Bethlehem Central School District > Archive > Strategic Plan highlights BCSD five-year goals, strategies for success
Posted on

Strategic Plan highlights BCSD five-year goals, strategies for success

Superintendent of Schools Jody Monroe invites you to learn more about the Bethlehem Central School District Strategic Plan 2019-2024:

Dear Stakeholder:

On behalf of the Bethlehem Central School District, I am pleased to share

Collages of images with student faces smiling.
The Strategic Plan includes a new mission statement (above).

highlights of a new Strategic Plan that will guide district decision-making through the 2023-24 school year. This plan provides our school community with a refreshed mission, shared goals and sets specific data-driven priorities designed to meet the needs of every student, every day.

Development of the Strategic Plan was a collaborative effort involving faculty and staff, administrators, students, parents and Board of Education members. By engaging the wider community with public discussions and surveys, reviewing research, sharing diverse personal experiences, and thinking about the world our graduates will enter, this team worked over several months to create a five-year roadmap that will improve the ways we support and inspire each student.

Together, we have designed a plan that aligns with our new mission statement: To educate and prepare all students to reach their potential, discover their purpose and be engaged community members. The plan reflects core values and goals within four areas:

  • Academics: Delivering instructional and assessment practices that are aligned to a strong and relevant curriculum;
  • Character: Fostering positive character traits that are essential to becoming contributing members of society;
  • Community: Strengthening family, school, and community partnerships through transparent communication.
  • Wellness: Enhancing social-emotional wellness and balance for students and staff by supporting active, healthy lifestyles and promoting positive behavior.

In each, we have identified specific objectives and strategies and set benchmarks and key indicators that will allow us to measure the district’s progress and prioritize resources in a way that honors our mission and the community as a whole.

I invite you to learn more. A summary of the report can be found below. A copy of the full report can be viewed or downloaded here. If you are unable to access the PDF, please contact the district office at 518-439-3965 for a copy of the report.

Sincerely,

Jody Monroe
Superintendent of Schools

Strategic Plan Overview – Video 

Mission Statement

To educate and prepare all students to reach their potential, discover their purpose and be engaged community members.

Core Values

Academics

Objectives

Curriculum, instruction, and assessment…
  • Supports the development of problem-solving skills, both with academic content and life skills
  • Prepares students to become actively engaged in their communities
  • Encourages and supports culturally responsive teaching
  • Ensures all students graduate with the skills, knowledge and attitudes to pursue productive and satisfying lives

Major Strategies

  1. Conduct a Five-Year Program Review Cycle
  2. Close all achievement gaps
  3. Fully implement a K-12 academic and behavior Response to Intervention program
  4. Integrate innovative, rigorous and engaging instructional technology throughout the K-12 educational program
  5. Provide professional learning experiences for teachers in areas such as project-based learning, instructional technology, and cultural proficiency

Character

Objectives

Character Education…
  • Teaches and models positive behaviors and attitudes in all aspects of our learning environment
  • Ensures equity and cultural responsiveness for all students
  • Encourages all students to develop passions outside of the classroom
  • Develops in each student an understanding of his/her unique character strengths

Major Strategies

  1. Provide staff with professional development to increase awareness and offer strategies to promote equity and inclusion for all students
  2. Incorporate programs to promote and inform students about school activities and programs
  3. Support age-appropriate character education programs at the elementary, middle and high school levels
  4. Develop, promote and expand extracurricular opportunities for students

Community

Objectives

Strong family, school, and community partnerships…
  1. Are welcomed and encouraged
  2. Promote an atmosphere where partners develop common goals
  3. Prepare students with the skills to participate in their community
  4. Support the success of students and staff
  5. Advocate for equal access and opportunities for all students and families

Major Strategies

  1. Collaborate with community partners to support and expand opportunities for students
  2. Engage stakeholders in dialogue about priorities in the district
  3. Develop systems that promote and improve outreach and advocacy for all families
  4. Improve/create opportunities for family mentoring programs to guide families through school processes or assist with hardships
  5. Provide workshop offerings and resources to support parents and community members on a variety of topics

Wellness

Objectives

Wellness…
  • Promotes connected relationships in the school community
  • Fosters self-care, a healthy lifestyle and mindfulness among students and staff
  • Maintains an environment that is physically and emotionally safe

Major Strategies

  1. Employ the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model to support a unified approach to improving the health and learning of all staff and students
  2. Provide programs to strengthen the emotional and physical wellness of students and staff
  3. Implement the K-12 social-emotional learning curriculum
  4. Offer professional development to enhance the understanding of health, wellness, social-emotional learning, and safety
  5. Improve student and staff attendance through the implementation of a multi-tiered model

    Accountability & Measures

District leaders and the instructional team develop annual district goals that are tied directly to the Strategic Plan. These goals are reviewed regularly to track the district’s progress. The 2019-2024 Strategic Plan includes 72 distinct metrics within the areas of Academics, Character, Community and Wellness. Each is benchmarked and includes annual growth targets. These can be found in the full report.

Below are 10 metrics identified as key performance indicators over the next five years:

Reading Proficiency Grade 3

  • Increase from 70% in 2018-19 to 85% in 2023-24

High School Graduation Rate

  • Increase from 94% in 2018-19 to 100% in 2023-24

Seniors Enrolled in at Least One AP Course

  • Increase from 52% in 2018-19 to 80% in 2023-24

English Language Arts Regents Mastery Level

  • Increase from 79% in 2018-19 to 85% in 2023-24

% of Grade 9 Students Earning at Least 6 Credits

  • Increase from 90% in 2018-19 to 100% in 2023-24

Algebra I Regents Mastery Level

  • Increase from 47% in 2018-19 to 70% in 2023-24

% of Students Participating in Co-curricular Activities

  • Increase from 77% in 2018-19 to 90% in 2023-24

% of Students Participating in Community Service

  • Increase 5% annually from a baseline to be established in 2018-19

% of Voters Voting in Favor of the District Budget

  • Increase from 81% in 2018 to 85% in 2023

Strategic Planning Committee

  • Courtney Bowen
  • Dan Cotton
  • Holly Dellenbaugh
  • Jonathan Fishbein
  • David Hurst
  • Kathleen Johnston
  • Charlie Jones
  • Judith Kehoe
  • Kate Kloss
  • Michael Klugman
  • Lynne Lenhardt
  • Rachel Linehan
  • Jody Monroe
  • Chris Myer
  • Raymond Nardelli
  • Hope Perlman
  • Dianna Reagan
  • David Rounds
  • Megan Sanders
  • Erik Smith
  • Marie Spain
  • Mark Sweeney
  • Merissa Taylor
  • Kelly Ward
  • Charmaine Wijeyesinghe, Ed.D.