I have worked with school administrators and the Leadership Team on such projects as school goal development, the school improvement plan, the school calendar, and family engagement events. I have also met with the Center for Advanced Study of Teaching And Learning representative to assist the preschool and pre-k teams with progress through division goals based on state recommendations and coaching.
Goal Setting:
This year and last, I worked on the school improvement plan with administration and the Leadership Team. We developed school goals based on school and division priorities and values. One of our major focuses was family engagement. As a result, I was tasked with developing a template for teacher goals related to family communication. We worked throughout the year to create opportunities for families and teachers to communicate and sharing materials safely in the midst of the pandemic. We documented how and when teachers communicated and data was shared with administrators throughout the year.
Important Trends in Education:
- Multicultural and Intercultural Education
- Expansion of Inclusive Education
- Expansion of Pre-Kindergarten Programs
- Unified Special Education Eligibility Criteria
- Project-Based and hands-on learning
- Emphasis on higher-order thinking and collaborative work for students,
- Family rights and representation
- Teacher support and coaching
Strategies for Evaluating School Progress and Use of Data
School improvement is a ongoing process. Review of data and goal setting occur throughout the year to monitor progress and adjustments should be made based on the data collected. Care should be taken to reflect on groups impacted to ensure equitable access to a quality education for all students. Ensuring adequate number of SPED, ESOL and content coaching staff, ensuring quality professional development for teachers, and providing mentoring and/or coaching for teachers can help ensure that teachers are prepared to support their students and each other as we work to ensure success for our school body.
Procedures for Managing School Resources:
Maintenance of school resources is critical to enabling that school operations can proceed smoothly. Important considerations for resource management include:
- Regular review of bookkeeping
- Review of materials to ensure quality and timely replacement
- Meeting with teachers to do needs assessments
- Utilizing in-house trainings
- Managing/utilizing community resources & donations
Student/Staff Safety Procedures:
Safety of students and staff is a priority for all administrators. A safety team should be assembled to develop and monitor safety procedures for the school. This plan should include specific dates and times planned for safety drills and trainings in following with state, local, and federal health and safety regulations. When these events occur, it should also be documented in the safety plan. The team should review and maintain emergency plan that they share with the staff. Regular review of classrooms for hazards should also occur to ensure safety.