MISSION STATEMENT:

Empower all students to be lifelong learners, inspired to pursue their dreams and to contribute to the global community.

Queensbury Union Free School District is supported by a community partnership that is strongly vested in the education of its youth. This has resulted in a tradition of excellence which will continue and be enhanced by our strategic plan. A quality education is provided to all of our students through the efforts of over 500 staff members, including 280 professional educators. We will develop unique experiences for our students as we strive to achieve the mission and objectives by 2010.

Strategic Objectives by 2010:

• Each student will continually choose and participate in activities that benefit the global community

• Each student will continually discover and pursue his/her interests by formulating related questions, seeking information and demonstrating new understandings.

• Each student will continually articulate and evaluate his/her dreams, develop plans and demonstrate action consistent with those dreams.
  
  

The Strategic Plan to-date:

The QUFSD’s Strategic Plan began in the summer of 2003 with introductory informational sessions for representatives from all groups. There was additional training for administrators and teacher representatives, and a general presentation was made to all staff, faculty and administration in the fall of 2003.  Facilitators were trained that winter and by spring of 2004 thirty representatives from all groups (including parents, students, board members, teachers, administrators, and community members) met for three days to draft a plan for what QUFSD would be ten years into the future.  The group toiled over every word of the core values, mission statement, and strategic objectives. The final result was presented to all groups and adopted by the Board of Education in June of 2004.  Action teams met to develop and implement plans for achieving specific results related to the objectives. There were five initial action teams: Trust, Global Community, Curriculum, Culture, and Dreams.  These teams were in place for two years. During that time the Trust Team conducted a survey, shared results with all groups and all schools and departments developed plans to address needs highlighted by the survey. The Global Community Team developed a comprehensive list of community partners who are willing to lend their expertise to our school. The Curriculum Team developed a curriculum manual that guides mapping and renewal of curricular areas.  The Culture Team developed an internal newsletter and online intranet in order to further communication within the district. The Dream Team developed writing prompts for K-5 and each student and teacher received a Dream T-shirt.  This is just a sampling of the key accomplishments for each team.

The Core Team was the original team that developed the mission statement and strategic plan and it met regularly to keep updated on the work of the action teams.  In the spring of 2006 there was a two day Core Team meeting to review the progress on the strategic plan.  At that time, the greatest threat to achieving the mission was that people in the district were not aware of the plan nor were they aware of what their role was in the plan.  Once again the Core Team met in the spring of 2007 and once again the greatest threat to achieving the mission was the same as the year before. 

The Core Team decided to revisit the structure of the action teams and to make removal of the threat a key activity for all teams.  The result is outlined on this webpage.  The Core Team will be meeting again in the spring of 2008 to review the progress on the strategic plan.  It is our hope that we will have removed the greatest threat and will have accomplished all of the tasks outlined on this page.

If you would like more information or have any questions about Queensbury's Strategic Plan, please contact Theresa Middleton, Strategic Plan Facilitator, at 824-5608.

CULTURE/TRUST

Result statements:

• All members of our community are engaged in creating and supporting an environment that is aligned with and develops our core values in students.
• A positive communication system within the school district ensures a united effort to achieve our strategic objectives and mission.
• All employees and students will understand the meaning of our mission and their roles in achieving it.
• A solid foundation of trust is established to achieve our objectives and mission.
• Trust is maintained and enhanced through continuous training/activities that promote relationship building and effective communication.

Task Groups:

• Trust Survey Group - Patrick Pomerville
• Readminister the Trust Survey, compile and share results

• Recognition Group - Amy Georgeadis and Tim Place
• Representative from each building and department (including students) will determine ways to recognize people for living the mission and who are looking to/planning for the future (e.g. the internal newsletter, online nomination forms, etc.) 

• Core Team Presentation Group - Theresa Middleton
• This would be a group made up of Core Team members (as well as others) who would share the core values and mission with each department and building (including students) to help them see how the plan was developed and what their role is in the plan and mission.  This group would also help people see how the mission is a guide to the future and how we need to plan for the future.

• Public Relations Group - Kyle Gannon and Sherrie Moses
• This group would oversee the development of the video, the logo, and contests (art, essay)  
  
  

CURRICULUM

Result Statements:

• Use of flexible scheduling structures enhances students’ educational experiences necessary to achieve the strategic objectives.
• A clearly defined continuum of learning drives the academic growth of all students to achieve the strategic objectives.
• District programs support all students as contributors in the local and global community.
• The diversity, experience, and skills of our community are embedded in learning opportunities for students and staff. 

Task Groups:

• Flexible Scheduling - Doug Silvernell and Mike Patton
• Two groups: HS-block schedule and MS-teaming

• Curriculum Manual - Kristine Orr and Theresa Middleton
  • Continue work on the curriculum manual (finish sections)
• Sub group: Add a section to the manual to include embedding activities related to the strategic plan into the curriculum and monitor the use of the global partners list as well as activities related to pursuing dreams
  
  

DREAMS

Result Statements:

• The middle school teachers use an age appropriate rubric and writing prompts.

Task Group:

• Dream Team - Jim Conway
  • Continue with writing prompts and dream t-shirts at the K-5 levels
  • Explore opportunities for writing about dreams at the middle and high school levels
  • Guidance programs will be investigated to find opportunities for discussing dreams with students K-12