Strategic Plan Components

District 64 Strategic Plan "Journey of Excellence"

Adopted by the Board of Education May 10, 2010

Find out more about the implementation of the plan on this companion page of the Web site.

Beliefs  -- Mission -- Parameters -- Objectives -- Strategies & Action Plans

Beliefs

• All people have inherent worth.
• Quality education benefits everyone.
• Everyone within our community is responsible for the education and development of our children.
• The family environment has a major influence on the development of a child.
• All people can be successful learners and continue to learn throughout their lives.
• A safe, nurturing environment is essential to learning.
• People grow through a variety of experiences, opportunities and adversities.
• High expectations and a positive attitude result in higher performance.
• Both cooperation and healthy competition are necessary to achieve excellence.
• Effort, perseverance and self-discipline are necessary for people to achieve their personal best.
• People are responsible for their actions and honoring their commitments.
• Honesty and integrity are essential to build and sustain trusting relationships.
• Everyone benefits from contributing to the well-being of others.
• Understanding diversity is essential to thrive in an interdependent, global community.
• Change is inevitable and challenges us to grow.

Mission

The mission of District 64, a vital partnership of staff, families and community, is to inspire all students to embrace learning, discover their strengths and achieve personal excellence in order to thrive in and contribute to a rapidly changing world by providing a rich, rigorous and innovative curriculum integrating civil behavior and fostering resilience.

Parameters

• We will always maintain safe, supportive learning environments.
• We will not tolerate behavior that is demeaning or disrespectful to any individual or group.
• School improvement plans will always be consistent with the strategic plan of the District.
• No new program or service will be accepted unless it is consistent with the strategic plan, benefits clearly justify the costs, and provisions are made for professional development and program evaluation.
• No program or service will be retained unless it provides an optimal contribution to the mission and benefits continue to justify the cost.
• Student performance on the Illinois Standards Achievement Tests (ISATs) will always compare favorably with other high-achieving districts.
• Absent dire unforeseen financial circumstances, the District will honor its commitment to not seek a referendum before 2017.
• We will always maintain programming that addresses the academic, social-emotional and physical development of the whole child.

Objectives

All students will meet or exceed the District's targeted benchmarks for critical thinking, creative expression and problem solving.

Each student will identify, set and achieve personally challenging goals related to academics, civil behavior, talents, and interests.

Strategies & Action Plans

Strategy I:  We will accelerate the use of advanced technology as an integral component of the educational program and to effectively manage our system. 

• Action Plan 1:  Implement the Technology Scope and Sequence Curriculum that is under development by the District 64 Technology Action Team.
• Action Plan 2:  Ensure that all staff adhere to a minimum standard of technology proficiency and continually advance their technology acumen.
• Action Plan 3:  Provide resources to assist educators to create, maintain and integrate educational experiences with various technologies as the medium.
• Action Plan 4:  Utilize available technology to manage our schools more efficiently and effectively.
• Action Plan 5:  Utilize technology to inform and communicate with the community.
• Action Plan 6:  Build appropriate network infrastructure to support the advanced use of technology throughout the District.
• Action Plan 7:  Implement a District 64 "Technology Implementation Committee" (TIC), modeled on similar functions in the private sector and at the state and federal levels, to ensure value-driven technology implementation.
• Action Plan 8:  Form a "Board Advanced Technology Committee" (BATC) to advise and alert the Board of Education about advanced technology issues.

Strategy II: We will develop and implement a system for setting, measuring and achieving personally challenging goals for each student related to academics, civil behavior, talents, and interests.

• Action Plan 1:  Grades K-2 students will set goals with adult guidance.
• Action Plan 2: Grades 3-5 students will set and reflect upon goals in 4 categories: academic, civil behavior, talents, and interests. Adult guidance will be used in this process with the goal of the student taking more responsibility over time.
• Action Plan 3: Grades 6-8 students will set, monitor and regularly reflect upon goals in 4 categories: academic, civil behavior, talents, and interests. Adult guidance will be used in this process with the goal of the student taking more responsibility over time.

Strategy III: We will develop and implement plans to ensure all members of our vital partnership (staff, families, community members and organizations) are working collaboratively to help us achieve our mission.

• Action Plan 1: Expand the involvement of all members of our partnership in order to provide a rich, more powerful and diverse student learning experience.
• Action Plan 2: Establish service learning for all students in District 64 through authentic educational experiences, which will inspire students to become engaged learners in their community.
• Action Plan 3: Improve the collaborative relationship between District 64 and families who do not speak English.

Strategy IV: We will define and clarify expectations for student learning, ensure all staff effectively differentiate instruction, and use assessment data to support students in meeting or exceeding the District's targeted benchmarks.

• Action Plan 1: Establish Power Standards for each grade level in all core, encore and specials areas, critical thinking, creative expression and problem solving.
• Action Plan 2: Develop hiring practices that ensure new certified staff have exposure to differentiation through experience and/or education.
• Action Plan 3: Create staff development opportunities for all staff to increase their knowledge of and experience with differentiation.
• Action Plan 4: Develop a peer coaching program and begin implementation for the infusion of flexible grouping and other methods of differentiation.
• Action Plan 5: Fully implement peer coaching for the infusion of flexible grouping and other methods of differentiation.
• Action Plan 6: Develop pre and post common assessments that will allow teachers to adapt instruction and expectations to individual learning styles and levels.
• Action Plan 7: Develop differentiated lessons to adapt instruction and expectations to individual learning styles and levels.
• Action Plan 8: Implement differentiated lessons in all areas of core curriculum.
• Action Plan 9: Encourage students to use creative expression, critical thinking and problem solving throughout their day.
• Action Plan 10: Develop a District philosophy and corresponding communication tools (e.g., report cards, conferences, other mechanisms) that provide clear information regarding each student's individual performance in relation to the District standards.
• Action Plan 11: Use data over time as an indicator for instructional change.

Strategy V: We will develop and implement a protocol to ensure staff and community members understand, are committed to, and have the tools to carry out changes within the system that are needed to achieve our mission and objectives.

• Action Plan 1: Put into practice a protocol for designing, implementing and assessing proposed changes.  (Select from 1-page "poster" PDF or 2-page list Word document)  (View entire protocol)