George West ISD

District Improvement Plan

2005-06

 

Executive Summary

 

The George West ISD District Plan is structured around the goals in keeping with the Public Education Goals set forth by Texas Education Agency.  The foundation of these goals derives from the core beliefs that form the basis of the GWISD Vision and Mission.

Knowing that the needs, resources, and make-up of our school community are ever-changing, we revisit all of these components—our core beliefs, our vision, our mission, and our educational goals annually and modify, as appropriate.

And always, we extend an open invitation to all members of our school community—parents, community members, students, and campus personnel—to join us in decision-making planning sessions as we endeavor to improve.

 

Core Beliefs

 

The following summarize our shared core beliefs.

 

              We value:

·        Collaboration, Community, and Cooperation

·        A positive, safe climate that is welcoming

·        A school community that is empowered to set goals and make decisions

·        Growth for all

·        Challenging curriculum based on relevant, experiential learning

·        Diversity in learning and teaching

·        Leadership at all levels

·        Feelings of self-worth, enthusiasm, pride and respect

·        High Standards and expectations

·        Forward thinking and positive risk-taking

·        Celebration    

 

Vision

 

Once the DAC explored common beliefs and delineated those we value most, the committee revisited the George West ISD Vision, and based upon our shared beliefs, revised our vision.  Simply stated, committee members agreed that the following is our vision for our educational program and that it shall guide all that we do for our students and our community.

 

 

Teaching the Future:  Excellence through…

Equity

Energy

Empathy

Expertise

Enjoyment

Enrichment

Empowerment

 

Mission

 

To assist GWISD personnel and the community at-large in making our vision a reality, DAC members focused on the creation of our mission.  This mission, as follows, succinctly encapsulates our purpose and the business we are about:

 

George West ISD nurtures self-sufficient, responsible, life-long learners.  We provide a useful and meaningful education through varied programs and opportunities that honor diversity and deliver a challenging real-life curriculum.

 

 

District Goals

 

With our foremost concerns always focused on what we want our students to know and be able to do while with us at GWISD and, ultimately, when they step out into the world of continuing education or work, we annually review and revise our district goals.  Any revision made to our goals are, first, based upon data available that indicates our progress toward reaching our vision and our mission for our students and, second, upon new discoveries crucial to moving our students to higher standards.  All annual objectives provide us with measures to ensure that we accurately gauge our progress in attaining each goal.

 

Goal 1:   All students will exceed educational performance standards.

Goal 2:   All members of the school community will be partners in the continuing improvement of the educational system.

Goal 3:   A well-balance curriculum will be taught so that all students may realize their learning potential and prepare for productive lives.

Goal 4:   A school climate will be provided that is safe, orderly, and well-maintained.

 

Assessment of the Current Situation

 

Comprehensive Needs Assessment

To assess where our students are in relation to our Vision, Mission, and our board-approved goals, the DAC reviewed all available data to identify our strengths and to prioritize our most urgent needs.  Formal review includes data from the following:

 

·        Results of community and parent surveys

·        Disaggregation of longitudinal AEIS data

·        Disaggregation of current-year AEIS data

·        Results of benchmark assessments

·        Prior year budgets/entitlements and expenditures in relation to current year funding and priorities

·        Staff development needs surveys

·        District-led administrative meetings

·        Results of State & Federal planning requirements

·        Teacher retention rates

·        Student retention rates

·        Results of Formative Evaluation Process for School Improvement (FEPSI Project on three Title I campuses)

 

 

Informal measures include such as the following:

·        Needs identified through campus faculty meetings carried forward to DAC meetings

·        Review of previous year initiatives to determine over-all effectiveness and implementation level and to consider continued development/modifications and necessary continued funding.

·        Staff e-mails to district-level personnel

·        Review of the district’s vision and discussion at the district level, regarding current information/research-based strategies that will help us to attain that vision

·        DAC Committee reports (assessing progress of initiatives)

 

Prioritized Strengths and Areas of Concern

Our studies led us to the following discoveries regarding our strengths and our areas of concern, and both of these, then became the major focus of the 2005-2006 District Advisory Council, either in the form of very specific objectives or actions under the objectives.  Our prioritized strengths and areas of concern are expressed in the following:

Identified Strengths

 

Prioritized Concerns

 

George West ISD District Improvement Plan 2005-06
District Goal: 1 ESEA Goal 1, 2, 5	All students will exceed educational performance standards.
Performance Objective: 1 ESEA target: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 5.1	By Spring 2006, the percentage meeting or exceeding proficiency will increase to 90% on the TAKS tests.
Summative Evaluation:	TAKS Results and OEY Evaluations
Action(s) Implementations		Needs Assess	Sp. Pop.	Person(s) Responsible	Timeline	Resources Human/Material/Fiscal	Formative Evaluation	Documented
1.Provide continued implementation support and professional development in the Plan-Do-Check-Act Model   ·          Provide diagnostic tools to assess student mastery (benchmark assessments)   ·          Provide campus-based accelerated instruction sessions       ·          Provide continued professional development for all staff in test-taking strategies		AEIS	AR, SE, All	Principal AC   Principal CC       Principal PD	Oct ‘05- Mar ‘06   Oct ‘05- April ‘06       July ‘05; Sept ‘06	Local funds     OEY AR /AM Funds Title I, Part A       Local staff dev. Funds Title I, Part A Title II, Part A AR/AM	Periodic Assessments     Teacher Reports & quarterly benchmark assessments     Session evaluations; principal observations; semi-annual reports to DAC; Benchmark assessments	Benchmark Calendars;   OEY (K-8) & other tutoring schedules; OEY eval.   DAC Meeting Minutes; TAKS results
2. Provide continued professional development and implementation of Reading Renaissance for grades K-12 ·          provide professional development for all staff       ·          acquire additional books & materials		AEIS		Principal Superintendent PD   Librarians	Aug ‘05 – Mar ‘06	Local funds  and Title I, Part A Title II, Part A AR/AM   Library books budget; Title V	Session Evals.; STAR Assessments     AR At-risk reports	PD records; Assessment records   Library circulation & inventory

George West ISD District Improvement Plan 2005-06
District Goal: 1, cont.	All students will exceed educational performance standards.
Performance target :   1	By Spring  2006, the percentage meeting or exceeding proficiency will increase to 90% on the TAKS tests.
Summative Evaluation:	TAKS Results and OEY Evaluations
Action(s) Implementations		Needs Assess	Sp. Pop.	Person(s) Responsible	Timeline Start/End	Resources Human/Material/Fiscal	Formative Evaluation	Documented
3. Provide extended learning opportunities for students not mastering curriculum ·      Primary – Extended Day/Summer ·      Elementary – Extended Day, in school tutorials ·      JH – Extended Day, in school tutorials ·      High – Daily tutorials		AEIS PS, FS	AR	Principals Counselors CC	Aug ‘05 – Aug ‘06	OEY funds SCE funds AR/AM Funds Title I Funds	Failure reports (6wks); Teacher surveys (verbal); Quarterly reports to DAC	Master schedule; Survey results; DAC minutes
4. Support “Lexia” program to meet the needs of dyslexic students.		AEIS FS		Principals AR	Sept ‘05	Dyslexia committee	Committee reports CTOPP	Minutes; travel records Dyslexia Committee Minutes Screenings/ Assessments
5. Provide professional development opportunities through the South Texas Rural Systemic Initiative (Math & Science)		FS		STRSI Leadership Team PD	Summer ’05 & Aug ‘05 – July ‘06	STRSI Grant; STRSI Leadership Team	Benchmark assessment; Teacher Survey; PDAS	Benchmark result; Math/Science TAKS results
6. Provide intensive instructional support to identified at-risk students. ·          Employ instructional aides, enabling certified K-8 teachers to work more closely with students ·          Provide certified teachers in DAEP ·          Support early academic development by employing a certified Pre-K teacher ·          Provide certified reading teacher to address identified students at Jr. High		AEIS	AR	AR	Aug ‘05 – May ‘06	SCE funds	AEIS data Retention rates Discipline reports	Campus report card, grade distribution reports, discipline records

George West ISD District Improvement Plan 2005-06
District Goal: 1	All students will exceed educational performance standards.
Performance Objective: 2	70% of all eligible students will take ACT/SAT and score at or above state criterion.
Summative Evaluation:	AEIS Report & Student Transcripts
Action(s) Implementations		Needs Assess	Sp. Pop.	Person(s) Responsible	Timeline	Resources Human/Material/Fiscal	Formative Evaluation	Documented
1. Provide video conferencing: ·          Staff development ·          Distance learning opportunities for students		SS, PS, FS		Assistant Superintendent PD	Aug ‘05 – July ‘06	ESC 2; Technology funds Title II, Part D Local Funds	Report to DAC; H.S. counselor records; distance learning records	Staff dev records; Concurrent credit report; AEIS
2. Support opportunities for collaborative articulations between the High School and Coastal Bend College to offer students a variety of dual credit classes on the high school campus.		SS, PS		H.S. Counselor CC	Aug ‘05 – May ‘06