Alva Review-Courier -

Since the fall, the community of Alva has been hearing about the Alva Public Schools (APS) Strategic Initiative, a plan to improve the district's schools gradually and effectively. The initiative is currently in Phase IV – “Achieve,” which asks the question “how do we plan to get there?” This phase began May 20, and over the summer will address “facilities, hiring, accreditation, professional development planning, and site planning for continuous strategic improvement,” Argo said.

Four Main Goals

The objectives and initiatives of this plan are detailed under four main goals:

Curriculum and Instruction

Objective 1: Master Core Content

Initiative: Research-based instructional strategies

Initiative: Targeted intervention

Objective 2: Increase awareness of career pathways

Initiative: Individual Career Academic Plan (ICAP)

Culture and Community

Objective 1: Improve involvement and satisfaction

Initiative: Communication plan

Initiative: Community involvement and satisfaction

Objective 2: Improve student behavior

Initiative: District wide behavior plan

Objective 3: Develop quality programs

Initiative: Enrichment program

Initiative: Parent/student recognition program

Initiative: After-school program

Personnel

Objective 1: Recruit and retain quality staff

Initiative: Recruitment plan

Initiative: Retention plan

Objective 2: Develop quality staff in all areas

Initiative: Professional Learning Communities (PLC)

Initiative: Professional development plan

Resources

Objective 1: Improve facilities

Initiative: Capital improvement plan

Initiative: District technology plan

Objective 2: Align school finances to strategic plan

Initiative: Budget alignment

Resources

Argo shared more details regarding the improvement of facilities at Alva High School (AHS) and Alva Middle School (AMS). As listed under the resources goal, the improvement of facilities will begin with alignment of school finances. There are funding ideas in the works along with a current healthy building budget. That said, at AHS many things need to be upgraded, including new parking/expansion of parking, track/track area, softball field, art room, ag farm, and air conditioning in the gym.

AMS needs better parking, a circle drive (for students being picked up/dropped off), and a better roof. A building assessment tool will be used to help in this process. The assessment tool will allow APS to go in and look at square footage per student, age of buildings, where money needs to be allocated and when. This tool will begin being used in the fall.

District Technology Plan

In order to have a practical plan in this area, a hard look will be taken at Alva's district technology plans under the direction of Kaitlin Bouziden, technology director for APS. Aspects of the technology plan Argo emphasized were the technology budget, security, and technology usage expectations for teachers. In the past, there has been an unfair expectation upon teachers to just start using the educational technology they have been given. Argo wants to be fair to the success of Alva's teachers by ensuring adequate professional development training is given for new tools. APS wants to make sure teachers have the tools to be successful.

Argo credited the great strides Alva schools have been taking to guarantee teachers have what they need to use technology in their classroom. Technology is always changing, so staff must continue to learn to stay current, said Argo.

Aligning School Finances to Strategic Planning

Argo admitted that without his own good stewardship and resources in the community helping him, none of this budget alignment will happen. Budget evaluations will take place this summer, along with determining a budget over the next five years. Gross production and motor vehicle taxes will begin to come in, so there will be decisions as to where that money goes.