Springfield Public Schools
2023-2024 Annual Plan
Our Vision: Cultivating compassionate and extraordinary learners!
Our Mission: Springfield Public Schools will challenge every student through meaningful, engaging experiences — empowering all students to flourish and contribute in an evolving world.
Board of Education Goals & Values
- All students will achieve at high levels with the goal of developing life-long learners and global citizens. This includes providing inclusive opportunities for all types of learners to engage in meaningful learning experiences. Core Value: Instructional Excellence
- Provide all students and staff with a safe, secure, and educationally appropriate instructional environment. Core Value: Safety & Security
- Maintain a strong organization through fiscal responsibility, policy review, high standards for operational efficiency, and responsible stewardship of taxpayer funds. Core Value: Fiscal & Operational Excellence
- Engage in clear, consistent, and timely communication with our community. Core Value: Communication
- Springfield Public Schools will work to address the academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs of all students. Core Value: Social-Emotional Support & Learning
District Objectives 2023-2024:
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Springfield Public Schools will respond to the complex educational environment while providing high-quality teaching and learning experiences for all students. Such a goal requires shifting district structures and practices to meet the learning needs of all Springfield students while working to support and promote academic and social-emotional success.
Activities Supporting this Goal:
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Review all technology needs and develop solutions to provide high-quality teaching and learning experiences for all students.
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Provide ongoing professional development and support to SPS team members aligned to instructional and operational needs.
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Review all environment and infrastructure needs related to providing a safe and healthy learning environment in our schools.
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Work collaboratively with associations to support staff members.
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Staff members will contribute to decision-making related to curriculum development and professional learning.
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The district will engage in a long-term review of strategic initatives to address shifts in enrollment patterns.
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Infrastructure needs will be identified and monitored to ensure a safe and secure teaching and learning environment.
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School security practices will be continually reviewed in partnership with local agencies to ensure a safe and secure teaching and learning environment.
Indicators of Achievement:
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Facilities and infrastructure requirements are met to support safe and healthy in-person instruction.
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School security plans will reflect best practices for staff and student safety.
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Students have access to consistent and engaging high-quality learning experiences. Data related to this will be collected through classroom walkthroughs, teacher observations, and student achievement data.
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Staff are provided with high-quality professional learning aligned to providing meaningful and engaging learning experiences. A professional development plan will reflect the learning needs identified through data analysis.
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The district curriculum will continue to be reviewed and revised to provide meaningful, cognitively challenging content that encourages authentic engagement.
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A strategic plan relating to student school assignments will be developed and presented to the Board.
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Engage in clear, consistent, and timely communication with our community.
Activities Supporting this Goal:
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District and school leaders will meet with constituent groups including PTAs, Associations, local government officials, parent interest groups, student groups, and other applicable individuals and groups.
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District and school leaders will support ongoing communication between the district, schools, and families in the following ways:
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Continue to respond to community concerns in a timely manner
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Continued use of social media
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Updating the district website to provide applicable information
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Review prior protocols and processes to identify areas for growth.
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Superintendent, district, and school leaders will engage in outreach to support communication within the school community.
Indicators of Achievement:
- Evidence of community communication and participation in community events.
- Ongoing use of social media to share information about the district and student and staff achievements.
- Update of district website to identify areas for immediate changes and long-term changes consistent with the goal of improving communication
- Identification of policy changes or other areas for district development necessary to support enhanced communication
- District facilities meetings to support planning and future infrastructure investment.
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Engage in district-wide learning to collaboratively learn and implement culturally responsive practices across all grades and content areas that celebrate the uniqueness of all students and the diverse experiences that serve as an integral part of our learning environment. This requires that all levels of the district work to support equitable learning opportunities and expectations for student achievement.
Activities Supporting this Goal:
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District personnel will participate in professional learning opportunities related to equitable learning experiences, culturally relevant pedagogy, and understanding bias.
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District leaders will review district data to identify areas for specific attention.
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District will work with teachers and parents to identify areas for development.
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District will conduct a needs assessment to plan for ongoing work related to district equity.
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The Superintendent will meet with the SPS Council for Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion (DEAI) to gain feedback from community members and participate in learning activities.
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The district will develop an action plan based on best practices and feedback from the Council for DEAI.
Indicators of Achievement:
- All district and school leaders and staff will participate in at least one professional learning experience directly related to equity and cultural competence.
- School level curriculum teams will identify how cultural relevance can be utilized to improve student learning and increase student access to multi-cultural learning.
- District and school leaders will identify specific data points to address in the 2023-2024 school year and develop a plan for ongoing work. These data points will be identified in the Annual School Plans.
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During the 2023-2024 school year, Springfield Public Schools will work to address the academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs of all students, through the identification, implementation, and ongoing review of research-based practices that support student development and achievement.
Activities Supporting this Goal:
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District will utilize the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) to support academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs of all students.
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District personnel will participate in professional learning opportunities related to supporting student social-emotional learning.
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District personnel will have opportunities to collaborate and share best SEL practices.
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District leaders will review district data to identify areas for specific attention.
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District will work with teachers and parents to identify areas for development.
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District will conduct a needs assessment to plan for ongoing work related to social-emotional learning needs.
Indicators of Achievement:
- School schedules will reflect opportunities for academic and social-emotional support, intervention, and enrichment opportunities.
- District will provide consistent mental health support for students and families. After-school programming will support additional academic learning.
- Develop and support home-school connections related to social-emotional learning.
- Schools will have data to support identification and response to student needs.