Good work finding the blog! Here are our 2 questions to ponder. As you think about these questions, remember to focus on the topic of our group (VISION). Please post by April 2nd.
1. What additional data will your group need to identify areas of strength/growth for your area of focus?
2. What questions do you have as we move forward?
Our next face-to-face meeting is Thursday April 22nd, same room, at 2:10. See you there!
Rachel,
ReplyDeleteNice blog site, thank you for setting it up.
First I would like someone to define Vision in this WASC report context.
However here are some of the questions I think of when I think of Vision:
Are we looking at where NHS will be in 3, 5, or 10 years?
Do we have a current formal Vision statement? If yes, what is it?
Are we looking at future educational opportunities?
Are we looking at the changing needs in the work force and addressing what skills our students will need to be successful when they graduate?
Are we looking at how students have changed and how dynamic and global their world is 24 hrs a day 7 days per week?
Are we looking at resource constraints in terms of both money and volunteer time as two income families grow and our State continues to short change education? And what do we do about it?
Does our Vision include the opportunity for students to develop 21st Century skills of collaboration, communication, innovation, and critical thinking/problem solving?
Does our Vision include expanding the learning experience outside the school site thus making the learning experience more relevant and more global?
Does the NHS's Vision incorporate flexibility so that students can pursue a passion or a vocation?
Does our Vision include setting high standards for our students both in terms of academic rigor and as engaged and conscientious members of the community/world?
Do we expect our students to be respectful and prepared in the classroom? Do we expect our students to have a sense of justice and compassion for their fellow students?
Do we see our students leaving NHS with a sense of pride in their school, their teachers, and the opportunities their high school provided them?
This may overlap with so many other areas hence my need for a definition. LOL
While working on a different project tonight I came across this quote and thought I would share it.
ReplyDeleteOne's vision is not a roadmap but a compass.
Hi everyone! What a terrific quote Linda!
ReplyDeleteHere's some clarification on the concentration of our focus group. We will be focusing on the vision & purpose of Northgate as well as the structures & organizations that support that vision including governance, leadership, staff, and resources.
I think some data we need in front of us the next time we meet are the ESLRs (expected school-wide learning results) and our know/do list. Many of you already have these, but I'll make copies so we all have them when we meet again.
Anything else? What other data do we need to identify areas of strength & growth?
Hola All!
ReplyDeleteI had similar questions as Linda did (above).
When I went to the Northgate H.S. home page, under the MISSION tab, the first option was the Vision Statement as follows:
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Northgate High School
Vision Statement
Northgate High School welcomes all into a community that fosters lifelong learning, encourages creativity and effective communication, develops integrity, values cultural diversity, nurtures active community participants, and provides the necessary skill sets for critical thinking and effective problem solving, thus preparing all students to handle the diverse challenges of the local and global communities of the 21st century.
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Is this our starting point?
Is this what was crafted for the last WASC requirement?
Does this "compass" need to be re-calibrated?
It could probably be modified a little bit, as new people come with new ideas, there is usually a tweak that can be made to a subjective statement of words to better reflect the beliefs of the new administration (compass-bearer).
Gracias,
Pedro Dorado
As a member of the vision Group, I want to know where our focus is first. The vision for our school is pretty overwhelming. A vision for the school? the students? the community? the teachers? the curriculum? I suspect all of it and more.
ReplyDeleteWe need to start with a main goal and go with it. Then we can determine what minor goals will get us there. In order to do that, let's see where we are. What are our students doing after graduation? How successful are they? Have we been able to help them meet their goals? Have we even been able to help them determine what their goals are? Have we been able to provide them with the tools to adjust to changes in direction as life often brings us?
As a representative of Special Education, I would like to see how well our students perform at the next level, whether it be in school or in the work force. (3, 5, 10 years down the road) Are we adequately preparing our students for post graduation, or are we just working to help them graduate from Northgate? -sam
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of:
ReplyDelete1.) Tweaking the current vision statement to adequately define the current vision (as mentioned above) and,
2.) Evaluate the parts of the vision statement to determine if, and how, those values and goals are being implemented.
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Northgate High School welcomes all into a community that fosters lifelong learning, encourages creativity and effective communication, develops integrity, values cultural diversity, nurtures active community participants, and provides the necessary skill sets for critical thinking and effective problem solving, thus preparing all students to handle the diverse challenges of the local and global communities of the 21st century.
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This begs the following questions and sets up the need for specific data:
Lifelong learning – Are our students engaged, do we have examples? Are they pursuing interests and do we allow them the flexibility to do so? Do we encourage them to do so?
Creativity, Communication, Critical Thinking, and Problem Solving – What project based learning opportunities by grade level ie… senior project, family history, etc… These are key 21st Century Skills, are we incorporating them into curriculum? Where, how?
Integrity – How does NHS promote integrity? How do our parents support those efforts? I was making revision to a website I was developing for a school and came across this speech by a head of a boys school in Ohio. It all about their integrity initiative. http://www.us.edu/podium/default.aspx?t=117454
Do we expect enough from our students? How?
Cultural Diversity – Multi-cultural week, how many participate? Representing how many countries? Anything else? Is that enough?
Nurtures Active Community Participation – PFC, Site Council, FOL, Strategic Planning Committee, Volunteerism, Events, Community Lectures, Community Performances, Outreach to non-parents, Community Government partnerships, Business Partnerships. Numbers of participants, types of stakeholders, kinds of events and opportunities to participate?
Commitment to community – Volunteer hours, Service Awards, Service Requirements, Service Projects?
Global Awareness – Do we promote exchange programs (how many), study abroad programs, global podcast collaboration in learning? Are our students seeing the world in ways more relevant than a textbook or movie?
Speaking of relevant, would we want to consider adding relevant and rigorous to our Vision statement?
DO WE DO WHAT WE SAY WE DO?
I apologize for the long post.
Rachel,
ReplyDeleteAs usual, you are way ahead of the pack by setting up the blog and getting the conversation going. I view my role on this committee as leading through listening. It is typical for the principal to dominate the committee he/she is on as most defer to the principal. That said I like the following statement: Northgate is a school wherein rigorous, relevant student work is occuring every day in every class.
jm
With regard to "commitment to community", I know that Campolindo High School has a yearly volunteer hour reuirement for their students, and these days volunteer hours go a long way when applying to colleges. I think it would be a good idea to consider, or re-consider a volunteer hour requirement at northgate. Not only would it be a great contribution to our community, but it would also help introduce underclassmen to the types of volunteer opportunities that are available to them at an early stage, so that if they are interested, they can apply themselves at a more rigorous pace during the summer or later in their high school careers.
ReplyDelete