School District of Fort Atkinson

STRATEGIC PLAN

2008-2013

Mission Statement

The School District of Fort Atkinson is committed to delivering the quality opportunities and services each student needs to achieve his or her academic and personal potential.

Objective

The School District of Fort Atkinson and its employees will be recognized and acknowledged as the standard to which other Wisconsin school districts measure themselves.

Educational Philosophy for the School District of Fort Atkinson

The School District of Fort Atkinson believes that academic success, personal growth, and citizenship can be achieved with a solid, focused, educational program supported by the recruitment, selection, induction and retention of caring and competent professional educators, administrators, and staff.

• A Fort Atkinson education delivers a solid grounding in reading, writing, and mathematics.
• The language arts curriculum uses materials of superior literary quality and stresses comprehension and analytical skills.
• The writing program focuses on the principles of English grammar to ensure proper written and oral expression. Under close supervision, students learn to write with style, clarity, and discipline.
• The mathematics program initially focuses on basic skills so that once mastered, they become a useful tool in solving advanced and analytical problems.
• Science, geography, and history are integral parts of a Fort Atkinson education and stimulate interest in our world and in our heritage.
• Music, foreign languages, art, and art history are offered to broaden artistic and cultural horizons and to encourage creativity.
• Physical education stresses fitness, nutrition, health, and life-long physical activity.
• Agriculture, business, family & consumer and technology education give students a basis from which to consider future jobs, careers, and/or further courses of study.
• Co-curricular activities such as music, athletics, drama, and clubs provide opportunities for students to work and interact in groups and on teams. They reinforce the educational program and foster self-discipline, dedication, and spirit.
• Prevention and intervention strategies are in place to address the emotional and social needs of students.
• Technology is used to enhance learning.

Beliefs for the School District of Fort Atkinson

• All people can learn.
• Learning is a life-long process.
• The family unit is the primary source of the beliefs and values of its children.
• Education is a shared responsibility among students, educators, family, and the community.
• The entire community benefits from its investment in public schools.
• Schools are accountable to the community.
• Each person is unique, valuable, worthy of respect, has a right to his/her own beliefs and is responsible for his/her own actions.
• High standards, challenging expectations, and self-motivation lead to greater achievement.
• Collaboration, teamwork and competition maximize performance.
• Attainment of skills and knowledge builds self-confidence and fosters personal growth.
• A safe, non-disruptive environment is essential to learning.
• Enhanced learning comes through caring and welcoming environments.
• Responsible citizenship is essential to the continued development of our society.
• Individuals learn through different methods and at different rates.
• Improvement requires change.
• Ensure that professional development of staff is job embedded and supported by the District.
• Education is more than academics.

Academic Goals for the School District of Fort Atkinson

In aspiring to remain a great school system, it is a goal of the School District to continue efforts to provide academic successes for all of our learners.

Academic Agenda

• Implement measurable and effective interventions to meet the needs of all learners (4K to grade 12) utilizing the Response to Intervention (RTI) model for the areas of reading and math.
• Continually infuse current technology into our instructional programming and practice.
• Explore and implement alternative programming and or scheduling that may better serve our students in meeting our District mission. .
• Develop district beliefs on differentiation and implement strategies to best meet the needs of our learners.
• Continue guiding professional learning communities through the 3 Questions:

1. What is it we want students to learn? (alignment)
2. How will we know if they learned it? (assessment)
3. What will we do if students need more help or more challenge? (interventions)

• Revise and establish a new elementary science program.
• Establish connections and agreements in implementing School-to-Work programs with local and regional businesses and industries that enhance the work force and provide graduates with gainful employment and/or educational opportunities after high school.
• Strengthen assessment practices through consistent letter grade definition and creation of support documents that communicate students’ learning relative to curricular goals.
• Establish a Student Growth Performance Measure (i.e. – MAP Assessment) to determine how much academic growth and progress a student has made from a beginning point in a school year to the next point of measurement (middle of the year or the end of the year).
• Streamline collection, storage and reporting of district data to maximize meaningful data utilization.
• Maintain emphasis on K-12 reading instruction.
• Diversity: Continue to work on building learning communities where respect and honor are readily recognized as a signature characteristic of the School District of Fort Atkinson.

Fiscal Goals

• We will continue to present a balanced budget that maintains and enhances programs, services and opportunities for our students.
• We will continue to demonstrate creative ways of reducing spending and increasing revenues as recommended by the Taskforce in 2006 without negatively impacting programs and services offered by the District.
• We will continue to utilize the 5-year projection matrix and other tools to educate the board, staff, and citizens on school finance.
• We will make annual October adjustments based on unforeseen events that might occur as a result of enrollment assumptions or other assumptions being different than anticipated.
• Study the possibility of land acquisition per the need of another future elementary site per the city’s long term growth plan.
• With the sunset of the April 2006 operations referendum, update the assumptions and planning for the next operations referendum scheduled for 2010-2011 school year.

Building and Grounds Goals

• Update five and ten-year building maintenance plans for the District.
• Pursue additional energy saving measures.
• Continue upgrading the District roofs for wear and energy efficiency.
• Assess all masonry and establish a restoration and budgetary plan.

Communication Goals

• Effectively communicate with all internal and external stakeholders through all mediums available to us.
• Begin a marketing plan where students, staff, and citizens give testimonials related to their experiences with the Fort Schools using all available media.
• Host quarterly evening meetings where citizens are invited to become more knowledgeable about school district programs, financial projections, and the pending operations referendum in 2010-11 school year.
• We will frequently communicate to all stakeholders in a pro-active manner, the school district’s financial position as it relates to legislative action and subsequent biennium budgets enacted into law.
• Present parental outreach programs that are informational and valuable in assisting them in their efforts.
• Encourage open dialogue with parents and citizens at both the District and building levels on topics of interest among all in our learning communities.
• Work with the Chamber of Commerce, businesses, and local and regional government officials in maintaining positive and supportive relationships.