The Long-Term District Targets and Goals are being Developed for USD #239
by Dr. Larry Combs, Superintendent
January 20, 2008
USD #239 is in the process of developing a list of targets and goals for the school district. The purpose of these "targets and goals" will be to develop a roadmap regarding the issues the district will work toward solving in the future.
In November 2007 the Board of Education and administrative team conducted a work night to develop a list of issues and concerns. Using the "dot technique" this list was refined. The "dot technique" involves allowing each participant in the process to spend their "dots" on those items they believe are the most important, critical or necessary to address. (Each participant was allowed five-5-dots in this process.) Additional input was sought from he Superintendent Advisory Group.
The initial efforts at establishing USD #239 targets and goals are currently on the district web-site. The process will continue by gathering input from school site councils, other employee meetings and from the general public at some point in the future. It is the desire of the USD #239 Board of Education to use this process to set direction for the future of the school district.
Thank you for taking time to read this article and please feel free to call me (Larry Combs, Superintendent @ (785) 392-217) if you have questions over this article or other school related issues.
USD #239 Board of Education Work Night
November 1, 2007
&
Superintendent Advisory Group
November 6, 2007
The following items are the targets/goals identified by the BOE and Administrative Team on November 1, 2007. These items were taken from the "master list" of individual items. The "Superintendent Advisory Group" was asked to also "rate" the items (using the "dot technique") at the November 6th meeting. (Participants placed a "dot" on those items that they believed should have the highest priority.)
KEY:
(-)= BOE/Administration Team "Dots"
<->= Superintendent Advisory Group "Dots"
"-"= Total "Dots"
Curriculum
- Develop a formalized at-risk program (4) <4> "8"
- Continue curriculum analysis and improvement (3) <0> "3"
- Curriculum alignment with state standards (3) <0> "3"
- Technology (1) <3> "4"
- Planning
- Funding <1> "1"
- Personnel Needs <2> "2"
- Early Childhood Education Needs (1) <0> "1"
- All Day Kindergarten (1) <5> "6"
- General Curriculum Issues (0) <0> "0"
- Music Department�continue to improve (0) <1> "1"
- Testing/Assessments�continued improvement (0) <1> "1"
- Foreign Language Needs (0) <0> "0"
- Science -more teachers at the secondary level (0) <0> "0"
Facilities
- Gymnasium
- Practice facilities (6) <7> "13"
- MGS Gym Renovation (3) <3> "6"
- Gymnasium space--?--new gym of some sort (1) <2> "3"
- Special Education Facility Needs (4) <0> "4"
- Pride in facilities (3) <1> "4"
- Size of facilities (1) <0< "1"
- Age of facilities (1) <1> "2"
- Space Issues - Storage (0) <4> "4"
- Parking at both sites (0) <2> "2"
- MJSHS Gym Renovation (0) <0> "0"
- Overcrowding of students (0) <0> "0"
- Tennis courts- use of (0) <0> "0"
Personnel
- Salary Issues (3) <4> "7"
- At-Risk Para Positions (2) <0> "2"
- "Contract Substitute" in conjunction with Recreation Commission (2) <0> "2"
- Hiring and Retaining good employees (1) <0> "1"
- Evaluation Process (1) <0> "1"
- Continued staff development (0) <1> "1"
- Pool of substitutes (0) <0> "0"
Miscellaneous
- Increase enrollment - recruiting and retaining kids (3) <2> "5"
- Long-range planning (2) <1> "3"
- District unity/Community support (1) <0> "1"
- More activity routes (1) <0> "1"
- Athletic practice schedule (0) <0> "0"
- Analyze transportation costs (0) <0> "0"
Finance
- Declining budget (2) <0> "2"
- Unfunded mandates (0) <0> "0"
Participants
BOE/Admin.Team Work Night-- 6 BOE Members and 4 Administrators
Superintendent Advisory Group-- 6 Teachers, 1 Custodian, 1 Building Secretary
