1/14/2014 SCHOOL COUNCIL - KC COOMBS SCHOOL Minutes

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Introduction: Since July 1, 2013, I have had an opportunity to learn more about the Mashpee Public School District and the community of Mashpee through a process of listening,inquiry,and collaboration. Over the last seven months I have engaged in many activities that have broadened my understanding and appreciation of the dynamics that make the Mashpee Public School District what it is today. The people of Mashpee care deeply about their schools and are proud of their students'accomplishments. Likewise,the district's staff is deeply committed to their students'growth and has the capacity and desire to improve an already topnotch instructional program. This entry plan process was designed to assist me with the development of a comprehensive understanding of the Mashpee Public School District by collecting"count, see,and hear"data, i.e.,reviewing both quantitative and qualitative data relative to the district's current performance and critical issues. I had the opportunity to gather feedback from students, faculty,staff,and the community. The data includes conducted interviews (see Appendix A)with many representatives of all staff and all School Committee members, visits to every single classroom in all four schools in the district,and formal and informal conversations with community members and parents through multiple community coffee hours. Additionally, I listened and learned by attending and participating at numerous school/municipal meetings (see Appendix B),connecting with student body representatives,attending a variety of school and district extracurricular and athletic events,and a thorough review of district documents, plans,and reports (see Appendix C). All of these activities were my best effort to develop a sense of the system and to provide a basis for future planning. The entry experience provided an invaluable learning opportunity for me and I look forward to developing the relationships initiated through this data collection process as we collaboratively plan for the future. Purpose: The purpose of this entry plan was to assist me in developing a comprehensive picture of the Mashpee Public School District,including the school committee,students,staff and community stakeholders. It has helped me to better understand the school system and has led to the following report and recommendations. I believe that this entry plan will also inform the process of strategic planning as this report will be submitted to the Core Strategic Planning Team as its work commences in April 2014. 2