The Board of Education received a proposed 2016-21 Strategic Plan for the school district to replace an existing plan at its meeting on Tuesday, August 16.

The proposed plan will be considered by the school board over the next couple of meetings, and Assistant Superintendent Jean Evans Davila presented the new plan for the board at the meeting.

According to a handout, the overall mission and beliefs behind the plan remain unchanged from the existing plan, which was created for the 2011-16 school years.

A committee, which included district educators and parents, worked to create the plan, and Ms Davila said input from residents as a result of a community forum held last school year was also used.

Ms Davila said the committee members constantly asked themselves, "What will it really look like? What will students really experience? What will teachers have to do to adapt this?"

Objectives in the plan were updated. The first objective is outlined as "Each student will develop and consistently demonstrate college, career, and global readiness skills in problem-solving, critical and creative thinking, collaboration, and written and verbal communication. The second objective reads "Each student will develop and demonstrate necessary character attributes for personal well-being and to become contributing members of the local and global communities. These attributes include social-emotional wellness, positive behaviors, respect for diversity, and responsible digital citizenship."

The final objective reads "Each student will set and achieve personally challenging goals and demonstrate learning through multiple modes in addition to formative and summative assessments of learning."

Strategies for implementation were also updated.

Listed points in the proposed plan include developing and implementing "a rigorous academic curriculum to ensure that all staff uses effective instructional tools, best practices, assessment data, and intervention resources to improve academic standing and inspire students to excel," as well as expanding personalized learning opportunities for students; developing and implementing a rigorous social curriculum and ensuring staff use effective tools and strategies and model social-emotional wellness and positive behaviors; and providing students with the opportunity to be co-collaborators in their learning. There are 18 points listed and explained in the proposed plan with corresponding objectives and strategies.

Ms Davila said the committee that worked on the strategic plan was innovative and tireless.

Board of Education member Rebekah Harriman-Stites said she thought the proposed plan is fantastic and included "everything the strategic plan needs." She also shared her appreciation for the guide and document prepared in order to share the plan with the school board.

"I appreciate the hard work that you and the rest of the committee did," said Ms Harriman-Stites.

Board members asked a range of questions about the proposed plan. Superintendent of Schools Joseph V. Erardi, Jr, said the plan is endorsed by the full kindergarten through twelfth grade educational team.

Ms Davila said she hopes the document will be a continued focus of board meetings.

"I don't want it to become a bookend," said Ms Davila. "We've got to use it as a living document that we use as a reference point."