Calling all K-12 Students, Educators & Parents
We are pleased to announce that the ninth annual Speak Up surveys are now open for input from K-12 students, parents, teachers, librarians and administrators. Speak Up is your way to have your voice – and the voice of all education stakeholders – impact local, state and national policies and programs on education and technology. In these challenging budget times, Speak Up is more important than ever.
To take the survey yourself or have your students take the survey, please visit: www.speakup4schools.org/speakup2011 and access the online surveys using your school or district "secret word" password: panthers
Since 2003, over 30,000 schools have participated in Speak Up. Be part of the Speak Up movement – sign up your school or district today!
Why participate in Speak Up? No other survey research project is like Speak Up!
Speak Up is facilitated annually by Project Tomorrow. This is our nonprofit mission to do this for schools and districts as a 100% free service.
Every school and district (public, private, charter etc) is eligible to participate with no limit on participants. Just need to register to participate!
Have your students, parents and staff take the surveys and you will get you’re your own local data plus the national data for benchmarks.
National data is shared with Congress, US Department of Education and many state governors’ offices. No local data is shared though – we are not in the “gotcha” business.
All data is 100% confidential.
All surveys are online making it quick and easy to administer. Take the 20 minute survey at home, at school, anywhere with an Internet connection.
No need to write your own surveys! All of the benefits with Speak Up with none of the time or costs involved on your part.
This year's audience specific surveys include questions on teaching and learning with technology, and new emerging technology issues such as mobile devices, blended learning, and digital content and learning games. Plus new questions about online assessments and funding for education technology!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Former NYC Schools Chancellor Joel Klein and Sir Ken Robinson on the Future of Education
Following is a link to a video in which former NYC Schools Chancellor Joel Klein and Sir Ken Robinson discuss the future of education.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
What 21st Century Schools Should Be
Following is a link to a very well written article from ASCD. It encapsulates many of the aspects of 21st century education in addition to indicating what types of "things" should be happening in schools. It is worth a read!
Friday, July 15, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
Food for Thought
We have all heard much of this before... Hear it first hand from a kid... Albeit a very, very intelligent kid, but a kid nonetheless. The point of emphasis I take away is "that learning should be a reciprocal relationship..."
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Developing a Vision for Prairie Farm Schools- Follow Up Information
I apologize for the delay in preparing this information, but things on the school finance side of things have kept me pretty busy. This is not a dead issue and I hope to utilize the information collected here to inform many decisions that are made on the district level for many years to come.
I wanted to be certain that all district residents, staff, students, and board members are aware of the results of the District Advisory Committee meetings that have been recently held. The goal of these meetings was to determine a vision for Prairie Farm Schools. At the last meeting, conducted on January 31st, 2011, we discussed the items developed at the December 6th advisory committee meeting, as well as our student’s suggestions regarding what the district should look like 5 to 10 years from now, etc. Below are the items discussed including the District’s input or response to the items discussed in italics.
Topics Discussed on 1/31 (Italics indicate the District’s input/ response for each area):
Academics
- More opportunities for “college prep” and advanced placement (AP) courses
The district is evaluating this area. Currently, we offer AP English via iTV and AP Calculus through Molly Olson. It would be beneficial to offer AP opportunities in science and social studies as well. There are some limitations to this regarding the number of offerings each staff member can provide, however it remains an area we would like to improve upon.
- Increase the amount of iTV offerings (classes available via a network of multiple schools)
The district is limited on the variety of classes and the number of seats we are entitled to for iTV. Each year, the district evaluates the iTV offerings and competes for seats in classes our students want or need. We currently offer about as many iTV classes as possible.
- Increased development of technology skills and experiences
The district is evaluating this area as well. Surveys were recently sent to all district families regarding computer and internet access in homes. That information has been analyzed: of 180 surveys sent, 105 were returned. Of the 105 returned, 90 stated that they had a computer with internet access which represents 86% of district residents. This data as well as the student input we received (discussed below) indicates a strong need for the district to move forward with plans to become more technology integrated. Student surveys also indicated an opinion of better developing our technology based experiences. Students had great ideas regarding the use of “smart” phones and other internet capable devices for instruction purposes.
- More “co-op” opportunities for different classes (real world, on the job sort of experiences for credit)
This is an area that some staff is interested in developing as well. There are some difficulties however, with allotting appropriate time in staff’s schedules and/or allowing for extra-duty pay as there are responsibilities that occur outside of the school day.
- Provide service learning opportunities
These are opportunities that provide students with the type of skills they will utilize in the work force, tech school, or college. Some initial planning needs to take place to develop an outline of what these experiences will look like and what curricular area or areas are best suited to providing these opportunities.
- Allow volunteer hours for credit towards graduation
Similar to the previous item listed. Many schools REQUIRE volunteer hours for graduation; there has not been a lot of discussion on this topic however, it would be fairly easy to implement.
- Development of cross-curricular projects (having multiple classes covering similar topics concurrently that add to overall understanding and rigor)
This is a definite possibility for Prairie Farm given the small class size and the fact that all of the core teachers (language arts, math, science, and social studies) have nearly all of the students in the high school. This is particularly true for 9th through 11th grade. In the middle school, this would be fairly easily implemented with some planning and preparation on the staff’s part.
- Enhancement of our virtual school program (this program is in its infancy for the 10-11 school year and will be expanded and marketed beginning with the 11-12 school year)
The district has slowly rolled out our virtual school programming this year. We will continue to offer this type of educational experience to our residents and will begin some promotional activities to increase interest and enrollment for the future.
Communication
- Increase parent awareness of schedules and class offerings
This area can easily be addressed by providing the schedule on-line through our district web site. Look for information regarding the schedule and class options on our High School web page.
- Increase parent awareness of post-graduation options for students
Similar to the item above; information will be forthcoming on the School Counselor’s web page.
- Increase and enhance home-school communication
The district is looking into multiple possibilities to improve in this area. From surveys that were completed and returned, it was determined that a great majority of residents have internet access and would like updates and information to come via e-mail and the web page. The district will likely develop a “listserve” of individuals who wish to receive information via e-mail and send out updates periodically. We will continue working on this to provide parents and community members with all necessary information in a timely manner.
- Increase attendance at parent-teacher conferences (middle and high school)
This is an area we (and many other middle and high schools) struggle with. I am open to suggestions on how to improve this.
New Program Possibilities
- Develop a day care program operated by the school for children of district residents who are not involved in full day school programs to utilize
This type of program has some great potential and the district is seriously considering making a move in this direction. We want to proceed cautiously because we do not want to infringe on any community member’s livelihood by taking away children that they provide day care for.
- Marketing of our district via radio advertising and potentially other forms
As you probably already know, the district began marketing our schools online and on the radio. We will not know the impact of this until September of the next school year and even then, it may be difficult to determine the specific reason(s) for increased numbers.
- Utilize Business Education class(es) to develop marketing strategies and programs for the school
This too, has some strong possibilities. A limiting factor can be the amount of time available to our business education position. Developing new real-world, authentic curriculum for a program such as this, can be difficult and time consuming. This is something that would mutually benefit the students and the district.
- Early foreign language development for students in elementary grades (sometimes referred to as immersion classes)
This idea has found traction in many school districts in Wisconsin and in the nation. We would be quite limited due to funding issues; things have gotten worse instead of better in this area.
Student Responses
- Incorporate more technology options in classes currently offered
This is an area of focus today and will continue to be in the future. Students want the tools necessary to learn, collaborate, and create content in today’s world.
- Update/ Upgrade technology for students
Again an area we are currently working on and will continue in the future. Particularly, the network for internet access needs to be updated to wireless access with little or no interruption based on location.
- Improve athletic programs/ facilities
Students had strong feelings about improving our athletic programs. Mr. Olson is currently working through developing a mission, vision, and goals for our athletic programs with coaches and student athletes; there are many aspects of program improvement becoming incorporated for next year and beyond.
Developing a vision statement:
In addition to discussing various ideas for program and district improvements, a goal of these meetings was to develop a vision statement that encapsulated a common view of what should be occurring “tomorrow”. I had outlined in previous correspondence that a vision is different from a mission in that a mission defines the activities we are constantly engaged in, while a vision defines what we as an organization would like to be or become. A vision statement should bring to mind this drive or focus on the future and be a guiding statement as decisions are made in the classroom, on the athletic field or court, or in the board room. I have developed a vision statement as one possibility, but I welcome any input and am open to making changes.
Prairie Farm School District Vision Statement: “Focus on the future”- What are we doing for students today that will prepare them for tomorrow?
As always feel free to contact me any time.
Sincerely,
Craig G. Broeren
District Administrator
715-455-1683 ext. 119
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Developing a Vision for Prairie Farm Schools
Background
On December 6th the school district convened an “advisory committee” meeting to begin to develop a vision for the future of Prairie Farm schools. With a mix of parents, community members, staff, board, and administration in attendance we discussed the following questions:
1. What do we want our schools to look like 5-10 years from now?
2. What are we currently doing that we should do more of?
3. What should we do as a district to ensure that we will remain a school of choice in the area and potentially increase our ability to draw students and families in?
4. What are the roles of all of the stake-holders in this process? (Students, Parents/ Community Members, Staff, Administration, Board)
Results
After time for small group discussion, the groups were brought back together to share the information discussed with the large group. Many different ideas were presented with some common themes arising from these conversations. I have looked over the notes from the small group and large group discussions and have found that the items discussed fall into one of three basic groups: 1) Academics, 2) Communication, and 3) New Program Development. Following are the general ideas and/or topics that were discussed by category:
1) Academics- More opportunities for “college prep” and advanced placement (AP) courses
- Increase the amount of iTV offerings (classes available via a network of multiple schools)
- Increased development of technology skills and experiences
- More “co-op” opportunities for different classes (real world, on the job sort of experiences for credit)
- Provide service learning opportunities
- Allow volunteer hours for credit towards graduation
- Development of cross-curricular projects (having multiple classes covering similar topics concurrently that add to overall understanding and rigor)
- Enhancement of our virtual school program (this program is in its infancy for the 10-11 school year and will be expanded and marketed beginning with the 11-12 school year)
2) Communication
- Increase parent awareness of schedules and class offerings
- Increase parent awareness of post-graduation options for students
- Increase and enhance home-school communication
- Increase attendance at parent-teacher conferences (middle and high school)
3) New Program Possibilities
- Develop a day care program operated by the school for preK and younger district families to utilize
- Marketing of our district via radio advertising and potentially other forms
- Utilize Business Education class(es) to develop marketing strategies and programs for the school
- Early foreign language development for students in elementary grades (sometimes referred to as immersion classes)
Conclusions
As indicated by the above lists, there were plenty of great ideas that resulted from this meeting. Other topics were discussed ranging from additions to the school buildings to increased collaboration time for staff that are not listed above due to the fact that our district is limited by economic/financial constraints and class offering flexibility. With that being said, the next phase of this process is to determine the feasibility of doing any or all of the things listed above. Many of the ideas listed are occurring at some level but could be increased or added to, with little overall cost to the district; other topics listed would potentially take a substantial amount of time and money to institute. In addition, the development of a district vision statement or image should occur. Personally, I feel that the information presented above illustrates a vision of our schools as continually searching for opportunities to enhance our existing programs while remaining future oriented in the development of new programs and possibilities for students. Additionally, I feel there was a general consensus that a proactive marketing strategy is something we should think seriously about as a school and community. This may come in the form of simple radio advertising, various student developed marketing approaches, or even utilizing “facebook” or other web marketing/ informational tools.
The Next Step
The next step in our visioning process is two-fold. First, I feel that the community, students, staff, and board should all have input into developing a vision statement, image, or both, that is mutually agreed upon, simple and to the point, and easily recognizable. We have all seen many of these vision statements (or purpose statements) in popular media; one that sticks out in my mind is Toyota’s “keep moving forward” (we don’t have to be quite as clever as that with a dual meaning, etc., but you get the idea!). Second, we will hold a follow-up district advisory committee meeting in which a discussion of the items listed above attempts to determine which items listed we: a) definitely should do, b) possibly should do, c) should not do, or d) need more information. Additionally, I feel that the district should continually (perhaps every other year) generate these same types of lists and determine whether or not they are feasible.
I appreciate the time and energy put in by all of the individuals who attended the December 6th advisory committee meeting and look forward to seeing you again at the next one which is scheduled for Monday, January 31st at 7:00pm in the high school library.
Thank you for your input and support. Please feel free to contact me via phone, e-mail, or district blog, with your comments or suggestions at any time, particularly if you are unable to attend the next District Advisory Committee meeting on January 31st.
Sincerely,
Craig G. Broeren
District Administrator
715-455-1683 ext. 119
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