THE FOUR NON NEGOTIABLES ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT PURPOSEFUL, TIMELY TWO WAY COMMUNICATION ECISD STRATEGIC PLAN 2015 2016 1
Beliefs Definition: An expression of fundamental values: ethical codes, overriding convictions, inviolable principles, and bedrock absolutes. We believe that 1. Each person has inherent worth and unique strengths. 2. Curiosity and learning are natural and grow without limit given stimulation and nurturing. 3. People are interdependent. 4. Each individual has a responsibility to add value to self and community. 5. Individuals are accountable for their choices and actions. 6. Education creates opportunity and opportunity creates a better world. 7. Progress improves and adds value to human life. 8. Fear limits life s potential; courage inspires living. 9. There is a difference between right and wrong. 10. Values learned at home affect a lifetime. 11. Leadership is influence; everyone is a leader. 2
Mission Definition: A declaration of the unique identity to which the organization aspires; its specific purpose; and the means by which it will achieve its purpose. The mission of the ECISD Community, a passionate, unified, world class leader in education, is to develop world ready, life long learners who discover their unique gifts, achieve personal success, and fuel their community by building unified, comprehensive community support and participation that fosters a standard of excellence; serving as advocate and steward for all students; ensuring relevant teaching, engaged learning, and dynamic innovation; and maximizing all available resources. Parameters Definition: Boundaries within which the organization will accomplish its mission; self imposed limitations. 1. We will not compromise excellence. 2. We will model our beliefs. 3. We will work as a team. 4. We will base decisions on what is best for students. 5. We will protect teaching and learning as our priority. 6. We will recognize and reward success and learn from our mistakes. 7. We will succeed regardless of any obstacle. 3
Objectives Definition: An uncompromising commitment to achieve specific, measurable, observable, or demonstrable results that exceed its present capacity. 1. All students will acquire academic and personal skills necessary for personal greatness. 2. All students will understand and appreciate the value of learning. 3. All students will invest their unique gifts in their community. 4. All students will be confident, influential leaders who accept responsibility. Strategies Definition: Bold resolutions that dedicate the organization s resources and ene rgies toward the continuous creation of systems to achieve the extraordinary a s expressed in the mission and objectives. STRATEGY #1 We will ensure learning experiences that are engaging, challenging, and meaningful. PLAN NUMBER 1.1 SPECIFIC RESULT: Guarantee high content levels, high cognitive levels, and real world applications in all classroom lesson delivery. 1. Ensure a guaranteed and viable curriculum. 2. Provide professional development for a universal understanding of a guaranteed and viable curriculum. 3. Provide professional development so instructional staff is able to determine cognitive level of activities and materials. 4. Provide professional development so instructional staff can define and implement real world applications. 5. Teachers write and deliver lessons that reflect high cognitive and content levels and real world applications. 4
6. Build 100% of curriculum guides for all grade levels and content area by 2016. 7. School wide AVID: Implement with fidelity the use of AVID WICOR (Writing to Learn, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, and Reading to learn) across the content areas, and implementing all AVID Essentials to support the ACRS (AVID College Readiness System) 8. Instructional staff monitor and mentor lesson delivery. PLAN NUMBER 1.2 SPECIFIC RESULT: Ensure the quantity of effective and innovative learning strategies with a focus on curiosity and discovery. 1. List, prioritize, and publish high yield strategies (with specific strategies emphasized during a five year period beginning with vocabulary development) and distribute for district wide implementation. 2. Provide professional development for all instructional staff on priority high yield strategies. 3. Teachers plan and deliver lessons in which students incorporate priority high yield strategies for learning. 4. Provide teachers with a self monitoring checklist to assess their usage of high yield strategies. 5. Instructional staff monitor and mentor priority high yield strategies. PLAN NUMBER 1.3 SPECIFIC RESULT: Use quality assessments to guide instruction to include student reflections. 1. Provide instructional staff with professional development to identify and produce a variety of quality assessments. 2. Instructional staff will utilize a variety of methods to check for understanding throughout lesson delivery. 3. Formative and summative data will be used to guide instructional planning and delivery to include District benchmarks. 4. Instructional staff monitors and provides feedback on assessment effectiveness. PLAN NUMBER 1.5 SPECIFIC RESULT: Design and employ comprehensive, aligned ECISD curriculum documents to be utilized as non negotiable teaching and learning criteria. 1. Develop and update: A. Revised scope and sequence to include new TEKS. B. Assurances based on tested items (commitment to guarantee students learn). C. Creation of ECISD Curriculum. D. Clarification Document How the TEKS are tested. 2. Distribute all curriculum documents. 3. Provide professional development to focus on Scope and Sequence, Assurances, Teaching and Learning Plan and Clarification Document. 4. Coach and monitor implementation and effectiveness of Scope and Sequence, Assurances, Teaching and Learning Plan and Clarification Document. 5. Update documents annually per Board policy, TEA requirements, and other identified needs. 5
PLAN NUMBER 1.6 SPECIFIC RESULT: Infuse focused professional development with fidelity of implementation and monitoring of effectiveness. 1. Determine the focus of the professional development to be delivered. 2. Determine the audience (horizontally and vertically) to be impacted by the professional development. 3. Employ presenters that are knowledgeable of the subject matter and skilled in professional development delivery. 4. Establish a professional development timeline to clearly delineate a schedule for all activities to be conducted. 5. Coach and monitor the learning from the professional development. 6. Conduct as assessment of the implementation and effectiveness of the professional development. 7. Design a calendar and culture to allow for professional development two hours monthly. PLAN NUMBER 1.8 SPECIFIC RESULT: Foster relationships and empower the students with the capacities to be successful within the school culture. 1. Teachers and administrators convey high expectations. 2. Teachers and administrators teach students the components. 3. Teacher and administrators discuss regularly with students the importance of school attendance. 4. Develop a matrix for student self assessment. 5. Implement the AVID program at all elementary campuses (school wide program). STRATEGY #2 We will provide infrastructure to maximize the success of all students. PLAN NUMBER 2.1 SPECIFIC RESULT: Update technology plan to further address 21st century learning. 1. Establish BYOD Teacher Classroom Model for secondary campuses and evaluate supplemental classroom devices for students without technology. 2. District will ensure that technology plan includes best practice professional development for utilizing technology as an instructional tool by classroom teachers. 3. Expand Classroom Collaboration through Video Conferencing. PLAN NUMBER 2.2 SPECIFIC RESULT: ECISD will provide the latest technology on an equitable basis across the district and provide opportunities for staff to implement technology as an integrated tool and to enhance staff efficiency, learning and teaching. 1. Ensure all instructional classrooms are equipped to meet the District s standards for technology. 2. Re evaluate technology yearly and assess program outcomes. 6
3. Ensure that technology will be used effectively to benefit student learning and achievement. 4. Evaluate technology use and evaluate continual program improvements. 5. Use evaluations results to modify technology within program. STRATEGY #3 We will identify, engage and equip our world class team to accomplish our mission. PLAN NUMBER 3.1(2) HR SPECIFIC RESULT: Revolutionize our Human Resource approach of recruiting and retaining world class professionals. 1. Identify and hire world class leaders in education. Finalize programmatic changes by February 1. Identify staffing levels by February 10. Campus declaration of excess staff by February 20. Placement of excess staff by April 1. Close in District voluntary transfers by last Friday in May. Human Resources will identify vacant positions and will contact each campus to identify specific personnel needs by April 1. Human Resources will recruit candidates for specific positions. By May 1, Human Resources will provide carefully screened applicant lists to each campus based on their expressed personnel needs and staffing levels. PLAN NUMBER 3.1(4) HR Central Office personnel will make campus visits on a monthly basis to: a) follow up with new teachers and monitor effectiveness of the mentor and resource teacher program and b) meet with all teachers to ensure understanding of benefits and policies. PLAN NUMBER 3.1(5) T SPECIFIC RESULT: Energize the educational experience by integrating the use of innovative technology into the learning environment. 1. Establish strategically located Wi Fi access points throughout the District to enable parents and students without Wi Fi access the opportunity to utilize District access to the internet. STRATEGY #4 We will establish and sustain an interdependent partnership with parents. PLAN NUMBER 4.1 SPECIFIC RESULT: Establish a District wide consistent and systemic means of partnering with parents for the benefit of the students. 1. Create opportunities to develop positive relationships with parents in order to create a culture of involvement with their children s education. 7
PLAN NUMBER 4.2 SPECIFIC RESULT: Implement a parenting support system that provides a basis for programmatic information and service provision to ECISD families. 1. Establish a parental advisory committee to provide input and overview of program goals, objectives, and strategic plans. 2. Research and identify outstanding and successful parental support programs. 3. Collaborate with outside support agencies (i.e. hospitals, DHS, colleges, and universities). 4. Establish collaboration and communication with key individuals representing existing parental involvement programs in order to streamline information and prevent redundancy in efforts. STRATEGY #5 We will communicate effectively to serve our mission. PLAN NUMBER 5.1 SPECIFIC RESULT: Communicate the mission so that the ECISD community will be able to define who we are, what we do, and why we do it. 1. A meeting before meeting of key influencers in the District will be held to communicate the importance of the mission. 2. The superintendent will cast the mission of the organization at every campus. 3. ECISD employees will receive and identify the mission. 4. At every orientation, staff meeting, public meeting, and convocation, the mission will be communicated. 5. At regular monthly trustees meetings, in newspaper, and through other media outlets, those who have lived out the mission in a world class manner will be recognized and rewarded. 6. The mission will be publicized throughout the District. 7. All ECISD leaders will receive training on how to internalize the meaning of the mission. 8. Administrators will identify and recognize one area of behavioral change that furthers the accomplishment of the mission. What gets modeled gets done. STRATEGY #6 We will model and market our new culture throughout our community to ensure support and participation. PLAN NUMBER 6.1 SPECIFIC RESULT: Create a comprehensive marketing plan. 1. Gather baseline data on current community, educator, parent, and student perceptions of the culture and job performance of ECISD (current market environment). 2. Use market research data to determine community, educator, parent, and student expectations of ECISD. 3. Establish the threats/challenges and opportunities ECISD faces (SWOT analysis). 4. Draft the marketing plan utilizing market research data, SWOT analysis, and budget boundaries. 5. Create marketing initiatives based on the marketing plan that address the following questions: (ex: Create media spots for TV, radio, and print). 8
6. Utilize Public Service Announcements. Work with media outlets to get PSA out to public. Determine format to be used. Take idea for PSA to those who will produce it (ex: Communications dept., or Channel 10). Create a Spanish and American Sign Language version (where applicable) of the PSA ensuring cultural sensitivity and accuracy in meaning. Produce PSA. Approve PSA. Identify Public Service Announcement (PSA) need or message. 7. Hold a monthly (minimum) press conference. Work with media outlets to inform public about press conference. Identify a specific date, time, and place to conduct the press conference. Determine question and answer format and protocol. Obtain translators (Spanish and American Sign Language). Notify media outlets about press conference. Identify issues that are of public interest. 8. Hold town hall meetings as appropriate. Work with media outlets to inform public about town hall meeting. Determine procedure/format of town hall meeting. Identify a specific date, time, and place to conduct town hall meeting. Develop and approve agenda. Obtain translators (Spanish and American Sign Language). Notify media outlets about the town hall meeting. Determine if issue that is of public interest warrants a town hall meeting. 9. Utilize Advanced Technical Center Marketing classes to help with marketing to students. 9