District staff propose keeping instruction goal, adding science and AI/cybersecurity to superintendent goals

District staff presented proposed revisions to the superintendent goals that would keep the district's instruction focus while adding a new science goal, shifting data analysis toward site-specific metrics, and creating a goal focused on artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.

Miss Ballinger (speaker 15) outlined the suggestions, saying the district should keep the instruction goal and extend it, replace the social studies goal with science (including curriculum alignment and common laboratory investigations), and revise data-analysis expectations so sites choose specific improvement metrics. She described potential metrics such as improving NWEA MAP scores or choosing a dashboard measure to improve by a set percentage by the 2029 dashboard publication.

On AI and cybersecurity, Ballinger said the district needs to "better understand" AI's impacts and suggested developing district guidelines and staff development. A trustee asked whether freshman seminar would be flexible enough to incorporate fast-moving topics; Ballinger replied that the course lives in a Canvas shell and can be revised as new requirements arise.

Trustees asked for clearer, consistent metrics and noted the value of continuing to develop CTE pathways across campuses. An employee association representative later urged focusing on growth measures like NWEA MAP and minimizing testing that reduces instructional time.

The item was presented for discussion; the board did not vote on final adoption of the recommended goal changes at this meeting.