PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles School Board will evaluate 47 ideas for action to improve the district, look for common themes and then begin implementing an “action plan” early next year.
The 47 “action items” were gleaned from a two-day summit in early December.
Eighty people from the community, schools and staff of the district brainstormed the ideas and recommended them to the board.
“We will disaggregate the information and find the themes running through the five goals [as listed at the summit] to determine if they are feasible, legal and match our mission and vision and core values as an organization,” Superintendent Jane Pryne said.
“Then a determination will be made on how this plan will be drafted and implemented.”
Two of the more dramatic ideas are to restart all-day kindergarten — which was implemented two years ago and eliminated a year later — and to restructure the kindergarten-through-sixth-grade elementary schools so that kindergarten through second would be in one school and third through sixth in another.
Other proposed actions call for running a capital bond to rebuild some schools and repair others in 2012 and for a technology levy in 2014.
Technology levy
The district tried three times — most recently in August 2008 — to run a technology levy, but none passed.
During the campaigns, the district said a technology levy was necessary because some of the computers in the schools in the district were 14 years old.
All the plans will have to be evaluated by the board to determine whether they are possible and affordable.
Pryne said the district wants to move quickly because the plan is supposed to guide the district for the next five years.
At the summit, the goals were broken down into five areas.
Groups came up with a goal statement for each area and then action statements that could help that goal be realized.
The goals are:
• Organizational structure:
“In 2015, Port Angeles School District is renowned throughout the nation as a respectful community of adults and youth working collaboratively to ensure the success for all.”
The actions to accomplish that include encouraging participation in extracurricular activities, having more staff mentors for staff and students, increasing training for teachers and increasing parent involvement.
The groups also suggested forming a team to increase community involvement in the schools.
• Student achievement:
“All students are prepared to learn in an environment that provides the curriculum opportunity at all levels. With continuous mentorship, encouragement and celebrations, they graduate and are prepared socially and academically for a life-long journey of growth and success as valued members in their community.”
The action plan includes placing teachers in their area of passion and expertise, having counselors and nurses available at all schools, implementation of all-day kindergarten, awards at all schools and training for staff.
Also suggested was using a teaching method called response to intervention at all grade levels.
The method includes teaching to the curriculum with extra help for the students who are struggling.
It is currently being used in elementary-level reading, Pryne said.
• Resources:
“An upswing in community and inter-district partnerships will provide additional effective support to achieve a 100 percent graduation rate. We will come together to develop a resource base [bonds, levies, outside grants, state and federal funding and donations] to build innovative campuses where teachers, support staff, technology and students are all on the cutting edge.”
The restructuring of elementary schools for K-2 and 3-6 is a possibility for this goal.
Pryne said the board would evaluate if it would save funds and whether it is an effective teaching method.
Other plans for this goal include the capital bond and technology levy and upgrading transportation for the district.
• Adaptability:
“We will have a system in place able to take in information and proactively adapt to whatever challenges and opportunities are presented.”
The actions include more training and collecting data from people throughout the community.
It also calls for a “lean” system of education.
“Lean systems give people at all levels of the organization the skills and a shared way of thinking to systematically drive out waste through designing and improving work of activities, connections and flows,” Pryne said.
“By cultivating the skills of a learning organization, creating an environment of real-time learning nearest to the problem or point of impact, all employees can contribute to the robust success of the firm.”
• Community:
“Port Angeles embraces education as a positive central feature of a healthy, attractive place to live. The communities connectedness to Port Angeles School District is demonstrated By partnership to improve social, physical, emotional well-being and academic achievement; a strong volunteer base and resources to achieve student success; open two-way communication; high level of parent/guardian involvement in schools; school staff and students are engaged in community projects. The priority of the community is a commitment to the success of all students.”
The actions include many community partnerships, creating a volunteer management program and a parent support organization and partnering for a grant writer.
The entire plan can be viewed by visiting www.portangelesschools.org and selecting “Board Docs.” Once there, select the agenda for the Dec. 13 meeting and click on “Strategic Planning.”
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
