Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the District Strategy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Weisman USD board adopts 202526#8211;26 priorities emphasizing literacy, math, STEM and safety
Summary
The Weisman USD board on Sept. 9 unanimously adopted a set of district priorities for 202526#8211;26 that focus on literacy and mathematics proficiency, expanded STEAM opportunities, school safety and organizational capacity, with measurable targets and a stronger emphasis on teacher collaboration and diagnostics.
The Weisman Unified School District Board of Education unanimously approved a set of district priorities for 202526#8211;26 at its Sept. 9 meeting after a presentation by Superintendent Dr. Blake Silvers.
"Continuous improvement is important," Dr. Silvers said while describing the five priority areas: teaching and learning (literacy, mathematics, science), student safety and wellness, and organizational strength.
Why it matters: the priorities translate LCAP goals into measurable targets and operational tasks for the coming year. The plan emphasizes diagnostic assessment, teacher collaboration, expanded STEAM experiences and a renewed focus on school climate measures.
Highlights and measurable targets included in the adopted priorities: - Literacy: district target of 66% overall proficiency on English/language arts measures, with a focused target of 37% proficiency for English learners; implementation of I-Ready diagnostics three times per year to track band growth and target interventions. (Dr. Blake Silvers) - Mathematics: target of 55% proficiency; district-wide implementation of 60-minute math blocks and an expansion of teacher collaboration time (Target: 20 hours annually for math teacher collaboration). The district also adopted the Eurekamath curriculum with accompanying PD. (Dr. Blake Silvers) - Science/STEAM: maintain a district goal that 100% of elementary students participate in robot-building activities and expand digital-arts and coding offerings at middle school. The district plans to align instruction with NGSS and use interim assessment blocks as preparation for California Science Test (CAST). (Dr. Blake Silvers) - School safety and wellness: continue ALICE emergency training for staff, expand counseling case-management systems and roll out Capturing Kids' Hearts curriculum district-wide; target chronic absenteeism below 9% and improve student perceptions of safety and adult care on campus. (Dr. Blake Silvers; Dr. Ingram, counselors) - Organizational strength: targets for increased staff satisfaction, expanded internal communications, and a goal of continuing to build reserves while managing position control and reducing contracted spending where possible.
The priorities will be tracked with specific metrics on a district dashboard and brought to the board in future updates. Several board members praised the emphasis on measurable goals and the connection to the LCAP. Members also asked about alignment of common formative assessments, evaluation plans for those tools, and the need to balance innovative grading and assessment with college and credential expectations for older students.
A unanimous board vote adopted the priorities; staff said the metrics will be visible on the district dashboard and will be the focus of regular progress reports.
