data collection and provides actionable feedback to teachers regarding Week at a Glance (WAG), walkthrough data, observation process (clear expectations and reflections), and Professional Development surveys.
Increase instructional coaching at secondary levels, especially with SCEP schools
Plan and implement differentiated effective teacher trainings for staff to develop their classroom strategies and authentic teaching and learning experiences. Coaching cycles to support teachers. Grade level meetings to discuss targeted evidence-based instructional strategies such as the Rosenshine model,etc., beyond effective teaching strategies to add to teachers’ toolboxes. Evidence based strategies will be vetted by the DCIP team. Recommended strategies will be adopted and used consistently across the district.
Frequent walkthroughs conducted in classrooms by administrators. Expectations will be shared out prior to the walkthroughs and data of evidence will be shared consistently with staff.
Coaching cycle menu will offer training on effective teaching practices for nontenured teachers and others as appropriate.
What resources (Schedule, Space, Money, Processes, Individuals) are necessary to support these strategies?
Individuals- Classroom teachers, Peer facilitators, Administrator, Instructional coaches, Staff Developer
Funding- Professional development for teachers and instructional coaches, classroom libraries and materials, assessment materials
Admin will share walkthrough data with staff on a regular basis through principal notes
Time- Regularly scheduled time for administrator discussions regarding monitoring of systems and structures. IE: discuss across admin team, then with building level teams
Measuring Success
End of the Year
What will success look like for this Priority at the end of the year?
Provide quantitative data and/or qualitative descriptions of where the district strives to be at the end of the 2025-26 school year.
By the end of the school year, staff responses on surveys will indicate an increased understanding and application of best practices in their classrooms.
High participation rates in staff training.
Department and grade level meeting agenda/minutes will provide evidence that staff have regularly shared strategies, resources, and strategies students are using.
School leader walkthrough and week at a glance data will indicate that an increased use of common strategies are used across classrooms throughout the school year.
Student Benchmark assessment Data (iREADY or IXL, interim assessments, etc.) will show improvement in growth measures (Data collected and reviewed for DDI 3 times per year)
Throughout the Year
In order for the District to reach the end-of-the-year success criteria above, there will need to be progress throughout the year. What are the benchmarks and milestones the district will look for during the year to know that we are on track to meet the end-of-the-year success criteria listed above? Consider both implementation milestones and improved outcomes.
- Success Criteria (What data will we review and what improvements do we hope to see when reviewing that data?)
- Growth from tier 3 to 2, 2 to 1 on iREADy, IXL and interims
- When we would want to achieve that success criteria
- Mid year and end of year
- Success Criteria (What data will we review and what improvements do we hope to see when reviewing that data?)
- Pass rate on interims and quarterly report cards
- When we would want to achieve that success criteria
- Quarterly
- Success Criteria (What data will we review and what improvements do we hope to see when reviewing that data?)
- Growth in attendance at PD
- When we would want to achieve that success criteria
- Staff development days
- Success Criteria (What data will we review and what improvements do we hope to see when reviewing that data?)
- Minutes of discussions at grade level and vertical meetings
- When we would want to achieve that success criteria
- Quarterly
- Success Criteria (What data will we review and what improvements do we hope to see when reviewing that data?)
- Walkthrough data re: teacher practices
- When we would want to achieve that success criteria
- Quarterly
Our Team’s Process
Stakeholder Participation
Background
The DCIP must be developed in consultation with parents, school staff, and others in accordance with §100.11 of Commissioner’s Regulations.
Our Team
- Dr. Stanley Harper, Superintendent
- Angela Robert, Assistant Superintendent
- Ben Barkley, Principal of Salmon River High School
- Teresa Van Dunk, Assistant Principal of Salmon River High School
- Erin Toomey, Principal of Salmon River Middle School
- Lorraine Childs, Assistant Principal of Salmon River Middle School
- Alison Benedict, Principal of St. Regis Mohawk School
- Rebecca Pentalow, Assistant Principal of St. Regis Mohawk School
- Danielle French, Principal of Salmon River Elementary School
- Rebecca Sanger, Assistant Principal of Salmon River Elementary School
- Brandi Harris, Director, Recruitment & Professional Development
- Allen Gravell, Director, Special Education
- Hailey Cartier-Jacob, Home School Coordinator
- Breanne Herne, Parent
- Kayla Johnson, Parent
- Deanna Lauzon, Teacher at Salmon River Elementary School
- Melissa Miller, Teacher at Salmon River Middle School
- Charity Sprankle, Teacher at St. Regis Mohawk School
- Jenna Besaw, Teacher at St. Regis Mohawk School
Meeting Dates
Use the table below to identify the dates and locations of DCIP planning meetings.
| Meeting Date | Location |
| 6/2/25 | Salmon River Board of Ed Room |
| 6/4/25 | Salmon River Board of Ed Room |
| 6/10/25 | Salmon River Board of Ed Room |
Districts with Schools Identified for TSI/ATSI Support Only
Identify how the perspectives of stakeholders associated with the identified subgroup(s) have been incorporated.
- Stakeholder group
- Teachers responsible for teaching each identified subgroup
- How the perspectives of this group have been incorporated into the DCIP?
- Economically Disadvantaged, Native American, Students with Disabilities: Surveys, PD surveys, representation in meetings
- Stakeholder group
- Parents with children from each identified subgroup
- How the perspectives of this group have been incorporated into the DCIP?
- Economically Disadvantaged, Native American, Students with Disabilities:
Surveys and meetings
- Economically Disadvantaged, Native American, Students with Disabilities:
- Stakeholder group
- Secondary Schools: Students from each identified subgroup
- How the perspectives of this group have been incorporated into the DCIP?
- HS not identified as TSI; Economically Disadvantaged, Native American: Middle school students – Surveys and interviews