A defined trajectory of distinction

To ensure the district maintains its academic excellence standing, all major decisions are weighed against the district’s five-year strategic plan, known as VBS 2012: Flight Plan for Excellence.

The plan, released in February 2008, was developed with assistance from more than 100 community members and district staff. It defines five priority areas for the district:

• Sustained academic excellence

• Staff development

• Technology development

• Facilities planning

• Financial stability

The district has made excellent progress in meeting and exceeding the goals laid out in the plan.

Read the summary report for VBS 2012: Flight Plan for Excellence or scroll down for a list of benchmarks and a sampling of accomplishments to date.

Core Strategy A: Meet the needs of all individual student learners

To meet the needs of all individual student learners by matching curriculum, instruction, and assessment

Benchmarks

• Continue to increase the ability to offer early learning intervention, especially by Grade 2.

• Continue to increase the use of qualitative and quantitative data in individualizing instruction, especially by classroom teachers.

• Support diverse learners in inclusive settings to improve “adequate yearly progress” as required by the “No Child Left Behind Act.”

• Evaluate and incorporate best practices to improve the overall delivery system of education for students.

• Consistently evaluate students based on mastery of the Academic Content Standards.

• Continue to increase communication between the classroom and parents on student learning progress.

• Continue to increase the use of the web-site for parent/classroom interaction.

• Continue to increase the involvement of the business community in classroom instruction.

• Improve the alignment of assessment and teaching at all grade levels.

Sample accomplishments to date:

• Excellent rating five consecutive years

• District met adequate yearly progress and value-added measure on the state report card

• Common assessments developed for grades K-4

• Common assessments developed for middle grades

• Improved student interventions through increased quality of and access to data

• Implementation of standards-based reporting through grade 6

• Scheduled implementation of Parent Viewer for viewing online grades

• Increased use of “best practices” for gifted education services

Core Strategy B: Develop and maintain a high degree of professional development

To develop and maintain a high degree of professional development for staff, leading to world-class learning opportunities for students.

Benchmarks

• Strengthen staff development in cutting edge instructional technology.

• Provide continual evaluation and follow-up support for training to monitor effectiveness (assess value, measure impact).

• Develop teaching skills which strengthen student achievement on

• Academic Content Standards (e.g., differentiated instructing, assessment, student achievement).

• Provide continual training for new personnel on district priorities (e.g., Baldridge-Continuous Improvement).

• Provide training on new “Adequate Yearly Progress” value-added mandates from the State of Ohio.

• Provide teachers with knowledge of future career and workplace expectations for their students.

• Provide targeted staff development for classified employees in the district.

• Continue to provide training and enhancements for all staff in security and safety in conjunction with police and fire departments.

• Develop a staffing plan which preserves “corporate memory” of highly experienced staff as they retire.

• Increase staff knowledge of the special learning needs of students.

Sample accomplishments to date:

• Doubled enrollment in Summer Institute, the district’s internal professional development program, in one year

• Spending on professional development is up 58 percent

• Kept pace with rapidly changing state mandates

• Continued entry-year teacher training and support

• Presented district “best practices” at state and national conferences

Core Strategy C: Prepare students, staff, and the community for the future through accessible technology.

Benchmarks

• Integrate technology into student learning at all levels incorporating state standards.

• Assure staff confidence and proficiency in using technology to teach.

• Assure staff confidence and proficiency in using software productivity tools.

• Improve access and availability of hardware and software tools to staff and students.

• Investigate other technology tools to re-allocate time, resources, and applications to support student and teacher learning.

• Create access for students and families to classroom-based information, learning resources, videos, notes, etc.

• Establish hardware and software replacement cycles.

• Seek ways to address the “digital divide” or gap among students in their abilities to use technology.

• Improve use of technological tools for district management and support services.

• Assess the levels needed for district technology support services.

Sample accomplishments to date:

• Doubled technology training at Summer Institute, the district’s professional development program.

• Increased access to Smart boards in the classroom.

• Increased web presence with www.vandaliabutlerbuildings.org

• Increase teacher access to real-time data with the addition of NWEA, a student assessment program.

Core Strategy D: Provide a competitive educational environment through school facilities

To provide students with a competitive educational environment through schools, which meet facility standards set by the state and community expectations.

Benchmarks

• Promote and educate the community on the condition of each facility benchmarked against state standards and surrounding communities.

• Develop a planned evaluation for improvements in each school facility with attention to future growth and use patterns.

• Update technology for all facilities.

• Evaluate the future viability of the high school as a high school or middle school facility.

• Modernize to ensure safe and secure environments for all facilities.

• Discontinue the use of Morton Middle School facilities.

• Make our facilities a source of community pride.

Sample accomplishments to date:

• Engaged the community and staff in the facilities design process

• Identified and implemented an aggressive facilities construction schedule

• Reduced the project cost by hiring ideal personnel for the positions of project manager and project liaison

• Established a facilities steering committee to oversee the project to completion

• Maintaining active involvement in the development and oversight of legal contracts and documentation

Core Strategy E: Support educational excellence through sufficient funding and effective stewardship

Benchmarks

• Educate our community on our fiscal position and the future needs of education to sustain an “Excellent” School District rating.

• Continue to provide the funding for excellence in education.

• Maintain competitiveness in salary and benefits for employees.

• Investigate funding alternatives to emergency and renewal or replacement levies, such as bond or permanent improvement levies.

• Maintain the competitive position of the community by keeping and attracting business in partnership with the city and township.

• Evaluate the possibility of earned income tax for schools by benchmarking its impact on other communities which have this funding source.

• Establish the capability to fund facility improvements and enhancements.

• Monitor and measure the effectiveness of our spending.

• Advocate for the development of new potential properties which moderate growth in taxes in partnership with the city and township.

• Investigate public and private partnerships which provide for the highest and best use of public funds.

• Assure local levy renewals to maintain current state revenue-sharing.

Sample accomplishments to date:

• Developed a facility plan and three-year spending plan

• Developed bond levy support

• Achieved a strong district credit rating (AA from Standard & Poor’s and AA3 from Moody’s)

• Achieved a perfect audit for the 2008 fiscal year

• Received a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government

• Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA).

• Developed a collaborative and efficient effort for, and compliance with, the following changes:

  • Cell phone policy

  • FMLA

  • 403(b) and annuities

  • Section 125 update

  • Fees and collections

Core Strategy F: Keep the community aware of our progress

To keep staff, parents, students, and the community aware of our progress and the value of the services provided through our educational mission.

Benchmarks

• Provide information to enable our constituency to understand the current priorities of the district.

• Develop a user-friendly directory of district sources of information for the public.

• Link district priorities with the needs and expectations of taxpayers.

• Educate the community on state and federal mandates affecting students.

• Communicate the cost structure and value of our district as compared to other districts in our area, especially growing areas.

• Educate staff on the importance of the public relations role they play as ambassadors of the district.

• Educate the public on the financial needs and importance of a sustainable financial model for educating children.

Sample accomplishments to date:

• Developed a quarterly district newsletter

• Established the communications committee

• Engaged the community in the facilities plan

• Engaged the finance committee in the financial plan

• Developed a collaborative and transparent budgeting process

• Developed the building website (www.vandaliabutlerbuildings.org) to keep the community apprised of the building project’s progress.

• Launched a new district website that improves on the information provided to stakeholders