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WATERTOWN BOARD OF EDUCATION
STRATEGIC PLAN

MISSION STATEMENT

          The mission of the Watertown School District, with determination to be a world-class educational leader and centerpiece of a dynamic and growing community, is to meet the diverse needs of each student - academic, artistic, athletic, emotional, ethical, social, and technological - to develop members of our community who:

·         embrace life-long learning;

·         are caring and responsible citizens;

·         have a sense of social justice.

This will be accomplished by:

·         establishing high expectations for all students:

·         partnering with parents and the community as a whole;

·         provide the differentiated instruction, guidance and resources necessary to achieve these high expectations set forth for our students, staff, and community.

STRATEGIES

·         We will develop ways to engage families in the education of their children at home and school.

·         We will develop multiple ways to analyze and use data to continually evaluate and improve instructional strategies and to create individual instructional plans.

·         We will nurture and encourage staff involvement in sustained Professional Development and collaboration from all involved that includes in-class support and follow up.

·         We will effectively engage, inform, and educate our community to the importance of supporting our children and our school district.

·         We will build the capacity for each school to engage in a school improvement planning process to support and coordinate with the district’s strategic plan.

·         We will develop a comprehensive program to promote peer advocacy and involvement in a comprehensive anti-drug program.

GOALS OF EDUCATION

The schools of Watertown should strive to impart to each student a mature understanding of himself, his needs, and the needs of the people around him.  Education within the Watertown Public School System should enable the student to demonstrate that he can learn on his own and that he can translate his learning into worthwhile action.  To this end, the school system shall provide educational experiences matched to the student’s capability, personal development, and interest by providing flexibility with respect to content, support of the community because education not only serves the individual but also society.

The following educational goals have been established:

1.      Each student will understand and practice democratic ideas and ideals by learning of his heritage, the functioning of democratic institutions, and the habits and attitudes of responsible citizenship.

2.      Each student will acquire the greatest possible understanding of himself and an appreciation of his worthiness as a member of society.

3.      Each student will learn to respect and get along with people of all ages and cultures that think, dress, and act differently.

4.      Each student will acquire good health and an understanding of the conditions necessary for the maintenance of physical and emotional well being.

5.      Each student will acquire mastery of the basic skills to the fullest possible extent.

6.      Each student will be helped to understand and appreciate human achievement in the sciences, humanities, and the arts.

7.      Each student will be given the opportunity and encouraged to be creative in various fields of endeavor.

8.      Each student will understand the opportunities available and skills needed to prepare for a productive life.

9.      Each student will develop a positive attitude toward the learning process.

10.  Each student will learn to make decisions and solve problems.

11.  Each student will be helped to prepare for a world of rapid change and unforeseeable demands in which continuing education throughout his life should be a normal expectation.

OUR MISSION

Judson School provides a safe haven for all children in a positive learning atmosphere.  We support the needs of the whole child:  physical, social, emotional, ethical, academic, and artistic.  The staff, students, parents, and community members work together so that each student is successful.  High expectations are set so that every child reaches his or her full potential and has the motivation to achieve life-long learning.

OUR BELIEFS

We believe that:

·         A safe and healthy environment is necessary for success.

·         Our environment reflects our demographics, our teachers’ beliefs and interest, and the needs of our students.

·         Modeling appropriate behaviors promotes good character.

·         Intrinsic motivation leads to good decision-making and a love of learning.

·         Celebrating every student’s unique attributes creates self-worth.

·         Exploring the art, music, and the culture of all ethnic groups embraces differences and creates respect for all.

·         Academic risk-taking is encouraged and supported in a positive environment.

·         Respect and dignity of ideas and thoughts are revered.

CURRICULUM

We believe that our curriculum:

·         Encompasses current local, state, and national standards.

·         Meets the needs of the Watertown population.

·         Links the school’s beliefs and expectation for students with instruction and assessment.

·         Reflects and interdisciplinary approach which results in a greater depth of understanding of key concepts and skills.

·         Provides real-life relevancy.

·         Develops higher-order thinking.

·         Sets high expectations.

INSTRUCTIONS

We believe that:

·         Differentiated instruction meets the diverse needs of every student.

·         Instruction develops the fundamental skills and knowledge necessary for further learning.

·         Instruction fosters a desire and motivation for continued learning.

·         Active learning leads to student engagement.

·         Teacher and student self-evaluation and reflection improve instruction.

·         Varied instructional strategies allow students to apply knowledge and skills in everyday situations.

·         Flexible grouping supports learning and improves instruction.

·         An inquiry based learning process, which emphasizes problem solving, results in higher-order thinking.

·         Interdisciplinary instruction creates a deeper understanding of skills and concepts.

·         The use of technology enhances students’ current and future learning.

ASSESSMENT

We believe that:

·         Ongoing assessment drives instruction in order to meet the needs of the student.

·         Student self-evaluation leads to continued growth.

·         Using a variety of assessment strategies provides a complete picture of students.

·         Assessment reflects student expectations in the curriculum.

·         Collecting, analyzing, and sharing school-wide data improve the school.

·         Collaborative analysis of student assessment improves student performance.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

We believe that:

·         Professional development is data-driven and reflects the needs of our students and staff.

·         Professional development supports the development and implementation of the curriculum.

·         Sustained and ongoing professional development improves practice.

·         Collaborative analysis of student work and instructional practice requires time and results in improved learning.