Merlyn Johnson: CSIP planning shapes the future

The 2022-2023 school year is well underway, and we are excited about the many exceptional programs within our district.

The start of our school year has been a great one so far. The prevailing storyline at Cassville R-IV Schools has been the addition of several new programs for the new year. These changes include two new programs at the high school (Success Academy and Wild C Research Farm) and the well-documented student discipline updates.

Other additions include mental health, grief and trauma, safety, relationship building, and academic training for staff. Our staff is invested in continually improving their instructional practices, in ensuring that students meet rigorous educational standards, and in collaborating with families and administrators so that all children succeed.

The Board of Education (BOE) and district administration developed an intentional and well-designed plan to honor the traditions and values of Cassville and its surrounding communities. We plan to continue to re-evaluate both the well established and new programs/strategies this school year and will make the necessary adjustments to best meet the needs of our students.

For example, we infused these changes into our recently revised Continuous School Improvement Plan (CSIP), which will be presented to our BOE for approval later this fall. A team of 40 internal and external stakeholders spent three evenings last month working together to provide meaningful collaboration in the development of the updated CSIP.

This plan will be a continuous strategic plan which provides a framework through which our district will support the schools in ensuring the academic success and well-being of each student. The District’s CSIP is a vital part of the evaluation process and is the driving document which links the vision, mission and goals set forth by the district.

This plan will be reviewed and evaluated monthly by the BOE. If new information, specifically student performance data, indicates mid-cycle revisions are necessary, revisions will be incorporated into the current plan.

The strategic plan was founded through thoughtful input from stakeholders including parents, students, community members and dedicated education professionals who share a common mission – to assure a focused and challenging curriculum that will monitor progress and provide a comprehensive system of support to prepare all students for their next level of learning.

The process was structured through a CSIP Development Team using data-based needs assessments which included multiple surveys, assessment results, and demographic data. The team was charged with analyzing data, both quantitative and qualitative, with input from all stakeholder representatives which describe what the District should accomplish according to timeline goals and action steps.

The CSIP Development Team identified four priority areas on which goals and measurable action steps were based: 1. Student Learning 2. Operations 3. Personnel 4. Communications, Climate, and Culture.

The CSIP will guide the development and implementation of other plans and work across the district to provide fidelity such as the Building Continuous Improvement Plans, Tutoring Program, Professional Development Plan, Assessment Plan, Program Evaluation Plan, teacher evaluation focus areas, committee work, school administration needs, and the Board of Education in development of the operating budget and capital improvement needs.

This document will be a living guide that will set a direction for changing and energizing the course of learning and student well-being in the district for the next 3-5 years.

I look forward to reviewing this plan every Spring to celebrate accomplishments, reestablish new goals, and make necessary improvements in areas of weakness. If you are interested in learning more about the CSIP Development process, please contact me at mjohnson@cassville.k12. mo.us.

Merlyn Johnson is the superintendent of the Cassville school district. He may be reached at 417-847-2221.