Wickliffe City School District

Five-Year Strategic Plan

Introduction:

In August of 2014, the district began the process of developing a five-year strategic plan. The plan included an audit of quantitative data including a review of data from the previous five years. The data reviewed included:

· State Achievement Scores (OAA, OGT)

· Value-Added Scores

· ACT Scores

· ACT Data Related to College Readiness

· Student Attendance Data

· Student Discipline Data (EMIS)

· Financial Information (Comparison Data from the ODE)

The district conducted six staff focus group meetings (45% of the total), five community focus group meetings (30% of the total), three student focus group meetings (15% of the total), and business focus group (meetings 10% of the total) to gather qualitative information about the district and its programs. Over 200 people participated in focus group meetings.

The district volunteered to participate in the Ohio Improvement Process Quick Start to guide the development and implementation of the plan. The District Leadership Team will guide the process at the district level, the Building Leadership Teams will guide the process at the building level, and the Teacher Based Teams will be responsible for implementation of the plan at the classroom level.

Mission

· The Wickliffe City School District: Inspiring Students to Learn, Lead, and Serve

Through the strategic plan we will work to support and achieve the mission of the District.

Vision

The District’s Vision

The Wickliffe City School District will be an exemplary district. To that end, the District will:

· Develop a strategic growth plan that will serve as its guidance document for the vision. The plan will be based on an on-going review of quantitative and qualitative data, educational and workforce trends, and the needs of the students and the community. The plan is focused enough to be implemented and evaluated, and broad enough to meet the changing needs of its stakeholders.

· Provide students with a core curriculum complemented with a variety of elective courses and extra-curricular activities. This program will stimulate intellectual curiosity, require students to demonstrate that they have learned how to learn, and enables them to become productive and effective citizens.

· Recognize the importance of each individual student by facilitating each student’s transition to and through high school, providing the information and support that enables him/her to develop appropriate educational and career goals, and will monitor the academic, behavior, and emotional progress of each student

· Recruit, hire, and retain individuals with exceptional skill in their field, true passion for the work of education, and extraordinary compassion for people.

· Provide continuous professional development to staff so that they will continue to develop their skills in the ever-changing nature of their work.

· School is a joyful place that provides a warm, inviting, and safe environment. Students will enjoy their school experience, and develop a sense of pride in their school and community

· Recognize the importance of establishing effective partnerships with the larger community (parents, residents, businesses, governmental agencies, and other organizations) and will work to partner with these groups to improve the educational program and the community.

· Recognize that the benchmark for success is student learning, achievement, conduct, citizenship, and character.

Goals and Action Steps

1. Improve student achievement as it relates to academic learning and participation as it relates to elective course offerings, extracurricular activities and community participation.

Action Steps

· Professional development programs focused on improving classroom instruction

o Introduce and Implement the Instructional Cycle

o Assessment Workshops

* Emphasis on:

· Formative Instructional Practices

· Descriptive Feedback

· Progress monitoring/tracking for teachers and students

· Differentiation

o Reading Workshop

* Middle School Emphasis

o Instructional Coaching

o Technology Integration Coaching

* Use of technology as a supplement to instructional practice

· Identify and support specific technologies on which to focus

o PBIS

* Training through the BLT

· OTES Emphasis on instructional practice

o Provide monitoring and support in the implementation of quality instructional practices

· Implementation of Teacher Based Teams (TBT) and Building Level Teams (BLT)

o TBT will emphasize data collection and evaluation, decision making based on data and identifiable evidence, and the professional discussions related to best practice of instructional strategies and techniques.

o BLT will emphasize support of the TBT through recommendations and assistance to the TBT. The BLT will collect reports from TBT, monitor progress of the TBT, and report to the District Leadership Team (DLT)

o The DLT will determine which reporting forms will be used, how often reports are to be completed and submitted, and provide feedback on the information reported.

o The BLT and TBT will adhere to the OIP Five Step Process

· Evaluate the curriculum and determine need for special programming:

o Workforce Development

o STEM

o College Credit Plus

o Partnerships with other school districts, businesses, higher education, and/or other agencies

o Early Childhood Programming

2. The District will develop and implement a community engagement program. The program will serve to inform the community about the district, highlight the good news about the district, and tell the district’s story through a variety of mediums.

Action Steps

· Selection of a website provider and the launching of a new website

o The new website must be easy to navigate, attractive, informative, and updated on a regular basis.

· The integration of social media into the methods of communication used by the District

o Twitter and Facebook will become the major focuses of social media use

· A community engagement campaign based on the work of Jamie Vollmer (Schools Cannot Do It Alone).

o The campaign will include monthly community meetings that emphasize the good news of the district and pertinent information about the District

· Continuation of the District’s relationship with the City of Wickliffe and the publication of the Wickliffe Connection

· Explore the possibility of contracting with a part-time community relations specialist as a shared service to assist in communications.

· Monthly articles written by administrators to inform the community of events and important information posted to the website.

· Using marquee signs to update the community of important events and to highlight the success of students and staff

· Use Blackboard Connect to keep the community abreast of important information.

· Create programs that tell the story of the district.

o Students of the month

o Generations of Pride- Families in the community

o Hall of Fame programs (Community and Athletic)

· Develop a “Wickliffe Pride” program

o Spirit Wear

o Window clings

o Yard Signs

· Advancement of the WCSD Core Values

o Publish

o Make them visible

o Teach them K-12

· Develop a more active relationship with the media

o News-Herald

o Local TV

* Work with the City of Wickliffe to become more prominent on the “Mayor’s Corner” television program.

3. Improve physical facilities to meet the learning demands of students through a systematic review of the facilities needs, the development of a plan to meet those needs, and implementation of the plan in a systematic nature.

Action Steps

· Invest in a detailed facilities discussion

o Create a facilities team

· Review the current facilities plan

· Consider funding issues

o Bond Issue

o Permanent Improvement Funds

o Reallocation of General Funds

o Grants/Donations/Alternative Revenue Streams

o Leasing

o Partnerships

o COPS Program

· Engage experts in the review and planning process

o Architects

o City Planners

o Treasurer

o Operations Manager

o Maintenance Personnel (Internal and External)

o Attorneys

· Determine feasibility

o Work with an organization to create a community survey

· Consider safety, security

· Determine how learning may be effected by the changes proposed

· Priorities need to be determined based on identifiable link to improved learning and programming

· Prioritize the needs

· Commit resources to the prioritized needs

· Present the project to the stakeholders

o Gather momentum for the project(s)

o Communicate the needs and determine what is in the best interest of students, learning, and community

o Conduct specific focus groups related to facilities

· Based on the established priorities, divide the project into phases, develop timelines, and project specific action steps