Starting in 2013, Boulder Valley School District formed a steering committee to develop a new strategic plan, starting with the core district mission, vision, and values. Beyond this framework, the strategic plan sought to define the essential organizing principles of student success—Learning, Talent and Partnerships. Hundreds of teachers, administrators, parents, and community members worked to outline specific goals and strategies to ensure that our robust, diverse community of families, educators, and partners help address the unique learning needs of each student and to create meaningful and engaging opportunities for each child.
The Success Effect will guide our work as a district for the next 5-7 years. Some priority action items are already completed, some will be completed soon, and some will take the full seven years to complete. We will keep the Success Effect website up-to-date highlighting the work that has been completed as well as identifying what work is currently the focus for the district and our schools.
Student success is the end goal, which will look different for each and every one of our students. Individual student success is the cornerstone of Boulder Valley School District’s new strategic plan. From early childhood education to opportunities for students as they prepare for graduation, Boulder Valley School District is focused on maximizing every student’s potential to succeed. With a keen focus on individual attention, we’re helping each of our students succeed so that they can spread their accomplishments to the world.
Although students gave input into establishing Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals, students have not yet been involved in the committees. However, there will be opportunity for them to be involved in the future. The student advisory team, Boulder LEAD, will be providing input into the Success Effect action steps.
Yes, since all BVSD employees are educators, each one will play a part in moving toward success for all students.
The organizing principles of Learning, Talent, and Partnerships were created by the Success Effect Steering Committee, a representative group made up of administration, teaching and support staff, parents, and community members.
Each school is at a different place in reviewing, understanding, and implementing the district initiatives that are moving forward under The Success Effect. For the 2015-16 school year, we are moving forward common understandings, rather than common practices, so that all educators in BVSD understand and can articulate the best practices identified in the The Success Effect priority action areas.
Building and classroom design in the future will change to become more flexible and therefore adapt to the needs of teachers and learners. School design will foster environments that are welcoming, naturally lit, versatile, send positive messages and support a variety of learning activities.
All grade levels, content areas, and specialists designed Educator Effectiveness Content Connections. As part of each school’s Unified Improvement Plan, teachers will investigate and implement Content Connection strategies related to literacy skill development (Standard 1), differentiation of instruction (Standard 2), development of critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills.
Developing reading, writing, listening and speaking skills provides opportunities for learners to inquire about their world and communicate their thinking, which supports common core expectations and whole child beliefs.
Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is defined as a whole-school, data-driven, prevention-based framework for improving learning outcomes for EVERY student through a layered continuum of evidence-based practices and systems (taken from the CDE website). The Systems of Support Co-Chairs met with CDE in September 2015 to plan out action steps for our educators to develop a common understanding of what MTSS is and how to begin implementing MTSS in the school. These action steps were delivered to K-12 Administrators in October 2015.
The newly developed Innovation Guiding Principles (as aligned to BVSD’s Mission and Vision) help to provide a framework for innovative teaching and learning. Further support on implementation of the guidelines is in development. They are as follows:
Although the plan does not specifically identify the recruitment and retention of people of color, the committee is deeply committed to identifying opportunities to increase the diversity of our employees. We are gathering data around current hiring practices, including how many people of color are in the district, avenues in which we recruit teachers of color as well as what support teachers need to remain in the district.
The district has strategically chosen job fairs that target a diverse pool of candidates. The district attends events such as the Colorado Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (CO-ALAS) administrative job fair, La Cosecha and National Association of Bilingual Education (NABE) that specifically focuses upon teachers of color. The committee is planning to design a BVSD diversity job fair for all work groups.
Our Professional Learning is being designed with the input of the members of the priority action team. Our current system of registering and providing certificates for completion is being retired in June and is being replaced by an interactive system that will align to our Educator Effectiveness evaluation system and the new online evaluation system for all employees. The new PL program will be rolled out in August of 2016. As each employee identifies their professional growth goal, the new system will provide professional development opportunities to meet that goal.
The new online Professional Learning system will be rolled out in the Fall of 2016. Each employee in the district will receive training and support at their work site. Evaluators will be trained on how to use the new system and clearly explain the process to their employees.
Key to the Family Partnership pillar of the Success Effect is that every family is an active partner in their child’s success. This requires meeting each family where it is, providing wrap-around support services as needed and removing economic obstacles to participation. BVSD will partner with trusted community organizations to ensure that families who have traditionally been harder for schools to reach have clear avenues for communication, involvement and leadership in their child’s school.
Questions can be directed to support@bvsdsuccesseffect.org.