Strategic Plan Update

 On Monday night the School Committee voted on the strategic plan: 

• First, we voted to extract the Equity goal from the Social Emotional Goal  Yes Vote: 7-0
• Then, we discussed what exactly we were voting when voting about the goal areas (as listed on the agenda.) 
• It was confirmed that by voting the goal areas, we were also voting each of the items on the slides listed under the goal areas.  Yes Vote: 6-1 (I was the no vote and will share my dissenting view when the minutes are produced.) 
• This vote means that:
• The document is shared: responsibilities ... oversight for the School Committee and execution for the administration 
• Changes to this plan will need to be agreed upon by both entities.
• We have asked our administration to complete 67 tasks by June 30, 2022.

We will also continue to see this plan throughout the year - again as a school committee to understand how each step will be measured or evaluated, it will help inform the School Improvement Plans that Principals create & School Councils approve - it will give direction to our budget decisions as we go into the FY23 cycle - and it will determine the policies that we create and revise in the coming year.  

Here is everything in the plan:  

Goal 1 - Excel in academic achievement, and Profile of a Natick Graduate (POG) competencies for all groups and subgroups of students.

Goal Areas: 

1. Recovery

2. Title 1 & interventions

3. Literacy

4. Curriculum Assessment 

5. Career Pathways

Execution items to achieve these goal areas:

• Refocus on collaboration and socialization skills, link to SEL.  

• Focus on Self-direction and executive functioning program

• Address mastery gaps and delays in grade level mastery.

• Redesign Title I program for longevity

• Clear unified screening, communication and intervention system communicated to community

• Development  of intervention banks.

• Refresher trainings for all PK-4 staff, additional Wilson/OG certified practitioners, 

• Define/execute RTI reliable screening procedures & parent communication. 

• Schoolzilla deployment and use to address student achievement trends and sub- group tracking

• Math audit K-4

• Social studies unit development K-12

• Social Justice Curriculum K-4

• Revise common assessment collection based on revised unit scope and sequences due to covid delays/mastery gaps.

• Open Circle Replacement

• Orchestra program pilot resurrection

• Development of technical theater course NHS 

• Development of parallel theater curriculum at NHS that maximizes new theater spaces and technical theater staff

• Development of planetarium and tech theater student leadership group program.

• Explore ROTC, paralegal, EMS and fitness certification pathways.

Goal 2: Continuing the journey from empathy to inclusion to equitable access to belonging for all

Goal Areas:  

1. Identify bias as it relates to opportunity 

2. Hiring Diversification

3. Policies

4. Personal teacher reflection, education and curriculum revision

5. Equitable access and belonging 

Execution to achieve these areas: 

• Coaches/Athletics training.  Classroom data analysis and trend development  akin to that done at district and school level (Schoolzilla design, train, utilize)

• Course, grade and exam practices

• Student cogens to develop understanding of BIPOC, LGBTQ and  DESE goal plan  to address equity with significantly disabled students.

• Continued and expanded focus and resources to diversify our workforce.  Includes education of hiring managers and use of  incentives for non-traditional candidates

• Development of equitable  access procedures enacted through  policy  in the area of cultural and holiday observances

• Development of a student-requested microaggression policy.

• Professional development in dyslexia and other disabilities, gender identity, language and culture of students and on racial bias.  Education on the untold history of disabled, BIPOC and LGBTQ experiences and histories must be taught so teachers and students can create a belonging culture via curriculum and classroom resources. 

• Resurrect NPS Diversity committee for advisory & continued development of district actions.

• Develop & pilot a belonging scoreboard –district metrics for determining success  & depth in belonging.

• Create middle school Belonging Ambassador program and leadership designation to include disability education, LGBTQ education, anti-racism education/multiculturalism education.

• Implement the seal of Biliteracy Program at NHS;  

• Resurrect International Program Partnerships

Goal 3: Develop a systematic, developmentally appropriate social-emotional learning (SEL) and healthy living framework for student learning and parent engagement and partnership.

Goal Areas: 

1. Curriculum

2. Instruction

3. RTI & Intervention

4. Healthy Living Framework 

5. Covid Trauma Recovery

Execution to achieve these areas: 

• Develop and select articulated (sel) curriculum to match identified grade level competencies; vet open circle replacement

• use sel student survey and select follow up screener (pilot year) to identify struggling students and determine district staff development needs; 

• parent education groups, intervention groups

• Expand and deepen tools of the mind use at preschool; 

• Execute executive functioning lessons, direct instruction and strategies at every grade level.

• Launch Natick profile of an educator expectations w. Staff

• Implement social routines and activities, goal setting, team building and predictable classroom routines.

• Addressing vaping, 

• Addressing sleep 

• Addressing eating and substance use disorder

Goal 4:  Excel in strategic and financial planning

Goal areas: 

1. Reorganize Leadership staffing 

2. Develop long range plan for interventions

3. Address immediate space needs

4. Develop a 3 year financial Covid recovery plan in concert with Town

5. Compensating our Staff

Execution to achieve these areas:

• Create and fund a leadership and support structure for NPS that furthers service and leadership in special education and ensures RTI implementation in both SEL and Academics; 

• Develops a Diversity Officer and Family Engagement Center Lead.

• Develop financials to sustain added ESSER supports which will need to replace dropping Title I revenue stream.  

• Begin MSBA process for Memorial School

• Johnson School Decisions. 

• Develop Capital Campaign $12M for Memorial Field house and classrooms (space NHS)

• Develop strategies for overcrowding at NHS and lack of capacity to offer all needed electives and advanced placement courses.

• Two teams of leaders will participate in leadership seminars with town partners and develop joint goals; 

• Joint planning for use of ARPA funds and strategy creation / override planning.  

• Submit for meritorious budget review process, round 1.

• Develop long-range capital plan with new facilities director and new TA.

• Develop long-range financial strategy to fund Natick’s vision of comprehensive services.

• Address personnel, policy and financial operating vision for Town of Natick with new TA.

• Develop compensation strategy with town partners

• Develop agreed-upon comparables for salaries in like cohort towns

• Successfully negotiate successor contracts for our 6 unions:  Unit A/B, food service, facilities, paras, Title I, administrative assistants

• Determine/expand staff diversification and retention monies through grant and operational sources, expand merit pool resources.

Goal 5: Establish communication procedures and philosophy that build trust, transparency and engagement with our community.

Goal Areas: 

1. Parent and student focus groups

2. Educator/Parent interactions

3. Family Engagement Center services

4. Internal and External Communication (podcast)

5. School and Town info gathering.  

Execution to achieve these areas: 

• Student Superintendent Advisory formalized (was informal during pandemic)

• Student cogens advised across classrooms

• Monthly Listening sessions

• Develop a plan for center implementation in collaboration with new TA and community partners (Ymca, Metrowest Engagement center, intercultural  council.

• Expand use of talking points, translation team and Lexikeet for all parent functions and meetings.

• Explore revised parent interaction experiences:  virtual vs. live;

• negotiate conferences (virtual? Expanded?) in new contract

• Revise website design

• Revise the “push-pull system” of communication to families

• Empower principals to provide real time communication without fatiguing parents.

• Use thought exchange to gauge our implementation of academic, SEL recovery and our preparation for possible override and ARPA spending.. Joint town school forums for budget planning and override work.