BOURNE — Superintendent Kerri Anne Quinlan-Zhou is pleased to report that the Bourne School Committee has approved a District Strategy plan for the district.
The School Committee unanimously approved the plan at their Oct. 13 meeting.
As part of her participation in the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents’ New Superintendent Induction Program, Superintendent Quinlan-Zhou presented an Entry Findings report last fall that outlined leadership actions to be taken during her first transition year as the new superintendent. Following the Entry Findings report, and the District Strategy plan is the next step in the process.
The District Strategy plan is meant to serve as a forward-thinking document outlining the district’s plans and strategies over the next several years. It incorporates themes that were identified last year through feedback from district staff.
The plan is meant to be a clear and concise document that targets improving student learning and building educator capacity and collaboration, as well as being reflective of all stakeholders in the Bourne Public Schools.
The District Strategy Plan differs from general strategic planning in several ways, such as being developed by the superintendent and leadership team, rather than a third-party. It also focuses on select targeted areas within the district and integrates a small number of key initiatives, rather than taking a broad, incremental approach to planning. It is meant to be continually reconsidered and adapted to best meet the needs of students.
The District Strategy plan outlines the core values and beliefs about learning that are held by the Bourne Public Schools, including that all students can learn; all decisions are made in the best interest of students; all students learn best when actively involved in the learning process; and learning will be more successful when learning experiences have meaning for students.
The District Strategy Plan then breaks its strategic objectives into three key areas:
Building Community by expanding opportunities to promote a consistent positive climate and culture through communication, collaboration and social-emotional support. Areas of focus include:
- Foster a safe, welcoming, and diverse learning environment that actively promotes an equitable and inclusive culture where differences are valued.
- Continue to promote shared expectations for behavior by employing the district’s “B2B core values” and Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)strategies with all students and staff.
- Expand the culture of collaboration, coaching, reflective practice, and professional discourse that centers on life-long learning for the betterment of students.
- Engage all stakeholders through consistent communication and outreach efforts to provide multiple opportunities to partner with the district.
- Expand and strengthen partnerships with community organizations to provide students with learning opportunities both in and out of school.
Promoting Equity by developing more opportunities and structures to meet the needs of all learners to increase student achievement and access. Areas of focus include:
- Continue the MTSS and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework to ensure that all students have access to high-quality curriculum and social/emotional supports.
- Ensure that all students have the opportunity to participate in high-quality academic, civic, creative, social, innovative, athletic and wellness learning throughout their PK-12+ experience.
- Expand capacity in all educators to analyze data, identify and eliminate equity gaps, monitor student progress, and identify intervention and enrichment learning opportunities.
- Identify ways to leverage scheduling and programming to maximize personalized intervention, acceleration, and enrichment opportunities for all students.
- Strengthen inclusive practices and streamline special education protocols to ensure that every student PK-12+ receives instruction and support in the least restrictive environment.
Striving for Excellence by providing learning experiences that increase student ownership through relevant, engaging instruction and high expectations. Areas of focus include:
- Expand capacity to develop high-quality, aligned Tier 1 instruction in all subject areas with an emphasis on cultural responsiveness, relevance, and mastery of standards through consistent common planning time.
- Develop and implement challenging educational opportunities for all students, at all levels, to extend student thinking and maximize student achievement.
- Utilize a system of benchmarks and common assessments to monitor student progress and identify intervention, acceleration, and enrichment learning opportunities.
- Utilize learning walks and the Educator Evaluation System to promote professional discourse, reflection, and growth.
- Continue to explore opportunities for technology integration and technology enhanced blended and personalized learning.
To view the complete District Strategy plan, click here.
“This plan takes into account feedback from numerous stakeholders in our district and we feel it is highly reflective of our entire student body and their diverse strengths and needs,” Superintendent Quinlan-Zhou said. “I thank the School Committee for their unanimous support of the plan, and look forward to moving forward with the process with the ultimate goals of bringing our school community together, increasing access and equity for all students and providing our teachers and staff with the very best resources available to help them do their jobs to the best of their abilities.”
Now that the School Committee has approved the plan, next steps include action planning for all strategic areas of focus/initiatives; development of a Theory of Action that lists the beliefs and assumptions the district holds about why certain actions will lead to the articulated vision it seeks; alignment to School and District Improvement Plans, the district budget, and professional development planning; further refinement of Core Values, Mission and Vision; and drafting of a District Improvement plan and new School Improvement Plans.
Additionally, the district will continue to monitor the progress of key areas of planning and keep district stakeholders informed and invested in the process.
School Committee chair Emily Berry said that the work the district has done on the District Strategy plan in such a short period of time has been tremendous, and that it fits in with the strong educational system that has been in place for years.
“Perhaps the most impressive thing about the plan was just how many of these things were already in place,” Chair Berry said. “You look at a program such as the WIN period for example, which gives students targeted instruction and ways to excel that are unique to them, and you see how the goals and objectives in the District Strategy plan are aligned with the Bourne Public Schools and the work we’ve been doing for quite some time.”
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