LRSP Annual Report 2014-15

LRSP: Year End Summary, Annual Report 2014/15 DRAFT - As of August 2015

Bozeman School District

Long Range Strategic Plan: 2014-15 Annual Report

Background - LRSP Overview of Development and Progress

History of the LRSP

Bozeman Public Schools launched a new strategic planning process in the fall of 2007 to bring more rigor to the process of setting goals; to ensure the wants, preferences, and needs of our community are well understood; and to strategically focus our resources. We initiated this process to build a stronger and more vital School District that is widely recognized as delivering outstanding education to our students.

Bozeman Public Schools’ Board and Staff Leadership Team view strategic planning as an ongoing process within Bozeman Public Schools. This is not a "strategic planning project" that is simply completed and put on a shelf. Adoption of the plan is an affirmation of the general intent and direction articulated by the Core Ideology, Envisioned Future, Goals, Strategic Objectives and a guide to decision-making in the district. The Board and Leadership Team will assess the strategic objectives annually in collaboration with the community.

Revision Process - Spring 2013

The 2012/2013 school year marked the 5th year of implementation for the LRSP. Coupled with the fact that our District leadership and Board of Trustees had experienced some turnover, we believed it was a good time to meet and review the plan and discuss possible revisions. Our main goal - to make sure the LRSP, originally drafted in 2007, still met the needs and desires of our District and community.

In June, 2013 a group of District staff and community partners met to discuss, review, and revise the District’s Long Range Strategic Plan (LRSP). In attendance were BSD7 Board of Trustees, central office administration (Executive Leadership Cabinet), building level administrators and teacher from each grade level, President of the Bozeman Education Association, as well as representatives from our community partners (THRIVE, Greater Gallatin United Way, MSU, and the Bozeman Schools Foundation.)

The result was a revised Long Range Strategic Plan which was streamlined and refocused. The four goal areas remained - Goal Area 1: Academic Performance, Goal Area 2: Operations and Capacity Building, Goal Area 3: Community Engagement and Partnerships, Goal Area 4: Student and Staff Safety/Health/Welfare. Within these four broad goal areas, 18 specific strategic objectives were defined to provide clarity and depth. The LRSP Committee convened to review the changes and provide feedback regarding the district priorities and the final revised plan was approved by the Board of Trustees on August 12, 2013.

In the last revision process it was agreed that we would review the plan every two years. There will be a review and revision consensus process on August 11, 2015.

Reporting and Monitoring Process

Monitoring and reporting our progress on District initiatives as well as key measures is an important part of the LRSP process. Over the 2014/15 school year we used the following as mechanisms of reporting our progress to the Board.

Action Plans: In September, individual schools and departments drafted action plans related to our District Initiatives, with specific strategies for implementation.
School Board Luncheons: In October - December, each school and department was given opportunity to present plans, progress, and related data to Board.

Schedule:

September 30, Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
October 7, Sacajawea Middle School
October 14, Chief Joseph Middle School
October 21, Emily Dickinson Elementary School
October 28, Hawthorne Elementary School
November 4, Meadowlark Elementary School
November 11, Business & Operations
November 18, Morning Star Elementary School
November 25, Longfellow Elementary School
December 2, Bridger Alternative Program
December 9, Bozeman High School
December 16, Irving Elementary School
January 6, Hyalite Elementary School
January 13, Whittier Elementary School
January 20, Fine Arts/Health Enhancement
January 27, Community Ed

Format Luncheons

School Reports

ELA & Math 2013/14 School Achievement Data (no subgroups, maybe by grade level)
MTSS (AKA RtI) Implementation (LRSP 1.01), Successes/Challenges/Barriers
Successful Teaching Practice (Common Core Implementation) Highlight 1 ELA & 1 Math (LRSP 1.02), How are you replicating these successful practices in other classrooms?
Added Value - Highlight 1 added value program, could be a student or staff presentation (something other than ELA or Math).

LRSP 2014/15 Mid-Year Report: In January the Superintendent provided a mid-year update with a focus on the impacts of the strategic plan. Relevant District-wide achievement data from the previous year was reviewed.
Action Plan Summary: In May 2015, schools and departments discussed their progress on specific strategies and reported the level of implementation for each strategy.

Sample K-5 Action Plan Summary
Sample 6-8 Action Plan Summary
Sample 9-12 Action Plan Summary
Sample Central Office Action Plan Summary

2014-15 LRSP Strategic Objectives: Progress Summary

Level of Implementation Scale

At the conclusion of the school year, staff were asked to assess their progress towards implementing the various strategies contained in each action plan. A separate column was established on the action plan form titled “Progress Summary.” For each action strategy, the progress summary was to be reported according to the following Level of Implementation Scale:

Progress Summary to be reported with the following “Level of Implementation” scale:

Level 1 = Culture of Innovation, progress towards the future, strategy or initiative has been started but not fully implemented, or has been implemented in pockets of innovation, but not widely used.
Level 2 = Culture of Opportunity, progress towards implementation, much work and discussion related to the strategy has occurred, but strategy has not been institutionalized.
Level 3 = Culture of Success, strategy has been institutionalized, progress monitoring will need to continue, but strategy has been widely accepted and can be found in most environments.

LRSP Strategic Objective 1.01: Personalize learning for each student to help all realize sustained academic growth in all content areas. Specific Initiative: Multi-tiered systems of supports (MTSS) previously known as Response to Intervention (RtI).

K-5 Strategies with average “Level of Implementation” score.

Pearson Inform for tracking interventions = 2.5
Use of SWIS for tracking behavior data = 2.7
Multi Tiered System of Supports (AKA RtI) = 2.3
Assessments - use of data to guide interventions (STAR) = 2.8
Implementation of Interventions (extended learning, differentiation, intervention delivery models, co-teaching) = 2.6
Running Start Kindergarten - pilot program at Whittier = 2.0

6-12 Strategies with average “Level of Implementation” score.

Pearson Inform for tracking interventions = 1.8
Multi Tiered System of Supports (AKA RtI) = 2.3
Assessments - use of data to guide interventions (STAR) = 2.3
Implementation of Interventions (extended learning, co-teach, combo classes, performance based instruction) = 2.0
Implementation of Naviance (HS Only College and Career Skills) = 2.5
Renewed focus on the importance of student attendance = 2.7
Implementation of Early Warning System (drop-out prevention) = 2.0

LRSP Strategic Objective 1.02: Instruction and Assessment - Utilize content standards in planning, instruction, and assessment. Specific Initiative: English Language Arts

K-5 Strategies with average “Level of Implementation” score.

Balanced Literacy: exposure to nonfiction, close reading, evidence = 2.3
Growth in reading skills as measured by STAR = 2.3
Reading and Writing intervention strategies (walk to, progress monitoring, extended opportunity, collaboration, workshop model) = 2.6
Implementation of writing continuum and instruction in various writing types = 2.3
Use of STAR progress monitoring tools as part of MTSS framework = 2.5

6-12 Strategies with average “Level of Implementation” score.

Balanced Literacy: exposure to nonfiction, close reading, text complexity = 2.5
Growth in reading skills as measured by STAR = 2.0
Reading and Writing intervention strategies (walk to, progress monitoring, extended opportunity, collaboration, MTSS) = 2.3
Implementation of writing continuum and instruction in various writing types = 2.7
Use of STAR progress monitoring tools as part of MTSS framework = 2.5
Cross curricular instruction in reading and writing = 2.3

LRSP Strategic Objective 1.02: Instruction and Assessment - Utilize content standards in planning, instruction, and assessment. Specific Initiative: Mathematics

K-5 Strategies with average “Level of Implementation” score.

Administer common assessments and use data to make instructional decisions (progress monitoring) = 2.7
Professional development to enhance consistency of best practice math instruction (STREAM) = 2.0
Foster math fluency (number sense, number talks, math workshop) = 2.4
Growth in math skills for all students as measured by STAR = 2.3
Foster 8 mathematical practices in all classrooms = 2.3

6-12 Strategies with average “Level of Implementation” score.

Administer common assessments and use data to make instructional decisions (progress monitoring) = 2.3
Professional development to enhance consistency of best practice math instruction = 2.3
Growth in math skills for all students as measured by STAR = 2.0
Foster 8 mathematical practices in all classrooms = 2.0
Alignment of pacing guides and course objectives to CCSS = 2.2
Resource allocation to Math areas of most need (HS only) = 2.0

Other Key District Initiatives with Level of Implementation Values:

In addition to the areas of focus described above, other significant progress was made on Key District Initiatives. Those initiatives are described below with the Level of Implementation Value.

Strategic Objective 1.01: Electronic Gradebook (K-5) = 2.0

Specific Strategies: Revision of K-5 standards, revision of K-5 report card, professional development for building leaders, professional development for teacher trainers, development of parent informational guide, continue to monitor teacher use and feedback for future revisions

Strategic Objective 1.01: Running Start Kindergarten Pilot Program = 2.0

Specific Strategies: With cooperation from staff at Whittier School, we started a preschool program for students entering Kindergarten, fall 2015. We focused on economically disadvantaged students from Whittier, Hyalite, and Irving. The program opened in January of 2015 and included more than 20 students. With the support of HRDC and their headstart program, we will be continuing running start kindergarten in the fall at Whittier and starting a new program at Hyalite.

Strategic Objective 1.02: Smarter/Balanced Assessments (3-11) = 1.5

Specific Strategies: SBAC professional development for all staff, creation of a District SBAC team, education for parents and community, administration of the assessment (under special permission from the OPI, the District scaled back participation due to technical glitches from the testing vendor)

Strategic Objective 1.02: Full implementation of Indian Education for All Standards = 2.0

Specific Strategies: IEFA committee defines level of implementation, staff education related to montana code, schools identify plan to monitor fidelity of IEFA implementation, participation in OPI’s IEFA external evaluator process, continued participation in district events (WINGS)

Strategic Objective 2.03: Implementation of the revised Evaluation Process for teaching and administrative staff = 2.0

Specific Strategies: Convene group of administrators to make final recommendation on the leadership performance appraisal system, conduct goal setting meetings with all staff, evaluation “check-in” meetings held throughout the year, work towards consistency of process with certified and administrative staff, review & revise the evaluation process for the superintendent

Strategic Objective 3.01: Communication, Parent/Teacher Conferencing = 2.0

Specific Strategies: Introduce STAR testing and share school-to-home report, change in conference schedule to maximize parent participation, creation of Spring conferences by calendar change, discussion with school staff on how to improve conferencing in the future at levels K-8, discussion of increased parent engagement 9-12.

Strategic Objective 3.01: Communication, Electronic forms of Communication = 1.5

Specific Strategies: Staff training on the use of Sharp School (school websites), implement use of School Messenger (implemented email & phone, texting option still to be implemented), establish District presence on social media (yet to be fully implemented)

Strategic Objective 4.01: School Environment, Olweus Bully Prevention Program = 2.5

Specific Strategies: Olweus questionnaire completed at school sites, conduct new staff training, conduct “booster” training for current staff, review questionnaire results with District staff, assess ways to communicate the program to parents

Recommendations:

After reviewing the process and all LRSP action plan summaries, the Superintendent makes the following recommendations for the review/revision process:

School leadership teams and central office departments focus much of their work in strategic objective 1.01: Personalized Learning and 1.02: Instruction & Assessment. These strategic objectives seem to represent the work of the district and should remain as areas of focus for every school and department.
Strategies used to accomplish 1.01 and 1.02 are well defined and there is some consistency among schools and departments. Most schools and departments report that the strategy implementation has reached Level 2 (culture of opportunity) and moving towards Level 3 (culture of success). School teams should be encouraged to focus on proven strategies and integration across all classrooms.
While the “Level of Implementation” has proven to be informative as teams reflect on the work of the LRSP, many teams have begun to set measurable goals in ELA and Math. In the absence of “district” guidance, some teams have identified student growth goals as defined by the STAR assessment. The LRSP revision should focus on the addition of “district” measurable goals in the areas of ELA and Math.

Acknowledgements:

The superintendent’s office and BSD Board of Trustees wish to thank our entire education team for embracing the LRSP. The effort of those who have been a part of the LRSP process is key and we look forward toward the growth of our plan as we enter the next phase of implementation. This report represents the work and commitment of the BSD Staff, Board of Trustees, and members of the Bozeman Community.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the BSD7 education team on July 27, 2015 by

Robert J. Watson, Ed.D

Superintendent, Bozeman Public Schools