Georgia Vision Project

• ⮚We believe children have priority for all of our resources.

• ⮚We believe education is the shared responsibility of the student, the parent/guardian, the school, and the community.

• ⮚We believe communication and understanding among all stakeholders of our diverse community are essential to achieving the goals of education.

• ⮚We believe that learning is a continuous process and most productive when the needs of each child are met through high quality instruction provided by competent and caring adults.

• ⮚We believe a learning environment where everyone experiences security, care, dignity, and respect is essential.

1. To increase academic achievement for all students in Clayton County Public Schools as evidenced by state, national and international assessment results

    2.To provide and maintain a safe and orderly learning environment

    3.To create an environment that promotes active engagement, communication, accountability, and collaboration  of       
       all stakeholders to maximize student achievement

    4.To provide high quality support services delivered on time and within budget to promote high performance in           
       Clayton County Public Schools

     5.To recruit, develop, and retain highly qualified and effective staff

The Vision Project provides Local District Recommendations as guidelines to help districts provide equity and excellence in education. Seventeen of the Vision Project's district recommendations are included in the Clayton County  Public Schools Strategic Plan. Below are examples of that alignment of ideas.

• Vision Project 4.2 - In order to provide an environment where students learn best, ensure that teachers use a variety of technologies to teach and measure what students know and can do.
• Vision Project 4.3 - In order to provide an environment where students learn best, ensure that teachers teach challenging and problem-solving lessons that are flexible enough to meet the interests and needs of individual students. 
• Vision Project 4.4 - In order to provide an environment where students learn best, ensure that teachers use varied measures to determine what students know and can do.

CCPS Strategic Plan Goal 1 - Two  action steps under Goal 1 of the Strategic Plan align with these Vision Project recommendations. 
Initiative 1.1: Implement, monitor, and support evidentiary- and research-based instructional and intervention strategies grounded in Literacy, Numeracy, Critical Thinking, Technology Integration, and STEM/STEAM.  Action Step 1.1a: Implement an academically challenging, rigorous, and relevant curriculum that is assessed and evaluated regularly to ensure alignment to state, national, and international standards, students’ needs, and district’s focus areas, and the demands of an ever-evolving global economy. Action Step 1.1b: Identify evidence-based practices that include academic supports, intervention practices, and protocols for collaborative planning, data analysis, and rigorous lesson design to address students’ needs and district priorities that include Extending Learning Beyond the Classroom (1:1 student learning devices) initiatives.

• Vision Project 4.1 – In order to provide an environment where students learn best, ensure that teachers work and plan together, learn and share effective teaching practices, and are provided support for their ongoing learning.

CCPS Strategic Plan Goals 5- Goal 5 of the Strategic Plan include four action steps that align with this Vision Project recommendation: Action Step 1.1c: Employ and retain persons with the capacity to teach and lead; and provide all staff with continuous professional development (via virtual and face-to-face environments) in order to deepen knowledge and skill in the areas of content, management, pedagogy, and social-emotional learning. Action Step 1.1d: Create and implement professional learning opportunities to enhance teachers’ capacity to teach virtually and to ensure teachers are extending learning beyond the classroom effectively. .

Capital

• Vision Project 6.3 – Collaborate with the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, the Georgia Department of Education and other credentialing agencies to provide comprehensive strategies to find, grow and keep the most talented educators.

CCPS Strategic Plan Goal 5– Two action steps in Goal 5 of the Strategic Plan help us align with this Vision Project recommendation: 
Action Step 1.1e: Create and strengthen teacher pipelines; providing focused support to novice and veteran teachers. Action Step 1.1f: Develop a teacher career ladder to build teacher capacity within schools and throughout the district; providing teacher leaders with the additional time to support colleagues.

• Vision Project 6.4 - Organize personnel, distribute leadership and implement processes that maximize student learning.
   

CCPS Strategic Plan Goal 5- This Vision Project recommendation is satisfied by the district's development and implementation of an ongoing leadership support program and one action step. Action Step 2.1g: Conduct professional learning activities that will build leadership capacity to assist school and district leaders in determining the best innovative programs for each individual school. 

Action Step 1.1g:  Implement quality assurance where the district will collect, analyze, and utilize various data sources to gauge and improve the implementation of the district’s curricula, instructional practices, and interventions for both core and non-core subjects

• Vision Project 9.2 – Initiate an ongoing process at the local district level for systematically evaluating all expenditures to enable the development and adoption of budgets that are focused on district strategies for maximizing student learning.

CCPS Strategic Plan Goal 4- The Goal 4  two action steps  “to provide high quality support within budget” directly aligns with this Vision Project recommendation. Our Finance Department presents a monthly spending report during Board of Education meetings to show Board members and our community that we are focused on maximizing student learning by prioritizing spending on instruction and instruction resources. Action Step 1.1h: Develop the district budget around the core of student learning with student interventions, teaching capacity and professional development as priorities while maintaining and strengthening the financial stability. Action Step 1.1i: Develop the district budget to ensure the district continues to provide learning devices to all students while maintaining financial stability.

Resources

• Vision Project 5.1: Evaluate and utilize the most effective instructional models and learning supports (i.e. digital, blended, competency, virtual, etc.) implemented by school districts.

• Vison Project 5.2: Work to ensure full broadband access and integration of current technology and training into the classroom and into each student’s home. 

CCPS Strategic Plan Goal 1-Initiative 1.2.1: Implement, monitor, and support programs for school redesign and transformation.  Action Step 2.1a: Expand high school and middle courses to increase pathways for students, i.e. accelerated courses, Fine Arts, CTAE, World Languages, IB, Cambridge, Advanced. Academic Pathways, etc. Action Step 2.1b: Expand School Choice options, i.e. Magnet, STEM/STEAM, Theme, etc. that support equity and diversity.  Action Step 2.1c: Research and implement credit recovery options using early warning indicators for students at least one year behind normal matriculation.  Action Step 2.1d: Increase the number of students participating in extra-curricular and mentoring. activities. Action Step 2.1e: Increase middle and high school vertical articulation in planning, course options, School Choice options, and transitional activities (e.g. summer bridge programs, open houses, etc.). Action Step 2.1f: Research and implement best practices for master scheduling to increase student opportunities while maximizing FTE.

• Vision Project 5.4 - Develop partnerships with business, industries, public agencies and the community to promote shared use of services and facilities. 

CCPS Strategic Plan Goal 3- The overall purpose of Goal 3  of the Strategic Plan is to strengthen school, family and community partnerships.

There are four action steps align with this recommendation. Initiative 1.2: Engage multiple stakeholder groups in activities that support high performance, accountability, and collaboration. Action Step 1.2a: Identify blended opportunities both virtual and traditional and invite stakeholder groups to engage in activities that promote active engagement, accountability, and collaboration. Action Step 1.2b: Host a variety of community and parent conferences, workshops, meetings or trainings both virtual and traditional that engage stakeholders. Action Step 1.2c: Develop the district budget to accommodate engagement activities while maintaining financial stability. Action Step 2.1h: Expand talent development and placement opportunities for students by increasing partnerships with business and industry

• Vision Project 3.1 – Create in each county of the state an early learning partnership that includes all public and private human service organizations.
• Vision Project 3.2 - Create public-private partnerships in local communities between local businesses and educational and human services organizations for the purpose of supporting early childhood initiatives that address healthy child/family development and economic benefits to the community.

CCPS Strategic Plan Goal 3- Goal 3 of the Strategic Plan includes six action steps that align with these two recommendations:  Initiative 2.3: Implement, monitor, and support research-based strategies and programs to improve students’ early learning readiness. Action Step 2.3a: Expand early learning opportunities and programs across the district to   increase students’ readiness and community awareness.  Action Step 2.3b: Structure the 5-year facilities plan to include sites for Pre-Kindergarten expansion. Action Step 2.3c: Engage the community in promoting and enhancing early literacy awareness by providing opportunities for families and community partners to engage in learning before students arrive at school and through the end of second grade. Action Step 2.3d: Develop the district budget with early learning readiness as a priority while maintaining financial sustainability.  Action Step 2.3e: Train district and school leaders on early literacy to increase the number of leaders and teachers earning a reading endorsement. Action Step 2.3f: Train district and school leaders on virtual learning for early learners.

• Vision Project 7.1- Develop and implement at the local school district level an accountability system based on local district educational goals that are aligned with state educational goals and state accountability system, and which include clearly defined measures of school district, school and student success. 

CCPS Strategic Plan Goal- 1 Initiative 3.1: Implement, monitor, and support research-based strategies used to increase student attendance and engagement. Action Step 3.1a: Research, develop, monitor, and support virtual and traditional options for students with low attendance. Action Step 3.1b: Implement, monitor, and support the attendance protocol. Action Step 3.1c: Review and analyze attendance data monthly at the district and school levels. Action Step 3.1d: Train district and school leaders on actively engaging students, parents and communities.

• Vision Project 8.1 – Develop safe, orderly, supportive learning environments built on respect and encouragement where all individuals believe they can make a positive difference.
• Vision Project 8.2 - Make each school and school system an inviting place to be for students, parents, staff and the larger community.
• Vision Project 8.6 - Develop school and district cultures that are sensitive and responsive to the cultural, racial, ethnic and socio-economic make-up of the communities they serve.

CCPS Strategic Plan Goal 2 -  These four Vision Project recommendations are satisfied through the Goal 2 objective to ensure safe and orderly schools. Initiative 4.1: Develop, implement, monitor, and support a systematic discipline improvement strategy.  Action Step 4.1a: Expand the use of and implement, monitor, and support the student discipline Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) or the Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) model at elementary, middle, and high schools. Action Step 4.1b: Train internal and external stakeholders on the district’s Circle of Support. Action Step 4.1c: Train internal and external stakeholders on restorative practices. Action Step 4.1d: Develop the district budget to accommodate training in support of a systematic discipline plan while maintaining financial stability. Action Step 4.1e: Engage the community in virtual and face-to-face opportunities to give input system-wide and school level discipline data.

• Vision Project 8.5- Develop a culture and climate that foster innovation and responsible risk-taking.

CCPS Strategic Plan Goal 2 -Initiative 2.2: Implement, monitor, and support the district’s framework for creating and implementing innovative school-based choice programs or schools such as magnet, theme, STEM/STEAM etc. that support the transformation of schools. Action Step 2.2a: Monitor the implementation of district’s framework for creating school-based instructional programs or schools such as magnet, theme, STEM/STEAM, International Baccalaureate, Cambridge, and Advanced Placement, Dual Immersion/Dual Language, etc. that support equity and diversity.  . Action Step 2.2b: Develop, implement, monitor, and support the timeline for school choice programs to ensure ample time is given for effective planning with facilities, budget, and personnel. Action Step 2.2c: Develop, implement, monitor, and support a timeline and action plan for a CCPS College and Career Academy that supports students’ opportunities for internships, apprenticeships, college and careers.