We're on our way!

Taking steps toward high achievement

We're changing the conversation in our district . We've experienced a real shift in the past 5 years. We are open to change, to finding a better way to do business. We know we can make a real difference in the lives of our students, we have shifted the conversation to teaching and learning, and we are holding ourselves accountable for the success of all children.

We're rebuilding our school facilities . Thanks to the support of our local community, we have $490 million in local bond funds and millions more of state and federal matching dollars and grants. These dollars are helping us make our schools more attractive and safer places to work and learn, and better equipped to take advantage of today's technology.

Our principals are becoming strong instructional leaders. Thanks to a 3-year partnership with the Stupski Foundation, our principals are receiving expert training in effective leadership. They are spending more time in the classroom, learning more about how to identify effective teaching for all students, and how to provide additional guidance and support for teachers.

Through a comprehensive, ongoing professional development program, our teachers are improving their knowledge and skills. Teachers are learning the latest research and techniques to ensure that all of our students become highly literate. They're meeting regularly in department or grade level teams, and stepping up to help shoulder the responsibility for school-wide instructional planning through leadership teams.

We're focusing our resources where they are needed most. We know our highest priority is helping our children become literate and that it is the job of everyone in the district to support what goes on in the classroom. We've dramatically increased the amount of money spent on textbooks. We're aligning what we do with the state standards, and we're closely monitoring how we spend every minute of the school day to ensure learning time is used well. We're putting extra resources in the schools where the need is greatest.

We're using data to inform our teaching. We're collecting data from a multitude of sources so that we know how every child is doing, and if they need help, what help they need.

We're reaching out to families and the community. While we accept our responsibility for helping students achieve, we also know that family involvement can make a tremendous difference. We're working to get more information home to families, to provide translations, and provide opportunities for families to tell us what they think and what support they need.

We're having courageous conversations about race . Conversations about the impact of institutionalized racism have become commonplace in our district. A study group that brings together district employees and Stanford researchers, and a 3-year series of workshops for principals have enabled us to make progress on closing the achievement gap and improving performance and opportunities for success for all students.

Student achievement is improving . All of our steps are leading us to the bold goals we have set for improving student achievement. Test data shows that all of our lowest performing schools have moved up and even more of our schools are performing at the highest levels.