ENTRY PLAN FINAL REPORT

Derek Barrios, Superintendent

Elk Point-Jefferson School District

Listening and Learning to Better Lead the Elk Point-Jefferson

School District.

SHOWING PRIDE…TAKING ACTION

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January 18, 2019

Dear Elk Point-Jefferson Public Schools Staff, Parents, Students and Community Members,

When I was selected to become the next superintendent of schools for the Elk Point-Jefferson

District, I began putting together an Entry Plan that would give me a road map to becoming better

educated about the School District. I wanted to ensure that I transitioned into the position as best as

possible. Once I created the Entry Plan, I sent it to board members, staff and administrators for their

feedback. The process of completing those activities then started to take place, and I immediately

started to gain a better understanding of the district. I held a “Meet and Greet” at Jefferson City Hall,

attended County Commissioners Meeting, joined the Economic Development Corporation, spoke

with past superintendents, local officials, and community leaders.

A major part of my Entry Plan was to hold “Listening & Learning” sessions with different groups of

stakeholders throughout the district. I held two different sessions for each group of stakeholders.

During these sessions I was able to gain feedback from almost all district staff, all students in grades 6-

12 and approximately 25 community members. My goal was to collect as much data about the district

and share the results with all stakeholders.

Each group responded anonymously to the following questions:

- What is the Elk Point-Jefferson School District doing well?

- What areas present the greatest challenges for the Elk Point-Jefferson School District?

- What ideas do you have to help improve the Elk Point-Jefferson School District?

- How can we best communicate with you to promote an open and transparent district culture?

It is my hope that this report will give us insight to where we currently are as a district, and what might

be some ways for us to continue to improve as a district. I feel that the Elk Point-Jefferson School

District is doing many great things, but I also understand that we must evaluate what we are doing

constantly and look to make improvements when necessary. My hope is that these findings will help

guide school board goal setting and possible strategic planning for the district in the future.

Yours in education,

Derek Barrios, Superintendent

SHOWING PRIDE…TAKING ACTION

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What I learned from Parents and Community Members

SHOWING PRIDE…TAKING ACTION

The resounding message from parents and community members was, overall, very positive. They feel

that their students are receiving an excellent education from well educated staff.

What is working well? (Most frequent answers ranked first)

1. High standards and a positive learning environment.

2. Great communication from school/teachers to parents and community.

3. Technology continues to improve for the school district.

In their words…

• “Our students are prepared for their future and perform well at college.”

• “Teachers and office staff inform parents quickly about pertinent information.”

• “Our fine arts and academics are recognized just as well as the athletics in the district.”

Summary

Parents and community members have a very positive feeling about the school district as a whole. They feel that the

atmosphere in the schools is very positive and that their children have access to a safe learning environment. Parents shared

that the technology their students have access to continues to improve and they have appreciated the increased visibility of

the school on social media sites.

What isn’t working well? (Most frequent answers ranked first)

1. The need to retain good teachers in the district.

2. Concerns about the school budget, funding and enrollment of the district.

3. Class sizes for the elementary and middle school classrooms.

4. Amount of homework in middle school and curriculum concerns in grades 6-

12.

5. School lunches and new food service provider.

6. Providing same opportunities as surrounding school districts.

In their words…

• “We need to continue to attract and retain high quality teachers for our district.”

• “I have concerns about our budget and what that means for the future education of students.”

• “Are our music programs in middle school being affected by study hall.”

• “I have concerns with the amount of homework and not knowing what to study with my student for upcoming tests.”

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What I learned from Parents and Community Members

SHOWING PRIDE…TAKING ACTION

What isn’t working well? (Continued…)

Summary

Parents and community members are genuinely concerned about the budget of the school district and what that means for

the education of their students. Recent budget cuts have led to the loss of course and club offerings. There was also much

concern about staff turnover and being able to retain high quality teachers for our school district. Parents noted, with other

schools in the area competing for students, that what we are able to offer affects our enrollment in the district. Many parents

expressed their concern for class sizes in grades K-8 and the amount of homework that was expected to be completed by

students on a daily basis in grades 6-8. Lastly, some parents also expressed their concern that the school district needs to

continue to assess the district facilities and what can be done to maintain and improve what we have.

How can we best communicate with you to promote an open and transparent district culture? (Most frequent answers

ranked first)

1. Better communication from school board to parents and community members.

2. Invite parents and community members to award days and assemblies.

3. Continue current communications from the offices and teachers.

In their words…

• “We would like to see more information come from the school board.”

• “What is being discussed at the board level? Can board minutes be included with parent emails?”

• “Keep up the great communication through all avenues.”

• “Invite the parents to award days.”

Summary

Parents and community members seemed to have most of their concerns with communication from the school board. They

were wanting to know what happened at school board meetings and how they could get more information about what was

discussed at the meetings. Parents like the communication that comes from staff, but would like to be more involved with

award days or assemblies that take place throughout the year. Community would also like to know how they can “subscribe”

to announcement emails that are sent to families.

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What I learned from Staff

SHOWING PRIDE…TAKING ACTION

Staff feel that students are well prepared for their post-secondary endeavors. Staff also mentioned that their coworkers and admin-

istration are supportive and everyone cares about the students in our buildings. Many staff also shared their regard for the high

expectations and great students that attend Elk Point-Jefferson Schools.

What is working well? (Most frequent answers ranked first)

1. The staff and administration are supportive and help provide a positive environment for all.

2. There are high expectations for students and staff.

3. The use of social media to share our story is a huge positive.

4. Elementary staff feel that new reading program being implemented in grades K-2 is great.

5. Students are exposed to great technology and resources.

In their words…

• “Administration is supportive and approachable.”

• “New staff are made to feel very comfortable.”

• “We have top notch students and respond well to the high expectations set for them.”

• “Our students perform well on ACT, state tests and academic competitions.”

Summary

Our staff are proud of our school district and what it has to offer. The availability of technology, academic successes and the

general support or our schools is all recognized. Staff at the school recognize the great students that we have and their ability

to rise to the high expectations set in place.

What isn’t working well? (Most frequent answers ranked first)

1. Funding and limited dollars mean we are losing staff.

2. Large class sizes in lower grade levels and small rooms.

3. Feel a lack of trust from the school board.

4. Lack of cohesiveness between staff for a K-12 building.

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What I learned from Staff

SHOWING PRIDE…TAKING ACTION

What isn’t working well? (Continued…)

In their words…

• “We are losing experienced staff to Iowa and Nebraska because of salary.”

• “Our funding for salaries, supplies and events is concerning.”

• “The school board and staff need to have a cohesive relationship.”

• “There are large class sizes in the elementary that are going to cause class size issues in the middle school.”

• “Would like to see a more unified K-12 culture, instead of it being so divided.”

Summary

Staff, in general, are concerned with the budget and funding of the school district. They have seen the cuts that have come

over the years and are wondering what is next. Staff what to ensure that we are doing what we can to help keep high quality

experienced staff in our district. They understand that class sizes vary quite often, but stress the importance of keeping a

good student/teacher ratio and having spaces that can accommodate those classes.

How can we best communicate with you to promote an open and transparent district culture? (Most frequent answers

ranked first)

1. Face to face communication

2. Email updates

3. Social media presence

4. Open door policy

In their words…

• “Communication is great. Keep the opportunities for face to face communication coming!”

• “Continue to have open communication with all stakeholders.”

• “The paper, internet, email, parent-classroom folders are great ways to keep open communication going.”

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What I learned from Students

SHOWING PRIDE…TAKING ACTION

Students at the Elk Point-Jefferson School District feel that there are great teachers here that help stu-

dents reach their potential. The high standards for education help students to be successful.

What is working well? (Most frequent answers ranked first)

1. High standards for education.

2. Great staff.

3. Acknowledge student successes and needs.

In their words…

• “I really like the high expectations that are set for us.”

• “Teachers do a great job of getting us ready for the next grade.”

• “Great to see our sports, band, and vocal do so well.”

Summary

Students are very pleased with the overall support that they get while in the school. They feel that the staff prepares them

well for their next grade or their future plans after high school. The teachers push them to be better and feel that they have

great opportunities to be successful. The students feel safe in the school and feel that it is a fun environment to be in.

What isn’t working well? (Most frequent answers ranked first)

1. School lunch.

2. Student behaviors.

3. Certain aspects of scheduling.

In their words…

• “Can we get better food choices?”

• “Don’t want students to experience bullying.”

• “Would like to see more options for classes.”

Summary

Students have concerns with the lunches. Some feel that they are pretty good and others feel that the lunches could use

more options. They see some students behaviors needing to be corrected, as well, throughout the day. Some students feel

that there could be some adjustments made to certain aspects of the curriculum (ex: AR, WAC, etc.).

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What I learned from Students

SHOWING PRIDE…TAKING ACTION

How can we best communicate with you to promote an open and transparent district culture? (Most frequent answers

ranked first)

Assemblies and face to face meetings.

Weekly happenings email.

In their words…

• “Meetings like this more often would be good.”

• “Make sure and use student friendly language.”

• “Survey us more. See what we can provide for feedback to help things improve.”

Summary

Students at Elk Point-Jefferson like the idea of being heard. Students appreciated the opportunity to have their voice be

heard. They feel like doing assemblies like this more often would be beneficial. The students felt like they could handle more

responsibility with their phones, computers, emails, etc. Students also appreciate the one on one conversations that they can

have with their teachers.