Part 3: Desired Results for Student Learning

The School Improvement Team of Croatan High School worked in conjunction with parents, teachers, staff, and administrators in a comprehensive consensus-building process to identify school improvement goals that directly affect student learning in profound ways. A variety of means were employed to accomplish this task. We reviewed our beliefs and mission statements and the aims established for educating students established in the Carteret County School ’s strategic plan. We utilized the NSSE’s Indicators of School Quality survey and a survey of our school’s strengths and weaknesses created by the School Improvement Team to elicit detailed responses.

Through the Internet and professional publications we explored the latest educational research findings and future trends in student learning. The School Improvement Team considered studies of national, state, and local goals for student learning to determine the direction to focus our goals for school improvement.

Based on the results of our surveys and this research, we identified three areas of need. Our team looked for the areas of greatest concern on the surveys and established priorities for improvement. The needs were then assigned to one of the five county strategic “aims.” The three aims that Croatan High School declared to be the areas of greatest concern were: High Student Performance and Achievement; Efficient, Optimal Learning Environment; and Quality Teachers, Staff and Administrators. The focus of our goals is to provide support to strengthen student learning by providing staff development opportunities, seeking funding for curriculum resources, and developing prerequisites to guide course selections in honors and AP classes. A summary overview of the Indicators of Student Achievement for each of the aims selected by the School Improvement Team as areas in need of improvement are included on pages 25-26 of this report.

Based upon our analysis of the data, the review of student achievement contained in our profile, the extent of alignment of the goals with our beliefs and mission statement, and the degree of consistency with the standard course of study, we drafted our statement of desired results for student learning and performance indicators. We also began to collect data to document evidence of students’ current levels of achievement so it would be possible to evaluate how these goals, when accomplished, will affect student learning. A summary of a description of students’ current levels of achievement that will be affected by the goals is provided in Part I of the Profile (pgs. 4-7) and Tables 1-2 through 1-5 (pgs. 15-18). The purpose of collecting evidence of student achievement was to help us establish baseline data so that we could monitor improvements in student learning over time after these goals are in place. We distributed copies of the draft statement of the goals for the entire faculty and staff, and a representative sample of parents and community members for their review. We requested their feedback and comments for the purpose of gaining consensus on the priorities aimed at improving student learning to be addressed in our school improvement plan. The feedback we received from each group of respondents confirmed the importance of the three goals noted above.

Index