1. Strategic Planning Process
2. Mission, Vision, and Values
3. Performance Results
4. Action Plan Overview
5. Action Plans
   1. Instructional Program
   2. Instructional Support
   3. Educational Environment
   4. Parent and Community Involvement
   5. Resources
6. Internal/External Analysis
7. Addendum: Technology Plan
   

Scott Mahoney, Ed.D
Superintendent, Waugh School District
October, 2000

The Waugh School District’s first Strategic Plan set the direction for student
instruction and support, community and parent involvement, the educational
environment, and the utilization of District resources for the past five years. The Plan directed efforts, resources, activities, and energies toward common goals held by the Board of Trustees, administration, school staff members, and the community.

This road map has served us well. We have accomplished many of the recommendations set out in the 1996-2000 Strategic Plan despite the tumultuous events of the past five years. During this time, we built a new school, grew at a rapid rate, and met the challenges of changing standards in an era of increased accountability.

The Strategic Plan served as a guide for action and set priorities for the utilization of both human and material resources.

The Strategic Plan has six main components:

1. The Mission describes the purpose of our district (why we exist);
2. The Vision describes a picture of how we want our district to
   look in the future;
3. The Values describe what we care deeply about;
4. The Performance Results paint a picture of what we would call
   a successful graduate;
5. The Action Plans ensure that all other components of the strategic
   plan are effectively carried out;
6. The Internal/External Analysis accurately and fairly represents
   our school, our district, and our community.

Much of the work of the first committee involved

1. defining the mission, vision, and values.
2. articulating the desired outcomes of an effective educational program.
3. developing strategic directions.

This work led to the basic organization of the Strategic Plan. Because the basic organization of the plan was set by the first Strategic Plan committee, we were able to focus on updating the action plans during the current planning effort.

In order to update the plan, we surveyed every family in the Waugh School District. We met as Learning Teams during four District meetings to gather input from staff members. The information from parents and staff was presented to the Board of Trustees for review and input. The input was synthesized into a draft plan which was reviewed by the District Leadership Team and the School Site Council. The Board of Trustees approved the final plan in September, 2000.

• Our vision is of a school community in which all members contribute to
  individual, family, and community lifelong learning.
• There is a focus on the whole child by all members of the community who
  work collaboratively to ensure success for each individual.
• Honesty, ethical behavior, and integrity will be modeled throughout the
  school community. All members of the community will understand and
  appreciate diversity in society. These values will serve as a foundation from which students can develop into lifelong contributing adults in the family, community, workplace, and society.
• The District will ensure adequate resources are provided for all services
  necessary to promote success for each student. Decision-making will be
  based on a commitment to children, who shall always remain the District’s first priority.
• Students will master skills that meet or exceed grade-level standards. They will develop the ability to work well with others and the ingenuity to solve problems. Self-confident students will maintain a positive attitude while pursuing their goals.
• A well-supported, well-trained group of professional educators are committed to children and to their profession.

• Children.
• A safe school environment in which all students feel a sense of community.
• Powerful learning and teaching with the belief that all children can learn
  and will be encouraged to reach their highest potential.Respect for individual differences, oneself, and others.
• Personal values such as honesty, integrity, responsibility, ethical behavior, cooperation, positive outlook on life, and good citizenship.
• The ability to use common sense, think critically and creatively, and use
  ingenuity to solve problems.
• Meaningful real-life educational experiences that lead to lifelong success
  as a contributing adult in the family, workplace, and society.
• The cooperative efforts of all school, family, and community members
  in their relentless pursuit of success for all students.
• Excellence in teaching and the pursuit of the “best practices” of the
  profession.
  

Students are interested in and motivated by learning with the ability to access and apply information and knowledge and to think creatively, analytically, and critically.

Students have mastered an integrated curriculum which includes the
fundamental skills of math, reading, writing, science, social science, the arts, and technology.

Students will make choices based on ethical values such as compassion, integrity, and honesty in order to contribute to the community and society.

Students will work cooperatively in a group while demonstrating flexibility, good communication skills, and respect for others while valuing diversity.

Students will have a strong work ethic including goal setting, prioritization, time management, follow-through, and the ability to work independentlywith quality consciousness.

Students will demonstrate socially appropriate communication skills and behaviors in a variety of real-life settings necessary to be successful members of society.

Students will have a balanced character that includes:
Self-Reliance
Self-Appreciation
Self-Motivation
Sense of Humor
Self-Discipline
Confidence
Self-Awareness
Self-Respect
Sense of Physical and Emotional Well-being

 

The Strategic Plan contains five areas for strategy development. Each area contains a goal statement and recommendations or actions in order to achieve the goals.

The five strategic areas are described below.

1. INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM: To develop up-to-date standards in all curricularareas. To develop assessment tools and methods of assessment that are meaningful, involve multiple measures, and assess student progress in all areas. To ensure that everyone in the Waugh School District is held accountable in their role of carrying out the instructional program.
2. INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT: To provide professional development and education to teachers, other school staff, administrators, and the Board of Trustees which will lead to powerful teaching and powerful student learning. To provide support and intervention at all levels and in all subjects.
3. EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT: To provide a safe environment for all people in the Waugh School District. To provide a safe learning environment for our students. To develop standards for lifelong learner areas.
4. PARENT AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: To promote a high level of parent and community involvement in the Waugh School District. To provide quality ongoing parent education. To provide effective communication with all segments of the school community.
5. RESOURCES: To ensure that the necessary resources are sought and used appropriately to carry out an effective educational program. To ensure up-to-date technology is available for use by all students and staff and that it is used effectively and appropriately.

• The Waugh School staff, students, parents, and the community will know
  what children are expected to learn in each grade level and in each academic and lifelong learner area.
• The Waugh School staff, students, parents, and the community will know
  how learning is measured.
• The Waugh School staff, students, parents, and the community will
  participate in ongoing evaluation and modification of the curriculum
  based on student performance results.

SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Use the state and district-adopted Language Arts standards to guide instruction.
   1. Provide opportunities for teachers, students, and parents to develop a clear understanding of the standards.
   2. Ensure, through grade-level planning, that the standards are addressed consistently across grade levels and are clearly articulated between grade levels.
   3. Continue to develop grade 4-6 reading program to include narrative and expository text as reflected in the grade-level standards.
   4. Implement a K-6 writing program that is aligned to the Language Arts standards and teaches explicit, systematic writing skills.
   5. Continue to implement a spelling program based upon researchbased practices.
2. Continue to measure student performance on assessments aligned to the Language Arts standards. Continue to refine assessments so that they are efficient, well-organized, and understood by teachers, parents, and students.
   1. Provide ongoing training and assistance to teachers in the assessment process.
   2. Develop grade-level benchmarks for each reporting period for the
      Language Arts standards.
   3. Develop models and rubrics and, when appropriate, demonstrations of expected performance so that teachers, parents, and students have a shared understanding of the expected performance level.
   4. Use portfolios to keep track of student assessment in reading, as
      well as writing.
3. Maintain ongoing reflection and dialogue about the Language Arts program to improve the curriculum and instructional practices.
4. Use the state and district-adopted Mathematics standards to guide instruction.
   1. Provide opportunities for teachers, students, and parents to develop a clear understanding of the standards.
   2. Ensure, through grade-level planning, that the standards are addressed consistently across grade levels and are clearly articulated between grade levels.
   3. Develop grade-level benchmarks for each reporting period for the
      Mathematics standards.
   4. Review and adopt state-approved materials that address the Mathematics standards and reflect the research-based best practices for instruction in mathematics.
   5. Adopt a consistent, systematic, and explicit approach to the development of fluency with number facts and math skills.
5. Adopt and use the state standards in Science and Social Studies to guide instruction.
   1. Provide opportunities for teachers, students, and parents to develop a clear understanding of the standards.
   2. Ensure, through grade-level planning, that the standards are addressed consistently across grade levels and are clearly articulated between grade levels.
   3. Review and, as needed, adopt materials to address standards in
      social studies and science.
6. Develop and adopt standards, curriculum, and assessment for Physical Education and the Fine Arts.
7. Continue to refine reporting systems that effectively communicate
   student progress in relationship to the standards.
8. Continue to develop and implement the District-wide assessment plan that evaluates:
   1. Individual student performance;
   2. Overall effectiveness of instructional staff;
   3. Effectiveness of curriculum and instructional materials/strategies;
   4. Effectiveness of educational programs;
   5. School effectiveness;
   6. District effectiveness.
9. In order to focus efforts towards continuous improvement, utilize STAR results and the API, as well as performance-based assessments, to analyze the progress of students. Use this information to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the instructional program and to guide program improvements and instructional practices.
   1. Use the assessment results to determine the effect of the instructional program on special needs students such as English Language Learners, at-risk Title 1 students, gifted students, and special education students.
   2. Provide student achievement information to the Board of Trustees,
      School Site Council, and Leadership Team so that the information
      can be used to determine priorities for program improvements.
   3. Provide student achievement information to teachers so that it can
      be used to inform instruction.

• Students will become lifelong learners through effective classroom
  instruction and support and intervention at all grade levels and in all
  subjects.
• Waugh School District will provide a comprehensive staff development
  program for District personnel that ensures education in state-of-the-art
  instructional practices that align with research-based educational pedagogy and standards.
• The District will provide intervention services to ensure that all students
  have the opportunity to attain grade-level standards.

SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Since effective instruction is critical to student learning, all teachers will be supported through comprehensive and sustained staff development.
   1. Staff development will be organized, delivered, and sustained in order to create a shared understanding of best practices for each content area.
   2. Teachers will receive ongoing staff development in instructional practices and classroom organization in order to meet the needs of all learners by differentiating the curriculum and providing instruction which complements the varied learning styles of students.
   3. Staff development will include opportunities for peer coaching,
      observation, and planning.
   4. The District will continue to train exemplary teachers to be trainers
      of teachers as a model to sustain comprehensive training efforts.
   5. Staff development will be provided for instructional assistants, along
      with planning time so that teachers can provide guidance and instruction to their instructional assistants.
   6. Through programs such as Peer Assistance and Review, Beginning
      Teacher Support and Assessment, and Mentor-Teacher, new teacher support and staff development will be provided so that all teachers are trained in basic District programs and become knowledgeable about instructional practices commonly shared by all District teachers.
   7. The Leadership Team will devise ways to seek out and promote the
      sharing of research and promising new practices to ensure that all
      teachers have access to state-of-the-art teaching practices
2. The District will design a comprehensive plan whereby the school ensures
   that all children who need support services receive them.
   1. Continue to provide a literacy intervention program that ensures that all students attain grade-level standards.
   2. Provide a tutoring program in mathematics that ensures that students in grades 3-6 attain grade-level standards.
   3. Utilize community resources to provide activities such as a homework club and academically oriented enrichment activities for students in grades 3-6.
3. Provide a comprehensive program that supports English Language Learners in their acquisition of English and provides access to academic content instruction in all areas of the curriculum.
   1. Provide training to the staff and to the community in the researchbased,
      best practices and programs for English Language Learners that
      meet state standards and requirements for English Language Learners.
   2. Provide a well-defined English Language Development program that
      serves English Language Learners until they are redesignated as fluent in English.
   3. In order to provide English Language Learners with access to the core curriculum, provide training for all teachers in the concepts of Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE).
   4. Provide staff development for CLAD training.
   5. Provide materials that aid the classroom teacher in the delivery of
      Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE).
   6. Provide resources to ensure the translation of correspondence in primary languages represented in the Waugh School District.

• The Waugh School District will create a safe and productive environment
  that promotes lifelong powerful learning inclusive to all community
  members.

SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Provide a physically safe environment.
   1. Update and communicate the Waugh District Safety and Emergency
      Plan to all employees at the beginning of each school year and as
      needed during the school year.
   2. Provide practice in various emergency drills early in the school year
      and then regularly throughout the school year.
   3. Provide an opportunity for the School Site Council to regularly review
      the School Safety Plan.
   4. Provide assistance, information, and training to Waugh Kids Care
      staff in order to maintain consistent playground rules and standards
      of conduct for the after-school program.
   5. Continue to provide leadership and direction to oversee the maintenance
      of safety, cleanliness, and quality of state-of-the-art school sites.
2. Provide a safe learning environment for all which bonds students, parents, and staff to the school community.
   1. Continue to implement community-building activities such as
      TRIBES, classroom meetings, conflict resolution, violence prevention,
      and conflict managers.
   2. Provide opportunities for teachers new to the District to be trained
      in practices which help to build a safe learning environment.
   3. Provide training to instructional assistants in positive discipline
      supervision practices.
   4. Honor and celebrate diversity at every opportunity. Utilize Friday
      assemblies, library displays, and community resources to celebrate
      the diversity of the Waugh School District.
   5. Continue student participation in monthly awards assemblies
      recognizing high levels of behavior and academic expectations
      focusing on life skills.
3. Provide a productive environment that promotes and encourages lifelong,
   powerful learning.
   1. Provide opportunities for teachers, parents, and students to develop an awareness and understanding of the lifelong learner skills of the Waugh School District. The lifelong learner performance areas include selfdirected learner, effective communicator, quality producer, collaborative worker, community contributor, and complex thinker.
   2. Embed instruction and awareness of the lifelong learner skills in the
      content areas and into the daily life of school as much as possible.
   3. Build a shared understanding of routine ways to focus attention on
      addressing the lifelong learner performance areas.
      

• The Waugh School District will increase communication and outreach
  between school staff, students, families, and the school community,
  especially in reference to instruction and evaluation.
• The Waugh School District will enhance and support multi-cultural
  and multi-ability awareness and achievement in the school community.
• The Waugh School District will develop an active volunteer program,
  including parents, students, alumni, seniors, and the business community.
• The Waugh School District will seek out ways to effectively utilize the
  resources of the community in order to enhance the school program.

SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Provide communication with all members of the school community through
   Wednesday folders, newsletters, and posted bulletins.
   1. Study ways to utilize existing web pages, “list serves,” electronic mail, and/or electronic bulletin boards to enhance communication.
   2. Develop school-to-home communication in languages that reflects
      our school population.
   3. Provide translator services for parent-teacher conferences, when
      appropriate.
   4. Involve parents and school staff in providing orientation for new
      members of the school community.
   5. Develop regular opportunities to foster communication with the
      Spanish-speaking parent community around topics of interest.
2. Encourage and solicit all parents as partners in students’ education through curriculum nights, parenting classes, participating in PTA, and special events.
   1. Develop a school-wide parent volunteer training program that would
      include tips on small group management, positive discipline techniques, and instruction on how to run typical centers for various grade levels
   2. Continue to provide a variety of curriculum nights for parents on topics of interest and/or parenting classes. Survey parents to determine topics of interest.
   3. Provide opportunities for parents who work during the day to volunteer in other ways.
3. Appoint a volunteer coordinator to expand the volunteer program into the
   community utilizing alumni, high school and college students, and senior
   volunteers.
4. Continue to develop a resource list of community speakers and activities that teachers can use to enrich the curriculum.
   1. Develop resources for teachers to utilize that support multi-cultural
      and multi-ability awareness (such as a list of potential speakers for
      teachers as class resources).
   2. Expand partnerships with business, academic, and service organizations to develop specific programs to meet the needs of students.
5. Involve the business and corporate community in our schools.
   1. Encourage more business partnerships.
   2. Consider an adopt-a-class program.
      

• Staff will be given adequate time for professional development and
  program planning.
• Low class sizes will be maintained throughout the Waugh School District.
• The District will purchase materials to ensure that students are
  provided with a superior instructional program.
• Technology will be integrated throughout the K-6 curriculum.

SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Develop creative strategies and provide funding, if available, to free up time for teacher preparation, grade-level planning meetings, evaluation and assessment of students and the program, teacher collaboration, peer observations, increased teacher/parent conference time, and training and implementation time.
2. Continue to devote resources to sustain small class sizes.
3. Provide curriculum materials that are necessary to implement District-adopted standards and expectations.
4. The Strategic Plan will be the criteria used by the Board of Trustees to allocate district resources.
5. A specific school-wide technology plan is an attachment to this plan.
   1. Acquisitions of technology will be made in accordance with the
      technology plan.
   2. Staff development and training will be provided in order to implement
      the plan and utilize available technology resources.
6. Continue to build a literature-rich environment by allocating resources
   to create class libraries, parent and teacher resources, and increasing print materials around the campus.
7. Continue to seek out creative funding options and provide information
   regarding grants to teachers and staff for the enhancement of curricular
   programs.
   

INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

The School District

Lorenzo Waugh was born in 1808 in Greensbrier, Virginia. He traveled
west in 1852 and eventually arrived in California. He became friends with
General Vallejo and was given 320 acres of land, on which he built Bethel
School. The one-room school burned down, but was replaced with Waugh
School in 1925. It then remained a rural, two-teacher school until the
1980s. Between 1989 and 1991, Waugh School grew from 38 students to
155 students. The site became too small for the large number of students.

Plans began for a new school to be built. The new site was located on Maria
Drive. Students helped choose the name for the beautiful school—Meadow.
Students also helped choose the school mascot, the hawk, and the school
colors of green and black. The buildings were completed in October 1991,
and students and staff packed and moved together. Saying good bye to
Waugh School was sad for many, but the beauty and practicality of
Meadow School made it all worth while.

The School District continued to grow with enrollment increasing to 575
students during the 1996-97 school year. The District’s second beautiful
school, Corona Creek Elementary School, opened in 1997 in order to
accommodate the growth the community experienced. The enrollment at
the beginning of the 2000-2001 school year was 821 students, with 447
students at Corona Creek School and 374 students at Meadow School.

The Community

Petaluma, founded in 1858, is a semi-rural city of approximately 50,000
people. Petaluma is located 45 miles north of San Francisco along Highway
101 in Sonoma County. It is an old California city with dairies, poultry
producers, farms, ranches, and a new wave of technology-based industries.
The area’s newest nickname is Telecom Valley, due to the large concentration of businesses in the telecommunications field.

There are seven school districts in the Petaluma area ranging in size from
almost 7,000 students in the largest to less than 100 students in the smallest. Five of the seven districts have less than 500 students. Students
from six of the districts, all of which are kindergarten through sixth grade,
feed into the largest district, Petaluma Joint Union High School district,
for middle and high school.

EXTERNAL FACTORS

The District—once encompassing only a scattering of country ranches,
dairies, and homes—was challenged with phenomenal growth during the
last decade, growing from 155 students in 1991 to 821 students in Fall
2000. The Waugh School District was the fastest-growing school district
in Sonoma County.

Growth has been a fundamental issue in the Waugh School District. Much
of the property in the District, only five years ago, was open space pastures,
farms, and diaries. Much of this property was purchased by developers and
approximately 1,500 housing units were built. The District anticipates slow
growth for the next few years, with one more subdivision in the planning
stages within the District boundaries.

Several of the developers, along with the school district and the City of
Petaluma, created the Corona/Ely Community Facilities District No. 1.
This enabled the District to sell up to $17 million in bonds to build up to
two elementary schools. All homeowners in Community Facilities District
No. 1 pay an additional property tax each year for the outstanding school
construction bonds. These taxpayers insist that their tax dollars be used
wisely.

The abundance of new, moderately priced homes within the District have
brought many families from the San Francisco Bay area who are willing to
commute to work in order to have affordable housing in a nice community.
These new homeowners represent a middle to upper middle class population
with little ethnic diversity.

INTERNAL FACTORS

Our Students
The 821 kindergarten through sixth-grade students who began the
2000-2001 school year in the Waugh School District constitute a fairly
homogenous population. Approximately 80% of the students are Caucasian, 11% of the students are of Hispanic background, 6% Asian,
1% Pacific Islander, and less than 1% each Black, Filipino, and American
Indian. The following table summarizes how Waugh School District
compares with Sonoma County and the State of California with regard
to student ethnicity.

Our Program

Class sizes in the District have historically averaged approximately 23
students per class. The average class size for kindergarten through third
grade is under 20 students. The average class size for grades four through
six is 24 students. There are typically one to two combination classes
involving two grade levels in the same class. All classrooms have
instructional assistants.

Modern curriculum and supplies exist in all classes. Teachers receive
training in curriculum and instruction on a regular basis. Standards for
students have been adopted in Language Arts, Mathematics, and History
in the past three years. Learning Expectations are in place for the other
curricular areas. Student performance is assessed using multiple measures.

Each campus has a modern computer lab with 20 Macintosh computers
and each class has at least one computer. Students at all grade levels visit
the lab at least once a week. Most sixth-grade students are able to word
process at 30 words per minute or better. A full-time computer lab
assistant works directly with students and teachers.

While six percent of the students participate in the District’s Resource
Specialist Program, ten percent participate in a Gifted and Talented
Education Program that is offered for fourth-grade through sixth-grade students. Speech and language services are provided to 60 students.
Approximately 100 students participate in an English Language
Development program.

The District receives an Early Mental Health Initiative grant that provides
Primary Intervention Program aides to work with primary grade children
who may be at risk of future school failure. A school psychologist is on
each campus one day per week and a Marriage, Family, Child Counselor/
Intern is on each campus one day per week.

Standardized test scores (SAT 9) for grades two through six for the past
three years indicate performance in reading, language, and math is above
the national average and is improving over time.

The following table summarizes the Academic Performance Index for the
Waugh School District. The Academic Performance Index (API) measures
the academic performance of each public school throughout the state and
sets targets for annual improvement based on scores from the Stanford 9
achievement test. The API is the cornerstone of California’s Public Schools
Accountability Act (PSAA) signed into law in spring 1999. Individual
students do not receive an API, but their scores are combined to produce
an API at the school level.

Both Meadow and Corona Creek exceeded their 1999-2000 API growth
targets. Schools that scored above 800 on the first API were expected to
show improvement of at least one point. Corona Creek improved its score
by 19 points and Meadow improved its score by 29 points. Schools are
also ranked in comparison to all other schools in the state, as well as in
comparison to the 100 most similar schools. The table indicates how
both schools were ranked.

As a result of the hard work the staff has done over the years to develop and
implement outstanding programs and curriculum, Meadow School was
designated a National Blue Ribbon School during the 1996-97 school year.
Corona Creek School was designated a California Distinguished School
during the 1999-2000 school year. Both Meadow and Corona Creek offer
the same excellent programs, curriculum, and activities to students under
the guidance of a common Leadership Team and School Site Council.

Our Staff

The district employed 104 staff members in Fall 2000, including 41
teachers. Ninety-five percent of the staff is female, including all but three
of the teachers. Ninety-three percent of the staff is Caucasian.
The typical teacher is approximately 34 years old, has been teaching for five
years, and has earned a bachelor’s degree plus 45 additional units of college
credit. About half of the staff have been in the District five years or less.

Our Resources

A combination of factors—including growth, Mello-Roos building
and equipment funds, and prudent fiscal management—have created a
financially healthy District. In addition to the required contingency, the
Board of Trustees require a reserve fund to be maintained in case of
unforeseen emergencies.

All students have books, supplies, and materials. Modern furniture and
equipment are in all classrooms. The schools are well-maintained and
kept free of litter, graffiti, and damage.

The District’s greatest resource is people. From teachers to parents to
instructional assistants, everyone is committed to doing whatever it
takes to make the District a quality place for children.

WAUGH SCHOOL DISTRICT MISSION

The Waugh School District provides a safe environment in which all
students are given the skills, opportunity, and encouragement to prepare
for a successful future as critical and creative thinkers, productive citizens,
and lifelong learners.

VISION STATEMENT FOR THE TECHNOLOGY PLAN

• The Waugh School District’s educational vision of technology use in the
  21st century is to develop active, independent, lifelong learners who are
  confident using technology for a variety of purposes in their everyday life.
• The information explosion demands that students develop skills
  necessary to be successful in the future. Students must learn to manage
  and communicate information effectively, interact with individuals
  beyond the bounds of school, and present to a global audience.
• Within the Waugh School District, students will learn to clarify their
  thinking by using higher order thinking, multiple perspectives, and strong
  communication skills. Through technology use, students will develop
  critical thinking, organize information effectively, work collaboratively
  on multidisciplinary projects, and successfully present personally
  constructed knowledge through a variety of technologies.
• Technology is an integral instructional tool that supports learning across
  the curriculum, making curriculum more accessible to many students and
  engaging them through student directed activities. Students and staff will recognize technology use as a vital tool and develop a high comfort level with its use, providing a solid platform to build upon for future needs.

TECHNOLOGY PLAN: INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM

The Waugh School District has adopted state standards for all academic areas. We are on our way to completing the necessary steps to have current updated standards in technology. The goal of this plan is to establish clear, high technology standards for student learning in technology use. The lifelong learner will be a proficient technology user. Performance areas include the following:

1. Communicate using a variety of media and formats.
2. Access and exchange information in a variety of ways.
3. Compile, organize, analyze, and synthesize information.
4. Draw conclusions and make generalizations based on information
   gathered.
5. Know content and be able to locate additional information as needed.
6. Become self-directed learners.
7. Collaborate and cooperate in team efforts.
8. Interact with others in ethical and appropriate ways (ISTE, 2000).

Goal Statements

• Parents, teachers, students, and the community will know what children
  are expected to learn in each grade level as per the technology standards.
• Parents, teachers, students, and the community will participate in ongoing evaluation and modification of the technology curriculum based on student performance results.

Specific Recommendations/Objectives

1. Develop performance standards in technology.
2. Create and maintain technology committee made up of parents, staff,
   and a variety of community members.
3. Include student input on technology use in school.
4. Develop, integrate, and implement technology curriculum that is
   articulated K-6.
5. Provide staff training and support to ensure common instructional
   strategies are utilized to implement and support technology curriculum.
   The trainings will address varied learning styles, multiple intelligences,
   and higher order thinking skills; take into account individual student
   needs and abilities; be developmentally appropriate; and reflect effective
   research based methodologies.
6. Develop clear tasks to assess student proficiency.
7. Maintain ongoing self-evaluation of technology program to improve
   curriculum.
8. Develop reporting systems that effectively communicate student
   progress in relationship to the technology standards.

TECHNOLOGY PLAN: INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT

In order to teach students to become confident in using technology, curriculum must be developed that incorporates technology as a tool and provides specific skill instruction. This includes such things as navigating basic operations of a computer;
using productivity tools like word processing, spreadsheets, and databases; and the authoring of multimedia projects. To meet these needs, staff must be technology literate.

Within the Waugh School District, we base our instructional strategies upon research that indicates students must be given opportunities to link new ideas with previous knowledge. In addition, we make use of assignments that emphasize higher order thinking skills, flexible small group instruction, and uninterrupted blocks of instructional time which are all research proven ways to provide powerful learning experiences for students.

Goal Statement

• Waugh School District will provide a comprehensive staff development
  program for district personnel, which ensures education in instructional
  practices that align with current educational pedagogy for technology.

Specific Recommendations/Objectives

1. Provide staff development for technology training.
2. Create a list of on-site resources/people to be updated regularly by
   staff and technology committee.
3. Establish grade level planning days focusing on technology prior to
   the new school year and establish goal setting for each trimester.
4. Implement a peer-coaching model among staff.
5. Create training schedule for instructional assistants in order to
   support technology use in the classroom.
6. Create a student technology club.

TECHNOLOGY PLAN: EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT

The majority of our students come to the Waugh District with prior knowledge, a raised comfort level, home support, and access to a wide variety of technologies. These students are very sophisticated users and willing to take risks involving the use of cutting edge technology. The district must provide them more opportunities to grow and develop their skills. Although many students are computer savvy, there is a significant percentage of our population that does not have the same access or skill development. The needs of both populations will be addressed to fill this gap.

To meet the needs of all our students, staff must be technology literate and the equipment must be readily available both the teacher and student use. All staff will have opportunities for training on equipment and instructional strategies as well as ongoing support.

In order to create individualized learning opportunities, the learning environment will move from a more traditional approach to a new learning environment.

Goal Statement

• Waugh School District will create a safe and productive technology
  environment that promotes lifelong powerful learning inclusive to
  all community members.

Specific Recommendations/Objectives

1. Create a technology plan committee to update and communicate
   proper implementation of safe technology use.
2. Continue to review and update current schoolwide Internet filter system.
3. Educate parents regarding Internet filter system.
4. Educate grade 3-6 students in moral and ethical use of Internet.
5. Continue to build a technology rich environment by allocating resources
   to update classroom and laboratory equipment and software, teacher
   resources, and increasing technology use around the campus.

TECHNOLOGY PLAN: PARENT AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

The Waugh School District is a school community in which all members contribute
to individual, family, and community lifelong learning. We strive for cooperative
efforts of all school, family, and community members as we encourage our students
to prepare for a successful future. Parents and the community at-large are rich
resources of knowledge, skills, influence, personnel, and material or financial help.
For these reasons, involving parents and the community in decision-making and
instructional practices for technology is essential.
A district technology committee composed of parents, teachers, administrators,
and members of the business community will manage the implementation and
ongoing revision of the technology plan. They will also oversee the development
of a comprehensive technology curriculum for grades K-6, the evaluation of the
scope and sequence of this curriculum, and plan for long-range financial support.

Goal Statements

• The Waugh School District will increase communication and outreach
  between school staff, students, families, and school community in
  reference to technology use.
• The Waugh School District will enhance and support multi-cultural
  and multi-ability awareness and achievement in the use of technology.
• The Waugh School District will develop creative sources of funding
  that involves the school community.

Specific Recommendations/Objectives

1. Encourage and solicit all parents as partners in students’ education
   through technology nights, parent technology classes, lab time, and
   information nights.
2. Educate parents and community on the importance of technology
   as an educational tool through newsletters, posted bulletins, Wednesday
   Folders, and the Internet.
3. Promote additional local business sponsorships and develop an adopta-
   class program
4. Enlist parent and community support in seeking educational grant monies.
5. Set up a resource list for parents to purchase technology hardware and
   software.
6. Develop a library of donated software and instructional guides for
   parent and community use.
7. Create a computer check-out program.

TECHNOLOGY PLAN: RESOURCES

Currently Waugh School District provides a variety of resources to support and enhance our students’ education. Defining resources as time, people, money, and technology equipment, the district’s technology resources include but are not limited to: full class-size computer labs with Internet access, computer lab coordinators, school-wide computer network and file server, software, email, computers with Internet and server access and printers in each classroom, VCRs, TVs, CD players, laser disk players, multimedia carts, scanners, video and digital cameras, multimedia projectors, an overhead LCD panel, in-house television network, and mini-computer labs.

Further acquisition of technology will be made in accordance with the technology plan. Staff development, training, and support will be provided so that students learn and develop confidence with a variety of technologies and engage in their own learning.

Time, people, and money are the three critical resources to manage and maintain an exceptional level of technology use in education. By providing these resources, the Waugh School District continues to demonstrate its commitment to providing the very best technological opportunities in education to our students.

Goal Statements

• Staff will be given adequate training time for use and implementation
  of technology.
• Technology will be implemented throughout the K-6 curriculum.
• The District will be financially responsible in its purchasing of equipment
  to ensure that students are provided with a cutting-edge
  technology program.
• The District will update and maintain all technology equipment.

Specific Recommendations/Objectives

1. Develop creative strategies to free up teachers for technology training
   and preparation and implementation of technology standards.
2. Develop a list of resources that staff can draw upon and go to for
   technology assistance.
3. Provide training for all staff in basic troubleshooting, server access,
   the use of all portable and peripheral technology equipment, and
   appropriate software.
4. Technology committee will develop and implement a maintenance
   plan to upkeep all technology equipment.
5. The technology committee will search for creative sources of funding
   through such things as grants, donations, and business connections.