LEADING CHANGE…OUR PATH TO 2017
The North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District completed Strategic Planning in 2012. Strategic Planning is a long-range, goal setting, and action committee approach to developing a five year blueprint for our schools. Through the Strategic Planning process, parents, community members, students, staff members, local business owners, Board members, and governing officials collaborated to create the mission, vision and goals for the high school district and its students to help guide them through the changing environment of public education over the next five years. Those who volunteered to be a part of the process examined where our school district is now, discussed where we want to be by 2017, and created action plans on how are we going to get there.
Thank you to everyone who volunteered to be a part of Strategic Planning!
Strategic Plan Update – July 2014
1) During the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 school years, the district achieved the following Strategic Plan goals:
- Educational Excellence: Goal 1 – To improve and sustain articulation with sending districts by demonstrating common curriculum, common standards, and common calendar. Also to promote the value of articulation through institutional support.
In regards to a common calendar, 7 out of 11 sending districts will share the same start date with the high school district for 2014-2015 school year (4 not starting with us are Clinton Twp., Franklin Twp., High Bridge, Lebanon Borough). All sending districts match the winter and spring recess dates of the high school district. In regards to articulation, the district identified two dates in the 2013-2014 school year for joint articulation with the sending districts (December 11, 2013 and April 9, 2014). These dates were in addition to any other articulation meetings that the department supervisors scheduled on their own. The follow-up survey for both joint articulation days was very positive and we are planning on continuing this effort into the 2014-2015 school year.
- Educational Excellence: Goal 2 – To expand opportunities for collaboration of intra- and inter- departments and schools. Also, standardize new teacher professional development between the high schools. (Professional Development Committee was asked to address this goal.)
For professional development in the 2012-2013 school year, the high school district dedicated three in-service half days for department meetings, two half days for joint department meetings between the high schools, and three cafeteria days. In 2013-2014, the district dedicated two days for articulation with sending districts, two days for department meetings, three days for joint department meetings between the high schools, and two cafeteria days. The number of joint department meetings in 2013-2014 was increased based on feedback from supervisors. The NHV district holds a new teacher orientation in August the week prior to school opening, which is led by NHHS teacher Therese Flynn. Mrs. Flynn and the new teachers meet again as a group on three of the in-service days during the school year. New teachers in their second year also meet on 2-3 in-service days as a group. The Support on Site (SOS) program will be district-wide next year.
- Communications: Goal 1 – Develop/increase horizontal and vertical lines of communication between K-8 and 9-12 districts.
This goal ties into Goal 1 for Educational Excellence in that increasing the lines of communication relates to articulation. Two joint articulation days were added in 2013-2014 so that high school faculty could have meetings with sending district faculty, in addition to articulation meetings that high school supervisors are encouraged to set up on their own throughout the year. NHV Superintendent Shaddow continues to meet monthly with the sending district superintendents to discuss common issues, including curriculum. Each superintendent is assigned to oversee the articulation of a certain subject area.
- Communications: Goal 3 – Develop a presence on social media.
Facebook pages for each high school were launched during the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year. The links to the Facebook pages are sent to freshmen parents each year, encouraging them to “Like” the page. On average, the District Communications Coordinator posts three updates a week. Expansion to Twitter will be examined.
- Resources: Goal 5 – To have a working education foundation in place at each high school to accept donations for educational funding initiatives.
Education Foundations now exist for each high school and have already made donations to the schools. Voorhees Education Foundation – www.vhsef.org; North Hunterdon Education Foundation – http://www.nhhsfoundation.org/about.html
2) The district has made progress towards the following Strategic Plan Goals:
- Educational Excellence: Goal 4 – Class sizes will be reduced to reasonable levels based on educational research.
- Educational Excellence: Goal 5 – To develop and incorporate new technologies to improve productivity and educational opportunities for both students and staff. (The 1:1 mobile computing device initiative was launched in 2013-2014 school year to the freshman class.)
- Communications: Goal 4 – Increase attendance of community members at school events (such as concerts, plays, athletics).
- Partnerships: Goal 3 – The district will increase student organizations’ community service and outreach. Students, athletic teams and clubs will promote, expand, sustain and revitalize their community service and outreach.
- Resources: Goal 1 – To continually assess and optimize the district’s resources in instruction, supervision and curriculum.
3) For the 2014-2015 school year, the district will be concentrating on the following goals:
- Continuing to introduce new technologies for students and staff – expansion of 1:1 student Chromebook program to three grade levels in 2014-2015, and implementation of new student database system, Aspen.
- The district will develop programs with businesses, corporations, universities, etc. to establish educational opportunities for students inside and outside the classroom.
- Both high schools will ensure that its students are afforded the same opportunities to enroll in classes and that the curriculum in both high schools is consistent.
- To ensure fair district-wide allocation and/or utilization of resources.
Strategic Plan 2012-2017:
- Overview Report with State of the Schools and State of the Community Reports
- Goals and Action Plans:
The current Mission Statement and Beliefs for our high school district were not changed through the 2012 strategic planning process. Click here to read the mission and beliefs.
If you have any questions regarding Strategic Planning, please contact our internal coordinator, Maren Smagala, at msmagala@nhvweb.net.