Sandpoint Article
School District Update
LPOSD MAKING STRIDES IN EDUCATION.
BY SHAWN WOODWARD, SUPERINTENDENT, LAKE PEND OREILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT
IT HAS BEEN A busy school year thus far in the Lake Pend Oreille School District. There are many initiatives taking place to ensure we are continuously improving education for our students. While we continue to be one of the highest performing school districts in Idaho, we are doing everything we can to also serve as a model for school districts nationwide.
Following are a few of our key initiatives for this school year:
• Data Management System: One of our focus areas this year is to improve the access and use of data to inform practice. Last year, each district in the state was allocated dollars to purchase a data management system. We are using a system by the name of Mileposts. Mileposts enables us to have all pertinent student achievement data in one place for easy access. It also serves as a resource to assist in developing individual learning plans for students.
• Math Curriculum Review Process: In February, our Math Curriculum Review Team will be presenting a recommendation to the school board regarding materials to be used in Mathematics, K through 12 beginning next school year. The team has been engaged in a thorough process which includes materials being piloted in many classrooms district wide, parent and student feedback surveys, and a rigorous rating process of each of the curriculums being considered. We are confident a curriculum will ultimately be adopted to meet the needs of our stakeholders.
• Standards-Based Report Cards: There are 23 teachers in the ake Pend Oreille School District, grades Kindergarten through sixth grade, piloting a standards based report card this year. The teacher group, along with several administrators and the instructional coaches, began a book study last June based on several research-based books, with primary focus on Thomas Guskey’s “Developing Standards-Based Report Cards.” This new report card will provide a more in depth picture of a student’s learning and progress. The standards-based report cards will benefit students, teachers and parents. Our goal is to adopt a new report card for next school year.
• Home School Academy: The district is working on the development of a Home School Academy for next school year. This program is being designed to enhance student learning and to support homeschooling families through quality instruction in varied and enriched learning environments. Potential academy offerings include Outdoor Education, Arts Education, STEM Education and Classical Education. Each academy will be offered one day per week, over a 36 week period.
• Facility Planning Committee: Late last summer a decision was made by the school district to hire a consultant to assist in the development of a long range facilities plan. In the fall of 2015, a Facilities Planning Committee convened. The committee consisted of a broad based group of community members. The responsibility of the committee was to identify and prioritize major facility improvement projects for the Lake Pend Oreille School District for the next five to six years. Last month, the Board of Trustees listened to a presentation from the committee and unanimously agreed to move forward with the next steps, which include hiring an architect to assist in further planning regarding potential projects. Please check out lposd.org for more information on this work.
This is just a sampling of many activities taking place in the Lake Pend Oreille School District this year. If you have questions or comments about initiatives in our school district, please call 208.263.2184. Thank you for your continued support!
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