Transition Team 2016-17 Final Report

34 \ SCHOOL CHOICE, EQUITY & EXCELLENCE
LONG TERM
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Magnet Schools and Programs
• Design zones or regions for
establishing priority for magnet
school admission and transportation
eligibility resulting in equitably
increasing access while promoting
operational efficiency.
• Evaluate the condition of school
buildings and make necessary
investments to adequately represent
and accommodate programs. Assess
capacity at continuation magnet
programs to ensure guaranteed
placements for all students
continuing to a magnet program
at the next level.
• Further define the role of diversity
in assigning students to magnet
programs or transfer of students.
• Develop a culture of community
through district support and training
at each school that has magnet/
choice programs to embrace the
success of all students.
• Update student revocation policies
that assign students from a magnet/
choice program or non-home school
placement based on behavior or
attendance, and eliminate revocation
to promote student stability.
• Modify district data systems that
support tracking student magnet
program assignments and other
information to promote data driven
decisions for program placement and
development.
• Promote a governance culture that
allows district staff to implement
Board policies with flexibility and
fidelity.
2. Career and Technical Education
• Upon the establishment of career
pathways aligned to economic
and labor market needs, assure
that all pathways are offered in
each area of the district. Have a
common district approved and
industry aligned curriculum and
technical assessment available at
the district level at central sites with
comprehensive programming under
the same conditions.
• Offer pathways in high-demand,
high-wage trades. Specifically, this
should include:
−−
Construction of a new career and
technical high school to provide
pathways in high cost and/or heavy
trades and careers;
−−
Alignment of these programs
with offerings at GTCC to assure
alignment in grades nine through
14;
−−
Open access to this high school
with appropriate transportation;
and,
−−
Development of apprenticeship
–based programs out of this high
school;
− − Expand project-based learning
beyond character education
and service-learning focus to
infuse more active, hands-on and
challenging tasks and assignments
in core instructional areas as well
as CTE courses and pathways. Use
professional development to drive
deeper understanding of projectbased
learning and task rigor,
and to more dramatically improve
instructional quality, particularly
at the high school level.
• Redefine transportation and explore
possibility of incorporating the use of
public transportation for high school
students.
• Assure every student has a
comprehensive academic and career
pathway plan developed in eighth
grade and updated annually.
* See also CTE-related recommendations
in the Student Achievement
Committee report.
3. Transfers
• Develop and implement an on-line,
web-based process for transfers
where parents access a portal
displaying the specific student
information and transfer options.
Also, implement a staff portal for
on-line application review that
promotes efficiency and a shorter
processing cycle. Include a “realtime”
notification system to schools
for approved transfers to support
schools for enrollment and sharing
critical student information for
appropriate support.