A focus for ongoing improvement in instruction, staffing, facilities and finance
A CONTINUING AGENDA for EXCELLENCE
Leadership:
- Create a clear and unified vision for progress.
- Set measurable goals for all and support all in achieving them.
- Emphasize high performance standards; expect and reward excellence.
- Communicate openly, honestly and often.
- Listen well; act to solve problems promptly.
- Involve stakeholder groups in all key decision making.
- Oversee and safeguard a culture of integrity, respect and fair play.
- Encourage innovation, reward excellence, celebrate success.
Staff:
- In times of lessened resources and heightened anxieties, ensure that whatever support can be offered IS offered - with training, through increased volunteerism and by other creative and collaborative means.
- Continue support of collaborative planning time and professional learning communities.
- Evaluate performance often through formal and informal assessments.
Parents & Community:
- Welcome and involve parents as educational partners.
- Communicate clearly and often.
- Team up with government and business on projects that advance school/district goals.
- Improve outreach to ethnic minority and limited English speaking communities.
- Welcome the community to witness bond accomplishments.
Finance:
- Maintain a balanced budget.
- Protect adequate reserves to ensure financial stability.
- Wherever possible, tie expenditures to educational goals.
- Continue legislative advocacy efforts.
Facilities:
- Plan and build needed new classrooms/schools on a timetable ahead of development. (First on the list: the new Olinda Elementary, now set to open Fall 2011.)
- Maximize local bond money through state matching funds and enhanced developer fees.
- Plan and build efficiently to minimize changes and maximize resources.
- Maintain facilities in a manor that lengthens their lifespan.
Curriculum & Instruction:
- Ensure that continuing academic improvement remains an overarching goal.
- Stay current with research on teaching and learning.
- Regularly analyze programs and test data to refine/realign curriculum and instruction.
- Visit other high-performing schools/districts and bring back ideas for improvement.
- Broaden and strengthen the curriculum to provide appropriate challenge for all.
- Protect arts instruction, too often the first casualty of tight times.
- Support enhanced uses of technology for academic enrichment.
Student, School, Community & Career Success:
- Provide instruction that appropriately prepares students for course progress and standardized testing (High School Exit Exam, SAT and AP), college and career success.
- Continue to emphasize character development through adopted, districtwide program.
- Consider modigying high school requirements to add service learning (structured community service, including learning and reflection).
- Welcome all to participate in diverse extracurricular opportunities.
- Continue to research and enhance practices that help serve students at risk.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -FOCAL POINTS FOR THE FUTURE:- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- Academic Achievement: High standards for success must be upheld. In today's complex world, our students need to know more.
- Personnel: We must attract and retain quality teachers, administrators and support staff, and provide frequent opportunities for professional growth.
- Curriculum: We must provide a course of study that is well-balanced, up-to-date and challenging to all students at all grade levels.
- Opportunity: We must dedicate ourselves to providing strengthened support for students at risk.
- Teamwork: We must support, at every grade level, the vital involvement of parents, and foster strong, cooperative relationships between school and home.
- Learning Environment: We must ensure adequate space for all students in schools that are safe, clean, orderly and inviting places to learn.
- Financial Security: Balanced budgets and prudent reserves are essential to the long-term stability of our schools.
- Outreach: We must expand our knowledge and enhance our opportunities through partnerships with government, business and industry.
- Ethics: We must live by our commitment to cultural values and personal integrity. To work well, we must model honor and inspire trust.
- Respect: We must reach out to reaffirm Brea Olinda's role as one of California's finest school districts.
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