Definitions
Beliefs
Beliefs are the School Board’s and the school system’s value system. They serve as the corporate conscience that drives other decision-making.
Vision
The Vision is a statement of how the school system is intended to look at a point in the future, assuming all goals are met and all parts of the district’s strategic plan are successful. It is a statement intended to express both aspiration and inspiration.
Mission
The Mission is the over-arching, ultimate goal for student achievement. It is the sum of more specific Student Achievement Goals, and will be the result of their attainment.
Student Achievement Goals
Student Achievement Goals are the Board’s statement of expected performance outcomes for students attending our schools. The Board will judge the overall success of the school system on the basis of reasonable progress toward achieving these goals, along with the system’s compliance with the Board’s stated Operational Expectations. Continuous monitoring by the Board will provide the means for judging reasonable progress toward achieving the Student Achievement Goals.
Operational Expectations
While the Mission and Student Achievement Goals are the major drivers of what happens in the school system, the Board also has concerns about how the system operates. These Operational Expectations express those concerns to the Superintendent and staff. Continuous monitoring by the Board will provide the means for judging whether compliance with the Operational Expectations has been achieved.
Board Roles and Responsibilities
The School Board views its role to be different from any other entity associated with the school system. That role is defined in this statement.
Board Governing Commitments and Processes
In order to do its job effectively, the School Board must create for itself a governing culture that allows 12 very diverse individuals to function as a unit. That thoughtfully-crafted culture is reflected in these Board Governing Commitments and Processes. The Board commits itself to the same degree of excellence expected of the Superintendent and staff, and these provisions are the yardstick against which the Board will measure its own performance.
Reasonable Interpretation
The Board expects the Superintendent to apply reasonable interpretations to its statements of Student Achievement Goals and Operational Expectations, and to present those interpretations to the Board as part of the monitoring process. The Board recognizes that strategic choices will be based upon those interpretations, and therefore the interpretations of the Superintendent must be reasonable. The Board further recognizes that there may be several potential interpretations to the Student Achievement Goals and the Operational Expectations, all falling within the realm of “reasonable.” The Board will accept any interpretation made by the Superintendent, as long as the Board considers it to be reasonable.
Statement of Condition
Each Operational Expectation of the Board will be monitored to determine whether the conditions actually existing in each operational area are consistent with the Board’s stated expectations. In presenting monitoring reports, the Superintendent will provide information sufficient for the Board to understand and determine the acceptability of the conditions in each area.
Superintendent and District Evaluation
The Board has vested operational control of the school system in the Superintendent. The Board views the performance of the school system and the performance of the Superintendent to be the same. This section clarifies the basis and the means for evaluating the performance of both the school system and the Superintendent.
Monitoring Reports
The Board has established an annual calendar and work plan for its work, which includes scheduled monitoring throughout the year of each stated student goal, and scheduled monitoring of each operational expectation. The Superintendent will provide thorough and detailed monitoring reports as prescribed in the annual calendar. The Board will respond to each monitoring report indicating one of the following: 1.) acceptance of the report as evidence of satisfactory performance; or 2.) expectation for improvement based on the conclusion of a majority of the Board.
Monitoring Report Glossary
Reasonable Interpretation - The Superintendent's interpretation of the School Board's statements on the Student Achievement Goals.
Indicator - Observable outcomes/results that guide the definition of measures to show progress toward the Student Achievement Goals.
Measure - Defines the indicator and the outcome sought in reportable terms.
Baseline Performance - Measure of beginning performance used to determine if subequent monitoring reports show change.
Current Performance - Measure of performance for each indicator at the time of the monitoring report to determine progress relative to the baseline and expectation.
Intermediate Expectations - Defines the performance expectation for a period in the years between the baseline and the aspirational expectation.