Strategic Planning

1. Strategic Planning New Kensington-Arnold School District

2. Thank you to Community Strategic Planning Phase I Volunteers • Mr. Tom Ansani President, New Kensington Chamber of Commerce • Mayor John Campbell Mayor of the City of Arnold • Mayor Frank Link Mayor of the City of New Kensington • Ms. Mary Jendrey Alle-Kiski Learning Center • Ms. Vicki Kolakowski YMCA • Reverend Dr. Mitchel A. Nickols Bibleway Fellowship Church • Mrs. Kristen O’Sullivan PTA President • Mrs. Sharon Resek Weed and Seed • Dr. Carol Rush Westmoreland County Community College • Reverend Dean Ward Parent/Minister

3. Thank you to the following staff and student volunteers: • Ms. Beverly Meyer President, NKASD School Board • Mr. Robert Pallone Vice President, NKASD School Board • Mrs. Traci York NKASD School Board Member • Dr. George Batterson Superintendent of Schools • Ms. Joanne Cecchi Assistant Superintendent • Ms. Kellie Abbott VHS Principal • Mr. Kim Crummie VMS Principal • Mr. Frank Campbell Athletic/Security Director • Mr. Tom Rocchi H.D. Berkey Principal • Mrs. Donna Holtzman Martin School Principal

4. Thank you to the following staff and student volunteers: • Mrs. Debbie Delk Classroom Aide • Mrs. Kim Johnson VHS Teacher • Ms. Michelle Lasko VMS Teacher • Mrs. Rosemary Musolino People’s Library Representative • Ms. Beth Ryce VHS Teacher • Ms. Susan Shumaker H.D. Berkey Teacher • Ms. Connie Vita VHS Teacher • Ms. Elise Zavadak VHS Student Representative • Dr. Pat Bitar School Nurse • Mr. Andrew DeAntonio VMS Teacher

5. What is Strategic Planning and Why is it Necessary? • A strategic plan is necessary because the world that we are living in is constantly changing. • Strategic planning is a way for us to deal with the inevitability of this change and to ensure that our school district’s vision is achieved.

6. Through the empowering process of strategic planning, the teachers, staff members and students of our school district will become members of an organization that has a strong vision of its future and has an opportunity to develop the necessary procedures and operations to achieve success for all of its students.

7. Strategic planning is the concept that a school organization continually recreates itself towards extraordinary purposes to benefit its students. This is possible only when the school organization focuses on helping each individual child.

8. Community members should be totally immersed and involved in these strategic planning activities. • Because the school is the center of the community an outstanding school system will result in economic growth and development for the entire New Kensington –Arnold area.

9. Parameters for Strategic Planning for the New Kensington-Arnold School District • We will make all decisions based on the best interest of students. • We will not accept excuses for low student achievement. • We will not tolerate prejudicial behavior. • We will not continue or implement any program or action plan without reporting a comparison with best practices in lighthouse districts and an appropriate return on investment. • We will only accept the best from everyone.

10. Strategic Plan Mission Statement of the New Kensington-Arnold School District The mission of the New Kensington-Arnold School District, a vibrant and inviting centerpiece of the community, is to ensure that each student is prepared, inspired, and motivated to be a successful contributing citizen of an ever-evolving global society by engaging and challenging students with personalized instruction, teaching excellence, innovative technology, and high expectations for superior academic achievement while embracing our unique traditions, heritage, and diversity in a safe, nurturing, student-centered environment.

11. WEBELIEVE THAT: • Hope and optimism inspire unlimited possibilities. • All individuals can learn and achieve. • Learning is a life-long experience. • Every person is unique and has innate worth.

12. WE BELIEVE THAT: • Accepting responsibility fosters individual investment in success. • Success is a journey of continual progress and achievement. • Positive self-esteem and self-worth promote success. • Risk-taking develops self-confidence in a supportive environment.

13. WE BELIEVE THAT: • High expectations result in higher achievement. • Positive family involvement enhances individual achievement. • Individuals are entitled to a safe, clean, healthy and stable environment. • Education builds a vital and productive society.

14. WE BELIEVE THAT: • Strong leadership, creative thinking and sustainability are essential for success. • Building on strengths and addressing weaknesses facilitate positive change. • A willingness to change is necessary to compete in a global environment. • Technology is vital to compete in a global economy.

15. WE BELIEVE THAT: • Change requires commitment. • Accountability enhances performance. • Celebrating traditions, heritage, and diversity strengthens individual character and the community.

16. The New Kensington-Arnold School District Strategic Planning Committee set the following objectives for our schools: • All students will meet or exceed the PSSA testing benchmarks in all subject areas.

17. By 2014, 100% of students will achieve proficiency on the PSSA exams.

18. By 2014, 100% of students will graduate.

19. All students will be engaged in a productive endeavor within six months of graduation.

20. To achieve Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) during the 2008-2009 school year, the District will decrease the number of non-proficient students in each subgroup by at least 10%.

21. The following Action Team Committees were developed by the Strategic Planning Committee. Please decide if you would like to be a member of one of these committees. • Action Team 1- Technology • Purpose -We will utilize innovative technology to engage our students and increase student learning.

22. Action Team 2- Improved Academic Achievement • Purpose- We will personalize instruction to implement our standards based curriculum and improve student achievement.

23. Action Team 3 – Positive School Climate • Purpose- We will build trust and develop a positive climate in the school district to achieve excellence.

24. Action Team 4 - Community Partnership • Purpose- We will engage all stakeholders and community groups in the educational process to foster synergy and strengthen relationships.

25. Action Team 5- Facility Improvement • Purpose - We will vigorously support the upgrading and preservation of our facilities and equipment to provide our students and community with a safe, healthy learning environment.

26. Action Team 6 – Supports - We will provide the academic supports necessary to achieve our objectives.

27. Dear Community Members: On March 3rd, 4th, and 5th thirty-four people from our school district and community met in the First Evangelical Lutheran Church in New Kensington to write a strategic plan. A consultant from the Cambridge Group, Dr. George Szymanski facilitated our efforts. The strategic planning committee was composed of teachers, administrators, staff members, students, parents, school board members and community members. This diverse group worked long hours discussing the district’s strengths and weaknesses and setting goals for us for the future. By the end of the three-day workshop, the strategic planning committee had developed a mission statement, a belief statement, objectives for our school district, and strategies as to how we can begin to accomplish our objectives. The strategic planning workshop was the first step in what will be a process that will last several months before our Board of School Directors accepts our final strategic plan for our school district. We expected that by the end of September this entire process will be completed and we will begin working hard to accomplish our goals and objectives. The second part of developing a strategic plan for the New Kensington-Arnold School District is going to rely heavily on community input. We hope to form action teams. Each action team will work on an assigned strategy and develop specific plans that will be implemented by the district in order to help us achieve our goals. In order for this (action team) stage of strategic planning to be successful we need to recruit as many community members (including students, residents, staff and parents) as possible to be involved in this important process. Everyone in our community now has an opportunity to make improvements in our school and our community. I would like to invite every interested community member to participate as a member of one of our action teams. This will help to drive our strategic plan forward. The strategic plan is interwoven with the City of New Kensington’s and the City of Arnold’s plans to make improvements in our area. One of our educators will be assigned to each of the strategies that we have developed. If you are interested in becoming an action team member, please complete the inserted form and return it to Audrey Sleigh ( either by mail or fax [ 724-337-6519] ) on or before April 30th . Our strategic planning committee is anticipating extensive community involvement in this action planning phase. Please consider being a part of the process. We know it will have a positive impact on our school and entire community. With your help we will make the New Kensington Arnold School District into one of the premier districts in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Sincerely, George W. Batterson, Ed. D. Superintendent of Schools