Standard 1 Narrative

Standard 1

As you review the responses to the indicators and rubrics, what major trends, themes, areas of focus, or goals emerge that cut across this standard?

How will you use the insights gained from this self-assessment to inform and enhance your improvement efforts related to this standard?

Our vision was developed with the involvement of a variety of stakeholders in the district. A school board retreat, staff in-services, and meetings involving community members and students all allowed those stakeholders to voice their thoughts and play an active role in determining the direction for our district. One activity had stakeholders look closely at our strengths and weaknesses. We also established a list of belief statements that show where our values lie. The leadership of the district has since made decisions with that vision in mind.

Curriculum has been reviewed, revised, and aligned to state standards. Lesson plans are then aligned to the curriculum. With the recent changes in the state standards, we are in the midst of working through that process again. A new assessment system has been recently put in place, and both administration and staff are in the process of learning how to best use the data that results from the assessments.

Teachers and parents are both surveyed on a regular basis. That data then helps us to re-evaluate how we are doing as a district. Combining that information with our new assessment data will be very beneficial as we continue to move forward. The school website and the local newspaper continue to be effective tools in communicating with all stakeholders.

It appears that we are headed in the right direction regarding vision and purpose. We must to continue to train teachers in using data effectively so that as we begin to collect data from our new assessment system, the information will drive decision making in the area of instruction. Continuing to keep all stakeholders informed and involved also must be a priority.