Cumberland School Department Strategic Plan-SC 9.14.17_2
Sharpening The Vision Toward 2020
Adopted by the Cumberland School Committee September 14, 2017
Process
By the numbers:
17 Steering Committee Members representing Administration, Certified Staff, Parents, Students, Community Members, Town Council, Mayor’s Office and School Committee
8 Strategic Planning Constituent Workshops held for: Parents, Certified Staff, Administrators, School Committee, CHS Students, NCMS Students, McCourt Students, and Community Members
225 Participated in one or more of the Strategic Planning Workshops
157 Action Items and Opportunities Submitted for review
4 Themes identified: School Structure and Organization, Whole Child and Wellness, Communication and Budget and Funding
54 participants representing a cross section of the constituent workshops attended a theme workshop. Top ideas and themes were refined and prioritized.
Mission and Values
Mission
We Believe
Values
We Believe
- In treating all with dignity and respect
- In setting high expectations
- In accountability
- In no excuses; only results
We Believe
- In our students
- In our teachers
- In our community
We Believe
- We can be in the top 5 districts across all grade levels
- All decisions shall be data driven using evidence-based best practice
- We can conquer any challenge
We Believe
4 Areas of Strategic Emphasis
- School Structure and Organization
- Wellness and Whole Child
- Communication
- Proper Funding and Fiscal Management
School Structure and Organization
We believe in an educational system that is based on learning outcomes that defines what the students should know and be able to do.
To that end:
- Student performance data shall drive all curricular revisions
- The standards-based grading system will be reviewed and revised and effectively communicated to all stakeholders
- A professional development plan will be developed to improve the practice of all staff.
- All schools will set measureable growth targets based on standardized test outcomes in the areas of ELA, mathematics, and science
- The district will develop a consistent and comprehensive K-12 Response to Intervention (RTI) system
- The district shall review enrollment numbers and forecasts to maximize space in the elementary and middle schools to minimize overcrowding in our schools
Wellness and Whole Child
We believe all stakeholders in our school community are responsible to identify, communicate and respond to the emotional, nutritional and physical needs of our community members.
To that End:
- Identify and define how our food service provider meets the wellness needs of our community
- Develop and execute a social and emotional learning (SEL) curriculum
- Provide learning opportunities to connect nutrition and the kinesthetic effect on learning in all content areas
- Develop and provide professional development for staff
- Utilize data to support the impact on student growth academically, socially, and emotionally
- Develop a faculty and staff plan for wellness
- By 2020 school start times shall be adjusted to reflect best practices indicating performance of high school students increases with later start times
- Coordinate a stronger connection between wellness and PBIS
Communication
We believe that an educational system focused on multiple channels of communication that assists in creating a more engaged, and informed community. We will focus on results! We will communicate how Cumberland Public Schools can and will become one of the top performing systems in the State of Rhode Island.
To that end: Communication issues focus on 3 main focus areas including branding, student reporting and a master calendar:
- Branding
- Student Reporting
- Calendar
Branding:
- Develop a written plan for attracting and retaining families to our school system
- Evaluate the current use of individual brands and identifies for each school
- Review the pros and cons of developing a single brand/identity that transcends individual schools
- Review strategies for breaking down the North/South 295 divide…unify
- Market Pre-Kindergarten opportunity to parents making the Cumberland Public School system the system of choice for parents
Student Reporting:
- Enhance the clarity around the standards-based grading system
- Provide greater clarity regarding formative versus summative assessments
- Publicize the availability of the mobile app for Aspen
Calendar:
- Consider developing a single point of access that will provide information to all constituent groups such as a master calendar
- Consider allowing programs such as athletics, Clef, band, Student Government, etc. to have updating rights to the calendar
Proper Funding and Fiscal Management
We believe a vibrant school community is properly funded and efficiently managed to the benefit of all children.
To that end:
- Central administration shall review and revise the process for budgeting and forecasting to create an “ideal” budget process from the bottom up
- We will find a way to apply for grants
- Evaluate whether the right resources are dedicated to supporting strategic goals at the school level
- Partner with the Town Council and Mayor’s office to establish an economic development committee in Cumberland to drive additional financial support to the town and create collaborative opportunities between the school department, Town Hall and the business community
- Design and execute a strategy for communicating the value of a Cumberland education, the need for parity for Cumberland students, and a recognition that action shall generate immediate results
Call to Action
The Superintendent Shall:
- Insure that each Principal and functional area director develops action plans that support and drive each strategic priority
- Insure the Strategic Plan is relevant and executed
School Principals/Central Office Administrators Shall:
- Develop at least 3 and no more than 5 “We Believe” statements that articulate how each school relates to the overall mission and values
- Develop 3 to 5 action plans for the 2017-2018 school year that support student outcomes specific to each strategic focus area