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the latest on all student-centered models, leadership development, strategic planning, teacher retention, and all things innovation in k-12 education. we answer questions before you think to ask them.
district leadership | personalized learning | school districts | school leadership | strategic planning
picture this: sunrise in rochester, nh, where the promise of a fantastic day starts with the aroma of fresh coffee and the delightful sight of pastries from the local gem, potter's house. if you haven’t visited, you're missing out on a slice of rochester's personality—hard working, welcoming, curious, and determined. during a recent trip, while gearing up for one of our sessions, we made sure to kickstart the day with something sweet. chatting in line with a local potter's house patron, she asked why we were visiting rochester. her response was heartening: "i love our schools, and our students are amazing. i am so excited for the strategic planning that we are doing with you." being part of rochester's dedication to nearly 4000 students is a true privilege.
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district leadership | school districts | school leadership | teachers
schools across the country are grappling with fewer students in classrooms, causing a ripple effect on learning, funding, and engagement. research shows that the number of chronically absent students has nearly doubled, from about 15 percent in the 2018-2019 school year to around 30 percent in 2021-2022. millions of students miss 10% of the school year or more—whether excused or unexcused—and substantial increases in chronic absenteeism were prevalent across every state that captures this data. the research results imply that an additional 6.5 million students became chronically absent in the ‘21-’22 school year, on top of the millions of students who were chronically absent before the pandemic. because of the correlation between attendance and learning, this uptick in absenteeism has grave consequences for student growth. in states like texas, where school funding is tied to attendance, it also creates financial constraints.
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district leadership | equity | innovative leadership | school districts | school leadership
did you know that new york state has nearly 800 public school districts? (source: nysed.gov). this ranks new york in the top 10 states with the highest number of school districts per state (source: nces.ed.gov). within those districts exist some of the largest and smallest in the country. in a small village between the shawangunk ridge and the catskill mountains, ellenville central school district (csd) serves 1,475 students in seven different communities. on the drive to ellenville, you will face highways that bleed into long, windy roads, and just before you approach the village, seemingly out of nowhere, you will be greeted with a beautiful view of a mountain in which ellenville sits at the base of. when you talk to an ellenville blue devil, there is no shortage of pride and love for their sprawling community. this district is committed to its students and bettering itself to create more equitable outcomes.
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district leadership | school leadership | teachers
during speeches in january, several state leaders kicked off the year with strong commitments of money and resources to improve literacy in their schools through the immediate implementation of evidence-based reading instruction, often referred to as the “science of reading.” the governors of new york and massachusetts offered guidelines, not mandates, for school districts to focus on adopting reading instruction practices and materials that are evidence-based. the maryland state board of education approved a resolution declaring that all public schools must be aligned to the science of reading effective school year 2024-25. with this resolution, maryland joins over 35 other states and the district of columbia that have committed to full alignment with the science of reading over the past ten years. these states’ goals are overarchingly the same, but their plans, timelines, and benchmarks differ. what do they need to consider and include to be successful in improving student reading outcomes?
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district leadership | school leadership | strategic planning
in 2009, professor tina seelig looked over her class of stanford business students and assigned a simple challenge. working in groups, the students were given $5 and 2 hours to make the highest possible return on their money. they had a week to plan their strategy with almost unlimited creativity. at the end of the challenge, each group gave a 3 minute presentation to share their process and results with their peers. most people faced with a similar challenge would follow one of two logical routes to secure a return on investment (roi): focus on the money and try to “flip” it - buy an item for $5 and sell it for $10 focus on the time allotment of 2 hours and try to “side hustle” - engage in “gig economy” jobs to make additional income
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district leadership | school districts | strategic planning
our schools operate at a rapid pace as they are dynamic environments with a number of moving parts. as leaders, we are continually attending to matters of teaching and learning, making sure our curricula are rigorous and standards-based, checking in on culture and learning outcomes using data to measure results…and much more. undeniably, there is a long list of priorities. to execute these work streams well and to best serve our students, we must engage in responsive strategic planning. too often, districts create multiple plans that don’t guide or prioritize the needs well, creating chaos, resulting in a lack of a true roadmap. many districts benefit from developing a comprehensive 3-5 year strategic plan. by establishing a robust planning process, you can deepen your understanding of stakeholder needs, build coherence across district initiatives, prioritize efforts to maximize value for students, and define success metrics. it is important for other school-based or district-wide plans to fit well with the overall comprehensive and responsive strategic district plan.
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