Dear Strategic Plan Committee,
I would personally like to thank all the members who served with me on this action plan team:
• Kristin Harris- High School Social Studies teacher & team leader
• Stephanie Wade- High School Career/Technical teacher
• Katie Tiller-High School AP Language Arts teacher
• Jamie Hester- High School AP Biology teacher
• Angie Wilson- Middle School Curriculum Resource teacher
• Brian Miller- parent & Centre College
• Sharon Jackman- Woodlawn elementary principal
• Laura Elwyn- High School Senior
• Stacie Schultz- High School Senior
• Courtney Miller- High School Senior
I thoroughly enjoyed working with this diverse group. Their passion and dedication to Boyle County is exhilarating. I am grateful to each and every one for their contribution to this work. They brought so many wonderful ideas to the table & provided such rich dialogue that more often than not, we would loose all sense of time. I thank each of them for their honesty, for their willingness to reflect, and for their commitment to improvement. I would especially like to recognize the students for their courage and willingness to share their perspective.
I think all the members of this committee would agree that this was not an easy task. There were times we struggled, there were times we laughed, and there were many times that we questioned ourselves but in the end I think everyone would agree that we all learned from the experience. We quickly realized that we were not just writing an action plan but in fact, we were attempting to structure a culture. We soon recognized that a district culture is not created by educators alone but must be inclusive of students, parents and community. I hope you see evidence of this in our plan. It also became quite obvious that different groups view the culture through different lenses and therefore, we must be mindful & inclusive of all subpopulations. No matter where our discussion on culture led, it would always come back to the value and importance of relationships and personal interest. If we value rigor and relevance, then we must be willing to not only create a culture of high expectations but we willing to make that personal investment to the students. Students will rise to the standard if they know someone genuinely cares and appreciates them. The same can be said of teachers. As a committee, we understand that everything in this plan can not be implemented immediately- to build a culture takes time. We hope you see the value in our endeavor.
Respectfully,
Patricia Putty
Strategy: Define, design and implement a process that will instill a culture of academic rigor and relevance throughout the Boyle County School community.
Specific Result #1: Study the best practices of outstanding school systems that embrace and empower a culture of high expectations and top academic achievement.
Specific Result #2: Create a culture where ALL students learn at high levels by developing the staff’s capacity to function as a professional learning community (PLC).
Specific Result #3: Examine the belief system that members of the Boyle County School community now operate under and work toward one that is centered upon high expectations.
Specific Result #4: Examine the current A/A (Advisor/Advisee) system in the high school to determine its effectiveness and how it can be improved.
Specific Result #5: Create a class scheduling system the middle and high schools that involves students and their families and that encourages and enables them to take the most challenging courses for their abilities and future plans.
Specific Result #6: Maximize the course offerings/curriculum at all Boyle County Schools to let students work at the highest level possible.
Specific Result #7: Improve communication between schools and members of the community to involve parents and others and to make them aware of the culture of high expectations and increase community involvement with the effort.
Specific Result #8: Create an Academic Booster Club in each school to encourage and support high achievement.
Specific Result #9: Establish a multi-faceted mentoring program in Boyle County schools to help students achieve at their highest level possible.
Specific Result #10: Increase the opportunities to recognize and encourage high academic achievement by students in Boyle County Schools.
Specific Result #11: Create a program to educate students, parents and the community about the role of standardized tests and the importance of students performing well on them. |
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