A whole-child approach to education and creating an efficient team structure are at the center of a new strategic plan for the Siloam Springs School District.
The plan, developed with the help of the Soderquist Center for Leadership and Ethics, gives the district a primary focus and game plan for the next three to five years, according to superintendent Ken Ramey. It also establishes the school's mission, values and vision.
School board members voted to approve the plan during the Dec. 15 school board meeting. It was presented to principals, school councilors and supervisors before Christmas break, and teachers and staff members learned about the strategic plan during professional development on Monday.
The plan lists two objectives. First to provide a whole-child approach to meet the academic, social, emotional and physical needs of every student, and second to operate within a collaborative and efficient team structure.
Ramey explained that it is important for children's educational outcomes to have their basic needs met, such as health care and clothing.
Strategies to reach the first objective include fully implementing the district's response to instruction and intervention, which identifies students who have fallen behind and helps them catch up. Strategies also include meeting student academic needs in a more relevant and personalized fashion and fully implementing the coordinated school health program.
Expanding instructional delivery options, such as offering more online and digital classes, STEM classes, project-based learning and home school options is one of the actions suggested to better meet student academic needs. Other actions include expanding curricular offerings such as Advanced Placement classes, concurrent credit classes, vocational classes and elementary STEM and Spanish classes, and researching the possibility of a kindergarten through fourth grade conversion charter school.
Actions suggested to fully implement the coordinated school health program include increasing student accessibility to food during and outside of school and expanding mental health services.
Strategies to meet the objective of operating within a collaborative and efficient team structure include developing a district communication plan and developing a recruitment and retention plan at all levels.
Actions listed to take to develop a communication plan include streamlining processes and procedures for tasks such as tracking student demographics and digital record keeping, improving internal and external relationships, a new school website and new human resources software, and improving internal communication.
Revising the compensation plan, marketing the district and providing incentives are listed as actions suggested for the recruitment and retention strategy.
According to the plan, the district's vision is, "To ensure student success, SSSD utilizes innovative approaches, partnerships, and resources to meet the individual needs of every student." Values include trust, integrity, respect, excellence and security.
Development of the three-stage plan began in September, Ramey said. The district started with online surveys as well as in-person interviews, and comparisons to other districts. School administrators spent a two-day period at Soderquist Center determining the school's objectives, goals, strategies and measurements.
Although the plan is for three to five years, it is designed to be re-examined every 18 months so that changes and adjustments can be made, Ramey said.
General News on 01/06/2016