Administrative Philosophy and Goals CA
Adopted: 9-4-05
Revised: 10-10-12
Philosophy
Proper administration of the schools is most vital to a successful educational program. In accordance with Board Policy, the general purpose of the District's administration shall be to coordinate and supervise, the creation and operation of an environment in which students learn most effectively. Administrative duties and functions shall be appraised in terms of the contribution made to improving instruction and learning. The Board shall rely on its chief executive officer, the District Superintendent, to provide the professional administrative leadership in accomplishing this goal.
Policy
The District's administrative organization shall be designed so that all divisions and departments of the central office and all schools are part of a single system guided by Board policies that are implemented through the District Superintendent. Principals and central office administrators are all expected to administer their units in accordance with Board policy and the District Superintendent's rules and procedures. However, the mere execution of directives cannot, by itself, be constructed as good administration. Vision, initiative, resourcefulness, and wise leadership, as well as consideration and concern for staff members, students, parents, and community members, are essential for effective administration.
Within the concept of an effective total system, it shall be the policy of the Board that ways shall be sought to decentralize administration in order to bring administrative decisions closer to, hence more responsive to, specific needs of individual students and the school community.
The District Superintendent, each principal, and other administrators shall have the authority and responsibility necessary for his or her specific administrative assignment. Each shall likewise be accountable for the effectiveness with which the administrative assignment is carried out. The Board shall be responsible for clearly specifying requirements and expectations, then holding the Superintendent accountable by evaluating how well those requirements and expectations have been met. In turn, the Superintendent shall be responsible for clearly specifying requirements and expectations for all other administrators, then for holding each accountable by evaluating how well requirements and expectations have been met.
Administrative Goals
1. To manage the District various departments and programs effectively;
2. To provide professional advice and counsel to the Board and to advisory groups established by
Board action.Preferably, where feasible, this will be done through reviewing alternatives, analyzing
the advantages and disadvantages of each, and recommending a selection from among the
alternatives;
3. To implement the management function so as to assure the best and most effective learning
programs through achieving such sub-goals as:
A. Providing leadership in keeping abreast of current educational developments;
B. Arranging for the staff development necessary to the establishment and operation of learning
programs that meet individual student needs;
C. Coordinating cooperative efforts at improvement of learning programs, facilities, equipment,
and materials; and
D. Providing access to the decision-making process for improvement ideas of staff, students,
parents, and others.
4. To promote responsibility, collaboration and cooperation with the Board and the following four groups
to maximize the District's educational experiences:
A. Students
The administration expects that all students will learn to recognize the value of educational o
opportunities and will work diligently with students to achieve their maximum potential.
B. Staff
The administration expects that staff members' best efforts will be exerted toward accomplishing
the educational objectives and goals of the District in creating challenging educational
experiences for students.
C. Parents
The administration encourages all parents to accept responsibility and support the District's
educational programs by ensuring maximum attendance, cooperating with staff members, and
fostering an attitude in their children that recognizes the importance of education and life-long
learning. The administration will make continuous efforts to garner parental support through
communication initiated through the school.
D. Community
Members of the community, through their taxes and other supporting services, provide the
resources necessary to provide educational opportunities for students. As a result, the
administration will ensure that these community resources are utilized in supporting a quality
educational experience for students and keep them informed of educational successes and
needs.
Educational Goals
The District shall maintain a public education system that encompasses the following characteristics:
1. Assumes that all students have the ability to learn and that each student departing the system will
be prepared to achieve success in productive employment, further education, or both:
2. Provides a personalized education plan or personalized education occupation plan for each student,
which involves the student, the student's parent or guardian, and school personnel in establishing
the plan;
3. Provides students with the knowledge and skills to take responsibility for their decisions and to
make appropriate choices;
4. Provides opportunities for students to exhibit the capacity to learn, think, reason, and work
effectively, individually and in groups;
5. Offers a world-class core curriculum that enables students to successfully compete in a global
society and succeed as citizens of a constitutional republic;
6. Incorporates an information retrieval system that provides students, parents, and educators with
reliable,useful, and timely data on the progress of each student;
7. Attracts, prepares, inducts, and retains excellent teachers for every classroom;
8. Provides effective ongoing professional development opportunities for teachers to improve their
teaching skills, and provides recognition, rewards, and compensation for their excellence;
9. Empowers the District and the schools to create its own vision and plan to achieve results consistent
with Board goals;
10. Uses technology to improve teaching and learning processes for the delivery of educational
services;
11. Promotes ongoing research and development projects at the District and the school level that are
directed at improving or enhancing public education;
12. Offers a public school choice program, which gives students and their parents options to best meet
the student's personalized education needs;
13. Emphasizes the involvement of educators, parents, business partnerships, and the community at
large in the educational process by allowing them to be involved in establishing and implementing
educational goals and participating in decision-making at the school site; and
14. Emphasizes competency-based standards and progress-based assessments, including tracking
and measurement systems.
Reference: 53A-1a-103 and 104
