• Category 3

    Selected in 2016

  • Grades: k - 12
    School Setting: urban
    Town Population: 2,200
    Student Enrollment: 620
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 0%
    White/Caucasian: 3%
    Hispanic: 0%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 0%
    Native American: 97%
    Other: 0%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:15
    % Reduced Lunch: 100%
    % ELL Learners: 25%
    Founded: 1908
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Doug Komrosky
  • CONTACT:
    610 1st Ave SE
    Harlem, MT 59526
    406-353-2289
    shawns@harlem-hs.k12.mt.us
Harlem High School
Harlem, MT
Our school culture is very positive. Teachers feel valued for their knowledge. Our climate is one of complete transparency and open conversations. We also offer a variety of activities that promote parent engagement.
Describe specific programs in place to ensure that families are involved in the success of your school and students.
We believe we Parent Engagement is a must. The school, student parent triad is the single most important key in student success. We offer a variety of activities that promote parent engagement including community dinners, pow wow feeds, literacy night, AR nights, Parent Teacher Conferences where we give away high value gift cards and provide dinner for all parents who come to parent teacher conferences. Students earn gifts as well.
Describe the most successful activity your school has initiated to strengthen ties to your community.
We have a new superintendent who values community collaboration with Fort Belknap Tribal Community, the Tribal College, and the community of Harlem. We have be able to utilize additional resources to strengthen our academic programs. We are also involved in STEM programs into our curriculum. Our F1 Team comprised of all native americans took third place nationally , as well as garnering a world award. Our teachers are vested in every students success and goes above and beyond to insure they receive the best education they can in a rural setting.
Describe your philosophy of school change or improvement.
Harlem school embraces lifelong learning, promotes the development of positive relationships among students, faculty, staff and administrators, foster academic achievement , embrace diversity and respect for one another , adaptability, open communication, and life success. This school mirrors our values at Harlem High School. We exercise participatory leadership style where mutual decision making is. We embrace human development theory where all members of Harlem School District are the heart of the organization. School reform is a strategy of school reform that is based on increasing school autonomy, supporting school leaders, collaboration, adaptability and in essence building a learning community.
What are your school’s top two goals for the next year?
Continue to increase graduation rates, increase math scores.
What is the single most important factor in the success of your school that others could replicate?
Demonstrate and show signs of respects for staff and their abilities. Provide professional growth opportunities for advanced within the school. Identify teachers leaders and allow them to support those teachers who need additional support.
Describe the program or initiative that has had the greatest positive effect on student achievement, including closing achievement or opportunity gaps, if applicable.
The greatest initiative that has had the most e positive effect, is collaboration from all. Every person in the district, including janitorial staff have buy in and a vested interest in the success of each and every one of our students.
Explain how Title I funds are used to support your improvement efforts.
Title 1 funds are used in a variety of ways, to hire additional personnel, additional curriculum, staff development education.
Identify the critical professional development activities you use to improve teaching and student learning.
Instruction that enables a wide range of students to and it is the strongest school related factor that can improve student learning and achievement . Knowing this, Harlem High School has researched and identified several elements that can almost universally increase the chancesfor successful teacher development and create a powerful and positive school community. Those are Effective Administrator and Teacher Leadership, Job Embedded Professional Development, and Professional Learning Communities.
Describe how data is used to improve student achievement and inform decision making.
Data drives our decision making. It starts from the top down and is the guide that drives curriculum, support needs, teachers instruction, curriculum purchased, PLC conversations, attendance decisions, etc.
Describe your school culture and explain changes you’ve taken to improve it.
Our school culture is very positive. Teachers feel valued for their knowledge and their input is always sought, Our climate is one of complete transparency, open conversations, and transparency on our website for our community members. Staff is not micro managed, and are valued for the professionals that they are. In others words they are part of the decisions makers.
Stats
  • Category 3

    Selected in 2016

  • Grades: k - 12
    School Setting: urban
    Town Population: 2,200
    Student Enrollment: 620
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 0%
    White/Caucasian: 3%
    Hispanic: 0%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 0%
    Native American: 97%
    Other: 0%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:15
    % Reduced Lunch: 100%
    % ELL Learners: 25%
    Founded: 1908
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Doug Komrosky
  • CONTACT:
    610 1st Ave SE
    Harlem, MT 59526
    406-353-2289
    shawns@harlem-hs.k12.mt.us