1 st Quarter Press Conference

Dr. Timothy Mitchell

Rapid City Area Schools

8-20-13

1st Quarter Press Conference

Systems That Learn

“Leadership is about going somewhere. If you and your people don’t know

where you are going, your leadership doesn’t matter.”

Ken Blanchard

Building a community of life long learners, one student at a time.

RCAS Mission

All Rapid City Area School students will

achieve to their full potential.

RCAS Vision

Guaranteed, Viable, Relevant Curriculum

Life and Career skillsTechnology Literacy (21st century skills)Staff Effectiveness and Organizational

Capacity-BuildingComprehensive System of AssessmentDiverse Opportunities for students to

learn and be academically successful

RCAS Priorities

Systems That Learn

Step 1-Recognize that schools were designed in a different era and for different goals

Step 2-Start a dialogue on how to restructure schools in ways that will foster all students learning at high levels

Priority Task #1All Students Learning at High Levels

Priority Task #22013-2014 Fiscal Responsibility

Priority Task #3Infrastructure Development

Priority Tasks 2013-2014

Priority Task #4Personnel

Priority Task #5Policy Development and Revision

Priority Task #6Miscellaneous

Legislative Session and School Safety

Priority Tasks 2013-2014

Professional Learning Communities Implementation

Early Release ScheduleAll Day Everyday Kindergarten

Priority Task #1-Learning

Priorities/Non-Negotiables:1. Build district-wide shared understanding of PLC

concepts

2. Develop high-performing collaborative teams focused on high levels of learning for all students

3. Clarify essential learning outcomes/power standards

4. Develop and deploy common formative assessments 

Priority Task #1-Learning

Priority Task #1-Learning

The Big IdeaThe learning dynamics that a teacher establishes in his/her classroom is similar to the learning dynamics a principal/instructional leader establishes in his/her school, and is similar to what a superintendent does to promote learning within the district leadership team.

Priority Task #1-Learning

Overarching TheoryWhen a school systems learns,

continuous improvement enables educators to close

achievement gaps and ensures that all students grow

and develop as learners.

Priority Task #1-Learning

Strengthening the adult learning will benefit

students:

*When School Boards learn*When Central Administrators learn*When Building Administrators learn*When Schools and departments learn*When individual teachers learn

When a school system learns, continuous improvement

enables educators to close achievement gaps and

ensures that all students grow and develop as learners

Priority Task #1-Learning

Creating the time for collaboration does not guarantee

improvements. Structural change is not cultural change. Simply altering the schedule to provide the time to meet does

not create conditions for learning.

Priority Task #1-Learning

Communication Task ForceQuestions 3 & 4Career and Technical EducationDropout PreventionProfessional Learning Communities-More Clarity and Coherence

Priority Task #1-Learning 2013-2014

2013-2014 Budget Includes:

-$3.8 Mill in Fund Balance-No Capital Outlay Flexibility-$1.9 Mill Expenditure Reduction

Estimated Expenditures from GF$82.3 Mill

Priority Task #2-Fiscal Responsibility

Salary Schedule Task ForceHealth Insurance CommitteeReview and Analysis of Negotiated Agreements

Priority Task #2-Fiscal Responsibility

Budget Process-Similar to 2013-2014

Salary Schedule-On-going Salary Dollars

Health InsuranceWellnessDisease Management

Priority Task #2-Fiscal Responsibility 2013-2014

Policy Revision-Facility Use (KG)Five Year Capital Outlay Plan (Review and

Revision) South-Stevens-ElementaryFinalize Lease w/Rapid City Performing

Arts CoalitionRapid City High School (Alternative

Programs)Jefferson/Lincoln (District Staff)Kibbon Kuster (Elementary Classroom Space)Technology Refresh

Priority Task #3-Infrastructure Development

Policy Implementation-Facility Use (KG)

Five Year Capital Outlay Plan (Review and Revision)

Finalize Lease w/Rapid City Performing Arts Coalition

Long-Term Elementary Classroom Space Plan

Enrollment Projections

Priority Task #3-Infrastructure Development 2013-2014

Teacher and Leader quality are the most powerful variable affecting student achievement

Schools districts have to commit to populating our schools with the highest quality teacher and leaders possible

How does RCAS best attract, develop and retain the most highly qualified workforce?

Priority Task #4-Personnel

Teacher/Principal Effectiveness Pilot

Teachscape ImplementationActivities StaffingSalary Placement Issues

Priority Task #4-Personnel

Priority Task #4-Personnel

How do we increase educator capacity in

order to provide a more effective education for

all students in all schools?

Review and Revise specific Board Policies as identified by the administration and School Board Policy Committee

Identify and Review all Board Policies that have not been revised for 10 years are longer

Priority Task #5-Policy

AA School District Legal StatusBDA Electronic Communication with

BoardCCA Organizational ChartKMI Relations with Political

OrganizationsKDD Media Relations

Priority Task #5-Policy 2013-2014

Monitor Legislative SessionBuild on efforts to form sustainable relationships

School SafetyEntrances-MitigationCrisis Plan UpdatesInternal Communication

Priority Task #6-Miscellanous 2013-2014

Why is CHANGE so Hard?“There is nothing more difficult to plan, more

doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than the creation of a new order of

things…Whenever his enemies have the ability to attack the innovator they do so with

the passion of partisans, while the others defend him sluggishly, so that the innovator

and his party alike are vulnerable”Niccolo

Machiavelli