Schools renew plan for reaching goals for students

Now that 2020 has arrived, the Fort Bragg Unified School District has begun readying new three-year plans for each of the district’s schools. In May, these plans will be presented for public review and board approval.

This is a daunting but necessary task facing all public schools in the State of California, as required by law. It’s called the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and is filed with the state. It is also directly tied to the funding the district will receive from the state. The district has to show the state and the public how the funds are linked to meeting the needs of all students.

This detailed process is also intended to provide the public with transparency in regards to what academic goals each school sets, how they plan to reach those goals and what services are needed to achieve those goals.

In a way, it’s like a “State of the Union” address in document form. It means that administrators and their staff sat down and thoroughly reviewed student academic data since the last Local Control Accountability Plan was approved three years ago. Next, they calculate what progress was made on each of their goals.

Last Thursday, Jan. 23, at a special Board of Trustees meeting, administrators from all the schools presented the first drafts of their sites’ plans. All board members were present as the administrators showcased goals, instructional approaches and activities.

Between now and the state’s deadline in June, before the trustees approve the final plans in

May, the district will provide the public with opportunities for input.

The most compelling aspect of all of the seven school plans is that the three goals for each school are the same.

Under the direction of Superintendent Becky Walker, the district is building a unified approach to school improvement. Continuity of purpose across all grade levels will assure students, parents and the community that there is a consistent and dependable pathway to student success.

Superintendent Walker described the LCAP process. “We are asking ourselves if the school’s goals are still pertinent, and are we achieving those goals. These are living documents,” she said.

As part of the planning process, the district examines its use of additional funding resources for disadvantaged students. This is part of accountability to the public as well. However, Walker also stressed that student achievement goals are not just to move more students to a higher level. Teachers want to keep all students moving forward.