Standard 2 - Governance and leadership
The school operates under governance and leadership that promote and support student performance and school effectiveness.
district's narrative
The district utilizes nine committees to determine the district's direction and to ensure stakeholder input. These nine committees include buildings, grounds & transportation; budget, finance & grants; technology; community; personnel; instruction, curriculum & assessments; activities; governance & Americanism; and special education. Each board member and school leaders serve on three committees. Each faculty member is required to serve on one committee. The committee also includes patrons from the community.
The governance & Americanism committee is charged with maintaining the district's policies. The committee utilizes the district's school attorney for policy updates and analyzes each proposed update prior to adoption. All polices and handbooks are posted to the district's website. The district's policies and practices clearly and directly support the school's purpose and direction and the effective operation of the school. Policies and practices require and have mechanisms in place for monitoring effective instruction and assessment that produce equitable and challenging learning experiences for all students. There are policies and practices requiring and giving direction for professional growth of all staff along with policies and practices that provide clear requirements, directions for and oversight of fiscal management.
The governing body relies upon the nine strategic planning committees to ensure its decisions and actions are in accordance with defined roles and responsibilities, a code of ethics and free of conflict of interest. The governing body members participate in new board members workshop, an annual board retreat and attend several conferences regarding the roles and responsibilities of the governing body and its individual members. The governing body currently has a desire to learn about and utilize a board self-evaluation process. The members of the governing body comply with all policies, procedures, laws and regulations and function as a cohesive unit for the benefit of student learning. And finally, all members of the governing body sign the Nebraska Association of School Boards Code of Conduct.
The governing body consistently protects, supports, and respects the autonomy of school leadership to accomplish goals for achievement and instruction and to manage day-to-day operation of the school. The governing body maintains a clear distinction between its roles and responsibilities and those of school leadership. The board of education has clearly defined job descriptions for each school leader. Through the strategic plans for each of the nine committees, the board provides direction and purpose for its school leaders. The board then allows the school leaders autonomy to direct the school.
Leaders and staff deliberately and consistently align their decisions and actions toward continuous improvement to achieve the school's purpose. Although the focus of the district's improvement efforts has been on reading, they still expect all students to be held to high standards in all courses of study. All leaders and staff are collectively accountable for student learning. School leaders support innovation, collaboration, shared leadership, and professional growth. Collaboration and sense of community characterize the culture especially at the elementary. In support of the instruction, curriculum & assessment committee, the district has developed a school improvement action plan around reading comprehension. Each staff member has established Professional Learning Goals that abide to Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic & Timely (S.M.A.R.T.) goal to implement in their classrooms. The district has established a Unity Council for additional ownership, and uses a monthly newsletter and their website to communicate to all stakeholders.
Leaders communicate effectively with appropriate and varied representatives from stakeholder groups, provide opportunities for stakeholders to shape decisions, solicit feedback and respond to stakeholders, work collaboratively on school improvement efforts, and provide and support meaningful leadership roles of stakeholders. At the elementary, the principal's proactive and persistent efforts result in measurable, active stakeholder participation; positive engagement in the school; a strong sense of community and ownership. While the secondary principal's efforts result in measurable, active stakeholder participation; engagement in the school; a sense of community; and ownership. Each staff member participated in a data retreat which produced the format and data points contained in the annual school profile. From the data included in the profile, the staff developed the school improvement action plan including instructional strategies. The school quarterly reviews classroom data and establishes goals. Fidelity checks are utilized to ensure appropriate direct instruction. The Parent/Teacher Support Group provides input and resources to assist the school in implementing the plan.
The primary focus of the criteria and processes of supervision and evaluation is improving professional practice and ensuring student success. Supervision and evaluation processes are consistently and regularly implemented. The results of the supervision and evaluation processes are analyzed carefully and used to monitor and effectively adjust professional practice and ensure student learning. Currently, the district has developed a teacher evaluation protocol and is piloting the protocol with a few teachers during the 2016-17 school year. The protocol is a hybrid of the instructional models that the Nebraska Department of Education endorses and follows closely with their framework.
To grow, the board of education has desire to perform a self-evaluation. The self-evaluation will allow the board to identify strengths and areas of growth for the board. The board then would develop annual goals for themselves to address any areas of growth.
Following the piloting of the teacher evaluation protocol, the district must make necessary adjustments, have the protocol approved by the Nebraska Department of Education, and implement the protocol with all teachers.
The governance & Americanism committee is charged with maintaining the district's policies. The committee utilizes the district's school attorney for policy updates and analyzes each proposed update prior to adoption. All polices and handbooks are posted to the district's website. The district's policies and practices clearly and directly support the school's purpose and direction and the effective operation of the school. Policies and practices require and have mechanisms in place for monitoring effective instruction and assessment that produce equitable and challenging learning experiences for all students. There are policies and practices requiring and giving direction for professional growth of all staff along with policies and practices that provide clear requirements, directions for and oversight of fiscal management.
The governing body relies upon the nine strategic planning committees to ensure its decisions and actions are in accordance with defined roles and responsibilities, a code of ethics and free of conflict of interest. The governing body members participate in new board members workshop, an annual board retreat and attend several conferences regarding the roles and responsibilities of the governing body and its individual members. The governing body currently has a desire to learn about and utilize a board self-evaluation process. The members of the governing body comply with all policies, procedures, laws and regulations and function as a cohesive unit for the benefit of student learning. And finally, all members of the governing body sign the Nebraska Association of School Boards Code of Conduct.
The governing body consistently protects, supports, and respects the autonomy of school leadership to accomplish goals for achievement and instruction and to manage day-to-day operation of the school. The governing body maintains a clear distinction between its roles and responsibilities and those of school leadership. The board of education has clearly defined job descriptions for each school leader. Through the strategic plans for each of the nine committees, the board provides direction and purpose for its school leaders. The board then allows the school leaders autonomy to direct the school.
Leaders and staff deliberately and consistently align their decisions and actions toward continuous improvement to achieve the school's purpose. Although the focus of the district's improvement efforts has been on reading, they still expect all students to be held to high standards in all courses of study. All leaders and staff are collectively accountable for student learning. School leaders support innovation, collaboration, shared leadership, and professional growth. Collaboration and sense of community characterize the culture especially at the elementary. In support of the instruction, curriculum & assessment committee, the district has developed a school improvement action plan around reading comprehension. Each staff member has established Professional Learning Goals that abide to Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic & Timely (S.M.A.R.T.) goal to implement in their classrooms. The district has established a Unity Council for additional ownership, and uses a monthly newsletter and their website to communicate to all stakeholders.
Leaders communicate effectively with appropriate and varied representatives from stakeholder groups, provide opportunities for stakeholders to shape decisions, solicit feedback and respond to stakeholders, work collaboratively on school improvement efforts, and provide and support meaningful leadership roles of stakeholders. At the elementary, the principal's proactive and persistent efforts result in measurable, active stakeholder participation; positive engagement in the school; a strong sense of community and ownership. While the secondary principal's efforts result in measurable, active stakeholder participation; engagement in the school; a sense of community; and ownership. Each staff member participated in a data retreat which produced the format and data points contained in the annual school profile. From the data included in the profile, the staff developed the school improvement action plan including instructional strategies. The school quarterly reviews classroom data and establishes goals. Fidelity checks are utilized to ensure appropriate direct instruction. The Parent/Teacher Support Group provides input and resources to assist the school in implementing the plan.
The primary focus of the criteria and processes of supervision and evaluation is improving professional practice and ensuring student success. Supervision and evaluation processes are consistently and regularly implemented. The results of the supervision and evaluation processes are analyzed carefully and used to monitor and effectively adjust professional practice and ensure student learning. Currently, the district has developed a teacher evaluation protocol and is piloting the protocol with a few teachers during the 2016-17 school year. The protocol is a hybrid of the instructional models that the Nebraska Department of Education endorses and follows closely with their framework.
To grow, the board of education has desire to perform a self-evaluation. The self-evaluation will allow the board to identify strengths and areas of growth for the board. The board then would develop annual goals for themselves to address any areas of growth.
Following the piloting of the teacher evaluation protocol, the district must make necessary adjustments, have the protocol approved by the Nebraska Department of Education, and implement the protocol with all teachers.
district evidence
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Elementary only evidence
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Secondary only evidence
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