Nevada County Grand Jury • 2016-2017 • Agency Response
Response to: Cooperation and Coordination among School Districts

Response to Grand Jury Findings and Recommendations Chicago Park School District August, 2017

Published: September 05, 2017 3 pages
View Original PDF

Note: Missing finding numbers detected: F3

Findings and Recommendations 3 findings

F1
The failure of the school districts within the County to identify teacher leaders and coordinate teacher collaboration and articulation negatively impacts student opportunity. Response: Disagreewholly At CPSD, teacher collaboration occurs during our weekly staff meetings which occur three times a month. At these meetings, the principal serves as the teacher leader for all grade levels. Once a month we have scheduled Professional Learning Community meetings with designated teachers in charge (see F2 for more details). Teachers also have the opportunity to collaborate everyday at lunchtime as all teachers in grades L-8 have a common lunch period. Each Friday, all students have an early dismissal (2:00) which allows a 90 minute period for formal and informal collaboration and articulation. As a school district with only one teacher per grade level, we feel we do an exceptionaljob working together as a highly functioning, communicative team.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
The superintendents from each district should come together and set communication and collaboration guidelines for teachers including the coordination of time for this communication and collaboration. This recommendation has been and wil! continue to be implemented. Based on district sizes and needs, communication and collaboration guidelines may vary. The Superintendents of the three smallest districts in the county (CP, CC, TR) meet monthly to see where cross collaboration among teachers at similar grade levels may be valuable. There have been combined collaboration meetings in the areas of Math and ELA for textbook adoptions and best teaching practices. The County Office of Education does an excellent job of providing a county wide staff development day each Sepiember that CPSD has always participated in.
F2
There is an apparent lack of Professional Learning Communities in the areas of English Language Arts and Mathematics in the nine school districts in the County. Response: Disagree whol ly There is no lack of Professional Learning Communities taking place in the CPSD. PLC's are broken into two groups, TK-5th grade and 6th-oth. Each group meets monthly. There is a designated lead teacherfor each group. Both teachers hold Administrative Credentials and are responsible for submitting detailed agendas to the Superintendent/Principal 48 hours prior to the scheduled meeting dates. PLC meeting dates for the upcoming 2017-I8 school year are: Aug.29, Sept. 26, Oct. 31, Nov. 28, Jan. 30, Feb.27, Mar. 20, April24 and May 22.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
The individual school districts should select teachers to act as leaders in the process of forming Professional Learning Communities in the areas of English Language Arts and Mathematics. This recommendation has been and will continue to be implemented. Please see response to F2. ln addition to Math and English Language Arts, CPSD is also addressing the needs of upcoming new Social Studies curriculum and the New Generation Science Standards at PLC's as well.
F4
There is lack of communication and collaboration between the two comprehensive high schools and their feeder elementary districts concerning expectations for entering ninth graders. Response: Disagree wholly Each year, the high school has a day where our Sth graders go to the NU campus and get a tour of the facilities and an overview of academic and extracurricular programs that are offered. After that, counselors from the high school come to our sites to answer student and parent questions and help pupils sign up for their first semester classes as freshmen. ln the past, the high school has provided feeder schools with the grades of their recent graduates. Chicago Park students have an excellenttrack record of success upon entering high school which indicates they are clear about the expectations for entering 9th grade.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
These leaders should establish working relationships with their peers allowing them to freely share their ideas, plans, and the results of their instruction. This recommendation has been and will continue to be implemented. One of the benefits of a small school district isthe professional and personal relationships formed among a staff of only ten educators. These small numbers create an easy pathway for school wide peer communication. ln addition, both identified teacher leaders at CPSD have their Administrative Credentials and Master's Degrees in Education where they have been formally trained to facilitate positive working relationships and effective communication with certificated staff mem bers.