Long range planning develops goals for Staples Motley Schools

The Staples Motley School District now has some direction to follow for the next five years. The school will re-evaluate their technology, curriculum and communications, improve student resources and look at the possibility of a new K-12 school building.

The final meeting in the long-range planning process was held Jan. 6 at Lakewood Health System, with process facilitators Bill Kautt and Jeff Olson of the Minnesota School Board Association. 

Small groups worked on five categories identified in previous meetings: communications, technology, student achievement, student support and facilities. Each group came up with goals and objectives to help meet those goals.

Following are the results of the sessions:

Communications

Goal: Develop a multifaceted communications plan designed to promote the school district.

Objectives: Conduct communications audit of business and community groups; partner with business and economic development to design school communication for those outside community/potential residents; including social media.

Goal: Strengthen positive relationships with school district staff, parents and the community.

Objectives: Conduct communication audit of current systems within community; design communications strategy according to audit results.

Technology

Goal: Integrate use of technology in the classroom.

Objectives: District will create and implement a staff development plan that provides staff with the capability of integrating technology into their curriculum in a meaningful manner.

Improve and maintain infrastructure in all buildings of Staples Motley Schools.

Goal: Develop and offer a curriculum that teaches technology skills useful in navigating a changing world.

Objectives: Examine and evaluate course offerings available to students in technology skills.

Initiate curriculum development of courses that provide students with working knowledge of current and relevant skills such as email, graphic design, social media, website development, Google tools, software and resources; digital citizenship.

Goal: Make technology available and accessible to the community.

Objectives: Audit current technology accessibility.

Develop a plan to ensure accessibility to technology equipment, internet and space to use it.

Student achievement

Goal: Expand how to define, measure and report student achievement with a focus on each student’s mastery in areas that include and extend beyond traditional academic indicators.

Objectives: Understanding the important relationship between performing well on achievement tests and working towards the vitality of our school district.

Review existing curriculum mapping to ensure all standards are appropriately placed within the curriculum.

Goal: Cultivate programming that focuses on closing the achievement gap and prepares students for the critically analyzing future endeavors.

Objectives: Review existing reporting systems to ensure consistency within the district.

Goal: By spring of 2020 the Staples Motley School District will be at state average or beyond in MCA reading, math, science and ACT scores.

Objectives: All students have safe, secure and positive learning environment.

Student support

Goal: Develop and implement a sustainable and well-defined support systems that empowers all students to achieve at high levels, concentrating on mental health/wellness and academic guidance.

Objectives: Increase in staff for mental health and wellness target services for all students K-12.

Increase in staff for academic guidance target services for all students K-12.

Other issues: Directing the right child to the right service for social and emotional support, student attendance, graduation rates, family environments, generational poverty.

Facilities

Goal: Design facilities to support our existing and future programming. To solve many of the problems, a new school building for K-12 is needed with separate areas of instruction.

Objectives: Conduct a cost/benefit analysis of a variety of options:

o put similar grades under one roof.

o build new.

o building improvements.

Other issues: Action plan consideration, review existing facilities plan. An adequate new facility to solve all facility problems could cost $45 million, but there would be issues in passing a levy.

•••

Kautt and Olson will take these results and develop a plan to submit for school board approval. The plan will meet requirements for a new Minnesota law called “striving for the world’s best workforce.”

Staples Motley Superintendent Mary Klamm said “We have been waiting for this, I am excited for this, it takes a lot of hard work, I know it takes time, but we are going to have to be strategic if we are going to achieve anything.”

 

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Mailing Address: P.O. Box 100 Staples, MN 56479 Telephone: (218) 894-1112 - Fax: (218) 894-3570 Toll Free: 1-888-894-1112 E Mail: office@staplesworld.com; editor@staplesworld.com

Deadline: Friday, noon

 

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