So what is SIT, anyway?

On the second Wednesday of each month, a small group of Linganore teachers, staff, students, and parents gather after school in the media center to discuss school policies, current local events, past and future school events, as well as updates on the construction of the new Oakdale High. This group, the School Improvement Team, or “SIT,” has been meeting each month since last June to discuss important school-related issues. Each meeting is conducted under standard parliamentary procedure.

At each meeting, reports from individual SIT committees are shared to bring other SIT members up to date on recent committee meetings. The seven committees are academic intervention,Renaissance/awards, parent involvement, annual events, professional development, grant writing, technology, and safety.

After the committee reports are shared, functional reports on various topics are handed out in the form of charts, lists, proposals, notes, etc. to be reviewed by all who are present at the meeting. Past functional reports have included HSA and AP test results. The team works together to help resolve or improve any issues the reports contain. For example, with the HSA scores, the SIT set specific goals of raising certain test scores and developed ways in which teachers could help their students achieve these goals.

The next part of the agenda is set aside to talk about “action items.” These are usually items that are either already in the works or about to be put in the works. One major action item that is focused on is the School Improvement Plan, or “SIP” for Linganore. This document details all of the plans and goals that Linganore has for its students and staff each year. Since this document is quite long and intricately detailed, all SIT members are given a copy of the current SIP and are asked to review the document, make suggestions, ask questions, and express any concerns they may have. The process of finalizing the SIP usually takes several meetings, because, just like the U.S. Constitution, it is a document that is made to apply to the changing times and meet the unique circumstances that each year brings.

Following the action items are the discussion items, which are usually concerns that students or staff may have that they would like to share with the SIT. During this time, we talk about various problems that may have arisen from current school policies or procedures. For example, in our November meeting, the issue of Club Day and the distribution of club passes was discussed. We talked about some of the problems and concerns teachers were having with creating and giving passes to students and the problem of students leaving for clubs even while they were ineligible to do so. We then brainstorm ways we can fix the discussion items or improve their circumstances.

One of the last items on the agenda in SIT meetings are “burning issues” in which any important functional or unresolved issues are resolved or fixed. For example, in our December meeting, the SIT was informed that only three people in the entire school had signed a certain petition relating to a Board of Education election rule. There usually are no written burning issues that appear on each meeting’s agenda, as there is no way to tell ahead of time what the SIT members in attendance will bring forward.

In my first year of serving on the SIT, I have learned a lot about all the hard and detailed work that goes on “behind the scenes” of the school. I can now see that I have previously taken for granted all the hard work our dedicated staff continuously puts in for the better of our school. I have met and become friends with teachers, staff members, and parents that I would never have gotten to know if I hadn’t served on the SIT. Serving on the team has also taught me leadership and responsibility skills, in addition to educating me about standard parliamentary procedure. I appreciate the fact that I am able to express my feelings and views as a student to a group of adults who care about my input and want to make the school a better place.

Though I personally enjoy being on the SIT, I can definitely say it is not for everyone. However, I would recommend joining the SIT or attending a meeting if you are a student, parent or “staffulty” member who wants to learn about what goes on behind the scenes, wishes to express an opinion about current school policies or procedures, or just wants to help make the school a better place.