Lower Yukon School District

beliefs
We believe that…
• All students can learn.
• Students should have the skills to remain
successful after high school.
• All students deserve a quality education
based on values, culture and academics.
• The community educates the whole child.
• The family is the most important teacher in
a child’s life.
• Students should learn to respect all cultures
by having a firm understanding of their
own.
• All stakeholders must be held to high
expectations.
• Each of our communities is unique and has
different needs.
• Students must know what is expected of
them.
• Communication must be understandable,
meaningful and continuous.
• Decision-making is a shared responsibility.
parameters
Guiding Principles
• Instruction shall be based on best practices
and be standards-based.
• All decisions shall be based on what is in the
best interest of our children.
• Education must be relevant; methods and
materials will reflect geographic and cultural
settings.
• Instruction must occur at a child’s
appropriate development and instructional
levels.
strengths
• Great, bright students
• Increasing number of college-bound
students
• Competent teachers and administrators
• Quality standards system
• Technology improvements (connectivity)
• Cultural sharing
• Improved inservices
• New teacher orientation (Native dancing)
• Advisory school board training
• Community support
• Renovated and improved facilities
weaknesses
• High teacher turnover
• Students opting to attend boarding
programs
• Poor student attendance
• Lack of community involvement
• Lack of electives, student activities
• Limited program offerings for non-college
bound students
• Lack of vocational programs Lack of
communication
• Ineffective teacher training (lack of focus/
depth)
• Limited teacher housing
Lower Yukon
School District’s
Strategic Plan
Broad Objectives
(Aspirations)
critical issues facing
the district
Opportunities
• Availability of stimulus funds
• State support to meet AYP
• Quality Data to make decisions
• Place-based culture opportunities
Threats
• Not making AYP
• Teacher/administrator turnover
• National debt – future federal funding level?
• Lack of qualified teachers willing to work in
rural Alaska
• 100% of our students will meet or exceed
academic performance standards.
• 100% of our students will graduate with
the subsistence, cultural and survival skills
necessary to be contributing community
members.
our shared vision
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Teach kids at their appropriate
instructional level
Use a standards-based model
Involve all stakeholders in the
educational process
Our Purpose
The purpose of our community is
to ensure tradition, culture and a
quality education for all children.
2010 & Beyond
Strategy #1: We will provide relevant learning
experiences that support the Lower Yukon Model.
Specific Objective 1.1: Continued development and implementation of the District and Site Improvement Plans.
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Annually, the district, in consultation with EED, will develop
and formalize the District Improvement Plan (DIP).
The DIP will be submitted to the RSB and to the Alaska
Department of Education and Early Development (EED) in a
timely manner for approval.
The DIP will be shared and discussed with all instructional leaders who will present it to the staff and Advisory School Board
(ASB).
Each school site will develop their own School Improvement
Plan (SIP) that encompasses the DIP while recognizing the
unique needs of each school site.
DIP and SIP plans will be communicated throughout the
district.
Following an extensive data analysis of state and district assessment data and individual school student academic performance,
the DIP and SIP plans will be updated annually.
Specific Objective 1.4: Provide intervention with challenged
students.
Specific Objective 2.3: Communicate the cultural connectedness
of the curriculum to the community.
Specific Objective 3.3: We will increase community ownership in
the education of all students.
1.4.1 Each site will be responsible for conducting a student handbook
orientation with students
1.4.2 Share and present the student handbook to the ASB and community.
1.4.3 Where appropriate, establish a system for identified tribal council members to interact with challenged students.
1.4.4 Identify and train staff in the use of a variety of strategies,
including discipline, to better support the unique needs of challenged students.
1.4.5 When disciplining students, follow the site’s student discipline
handbook guidelines.
2.3.1 Invite all community members to open house and/or community meetings to share Yup’ik cultural standards and instruction.
2.3.2 Create and distribute newsletters of student work emphasizing
Yup’ik cultural standards and activities.
2.3.3 Plan and hold a Yup’ik arts and crafts event in each community
to showcase student work.
2.3.4 Provide information to local and state media regarding cultural
instruction and activities occurring in our schools.
3.3.1 Conduct and participate in regular meetings/events with community about school-related issues.
3.3.2 Encourage regular participation of the instructional leader or
his/her representative at city council, tribal council and other
local organization meetings.
3.3.3 Create clearly written expectations for all volunteers.
3.3.4 Extend personal invitations for parents and other community
volunteers to participate in school activities.
3.3.5 Coordinate with local entities to use all available facilities for
youth activities to supplement school programs.
3.3.6 Where necessary and appropriate, encourage the establishment
of ad hoc parent committees to resolve issue proactively, before
significant issue arise.
3.3.7 Continue to promote active participation on local advisory
school boards including consideration of obstacles that hinder
participation.
Strategy #2: We will provide a solid foundation in cultural, subsistence and survival knowledge/skills.
Specific Objective 2.1: Examine and refine LYSD Employability
Skills and Yup’ik standards.
Specific Objective 1.2: All new teachers and instructional leaders
will be trained on the curriculum.
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New teacher and instructional leader orientation prior to the
start of the school year will include comprehensive training on
the curriculum.
Staff training on the curriculum will occur for all staff members
throughout the year, recognizing that teachers and instructional
leaders will have unique training needs.
All students will be trained in an age appropriate manner so that
they understand the curriculum and the learning expectations.
Individual school sites will assume responsibility with support
of the district office for communicating the LYM to each community.
The District will continue to build the capacity to train our own
staff.
Specific Objective 1.3: Proactively orient new staff to their LYSD
community.
1.3.1 The new staff orientation packet provided following staff hire
will include information about individual village where that
staff member will be living and working.
1.3.2 Wherever possible, involve local community organizations in
the orientation of new staff.
1.3.3 Include the community’s history as part of the new staff orientation.
1.3.4 Encourage ASB members in each community to adopt new staff
members to help ensure a smooth transition.
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With the assistance of community members identify cultural,
subsistence and survival knowledge and skills necessary to be
contributing community member.
Update employability and Yup’ik standards to reflect all necessary knowledge and skills for a solid foundation in culture and
subsistence.
Identify minimum competencies and review as necessary all
employability and subsistence knowledge and skills (levels)
students must meet for high school graduation.
Determine and publish the recommended grade span for each
level of Yup’ik, e.g., ES and PE.
Specific Objective 2.2 – Ensure that cultural, subsistence and
survival (Yup’ik and Employability Skills) standards are being taught.
2.2.1 Identify Yup’ik instructor(s) at each site.
2.2.2 Provide Yup’ik instructors training in classroom management,
lesson planning and standards-based instruction.
2.2.3 Recruit elders and experts to assist in the classroom.
2.2.4 Monitor instruction through observation and review of level
assessments.
2.2.5 Make use of technology resources—video conference, DVD,
webinars, etc.—to support instruction.
2.2.6 With the assistance of local community members include real
life activities and place-based education opportunities to engage
students whenever appropriate.
Specific Objective 2.4: Increase the district’s capacity to offer
vocational/cultural instruction.
2.4.1 Survey the needs and interests of the students in each community regarding vocational and cultural programs.
2.4.2 Identify experts in the community who are willing to provide
vocational and cultural activities in the schools.
2.4.3 Provide resources toward helping community members meet
eligibility requirements in order to instruct in their areas of
expertise.
2.4.4 Recruit qualified vocational education staff.
2.4.5 Contact local entities, including AVCP and YKHC, to seek
partnership opportunities that benefit students.
Strategy #3: We will create partnerships with
our communities and state/local agencies to support student learning.
Specific Objective 3.1: We will identify and utilize community
experts to connect with students.
3.1.1 Students will develop surveys to identify elders and other
community members with cultural, vocational, and academic
expertise.
3.1.2 Encourage groups of elder mentors to visit schools on a consistent basis.
3.1.3 Identify ways to have elders visible in schools, e.g., lunch time,
before school, etc.
3.1.4 Establish comfortable school “space” for the use of elders.
Specific Objective 3.2: We will strengthen the district’s partnership with pre-school programs.
3.2.1 Appropriate staff will become familiar with the pre-school
program including the curriculum and other major learning
activities.
3.2.2 The district will identify and communicate desired skills for
incoming kindergarten students to pre-school staff.
3.2.3 Collaborate with pre-school programs.
3.2.4 Encourage and support developmentally appropriate pre-school
instruction in both English and Yup’ik.
Specific Objective 3.4: We will improve communication between
the district and community agencies.
3.4.1 Involve the Parent Advisory Committee in spreading news and
information.
3.4.2 Use all available media to disseminate information, e.g., newsletters, Eskimo dance time, pot latches, organizational bulletins,
newsletters, VHF, morning coffees before classes start, elders
office bulletin, etc.
3.4.3 Strengthen student community service opportunities including
regular community clean environment campaigns, student led
surveys and information dissemination.
3.4.4 Create a public relations campaign to assist community members in understanding the role of the ASB and the benefit of the
ASB’s for students
3.4.5 Proactively communicate schools’ response to challenging situations by addressing issues with transparency.
Specific Objective 3.5: Aggressively pursue capital improvement
projects (CIP) including funds for teacher housing.
3.5.1 Complete and maintain all requirements for CIP eligibility.
3.5.2 Identify existing and future district housing needs and associated cost estimates.
3.5.3 Explore all potential weatherization, renovation and new housing funding opportunities.
3.5.4 Lobby and/or meet with state, federal and other representatives
to secure capital improvement funds.