Blaine County School District Strategic Plan by BCSD

Blaine County School District

Blaine County School District Strategic Plan July 2015 to June 2020

BE PART OF OUR FUTURE July 2015 Board of Trustees Shawn Bennion, Chairperson Kathryn Graves, Vice-Chairperson Kathy Baker Rob Clayton Liz Schwerdtle Superintendent GwenCarol Holmes, Ed. D. Our mission is to inspire, engage, educate, and empower every student. 208) 578-5000 STAY CONNECTED! (www.blaineschools.org

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Blaine County School District Blaine County School District School Achievement Idaho Standards Achievement Tests (ISAT) Graduation Rate Idaho Reading Indicator STAR Reading STAR Math Idaho English Language Assessment (IELA) Advanced Placement (AP)/Dual Credit (DC) Classes SAT / ACT Secondary Intervention Classes Suspensions from School 21st Century Skills Shared Educational Values (Values approved by Board of Trustees on 3/10/15) Role of the School How Students Learn Role of Students Role of Educators Role of Parents Role of the Community Mission Statement (Approved by Board of Trustees 4/14/15) Vision Statement (in development by Steering Committee) District Goals (Approved by Board of Trustees 4/14/15) Action Plans Goal 1 Goal 2 Goal 3 Goal 4 Process Used to Develop Strategic Plan Strategic Plan Steering Committee Members Subcommittee Members Strategic Planning Process Survey

3 3 4 4 5 6 7 7 8 9 10 11 12 12 13 13 13 13 14 14 14 15 15 16 17 17 23 29 40 49 50 50 51

Blaine County School District Strategic Plan July 2015 to June 2020

Introduction The mission of Blaine County School District (BCSD) is to inspire, engage, educate and empower every student. This strategic plan embodies the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s desire to ensure every child graduates ready for success in the next stage of life. However, it also encompasses the community desire that the educational process is highly inspiring and empowering in addition to ensuring academics is mastered. This plan builds upon the accomplishments of the previous strategic plan and lays out a road map for continuously improving outcomes for students in BCSD. The process used was developed specifically to allow all stakeholders the opportunity to participate. The Strategic Plan goals and action plans will be reviewed at least twice yearly to determine progress made, as well as next steps needed. It is anticipated that the action plans will continue to develop as tasks are completed and next steps more clearly defined from the previous work and/or research completed.

Inspire Engage Educate Empower

Blaine County School District Blaine County, Idaho is nestled in the intermountain west and endowed with extensive public lands that include ancient lava flows, high desert sagebrush and five mountain ranges with alpine forest, lakes and streams. Blaine County is a year-round paradise for outdoor recreation of all types. In addition, it boasts an active and progressive arts scene attracting world class artists and performers. Blaine County is a place where its residents choose to live for the lifestyle of small town friendliness, outdoor enjoyment, and access to a world class art scene. Blaine County School Districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s enrollment increased steadily from 1995-1996 with 2,852 students through school year 2011-2012 with 3,495 students. It has remained fairly flat since that time. BCSD currently reports students in the following ethnic groups: White, Black, Hispanic, American Indian, Hawaiian Pacific, and Asian Pacific. The White and Hispanic groups represent the vast majority with each of the other groups representing 1% or less each of the total enrollments. Over this time period, the percent of enrolled White students decreased from 86% to 59%, as the percent of Hispanic students increased from 13% to 40%. This mirrors a trend in the community. Census data from 2000 American FactFinder (http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/community_facts.xhtml) indicate that approximately 90% of the county residents listed themselves as White and 10% as Hispanic. In 2013 the U.S. Census Bureau lists the population of Blaine County as 78% White and 20% Hispanic. However, at the same time the number of family households in the county increased from 4,841 in 2000 to 5,575 in 2010. The enrollment for the 2014-15 year was 3,419 students with 59% White, 39% Hispanic, 20% English Language Learners, 6% served by the Gifted and Talented Education program, 10% served by the Special Education program, and 40% qualifying for free and/or reduced meals.

Blaine County School District Student Achievement

Idaho Standards Achievement Tests (ISAT) Blaine County School District students have traditionally performed well on federal and state accountability measure, performing above state averages. The last year of data available from the Idaho Standards Achievement Tests (ISAT) was spring of 2013. The assessments have been undergoing revisions since that time to reflect the new and more rigorous Idaho Core Standards. The district-wide data for 2012 and 2013 is below for language, math and reading. More detailed data by individual school may be found in the State of the District Report, November 2014 posted on the BCSD website on the Superintendent’s page. BLAINE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT – ISAT LANGUAGE SPRING 2012 SUB - GROUP

SPRING 2013

TARGET %

%ADV/PROF

TARGET %

%ADV/PROF

ALL STUDENTS

77.5

82.4

79.6

80.1

HISPANIC

62.1

68.3

65.6

62.6

WHITE

80.8

90.4

82.6

89.9

LEP

33.2

56.6

39.3

44.9

70.5

71.8

67.6

35.3

42.7

41.2

34.5

ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS W/ DISABILITIES

BLAINE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT – ISAT MATH SPRING 2012 SUB - GROUP

SPRING 2013

TARGET %

%ADV/PROF

TARGET %

%ADV/PROF

84.4

85.2

84.1

85.6

74.2

7208

75.4

WHITE

85.2

91.5

86.6

91.7

LEP

46.5

66.5

51.3

64.7

ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED

75.7

77.9

STUDENTS W/ DISABILITIES

42.9

51.7

48.1

45.8

ALL STUDENTS HISPANIC

BLAINE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT – ISAT READING SPRING 2012 SUB - GROUP

SPRING 2013

TARGET %

%ADV/PROF

TARGET %

%ADV/PROF

ALL STUDENTS

89.6

92.4

90.5

91.7

HISPANIC

79.9

84.7

81.8

82.7

WHITE

91.8

96.6

92.5

96.7

LEP

54.4

79.1

58.5

71.5

ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED

84.8

86.5

86.2

84.9

STUDENTS W/ DISABILITIES

53.2

69.7

57.4

62.7

Blaine County School District Student Achievement

Graduation Rate Beginning in the spring of 2014, Idaho began using an Adjusted Cohort to calculate graduation rates. The four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate is the number of students who graduate in four years with a regular high school diploma divided by the number of students who form the adjusted cohort for the graduating class. From the beginning of 9th grade, students who are entering that grade for the first time form a cohort that is subsequently adjusted by adding any students who transfer into the cohort later during 9th grade and the next three years and subtracting any students who transfer out, immigrate to another country, or die during that same period. Written documentation must be provided for students that transfer out to another school, move to another country or die. Students who take more than four years to graduate or obtain a GED are counted as non-graduates for the adjusted cohort. In addition, if a regular high school diploma is granted for completing requirements 4 that are not comparable to regular graduation requirements, the student is counted as a non-graduate in his/her cohort, even if they met their IEP goals. ADJUSTED - COHORT GRADUATION RATE FOR SPRING 2014 BCSD

WRHS

CAREY HS

SCHS

2013/14

ALL

84%

87%

100%

62.1%

LATINO

77.6%

79.6%

WHITE

87.1%

90.5%

LEP

75.5%

76.9%

ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED

73.5%

77.1%

STUDENTS W/ DISABILITIES

81.8%

GROUP

60%

Blaine County School District Student Achievement Idaho Reading Indicator The IRI is a screening assessment given to students in Idaho in grades K to 3 in the spring and fall. Data is reported to the Idaho Department of Education as required by Statute 33-1614. The assessment is for identifying students most at-risk for failure, with skills that are prerequisite for becoming successful readers so that school personnel may provide the necessary interventions to improve student outcomes. The assessment measures skills needed for beginning reading at each grade level.

• Kindergarten: Letter Naming and Sound Fluency • First Grade: Letter Sound Fluency and Reading Fluency • Second Grade: Reading Fluency • Third Grade: Reading Fluency

Kindergarten • Hispanic students make larger gains throughout the year, but still end the year with fewer students at benchmark. • During the 2013-14 school year, Hemingway and Alturas schools moved significantly more students to benchmark than in the previous two years. • Over the past three years, Bellevue has consistently moved more Hispanic students to benchmark. • Carey showed strong growth with all students over the past two years. • Spring scores for both groups show improvement, however there are still a number of students not at benchmark. First Grade 5 • Most first grade data generally show small gains or no gains at all in students reaching benchmark from fall to spring. • Bellevue has increased the number of Hispanic students making benchmark in the past two years. More detailed data by individual school may be found in the State of the District Report, November 2014 posted on the BCSD website on the Superintendent’s page.

Blaine County School District Student Achievement STAR Reading The STAR Reading assessment is a very quick assessment (approximately 10 minutes) designed to give feedback on student reading comprehension and overall reading achievement. It provides information about a student’s reading level, as well as the percentile rank of each student as compared to other students at the same enrolled grade level and at the same time of the year. If a school or district has a normal distribution, about 25% of the students would score above the 75th percentile, 50% between the 74th and 25th percentile and 25% below the 25th percentile. This assessment is given three times a year in the BCSD. It is primarily used as a screening instrument to identify students possibly in need of a reading intervention and as one of multiple data points to assist teachers in determining the level and type of instruction each individual child needs. Sixteen of the 26 cells representing the bottom quartile of students for reading achievement have a disproportionate number of students in that cell. More detailed data by individual school may be found in the State of the District Report, November 2014 posted on the BCSD website on the Superintendent’s page.

STAR Math

The STAR Math test provides a quick (usually 20 minutes) assessment of a student’s math skills and overall math achievement. It provides information about a student’s math instructional level, as well as the percentile rank of each student compared to other students at the same enrolled grade level and at the same time of the year. Blaine County students usually score at or above the national norms. More detailed data by individual school may be found in the State of the District Report, November 2014 posted on the BCSD website on the Superintendent’s page.

Blaine County School District Student Achievement

Idaho English Language Assessment (IELA) The IELA is given to all students served in a Limited English Proficiency (LEP) program in Idaho in order to meet the federal requirements for assessing the acquisition of English by these students. The IELA is administered annually in the spring and calculates growth in English language proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The scores from each sub-test are compiled and assigned a proficient level: Beginning – 1; Advanced Beginning – 2; Intermediate – 3; Early Fluent – 4; Fluent – 5. Levels 1 to 3 focus primarily on acquiring English for everyday living. Levels 4 and 5 involve much more academic language as a measure of assessment. Data indicating student growth or lack of growth for a cohort of students over a one year period are provided below for two years. Green cells indicate growth. CHANGE IN IELA SCORES FROM SPRING 2012-13 TO SPRING 2013-14 2013-14 IELA Score

2011-12 IELA Score CHANGE IN IELA SCORES FROM SPRING 2011-12 TO SPRING 2012-13 2012-13 IELA Score

2011-12 IELA Score

Blaine County School District Student Achievement AP classes are one way to meet the needs of students looking for more challenging classes and assist students in preparing for college and career. Students earning a 3, 4, or 5 score on an end-of-course AP exam are considered to have passed the exam and may be awarded college credit at a large number of colleges across the country, in addition to satisfying high school credit requirements. Additionally, students may earn college credits through Dual Enrollment courses. Most of these courses are in collaboration with the College of Southern Idaho (CSI). Students successfully completing these courses earn high school credit and college credit from the sponsoring college or university. These courses are another good option for students looking for a challenge and wanting to prepare for college and career. While both Carey High School and Wood River High School Advanced Placement (AP)/Dual Credit (DC) Classes both offer AP and Dual Credit classes, the data report is from Wood River High School. The number of students involved in these classes at Carey is small and reporting the data from this school could result in violation of student privacy. In the spring of 2013, 166 WRHS students took 299 AP exams. Last spring, 158 students took a total of 274 AP exams. Students taking the exams ranged from grade 9 to 12 with the vast majority of the students in grades 11 and 12. Overall, 75% of the exams were completed successfully in the spring of 2014. This past school year had the largest range of subject area exams taken; a total of 21 different areas. The subjects with the highest number of students participating in exams include are listed below.

• U.S. HISTORY • U.S. GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS • MACROECONOMICS • MICROECONOMICS • PSYCHOLOGY • CALCULUS AB • STATISTICS The success rate in these different areas varies widely from 100% of the exams passed in Calculus AB to only 51% passed in U.S. History. Overall, WRHS has a higher pass rate than the global rate when examining 2013 data, the latest data set with comparable data. In 2013, WRHS had a higher pass rate or a perfect pass rate in 9 out 12 classes. BCSD students usually outperform the national average on SAT assessments. Hispanic students are not represented by AP exams at a rate proportional to their enrollment. More detailed data by individual school may be found in the State of the District Report, November 2014 posted on the BCSD website on the Superintendent’s page.

Blaine County School District Student Achievement SAT / ACT BCSD students score strong on the SAT and ACT tests. All Idaho students must take a college placement exam in order to graduate high school. Idaho provides an SAT Day each year in which juniors may take this exam at the state’s expense. Consequently, most students in Idaho take the SAT. The SAT provides a recognized indicator of a student’s readiness for college: testing aptitude, reasoning and verbal ability. A perfect score on the SAT is 2400. According to a 2013 College Board report, a 1550 reflects a college-readiness benchmark. Students scoring a 1550 or above have a 65% chance of achieving a first-year college GPA of a B-minus or better. Some students elect to take other college placement exams, including the ACT. The ACT provides a recognized indicator of a student’s readiness for college: testing curriculum-based measure of college readiness including English, math, reading, and science. ACT reports College Readiness Benchmark scores in each of the four curricular areas. A benchmark score is the minimum score needed on a subject-area test to indicate a 50% chance of obtaining a B or higher and a 75% chance of obtaining a C or higher in the corresponding credit-bearing college courses, which include English Composition, Algebra, Social Science, and Biology. April 16, 2014 was the most recent SAT day in Idaho for which data is currently available. A total of 126 Blaine County School District juniors took the test on that day. In addition, 32 seniors took the SAT last year and 44 seniors took the ACT. More detailed data by individual school may be found in the State of the District Report, November 2014 posted on the BCSD website on the Superintendent’s page.

Blaine County School District Student Achievement Secondary Intervention Classes The demographics of two intervention classes were examined to determine who are the students in these classes and are they new to BCSD or have they attend school in the district for a number of years. Read 180 was examined at the middle school level and Algebra intervention classes were examined at the high school Read 180 is a reading intervention program offered to students in the middle school who are reading below grade level, but do not have profound reading difficulties. The current enrollment of sixth grade students in this class provides insight into the students who are in need of this intervention.

# OF WHITE STUDENTS WITH IEPS

# OF WHITE STUDENTS IN BCSD FOR 4+ YEARS

TOTAL HISPANIC STUDENTS

# OF HISPANIC STUDENTS WITH IEPS

# OF HISPANIC STUDENTS IN BCSD FOR 4+ YEARS

TOTAL ELL STUDENTS

# OF ELL STUDENTS IN BCSD FOR 4+ YEARS

TOTAL WHITE STUDENTS

TOTAL ENROLLMENT

SIXTH GRADE READ 180 STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS AT WRMS

Algebra intervention classes are for students who still lack basic algebraic principles and need additional support in math. In this class students spend two years completing the basic Algebra I class that is normally a year-long class.

# OF WHITE STUDENTS IN BCSD FOR 4+ YEARS

TOTAL HISPANIC STUDENTS

# OF HISPANIC STUDENTS IN BCSD FOR 4+ YEARS

TOTAL ELL STUDENTS

# OF ELL STUDENTS IN BCSD FOR 4+ YEARS

102

TOTAL WHITE STUDENTS

TOTAL ENROLLMENT

ALGEBRA INTERVENTION CLASSES STUDENT DEMOGRAPHIC AT WRHS

Blaine County School District Student Achievement Suspensions from School

# OF SUSPENSIONS

# OF WHITE STUDENT SUSPENSIONS/ PERCENT

# OF HISPANIC STUDENTS SUSPENSIONS/ PERCENT

TOTAL STUDENTS 2012-13

# OF SUSPENSIONS

#OF WHITE STUDENTS SUSPENSIONS/ PERCENT

# OF HISPANIC STUDENTS SUSPENSIONS/ PERCENT

Carey

240

264

3/100%

SCHS

6/66%

3/33%

5/83%

1/16%

WRHS

739

5/29%

12/71%

751

7/58%

5/42%

WRMS

701

27/75%

9/25%

668

20/87%

3/13%

SCHOOL

TOTAL STUDENTS 2013-14

Suspension data was also examined as access to instruction is another factor in student outcomes. The table below shows the number of students suspended for each school, the number of students represented by these suspensions and the percentage of students represented by the two primary ethnic groups in BCSD: White and Hispanic. The cells shaded red represent when the percentage of a subgroup of students suspended is higher than that subgroupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s percentage of the overall student population.

Overall, BCSD students perform quite well, especially when comparing their performance on end of school measures such as SAT/ ACT and AP and Dual Credit classes. However, as described by one of the districts leaders, Hispanic students are under-represented in meeting targets and advanced opportunities and over represented in remedial or intervention programs. The challenge for BCSD is to continue to improve so that all students reach the highest levels of achievement. A Spanish speaking parent summed it up by saying for the Latinos their education is very important and they want their children to receive the same opportunities of the other groups of students.

21st Century Skills Blaine County School District has been working to ensure its students develop 21st Century learning skills and has developed a student profile of the characteristics a student might exhibit when he/she possesses these skills. However, the district does not currently have any systemic measures for determining if students have these skills or are developing them.

Shared Educational Values (Values approved by Board of Trustees on 3/10/15)

The Blaine County community has explored its educational values and identified shared values around the education of our children. These shared values are identified below.

Role of the School

The role of a school in a democratic society is to provide equitable and accessible educational opportunities for all students. Schools are essential to making our democracy work by challenging the whole child to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills, life-long curiosity and compassion, and preparation for life, career, and college and/or higher education.

How Students Learn The community believes the best ways that students learn are by having high expectations and a challenging curriculum. The curriculum keeps students actively engaged in hands-on, small group activities, and critical thinking. Students learn in an environment in which it is safe to take risks and fail and where students feel valued as individuals and learners.

Role of Students

The role of students in schools is to take ownership of their education by attending and being mindfully engaged. Students have a responsibility to be respectful and accepting of others. Students should be curious risk-takers who learn from their mistakes and are empowered to be critical thinkers.

Shared Educational Values (Values approved by Board of Trustees on 3/10/15)

Role of Educators Blaine County educators build strong positive relationships and encourage the potential of all students while adjusting their teaching to accommodate individual learning styles. As educators, we value critical thinking while inspiring our students through a challenging curriculum that is current, relevant, and engaging.

Role of Parents The community believes that the role of parents in education is to actively support their children and the schools and to hold their children accountable while allowing their children to learn from mistakes.

Role of the Community Our community values education, embraces diversity, and supports a safe community in which our schools operate. We believe in supporting youth by being good role models and providing experiences to our students through community expertise and meaningful involvement.

Mission Statement Mission Statement (Approved by Board of Trustees 4/14/15)

The mission of Blaine County School District is to inspire, engage, educate and empower every student.

Inspire Engage Educate Empower Vision Statement (in development by Steering Committee)

District Goals (Approved by Board of Trustees 4/14/15)

Goal One

Inspire

All students will be Inspired to develop intellectual curiosity through meaningful opportunities.

Goal Two

Engage

All students will be Engaged actively in our learning community through relevant and real-life experiences.

Goal Three

Educate

All students will be Educated to develop strong foundational and analytical problem solving skills to graduate ready for post-secondary success.

Goal Four

Empower

All students will be Empowered to make independent positive choices through continual social and emotional development. Note: All data sets for each of the four goals will be analyzed on a regular basis by all students and by all applicable subgroups (i.e. Hispanic, White, Students with Disabilities, English Language Learners, etc.) in order to monitor which students are achieving the goals and which students need additional support to master the goals.

Action Plans

Goal One

Inspire

All students will be Inspired to develop intellectual curiosity through meaningful opportunities. Objective 1: To foster purposeful and relevant experiences Tasks

Point Person

Begin Date

End Date

1. Community Partnerships: Establish and support on-going and integrated community partnerships in each subject area

Success Measure(s)

Community Partners report to school district of their accomplishments and level and quality of student involvement

Resources Needed

Bridges Program? Career Connections What are some connections in our community that may inspire? Careers/mentors Is the partnership ingrained in the curriculum? Database developed to track the opportunities from year to year Teachers could report guest speakers or other less formal community involvement opportunities Community Partner Fair

2. Community Service - Establish a baseline for all students

Number of Students involved Number of Hours performed

Once a year need to be handed in to Counseling Office and kept active track of hours - (Seems to have broken down as a procedure) Purpose and Procedure? NHS? Teachers? WRHS, WOW Foundation Done in Individuals and Societies, and Leadership at WRMS, WOW Elementary: PBLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inclusive, WOW Foundation

Action Plans

Goal One (continued)

Inspire

All students will be Inspired to develop intellectual curiosity through meaningful opportunities. Objective 2: To build a positive culture of relationships Tasks

Point Person

Begin Date

End Date

Student-Teacher Relationships

Success Measure(s)

Student Survey Data comparison year to year

Resources Needed

K-12 Survey data Outdoor Education Ski Programs

Administration-Teacher Relationships

Student-Student Relationships

Employee climate survey

K-12 Survey data

Discipline reporting and PBIS information and reporting

Clubs

Instructional Rounds - Socratic Conversations

Extra-Curricular

Participation in clubs and activities Teacher-Teacher Relationships

Staff Climate Surveys

K12 Survey Data Instructional Rounds Quality Collaboration opportunities

Review Student Survey questions and process of administration and create useful metrics for compilation.

Try to maximize some survey data, and limit others 40 developmental Assets

Action Plans

Goal One (continued)

Inspire Objective 3: To support student autonomy and creativity Tasks

Point Person

Begin Date

End Date

Success Measure(s)

1. Define the components that enhance student and teacher autonomy

Resources Needed

PD - Help staff learn how to create a â&#x20AC;&#x153;geniusâ&#x20AC;? hour Change name Did any teachers pilot Genius Hour? Do we have any data already? Student autonomy as to multiplatform presentations Define Autonomy - Team, Task, Time and Technique Meeting standards in your own creative way

2. Reflection and Self-Assessment

Unit completion for PBL and MYP 10th Grade project Completion and Quality as assessed and judged Student Surveys

3. Professional Development

MYP and PBL ingrained Peer evaluation MTI Portfolios built in to subject areas and 10th grade personal project

October In-Service

Funds for each staff members

Forms and matrix of teacher choices

District offerings each October

Education classes

Huge absences - change school day teacher absences with PD

Conference attendance 4. Curiosity Survey

One survey at each school level - Elem., MS and HS with a possible supporting piece of evidence

Curiosity and Exploration Inventory CEI-II

Action Plans

Goal One (continued)

Inspire

All students will be Inspired to develop intellectual curiosity through meaningful opportunities. Objective 4: To foster and develop outdoor education opportunities Tasks

Point Person

Begin Date

End Date

Success Measure(s)

Resources Needed

Investigate Outdoor learning Programs/Options available

Program models from other schools Investigate small scale opportunities and large ones also

Evaluate current opportunities

Investigate district commitment to transportation and current facility and land use

Explore walking distance trips and also relationships with community partners.

Q and A for Goal #1

Q: What is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Geniusâ&#x20AC;? Hour? A: Genius hour is a movement that allows students to explore their own passions and encourages creativity in the classroom. It provides students a choice in what they learn during a set period of time during school.

Q: What is the Curiosity Survey? A: The Curiosity Survey is an index based on the Curiosity and Exploration Inventory CEI-II. The respondent is asked a number of questions to determine their willingness to take on challenges, new adventures and to gauge their overall level of curiosity. Curiosity is often seen as a precursor for students who are easily inspired under the conditions that allow them to explore and create in their learning rather than just reiterate facts or answer low level questions.

Q and A for Goal #1 (continued)

Q: Should embedded Community Service be a requirement? A: Many organizations embed some form of community service into their curriculum or actual job duties. Doing community service can have an impact on student’s reflectiveness and inspiration to help others. Teachers who involve students in these opportunities may increase a student’s participation in community events and their feelings of support within their community. There could be a specified level of hours, time, and type of community service at each level - elementary, middle and high school.

Q: How do staff members who are not teachers contribute to inspiration?

Q: How does any of this fit into our curriculum and our daily work as teachers? A: In creating PBL’s and IB Units, teachers should explore and reflect on the type and number of opportunities for inspiration through student presentations, student choice, and student reflection. This will not work if this is extra duties or outside the curriculum. Good 21st Century teaching and learning must emphasize creativity, problem-solving, collaboration and communication. These types of focal points in how our lessons are structured and delivered are critical to increasing inspiration, engagement and empowerment for students.

Q: Can a baseline for Community Service be established for each level? A: Each level (elementary, middle and high) should work to develop the basic requirements of Community Service if they feel that it would be a viable and productive use of student time and effort. There must be some conformity and consensus between schools in a certain level so that all students are gaining similar opportunities. A baseline is a basic set of expectations for community service and a procedural component to ensure that records are kept of each student’s service record.

Q and A for Goal #1 (continued)

Q: Is the student-teacher relationship integral to inspiration? A: Teachers who support students in the learning environment can positively impact their social and academic outcomes, which are important for the long-term trajectory of school and eventually employment (Baker et al., 2008; O’Connor et al., 2011; Silver et al., 2005). When teachers form positive bonds with students, classrooms become supportive spaces in which students can engage in academically and socially productive ways (Hamre & Pianta, 2001). Positive teacher-student relationships are classified as having the presence of closeness, warmth, and positivity (Hamre & Pianta, 2001). Students who have positive relationships with their teachers use them as a secure base from which they can explore the classroom and school setting both academically and socially, to take on academic challenges and work on social-emotional development (Hamre & Pianta, 2001). This includes relationships with peers and developing self-esteem and self-concept (Hamre & Pianta, 2001). A possible reason for the association between academic improvement and positive teacher-student relationships is students’ motivation and desire to learn (Wentzel, 1998). Motivation may play a key role in the relationship between teacher-student relationships and academic outcomes (Bandura, 1997; Fan & Willams, 2010; Pajares & Graham, 1996; Ryan, Stiller, & Lynch, 1994; Wentzel, 2003; Zimmerman, Bandura, & Martinez-Pons, 1992). Motivational theorists suggest that students’ perception of their relationship with their teacher is essential in motivating students to perform well (Bandura, 1997; Fan & Willams, 2010; Pajares & Graham, 1996; Ryan, Stiller, & Lynch, 1994; Wentzel, 2003; Zimmerman, Bandura, & Martinez-Pons, 1992). Students who perceive their relationship with their teacher as positive, warm and close are motivated to be more engaged in school and to improve their academic achievement (Hughes, Cavell, & Jackson, 1999). Students’ motivation to learn is impacted positively by having a caring and supportive relationship with a teacher (Wentzel, 1998).

Q: If the committee sees Outdoor Education as a vital component for Goal #1, how should the District proceed in assuring that students will have these experiences? A: It seems that right now the objective is to research different programs and figure out what we already do in terms of the outdoors. And after researching various programs from other schools and investigating close to neighborhood school opportunities, then the district should figure out how it will best assure students are having these experiences.

Action Plans

Goal Two

Engage

All students will be Engaged actively in our learning community through relevant and real-life experiences. Objective 1: Establish a framework for measuring progress in engagement over time. Tasks

Point Person

Begin Date

End Date

Success Measure(s)

Attendance

Don

4/24

5/4

What is the baseline?

Graduation

Heather

4/24

5/4

Baseline established BCSD Graduation rate for all students: 84% Hispanic: 77.6% Limited English Proficient: 75.5% Ec. Disadvantaged: 73.5% Students with Disabilities: 81.8%

Student Monitoring â&#x2014;? What student monitoring is the most effective and what does the committee recommend for either district-wide or school-wide student monitoring that extends from pre-K through grade 12?

Matt, Lindee and Gretchen

4/24

â&#x2014;? What student progress monitoring is already working in BCSD?

Resources Needed

Action Plans

Goal Two (continued)

Engage

All students will be Engaged actively in our learning community through relevant and real-life experiences. Objective 1: Establish a framework for measuring progress in engagement over time. Tasks

Surveys - what existing surveys have indicators of student engagement? ● School Climate Surveys for Parents ● Student Voice/surveys?

Point Person

Begin Date

End Date

Heather

4/24

5/4

Success Measure(s)

BCSD School Climate Survey 2014 includes the following questions and responses from 617 (2013/14 school year) and 509 parents (2014/15 school year) who took the survey: “Classroom activities keep my child interested in learning.” 76%/81% Strongly Agree or Agree “My child takes an interest in the extracurricular activities offered at this school, such as athletic programs, student clubs or field trips.” 82%/80% Strongly Agree or Agree “My child is excited to go to school.” 72%/77% Strongly Agree or Agree

Walk Throughs - clarify ● Mike provided the Effective Learning Environments Observation Tool (ELEOT) ● Consider looking for tools in addition to behavioral engagement (i.e. emotional, cognitive)

Mike

4/27

Resources Needed

Action Plans

Goal Two (continued)

Engage

All students will be Engaged actively in our learning community through relevant and real-life experiences. Objective 2: (Autonomy) Increase student involvement, voice and choice in their learning process. Point Person

Tasks

Begin Date

End Date

Success Measure(s)

Resources Needed

Create and maintain digital portfolios K-12 Provide regular opportunities for student self-reflection Promote self-monitoring through data notebooks, goals, personal learning plans, etc. Implement student led conferences across district Facilitate student-driven projects/work (Genius Hour, Student Voice and Choice, etc.)

Objective 3: (Purpose) Engage students in experiences that have an authentic connection to the real world beyond the classroom. Point Person

Tasks Deepen collaboration with community partners to ensure authentic learning experiences Refine and increase Project Based Learning units Develop mentoring with adults and/or older students K-12 Implement student led conferences across district Deepen family involvement

Begin Date

End Date

Success Measure(s)

Resources Needed

Action Plans

Goal Two (continued)

Engage

All students will be Engaged actively in our learning community through relevant and real-life experiences. Objective 4: (Mastery) Focus on ensuring quality and relevance of learning experiences to build confidence and competence. Point Person

Tasks

Begin Date

End Date

Success Measure(s)

Resources Needed

Conduct frequent walk-throughs and peer observations Continued/Focused Professional Development Refinement of teaching practices Prioritization and efficacy of practices

Q and A for Goal #2

Q: What are metrics? A: Metrics are a method for measuring something deemed of value to an organization.

Q: Where is student voice? A: The term â&#x20AC;&#x153;Student Voiceâ&#x20AC;? describes how students give their input to what happens within the school and classroom. Our desire is for students to know that their expertise, opinions and ideas are valued in all aspects of school life. Student Voice permeates all levels of our work together, from students participating in small group classroom conversations to students partnering in curriculum design or establishing school norms and policy. http://www.edutopia.org/blog/sammamish-2-including-student-voice-bill-palmer

Q and A for Goal #2 (continued)

Q: What types of student surveys can be used? A: Student surveys currently allow students to give feedback to their teachers. Future student surveys could include student engagement surveys. K12 Insight will have a reliable and valid Student Engagement Survey available next year. If the district chooses to customize a student survey, it would be unique to the district and not comparable to other districts.

Q: How are you going to achieve Objective 1? A: Through a collaborative process with teachers, administrators and the District Assessment Coordinator.

Q: What is the frequency of the data for Objective 1? A: That is to be determined by the committee that works on Objective 1.

Q: Are we going to use the measurements for all the content areas? A: That will be determined by the committee that works on Objective 1.

Q: Will the measurements be statistically valid? A: In order for a measurement to be valid, there needs to be comparison data, or â&#x20AC;&#x153;alpha dataâ&#x20AC;?. In order for a measurement to be reliable it needs to be monitored over time. Proving something statistically is not the point of student surveys. The point is to invite students to participate in a conversation and to listen to their feedback. This can be done through focus groups, surveys and a variety of other listening methods.

Q: How will the measurements and results be presented to the public? A: This will be determined by the Board of Trustees and the Superintendent.

Q: What does self-monitoring mean and what does it look like and how will it be assessed? A: Self-monitoring refers to a studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to monitor their own progress. It can be assessed through participation, teacher observation, and student feedback.

Q and A for Goal #2 (continued)

Q: How will “X” work? A: This question referred to the list of questions from staff, parents and community members. A major theme in the questions was: How will “program X” work?

Q: Can community service include community partners? A: Yes

Q: What is a real-life experience? A: Real -life experiences are those that usually take place outside the school walls. Such experiences could include: job shadows, internships, vocational explorations, interest-based exploration activities, and even actual work-based experiences. The challenge for schools is to integrate these experiences into the overall academic program. Many schools across the country have found ways to do this.

Q: How will families be involved? A: When schools are making the effort to engage students, we need parents to support those efforts. Encourage any and all efforts your child’s school is working on to connect your child to different kinds of learning outside the traditional classroom.

Q: What is the professional development for this? A: Much of the Professional Development work is exploring what you want to incorporate into the school’s curriculum. Visiting schools of innovation is a powerful method to develop, challenge, and even inspire and engage educators.

Q: How will peer observation work and what will it look like? A: There are many innovative schools across the country that embraced non-traditional learning experiences. Actual school visitations are a powerful Professional Development experience for educators. It is good practice to visit schools that are actually trying new things and collaborate with colleagues from other places.

Action Plans

Goal Three

Educate

All students will be Educated to develop strong foundational and analytical problem solving skills to graduate ready for post-secondary success. Objective 1: Write comprehensive, vertically aligned BCSD preschool - grade 12 curricula and assessments to ensure a comprehensive and cohesive education for every student. Tasks

Point Person

Begin Date

End Date

Success Measure(s)

Resources Needed

Write 6th - 12th vertically aligned math curriculum and assessments across the district (K-5 is already completed)

AngieM

Spring 2015

Spring 2016

Completed curriculum maps & assess

Math Department

Develop a District Project Based Learning (PBL) curriculum framework template

AngieM & Julia

June 2015

Sept 2015

Completed template

Researched models and technology

Write K-5th integrated PBL curriculum and assessments across the district

AngieM

Fall 2015

Spring 2018

Completed curriculum maps and assessments

All grade level teachers

Create master calendar for teachers that supports time for curriculum writing

Calendar committee

Fall 2015

Spring 2016

Calendar that reflects time for teachers to collaborate and engage in curricular work

Input from staff and District Leadership Team (DLT)

Develop Carey secondary curriculum and assessments (all subjects aligned with standards)

AngieM

Fall 2015

Spring 2018

Completed curriculum maps and assessments for all subjects

Carey teachers

Explicitly include community partnerships when writing curriculum and assessments

AngieM & HeatherC

Fall 2015

Spring 2018

PBL curriculum maps that show evidence of community connections

Wesley D, Collective list of partners and potential ways to connect curriculum to organizations

Strategically upgrade International Baccalaureate - Middle Years Program (IB-MYP) curriculum and assessments 6th-12th WRMS/WRHS

AngieM & IB Admin

Fall 2015

Spring 2020

Annual revision of unit plans as monitored by IB coordinators

IB Coordinators, Admin, and Professional Development

Action Plans

Goal Three (continued)

Educate

Point Person

Begin Date

End Date

Success Measure(s)

Resources Needed

Structure Big Picture curriculum and assessments for Silver Creek High School for all subjects

AngieM

Fall 2015

Spring 2018

Completed curriculum & assessments for all domains and courses

Mike G and SCHS Staff, possible funding for infrastructure and Professional Development

Write Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) curriculum and assessments

AngieM

Fall 2016

Spring 2017

Completed curriculum maps and assessments

GATE committee, possible funding

Upgrade preschoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Creative Curriculum and assessments with additional resources

AngieM

Fall 2015

Spring 2016

PD completed and additional resources implemented

Preschool Teachers and Debi G

Define role and expectations of homework as meaningful formative assessment

JohnB

Spring 2015

Spring 2016

Board approved Policy

Mark S & District Leadership Team (DLT) & Policy Committee

Action Plans

Goal Three (continued)

Educate

All students will be Educated to develop strong foundational and analytical problem solving skills to graduate ready for post-secondary success. Objective 2: Continuously improve instructional strategies to decrease the number of students in need of remediation and increase advanced learning opportunities. Point Person

Begin Date

End Date

Success Measure(s)

Evaluate and expand the co-teaching model in Blaine County School District -BCSD for English Language Learners (ELL)

AngieM & principals

Fall 2014

Spring 2017

Complete grant cycle (including action research) and determine expansion

PD, possible additional staffing

Research and choose engaging and effective summer school options (ie; which students? models? duration? staffing? funding? etc.)

AngieM & DebiG

Fall 2015

Feb 2016

Defined summer school program

Instructional Resources, and staff

Annually prepare a BCSD professional learning plan

AngieM

Spring 2015

Spring 2020

Annual plan for PD available to all staff

Susie R, District Leadership Team

Research and choose effective before and after school programs

AngieM & DebiG

Fall 2015

Spring 2017

Defined common skeleton for before and after school programs at each school

Possible Staff and Funding

Horizontally and vertically align reading support services, program models and resources across district

AngieM & DebiG

Fall 2015

Spring 2016

Document demonstrating alignment

Possible Funding

Continue development of teacher understanding and strategies promoting academic language development for all students

AngieM & principals

Fall 2014

Spring 2020

Evidence in walkthroughs

PD - resources

Implement and monitor successful use of new intervention materials

DebiG and intervention staff

Fall 2015

Spring 2020

Data supporting student growth in those populations

PD, data

Tasks

Resources Needed

Action Plans

Goal Three (continued)

Educate

Begin Date

Provide elementary students with an advanced math opportunity

Elementary principals

Fall 2015

Spring 2016

5th-6th grade accelerated math opportunity at each elementary school

Math instructor dedicated at each elementary school to provide this opportunity

Increase advanced opportunities (dual credit, Advanced Placement (AP), honors, Professional Technical Education courses, etc.) with support for under-represented populations

AngieM & secondary admin

Fall 2015

Spring 2020

Increased number of underrepresented populations enrolled and successful in these courses

Possible staffing and funding Advanced Opportunity Committee

Replace “targeted assistance” with “schoolwide” Title I program model for schools that qualify (Alturas, Carey, and Bellevue)

DebiG

Fall 2015

Spring 2016

State recognized School Wide Title system

Professional Development

Restructure Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program: screening, referral, eligibility and programming (in response to recommendations from formal program review conducted in 2014-15)

AngieM

Fall 2015

Spring 2017

Published documents defining each and implementation of new programming

Debi G and GATE committee

Tasks

End Date

Success Measure(s)

Resources Needed

Action Plans

Goal Three (continued)

Educate

All students will be Educated to develop strong foundational and analytical problem solving skills to graduate ready for post-secondary success. Objective 3: Encourage our parents and community in building educational relationships that specifically support academic success. Tasks

Point Person

Begin Date

End Date

Success Measure(s)

Resources Needed

Continue to forge community relationships in planning for career and post-secondary education

MillieR

In progress

2020

Opportunities for students to interact with multiple businesses

Business Partners

Simplify the manner in which parents can access student information between all of our systems

TeresaM and HeatherC

In progress

Spring 2017

Documentation of communication and training

printing and publication costs

Increase response to outreach opportunities for our Spanish speaking parents

Admin & Latino outreach coordinator

2015

2020

Attendance

Translators and materials in Spanish

Increase opportunities for parent workshops in support of their childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s education

AngieM & comm

2015

2020

Attendance

WesleyD

Forge community relationships through a Literacy Campaign

AngieM & HeatherC & comm

2015

2020

Attendance supporting campaign

Community Partners

Action Plans

Goal Three (continued)

Educate

All students will be Educated to develop strong foundational and analytical problem solving skills to graduate ready for post-secondary success. Objective 4: Improve and implement a comprehensive BCSD assessment plan for effective and efficient monitoring of student progress. Tasks

Point Person

Begin Date

End Date

Success Measure(s)

Resources Needed

Refer to the already developed assessment plan and share this with stakeholders and revise as needed

MarciaG

June 2015

Spring 2016

Published plan

Upgrade to Renaissance Learning Enterprise version of STAR Math and Reading tests and include Spanish versions

MarciaG

June 2015

Fall 2015

STAR Enterprise and STAR Spanish implemented 201516

$ (in 2015-16 budget)

Identify teachers to use the Primary Math Assessment (PMA) for K-2 and decide whether to include in the district-wide assessment plan

MarciaG

Fall 2015

Spring 2017

Plan for implementation of PMA

Assessment Tools and Processes Committee

Adopt Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) 7 Screener for 1st Grade to assess aptitude

MarciaG & AngieM

Fall 2015

Identification of students

$ (in 2015-16 budget)

Explore and decide on the use of Interim ISAT assessments across district

MarciaG

Spring 2015

Spring 2016

Instructionally useful information

Assessment Tools and Processes Committee

Evaluate and determine whether to use the Early Warning Tool

MarciaG

Fall 2015

Spring 2018

Identification of students at risk; interventions in place

Secondary administration

Change grading practices PK-12 to be consistent with our pedagogy (standardsbased)

DLT

Fall 2015

Spring 2018

Use of new grading system

Possible funding and PD

Identify more effective use of data from school, district, and state assessments to inform instructional decisions

MarciaG

Summer 2015

Spring 2017

Data-informed decisions

District Leadership Team, Professional Development, possibly funding

$ (in 2015-16 budget)

Action Plans

Goal Three (continued)

Educate Objective 5: Clarify terminology, determine baseline data and set growth measurement targets for Strategic Plan Goal #3. Tasks

Point Person

Begin Date

End Date

Success Measure(s)

Resources Needed

Edit measurement #2 of this goal by determining what ELA claim rubrics are actually available

MarciaG

Fall 2015

Spring 2016

Measure in place and baseline data collected

ELA teacher/committee

Determine how to measure Algebra II success rate (#4); consider connecting to ACT / SAT / Compass

MarciaG

Fall 2015

Spring 2016

Measure in place and baseline data collected

HallieS

Clarify the term “satisfactorily” in measurement #8 of this goal

MarciaG

Fall 2015

Spring 2016

Measure in place and baseline data collected

IB Coordinators

Research and determine critical thinking rubrics and role in our PBL curriculum writing and assessment for measurement #8

MarciaG

Fall 2015

Spring 2016

Measure in place and baseline data collected

Research rubric template

Determine how to measure SAT/ACT/ Compass (#5) to indicate success (see if there is a correlation between SAT/ACT with Compass)

MarciaG

Fall 2015

Spring 2016

Measure in place and baseline data collected

MillieR

Research Middle Years Programme Assessment and decide whether to opt-in

IB Coordinators

Fall 2015

Spring 2016

Decision made

Possible funding and Professional Development

Define “successfully completed” for an advanced opportunity class (#7)

MarciaG & committee

Fall 2015

Spring 2016

Measure in place and baseline data collected

Advanced Opportunities committee

Point People Code AngieM DebiG MarciaG JaneW WesleyD MillieR HallieS JohnB

Angie Martinez Debi Gutknecht Marcia Grabow Jane Walther Wesley DeKlotz Millie Reidy Hallie Star John Blackman

Director of Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning Director of Student Services Assessment and Data Coordinator IB Coordinator, Wood River Middle School Parent College counselor, Wood River High School Director, College of Southern Idaho Assistant Superintendent and Director of Human Resources & Safety

Q and A for Goal #3

Terminology/Background Q: What is the focus of the goal Educate? A: At Blaine County School district, we value the education of the whole child. For purposes of Goal #3 the objectives target the academic development and achievement of our students.

Q: What is an educational program? A: A designed educational framework, resource, or service. Examples: ● Framework - International Baccalaureate, Project Based Learning (PBL) and Dual Immersion ● Resource - Wonders, Collections ● Service - Title I Reading Program, English Language Development, Special Education, GATE (Gifted & Talented Education)

Q: What is an instructional strategy? A: An instructional strategy is a method teachers use to help activate curiosity about a class topic, to engage the students in learning, to probe critical thinking skills, to keep them on task, to engender sustained and useful classroom interaction, and, in general, to enable and enhance students’ learning of course content.

Q: What is “targeted assistance” vs. “schoolwide” Title I service models? A: The term “targeted assistance” signifies that the services are provided to a select group of children those identified as failing, or most at-risk of failing, to meet the State’s challenging content and student performance standards - rather than for overall school improvement, as in schoolwide programs.

Q: What are analytical skills? A: Analytical skills enable students to think critically and to analyze complex information to solve problems and develop creative solutions.

Q: What are foundational skills? A: Foundational skills are lower level basic skills in knowledge and comprehension needed to be taught first and foremost in order to advance learning. These are the skills that provide the foundation for ongoing learning and the development of analytical skills.

Q and A for Goal #3 (continued)

What are the methods or tools we are going to use? Q: What is curricular alignment? A: Curricular alignment means deliberately building consistency into what our children learn across the grades from Pre-K to 12th. Examples include making sure we use similar and consistent language across subjects and building connections between subject areas. Alignment can be within grade levels (horizontal), across grade levels (vertical), and across programs.

Q: What is PBL? A: Project Based Learning is an integrated curriculum and instructional framework in which students actively explore real-world problems and challenges to acquire deeper learning. Through collaborative learning, students engage in project-based, hands-on, meaningful activities.

Q: What is IB? A: International Baccalaureate is an educational framework designed to develop the intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills students need to live, learn and work globally. The framework revolves around inquiry, action and reflection, incorporating best teaching practices and assessment. BCSD currently has the Middle Years Programme at WRMS and WRHS from grades 6-10.

Q: How does PBL prepare students who are moving into the IB Middle Years Programme? A: IB and PBL promote critical thinking through hands-on activities and meaningful assessment. In fact, at their heart, IB and PBL are complementary educational frameworks that seek to develop similar higher level skills and knowledge in students.

Q: What is an intervention? What is the purpose of providing interventions to students? What are examples of interventions? A: Interventions cover a very wide range of support/enrichment activities beyond the regular curriculum. Often they are thought of as “extra help” for students who have difficulty with a particular subject; however, they are also enrichment activities used to challenge and extend student learning beyond the regular curriculum. Examples: ● Soar to Success, Read 180 ● Summer School ● Gifted and Talented extensions ● Honors classes

Q and A for Goal #3 (continued)

Q: Why are we researching summer school, before, and after school program options? A: Providing extended time is often an approach to helping students acquire new learning. This extended time can be before or after school, or during the summer. Currently, BCSD schools have different ways of approaching this extended time, using different models and materials. The district believes the summer school options need to be reviewed in order to achieve better results as well as inspiring students to continue their learning over the summer months.

Q: What are “advanced opportunities”? What is the purpose of providing advanced opportunities for students? A: Advanced opportunities prepare students to be college and career ready after graduation. This may include advanced placement or dual credit courses for those going on to a college setting as well as trade skill courses for those pursuing a trade such as construction or nursing. Examples: ● GATE ● Honors classes ● AP and dual credit classes ● PTE (Professional Technical Programs)

Q: What is the role of community in achieving these objectives? A: Our community values education, embraces diversity, and supports a safe community in which our schools operate. We believe in supporting youth by being good role models and providing experiences to our students through community expertise and meaningful involvement.

Q: What is the role of parents in achieving these objectives? A: The community believes that the role of parents in education is to actively support their children and the schools and to hold their children accountable while allowing their children to learn from mistakes.

Q and A for Goal #3 (continued)

How are we going to measure the objectives in goal #3? Q: What is assessment? What are the types of assessments that our district uses? A: Assessment is the process of evaluating and measuring student learning. It is critical to know what students already understand, where they are gaining understanding and where they may need more help or a different approach to gain more understanding. There are formal and informal ways of assessing student learning.

Q: Why do we collect data? How do we use it to inform instruction? A: Collecting quality data helps inform instruction. The State of Idaho requires districts to collect specific student performance data. In addition, teachers collect data continuously to make instructional decisions to ensure that every student learns.

Q: What is baseline data? What kind of baseline data is necessary or required? A: Baseline data is considered the starting point from which to improve. They are current measures that can determine reasonable growth goals based on present levels of performance.

How are we going to ensure we accomplish these objectives? Q: How will Goal #3 objectives be implemented? A: An action plan with objectives and specific tasks has been created to provide a structure for implementing Goal #3. Tasks have been assigned with due dates to ensure completion. Leadership will be necessary to manage the various tasks in the given timeline.

Q: How does the school calendar impact the meeting of the objectives in Goal #3? A: The master calendar outlines the number of contact hours for students and the number of work hours for teachers. Time will be an important consideration in achieving these objectives.

Q: How will these goals be funded? What additional funding will be needed? A: The school district is responsible for developing and prioritizing the budget which is approved by the Board of Trustees. As the tasks in goal #3 are addressed, the budgetary impact of the strategic plan may change over time. Each yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s budget planning cycle will address budget impacts and any additional funding requests necessary to implement goal #3 of the Strategic Plan.

Action Plans

Goal Four

Empower

All students will be Empowered to make independent positive choices through continual social and emotional development. The subcommittee would like the Board of Trustees to consider adding to the measures: Additional SEL measure as they are developed (PK-12).

Objective#1: By 2020, all BCSD staff would be trained so as to develop an awareness of mental health and substance abuse issues to support students in distress (Youth Mental Health First Aid Training). Tasks

Point Person

Begin Date

End Date

Success Measure(s)

Budget for training for 2 individuals (social workers) to become trainers for the district

Debi Gutknecht and Angie Martinez

April 2015

June 2015

Board approval of the budget

Determine 2 district personnel to become trainers, determine training dates/make travel arrangements

Angie Martinez, Debi Gutknecht & Susie Reese (Professional Development)

May 2015

June 2015

Individuals chosen to be trainers, Certification of Trainer status

Determine 2015-16 training schedule and subsequent years

Angie and Debi

May 2015

Sept 2015

PD Scheduled and listed for district employees

Create a communication plan to announce the training and expectations to the staff

Heather Crocker

May 2015

Sept 2015

Communication distributed to staff

Determine tracking and certification needs for ongoing training

HR, Debi, Angie, MHFA trainers

Sept 2015

Dec 2015

Certificates created and distributed and tracked

Resources Needed

PD funds - $9,000

Materials (if any) ordered for 201516 school year

Certificates and tracking details

Action Plans

Goal Four (continued)

Empower

Objective#2: Align BCSD PK-12 Social and Emotional Learning curriculum and develop consistent assessment /survey measures of student independent positive choices. Point Person

Begin Date

Develop K-12 SEL curriculum teams of teachers. This committee’s work may be completed within the curricular review cycle.

Angie Martinez

August 2015

2020

Team meetings

Investigate and determine additional measures for social and emotional learning PK-12 (keeping in mind time and effort of within the school setting) ● investigate measures for elementary and secondary SEL ● Determine how often the measure is given, to whom and how results are shared ● Request Board approval for additional measures ● Track measures and share data

Angie Martinez and Curriculum Committee Teams District Leadership team

Fall 2015

2020

Measures adopted by School Board Data collected and reviewed by District Leadership Team and shared with schools and community

Develop PK-12 curriculum map identifying SEL benchmarks/Standards and age appropriate assessment tools. ● Evaluate existing BCSD Health Curriculum, Social Worker lessons and SEL programs at all levels and determine minimum standards and programs to implement

Angie Martinez & BCSD Social Workers, SEL Curriculum Committee

2015

2020

Curriculum map published on BCSD website

Tasks

End Date

Success Measure(s)

Resources Needed

Team

Action Plans

Goal Four (continued)

Empower

Objective#2: Align BCSD PK-12 Social and Emotional Learning curriculum and develop consistent assessment /survey measures of student independent positive choices. Tasks

Point Person

Begin Date

End Date

Success Measure(s)

Align existing programs with map ● identify gaps in curriculum/ implementation ● identify gaps where no programs have been adopted

Angie Martinez and Curriculum Team K-12

2016

2020

Curriculum map

Research and implement a SEL program in the WRHS Advisory Program.

WRHS administrators

August 2015

Jan. 2016

Weekly lesson plan delivered to staff Staff Self-reporting

Professional Development and Training for staff on SEL curriculum ● Training for new hires

Angie Martinez & Susie Reese

Ongoing

2020

Staff is trained

Implement existing curriculum and any new programs

Angie Martinez & Building Principals & IB Coordinators

Ongoing

2020

Continued use of adopted materials

Resources Needed

Action Plans

Goal Four (continued)

Empower

Objective#3: Develop secondary substance abuse prevention and intervention programs and investigate needs for prevention at the elementary level Tasks

Develop and implement a substance intervention program for 6 - 12 grade students ● Follow Board recommendation to determine input on a program (May 2015 Board meeting) to consider best practices such as Restorative Practices. ● Hire Mental Health professional (September 2015) ● Implementation/communication plan (September 2016) ● Collect data (student participation, repeaters of the program, etc.) ● Review program need/data (December 2016 and May 2017) ● Make adjustments to the program as data and student needs suggest

Point Person

WRHS administration, Debi Gutknecht and Mental Health professional

Begin Date

End Date

June 2015

2020

Success Measure(s) Substance intervention program is approved by the Board and implemented by designated staff.

Resources Needed

Board approval

Action Plans

Goal Four (continued)

Empower Objective#3: Develop secondary substance abuse prevention and intervention programs and investigate needs for prevention at the elementary level Tasks

Point Person

Begin Date

End Date

Success Measure(s)

Resources Needed

Investigate and implement a grade 6 - 8 substance abuse prevention program ● Develop a team to research effective programs (such as Life Skills Training or Restorative Practices) - (by January 2016) ● Determine an effective program and implementation plan and determine how to monitor effectiveness - (by June 2016) ● Train staff (by September 2016) ● Implement program (2016-17 school year) ● Review plan and monitor effectiveness data (July 2017) ● Determine program changes for the 2017-18 school year (July 2017)

Middle School SEL Team to include Administration of Carey and WRMS and school representatives and other district representation as requested

Sept. 2015

July 2017

Implementation of the program with review of data

Training funds Material Time

Investigate needs for a prevention program at the elementary level ● Elementary administration determines a team to research effective programs and best practices (including what is already being done in the schools) January 2016 to June 2017 ● If a need is determined, the team will present the information for Board approval - (Fall 0f 2017) ● Implementation of program if approved (Fall of 2018)

Angie Martinez, Debi Gutknecht, and Elementary team

January 2016

Fall 2018

Needs determined and program implemented if needed

Funds for training if needed

Materials Time

Action Plans

Goal Four (continued)

Empower

Objective#4: Explore SKYWARD (Blaine County School Districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s student information system) to determine how it can assist in tracking student participation in school-based extracurricular activities and community services hours. Tasks

Point Person

Begin Date

End Date

Success Measure(s)

Investigate Skyward capabilities to track student participation

Ruben Rivera

July 2015

Sept 2015

Ruben contacts Skyward and investigates possibilities

Report given to District Leadership Team and the team determines how to implement the tracking system

Ruben Rivera and District Leadership Team

Fall 2015

Fall of 2015

Presentation to District Leadership team and decision made

Communication to all designated staff regarding input of data in Skyward

Principals

January 2016

Data input into Skyward

Data collected each year and compared

Marcia Grabow (Data and Assessment Coordinator)

May 2016

Yearly

Data shared

Resources Needed

Action Plans

Goal Four (continued)

Empower Objective#5: Develop and implement clearly defined, school-wide Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) systems in each school to increase academic and social success. Tasks

Point Person

Begin Date

End Date

Explore state training options of the PBIS system.

Debi Gutknecht

June 2015

Fall 2015

Options given to principals

Time

Review current systems in place that meet PBIS standards

Annie Warberg

Sept 2015

Dec 2015

This is established evidence based practice recommended by OSEP and DOE

Time

Create a district-wide team with representatives from each building to research and identify the characteristics and resource needs of effective SWPBIS systems ● rationale ● components ● assess current implementation level ● develop implementation plan ● determine communication / training plan

Annie Warberg

Sept 2015

June 2016

Framework; current inventory of practices by building

Time - no cost for the training

Each building assemble a team to develop building-specific PBIS plans based on district framework and attend state sponsored trainings as needed

Principals (designee)

Sept 2016

June 2017

PBIS plan developed for each building

Implement building level PBIS Plan

Principals (designee)

Sept 2017

June 2018

Evidence of PBIS within the schools and the data of the following measures: Suspensions/ Expulsions; Number of repeat student to RTC (Responsible Thinking Classrooms) or in-school suspension

Success Measure(s)

Resources Needed

Implementation plan for district

Time

Q and A for Goal #4

Q: What is PBIS? A: PBIS is a research-based framework to support a school’s multi-tiered system in addressing behavior within the school setting. It is not a program to be implemented, but rather a positive approach to behavior. It’s components include a focus on prevention and celebration of positive behaviors; implementation of research validated intervention programs as needed; universal screening, progress monitoring and databased decision making; and a system-level approach as well as a student level approach to problem solving. Many parts of PBIS system may already be part of each individual school’s current process. It is important to know that this is not a program to implement, but a system - another way to do business.

Q: What is Mental Health First Aid? A: Mental Health First Aid is an in-person training that teaches individual how to help people learn the skills to other who are experiencing mental health concerns or crisis. It is an 8-hour training that will teach specific skills to assess a situation and how to get the next step help for an individual. The Blaine County School District’s plan is to have every employee attend a training by 2020. Two of BCSD’s social workers will become our local trainers to meet our organization’s needs.

Q: Can there be place in this plan for assistance to staff relating to mental health needs? A: Within Blaine County School District’s health care plan, there are options for attending to mental health needs. BCSD staff is encouraged to call the Human Resource Department to gather more specific information.

Q: The measures for Goal 4 seem to be negative measures (suspensions and expulsions). Is there anything else we can measure that is more positive? A: Part of the work proposed by the Goal 4 team to find additional measures of social/emotional health. We anticipate that a team will look more closely at other options, such as surveys, that may give the district additional measures to examine the positive aspects of social/emotional well-being.

Q: Why is the physical health of students not addressed within this plan? A: At this time, the district’s school nurses have been working with the schools to develop protocols and practices to address the concerns of ill students within the school setting. If anyone needs further information, the school nurses can be contacted through the individual schools.

Q and A for Goal #4 (continued)

Q: Should there be more training for parents addressed within the plan? A: The District acknowledges that it is important for parents to be kept abreast of the curriculum that we present to our students. The focus of Goal 4 and the entire Strategic Plan is to maximize our services within the school setting.

Q: It is important to teachers that we minimize additional programs so as not to ‘add to the plate’ of staff. How does this plan keep this in mind? A: Within Goal 4’s action planning time, we acknowledged that teachers already have a ‘full plate’. Yet the strategic plan, as a whole, is the community’s and staff’s desire to make adjustment to what we do within the school setting. Although there may be a few new items to consider, many of the action steps are minimal in time once implementation is in place and other action steps are just adjustments to the way we do business right now. Our hope, is through the changes mentioned in these action steps, we will see that students make more positive independent choice.

Blaine County School District Strategic Planning Process January to June 2015 Blaine County District #61 Why Do We Need a Strategic Plan? Strategic planning is a tool for actualizing a continuous Process UsedSchool to Develop Strategic Plan

Stage 1 Ed. Values & Mission • Brainstorm Ideas • Prioritize Through Survey • Use Results for Ed. Values & Mission • Board Approval

improvement mindset and exercising accountability for the school system. The Board of Trustees and district leadership are responsible for articulating the long-range mission and The Blaine County School District Board of Trustees approved a strategic planning process in vision of the district. Strategic planning can be used as a driver for success in the school November 2014 that was crafted to allow any and all stakeholders who wanted to participate system if it is: to have a means of participating. This was deviation from the previous strategic planning • where tightlyonly focused on improving student process selected representatives wereachievement a part of the process. • used to guide decision making, including resource allocation The •process began in January whenwhen community stakeholders closely monitored and2015 adjusted the data demands and it district staff came together to have their thinking challenged by Daniel Pink. His conversation with the • adhered to for a long enough period to determine the impact community challenged us to think about what skills and characteristics our children will need forThe success in theselected future. Hebychallenged to think analytical thinking in process the BCSDusBoard of beyond Trusteesthetological, engage in strategic planning is the traditional academic discipline. Rather to think about how to develop our children into intended to invite and include all stakeholders. There are three stages to the process. self-motivated, highly actualized and creative individuals that have mastery in the traditional disciplines as well as highly creative problem solving skills.

Stage 1 - Educational Values & Mission

Stage 2 Goals & Vision • Brainstorm Ideas • Prioritize Through Survey • Use Results for Vision & Goals • Board Approval

Wea.then began engaging thetocommunity through major components. The first included Invite stakeholders brainstorm ideasthree around shared educational values anda District series of community and staff meetings to brainstorm shared values and mission of the district. mission. Collect ideas from 16 meetings across the community and include all ideas in Ideas were brainstormed and collected in a series of meetings in each school and throughout a survey. the community. Four hundred seventy-four participants signed in at these meetings. The b. Ask use Survey #1 to the seeentire the ideas from to allhelp 16 meetings and then ideas werestakeholders then put into to a survey that allowed community prioritize the shared educational District mission. Plan Steering Committee sharedprioritize educational values and missionvalues of theand district. The Strategic c. Steering Committee uses data and results from to that craftrose shared analyzed the data collected from the survey and synthesizedsurvey those #1 ideas to theeducational top values statements District Missionincluded Statement into the shared educationaland values statements in this plan. These shared educational d. Board of Trustees values statements and District Mission values were approved byapproval the Boardofofshared Trusteeseducational in March 2015.

Statement.

The second component was focused on establishing district-wide goals for improving outcomes for students over the next five years. Again a series of community and staff meetings were held to share currently student outcome data with stakeholders and to engage them Invite stakeholders brainstorm ideasfor around vision Three (what hundred do we want to accomplish in a.brainstorming goals as to next steps forward the district. and ninetyin fi ve years). Review current district data and future impacts (Daniel Pink) to know our eight participants signed in at these meetings. All of the brainstormed goals were put into a status.the Brainstorm goals totoget theprioritize District the fromgoals where we are nowaround to where we surveycurrent that allowed entire community help for the district want to be. Collect ideas from all 17 meetings across the community and include all improving student outcomes. The Strategic Plan Steering Committee analyzed the data ideas in athesurvey. collected from survey and synthesized those goals into four overarching goals and drafted a district mission statement. Leadership Team measures each goal. b. Invite stakeholders toThe useDistrict survey #2 to see thedeveloped ideas from all 17 for meetings and then The proposed district goals were approved by the Board of Trustees in prioritizemission visionstatement ideas andand district goals. April 2015 and are included above. c. of Steering Committee uses data and results from survey #2 to craft a District vision and

Stage 2 - Goals & Vision

goals.

Stage 3 Five Year Action Plan • Draft 5 Year Action Plan for Goals • Stakeholder Feedback • Refine Action Plan • Board Approval

Subcommittees were then formed for each of the four goals. The subcommittees were d. Board of Trustees approval of District vision and goals. composed of Strategic Plan Steering Committee members with additional members added from district staff and community stakeholders. These subcommittees then worked to develop action plans for beginning the process of achieving these goals. Then for a third time, a series of meetings were held across the county for community stakeholders and staff members Formreview subcommittees, oneplan for and eachprovide goal, critical from Steering Committee additional toa.briefly the draft action friends feedback. Four and hundred stakeholders, relying heavily on staff participation. forty-eight participants signed in at these meetings. The subcommittees then reviewed the b. Taskfrom subcommittees drafting a five plan for accomplishing the feedback the communitywith and used it to revise the year initialaction action plans.

Stage 3 - Five Year Action Plan

committee’s assigned goal.

c. Strategic Present Plan action plans community in least 16 meetings across the community. The goals and to action plans willstakeholders be reviewed at twice yearly to determine progress as well to as provide next steps needed. It is feedback anticipated theplans. action plans will Ask made, stakeholders ‘critical friends’ onthat action continue to develop asreview tasks are completedfeedback and nexton steps more clearly the d. Subcommittees stakeholder action plans anddefined adjust from as needed. previous work and/or research completed. e. Board of Trustees approval of action plans and completed BCSD Strategic Plan.

Process Used to Develop Strategic Plan Strategic Plan Steering Committee Members Kristin Anderson Shawn Bennion Mike Burchmore Lyman Drake Wesley DeKlotz Daryl Fauth Carole Freund Debi Gutknecht Don Haisley

GwenCarol Holmes John Peck Howard Royal Adan Sanchez Elizabeth Schwerdtle Hallie Star Penny Thayer Jonah Torseth Maritt Wolfrom

BE PART OF OUR FUTURE

Subcommittee Members

Inspire

Educate

Engage

Goal 1: Inspire

Goal 2: Engage

Goal 3: Educate

John Blackman Fritz Peters Carole Freund Daryl Fauth Shawn Bennion Kristin Anderson Rebecca Martin Alex LaChance Kathleen Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien Lydia Flynn Kaz Thea Sue Harley Pamela Plowman Julie Dahlgren

Heather Crocker Don Haisley Jonah Torseth Jorge Pulleiro Lindee Williams Matt Nelson Aaron Molyneux Molly Lansing Amy Schlatter Jim Keating Dennis McGonigal Ali Long Mike Glenn Lyman Drake Gretchen Weber

Angie Martinez Howard Royal Liz Schwerdtle Hallie Star Julia Graft Raul Vandenberg Mark Sauvageau Susan Thorsen Keith Nelson Marcia Grabow Danni Dean Stacy Whitman Darlene Dyer Brad Henson Wesley DeKlotz Katie Fuchs

Empower Goal 4: Empower Debi Gutknecht Dan McGee John Peck Maritt Wolfrom Adan Sanchez Penny Thayer Carlos Meza Raul Ornelas Sarah Hatch Rob Ditch Cynthia Carr Andrew Parnes Bing Parkinson

Process Used to Develop Strategic Plan Strategic Planning Process Survey A Strategic Planning Process Survey was provided to the community from May 18 to May 27 to solicit stakeholder input on the process used. The survey items are listed below. 1. Please select all areas that represent your role in the Strategic Planning process. (Check all that apply) □□ Parent of a BCSD student □□ BCSD Staff □□ Community Member 2. Please select all areas that represent your participation in the Strategic Planning process. (Check all that apply) □□ Participated in community and/or staff strategic planning meeting #1 (Jan. 19-23). □□ Completed Strategic Planning Survey #1. □□ Participated in community and/or staff strategic planning meeting #2 (Feb. 23-27). □□ Completed Strategic Planning Survey #2 □□ Member of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee □□ Member of a Strategic Planning Sub-committee (Goal 1, 2, 3, or 4) 3. Based on your involvement so far, do you believe the current strategic planning process will result in a plan that will reflect the educational values of the community? □□ Strongly Agree □□ Agree □□ Disagree □□ Strongly Disagree □□ Did Not Participate 4. Were you aware of opportunities to get involved in the Strategic Planning process? □□ Strongly Agree □□ Agree □□ Disagree □□ Strongly Disagree □□ Did Not Participate 5. The Strategic Plan survey helped prioritize the community’s educational values and goals. (To find the values and goals you can go to the Strategic Planning page at www.blaineschools.org). □□ Strongly Agree □□ Agree □□ Disagree □□ Strongly Disagree □□ Did Not Participate 6. If you participated in the community and/or staff strategic planning session, were you able to share your ideas and educational values? □□ Strongly Agree □□ Agree □□ Disagree □□ Strongly Disagree □□ Did Not Participate 7. What do you think would allow BCSD to accomplish its mission of inspiring, engaging, educating, and empowering every student? Please list your top 3 things in order of priority. 1. 2. 3.

Process Used to Develop Strategic Plan Strategic Planning Process Survey (continued) The responses to questions 3, 4, 5, and 6 are included below. Q3: BASED ON YOUR INVOLVEMENT SO FAR, DO YOU BELIEVE THE CURRENT STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS WILL RESULT IN A PLAN THAT WILL REFLECT THE EDUCATIONAL VALUES OF THE COMMUNITY? RESPONSE STRONGLY AGREE AGREE TOTAL STRONGLY AGREE/AGREE DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE TOTAL DISAGREE/STRONGLY DISAGREE DID NOT PARTICIPATE TOTAL

NUMBER OF RESPONSES 34 138 172 30 0 30 2 204

PERCENT OF RESPONSES 17% 68% 84% 15% 0 15% 1%

Q4: WERE YOU AWARE OF OPPORTUNITIES TO GET INVOLVED IN THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS? RESPONSE STRONGLY AGREE AGREE TOTAL STRONGLY AGREE/AGREE DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE TOTAL DISAGREE/STRONGLY DISAGREE DID NOT PARTICIPATE TOTAL

NUMBER OF RESPONSES 91 100 191 13 0 13 0 204

PERCENT OF RESPONSES 45% 49% 94% 6% 0 6% 0

Q5: THE STRATEGIC PLAN SURVEY HELPED PRIORITIZE THE COMMUNITY’S EDUCATIONAL VALUES AND GOALS. ( TO FIND THE VALUES AND GOALS YOU CAN GO TO THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PAGE AT WWW.BLAINESCHOOLS.ORG ). RESPONSE STRONGLY AGREE AGREE TOTAL STRONGLY AGREE/AGREE DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE TOTAL DISAGREE/STRONGLY DISAGREE DID NOT PARTICIPATE TOTAL

NUMBER OF RESPONSES 29 123 152 36 12 48 4 204

PERCENT OF RESPONSES 14% 60% 75% 18% 14% 24% 2%

Q6: IF YOU PARTICIPATED IN THE COMMUNITY AND/OR STAFF STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION, WERE YOU ABLE TO SHARE YOUR IDEAS AND EDUCATIONAL VALUES? RESPONSE STRONGLY AGREE AGREE TOTAL STRONGLY AGREE/AGREE DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE TOTAL DISAGREE/STRONGLY DISAGREE DID NOT PARTICIPATE TOTAL

NUMBER OF RESPONSES 51 127 178 9 8 17 9 204

PERCENT OF RESPONSES 25% 62% 87% 4% 4% 8% 4%