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Valley Union High School Board to develop strategic plan
By Mary F. Appel/for the Range News
Valley Union High School board members, administration, teachers and community members met on Friday, Nov. 13 to develop a five-year strategic plan. Karen Beckvar, leadership development specialist, from the Arizona School Board Association facilitated the session.
Valley Union High School is rated as a Highly Performing School based on test scores, attendance, and graduation rate among other factors. The students scored only .03 points away from being rated as an Excelling School and are highly motivated to achieve that title. Last spring the sophomores scored in the top five percent in the state on the AIMS test and were the highest scoring students in Cochise County. They scored at the 91st percentile in math, 88th percentile in reading and 87th percentile in writing. The sophomores from all of Arizona scored at the 69th percentile in math, 74th percentile in reading and 71st percentile in writing. The board members recognize the hard work of the staff and students in achieving these high scores and are very pleased with their performance.
You may ask why develop a strategic plan when Valley Union students are achieving at a high level? With further budget cuts looming on the horizon and without the tax override it will be necessary to do more with fewer resources. It is a way to establish priorities for the district.
One of the immediate areas of focus is to achieve the excelling school label by 2011. To improve student achievement, the teachers identified reading as an academic priority for students. Using AIMS test data, the teachers and administration determined students need the most work in comprehending informational text. There is a school-wide priority to teach students to comprehend what they read whether it is expository text, a persuasive argument or instructions and directions.
Another priority is to increase the options for students to earn dual credit. There are increasing opportunities for students to earn college and high school credits at the same time. Options include taking a course at the community college and receiving high school and college credit for the course. If a high school teacher is qualified to teach at the college level, course can be taught at the high school and students can earn dual credit. One of the newest opportunities is with Interactive TV enabling Valley Union High School students can join a class taught at another campus. The students can interact with the teacher and students at the other site. Utilizing grant money, Valley Union High School will be purchasing the necessary technology for the students to participate in classes available at other settings.
The strategic plan will also include developing a facilities master plan and improved communication with the community.
Participating in the work session were Karen Beckvar, ASBA facilitator, Mary Appel, board president, Sue Makin, board clerk, Richard Searle, and Binney Bishop, board members, Ron Aguallo, superintendent, Rusty Taylor, principal, Laurie Davis, English teacher, Tony Luzania, physical education teacher and coach, David Cornforth and Annette Nulliner, members of the community.
Mary F. Appel is the VUHS Board President.
Valley Union High School is rated as a Highly Performing School based on test scores, attendance, and graduation rate among other factors. The students scored only .03 points away from being rated as an Excelling School and are highly motivated to achieve that title. Last spring the sophomores scored in the top five percent in the state on the AIMS test and were the highest scoring students in Cochise County. They scored at the 91st percentile in math, 88th percentile in reading and 87th percentile in writing. The sophomores from all of Arizona scored at the 69th percentile in math, 74th percentile in reading and 71st percentile in writing. The board members recognize the hard work of the staff and students in achieving these high scores and are very pleased with their performance.
You may ask why develop a strategic plan when Valley Union students are achieving at a high level? With further budget cuts looming on the horizon and without the tax override it will be necessary to do more with fewer resources. It is a way to establish priorities for the district.
One of the immediate areas of focus is to achieve the excelling school label by 2011. To improve student achievement, the teachers identified reading as an academic priority for students. Using AIMS test data, the teachers and administration determined students need the most work in comprehending informational text. There is a school-wide priority to teach students to comprehend what they read whether it is expository text, a persuasive argument or instructions and directions.
Another priority is to increase the options for students to earn dual credit. There are increasing opportunities for students to earn college and high school credits at the same time. Options include taking a course at the community college and receiving high school and college credit for the course. If a high school teacher is qualified to teach at the college level, course can be taught at the high school and students can earn dual credit. One of the newest opportunities is with Interactive TV enabling Valley Union High School students can join a class taught at another campus. The students can interact with the teacher and students at the other site. Utilizing grant money, Valley Union High School will be purchasing the necessary technology for the students to participate in classes available at other settings.
The strategic plan will also include developing a facilities master plan and improved communication with the community.
Participating in the work session were Karen Beckvar, ASBA facilitator, Mary Appel, board president, Sue Makin, board clerk, Richard Searle, and Binney Bishop, board members, Ron Aguallo, superintendent, Rusty Taylor, principal, Laurie Davis, English teacher, Tony Luzania, physical education teacher and coach, David Cornforth and Annette Nulliner, members of the community.
Mary F. Appel is the VUHS Board President.
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