April 22, 2022
Following each Board of Education meeting or workshop, the Office of District Communications recaps the board meeting in the Board Digest.
If you are having trouble accessing direct links, please click here to view the full Board of Education Agenda with presentations and other documents.
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Strategic Plan of Action Update |
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In February of 2020, Omaha Public Schools launched a new Strategic Plan of Action, powered by foresight. Our Strategic Plan of Action includes a process for bi-annual updates/reporting to the Board of Education and our community. This workshop included updates to goals outlined in the Strategic Plan of Action. The Board of Education selected the following six goals for review:
Strategic Priority 1: Academics
- Annually, each school will have 4% more kindergarten through third-grade students that will read on grade level as measured on standardized district assessments.
- Omaha Public Schools has implemented high-quality print and digital resources for students, alongside ongoing professional learning for teachers.
- A partnership with the Children’s Literacy Initiative (CLI) offers training and coaching in early literacy for students.
- Work is underway to assess early childhood needs and organize opportunities for community input and an advisory group.
- Staff reviewed data from the baseline year of 2021-22, with consideration for the disruption students have faced through the last three school years due to the pandemic.
- Each year, every high school will increase the percentage of ninth through twelfth-grade students identified as on-track for graduation by 5%.
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Since the launch of our Strategic Plan of Action, staff has focused on student connectedness, support and programming. That work has included ninth-grade NineforNine, College & Career Academies and Pathways, focusing on student advisement and a multi-year college and career continuum of learning.
- Staff also discussed the use of monitoring data, professional learning communities and collaborative school improvement reviews.
- Efforts connected to classroom instruction include maximizing instructional minutes, implementing project-based learning and increasing student engagement.
- Student groups in each middle school will meet or exceed growth goals in math and reading by 3% annually.
- For this goal added to the Strategic Plan of Action in 2022, Curriculum and Instruction Support staff are establishing a workgroup to review current work, alignment and focus connected to specific school improvement plans.
Strategic Priority 2: Staff
- A pipeline of teachers will be developed so that 95% of teaching positions are filled in each school by August 1 of each year with highly qualified candidates.
- Charles Wakefield, chief officer for District Operational Services and Human Resources, highlighted current resignations, retirements and applications. Strategic Plan of Action-aligned work is underway for staff recruitment and retention.
- Additional initiatives to support staff pipelines include the para to teacher program, Teacher Academy Program (TAP), Teacher Scholar Program, transitional certification and the student teacher stipend.
- Though the specific goal reviewed focuses on certificated staff, district leaders recognized the essential work of staff in every role throughout the Omaha Public Schools.
Strategic Priority 3: Financial Accountability
- By March of 2022, audit existing systems and technology contracts to increase fiscal responsibility, eliminate redundancy in technology purchasing and create a schedule for procurement of technology infrastructure, planned obsolescence and security needs through 2030.
- Bryan Dunne, executive director of Information Management Services (IMS), presented findings from a comprehensive audit of contracts, resulting in annual savings of $486,902 for our district.
- The district’s planned obsolescence for students from 2022-30 will follow an injection model, refreshing one-third of the devices each year.
- Staff developed a cyber incident response plan in 2020 and are continuously working to safeguard district systems and advance security features.
Strategic Priority 4: Ethic of Care
- Each year, all schools and programs will have a 3% reduction in the number of student disciplinary events.
- Staff explained the 2021-22 school year would provide baseline data, following three disrupted school years. Anni MacFarland, Ed.D., executive director of Student Community Services, explained the definitions and measurement of this plan goal.
- To achieve the annual reduction in disciplinary events, schools across the district are implementing Multi-Tiered Systems of Support for Behavior (MTSS-B) with training and coaching for staff.
- Progress monitoring includes monthly school reviews and quarterly data reviews with principal supervisors to identify trends and align supports.
- Professional learning includes:
- MTSS-B and social-emotional learning training for certified and classified staff.
- Best practices in classroom management and alternatives to exclusionary discipline.
- Collaboration with community partners and resources.
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Next Omaha Public Schools Board of Education Meeting
The next regularly scheduled Board Meeting will take place on May 2. It is tentatively scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m.
Board of Education Agenda
To review previous Board of Education agendas, click here. If you are having trouble accessing direct links, please access the full Board of Education Agenda to view presentations and other documents.
How Can I Watch a Previous Board of Education Meeting?
The video from the meeting will be available by Wednesday at noon following the meeting. The video can be viewed by clicking here.
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Omaha Public Schools| 531-299-0220 | www.ops.org
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