Welcome to the Pine Bush Central School District’s Draft Strategic Plan. After reading the four domains below, please go to Survey Monkey and take our short survey.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge and Skills

1. Teachers will implement instructional materials that allow for differentiated paths, pace and performance tasks.
   a. Teachers will use student data to inform and modify content options.
   b. Students will work in diverse groups based on interest, need or skill level.
   c. Teachers will work with students in small groups that provide more opportunities to listen, mentor, and build stronger relationships with students.
2. Curriculum maps will be developed for all content areas and unified arts in grades PreK-12.
   a. Teams of teachers will review what is currently being taught and modify the scope and sequence based on student needs and interests.
   b. The district will provide opportunities for teachers to become familiar with the New York State Next Generation Standards in order to ensure that instruction is aligned.
   c. Curriculum teams will introduce the maps to their grade level or content peers and use them to guide decisions regarding purchasing instructional resources.
3. Teachers and students will use data to inform teaching and learning.
   a. Teachers will use multiple data sources to guide instructional decisions.
   b. Data teams will meet regularly to analyze student data and determine the individual needs of students.
   c. Students will use rubrics and learning targets to monitor their own progress.
   d. The district will endeavor to review and select appropriate digital tools for writing curriculum and presenting curriculum (learning management systems).
   e. The district will launch an effort to identify the information needed for a student learning dashboard.
4. Student engagement will be increased through project-based learning.
   a. Data will be used to create groups based on student interest, need or skill and student groups will be changed with some frequency.
   b. Learning targets will be posted in all classrooms and teachers and students will refer to them throughout lessons to check for understanding.
   c. Teachers will create lessons in which students can chose from a set of resources that cover similar concepts and allow students to demonstrate mastery from a menu of projects.

Personal Domain: social/emotional/behavioral

1. The district will provide resources, education, and strategies to ensure our students are emotionally capable, responsible, and resilient individuals.
   a. The district will research available instruments to measure social / emotional wellness and the standards on which they may be based.
   b. The district will explore measuring such things as social, organizational, self-advocacy, and/or communication skills that can be mapped for developmental appropriateness.
   c. The district will partner with outside agencies and organizations to provide specialized services for students.
   d. The district will utilize research-based programs to promote positive student behavior, diversity and respect
   e. School counselors and social workers will continue to provide support and intervention and expand social skills lessons for students in more grade levels.
   f. Schools may explore the use of mindfulness, meditation, peer mediation, and/or other practices helpful to improve student success.
2. The district will identify and implement a social / emotional learning curriculum.
   a. A district team will research currently available SEL curricula and make a recommendation to the district’s leadership.
   b. The district will seek board approval for the recommended SEL curriculum.
   c. The district will train staff and plan the implementation of said SEL curriculum.
3. Students and staff will be provided opportunities to develop healthy lifestyles that include good nutrition and ample exercise.
   a. The district will explore the creation of fitness rooms that can serve as PE instructional stations during the day and provide an exercise option for staff outside of the school day.
   b. The district will consider the acquisition of programs and equipment that would provide for “recess in the classroom.”
   c. The district will provide developmentally appropriate instruction for students about healthy diet and exercise habits.
   d. Elementary schools, in particular, will consider the creation of extra-curricular activities designed to keep children active and healthy.

Community Connections Domain

1. Students will have frequent opportunities to apply their learning in real world settings.
   a. The district will expand opportunities for students to earn credits through work-study, paid or unpaid internships, and community service opportunities.
   b. Older students will have more opportunities to mentor younger students.
   c. New curriculum will be developed to apply real-world experience and knowledge to units of study, and they will provide students the chance to demonstrate their learning through authentic, real-world applications.
2.  Learning will occur within and beyond the classroom and the school day.
   a. A wide variety of athletic and extracurricular opportunities will be available for students in elementary, middle, and high school.
   b. Field trips will be coordinated with in each school to ensure a variety of experiences as students move through the grades, and, where possible, be coordinated across school buildings to maximize student engagement and provide consistency across the district.
   c. Access to learning tools, such as Chromebooks, will be equitable among students.
   d. The district will expand accessibility to online courses, virtual field trips and other platforms for learning.
3. Parents will be engaged to support the learning and development of their children.
   a. The district will use ongoing surveys to determine how to better support parents and families.
   b. The district will offer classes/workshops for parents based initially on topics of interest from parent surveys.
   c. The district website will provide links to resources that will help parents support their children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development.
4. The district and its schools will expand partnerships with parents, businesses, and agencies in support of student learning and development.
   a. The district will coordinate among buildings and community groups to determine what programs and organizations might serve as resources for one another.
   b. The district will develop additional partnerships with area businesses and community agencies to maximize the opportunity for mentoring, internship, or externship experiences based on student interests and career goals.
   c. The school counseling department will enhance student and parent engagement in course, career and college planning. 

Systems & Support Domain

1. The district will work to maximize student instructional time.
   a. The district will implement flexible scheduling in order to increase instructional and extracurricular opportunities for students.
   b. The district will explore the possibility of changing start times for different levels (i.e. – earlier for elementary, later for MS/HS) in order to maximize learning potential.
   c. The district will offer more online platforms that promote personalized learning.
2. The district will provide an array of software, devices, websites, and digital content in order to maximize resources that can be used to foster student engagement and learning.
   a. The district will review instructional “best practices” within the district and extend them to all students in the district.
   b. The district will research successful approaches in other districts in an effort to apply those approaches in Pine Bush.
   c. The district will expand access to technology resources and ensure that the infrastructure supports them as tools evolve.
   d. The district will continue to pursue its 1:1 initiative in order to maximize the availability of digital content to its staff and students.
3. Faculty and staff will receive professional development focused on building student ownership for learning, constructing formative and non-traditional assessments tied to learning targets, conducting collaborative learning conversations, and utilizing appropriate instructional technology.
   a. The district will seek to offer personalized and online training opportunities as an alternative to whole group staff instruction.
   b. The district will continue to expand the number of full-time release instructional coaches to support colleagues in their classrooms.
4. The district will create multi-purpose learning spaces that facilitate collaborative teaching and learning.
   a. The district will purchase a wide variety of furniture options that support flexible learning.    
   b. The district will purchase materials and resources that expand personalized learning and improve student engagement.