Mission: Educating for Life
To be “Educated for Life”... a Kittery graduate needs to be:
A COMPETENT, HEALTHY INDIVIDUAL
A SELF-DIRECTED, LIFE-LONG LEARNER
A COLLABORATIVE, CARING INDIVIDUAL
A CULTURALLY AWARE INDIVIDUAL
A RESPONSIBLE CONSUMER AND PRODUCER
A PARTICIPATING UNITED STATES CITIZEN
A GLOBAL CITIZEN
A. a competent, healthy individual...
1. Identifies and adopts a lifestyle that is physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually healthy.
2. Demonstrates competent decision-making and problem-solving skills.
3. Articulates, defends, and acts according to personal values and beliefs.
4. Uses effective life-management skills.
5. Respects individuality and diversity.
6. Accommodates and welcomes progressive change in a flexible manner.
7. Demonstrates the ability to set, plan for, and accomplish realistic, challenging goals.
8. Contributes to the community.
9. Accepts responsibility for choices and behavior.
10. Receives and contributes constructive feedback in a positive, productive way.
B. a self-directed, lifelong learner...
1. Remains open to and excited by new learning.
2. Experiments with new ideas.
3. Accesses, evaluates, organizes, and synthesizes information from a variety of sources.
4. Critically analyzes information to solve problems.
5. Communicates new knowledge effectively in a variety of ways.
6. Uses new technology effectively.
7. Reflects on experiences and learning.
8. Understands and articulates the need and value of continued learning.
C. a collaborative, caring individual...
1. Communicates effectively in many venues.
2. Develops and sustains healthy relationships.
3. Applies effective interpersonal communication skills.
4. Accesses experts to assist in solving problems.
5. Works effectively and cooperatively as part of a team.
6. Develops diverse relationships.
7. Empowers others to participate.
8. Delays gratification for the long-term good of self and others.
D. a culturally aware individual...
1. Learns from study of the arts.
2. Learns about other cultures.
3. Demonstrates understanding of his or her own culture, traditions, and heritage.
4. Demonstrates awareness of subcultures and diversity in society.
5. Identifies and challenges beliefs, biases, and stereotypes of other groups and cultures.
6. Actively participates in the creation of a variety of art forms.
7. Recognizes and incorporates contributions from other cultures.
8. Models acceptance of differences in groups and individuals.
9. Consumes art, music, literature, and theater.
E. a responsible consumer and producer...
1. Creates quality products and services.
2. Understands diversity and interdependence of world economy.
3. Successfully adapts to change.
4. Uses a variety of resources to make financial decisions.
5. Balances economic success with environmental and social responsibilities.
F. a participating United States citizen...
1. Understands and actively participates in the democratic process at all levels.
2. Votes in local, state, and national elections.
3. Engages in community service by volunteering time and talent.
4. Inspires others to become involved.
5. Employs individual skills and strengths to lead others.
6. Critically analyzes and suggest solutions to problems at the local, state, and national levels.
7. Creates and sustains community through participation.
8. Creates systems for sharing information.
9. Compares and analyzes worldwide political and economic systems.
10. Applies historical knowledge to understand current issues.
G. a global citizen...
1. Describes and compares the characteristics, perspectives, and values of civilizations, cultures, and religions.
2. Analyzes the interaction of United States and worldwide environmental, economic, and political policy and
actions.
3. Identifies necessary resources and creates possible solutions for their conservation.
4. Understands causes and effects of global economic disparity and creates possible solutions for greater equity. 5. Executes personal economic and environmental decisions that support long-term global viability.
Kittery's Belief Statements for Learning, Teaching and Community
Concerning students and learning...
1. We believe each student can and wants to learn.
2. We believe each student learns differently.
3. We believe students thrive when learning experiences are relevant and connected.
Concerning teachers and teaching...
1. We believe effective teaching requires enthusiasm and competency.
2. We believe teachers model purposeful learning and the desire to learn.
3. We believe teachers accept opportunities for empowerment and increasing effectiveness.
Concerning the community...
1. We believe the community plays an important role in educating Kittery’s students.
2. We believe the community provides a safe, respectful, supportive environment for all learners.
3. We believe the community finds needed resources for optimum learning.
4. We believe the community seeks to hire and retain the best staff.
Our Core Values
In carrying out our mission and vision, we adhere to these Core Values:
HONESTY An honest person behaves with truthfulness and sincerity.
INTEGRITY A person with integrity does the right thing even when no one is looking.
FAIRNESS A fair person pursues justice, commits themselves to the equitable treatment of individuals, and displays tolerance and acceptance of diversity.
CARING A caring person shows concern for the well being of self, others, and the environment. He or she acts with compassion, generosity, kindness, and a commitment to service.
RESPECT A respectful person abides by his or her own beliefs and values while also acknowledging, understanding, and supporting the rights of others to express and live by their beliefs.
CITIZENSHIP A responsible citizen contributes to the community in active, positive, and creative ways and encourages the participation of others.
COURAGE A courageous person possesses the strength and willingness to act on their core values and beliefs.
Kittery's Vision
A. CURRICULUM and Resources in the Kittery School District:
• Align with local and state Learning Results.
• Provide clear standards and benchmarks.
• Are based on current research.
• Support active student involvement in life long learning.
• Are reviewed and updated regularly.
• Challenge and question current knowledge and situations.
• Focus on meaning in the present and needs in the future.
• Take place in every classroom.
B. ASSESSMENT in the Kittery School District:
• Effectively communicates learning to parents and community.
• Is based on current research.
• Provides students with high quality, detailed feedback that informs further learning.
• Provides feedback from multiple people and sources inside and outside of school.
• Matches different types of skills and knowledge with appropriate assessment methods multiple time and multiple ways.
• Informs instruction from multiple sources of learning feedback.
• Involves students in continuous self-assessment.
• Develops and articulates specific criteria that are known to everyone, especially students.
C. INSTRUCTION in the Kittery School District:
• Provides opportunities for all students to meet all standards.
• Takes place in and out of the classroom, in the community, and in real-life settings.
• Recognizes and accommodates individual strengths, challenges and learning styles.
• Encourages students as teachers as well as learners.
• Actively involves students.
• Integrates significant student choice.
• Creates partnerships with the community.
• Provides multiple opportunities to solve real-life problems in various contexts and settings.
• Incorporates flexible, short-term grouping for various purposes.
• Teaches basic skills and knowledge to develop high-level thinking.
• Integrates technology as a tool for gathering, analyzing, synthesizing, and communicating information.
• Adopts best practices based on current research.
• Encourages appropriate risks and opportunities to grow from mistakes.
• Appropriately challenges individuals and supports them in meeting the challenges.
• Takes place in the context of integrated themes.
• Allows for reflection on purposes, outcomes, and improvement.
D. TECHNOLOGY in the Kittery School District:
• Is purchased with student learner results in mind.
• Meets or exceeds national technological standards.
• Provides convenient access for staff, students, and community at all times.
• Makes learning available at all times.
• Incorporates technological advances in learning and management systems.
E. BENEFICIARIES of the Kittery School District:
• Include all who live and work in Kittery.
• Form a strategic partnership with schools.
• Commit to participation in and promotion of education for all learners.
• View themselves as learners and teachers.
• Build consensus in support of its mission.
• Provide feedback on the effectiveness of education.
• Provide resources for optimal learning.
• Seek current information about educational research and issues.
• Participate in educational opportunities.
• Articulate, defend, and assure implementation of the strategic design.
F. PERSONNEL in the Kittery Schools:
• Welcome, promote, and facilitate meaningful changes that improve the educational process.
• Support the mission, vision, and core values.
• Adapt to non-traditional structures.
• Recognize, solicit, and facilitate team and stakeholder involvement.
• Model enthusiasm and inspiration for young people.
• Pursue grants, corporate sponsorships, and other strategic alliances.
• Demonstrate respect for all students.
• Enjoy their work.
• Effectively relate, interact, and communicate with all students.
• Personify the core values.
• Love working with children.
G. LEADERS in the Kittery Schools:
• Understand and act on the belief that true power comes from empowering others.
• Commit to, and follow through, on a course of action.
• Emphasize high quality for all student and staff work.
• Display knowledge, courage, and passion.
• Take and encourage appropriate risks.
• Reflect critically on leadership and its results and impact.
• Understand, evaluate, prioritized, influence, and facilitate educational change.
• Focus on the future.
• Provide an environment in which others can succeed.
• Create and use effective community partnerships and relationships.
Background
Consider that the national high school graduation rate was 8% in 1908, 50% in 1950 and 82% in 1997. In 2004, the graduation rate continues to climb. The increased graduation rate certainly reflects that more people are being educated. Whether this increase is an acknowledgement of the need for a high school education in a highly competitive workforce or a societal expectation for a more educated populace, the public schools are expected to educate more students to increasingly higher levels. The federal No Child Left Behind Act and Maine’s Learning Results have created expectations for “universal proficiency” for all students. All students are expected to meet state and federal standards of proficiency. The standards-based environment places very high demands on
schools for the benefit of all students.
Planning for the future
In November of 2001, the Kittery School Department initiated the process of strategic visioning. The outcome of that process, embodied in this document, was intended to set the course for the school department for many years. Over a period of 3 days, more than 100 Kittery citizens, students and staff met with Chuck Schwann, author of Total Leaders: Applying the Best Future-Focused Strategies in Education, and Bea McGarvey of Schwann Leadership Associates to begin the strategic planning process for the Kittery School community. The basis for the Kittery Strategic Vision was then developed based on 3 essential elements: 1) a focus on the future, 2) a focus on students as our clients, and 3) a focus on using the best known professional and educational practices.
The participants studied the future trends in 7 different aspects of American and global society as researched by futurists and other visionaries. The creation of this document is the result of in depth analysis, discussion and synthesis of ideas. Further-more, the 7 different aspect of American and global society are directly reflected in Kittery’s concept of what it means “To Be Educated For Life In A Changing World”. Through consensus, the participants developed this document: The Kittery School Department Strategic Vision.
Incorporated in this document are the following cornerstones:
1. Mission: future-focused and states the purpose of the school system.
2. Vision: describes the school system operating at its best
3. Beliefs and Core Values: guide our actions and decisions
4. Learner Outcomes: respond to future conditions and identify the knowledge and skills our students will need to be successful and educated for life.
Although not specifically noted in this document, the Kittery School Department recognizes and acknowledges that families and parents are critical components of every child’s life. Schools provide a framework that facilitates a child’s growth, education and development. However, schools function best when supported by parents and families. The partnership between the school and families creates the best opportunities for the child’s education, growth and development.
Larry Littlefield, Superintendent of Schools
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