Mission
Our mission is to prepare all students for success as lifelong learners, earners and citizens.  

Vision
Our vision is to be nationally recognized for the breadth and depth of success attained by all students.

Goal
Our goal is for all students to succeed at increasingly higher levels of academic growth, social-emotional development and postsecondary preparation.

Core Beliefs
Our core beliefs shape how the organization views itself, others and the world.  

Acceptance: We create a climate that values diverse thinking, mutual respect and working as a team for the betterment of the whole organization.

Accountability: We hold ourselves and one another accountable for increasing student and staff success. 

Courage: We support courageous actions in an environment that embraces ethical and thoughtful risk-taking.

Joy: We enjoy our work and recognize that happiness contributes to organizational health and generates more opportunities for success.

Trust: We presume the good intentions of others in a culture of openness for honest input and creative ideas.

Guiding Principles
Our guiding principles influence the behavior of educators, staff, parents, students and community members as we strive for student and organizational success.

System Perspective: We respect that all components of the organization are interdependent and must be managed as a unified whole in order to achieve ongoing success and performance excellence.

Engaged Learning: We share a collaborative responsibility for implementing intentionally designed holistic and engaging learning experiences.

Encouraging Environment: We promote a framework encouraging grit and the courage for students to become the best version of themselves. 

Relationship Building: We facilitate connection and growth through safe, inclusive, compassionate and empathetic interactions with others.

Foundational Skills: We provide dynamic learning experiences to build a strong foundation of skills necessary to be competitive in local, regional and global economies.

Societal Contributions: We demonstrate a well-rounded ability to make respectful and ethical decisions.  

Pillars
We are committed to student success through dedication to four foundational pillars: teaching and learning, culture and environment, employee talent, and partner relations - with outcomes measured in both traditional and non-traditional ways. 

Indicators of Success

1. The percentage of students at or above benchmark on Individual Growth & Development Indicators (myIGDIs) and the Formative Assessment System for Teachers (FASTBridge) will increase from pre-kindergarten through third grade, overall and for each identified subgroup.
2. The percentage of students who score in Levels 3 and 4 on the English Language Arts State Assessment will increase at each grade level 3-8 and 10, overall and for each identified subgroup.
3. The percentage of students who score in Levels 3 and 4 on the Mathematics State Assessment will increase at each grade level 3-8 and 10, overall and for each identified subgroup.
4. The percentage of students identified ‘at risk’ in the Kansas Communities that Care Social-Emotional Learning Report will decrease for Character Development, Personal Development, Social Development and School Climate in grades 6, 8, 10 and 12, overall and for each identified subgroup.
5. The graduation rate of students within the district will increase, overall and for each identified subgroup.
6. The two-year postsecondary success rate of students within the district will increase, overall and for each identified subgroup.

Objectives and Strategies
1. Provide every student equitable access to learner-centered curriculum, instruction, assessment and interventions.

A. Align curriculum with content standards and assessment framework.

1. Create a well-defined curriculum protocol that provides scope and sequence by subject area content standards.
2. Revise horizontal and vertical alignment of instructional materials based upon analysis of student performance data.
3. Create a district assessment and data analysis calendar to guide data discussions at building and district levels.
4. Provide ongoing training to support alignment of standards, curriculum and assessment.
5. Create and deliver a process for communicating about curriculum, content standards and the assessment framework.
6. Develop an accountability system to ensure timely completion of curriculum, content standards and assessment alignment.

 B. Identify and implement evidence-based instructional practices.

1. Identify evidence-based instructional practices.
2. Provide ongoing training to support implementation of evidence-based instructional practices.
3. Create and deliver a process to communicate about evidence-based instructional practices.
4. Develop an accountability system to monitor impact of evidence-based instructional practices on student success indicators.

C. Institutionalize a multi-tiered system of reading, mathematics and social-emotional supports.

1. Provide core instruction consistent with adopted protocols.
2. Ensure intervention and support decisions are based upon benchmark and progress monitoring protocols.
3. Provide training in multi-tiered system of supports to promote clarity and reduce variance across the district.
4. Create and deliver a process for ongoing communication about multi-tiered system of supports.
5. Develop an accountability system to monitor the impact of multi-tiered system of supports on indicators of student success.

D. Implement a trauma-responsive structure to support mental health needs of the school community.

1. Maintain cross-system collaboration between mental health providers and school teams.
2. Align mental health protocols across the school community.
3. Identify and implement trauma-responsive practices to promote student resilience.
4. Provide training in use of trauma-responsive practices and mental health protocols.
5. Create and deliver a process for ongoing communication about trauma-responsive practices and mental health protocols.
6. Enhance service delivery through social-emotional family engagement and empowerment.
7. Develop an accountability system to monitor the impact of trauma-responsive practices and mental health protocols within the school community.

E. Implement a framework for personalized learning.

1. Create common terminology, protocols and timelines for implementation of personalized learning throughout the district.
2. Construct a platform of essential core components and change strategies for the personalized learning framework.
3. Provide ongoing training about core components and change strategies within the personalized learning framework.
4. Create and deliver a process for personalized learning communications.
5. Develop an accountability system to monitor the impact of personalized learning on student success.

F. Identify and implement technology to enhance teaching and learning.

1. Ensure student, parent and staff access to technology.
2. Create online access to instructional materials.
3. Deliver training and support for information and instructional technology.
4. Create and deliver a process for ongoing communication about technology to enhance teaching and learning.
5. Ensure reliability and cybersecurity of information and instructional systems.
6. Develop an accountability system to monitor the impact of technology on teaching and learning.

2. Provide a culture and environment to promote positive and productive conditions for learning, teaching and working.

A. Identify and implement policies and practices to promote diversity, inclusion and equity.

1. Update and enforce policies prohibiting discrimination, harassment and inequitable access.
2. Ensure principles and practices of diversity, inclusion and equity are promoted and enforced throughout all buildings and departments of the district.
3. Provide ongoing training to expand understanding of and commitment to diversity, inclusion and equity.
4. Create and deliver a process for consistent communication about diversity, inclusion and equity.
5. Engage and empower students, parents, employees and the community as ambassadors for diversity, inclusion and equity.
6. Develop an accountability system to monitor the impact of promotion and enforcement efforts regarding diversity, inclusion and equity.

B. Enact policies and practices to attract, develop, empower and retain high quality employees.

1. Implement a framework to increase qualified high quality and diverse candidate pools.
2. Onboard new staff through a district orientation and support program.
3. Deliver training relevant to specific areas of responsibility, including when changes occur in knowledge or skill expectations of a position.
4. Create and deliver a process for ongoing communication about efforts to attract, develop, empower and retain high quality employees.
5. Maintain a staff incentive program that includes recognition and added compensation for established factors.
6. Develop an accountability system to monitor the impact of efforts to attract, develop, empower and retain high quality employees.

C. Align non-instructional operations in support of students, staff and schools.

1. Maintain facilities and grounds that are clean and safe.
2. Ensure safety and security of people and property within the district.
3. Maintain a communications process for two-way exchange of information.
4. Construct a human resource system to meet staffing needs within the district.
5. Maintain business practices that ensure financial security of the district.
6. Continue transportation services that are safe, comfortable and efficient.
7. Provide childhood nutrition programming to meet dietary and wellness education needs within the district.
8. Provide training to maintain consistency of non-instructional operations across the district.
9. Develop an accountability system to monitor the impact of non-instructional efforts to support students, staff and schools.

D. Identify and implement technology to promote operational productivity.

1. Ensure student, parent and staff access to technology.
2. Maintain a management process for collection and storage of operational data.
3. Deliver training and support for operational use of technology.
4. Ensure reliability and cybersecurity of information and operational systems.
5. Create and deliver a process to communicate about use of technology to promote operational productivity.
6. Develop an accountability system to monitor impact of technology on operational productivity.

3. Develop and enhance mutually beneficial relationships where schools, families and community partners share a commitment to student success.

A. Engage and empower families as partners to enrich student learning.

1. Implement a centralized welcome center to provide orientation and assistance to families new to the district.
2. Develop and implement a plan to increase family engagement opportunities and the number of involved families.
3. Provide ongoing training to increase staff understanding of and commitment to family empowerment.
4. Identify and implement technology to enhance two-way communication between parents and educators.
5. Collect and analyze parent satisfaction data to monitor success of engagement and empowerment efforts.

B. Expand and strengthen community partnerships to enrich student learning. 

1. Identify and engage current and potential community partners.
2. Create a framework to benefit students and meet identified needs of community partners.
3. Provide training to increase staff understanding of and commitment to community partnerships.
4. Identify and implement technology to enhance communication and collaboration with partners.
5. Collect and analyze data to monitor the extent to which partners perceive community collaboration as mutually beneficial.

C. Construct educational choice options to meet student and community needs and interests.

1. Provide training to increase understanding of the educational choice option process.
2. Create and deliver a method to communicate about educational choice options.
3. Develop a catalog of program choice options available within the district.
4. Ensure program choice options comply with all policy and accountability requirements of the district and state.
5. Create and enforce guidelines to ensure all families have equal access to all program choice options.
6. Establish a process to evaluate the impact of each program choice option on student success.

Glossary

Academic Engagement - Implementation of differentiated learning strategies and plans to address areas of concern.

Character Development Standard - Identify, define and live in accordance with core principles that aid in effective problem solving and responsible decision-making. 

Diversity - The inclusion of different types of people, such as different races or cultures, in a group or organization.

Equity - Individuals or populations of individuals experience equal opportunity to succeed when provided additional supports needed to overcome barriers to success.

Graduation Rate - The four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate is the number of students who graduate in four years with a regular high school diploma divided by the number of students who entered high school as 9th graders four years earlier (adjusting for transfers in and out).

Personal Development Standard - Identify, understand and effectively manage thoughts, feelings and behaviors. 

Personalized Learning - Places the whole child as an active participant at the center of instruction. Strong relationships between educators, students, family and community ensure equity and choice in time, place, path, pace and demonstration of learning.

Postsecondary Success Rate - A student must meet one of four outcomes within two years of high school graduation: 1) earn an industry-recognized certification while in high school; 2) earn a postsecondary certificate; 3) earn a postsecondary degree; or, 4) enroll in postsecondary in both the first and second year following high school graduation.

School Climate - The quality and character of school life as it relates to norms and values, interpersonal relations and social interactions, and organizational processes and structures. 

Social Development Standard - Establish and maintain positive relationships and communicate with others in various settings and situations.

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