Getting Results Through Clear Vision
Dr. Terry Holliday, Superintendent Iredell Statesville Schools, North Carolina
One of the major responsibilities of leadership is the clear articulation of a vision for the organization. Where do we envision the organization being in the near or long-term future? I have a vision for the Transylvania County School system that was developed based on feedback from stakeholders. The vision is composed of three elements that I will discuss below. If the school system implements the current strategic plan and meets the goals of the strategic plan, then the vision for the school system should be realized.
90% or more of entering 9th graders graduate from high school four years later
Currently in North Carolina, over 40,000 students who enter 9th grade do not complete school four years later. In Transylvania County, over 325 students start 9th grade each year. Four years later, only 225 of the students graduate. Where do these students go? In Transylvania County, many of these students dropout of school each year. Currently, over 80 students in grades 7-12 dropout of school in a given year. The school system is constantly analyzing this problem and implementing programs to prevent dropouts. Through space in this column, I have documented the vast array of choices and programs that students have in our county. The reasons for dropping out of school are many, however, very few drop out of school due to academic reasons. The main reasons given are poor attendance and family situations.
As a community, we need to know more about attendance problems. The school system can document attendance problems for most dropouts. The problems begin as early as kindergarten. The school system attempts in many ways to deal with attendance problems. Phone calls, letters, home visits, and court referrals are the main methods. However, there is little or nothing that can be done about poor attendance in North Carolina. Truancy laws in our state are extremely ineffective when compared to other states. The court system is overburdened and school truancy is quite often placed on the back burner. Parents who feel that they are harassed by the school system concerning student attendance have only to become home schools with little or no supervision and thus avoid the problem with school attendance.
As a community, we also need to know more about family problems and situations. Many of our dropouts do so because their parents and siblings dropped out of school. The opportunity to work in construction, landscaping, and other labor intensive positions offer these students the ability to support their family. However, the students do not look at the long range effect of such decisions. Study after study has proven that dropping out of school has a significant impact on one’s lifetime earning capacity.
90% or more of students graduating have completed the NC required course of study
The current 9th and 10th graders in the school system have new rules for graduation. The graduation requirements have been increased. Students may choose one of two options. Option one is the university program. Students in this program must complete the normal English, math, science, and social studies requirements. However, students must also complete 2 years of a foreign language. Option two is the college prep/tech prep course of study. This program enables students to go to a 2 year college and eventually to a 4 year college. Requirements in English, math, science, and social studies are very similar to the university program. No foreign language is required, however, students must complete 4 credits in a workforce development area such as technology, construction, or business.
Currently, about 70% of our high school graduates meet this requirement. To move to 90% or more will require a great deal of parental involvement and communication between school, student, and parent.
90% or more of the students in an End of Course or End of Grade area will meet grade level standards
In Transylvania County, grades 3-8 currently meet this requirement. However, high school programs have not quite reached this level of performance. The high school testing model is somewhat different than the elementary and middle school model. However, our high schools are taking on the challenge. Both high schools currently rank in the top ten in North Carolina high schools with regard to academic performance. For the first time in the history of the testing in Transylvania County, a high school area has achieved the 90% category. The first area was mathematics. Mathematics testing includes Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II. When we exceed the 90% barrier in all grades, I have asked that all groups of students exceed the barrier. This includes minority students and students who have socioeconomic difficulties.
Over the next few months, I will use the space in this article to discuss our progress toward meeting the vision for the school system. This vision can only be achieved through the collaboration of teachers, parents, and the community. Our community will prosper economically if this vision is met. Our workforce in Transylvania County will be one of the best prepared in the nation. Our children will have jobs in Transylvania County. Our children will remain in Transylvania County and raise the next generation of leaders for our community. By way of this article, I am saying that as school superintendent I choose to be proactive rather than reactive. I choose to believe that our future in Transylvania County is bright. Join with me in making this dream for our children come true.