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Student Achievement the Focus as WCSD Moves Forward with Accountability Policy
Reno, NV (June 28, 2011) - With its ongoing focus to improve student academic performance, the Washoe County School District Board of Trustees tonight will consider preliminary approval of the District's new accountability policy, which will guide decisions for rewarding schools and Central Service departments that exceed their goals. The policy will also provide improvement steps and possible interventions for the schools or departments that do not meet their targets. The first public hearing for the accountability policy will be held during tonight's Board meeting, which begins at 4 p.m.
"This districtwide policy is a major part of our reform efforts in the Washoe County School District under our strategic plan, Envision WCSD 2015 - Investing In Our Future," Superintendent Dr. Heath Morrison said. "This will give us the information necessary to make decisions about a school or department based on whether it meets or does not meet its goals. The accountability policy will enable us to continue our focus on supporting schools that are chronically low-performing and to find additional ways to reward schools whose academic performance warrants increased empowerment."
The creation of the accountability policy began in January 2011 when the Board of Trustees asked Morrison and District staff to form a committee to draft the Board's first education reform policy to enable the development and implementation of a local accountability model. The committee included teachers, principals, support staff, parents, higher education representatives and community members.
Board of Trustees President Dr. Barbara McLaury said the accountability policy is an important step to improving student achievement. "We have never really had any policy or system in the past that held educators and the school district accountable for student success. With our new strategic plan and the Pathway to Excellence, which provides academic benchmarks for all of our children, we can create this system and ensure we are helping each child get to graduation ready for college and/or highly-skilled careers. We are developing a different culture in the Washoe County School District and this policy plays a major role."
Chief School Accountability Officer Paul LaMarca said while the specifics of the rewards and supports system are still being discussed, possibilities for schools that exceed standards include rewarding schools or departments with more autonomy, more flexibility, pay for performance opportunities and public recognitions.
"We will celebrate and recognize our schools that are performing above standard and we will celebrate the success of our students, teachers and staff. Through this policy, we will also be able to learn what our
high-performing schools are doing well so we can share those practices with other schools, which will ultimately help all students across the District," LaMarca said.
For schools and departments that are consistently performing below standard, more direct support could be given to improve results. Implementing a reform model that could require personnel changes for schools that continue to fall below standard is being discussed as an option. Potentially closing and reopening a school using a different model would also be a possibility for chronically under-performing schools.
"The goal of this policy is to aid the Board of Trustees and District administration in the decision making process. As we continue down our pathway of reform, it is imperative that school district leaders have the data and information they need to make decisions that will ultimately improve the quality of education we offer in Washoe County," LaMarca said.
The first draft of the accountability policy was discussed at the June 14 Board of Trustees meeting and was met with initial support by Board members. If the Board gives preliminary approval at the June 28 meeting, it will kick into effect a required 15-day public review cycle. A second public hearing for final approval would be scheduled for the July 26 Board of Trustees meeting.
"We look forward to hearing from parents, school district employees and community members about the accountability policy. It has been in the works for several months and we are eager to move forward," McLaury said.
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About Washoe County School District: The Washoe County School District includes the Reno/Sparks metropolitan area, Incline Village, Gerlach, Empire and Wadsworth, Nevada. The District provides each of its 63,000 students with a superior education in a safe and challenging environment and is committed to graduate every child career and college ready.
For more information visit: www.washoecountyschools.org. Follow us on Twitter at WCSDTweet.
Washoe County School District
425 East Ninth Street
Reno, NV 89512
