District leaders and teacher leaders presented a midyear progress update on the Rutland City School Districts five-year strategic plan, which is organized around a "portrait of a graduate" and three priority areas: teaching and learning; evolution of wellness through inclusive school communities; and resources for success.

The teaching-and-learning team reported three tracks: learning systems (curriculum and time-on-task), assessment, and student agency. The group said it postponed a district-wide curriculum review this year (calling it a large multiyear undertaking) and instead prioritized embedding the portrait-of-a-graduate traits into unit plans and report-card language, and building a glossary and assessment guide to create common definitions for proficiency-based work across K. The assessment team said it will focus first on clarifying definitions and building common assessments at the school level before moving into full K data analysis.

Administrators discussed a new midyear MTSS (multi-tiered system of supports) coaching position created and funded through federal grant dollars; the coach will focus on grades 3, help inventory interventions across buildings, and support alignment of tiered instructional practices as a multiyear effort.

The wellness team reported work on three strategies: (1) consistent approaches to monitoring and supporting students social-emotional needs; (2) staff work-life balance and healthy-lifestyle initiatives; and (3) identifying and removing barriers to co-curricular participation for families and students. Specific steps underway include revising behavioral threat-assessment processes, drafting common language for supports used across buildings, distributing staff-feedback surveys (230 staff respondents cited for the communications work), and piloting staff wellness measures such as an employee discount card with local businesses.

The resources-for-success team conducted a district inventory of programs, physical facilities needs and staffing. That group said it will coordinate with the wellness team to align supports and clarify the names and functions of alternative-placement programs and specialized services across buildings so families and staff have consistent language and clearer referral pathways. Committee members said they also are collecting data on why staff leave (exit data) and plan to share summarized, de-identified findings with the board.

Board members asked questions about assessment metrics, whether benchmarks would be compared across districts or to state measures, and how the district will phase multiyear work into the operating budget in coming years. Administration said the strategic-plan teams will surface budget implications during the normal budget-development process so the board and public can consider resource shifts tied to strategic priorities.

Ending

Administrators and teacher leaders said the strategic-plan teams will return with further progress reports and that building-level teams will continue monthly work. Board members praised the plans structure and the early focus on assessment clarity and staff supports.