Strengths

Ø      Teachers personalize instruction, engage students as active participants, and provide numerous opportunities for students to demonstrate and apply their knowledge.

Ø      Cony High School has a new school building.

Ø      The curriculum offers multiple opportunities throughout all departments for authentic application of knowledge and skills.

Ø      A new program was started for students reading and writing significantly below grade level; it has been developed, approved, funded, and implemented.

Ø      Cony High School has a highly experienced staff.  Most teachers possess a strong academic background when hired, coupled with the continuing emphasis on staff development.

Ø      The guidance department has a full-time career development facilitator on staff to specifically assist students in career and college counseling.

Ø      Time and money is allocated to teachers for personal improvement of teaching methodologies and strategies.

Needs

Ø      Staffing levels increased to maintain reasonable classroom teaching loads and implementation of all parts of the curriculum.

Ø      There is a lack of programming to specifically increase success for students with alternative educational needs.

Ø      Cony High School’s website needs to be updated regularly and maintained to increase communication with students, parents, and the community.

Ø      A clearer set of priorities need to be defined to ensure all change initiatives work together as a part of a unified whole.

Ø      A shortage of books needs to be addressed in some departments.

Ø      More opportunities created to make connections across disciplines.

Ø      More emphasis placed on the importance of consistent assessments among educators teaching the same subject.

Ø      Professional time set aside to better align curricula in different content areas in order to develop true interdisciplinary units.