By Nick Philips and Tyler Keenum, Editors
Vision 2014, a staff and community relations program whose goal is to communicate the district’s mission and to encourage parents’ involvement in their children’s education, is being implemented at Kaneland High School and Harter Middle School.
The district’s mission–to graduate all students college, career, and community ready–and how Vision 2014 will help attain it were discussed at the Apr. 30 board meeting by KHS principal Chip Hickman and HMS principal Bryan Zwemke, who presented strategies they are implementing to support Vision 2014 and improve community relations.
During this 2011-12 school year, the goal was to get parents and students on board with the mission’s vision of college and career readiness.
Monthly meetings with students; a fifth grade transition; Step Up Night, an HMS orientation for incoming sixth graders; and Explore Night, where parents could review seventh and eighth graders’ EXPLORE test results, took place.
The six keys of career and college readiness–a series of six steps that can be taken at the elementary, middle and high school level–were also discussed with students, staff and parents at each school. Principals also offered “Coffee with the Principal,” an opportunity for parents to come ask questions.
Zwemke said at the late April meeting that when it comes to wondering about feedback, he wants parents, staff and students to know “how to ask open-ended questions.”
At HMS, staff are working to increase understanding of career and college readiness among all stakeholders. The school is working to build a career readiness matrix, which will focus on the four areas of cognitive skills, content knowledge, academic behaviors, and contextual skills and apply to each team within the school. Data from student homework study is also being analyzed as teams review the level of rigor of the homework given out to the school’s students and the amount of time they were given to complete their assignments.
“We probably have 150 students that participate in a homework study,” Zwemke said.
Communication with the parents, students and staff was a subject was a key focus.
“I think over time, we will hear more from parents on how they want to be communicated with. We’re going to be committed to getting better,” Hickman said during the presentation.
The district noted that it can be difficult to get its message out.
“If we can capture a large audience, then we can also share some of the communication mechanisms we have in place,” Superintendent Dr. Jeff Schuler said.