Priority Action Teams working on The Success Effect

Over 75 teachers, administrators, staff, parents and community members are developing implementation plans for the BVSD strategic plan - The Success Effect - organized into six teams, each of which has been tasked with one of the priorities for The Success Effect. The participants are developing key activities, implementation metrics and outcomes for each of the priority action areas. The action planning teams are clarifying the work that needs to be completed in order to achieve the short term outcomes, 2-3 years. Following are the six priority areas embedded in the three organizing principles of The Success Effect:

Learning

Systems of Support

Literacy & Early Learning

Successful, Curious, Lifelong Learners

Talent

Educator Pipeline

Educator Growth & Development

Partnerships

Parent & Family Partnerships

Education Northwest - Northwest Regional Education Laboratory out of Portland, Oregon, continues to provide consultation with the strategic planning process. Education Northwest works with state and local education agencies utilizing evidence based decisions that foster efficient, effective, and equitable educational systems. The Education Northwest team helped BVSD identify key actions most likely to achieve the district goals. Key actions for each team will guide the development of the implementation plans.  

Learning: Systems of Support - Key Actions

1. Data System: Create an Assessment Advisory Team
1. Review current data-collection systems
2. Design/develop a comprehensive data-collection system
2. Establish a district Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Leadership Team and provide professional development (PD) across the district as identified in the CDE District Systems Self-Assessment
3. Create a Safe and Healthy Schools Coordinating Team
1. Review all related data to establish attendance, behavior, and safety baselines
2. Design and implement a comprehensive building security plan.
4. Provide increased translation and interpretation to schools and BVSD departments.

Learning: Literacy & Early Learning - Key Actions

1. Identify and implement common assessments PK-12 to develop a common understanding of student mastery of standards and to differentiate instruction
2. Establish a committee to review English language arts (ELA) and English language development (ELD) materials:
1. Adopt resources to meet Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) Literacy Instructional Framework and Curriculum
2. Identify high-leverage strategies in literacy, scaffolds for language development, and purposeful technology integration
3. Align instruction, curriculum, and assessment—horizontally and vertically—for grades PK-3
4. Develop an evaluation cycle that enables continuous improvement in program strategies, professional development, interventions, and assessments

Learning: Successful, Curious Lifelong Learners - Key Actions

1. Develop BVSD Success Skills, new graduation requirements, and expectations for postsecondary and career readiness
2. Implement individual career and academic plans (ICAPs) for all students, beginning with grades 9-12, followed by PK-8
3. Integrate BVSD Success Skills and principles into school design, curriculum and instruction, and teacher professional development and evaluation, beginning with grades 9-12, followed by PK-8
4. Use the BVSD Success Skills Framework as a guide to increase student-led learning experiences and instruction in and across secondary classrooms

Talent: Educator Pipeline - Key Actions

1. Evaluate the effectiveness of BVSD current hiring, retention, and development practices for teachers and building administrators
2. Determine the key attributes and skill sets that contribute to candidate success. Refine current hiring and recruiting process to select for these attributes and skills. Develop assessment procedures that enable candidates to demonstrate the desired skills and attributes
3. Develop a comprehensive marketing plan to attract and recruit qualified candidates locally and nationally, based on findings that emerge out of work on priorities 1 and 2
4. Build systems to induct and retain outstanding BVSD professionals through recognition and professional development opportunities and other incentives. Create pathways for exemplary teachers to become building administrators, instructional coaches, or mentor teachers

Talent: Educator Growth & Development - Key Actions

1. Combine professional learning team and educator evaluation committee
2. Build a job-embedded, customized, educator-directed professional learning model based on research and best practices. Analyze how current structures must change to accommodate new model, including allocation of professional learning hours and days, technology and data system requirements, and training needed to implement new system
3. Budget to implement and sustain the new professional learning model. Ensure that the model is sustainable with anticipated funding

Partnerships: Parent & Family - Key Actions

1. Develop a district wide definition of meaningful family engagement
1. Align district efforts with new Colorado Department of Education (CDE) parent engagement regulations
2. Recruit and hire a bilingual, culturally competent, full-time Family Partnerships Coordinator
3. Identify strategies to increase parent and family engagement
1. Hold parent/guardian focus groups
2. Develop strategies based on feedback and research

Launch of The Success Effect priority action plans will occur in the fall semester 2015 through school improvement plans and district unified improvement plan.

Leslie Arnold has been appointed Assistant Superintendent for Strategic Initiatives. Ms. Arnold most recently served as Assistant Superintendent in the Clark County School District, Las Vegas, Nevada where she led the district’s assessment, accountability, research and school improvement departments. Ms. Arnold’s primary responsibility in BVSD is to lead the implementation of The Success Effect.

Learn more about The Success Effect.