Kendra Starkey

The Anamosa School District's foundational document outlines its mission to provide opportunities for all students to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to contribute to a rapidly changing, global society. The district prioritizes academic excellence, with goals for all students to achieve high levels in reading, math, and science, and to use technology for proficiency in these areas. It also emphasizes creating a safe and connected school environment. Learning goals focus on developing students' respect, cooperation, responsible citizenship, lifelong learning abilities, effective communication, and creative problem-solving skills. Core values guide the district in making informed choices, supporting varied learning rates, providing staff training, balancing technology with social interaction, and fostering strong parent and community involvement.

The School Improvement Advisory Committee meeting included discussions on the purpose of SIAC, a review of the 5-year strategic plan focusing on Culture, Workforce, MTSS, and Future Ready initiatives, and progress updates on goals related to enhancing the learning environment, reducing chronic absenteeism, and increasing academic proficiency. The committee also explored the concept of 'Future Ready' education through career trees and small group discussions, and introduced data and information regarding a potential 4-day school week, including its potential impacts and requirements.

The meeting focused on recommendations for school improvement to the Board, including major educational needs, student learning goals, long-range goals, and bullying and harassment prevention goals. The committee analyzed data for Culture, Workforce, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), and Future Ready, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and ideas for improvement. Priorities for improvement include workforce management and capacity, student emotional safety and belonging, academic proficiency, and future-ready opportunities.

The Lau Plan Guidance Document for Anamosa Community School District focuses on meeting the instructional needs of English Learners (ELs) through English language development, academic achievement, and cross-cultural efficacy. Key areas include identifying and placing ELs in appropriate Language Instruction Educational Programs (LIEPs), providing meaningful access to co-curricular and extracurricular programs, and offering ongoing professional development for staff. The plan outlines measurable academic and language goals, exit criteria, monitoring procedures, and evaluation processes to ensure compliance and support for EL students.

The CSIP document for Anamosa Community School District focuses on various aspects of school improvement, including early intervention funding, class size reduction, and activities for K-3 students to achieve higher levels of success in basic skills. It emphasizes collaborative relationships, learning environment, curriculum and instruction, professional development, and monitoring and accountability. The plan outlines goals related to reading, mathematics, and science, as well as actions to improve curricular and instructional practices. It also addresses the incorporation of multicultural and gender-fair curriculum, online courses, and the implementation of Iowa Core Standards. The document includes information on professional development activities, research-based staff development practices, and the evaluation of at-risk, dropout prevention, and gifted and talented programs. It also covers Title III services for Limited English Proficient (LEP) children and the collection and analysis of data to determine the accomplishment of district goals.