Our Mission is to Improve Learning
Community stakeholders were gathered in 2018 with the goal of setting the district on a course to ensure students are prepared to succeed in an ever changing social and work environment. The results of that work led to the creation of the philosophical underpinnings of the school district’s strategic plan including strategies and action steps. The motto for the school district is “getting it right for every student.” Since the strategic plan should be a living and breathing document, it is revisited by district-wide staff twice a year and adjustments are made to our action steps based on the evaluation of assessment data.
Three categories were developed and three characteristics that would reflect the vision of learning we strive from in District 207 were created. Each action step and strategy is developed, implemented, and assessed to ensure that the district is developing the learner, learning, and learning environment that should be cultivated in District 207.
After digging into the characteristics of a learner (center ring of the wheel), five major areas of focus emerged: Equity, Integrated Career Services, Social Emotional Learning and Behaviors, High Impact Instruction and Competency-Based Education (gears of the wheel). District 207 understands that “getting it right for every student” is a complex endeavor that requires support and attention that goes well beyond academics. School is a student’s home away from home… and just like at home, the adults need to continue their learning journeys (Adult Learning) to meet the changing needs of the family. District 207 strives to meet every student where they are (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support) to help them reach their fullest potential.
Five Areas of Focus
Equity
GOAL 1: Achieve equity in enrollments, opportunities and achievement across the district for all subgroups.
GOAL 2: Eliminate predictability based on race, abilities, and other identity factors in discipline referrals and attendance across the district.
GOAL 3: Promote and support widespread equity and inclusion mindsets that are visible in our practices.
GOAL 4: Students’ cultural assets are recognized and celebrated in our academic and non-academic spaces.
INTEGRATED CAREER SERVICES
GOAL 1: All students have designed experiences to help them make the best career decisions possible, finding the right education path in the shortest time and lowest expense through the concept of “return on investment”.
GOAL 2: A student’s pathway and career interest is a point of conversation when selecting classes and considering student activities.
GOAL 3: Review, redefine, improve, and intervene when necessary to ensure individual career plans are a holistic personalized plan.
GOAL 4: All students have access to iterative meaningful career experiences in their identified pathway/career field of interest.
GOAL 5: All classes have embedded opportunities for meaningful career exploration.
GOAL 6: All relevant stakeholders understand the purpose of Integrated Career Services and how it drives the educational program.
SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING BEHAVIOR
GOAL 1: Implement research based practices routinely, including explicitly teaching and providing feedback on social emotional and behavioral skills within all settings, based on the CASEL Competencies and ISBE SEL Standards.
GOAL 2: Monitor and respond to school climate, student sense of belonging, and SELB needs through surveys, focus groups, needs assessments, and other screening data.
GOAL 3: Address SELB needs of students and staff through proactive, responsive, and restorative ways that result in positive skill building and successful outcomes.
Watch videos related to social and emotional learning behavior.
HIGH IMPACT INSTRUCTION:
GOAL 1: Select and monitor the implementation of common, data-driven instructional routines.
GOAL 2: Monitor student achievement data to evaluate the effectiveness of instructional routines and practices and respond to the changing needs of students.
GOAL 3: Coordinate district and building level adult learning systems in order to support implementation of high impact instructional routines.
GOAL 4: Implement equitable assessment and grading practices, evaluate their effectiveness, and respond to the changing needs of students.
Watch videos related to high impact instruction.
COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION
GOAL 1: All stakeholders are educated about the rationale, concepts, and implementation timeline for competency-based education.
GOAL 2: Representative stakeholders engage in the development and implementation of competency-based education.
GOAL 3: Evaluate the effectiveness of competency-based practices and respond to the changing needs of students.
GOAL 4: Develop systems to clearly communicate academic and adaptive skills progress, verify achievement of competencies, and how they inform course placement, support, and enrichment.