| July 18, 2013 Update On District 227 Board and ECRA Group Meeting of July 17, 2013 Knowledge is power. Dr. Doris Langon, Dr. David Morgan, Dr. Jennifer Norrell and Board members would like to thank the community and the powerful, experienced, visionary, and highly trained community continuous evaluation committee members who were present to offer their stories, knowledge, insight, skills, participation, vast educational experience, and value-added support for the development of a powerful school improvement vision that will take our three high schools and community from the tragedy and defeat of the past to school progress, success, and meaningful self directions with a future of unlimited possibilities for our children and community's future. Our first meeting on July 17, 2013 at the District 227 administrative Office at 20550 South Cicero Avenue in Matteson turned out to be basically a getting-to-know-you-meeting among of winners, and group participants of highly trained, dedicated, value-added, and experienced people (school administrators, school board members, district leaders, parents, educators, and community) focused on school improvement and our community's future. As a community of learners, thanks again for joining in this historic effort on the road to turning our school district around and saving our community from further ruin. If not us, then who? We must have a dream if we are going to make a dream come true. Winners in life have life time goals. Nations, and communities with visions are powerfully enabled. Those without vision are at risk. Every big organization needs a clear and compelling vision, that top of the mind idea that leaps to the forefront when our schools or district 227's name is mentioned. Once we have identified our goals, then we need to provide two or three value-added messages of direction, suggestions, action plan, and purpose to support it. We desperately need your continuing input, insight, vision, and support in this endeavor. Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 30, 2013 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Our goals for this meeting will be to: 1. Decide on our school district goals for the 2013-2014 school year basing our decisions upon: a. Where are we as a school district? b. Where do we want to be? c. By when? d. What will it take to get there? The Role of the Board and Superintendent in Continuous Improvement: Action plan I. District 227 Goal 1: The District's primary responsibility is to educate students and assist them in meeting their personal learning goals as well as meeting/exceeding the Illinois State Learning Standards. This year, the district is working to improve the literacy of the students, with an emphasis on reading and math, insuring achievement for all students (prevention and intervention strategies). The district will be using data as a guide as it works to make the best educational decisions for all students. This school year (2013-2014) the district will work to improve student achievement in math and reading by 10%. In the 2010-2011 school years, our PSAE scores went down from 36% at grade level to 27% at grade level. In the 2013-2014 school year, we can be equally as proactive in working on bringing up our school improvement scores from where they are now to what they were just two decades ago in the recent past and beyond. In setting our school improvement goals, it is better to err on the side of too great of a vision than not great enough. Our purpose for the meeting on July 30, 2013 will be to frame our student achievement (reading-mathematics) goal for the 2013-2014 school year and then to discuss why our goal will be possible through work, focus, and faith in self improvement. Goal 1: Rich Township High School Student Achievement for the 2013-2014 school year This school year (2013-2014) the district will improve student achievement performance in Reading and Mathematics by 10% by: II. Objectives To Goal 1: An objective is the specific measurable quantifiable daily action steps taken toward reaching the goal in deciding "How are we going to get there?" a. With ten months in a school year, we will achieve 10% progress during the 2013-2014 school year by demonstrating 1% per month progress in our Reading and Mathematics skills based upon ECRA's District 227 Data Collection/Assessment Guides. That means we need to start the school year by hitting the ground running in August, 2013. In monitoring our district progress district wide and community wide, we will post throughout the three high schools throughout the school year, our monthly progress in moving toward our 10% annual Reading/Mathematics Improvement Goal to inform, motivate and inspire those who are responsible for goal implementation or in achieving our goal. b. The Board's Continuous/Assessment/Evaluation Committee will follow a regular process in meeting with the Superintendent/Administration Team (superintendent, administration, three principals, etc.) on a monthly basis, following or shortly after each walk-through to discuss challenges and opportunities for improvement in the board's responsibility and role in following a regular process to review student achievement data to ensure continuous improvement. c. District Administration will conduct two walk-throughs per month with the Board's Continuous /Assessment/Evaluation Committee at all three high schools. True evaluation drives administrative, instructional, and teacher decisions. The Superintendent and Administrative Team, but especially the building principals play a key role in school district turn around and the three high schools must use open, clear, committed, consistent, credible processes that is known and understood by all to involve board, school employees, and the community's stakeholders in the process that will lead to a new climate and culture in accountability, organizational change and academic progress. d. As we review our walk-throughs on our journey toward school improvement and recommend changes, the school board will participate in work sessions to better understand needed changes in curriculum and instruction based upon ECRA's student performance related data. ECRA's District 227 Assessment Data with suggestions and guidelines will arm both the school administration and the board with the tools necessary to increase student achievement performance levels, not just in core areas, but on those twenty-first century skills. In doing so, it will help school board 227 achieve the essential elements of their roles and work. III. The Role of the Board and Superintendent in Continuous Improvement: Summary An informed community of learners is an empowered community of learners. When it comes to promoting our school district's progress, school leadership matters. As school board and school administrators, we need to model the communications excellence we want our employees, students, parents, and community to emulate. If the board and superintendent don't look good, or don't work effectively together, it's impossible for the school district to look good. The board's continuous improvement process committee will meet with the superintendent to: (d-a) Follow a regular process to review student achievement data to ensure continuous improvement. (d-b) Take part in ECRA's training on principles of continuous improvement including use of data and customer focus. (d-c) Participate in ECRA's work sessions to better understand needed changes in curriculum and instruction based on related data. (d-d) Provide funding for continuous improvement. (d-e) Adopt board 227 policies that support continuous improvement, and (d-f) Support publicly and communicate the value of continuous improvement to the community. In meeting and working with the school board, the superintendent will: (d-a) Clearly communicate to the staff, students, and community that we, the school board and administration, are committed to continuous improvement and to build continuous improvement into the planning process. Keep the community informed by providing (copy-in-hand to each community member) progress reports at open bi-monthly board meetings and on the district's website. (d-b) Set and review benchmarks and performance indicators with the board that demonstrate student performance progress related to the district's yearly goals, Strategic Implementation Plan and standards. (d-c) Provide clear analysis of relevant data related to student achievement (Using charts, graphs, and bar graphs) in user-friendly and visually recognizable understood terms for community stakeholders. (d-d) Seek input from professional staff on changes needed to strengthen instructional programs. (d-e) Recommend changes to the instructional program indicated by ECRA's 227 data, board recommendations, and staff input. (d-f) Schedule trainings on ECRA's principles of continuous improvement and participate with the board and community in the process. (d-g) Discuss ECRA's District 227 Assessment Measures to provide feedback on student achievement.
David E. Morgan, Ph.D., Educational Leadership Rich Township High School District 227 Board Member Chair: Board 227 Continuous Improvement Evaluation Committee Olympia Fields, Illinois | 
