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TBHS principal outlines Flex 2.0/3.0, curriculum and relationship-building in school improvement plan
Summary
Principal Kim Murphy presented TBHS’s improvement plan prioritizing a common curriculum/assessment approach, a tiered instructional support system, and enhanced classroom support through relationship-building, and described Flex 2.0 (movement across configurations) and Flex 3.0 (student reflection on progress).
Kim Murphy, TBHS principal, presented the high school’s school improvement plan at the Harvard School Committee meeting on Oct. 6, outlining three strategic initiatives to guide instruction and student support.
The plan emphasizes (1) a common approach to curriculum planning and assessment using Universal Design for Learning and district templates, (2) a tiered instructional support system to respond to varied student needs, and (3) enhanced classroom support through deliberate relationship-building strategies. Murphy said the work will rely on weekly departmental professional learning communities (PLCs) and use Harvard Public Schools curriculum templates.
Murphy described a two-phase rethinking of flexible learning time. “Flex 2.0 would increase student and teacher movement between different configurations, with Flex 3.0 focusing on students reflecting on their progress,” she said. She added that PLCs will address immediate teaching and learning needs while departments pursue unit and curriculum mapping.
On relationship-building, Murphy explained practical strategies teachers use to build trust with reluctant students: learning a personal detail about each student and referencing it in a way that fosters connection. “Once knowing a personal tidbit about each individual student, teachers can then comment about this detail to the student in some way, shape or form,” she said.
Committee members asked how relationship-focused practices differ from prior teacher–student interactions and who will lead work on graduation requirements. Murphy said faculty committees and parent-and-student focus groups will help define graduation expectations and recommended steps for implementation.
Why it matters: Committee members praised the plan’s student-centered focus; Besse noted the work’s relevance for budget planning and longer-term school choice decisions. The committee will hear related middle-school plans at its Oct. 27 meeting.
