Board Materials Stories 2010

Report on 2010-12 School Improvement Plans
Thursday, September 30th, 2010
Guilford County Board of Education
Regular Meeting
September 30, 2010

To:Members, Board of Education

From
Maurice O. Green, Superintendent
Beth L. Folger, Chief Academic Officer

Date:September 24, 2010

RE:Report on 2010-12 School Improvement Plans

In March 2010, the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) notified local districts of changes to the school improvement planning cycle. Specifically, the planning cycle changed from a three-year to a two-year cycle, effective this school year.

In order to comply with the new legislation, schools developed two-year School Improvement Plans (SIPs) for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 school years, which provided an opportunity to review and revise school goals and closely align those goals to the Guilford County Schools (GCS) Strategic Plan.

Principals were notified at regional meetings in early May of the new two-year cycle. Additional resources, including a SIP Implementation Guide, access to a SIP training Webinar, and references to NC General Statutes and local board policies were provided to all principals in early June. These resources also included a PowerPoint presentation for principals to train School Improvement Team members, including parent representatives, of the guidelines for developing an appropriate and effective SIP. In addition, each regional office provided training sessions for principals and a school improvement team member from each school.

Principals and School Improvement Teams have developed SIPs that are aligned with North Carolina State Board of Education goals and the Guilford County Schools 2010-12 Strategic Plan. Priority goals were determined by analyzing current student data to identify areas for improvement and developing strategies to address those areas. Also included are strategies for implementing a character development plan and for ensuring a safe and orderly environment for student learning.

School improvement planning is a continuous process. Over the two-year cycle, School Improvement Teams will meet quarterly to review available data (benchmarks, End-of-Grade/End-of-Course, etc.) to determine progress toward meeting the priority goals outlined in the SIP. Based upon their findings, School Improvement Teams will revise strategies and action steps accordingly. Principals will then meet with regional superintendents/executive directors to review quarterly updates to the SIP. All plans are posted on the district’s Website at http://www.gcsnc.com/sip/improvement_plans.htm and will be updated quarterly.

In accordance with North Carolina General Statute 115C-105.27, school improvement plans have been developed by each school and are presented to the Board for review. During the board meeting of October 12, 2010, administration will recommend approval of school improvement plans.

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