��WALKER COUNTY SCHOOLS�STRATEGIC PLAN�2025-2030�����DR. DENNIS WILLINGHAM�SUPERINTENDENT

Empowering students through educational excellence

MISSION

Empowering students through educational excellence

VISION

A highly-reliable, innovative educational system where students thrive and maximize their potential

VALUES

Empower all students for success

Ensure access to safe schools

Engage stakeholders to promote accountability

SYSTEM GOALS

1. Every child attends a safe, supportive, and well-maintained facility.
2. Every school has quality instruction and effective leadership.
3. Every child has access to a high-quality foundational education.
4. All students are proficient and showing growth in all assessed areas. Every school has a report card grade of “B” or higher.
5. Every student graduates and is equipped for college or a career in an increasingly innovative society to improve his or her quality of life.

Empowering students through educational excellence

GOAL I

• Complete a prioritized capital needs assessment for each school by the building administrator and the Director of Maintenance to address the most immediate needs.
• Collaborate with the system’s Director of Maintenance, system CSFO, and capital planning committee to create a prioritized, master capital plan based on an analysis of long-term needs.
• Communicate appropriate safety plans on each school campus, including athletic venue plans, prominently displayed safety signage, Virtual Alabama documentation, etc.
• Continue to place mental health as a priority through collaboration with local and state agencies, special education, school counseling, and health services to address immediate student mental health needs.
• Strengthen partnerships with outside agencies to assist with overall school-level needs.

Empowering students through educational excellence

EVERY CHILD ATTENDS A SAFE, SUPPORTIVE, AND WELL-MAINTAINED FACILITY.

KEY ACTIONS

Empowering students through educational excellence

Maslow’s hieracy of needs outlines the essential needs for the development of a child. We must strive as a school community to assist with these foundational needs in order for learning to occur.

• Provide statistical analysis and professional development.
• Develop partnerships with state colleges/universities to recruit and hire in-field, certified teachers and top graduates.
• Create high expectations for all schools and increase stakeholder accountability through communication and public relations.
• Ensure rigorous and effective instructional approaches and deliver in all classrooms to improve learning opportunities and assessed outcomes.
• Facilitate practical, ongoing professional development and training opportunities with teachers and administrators (CLAS, CLAS affiliates, Marzano’s High Reliability Schools, AMSTI, etc.)
• Determine professional development training from needs assessments to enable teachers to utilize the latest technology for instruction effectively.
• Create an environment of professional and collective efficacy.
• Maintain Cognia District Accreditation.

Empowering students through educational excellence

EVERY SCHOOL HAS QUALITY INSTRUCTION AND EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP.

Empowering students through educational excellence

The Marzano High Reliability Schools framework provides indicators to empower districts and schools to measure their progress on attaining these five increasing levels of reliability.

GOAL III

• Prioritize Pre-K educational opportunities.
• Strive to adhere to foundational divisors.
• Emphasize the multi-tiered instructional process, educational programs, and assessments by having an implementation expectation and accountability measures.
• Concentrate and focus efforts on early literacy and numeracy. Target reading and mathematical understanding to achieve grade level status for all students upon entering fourth grade. Screen and identify students early with reading challenges and provide appropriate interventions.

Empowering students through educational excellence

EVERY CHILD HAS ACCESS TO A HIGH-QUALITY FOUNDATIONAL EDUCATION.

• Analyze data to improve outcomes, close achievement gaps, and provide necessary support and interventions.
• Improve learning opportunities and assessed outcomes in all subject areas through effective instructional approaches.
• Place a focus on providing Tier I instruction.
• Practice effective Response to Instruction (RTI) based on Multi-Tiered Student Supports (MTSS) process.
• Ensure the use of interventionists, ARI reading/instructional coaches, AMSTI mathematics coaches, etc.
• Implement the ACT action plan at all high schools.
• Ensure ongoing and efficient professional development in areas of identified weaknesses. This includes system-wide collaboration conducted by subject-level lead teachers.
• Seek and provide professional support and assistance to improve classroom instruction.
• Implement effective parent and student programs to emphasize the importance of school attendance, parental involvement, and student ownership in the learning process.

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Empowering students through educational excellence

ALL STUDENTS ARE PROFICIENT AND SHOWING GROWTH IN ALL ASSESSED AREAS.

Empowering students through educational excellence

ALABAMA’S MTSS implements and sustains a continuum of evidence-based practices, instruction, supports, and intervention that align with the individualized and varied needs of all students while eliminating barriers to help children find success in academic and nonacademic settings.

Empowering students through educational excellence

ALABAMA ACCOUNTABILITY PARAMETERS

• Grow and expand career technical opportunities (STREAM, construction, heavy machinery, CDL, future educators, etc).
• Continue to update and maintain technological equipment, devices, and bandwidth in order to sustain a 1 to 1 ratio for students.
• All schools continue progression toward STREAM (Science, Technology, Robotics, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics).
• Continue dual-enrollment opportunities in both academics and career technical education (CTE).
• Implement coding (digital language) courses in all schools.
• Walker County Schools will grow its reputation for excellence on a local, national, and worldwide scale.

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Empowering students through educational excellence

EVERY STUDENT GRADUATES FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND IS EQUIPPED FOR COLLEGE AND CAREER IN AN INCREASINGLY INNOVATIVE SOCIETY IMPROVING HIS OR HER QUALITY OF LIFE.

STEERING COMMITTEE

Dr. Dennis Willingham, Superintendent

Paige Abner, Principal, Dora High School

T.J. Armstrong, Walker County Sheriffs Department

Ginger Atkins, District Administrator, Walker County Schools

Carissa Blair, MTSS, Alabama State Department of Education

Amy Boshell, Coordinator, Walker County Center of Technology

Brenda Drummond, (Retired) District 2 Board of Education Member

Kyle Dutton, District Administrator, Walker County Schools

Patrick Gann, District Administrator, Walker County Schools

Dr. Tanya Guin, District Administrator, Walker County Schools

Alicia Harris, Reading Specialist, Lupton Junior High School

Tim Hulsey, District Administrator, Walker County Schools

David Knight, Walker County Development Authority

Dave Lawson, Teacher, Curry High School

Linda Lewis, Executive Vice President, Walker County Chamber of Commerce

Amy Lockhart, Assistant Principal, Valley Junior High School

Bart Lockhart, Principal, Oakman Middle School

Andy McCay, Chief School Financial Officer, Walker County Schools

Steve Miller, Chairman, Walker County Commission

Dr. Al Moore, Workforce and Economic Development Director, Bevill State Community College

Colby Morrison, Student, Curry High School

Dustin Murray, Teacher, Carbon Hill Junior High School

Amber Parsons, Assistant Principal, Bankhead Middle School

Bella Reese, Student, Dora High School

Mike Rollo, Community Stakeholder

Steve Rowe, District Administrator, Walker County Schools

Mike Scott, Director of Transportation, Walker County Schools

Dr. Mary Slaughter, District Administrator, Walker County Schools

Darrell Waid, Director of Maintenance, Walker County Schools

Pauletta Windham, Walker Area Community Foundation

Mary Woods, Retired Teacher, Oakman Middle School

Matt Woods, District 13 House of Representatives

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Empowering students through educational excellence

COLLABORATION

Empowering students through educational excellence

COLLABORATION

Empowering students through educational excellence

FOCUS COMMITTEE

Dr. Dennis Willingham, Superintendent

Dr. Mary Slaughter, District Administrator, Walker County Schools

Paige Abner, Principal, Dora High School

Alicia Harris, Reading Specialist, Lupton Junior High School

Dustin Murray, Teacher, Carbon Hill Junior High School

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Empowering students through educational excellence

Empowering students through educational excellence