Dr. Darwin Stiffler, Superintendent 6330 W Thunderbird Road Glendale, AZ 85306 Document Generated On December 8, 2016
TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Description of the School System 2 System's Purpose 5 Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement 9 Additional Information 13
Introduction Every school system has its own story to tell. The context in which teaching and learning takes place influences the processes and procedures by which the school system makes decisions around curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The context also impacts the way a school system stays faithful to its vision. Many factors contribute to the overall narrative such as an identification of stakeholders, a description of stakeholder engagement, the trends and issues affecting the school system, and the kinds of programs and services that a school system implements to support student learning. The purpose of the Executive Summary (ES) is to provide a school system with an opportunity to describe in narrative form the strengths and challenges it encounters. By doing so, the public and members of the community will have a more complete picture of how the school system perceives itself and the process of self-reflection for continuous improvement. This summary is structured for the school system to reflect on how it provides teaching and learning on a day to day basis. Page 1
Description of the School System Describe the school system's size, community/communities, location, and changes it has experienced in the last three years. Include demographic information about the students, staff, and community at large. What unique features and challenges are associated with the community/communities the school system serves? Peoria Unified School District (PUSD) located 15 miles northwest of Phoenix, is not only one of the largest school districts in Arizona but the largest employer in the West Valley. Our District serves portions of four cities: Peoria, Glendale, Surprise, and Youngtown. PUSD serves more than 36,000 students in 33 elementary schools, 7 high schools, one alternative high school, and one K-12 school for medically fragile students. Our community boasts numerous colleges and universities: Arizona State University West campus; Thunderbird School of Global Management; Glendale, Estrella and Rio Salado Community Colleges; Western International, Midwestern and Grand Canyon Universities. A thriving tourism industry is enjoyed by the community including the Peoria Sports Complex, spring training home of the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners. We are proud hosts to the NFL Arizona Cardinals and NHL Phoenix Coyotes. PUSD boundaries extend out to the 10,000 acre Lake Pleasant Regional Park. PUSD serves a diverse population. The student demographic make-up for the District relating to race for the 2016-17 school year is 33% Hispanic, 55% White, 5% Black or African American, 4% two or more races, less than 1% Hawaii or other Pacific Islander, and less than 2% American Indian or Alaska Native. This year, PUSD has an English Language Learner population of 2%, declining from 3% last year. Our gifted population has increased from 8% to 10%, and our special education population has risen from 13% last year to 14% this year; our free and reduced lunch rate has also increased from 39% to 43%. Our poverty rate, while lower than the state average of 23%, is at 15%. Eighteen of our elementary schools and two high schools are Title I schools. Staff demographics, while diverse, are not clearly representative of the student population: Hispanic 10%, Black 2%, White 85%, and American Indian and Asian Pacific Islander around 1%. Staff longevity is split with nearly half of staff working within the District for 8+ years, and the rest split between 0-3 years and 4-7 years, with the smallest percent in years being in the latter year category. The Peoria School District had an operating budget of $189,000,000 for the 2015-16 fiscal year. According to the Auditor General, between 2010 and 2015, our total operating budget, adjusted for inflation, has decreased by 7%. The percentage of dollars spent in the classroom has varied from year to year, falling from 59.6% to 54.9%.The district has been involved in ongoing conversations on how we allocate our limited resources. Fiscal responsibility is at the forefront of our continuous improvement process. Every school district experiences changes and challenges over time. The Peoria School District is no different. Given the educational climate in the state of Arizona, the competition among districts and charter schools to attract and retain students and teachers, not to mention the plethora of data available to drive and make more sound fiscal and instructional decisions, we've had the opportunity to reexamine processes, practices, and programs that at one time yielded exceptional results but at this time, are no longer adequate if we are to realize our vision of preparing every child, every day, to shape tomorrow. In the 1980's, our district experienced unparalleled growth in every attendance area. In the last few years, PUSD has seen explosive growth in the northern part, slight growth in the southern part, and decline in the central region with only a minimal net overall increase in enrollment.. There has been a decrease in enrollment in the K-8 elementary level, an increase in the high school 9-12 level, resulting in a slight increase in enrollment in the last couple of years. The state's transition from the AIMS assessment to the AzMerit has not been without its challenges. The Peoria School District embraced the Page 2
College and Career Ready Standards (CCRS) and worked diligently to unpack the standards, write curriculum, and create aligned assessments to support teachers in teaching these standards and preparing students to be successful when they leave our schools. When the CCRS were introduced and rolled out, the statewide assessment was the AIMS assessment, and Peoria students consistently outperformed peer districts, as well as districts across the state in Reading and Mathematics. AzMerit data suggests that our performance in reading, English, mathematics, and science is stagnant if not trending downward. These patterns suggest that our district must conduct an in depth examination of our course/content alignment with the more rigorous expectations of the AzMerit exam, alignment of benchmark assessments to ensure teachers have valid data to inform instructional decisions. In general, trends show students are performing well on daily coursework, course assessments, and on benchmarks but are falling short with regard to performance on more rigorous assessments. Current benchmark scores in several grade levels suggest course content and/or test item format, instructional strategies, and/or daily teacher expectations may not be adequately preparing our students to meet the higher expectations of the AzMerit exam and the ACT. In tandem with the extensive investigation of curriculum, classroom and benchmark assessments, our district is working to develop metrics at every grade level in every subject area to measure the achievement of our students on our district's eight Exit Outcomes. In addition, our district has implemented SchoolNet, an electronic teaching and learning platform that will ultimately house all curriculum for every grade level and subject area, as well as allow teachers to build aligned and more rigorous assessments that will better prepare students to be successful on state and national assessments. We are confident our approaches to continuous improvement of student achievement will spur upward trends in grade level performance and in college readiness indicators. We are guided by the question, "How do we ensure the alignment and articulation of curriculum, instructional strategies, and assessments in support of the expectations for student learning," and all stakeholders can be assured that all students are prepared to succeed. After serving the district for 35 years, our Superintendent retired, and the Peoria Unified School District welcomed Dr. Darwin Stiffler, a veteran educator, who started his tenure in our storied district by embarking on a fact-finding mission that included talking with stakeholders and dissecting all available sources of data. Dr. Stiffler is dedicated not only to identifying processes, programs, and practices that are working well and are worth sustaining, but also to examining antiquated or inefficient approaches to meeting the needs of our diverse population of students, operating in a fiscally responsible manner, and attracting and retaining a premiere workforce, ensuring sustainable organizational strength and agility. In addition to a new Superintendent, a new Administrator of Human Resources has joined us from another district, also with a different perspective and new ideas to ascertain the needs of employees and strengthen our efforts to attract and retain Peoria's finest educators. Natural attrition has translated into administrators leaving the district for other career opportunities, retirement, and a definite need to identify teachers who aspire to be administrators, nurture them, and prepare them to advance their careers within the district. Likewise, opportunities for teacher leadership are being developed to reward professional growth and provide career pathways for teachers who do not wish to pursue administration. The teacher shortage is prevalent statewide, and PUSD is feeling the effects. On the first day of school, 31 classrooms were staffed with substitutes. While this is a small percentage of total PUSD classrooms, we believe that every child deserves a well trained quality teacher which is why we have become increasingly more systematic, comprehensive, and focused in order to attract new hires and ensure ongoing supports and incentives for new and continuing teachers to grow and develop throughout their careers. While attracting and recruiting outside the boundaries of the district is important, we are also renewing and reinvigorating our efforts to "grow and develop our own," with revitalized partnerships with our local universities. While the appearance of nineteen charter schools within our district boundaries can be perceived as a challenge,the Peoria Unified School District views it as a validation that our parents value education and are always looking for what is in the best interests of their children. We believe school choice is a positive lever that forces us to continue to be self-critical, reflective, and proactive in ensuring that our district is the educational institution of choice by parents, students, teachers and prospective employees. We are confident that PUSD will continue to be an educational leader in the West Valley. Page 3
Page 4
System's Purpose Provide the school system's purpose statement and ancillary content such as mission, vision, values, and/or beliefs. Describe how the school system embodies its purpose through its program offerings and expectations for students. Peoria Unified School District (PUSD) has established systems that provide professional conversations, opportunities to show that there is an effective learning environment being maintained while also encouraging continuous improvements. PUSD utilizes the School Improvement and Accreditation Cycle as a means of selecting school site goals, quarterly benchmarking review, and mid-year goals reviews. Our District is dedicated to transparency in all operations, and staff welcomes feedback to improve programs and practices in every department. The Peoria Unified School District (PUSD) ten-year strategic plan was revised with stakeholder input during the 2013-2014 school year. This comprehensive plan includes the Vision, Mission, Values and three strategic areas that serve as the foundation for the district's Non- Negotiable Goals for Achievement and Instruction. Our Vision The Vision of the Peoria Unified School District is "Every student, every day, prepared to shape tomorrow." Our Mission The Mission of the Peoria Unified School District is to "Empower students to reach their potential." Our Values 1. People are the District's most valuable resource. We encourage, support and care for one another. 2. Excellence describes the expectations of our students and staff in striving to achieve their personal best. 3. Opportunity is afforded every individual within our community. We recognize diverse needs as we strive to provide opportunity for all. 4. Respect for personal differences creates a culture of dignity and compassion. 5. Innovation is at the core of all our actions in the Peoria Unified School District. 6. Achievement is the personal growth of every student, every day. In order to ensure that the Vision and Mission statements are communicated clearly and operationalized, PUSD adopted three strategic goal areas: 1) Parent and Community Partnerships 2) Recruit, Develop, and Retain Staff 3) Organizational Strength and Agility Student learning is at the heart of the Quality Improvement Plan, and data drives all decision-making in each of the three key areas. To ensure viability of these goals, PUSD established non-negotiable goals which support and maintain District goals. The District Quality Improvement Plans for Instruction and Achievement includes the following: Non-Negotiable Goal for Instruction All Peoria Unified School District teachers, support staff, district staff, and site based administrators are responsible and accountable for providing a rigorous, relevant, comprehensive, and aligned curriculum; exemplary instruction practice; district approved instruction materials; Page 5
and aligned assessments. Two indicators are used to validate the non-negotiable goals for instruction: the implementation of Professional Learning Communities (PLC) and Monitoring Quality Instruction (MQI). Exemplary/sustaining components that reflect whether the PLC process is implemented with 100% fidelity includes evidence that schools and teachers establish lesson plans based on Instructional Unit Priority Standards, establish proficiencies, create 4 or more short-cycle formative assessments per instructional unit, develop and implement strategies, and analyze results, monitor and adjust, reteach and enrich. Exemplary/sustaining components that validate whether or not quality instruction is monitored with quality include: collaborative observation, reflection, discussion of identified best instructional practices through Instructional Rounds, monthly Instructional Rounds; focus on targeted best practices orchestrated by site leadership teams (E.G. Learning Targets, levels of cognition, levels of engagement), refinement and implementation during the PLC processes Non-Negotiable Goal for Achievement All Peoria Unified School District teachers, support staff, district staff, and site based administrators are responsible and accountable for producing graduates who demonstrate the life, college, and career knowledge and skills necessary for post-secondary success. Two indicators are used to validate non-negotiable goals for achievement. The first is that all PUSD students will graduate and demonstrate the life, college, and career knowledge and skills necessary for post-secondary success. Our goal for excellence is that 100% of our students will exceed State Standards in all core subjects and 100% of our students will pass all course assessments with a 70% or better, 25% of students will take AP/IB courses, pass the exam, and demonstrate mastery of the District Exit Outcomes, the District ACT composite average score will be 24 and, 100% of our school are given the A label from the AZ Department of Education. The second indicator is that all PUSD teachers are responsible and accountable for exemplary student achievement:. Our target is for 100% exemplary performance on teacher evaluation tool, less than 3 teacher/staff absences per year, 100% parent involvement Annually, the District Mission, Vision, and goals are shared with school administrators. As a part of this process, academic and instructional non-negotiables are reviewed and school administrators reflect upon their current state and actions to move the sites forward. During the 2014-2015 school year, school administrators worked with their leadership teams to review and revise Mission and Vision statements in relation to the District Mission and Vision statements. Sites included a variety of stakeholders in the process. PUSD utilizes multiple sources of data to make decisions regarding ongoing improvement of student achievement, organizational strength and agility, parent and community partnerships, and recruitment, development and retention of quality staff. Our District's resolve to reflect on data in all areas that validates our current efforts to ensure student learning, or change course with programs or practices that fail to yield desired results, drives day-to-day operations and illustrates our dedication to continuous improvement. The Peoria School District is "unified, not uniform," and we are cognizant that innovation is integral to our work with children as we prepare them to shape the 21st Century. PUSD will continue to gather data to determine whether we are meeting the goal of "Post-secondary success" for all children. In order for our students to be prepared to shape tomorrow, PUSD provides comprehensive programs and services to meet the unique learning styles, levels, gifts and talents from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. As a unified district, students are provided a guaranteed and viable curriculum which is seamless as students move through the grade levels. The Standard Instructional Program provides educational instruction at all District schools in accordance with the AZ Academic Standards which are aligned to national common core standards in math and reading. Our district believes that positive educational experiences for our youngest charges set the stage for a lifetime of learning. Resources have been dedicated to ensure preschoolers are prepared for kindergarten through two preschool programs: The ECCEL Preschool Program provides flexible programming that meets the needs of the whole child - socially, academically, and emotionally - to prepare them to enter Page 6
kindergarten ready to learn. We believe that children need time to be children and learn best through discovery and play in a language and literacy based environment that buildings skills and challenges thinking. Through a variety of preschool classrooms on elementary school campuses, typically developing and developmentally delayed three and four-year-olds have their individual needs met through interaction with general education teachers, special education teachers and therapists. Preschool staff members on campuses collaborate in meeting the needs of all children and readily integrate children across classrooms. COOP (Child Oriented Occupational Program) classes are full-day, tuition-based programs offered at several district high schools. These programs are for four-year-olds and are staffed by high school students who have taken Child Development classes and are currently enrolled in COOP classes. These students are interested in a career working with young children. High school students plan the lessons under the guidance of the COOP director (a certified teacher) and the morning and afternoon COOP coordinators. DES benefits are accepted in some programs on a daily basis. Options are available for part day, full day with wrap-around care or full day signature programs such as Project Search, Second Language Immersion, and Science Inquiry. Following the success of the 2016 Override, the District, which has a strong commitment to early childhood education, was able to re-instate free full day Kindergarten which is available at all elementary sites; children learn how to read and write, as well as gain social, emotional and listening skills. Students learn concepts in literacy, mathematics and social studies. They are also exposed to physical education and special classes such as art, and music. In response to an identified need for before and after school childcare, the Peoria Unified School District is proud to offer the KidZone program, our innovative before and after school care program. Through this program, K-8 students are able to learn and interact in a safe, caring environment. Understanding that each student has unique talents, gives, and interests, Peoria Unified's Signature Programs provide specialized learning opportunities for pre-k- through 12th-grade students. Students in grade K-8 may participate in the Copperwood Center for Differentiated Instruction, Foothills Fine Arts Academy, Santa Fe Language Immersion, Heritage Science, Technology, Engineering, Math Magnet (STEM), and the Peoria Traditional School. High school Signature Programs include the International Baccalaureate, Medical, Engineering & Technology (MET) Professional Academy, and University High School. High school students have additional learning opportunities through the Air Force JROTC, Math, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA), Online Courses, Dual Enrollment for College Credit, and Advanced Placement Courses. The Peoria Unified School District recognizes that today's students require opportunities to explore career opportunities prior to leaving our system, and the Career and Technical Education program offers students multiple courses in Business, Marketing & Management, Industrial, Manufacturing & Engineering, Communication & Information Systems, Health Services, Environmental & Agricultural Systems, and Human Services and Resources, many of which may be taken for duel enrollment credit in the Maricopa County Community College System. High school students have additional learning opportunities through the Air Force JROTC, Math, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA), Online Courses, Dual Enrollment for College Credit, and Advanced Placement Courses. Even through the most difficult financial times, the Peoria Unified School District Governing Board has remained committed to Arts Education. PUSD offers multiple opportunities for arts education for both elementary and high school students. Elementary school students receive approximately 50 minutes of both music and visual art education on a six-day rotation, and when students enter the 5th grade, students may enroll in choir or band programs, as well. High schools offer a wide range of arts courses in dance, theater, instrumental and vocal music, 3-D and 2-D visual arts, including ceramics and photography. Each strand of courses in the respected media/performing area has four levels in which students can participate and expand learning into more rigorously designed curriculum. Our arts curriculum covers the basics of an art form to full performance and portfolio development. Page 7
Exceptional Student Services provides targeted academic instruction for students who reside in the District and meet one or more of the following conditions: autism, deaf- blind, deaf, developmental delay, emotional disturbance, hearing impairment, intellectually delayed, multiple disability, multiple disability with severe sensory impairment, orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, preschool severe delay, specific learning disability, speech and language impairment, traumatic brain injury, visual impairment. Interscholastic Athletics provide the opportunity for students to participate in interscholastic competition in many sports at the elementary, freshmen, junior varsity and varsity levels. Participation in athletics is a privilege and carries certain responsibilities. Students can only compete if they are academically eligible. Students also must exhibit high standards of behavior, leadership and sportsmanship. Collaboration of teams of talented teachers, working together, to make sure all students are achieving at high levels is continuous. Changing a paradigm of working in isolation to one of collaboration is a work in progress, sometimes painstaking, but one that is necessary and will yield amazing results for our students and community. District leaders play instrumental roles in supporting site principals in their work with teachers. We recognize the impact site administrators have on creating a climate and culture where collaboration is expected, encouraged, and flourishes. "Shaping school culture and working effectively with personnel cannot be purchased in a slick software package or by bringing in a motivational speaker or taking personnel on a retreat. It is not a program with three steps to this, and seven steps to that, and a principle for everything. It is a journey, an adventure, and a challenging task that at times is lonely and discouraging. Principals cannot nuke school culture in a microwave; they must use a slow cooker and let it simmer, allowing the flavors to blend. No instant gratification exists in culture shaping. Once the aroma of a school's culture wafts through a school's hallways, drifts into the classrooms, and filters through the nostrils of its stakeholders and stirs their souls, the principal knows positive culture shaping has occurred and personnel have been changed. The adventure has started. Sorenson & Goldsmith (2009) Page 8
Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement Describe the school system's notable achievements and areas of improvement in the last three years. Additionally, describe areas for improvement that the school system is striving to achieve in the next three years. Public education throughout the state of Arizona and across the nation has weathered numerous challenges; the Peoria Unified School District has not been immune to the tumultuous times. However, while navigating the choppy waters, our district has notable achievements about which we are very proud as a well-respected educational leader in the West Valley and across the state. In addition to earning an "A" label and maintaining a 93% high school graduation rate, our seniors received over $65 million dollars in scholarship offers. Our supportive community rallied and approved an override in May which enabled Peoria to reinstate all-day kindergarten for the 2016-2017 school year resulting in the Kindergarten enrollment increase of over 250 children from the previous year. In addition, override monies provided well deserved and long overdue salary increases for staff. Funding challenges and increased scrutiny of public school financing has required every district to stay vigilant and responsive to financial uncertainties; our district's top notch Business Services Department received a Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting, a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, and the Financial Reporting Achievement Award. Innovation is the driver of PUSD's Career and Technical Education (CTE) program. During the 2015-2016 SY, the District CTE program received two national awards as a department. First, the International Center for Leadership in Education named Peoria Unified School District the CTE National Innovative District for the total CTE Program Model, the first district to be recognized with this honor. The Total CTE Program Model is implemented in both the Junior High CTE program called Technology Life Careers at all 28 CTE high school programs. CTE students are recognized as receiving this exemplary instruction through the CTE Mastery of Subject Area Graduation Endorsement which is added to their high school transcript indicating academic achievement or major of study. Peoria's CTE Program was also awarded the prestigious Excellence in Action award for stackable credentials. Our district is one of eleven districts in the nation to receive this award. Another notable achievement for our district includes the soft launch of the Medical Engineering and Technology Professional Academy (MET) in the spring of 2015 for our Technology Strand, and the opening of the full program for the 2015-2016 school year. The MET Academy is an innovative approach to education where students are immersed in a professional setting and gain experience working with real employers in the fields who engage them in authentic projects. The Engineering strand is designed for students who are interested in a combination of rigorous science and engineering fundamentals, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Learning experiences can be individually tailored to students' engineering interests such as, electrical, mechanical, civil, and other principles including renewable energy and biomedical engineering. Students enrolled in the Technology Strand learn the structure, functions, and components of cybersecurity and how data is compromised by hackers, computer viruses and other incidents that affect our lives. Students can earn dual-enrollment credit through their participation in the MET Academy. The District's commitment to the Arts was recognized when our Governing Board became the recipient of the 26th annual Kennedy Center Alliance for the Arts Education Network (KCAAEN) and the National School boards Association (NSBA) Award. PUSD was selected from nominees around the country for the District's support of high quality arts education and clear commitment to teaching and learning through the arts. The Arts department has expanded and increased community partnerships with a variety of groups including the Musical Instrument Page 9
Museum which has grown from 600 student to more than 2800 students in the past three years. The District partnership with City of Peoria for the Annual Arts and Cultural Festival experienced a community participation increase from 10,000 to 15,000 over the past five years. With respect to areas of improvement, over the last three years, we've worked hard to ensure structures and systems are in place to strengthen our focus on the right work and give educators the time and opportunity to work together to find innovative and workable solutions. Our Non-negotiable Goals for Instruction are viewed as a lead measure for the Non-negotiable Goals for Achievement, and our district has dedicated resources to providing training, time, and human resources that will move current collaborative practices forward with fidelity in the context of professional learning communities. The monitoring and implementation of quality instruction in every classroom is an expectation that is realized through formal and informal training around the key performance indicators, and peer observations teachers engage in through instructional rounds. In addition to free all day professional development opportunities, the district has built nine late start days into our yearly calendar that are dedicated to preserving our teachers' time for work in their professional learning communities, not only for grade level groups, but also for like content area teachers, and vertically aligned content teachers at the K-8 levels. High school communities generally work together in like content areas. Administrators work hard to ensure "singletons" are engaged in "the work," inviting like content teachers from other schools to join discussions around the four critical questions. Early in the summer, each school Leadership Team, along with their site administrators, attended an intense two day learning seminar focused on the professional learning community principles. Leadership teams, in partnership with the administrative team at each site, are working strategically to analyze data, inform planning decisions in every classroom, and observe and implement quality instruction. Teachers are engaging in the cyclical process of data analysis, planning, delivery of instruction, reflection on that instruction, and closing the loop with data analysis to determine the success of the planning and delivery using evidence of student achievement. Administrators and instructional coaches observe the research-based instructional practices we expect in all our classrooms and provide immediate and specific feedback to teachers. Teachers observe each other and discuss successful strategies as well as refinements that may yield better results, often replicating the excellence demonstrated through peer observation. Student learning and quality instruction are the focus of our work in Peoria, and job-embedded collaboration opportunities are the vehicles that drive that work. We consider both the implementation of the Professional Learning Community culture and the identification of and focus on best practices of quality instruction district-wide to be notable achievements, but by no means have we arrived at our destination, and we view this cultural change as a work in progress. Our goal is to embed the professional learning community philosophy into the very fiber of our culture and stay true to our commitment to monitoring quality instruction. We believe every student should be taught by highly effective teachers and administrators with growth mindsets; however, we also know that while the systems are firmly embedded at some sites, we have a lot of work to do to be able to state without reservation that district-wide, these practices are being fully embraced. Other areas of improvement occurred as a result of the passage of Proposition 123. Like other districts, significant funding limitation has resulted in our teachers working without adequate resources and materials. The support of voters last spring enable the District to purchase textbooks, manipulatives, and other supplemented materials to enhance and improve student learning and quality instruction in math. In addition the Districts purchase of the teaching and learning platform, Schoolnet, has provided teachers with curriculum, test creation resources, and instant access to student achievement data to help them plan, assess, and discuss instructional practices and outcomes in professional learning communities. While both mathematics and English language arts, World Languages, and Physical Education curriculum have been loaded into Schoolnet, other curricular areas will be added in the future, so all teachers in the Peoria District can eventually benefit from this valuable resource. While the math resources were well received and are being used to enhance instruction, and the Schoolnet platform is another teacher tool we've provided teachers and administrators to use to improve teaching and learning, we know Page 10
the potential of each has not been fully realized. We've just touched the surface with regard to the depth of these resources, and as teachers become more comfortable with the supplemental math materials we are confident that they will discover exactly how Schoolnet can impact planning and instructional delivery practices through real-time student data analysis.. Under the direction of our new Superintendent, our district has identified four areas of improvement on which we'll focus for the next three years in order "to take a very good district and position our students and our organization to be optimally prepared for the future." The four areas align with the Districts four Strategic Areas. Organization Strength & Agility The first area of focus relates to assessing the effectiveness of programs, procedures and resource utilization in order to ensure Organizational Strength and Agility. Assessment of signature programs, an audit of special education services and programs, and an analysis of our Federal programs will be reviewed for their impact on student achievement, relevancy, and organizational agility, and subsequently be refined and restructured as appropriate. Procedures within every department will be reviewed from cost effective delivery models of professional development within the curriculum and instruction department, to coding and position control procedures within business services, to streamlining of work orders with the maintenance department. Assessment of resource utilization will help determine new and innovative ways to make the best use of District assets. Recruit, Develop, Retain Staff The second area of improvement focuses on Peoria Unified School Districts goal to attract and retain effective employees. The Peoria Unified School District strives to retain effective employees. We continuously explore avenues for maximizing the skill-sets of our employees as well as our funding sources to ensure that our staffing patterns are appropriate and that retained staff have the necessary resources to do their jobs. Knowing that there is a nation-wide shortage of educators, we have put together a comprehensive internal and external recruitment plan to attract the most qualified staff members to Peoria Unified. We have partnered with a vendor to incentivize our employees to recommend their friends and family for employment, and we have a large presence at in and out of state recruitment/ job fairs. Parent and Community Partnerships The third area of focus pertains to increasing and strengthening parent and community partnerships with our internal and external communities. The Stakeholder feedback diagnostic was generally favorable with the overall highest level of satisfaction related to Purpose and Direction as well as Teaching and Assessing with a strong belief by parents that there were high expectations for their children, and that their children clearly understood those expectations. Stakeholder perceptions that support services are not adequate and that schools are not providing sufficient material resources to meet student needs are areas that are addressed with community service programs such as the new Love your School Initiative with local church and civic organizations, generous grant opportunities and donations from private and public entities such as Liberty Buick and Tohono Odom Tribe. The Peoria Education Foundation (PEEF) provides educator grants to fund projects that demonstrate the potential to significantly improve student achievement, as well as providing scholarships for high school seniors who have either overcome significant obstacles to complete their high school coursework, or to students who have demonstrated academic excellence and a strong commitment to the community in which they live and plan to continue with post-secondary education. While these parent and community partnerships are excellent, the focus will be for the district to take the initiative in organizing joint strategic planning efforts with government, business and community leaders to engage in meaningful dialog to problem solve and make decisions designed to improving academic achievement and quality of life for children and their families. Student Learning The fourth area of focus relates to Student Learning which is at the epicenter of all that we do here in Peoria Unified School District. Our Non- Negotiable Goals for Instruction, implementing instructional Rounds and Professional Learning Communities with 100% fidelity continue to be Page 11
our lead indicators for our Non-Negotiable Goals for Achievement. We have been a leader over the last several years in the implementation and monitoring of quality instruction, by developing for implementation, providing training at all 42 schools, setting instructional goals, and progress monitoring the sites in their application of best instructional practices. All sites through their leadership teams have received ongoing training with respect to Professional Learning Communities and are implementing PLC's at varying levels of fidelity. The District has carved out time for monthly late starts dedicated exclusively to PLC's. Curriculum continues to be reviewed and monitored as it relates to its validity, reliability, and fidelity to execution at the school, class, and individual student level. The area we continue to scrutinize is in the delivery of both the instructional and curricular areas as it relates to the individual student needs. Peoria Unified School District struggles with embedding practices of personalized instruction to meet individual students' learning needs. As we look to our future, conversations have already begun to utilize technology resources to address core academic needs of our students. Technological programs have been developed and will be implemented that can be leveraged and highly supportive to the classroom teacher in our ultimate challenge and goal of personalizing Student Learning. Page 12
Additional Information Provide any additional information you would like to share with the public and community that were not prompted in the previous sections. With the authorization of ESSA at the federal level, the state Department of Education formulated the plan for Arizona and released a draft for public comment in September 2016. The 71 page plan details the requirements for implementation of state standards, assessment of those standards, and the A-F Accountability System labels that will be used to "grade" our schools on the achievement of the requirements outline in Arizona's plan. After a two year hiatus from our current A-F Accountability System, a new version is being drafted to determine the criteria each letter designation. Unfortunately, teachers and administrators statewide are unaware of the parameters of the plan and are faced with being rated with criteria that are yet to be determine. Our course of action in the Peoria Unified School District remains unchanged. Our focus will continue to be on our primary purposes: student learning, quality instruction, continuous improvement, and organizational strength and agility, regardless of the plan being drafted at the state level. Every day we are reminded that as educators in the Peoria Unified School District, we cannot be satisfied with the status quo, and complacency is not an option. If the district is to remain strong, agile, and nimble, we must be "future ready" and continue to attract families, students, certified and classified staff to our destination district. Likewise, we are cognizant that our district must be responsive to employer demands and work in partnership with community and business partners to better understand what constitutes workplace and career readiness. Tradition has been the foundation of Peoria Unified School District for well over a century. Innovation will the cornerstone to the success of the Peoria Unified School District in the next 125 years. Page 13