Summit School District
"Committed to Excellence"

 

Mission, Vision, Values and Goals

 

Vision

Summit School District students, staff and community members work together in an atmosphere of care and respect to offer each student an array of educational programs designed to foster his/her unique academic, vocational, and personal strengths. Our aim is to develop internationally minded people who help to create a better world.

Mission Statement

In a safe environment, we will do whatever it takes for the academic and character success of every student to develop as a lifelong learner and responsible citizen. In order to accomplish this, we will engage every student every day in intellectually challenging and meaningful learning to give all students the resources necessary to prepare them to achieve their greatest potential and to meet the expectations of the future.

We Hold Ourselves Accountable For These Values And Attitudes

Appreciation – appreciating the wonder and beauty of the world and its people

Commitment – being committed to learning, persevering, and showing self-discipline and responsibility

Confidence – feeling confident in the ability to learn, having the courage to take risks, applying what has been learned, and making appropriate decisions and choices

Cooperation – cooperating, collaborating, and leading or following as the situation demands

Creativity – being creative and imaginative in our thinking and our approach to problems and dilemmas

Curiosity – being curious about the nature of learning and of the world, its people and cultures

Empathy – imaginatively projecting ourselves into another’s situation in order to understand his/her thoughts, reasoning, and emotions

Enthusiasm – enjoying learning and demonstrating a sense of humor

Independence – thinking and acting independently, making our own judgments based upon reasoned principles and being able to defend their judgments

Integrity – having integrity and a firm sense of fairness and honesty

Respect – respecting ourselves, others, and the world around us

Tolerance – feeling sensitivity toward differences and diversity in the world and being responsive to the needs of others

 

If we are successful in achieving our mission, vision, and goal and hold ourselves accountable to our values and attitudes, we would expect our students to demonstrate these outcomes.

Summit School District will strive to develop learners who are:

Inquirers– they develop their natural curiosity. They acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning. They actively enjoy learning and this love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives.

Knowledgeable – they explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance. In so doing, they acquire in-depth knowledge and develop understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines.

Thinkers – they exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize and approach complex problems, and make reasoned, ethical decisions.

Communicators – they understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one language and in a variety of modes of communication. They work effectively and willingly in collaboration with others.

Principled – they act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and communities. They take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them.

Open-minded – they understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal histories, and are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities. They are accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points of view, and are willing to grow from the experience.

Caring – they show empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment.

Risk-takers – they approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought, and have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies. They are brave and articulate in defending their beliefs.

Balanced – they understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for themselves and others.

Reflective – they give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience. They are able to assess and understand their strengths and limitations in order to support their learning and personal development.

 

Goal: Developing Caring Learners

Every Summit School District student will develop as a caring learner by demonstrating at least a year’s growth in academic achievement and by showing an increase in behaviors associated with positive character development. This growth will be measured by a body of evidence in an end-of-year review.

End-of-Year Review (Data Fest) to include:

District Summative Assessments:

Literacy Assessments

Alternative Assessments

Graduation

Character Education

IB Measures of Success:

 

Public Opinion Poll Results

  Strategy #1:Professional Learning

Summit School District will develop as a collaborative professional learning community (PLC) focused on doing whatever it takes for the academic and character success of each student. To this end, instructional programs will be effectively implemented PreK-12, and the pilot Professional Learning Time (PLC) will be used to achieve these measures of success in addressing the four questions of the PLC:

  1. Are we clear about what students need to learn to be successful?

  2. How do we know students are learning? What systems are in place to monitor student learning?

  3. What do we do when students are not learning? How do we respond as a school?

  4. How will we deepen the learning for students who have already mastered essential knowledge and skills?

Measures of Success:

  1. PLC time will be implemented successfully. Quarterly reports to the Board of Education (BOE) will highlight the progress made toward each of the above four questions, in particular as it relates to the progress of Essential Learning Outcomes for all classes and content areas, the use of SMART goals to set the path for and inform instruction, the development of Common Assessments to guide instruction and instructional practice, and the implementation of Response to Instruction ( RTI) to plan for interventions and instructional improvement strategies.

  2. Parents will support the need for professional learning embedded in the work day as they see the benefits to their children from increased individual attention and school-to-home communications. Parent surveys, school coffees, and BOE meetings will provide opportunities for input regarding parent satisfaction.

  3. The International Baccalaureate Programme will be implemented according to the five-year plan that includes the measures of success for this process. These measures are identified for PYP, MYP, and DP implementations in the schools. In addition, school board meetings and parent coffees held in the schools will foster dialogue among board members, school staff, administration, and parents to identify the progress of the implementation at each school.

  4. The Response to Instruction ( RTI) process will be identified, shared with staff, and implemented through instructional programs.

  5. The character education program will continue to become infused with the academic program PreK-12. Reports from each school will track progress.

  6. The revised teacher and administrator evaluation process will be linked to professional learning and the District values and attitudes.

PLC Measures Update

  Strategy #2:Parent and Community Involvement

Summit Schools will encourage, promote, and support parent and community involvement at all schools. Summit School District believes parent and community involvement inspires community commitment and responsibility to our students. Indicators of success will include participation in Parent-Teacher conferences and other school events, volunteerism in the schools, and the number of participants attending school-sponsored meetings and outreach activities.

Measures of Success:

  1. Students, parents and community members will be engaged at school coffees and BOE- sponsored meetings in shaping the future of public education in Summit School District.

  2. Community members’ opinions regarding what a SHS graduate should look like (academic and character expectations) will be actively solicited, compiled, and reported.

  3. The percentage of voters who think “our schools are generally headed in the right direction” will continue to increase, as well as those who grade our schools as an Aor a Bas measured by a public opinion poll.

  4. The percentage of parents who agree that “the school district is generally headed in the right direction” will continue to maintain significant satisfaction as measured by our annual parent survey.

  5. Student and parent involvement will increase at the secondary level. Baseline measures, strategies for improvement, and results will be presented at SMS and SHS coffees and BOE meetings.

  6. We will continue to implement the District Communications Plan.

  7. Schools through their monthly newsletters and other school functions will continue to communicate with parents about the impact of the PLC initiative, as well as other district and school initiatives.

Strategy #3:Financial Resources

Summit School District will further develop revenues and maintain the highest standards of fiscal responsibility. Indicators of success will include the annual audit, public awareness and understanding of the district’s finances, and role of the Citizens Advisory Committee.

Measures of Success:

  1. The Citizens Budget Advisory Committee will continue to develop and will provide the foundation for community understanding and support of the continuation of the Special Buildings, Maintenance, and Technology Mill Levy for 2007. Quarterly reports will highlight the group’s progress.

  2. A clear plan and timeline will be developed outlining the financial needs for the 2007 election. A written report will be developed to depict future facilities and maintenance needs, transportation costs, and suggested strategies for the 2007 election question(s).

  3. The construction projects at SMS and SHS will continue in budget and on time. Ongoing communications and reports will keep the BOE and the community apprised of our challenges and successes.  


Strategy #4:Support Services

All departments (Business Services, Facilities/Maintenance, Food Service, Transportation, Human Resources) will deliver quality services that support the District’s goal and strategies.

Measures of Success:

  1. Each department will establish a written plan for addressing the District goal and strategies. Reports will be shared on a rotating basis each quarter.

  2. Stakeholders will express satisfaction with the operations and operating values of each department. Annual 360 input will be solicited to inform satisfaction levels.

  3. Qualified employees will be recruited and supported in all positions. HR plan will include strategies for addressing critical shortages and market comparable salaries.

  4. The Facilities Department will ensure that each facility’s safety and security plan is monitored and reviewed.

 

The four strategies listed above have been identified as having the greatest impact on the District’s goal of developing caring learners; as a result, quarterly reports to the BOE will highlight progress made in each strategy.