RMSEL 2032 Draft Strategic Plan
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RMSEL 2032 Draft Strategic PlanTop of Page
Mission: “As a K-12 community, the mission of the Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning (RMSEL) is to empower students and staff to be learners, thinkers, citizens, and explorers engaged in and inspired by the real world. We are crew not passengers."
Vision: “RMSEL scholars will demonstrate pride and ownership as they grow into responsible citizens, who strive for high academic achievement and character excellence. RMSEL staff will equip our students with tools for success in order to make a positive impact on our local and global community. Through our actions, our community will exemplify Expeditionary Learning.”
Goal 1: RMSEL will align the goals and objective of the strategic plan with the vision for the school, its staff, students, and community.
Objective 1: Tie annual work plan goals and objectives to the ongoing implementation of RMSEL’s vision.
Objective 2: Communicate strategic plan with RMSEL stakeholders including but not limited to, students, staff and the community at large.
- Strategy 1.2a: Conduct annual planning retreat/ workshops with BOCES prior to each school year to review the schools progress as outlined in the plan.
- Strategy 1.2b: Communicate quarterly with all staff our alignment and progress to the strategic plan throughout the school year through multiple forms of communication.
- Strategy 1.2c: Communicate monthly with the students and parent community through electronic “Field Notes.”
- Strategy 1.2d: Quarterly forums for parents to ask questions and address concerns with the Executive Director in the form of “Chat with Chad.”
Objective 3: Ensure that the strategic plan drives decisions regarding the development of school goals, systems, structures, and policies.
- Strategy 1.3a: Collaborative decision making with the Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) in creating the annual RMSEL Work Plan.
- Strategy 1.3b: The RMSEL work plan will serve as the dynamic professional development plan that is informed by assessment data from the annual school performance framework.
- Strategy 1.3c: Monitor the strategic plan and document state required benchmarks as defined in the school performance framework in the Colorado Department of Education Unified Improvement Plan bi-annually.
- Strategy 1.3d: Alignment of school policies, including but not limited to staff and student policies, with Colorado Revised Statute.
Goal 2: RMSEL understands the importance and value that diversity, equity, and inclusion have in fulfilling our mission and vision.
Objective 2.1: Maintain an enrollment lottery that is hosted and operated by a third party that ensures alignment with nondiscrimination/ equal opportunity policies and practices. No student will be denied access based on financial limitations.
- Strategy 2.1a: Any student who requests financial assistance may apply as such and will be reviewed for award tied to the (federal free reduced lunch standard)
- Strategy 2.1b: Continue to partner with Enterprise Management to receive nutrition services. Enterprise Management is a contract provider as purchased in partnership with Denver Public Schools.
- Strategy 2.1c: Review family displacement and hardships effecting financial payments during the school year on a case-to-case basis for additional support.
- Strategy 2.1d: DAC will establish and maintain a “Belay Fund” for additional assistance.
- Strategy 2.1e: Seek recruitment opportunities within our partner school districts including but limited to community outreach with other EL schools or school implementing a similar instructional framework. Seek the opportunity to share the learning model at RMSEL with schools that serve a diverse population of students and outlined the opportunities for accessibility to RMSEL. Recruitment outreach will be targeted at school level transitions where the attending school no longer serves a grade level. RMSEL will not see recruitment in grades that are offered the other school.
Objective 2.2: Foster a culture and climate that values multiple student perspectives and experiences to ensure that inclusive classroom is maintained.
- Strategy 2.2a: Learning expeditions will integrate multicultural studies providing a diverse range of perspectives as tied to the experiences of the student body. A broader range of ideas and perspectives leads to a richer learning environment and educational outcomes.
- Strategy 2.2b: Adventure experiences will integrate off-site immersive experiences in local communities to student as tied to the learning expedition when possible.
- Strategy 2.2c: Service learning opportunities will be created and fostered to ensure students are actively engaged in understanding the perspectives of the community in which they live and serve.
- Strategy 2.2d: Through Professional Development the staff will engage in a review of learning expeditions, adventure experiences, and service learning opportunities annually to ensure that a multicultural perspective is present for diversification of instructional planning.
Objective 2.3: Monitor equity gaps annually, specifically those as tied to student achievement, discipline, and access.
- Strategy 2.3a: Monitor the student achievement as outlined in the school performance framework. Goals will be established and documented in the RMSEL work plan to work toward closing any present achievement gaps.
- Strategy 2.3b: Ensure that a disproportionate number of students from racial and/or ethic group are not present in student conduct and discipline.
- Strategy 2.3c. Ensure that students form racial and/or ethnic groups are not underrepresented in leveled course offerings.
- Strategy 2.3d: Monitor the number of students receiving individualized education plans to ensure there is not a disproportionate number of students receiving services from racial/or ethnic groups.
Goal 3: RMSEL will build the personnel capacity needed to support and execute its strategic plan.
Objective 3.1: Maintain an organizational structure and corresponding job descriptions that clearly delineate roles and responsibilities for all staff.
- Strategy 3.1a: Provide clear job descriptions that align to high expectations for professionalism and student achievement aligned to the evaluation.
- Strategy 3.1b: Staff will be required to understand cultural competence to foster an inclusive environment. Staff will be self-aware and understand the impact of their own culture, assumptions, values, style, biases, and attitudes, as they fulfill our mission and vision.
Objective 3.2: Maintain a strategy for intentionally recruiting, training, supporting, and evaluating teachers and staff.
- Strategy 3.2a: Provide multiple internal and external professional development opportunities aligned to the strategic plan and improvement goals identified by the evaluation process.
- Strategy 3.2b: Evaluate the performance of each staff member annually with clear targets for accomplished performance.
- Strategy 3.2c: Seek recruitment of new to the profession or transitional professionals from diverse institutions through recruitment fairs.
- Strategy 3.2d: Establish teacher residency opportunities with the Public Education and Business Coalition (PEBC) at RMSEL for supporting teacher development and serve as an additional resource for the diversification of recruitment.
Objective 3.3: Provide teachers with ongoing professional development opportunities to grow and impact the achievement of students in the classroom.
- Strategy 3.3a: Provide an Instructional Coach as a teacher resource for professional growth.
- Strategy 3.3b: Engage in weekly professional development aligned to the strategic plan and the annual RMSEL Work Plan.
- Strategy 3.3 c: Provide new to RMSEL Professional Development through the establishment of a teacher led one year mentorship program.
- Strategy 3.3d: Maintain and foster professional partnerships with Public Education and Business Coalition (PEBC).
Goal 4: RMSEL will ensure that its students receive a high-quality education, defined by academic and character excellence.
Objective 4.1: Audit, align, revise, and implement curriculum to the Colorado Academic Standards (CAS) through the creation and documentation of Expedition Plans.
- Strategy 4.1a: Teachers will create, document, instruct, audit, and revise Expedition Plans annually.
- Strategy 4.1b: CAS not addressed in each expedition will be taught through various workshops to ensure all students have access to all CAS.
- Strategy 4.1c: Expedition Plans and a K-12 Scope and Sequence will be created to monitor CAS taught at each grade level.
- Strategy 4.1d: Students will create annual portfolios that document each individual student “story of a learner” which will include artifacts from each content area, crew, service learning, and adventure experiences.
Objective 4.2: Provide students with opportunities for growth in targeted areas of need in literacy and mathematics.
- Strategy 4.2a: Assess students through the use of multiple forms of standardized (local and statewide) and portfolio assessments to determine student proficiency.
- Strategy 4.2b: Provide intervention opportunities to students who are determined to be below proficient in literacy and mathematics.
- Strategy 4.2c: Monitor student progress every 6 weeks during the course of an intervention cycle as students work toward grade level instruction.
Objective 4.3: Students are members of a “Crew” in which they will foster social relationships, community, and measures of accountability to foster academic and character excellence.
- Strategy 4.3a: Each school level will establish, implement, and revise annually a Continuum of Community Systems and Structures.
- Strategy 4.3b: Students will participate in service learning as connected to their respective learning expedition content to ensure that learning is a transferable experience to the local community.
- Strategy 4.3c: RMSEL staff will serve as architects of the human experience of which Crew will be a catalyst to maintain inclusive environments and integrate multiple perspectives from community that enrich the lives of all students.
- Strategy 4.3d: Fostering crews results in a decrease in bullying and harassment in both the physical school setting and outdoor learning experiences.
Goal 5: RMSEL will support and foster an exemplary Adventure Program within the Expeditionary Learning School Network.
Objective 5.1: Provide students the opportunity to grow as aligned to our school mission through diverse wilderness experiences tied to the Expeditionary Learning Design Principles.
- 1a: Support the integration of the Design Principles and Character Values in building strong crews.
Objective 5.2: Provide teachers and adventure leaders with appropriate training and resources to build engaging and safe adventure trips for students.
- Strategy 5.2a: Provide financial assistance for crew leaders to pursue additional wilderness training and certification.
- Strategy 5.2b: Ensure teachers have access to appropriate planning opportunities to support high quality adventure trips.
Objective 5.3: Consistently monitor and adjust wilderness safety protocol and policy.
- Strategy 5.3a: The RMSEL Adventure Coordinator will collaborate with the RMSEL Administrative Team and Colorado School District Insurance Pool to revise the RMSEL wilderness field guide for adventure travel and corresponding forms of liability.
Objective 5.4: A school based adventure and fieldwork committee will be established and open to parents and families to be engaged in assisting and supporting the Adventure program.
Goal 6: RMSEL will refine systems and structures to support and advance our work.
Objective 6.1: Develop methods and procedures that balance student, staff, and organizational needs.
- Strategy 6.1a: Monitor additional duties to teaching staff to ensure adequate plan time for high quality instruction.
- Strategy 6.1b: Organizational structures are tied to professional development and resources to increase student achievement.
- Strategy 6.2c: Maintain various leadership teams, which contribute feedback to the school decision-making process.
Objective 6.2: Create an overall marketing strategy that elevates public recognition and utilization of our work.
- Strategy 5.3a: Create a marketing strategy that balances internal and external recognition of our work.
- Strategy 5.3b: Establish partnerships with local corporations with shared values to connect our instructional framework to the global workforce.
- Strategy 5.3c: Market our program to potential families within the five-sponsoring districts each school year.
Goal 7: RMSEL will foster a positive school culture and climate, engaging each stakeholder within the school community.
Objective 7.1: Maintain multiple opportunities for the RMSEL parent and family community to connect with RMSEL staff electronically and in person throughout the school year regarding school improvement goals and student achievement.
Objective 7.2: Review the annual School Performance Framework and Bi-Annual Unified Improvement Plan with the District Accountability Committee (DAC) annually engaging stakeholders’ data driven decision-making.
Objective 7.3: RMSEL host a variety of community events throughout the school year to foster community engagement. School based committees will be established seeking volunteer opportunities for parents and family members to be engaged on campus.
Objective 7.4: Fundraising opportunities will be present throughout the year established by a school-based committee and open for parents and family members to be engaged in the process.
Goal 8: RMSEL will ensure long-term stability, health and relevance of our organization.
Objective 8.1: Maintain a stable relationship with each of five sponsoring school districts, providing an additional educational opportunity to the students and families of each district.
- Strategy 8.1a: Continue the school partnership through the renewal of the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA).
- Strategy 8.1b: Continue the school governance structure as a Board of Cooperative Education Services (BOCES).
- Strategy 8.1c: Utilize our school district professional services links for administrative and instructional support.
- Strategy 8.1d: Remain an Accredited school and district with the intent of obtaining Distinction status annually as determined through the SPF.
- Strategy 8.1e: Through the annual audit process RMSEL will maintain a stable financial position that provides access and opportunity for present and future attending students.
Objective 8.2: Conduct annual surveys of various community stakeholders including staff, students, and the parent community.