UFR Board of Education Goal Setting Process 2007-2008

The full board met with the new superintendent to set the stage for a smooth transition for the 2007 - 2008 school year. The board identified the key roles of the superintendent and the board of education and noted the following:

Role of the Superintendent:

  1. Advisor to the BOE
    • To see that all students are well educated
    • To provide recommendations on budget, facility, staff, etc.
  2. Inspire and Motivate
    • To execute a strategic plan
    • To provide vision, training and motivation
    • To convert theory to practice
    • To work to implement goals
  3. Communication
    • To communicate success and achievements to the public
    • To communicate to the BOE and community
    • To communicate to staff
  4. Policy
    • To execute board policy 
    • To ensure compliance with policy
  5. Management
    • To provide day to day management of the school district
    • To oversee administration, staff and hiring
    • To ensure that the schools have the necessary materials for providing an excellent education

Role of the Board:

  1. Goals
    • To establish overall goals of the district 
    • To establish a clear mission for the district
    • To establish district/board goals, 
    • To provide for a strategic plan
    • To make certain that the schools are well run
  2. Policy
    • To establish policy
    • To review, update, and monitor policy 
  3. Public Communications and Relations
  4. To ensure communication with the community and CSA
  5. To provide means of communicating to community via web page, newsletter, etc.
  6. To hire, evaluate and hold Superintendent accountable-
    • To establish criteria and measurement of progress of the Superintendent
    • To hold the Superintendent accountable
    • To evaluate the superintendent
    • To provide oversight of the Superintendent
    • To ask that the superintendent to look at specific areas for educational value
  7. To provide funding and finance for programs and facilities
  8. To provide resources for student achievement, budget, finances and referendum

The Board discussed these roles and the importance of the chain of command and communication in supporting these roles. They also took a look at the accomplishments of the previous year. Most notable is that the year included completing re-grouping on the building project and going out to referendum again. Following is the list of identified accomplishments.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

  • Budget and referendum passed
  • Drug policy adopted
  • Hiring of Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, Elem. and MS principals, 3 curriculum supervisors
  • Starting the curriculum process
  • Establishing a REAL timeline for school construction
  • Landing a school site
  • Gaining support of the community
  • Internal board support
  • Changed professionals
  • Improved test scores and college admissions (including 2 Ivy acceptances)
  • Teachers willing to support the board
  • Temporary space solution developed
  • Task forces with community successful

These significant accomplishments signal a true opportunity to move the district forward. We are communicating these accomplishments with our community to form a strong foundation for future initiatives.

The Board also identified on-going and future issues that will need to be addressed including the following:

ISSUES

  • Continuing to improve and monitor test scores, AP test results and SAT scores
  • Curriculum expectations and structure
  • Look at how we are educating the average HS student
  • Articulate and set bar on hiring
  • Ensure safety of students
  • Staff retention
  • Negotiations
  • Space needs of current MS students, short and long term, long range facility plan
  • Training for support staff, substitutes
  • Budget, examine non-teaching salaries
  • HS climate, drug use
  • Better student test/guidance data
  • Board policies, procedure

The Board reviewed the goals from the previous year, the board self-evaluation and discussed their priority issues. The Board emphasized the importance of focusing on few key areas in the first year of a new superintendent in order to ensure success. Based on lengthy discussion, we developed the following district and board goals:

DISTRICT GOALS 2007-08

1. Improving student achievement
2. Improving health and safety of students
3. Improving communications

The superintendent will work with his administrative team to develop strategies and action plans for the district goals and present them to the board for approval. The goals were communicated to the public. Progress towards the goals should then be monitored several times throughout the year, leading up to the evaluation process.

BOARD GOALS 2007-08

1. Establish procedure to improve board governance and efficiently address the work of the board (i.e. board meetings, agendas, individual meetings, long range planning calendar)
2. Continue to improve communication with the public
3. Initiate the strategic planning process

The Board identified that it is their responsibility to follow up on the board goals and develop action plans, monitor progress and then complete the board self-evaluation in a timely manner.