During the 2013-14 school year, our SLT has divided up into four subcommittees to report back to the full SLT on a regular basis.
Purpose of Subcommittees:
· To help answer questions that are of long-term importance to DES.
· To support the execution of DES’s School Improvement Plan.
· To perform research on best practices on various topics, and make recommendations to SLT and school administrators.
Subcommittees and Strategic Questions:
Subcommittee 1: Communication
· What can DES do to improve the school Web site? What best practices are employed for web communication by top CMS elementary schools - as well as area charter and private schools?
· What is the existing DES web site management process? Are any additional resources needed to support site management? (training, staff, parent volunteers, etc.)
· How can DES prioritize any new information that might get added to the web site, so that the site does not become too cluttered or inconsistent?
· What would be the best use of the site’s wikis (best practices and policies; teacher-level wikis versus grade-level wikis, etc.)?
· CMS has recently launched a new Parent Portal. What communication tools are available on the Parent Portal and how can DES parents and staff use the tools optimally?
· Beyond web site improvements, what other DES communication activities should be priorities for 2013-14? (curriculum nights and/or newsletters, etc.)
Subcommittee 2: Technology Use
· The use of iPads and other technologies in the classroom is growing at a rapid rate. What are the best practices for the use of new technologies among local elementary schools?
· What pitfalls exist in the use of technology? Are school-wide policies, practices or recommendations needed to ensure that technology is used optimally?
· With the E2D initiative, nearly all DES families should have web access soon. Does the ubiquity of web access change anything about the teaching process, such as homework assignments?
Subcommittee 3: Long-Term Academic Focus
· Should DES seek to develop a reputation as a local leader in teaching specific academic subjects? (Examples might include STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), Writing, Arts, etc.) If so, what subject(s) should be emphasized and to what degree?
· In an increasingly competitive environment, how important is it for DES to develop a reputation for strength in specific subjects?
· If Davidson were to emphasize the teaching of certain subjects, what steps could be taken to avoid becoming weaker at teaching other subjects? And how feasible would this be?
· What examples exist for elementary schools that emphasize given subjects? What can DES learn from these schools’ experiences?
Subcommittee 4: Parent-Teacher-Community Partnerships
· What policies should Davidson Elementary pursue to further forge the sense of a parent-teacher partnership in children’s education?
· Should Davidson consider classroom-level contracts with parents / students, asking families to commit in writing to educational achievement during the school year?
· How can Davidson pursue further involvement of parents in their children’s education? (for example, mandating correcting missed answers in Friday folders with children, summer reading lists for all children, etc.)
· What can DES do to enhance individualized parent-teacher communication throughout the year, after the initial autumn conferences?
· Should Davidson consider developing a suggested volunteer-hour commitment for all DES parents, as some charter schools do?
· Should any educationally-focused workshops or discussions for parents be held at DES this year? (i.e., films or guest speakers)
· Should any new DES-community partnerships be pursued this year?
1.
Purpose of Subcommittees:
· To help answer questions that are of long-term importance to DES.
· To support the execution of DES’s School Improvement Plan.
· To perform research on best practices on various topics, and make recommendations to SLT and school administrators.
Subcommittees and Strategic Questions:
Subcommittee 1: Communication
· What can DES do to improve the school Web site? What best practices are employed for web communication by top CMS elementary schools - as well as area charter and private schools?
· What is the existing DES web site management process? Are any additional resources needed to support site management? (training, staff, parent volunteers, etc.)
· How can DES prioritize any new information that might get added to the web site, so that the site does not become too cluttered or inconsistent?
· What would be the best use of the site’s wikis (best practices and policies; teacher-level wikis versus grade-level wikis, etc.)?
· CMS has recently launched a new Parent Portal. What communication tools are available on the Parent Portal and how can DES parents and staff use the tools optimally?
· Beyond web site improvements, what other DES communication activities should be priorities for 2013-14? (curriculum nights and/or newsletters, etc.)
Subcommittee 2: Technology Use
· The use of iPads and other technologies in the classroom is growing at a rapid rate. What are the best practices for the use of new technologies among local elementary schools?
· What pitfalls exist in the use of technology? Are school-wide policies, practices or recommendations needed to ensure that technology is used optimally?
· With the E2D initiative, nearly all DES families should have web access soon. Does the ubiquity of web access change anything about the teaching process, such as homework assignments?
Subcommittee 3: Long-Term Academic Focus
· Should DES seek to develop a reputation as a local leader in teaching specific academic subjects? (Examples might include STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), Writing, Arts, etc.) If so, what subject(s) should be emphasized and to what degree?
· In an increasingly competitive environment, how important is it for DES to develop a reputation for strength in specific subjects?
· If Davidson were to emphasize the teaching of certain subjects, what steps could be taken to avoid becoming weaker at teaching other subjects? And how feasible would this be?
· What examples exist for elementary schools that emphasize given subjects? What can DES learn from these schools’ experiences?
Subcommittee 4: Parent-Teacher-Community Partnerships
· What policies should Davidson Elementary pursue to further forge the sense of a parent-teacher partnership in children’s education?
· Should Davidson consider classroom-level contracts with parents / students, asking families to commit in writing to educational achievement during the school year?
· How can Davidson pursue further involvement of parents in their children’s education? (for example, mandating correcting missed answers in Friday folders with children, summer reading lists for all children, etc.)
· What can DES do to enhance individualized parent-teacher communication throughout the year, after the initial autumn conferences?
· Should Davidson consider developing a suggested volunteer-hour commitment for all DES parents, as some charter schools do?
· Should any educationally-focused workshops or discussions for parents be held at DES this year? (i.e., films or guest speakers)
· Should any new DES-community partnerships be pursued this year?
1.