Principals Focus on Academics, School Environment in Their Goals for the Year

The principals at , the and the want to see students improve and to create a healthier learning environment in their buildings.

The principals shared their goals for the year during the at the .

The superintendent and the board had back in August, and the later that month. Monday night’s presentations rounded out the vision for the year for all the buildings.

Each principal presented the plans behind the goals—including how they intend to meet them and measure progress.

For example, Central principal Christopher Hartland said one of the main goals of the school was to improve student performance in reading and math. The school has reworked its schedule for the year to include a new, 45-minute intervention or enrichment period for students three times a week. That means that students who need extra help can get it during that set period of time, and those who already understand the material will learn something new.

Middle School Principal Patrick Farrell described a similar goal for his building. The middle school will track that achievement goal using the value-added measure—a measure that tries to show whether a student learned a year’s worth of material in that amount of time.

Board Vice President Mark Jantzen said he enjoyed learning how each school planned to work with all groups of students – those who are ahead, those who are on track and those who need some help catching up. While the academic plans are in the context of financial cuts and constraints, “this is what it’s all about,” he said.

The schools' goals for the year are summarized below.

Central School:

• Improve performance in reading and math
• Improve attendance
• Decrease classroom and hallway problems

Middle School:

• Improve performance in reading and math
• Increase communication from staff to parents and encourage positive communication to students and families
• Create a positive learning environment with decreased bullying and more positive recognition of students

High School:

• Offer comprehensive and rigorous programs and services
• Use best practice professional development for teachers
• Create a safe and orderly environment for learning