coen Posted December 2, 2010 Report Share Posted December 2, 2010 Proceedings of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee School District No. 2, Yellowstone County High School District No. 2, Yellowstone County Billings, Montana April 22, 2010 CALL TO ORDER Chair Barbara Bryan called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 22, 2010, in the Board Room of the Lincoln Center. Strategic Planning Steering Committee members in attendance were Barbara Bryan, Peter Gesuale, Kathy Aragon, Teresa Stroebe, Superintendent Copps (ex officio), Nancy Hines (ex officio), Gail Surwill, Mark Astle, Leo Barsanti, Bryan Buehler, Nichole Card, Jim Duncan, Mary Susan Fishbaugh, Mike Foster, Mary Hernandez, Mary Lave, Scott McCulloch, Suzanne McKiernan, Sharon Peterson, Karen Rice, Bruce Schlicting, Dulce Whitford, and Sandy Wong. Also in attendance were Lance Melton and Debra Silk of the Montana School Boards Association. Absent were Steve Arveschoug, Marge Flynn, Mary Jo Fox, Malcolm Goodrich, Joel Guthals, Travis Kemp, Don Reed, Joyce Weber and Sandy Wong. Guests in attendance were Mike and Cecily Zyph. COMMUNICATION FROM THE PUBLIC No communication from the public. INTRODUCTIONS Barb Bryan asked Steering Committee members to introduce themselves and announced that members will be divided into five groups for the discussion tonight. FINALIZE CORE PURPOSE AND CORE VALUES DRAFT FOR FURTHER INPUT Barb Bryan presented the revised draft core purpose and core values from the Committee members and asked members to voice their comments and input to finalize the proposed draft core purpose and core values before presenting the document to the public. Two of the four draft core purpose and the core values that the Committee discussed, included: Draft Core Purpose Comments 1) Through world-class instruction, to discover and develop the full potential of every child. - Change the word child to learners or students to reflect adult learners. - What does world-class mean. - Incorporate world-class instruction. - What does transparency mean and how do you measure. - There is a difference between the perception and reality of transparency. - Advocate for education vs instruction, education implies pro-active and emphasis a broader concept. - Instruction is a key part, but seems like a narrow concept as there is more to education today. 2) To discover and develop the full potential of every child. - Eliminate the word full. - Define the sentence better. The revised Draft Core Purpose based on comments during the meeting: “To discover and develop the full learning potential of every student through world class education”. Draft Core Values We are student-centered - Our schools are places students want to be. - We value the cultural background of every student. - We provide equality of opportunity for every student. - We inspire and engage every student through individualized instruction. - Student achievement is the work of every employee. We are encore performers. - All staff are highly qualified and high performing. - All students perform, achieve, and behave at their. - The school board is knowledgeable, highly trained, and highly effective. - We teach knowledge and skills that transcend time and place. - We model and teach the highest standards of integrity, ethics, respect, compassion, citizenship, and character. We are nimble and innovative. - We embrace change that benefits students. - We align everything to our core purpose and strategic goals. - Current and relevant data inform our decisions. - We are guided by industry best practices. We are financially responsible. - Our operations are financially sustainable. - We are wise stewards of taxpayer dollars and our existing assets. - By demonstrating value, we earn the community’s trust and financial support. - We advocate for fair and adequate school funding. We are transparent and accountable. - We understand that we belong to the community. - We account for and efficiently manage the use of all our resources. - We assess and report student and staff performance and other key indicators. - We communicate effectively with all stakeholders. We are collaborative - We collaborate/partner to profit in all operations from the knowledge, skills, and resources of local citizens and businesses. - We collaborate/partner with those who provide non educational services our students need. - We collaborate/partner with government, universities, and other entities on shared interest. - We engage parents. Draft Core Values Comments - Core Values – don’t use the term “customer”, customers do not have responsibility. Community members, students and parents are more than customers as they have responsibility. - We plan for everything, we align everything, too broad, need to be more more specific. Possibly use qualifiers. Perhaps “strategically plan and adapt.” - Need more specifics on professional development and we need to clearly define what is meant by highly qualified and high performing. Differentiate what that means for instructional staff vs. classified staff and others. Another bullet on “we provide a progressive professional development program.” - We are nimble and innovative, comment on third bullet. We need a stronger statement on our support of new ideas, perspectives and out of box thinking. Something more than seek. “We seek, invite, and create new ideas.” - We are financially responsible, comment regarding whether we currently have financial sustainability. We have no control over sustainability. Perhaps we should focus on what is under our control. Our operations are financially accountable and efficient. We use our resources wisely. - Student achievement is the work of every employee. Comment this needs to include families, community, everyone. Student achievement is the business of everyone engaged in the Billings Public Schools. - “We are student centered.” Does this go down under “we are collaborative” and amend to show how we demonstrate that student achievement and results drive instruction. - We are student centered add a bullet that student achievement is enhanced through parent and community involvement. Should be first under “we are collaborative.” - We are collaborative, include government and universities. Make sure to include government, which includes universities. - Transparency, consider different word choice to avoid negative connotation with the term. - Identify what transparency means. Commit to it specifically and identify. Quantify the term. - “We are transparent and accountable,” possible change to “welcome outside scrutiny” to “we invite outside scrutiny.” - Under we are transparent and accountable, change stakeholders to citizens or some broader term. Spell out who are the stakeholders. - We communicate effectively should include “and proactively.” - All students perform, possible too broad. - We plan for everything is too broad. - Avoid repetition. - Recruitment and retention of staff. DISCUSS AND DEVELOP ENVISIONED FUTURE FOR BILLINGS PUBLIC SCHOOLS (10-30 YEAR PLANNING HORIZON) Barb Bryan introduced Lance Melton and Debra Silk, from Montana School Boards Association. Mr. Melton and Ms. Silk facilitated a presentation titled “Strategic Planning Session 3” and gave a hard copy of the presentation notes to each committee member. Mr. Melton asked member to work in groups to complete the exercises that will be used to draft the envisioned future for the Billings Public Schools. Mr. Melton gave a recap from Session 1 an 2 of the Committee’s work on the Strategic Planning Process, which included: The Order of Strategic Planning, Discovering the district’s core ideology, Core Ideology Exercise, and Core Ideology = Core purpose + Core values. Mr. Melton explained the “Envisioned Future Exercise”. Forty five minutes will be designated for drafting and thirty minutes for reporting. Key points made by Mr. Melton and Ms. Silk included: A Big Audacious Goal Five criteria of a good Big Audacious Goal - Are set with an understanding of how we will apply our limited resources to better the world in which we function. - Fit squarely in the three circles of our Hedgehog Concept. - Have a long time frame – 10 to 30 years. - Should be clear, compelling and easy to grasp. - Directly reflect our core values and core purpose. Billings School District’s Hedgehog Concept – The focus of our Envisioned Future - What we are best at. - What drives our resource engine. - What we are passionate about. Envisioned Future Exercise, Each table drafts a proposed big audacious goal For Billings Public Schools using the criteria discussed. Using a 15-20 year planning Horizon, identify the changes in the district, the Billings community, even the World, that you want to see as a result of Billings School District’s programs and services. - The Big Audacious Goal must be consistent with the core purpose and core values previously identified. - The Big Audacious Goal should be supported by vivid descriptions of What it will be like to experience the success sought. - Note: The more specific the descriptions are, the easier it will be for the community to understand where the Billings School District is attempting to go with its programs and services and to provide meaningful feedback on the intended direction before finalized. Envisioned Future – Finding Focus - Examples of areas to address in your description include: • First and foremost, the impact on children • The most valued benefits, products and services • Delivery systems • Governance structure • Culture • Recognition and esteem among colleagues and the public Scanning the Horizon – Identifying Barriers to Success • Identification of strategic assumptions regarding the future At this point members worked in groups to develop an Envisioned Future for Billings Public Schools. Steering Committee member names and table # groups included: Table #1 Kathy Aragon, Jim Duncan, and Suzanne McKiernan Table #2 Barb Bryan, Mary Susan Fishbaugh, and Scott McCulloch Table #3 Mike Foster, Mary Lave, Sharon Peterson, Teresa Stroebe, and Dulce Whitford Table #4 Leo Barsanti, Nichole Card, Karen Rice, and Peter Gesuale Table #5 Mark Astle, Mary Hernandez, Gail Surwill, and Sandy Wong Envisioned Future Exercise Notes Table #1 BAG Billings Public Schools is the premier school district in Montana and a model that others aspire to attain. Note: The key to this BAG is measurement and data. Vivid Descriptors Achievement • Graduation rate • ACT scores • Career readiness/college • Partnerships with alternative learning, higher ed and others Value • Optimal fiscal accountability • Efficient and lean • Optimal class size (exceed minimal accreditation standards) Innovation • Maximize technology to improve outcomes • Classroom of the future • Learning communities Community • Approval rating (measuring tool) • Engaged business community/citizens • Multiple candidates for board • Worthy of philanthropy • Responsive to community needs (emphasis on workforce needs) Employee • Employer of choice status – a technical standard (we need more information on this) • Educator qualification standards • Professional growth • Wellness Other • Student wellness • Safety • Environmental stewardship Note: Measurement tool kits Table #2 BAG Our schools are different from the way that they are now. To meet the needs and capitalize on the core purpose, there will have to be substantial change. Schools cannot be organized and measured the way that they are today. Vivid Descriptors • Cohesion at all levels. Everyone pulling in the same direction. Clarity and consensus regarding what the future success of Billings Public Schools looks like. • Everything will be redefined over the coming years, including how we define achievement. 95% achievement under the definitions in place in 2025. (Note: The definition of “achievement” will continue to be a moving target) • Differentiated Learning is a given (as opposed to the factory model that is not working). Adapting the learning environment to every child’s needs. • Seamless transition to post secondary success. In terms of both student learning and teacher training. Encompassing a full range of post secondary futures, some of which will happen while the students are still here! Definition of “teacher” will change. • Primary role of administrators is instructional leadership. Management is a given. Leaders at all levels, administrative and instructional. The key is to get away from managing. • Flexibility in all operations – no fixed barriers. A “can and will do” mentality. Open to all options in pursuit of our core purpose. • Strategy-driven budgeting as a means of ensuring alignment with the mission. • A sense that we are all in this together. That the schools are in the community and the community is in the schools. • Everyone sees value in what the schools do. Table #3 BAG In Billings Public Schools, using rigor, every student succeeds. As a result, we have no dropouts. Vivid Descriptors Inclusive (like neighborhood schools) • Inviting to community • Cultural awareness • Equal opportunities • Community involvement in schools • Communicate positives Engaged • With cutting-edge technology • Small classrooms • Individual attention • Relevant • Community involvement in schools Connected • Governance is “us” and “we”, not “you” and “them”. • Relationships • Authentic learning experiences relevant to their lives • Communicate positives Table #4 BAG Through student achievement, Billings Public Schools is recognized as the primary contributor to Billings’ outstanding quality of life. Vivid Descriptors Student Centered • 100% graduation • Materials/curriculum • Sense of belonging • Individualized • Productive members of society Financially Sustainable • Technology/materials • Class size • Maintenance • Assessment/anticipation Staff • Trained/professional development • Materials • Competitive wages for retention • Held accountable • Directly invite community participation Community • Collaborate • Seek and invite new ideas • Perspectives/partners Table #5 BAG Billings Public Schools has high quality staff dedicated to impacting the character of our students, their accomplishments and their contributions to our global community. Vivid Descriptors • First and foremost, we are student-centered • Together, Billings Public Schools, students and the community regularly collaborate as partners to achieve the shared goals of the District and community. • Staff in the District are energized and inspire students to reach their maximum potential. • The District maintains a clearly articulated plan that defines achievement on the attainment of goals, and one that effectively prepares students for career readiness and post-secondary education. DISCUSS NEXT STEPS Mr. Melton and Ms. Silk will compile the work of the committee and work with Barb Bryan to develop the finalized “Draft Core Purpose and Core Values” reflecting the content and intent of the committee work. These drafts will be forwarded to members for comment before the next meeting. The next step will be to develop 3-5 year Goals and Identification of Strategic Objectives for each Goal Area. NEXT MEETING The next scheduled meeting will be Wednesday, May, 19, 2010 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. in the Board room, Lincoln Center. APPROVE MEETING MINUTES Approval of the February 6, 2010 and March 23, 2010 meeting minutes will be moved to the next meeting. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business Barb Bryan adjourned the meeting at 8:00 p.m. Barbara Bryan; Chair, Strategic Planning Steering Subcommittee Brenda Cross, Recorder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.