Our Strategic Plan in Action

As we begin the school year, I am excited to see our newly developed Strategic Plan moving from a document on paper into the daily work of our schools. The plan was developed with input from our Board, staff, parents, students, and community, and it is intended to guide the decisions we make on behalf of our students.

Our first goal is Student Learning and Academic Achievement, and there are already many examples of this goal coming to life.

At L.I.E., our elementary staff spent much of last year carefully researching and selecting a new K-5 literacy program. This year, they are putting that training into practice. Teachers are particularly excited about the program’s connection to the Science of Reading and Wyoming’s new literacy requirements. Their commitment to building strong readers is a great example of our strategic plan in action.

That commitment continues at Riverside Middle/High School, where literacy training was part of our opening professional development for all staff, recognizing that literacy is an important part of learning in every classroom—not just English.

We are also working to provide students with more opportunities for academic support. Through the new Rising Rebel program and our four-day week, students have opportunities before and after school and during the school day to work with teachers when they need additional help. Middle school students have dedicated mentor time, and our Friday academic lab provides another opportunity for students who need additional time to catch up.

Both schools are also strengthening their Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), using assessment information to identify students who need additional help, provide interventions, and monitor their progress.

These are just a few examples of how our Strategic Plan is beginning to shape the work happening in our classrooms. Over the next several months, I plan to highlight each of our strategic goals and share some of the ways those priorities are becoming part of the everyday experience of our students.

A strategic plan only matters if it ultimately makes a difference for kids. I am encouraged by what I am seeing early in this school year.