FAYETTEVILLE -- A 127-page report presented to the School Board details the work of hundreds of volunteers over the past year toward a five-year plan for the School District.
The School Board at its monthly meeting Thursday received the report from the Framing Our Future planning process with recommendations to consider including in a new long-term plan.
Framing Our Future work
in Fayetteville School District
• July 23, 2015: School Board hears first presentation on Framing Our Future planning process
• Sept. 24, 2015: Board approved formation of planning committee
• Oct. 12-14, 2015: Planning committee drafts mission statement, accompanied with a set of beliefs, objectives and strategies
• Nov. 19, 2015: Board approves mission statement
• January-April: Volunteers in 10 action teams develop plans to implement strategies set by planning team
• May 17-18: Action teams report back to planning committee on recommendations for steps to implement the strategies
Source: Staff report
"We look forward to how this is developed to really lead our school into being able to achieve the mission that we set forth last year," said Kim Garrett, associate superintendent for administrative services.
The School Board also surprised outgoing member Steve Percival by voting to name the district's adult education program in honor of his 21 years on the board.
"Many of us realize your influence and leadership have been instrumental in the adult education program," School Board member Susan Heil said.
Percival said he was stunned and honored. He has served on the adult education program's advisory board for at least 20 years. The program gives students who have left the district a second chance, he said.
"They are motivated to better themselves," he said. "It gives them that opportunity."
With the Framing Our Future report, Garrett told the board the plan is in a stage of "customization and development."
"We can't do it all at once," Garrett said. "We have to prioritize and analyze. We want to do this well."
The Framing Our Future project was introduced in summer 2015. Shay Hopper, a Fayetteville High School teacher, and Holly Smith, an instructional facilitator for the district, guided the work based on a process developed by The Cambrian Group.
A 30-member planning committee met in October to draft a mission statement, supported by a set of beliefs, objectives and strategies. Ten action teams met through the winter and spring to study 10 strategies set by the planning committee. The planning committee met in May to decide which steps to include in a five-year plan.
The district's staff is analyzing costs of implementation and what components of the plan should be implemented first, Garrett said. The analysis will consider what additional research is necessary and the challenges of some of the recommendations.
Some recommendations already have been adopted, such as providing staff with more training on how to analyze student grades and test scores, Garrett said.
The planning process also pinpointed an issue with principals needing a better system for identifying the best candidates from large pools of applicants, said Greg Mones, the district's director of human resources. His team is reviewing online application systems and the district's existing system in preparation for the spring hiring season.
Garrett likes a recommendation all teachers receive training in strategies used in Advanced Placement courses so all students benefit from the high quality of instruction offered in those classes, she said. That would lead to a shift in instruction, and the training is expensive, she said.
School Board President Tim Hudson said the board is grateful to receive the report, thanked Hopper and Smith and said he appreciated the hundreds of people who contributed.
"Now it is the work of district staff to work these recommendations and develop action plans and determine budget impacts," Hudson said.
NW News on 09/23/2016