ON THE AGENDA Here are some of...

ON THE AGENDA

Here are some of the items the Newport-Mesa Unified School

District board of trustees will discuss tonight.

STRATEGIC PLAN

The board will discuss its final draft recommendations for the

2005-10 Strategic Plan, and will vote on the approval of its first

reading.

The Strategic Plan is a five-year roadmap of what the district and

its board want to accomplish. A new plan is adopted every five years

after district administrators, teachers, classified staff, parents,

students and community group members participate in group sessions to

discuss new themes and strategies on various issues.

The board will review the Strategic Plan’s final draft

recommendations in a study session, then discuss their findings

during the regular board meeting.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The board will either adopt the Strategic Plan or send it back for

revisions. Because the group has met on it four other times, barring

any major revisions, the Strategic Plan will likely be adopted

tonight, trustee Martha Fluor said. If it isn’t, it will be adopted

Nov. 23, during the next regular meeting.

COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT PROGRAM

Director of elementary education Bonnie Swann will go over the

results of state standardized testing for 2003-04, the national

college entrance testing results and the yearly Title I Program

Improvement Report.

.

At each school site, administrators, teachers and the community

will also look at these numbers and together establish goals and

strategies to improve the affect of teaching on students.

Director of Assessment Peggy Anatol will also report tonight on

school testing from the district’s perspective.

On Nov. 16 and 17, each district principal will present his or her

“Single Plan for Student Achievement” for the 2004-05 school year,

highlighting ways that their individual schools can maintain and

improve upon last year’s test scores.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Trustees will study the results, but no action is likely to be

taken.

ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION PILOT PROGRAM

A pilot program that began in September, “An Alternative Chance at

Education,” will report on and discuss the program serving 40 at-risk

ninth-grade students.

The program at the Alternative Education Center will attempt to

provide students with academic, social and emotional support through

individual learning plans, smaller class sizes, daily contacts with

parents and counseling services.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Trustees have already approved funding for the program. After the

program’s first year, the board will determine if “An Alternative

Chance at Education” will be increased in size or added to other

sites.