Superior-Greenstone DSB Adopts Multi-Year Strategic Plan
MARATHON, ON – The Superior-Greenstone District School Board will begin the 2012-2013 on a brand new note with a fresh set of priorities and commitments established in its Multi-Year Strategic Plan; six months in the making and which was formally adopted at the Regular Board meeting held on June 18, 2012. The project which set out to redefine the Board’s priorities reflects the change in leadership, direction and incorporates a book of commitments with student achievement and well-being at its centre.
“In fact, the first of the three strategic priorities set out in this document, addresses student achievement and well-being at length,” said Director of Education, David Tamblyn. “Tantamount to this is that, as educators we need to demonstrate responsible stewardship of our resources and always strive to build relationships, and we have incorporated these as our second and third strategic priorities,” said Tamblyn.
Tamblyn said he was proud of what was accomplished both in regard to the content of the Strategic Plan and how it evolved from the work of a very dedicated committee and a fulsome discussion with a broad spectrum of board stakeholders and partners. “This document is not my doing, but rather it is the result of extensive collaboration and it belongs to everyone. The next five years will present the school board with a major set of challenges and opportunities – budget constraints, sustainability, declining enrolment,student needs, improved access; the Strategic Plan is our blueprint for the future. It describes who we are as a Board and our common purpose,” said Tamblyn.
In addition to the strategic priorities, there is significant content in the plan in the form of commitments; 10 in total which the Superior-Greenstone DSB adopted as its pledge to deliver the finest education possible to its students.
The Multi-Year Strategic Plan is a description of the Board’s collective vision for the future. It sets the direction, describes the future the school board wants to achieve and in so doing, defines success. “This then establishes the basis for monitoring and accountability,” said Tamblyn. “The Strategic Plan becomes reality through operational plans, like the Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement and Well Being, which describes how the vision is to be realized, and integrated planning and budgeting, which establishes and funds priorities.”
The Board’s Vision, Mission, Values and Motto highlighted on the first page of the Strategic Plan are outlined as follows:
Mission: “Inspiring our students to succeed and make a difference.”
Vision: “We are leaders in providing quality learning experiences in our small school communities.”
Values: “Caring, Fairness, Empathy, Responsibility, Honesty, Resiliency, Respect, Perseverance and Innovation.”
Motto: “Small schools make a difference.”
“I am confident the integrity of the Strategic Plan will grow as its value is realized as a touchstone in the decision making process,” said Tamblyn.
The Superior-Greenstone DSB Strategic Plan will be fully implemented in September 2012 and continues as follows:
Student Achievement and Well Being
- Quality Instruction
- Student Engagement
- Authentic, Relevant and Meaningful Learning Experiences
- Equity and Inclusive Education
- Student Voice
- Raising Parental Expectations
- Character Education
- Global Citizenship
- Student Supports
Responsible Stewardship of Resources
- Maximizing Investment in Academic Resources
- Utilization of Space, Facilities and Services
- Consolidating Resources
- Optimizing Human Resources
- Environmental Stewardship
- Technology Opportunities for All
- Aligning Resources with Our Priorities
Building Relationships
- Creating a Culture of Trust
- Fostering a Climate of Respect and Transparency
- Celebrating Successes
- Modeling a Joy of Learning
- Strengthening Our Understanding of the Communities We Serve
- Stregthening Partnerships (Parents, Community, Agencies)
- Developing Leaders
Putting Our Beliefs Into Action
It is too easy to say that an idea is good.
- Global citizenship
- Diversity
- Leadership in a new world
- Quality Education
Stand Behind Our PRomise to Students
We will guarantee the quality of Superior-Greenstone District School Board’s programs and service delivery to ensure an outstanding and rewarding experience for our students.
We are much more likely to produce original, quality individuals by holding ourselves accountable to those words. And so we strie to offer an exceptional, quality experience to those who walk through our doors.
We believe that all students can achieve high standards given sufficient time and support and that all teachers will teach to high standards given the right conditions and assistance.
For example, we will rigorously apply quality standards in all program areas by:
- Planning strategically for our students to succeed and to reach our long term goal of a 90% graduation rate;
- Supporting our staff with training, professional development and technical expertise that will continue to improve program delivery and build our reputation for excellence;
- Honouring both the College of Teachers’ Standards of Practice for the teaching profession and the Ethics of Practice for the teaching profession;
- Operating within a culture that believes all students can learn, progress and cachieve.
- Resiliency
- Inquiry
- Perserverance – view challenges as opportunities to learn
- Student self reflection
- Self regulation and independence
- Providing staff with opportunities to continually improve their pedagogy through professional development, co-teaching, collaboration and classroom visits;
- Using advanced teaching methodology, media and formats, including digital learning;
- Fostering student responsibility for learning, ensuring that all students and teachers share a common understanding of the learning goals and success criteria for leanring, and provideing descriptive feedback that leads to improvement; encouraging students to set their own learning goals within the context of the curriculum and/or the Individual Education Plan.
- Offering a learning approach that recognizes the needs for development and educational opportunities beyond the classroom;
- Establishing truly flexible, student-centered learning supports to facilitate student success;
- Creating new opportunities to engage students in pursuits that promote a holistic approach including physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing;
- Expanding personal growth, community building and life-skills opportunites;
- Ensuring mechanisms are in place to anticipate and respond to changing student needs.
Connected, Authentic, Relevant and Meaningful Learning
Learning is connected to the experiences and real world of the learnier when:
- Learning is of interest to the learner, encouraging the learnner to form his/her own questions in order to seek his/her own answers;
- Learning provides a bridge from what is already known to further knowledge and skills development;
- Learning is not discipline dependent – learners acquire knowledge and skills to solve problems in the same way in which we learn and solve problems in our daily lives;
- Students have choices, as guided by teachers;
- Students are connected and challenged beyond the world of the school using learning technologies;
- Learning is deepened through authentic, relevant and meaningful student inquiry.
Many Roads to Success
There is no single road to success. In Superior-Greenstone District School Board we will continue to honour the many pathways students may wish to take by:
- Stregthening and expanding partnerships with post-secondary institutions (dual credit, specialist high skills major credits, school-to-work pathways and articulation agreements);
- Increashing the number and variety of cooperative eeducation field placements;
- Offering exposure through multi-modality instruction;
- Ensuring learning environment isstrategic, flexible and respons to the needs of all students;
- Providing tiered interventions, supported by a team approach to respond to individual student learning needs.
Building Community Strength in Character
We believe in an inclusive education system within our region in which all students, parents, and other members of the school community are welcomed and respected. Respect for diversity is essential in all our schools to meet the needs of our learners.
We will:
- Create positive school environments based on mutual respect and empathy by embedding character education;
- Use a variety of strategies to close achievement gaps;
- Accommodate diverse learning styles and provide programming that supports this diversity;
- Connect student learning to the real world;
- Involve our parents and community in meaningful ways to support student learning;
- Deliver programming to increase student engagement.
Share Our Great Story
We have a great story to tell. To have it heard, ewe need to be sure it is told in a compelling way. We will tell our story in a way that makes the community, the district and the province sit up and take notice.
We will do this by:
- Being consitent and unique in our messaging;
- Celebrating and showcasing our schools through media relations, print publications, special events, electronic media, social media and our Board website;
- Promoting and utilizing the use of our Board website asaa central communication tool;
- Connecting with the world.
Maintain FOcus
We will maintain focus on student achievement and student well-being. Through this concerted focus, staff, students, parents and community partners will share an understanding of and a commitment to the Board’s goals and priorities.
We will:
- Identify key priorities based upon student need (obtained from current and relevant student achievement data) with a sustained focus on literac and numeracy across the curriculum;
- Communicate the key priorities to all school community members ensuring a shared understanding;
- Assist staff in maintaining a focus on the key priorities by introducing intiatives that align with the priorities;
- Engage in learning that is continuous, clear and focused on the needs of students;
- Be vigilant about “distracters” that do not align with our priorities;
- Work together to hold ourselves accountable.
Effective Use of Resources
To continue to improve and offer more to our students, we must optimize our resources.
We will achieve balanced budgets through responsible management yby:
- Recognizing risks and being proactive in dealing with them;
- Implementing business process improvements;
- Using a “common sense” approach to all management issues;
- Maximizing investment in academic resources, utilization of space, facilities and servies;
- Following the Ministry of Education’s Procurement Policy;
- We need the ability to interact in an increasingly complex and connected world. Thus, we are committed to incorporating 21st century technology into our facilities.
- Technology is accessible to the needs of our students;
- Professional practice, lifelong learning and leadership anre modeled through the effective use of digital tools and resources;
- Policies for the safe, legal and ethical use of digital information and technology are established modeled and promoted.
- We will model and promote environmentally responsible practices in all of our facilities;
- Systemic change in thinking and practice to ensure sustainability of our natural resources;
- Integrate sustainable practices to reduce our footprint;
- Respect for nature;
- Energy Conservation;
- Reducation of waste.
Develop Leaders
We are committed to collaborative leadership development at all levels.
We will:
- Strive to offer leadership in our classrooms and communities to help our students achieve academic, physical, social and moral exellence;
- Encourage students to participate in programs and activities that develop leadership, teamwork and advocacy both inside and outside the school;
- Provide opportunities for student input that reflects the diversity, needs, and interests of the student population;
- Promote leadership from within;
- Practice distributive leadership at all levels;
- Foster the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary for effective leadership practice;
- Develop leaders who are responsive to the diverse nature and needs of our communities.
Parental Expectations
Students benefit when their parents/guardians are involved in their education and have high expectations for their achievement.
We will:
- Communicate effectively with Parent(s)/guardians(s);
- Create opportunities for parental/guardian interaction;
- Provide parents/guardians with the information they require to make informed decision about their child’s learning;
- Collaborate in creating the highest possible shared expectations for learning;
- Improve student attendance with parental/guardian suport;
- Use varied communication strategies that help parents/guardians support student learning;
- Welcome parents/guardians as respected and valued partners within the school community.
Building Relationships
We will foster an environment that challenges employees to be their best and to make a difference.
We will promote an inclusive and engaging work environment built on valuing diversity, trust and respect for all people.
We will do this through:
- Creating a work and learning environment that inspires and supports our employees to strive and achieve career aspirations;
- Operating in a transparent manner to inspire a sense of fairness, caring, compassion and tolerance in everything we do;
- Ensuring purposeful, ongoing, open exchanges of ideas, sharing of information and awareness of decisions;
- Communicating effectively with employees;
- Ensuring all human resource programs and activities reflect the concepts of respect, equity, fairness, and the value of diversity;
- Striving to ensure the safety and security of everyone on our properties, including all employees and students;
- Setting new standards for employee wellness (physical and emotional) through innovative and integrated programs and services;
- Fostering a collaborative, creative, solution-oriented work environment where the contributions of all staff are recongnized valued and respected;
- Providing employees opportunities for santioned involvement with community projects, and giving recognition to such work;
- Ensuring that we continue to folow best practices for Labour Relations;
- Working collaboratively with our Unions;
- Building a performance management system that aligns leadership and management activities to our strategic plan and recognizes accomplishments and contributions;
- Developing and encouraging a succession plan that allows people to understand the requirements of different jobs and what competencies and skills are required to move into a position with success.
