The Cherokee County School Board has approved three measures it says are intended to improve teaching and learning: A newly formatted annual update of the district’s strategic plan; a new instructional framework, and newly formatted school improvement plans.
The five-year strategic plan was realigned to AdvancED’s “Standards for Quality School Systems,” which the accreditation agency will use in its review early next year for the district’s accreditation renewal. “We’ve intentionally simplified the plan without sacrificing any accountability,” said schools Superintendent Brian V. Hightower.
The instructional framework will guide how teachers design instruction and assess student learning, officials said. It will take four years to fully implement. Teachers are working in committees studying the standards and in January will attend zone meetings for additional implementation guidance from principals and staff.
The school improvement plans are based on “gap” analyses comparing Cherokee schools to schools with similar demographics within the district and statewide, officials said. Principals used the data to set two 3-year goals. Each goal was required to be “smart, specific and measurable,” and most focused on literacy.
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