Attracting and retaining high-quality staff, improving student behavior management and implementing a strong curriculum in all school are focus areas for Galesburg District 205 based on a recent strategic planning engagement survey.
District 205 released the findings of the 2023 Strategic Planning Engagement Report at its meeting Monday. Phase 1 of the process involved collecting community engagement through interviews, focus groups and a community survey.
The plan, being conducted by Hazard Young Attea Associates, was comprised of focus groups, along a survey that attracted 892 participants. The breakdown included 595 parents, 116 community members, 133 staff, 35 students and 13 administrators.
John Asplund, District 205 superintendent of schools, tells WGIL the process was similar to what the district executed in 2017. In that case, the primary area of concentration was community feedback.
“What came out of the 2017 survey was, basically people wanted us to fix up the buildings, and we’ve spent the last six years carrying through on that,” Asplund said. “Now that we have the buildings done, we thought we’d focus more this time on academics.”
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In the survey, respondents rated statements related to the state of the district on a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Each statement corresponded to one of the following areas: vision and values; teaching and learning; community engagement; and management.
“What really came out was people want a rigorous curriculum,” Asplund said. “When students leave Galesburg High School, whether it’s for college or a career, we want our kids prepared for whatever they want to do when they leave us. People also want safe school buildings
“There wasn’t anything on there that completely shocked me.”
Survey says …
The survey listed the strengths of District 205 as:
- Updated and modern facilities which provide excellent learning environments
- Outstanding access to technology to support student learning
- Solid financial status with access to resources that support student programs
- Dedicated teachers and staff who really care about their students
- Extensive pride and success in the fine arts and sports programs
The survey listed significant issues to be addressed in District 205 as:
- Attract, recruit and retaining high-quality staff
- Implementation of student behavior management programs at all levels
- Develop and implement curriculum in all schools(K-12) that is vertically and horizontally aligned
- Improve student and family school engagement to build a culture of pride at all schools
Finally, survey findings said the vision of success for the future of District 205 include:
- Improvement in academic performance, student attendance, and student behavior in all schools
- Providing opportunities to meet the significant social and emotional (SEL) and mental health needs of students
- Enhance current vocational programing and pursue innovative opportunities to expand those programs
- Personalized instruction for students regardless of their ability to guarantee their success
Teacher shortage ‘a real problem’
“The teacher shortage is a real problem and an on-going issue,” Asplund said. “Trying to get fully-qualified teachers, especially in Central Illinois, is a real challenge.
“It’s been kind of a slow trickle to where we are now. Where as we used to get 20 to 30 applications for a position, now we’re happy if we get a couple.”
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Phase 2 of the planning process will include more analysis, as well as setting strategic priorities and objectives.
“The Board of Education will meet for a retreat in January when it will develop actionable goals, and address the areas that people felt were most important,” Asplund said.
Finally, Phase 3 will include implementation plans, alignment of school improvement plans and provide a dashboard to track progress.
District 205 Strategic Planning Engagement Report by WGIL Radio on Scribd
