·         Instruction:  Continue to train instructional staff about the analysis of achievement data in collaboration with other teachers in order to design effective instruction, interventions and enrichment that challenge all students.

·         Technology:  Train teachers to expand on their current levels of expertise and support them in regular application of technology in the learning process and as a tool to enhance communication with students and parents.  Update District Technology Standards to ensure 21^st century learning outcomes for students.

·         Funding:  Survey the community about readiness to pass local tax initiatives to support up-to-date technology for 21^st century education and complete facilities renovation at Moorpark High School.

·        Career Technical Education: 
Expand students’ career awareness/preparation by building on programs initiated at 7^th grade and 9^th grade to spiral into other grade levels. Integrate the new state Career Technical Standards into all the core curriculum areas with a focus on learning through real-life applications and workplace skills.  Build on the interest/aptitude career preparation curriculum in target grade levels and strengthen links to comprehensive counseling services.

·         Communication:  Implement our newly developed Communication Action Plan to systematically portray to the community “Who We Are at MUSD,” utilizing web pages, local media and other strategies.  Continue to educate the school community about the reasons for and impacts of declining enrollment on the District.

STRATEGIES TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN 2008-09 

Instruction: 

·        MUSD instructional staff will continue to focus on the analysis of student achievement data and collaboration with other teachers to refine instruction, intervention and enrichment that challenge all students.

·        A new grant funded program will provide training and resources aimed at improving student performance in American history, which is taught in the 5^th, 8^th, and 11^th grades, through teacher and university scholar collaboration.  The grant will sponsor historian guest speakers from California Lutheran University, UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine.  Teachers from Moorpark, Simi and Fillmore school districts will participate.  Grant coordinator:  Larry Jones, Moorpark High School.

·        A drama grant will promote the use of drama as pedagogy in an integrated approach to teaching language arts, math and core subject instruction in elementary classrooms throughout the District.  This grant involves collaboration between MUSD and the California Lutheran University School of Education.  Grant Coordinator:  Nema Pierce, Walnut Canyon School.

·        The District plans to begin phasing in a comprehensive character development and new prevention education program, Second Step, at grades 4 – 5 in the 2008-09 school year with an expansion into other grades in subsequent years.  Second Step, a research validated program, is designed to establish the habits of good citizenship through age-appropriate instruction throughout the elementary grades in empathy training, impulse control, problem solving, and violence prevention.  The program provides for application and practice of these skills in areas such as peer pressure, good decision making and consequences for behavior.

Technology:

New District Technology Director, Julie Judd, plans to provide training support for all teachers to use their knowledge of subject matter and technology to facilitate digital-age learning experiences that advance student learning, innovation and creativity. 

Funding:

The Board has placed a $39.5 million school bond, Measure S, on the November ballot for voter consideration.  The two major purposes would be to upgrade and replace instructional technology equipment at all schools and renovate the 20-year old facilities at Moorpark High School.

New Facilities have been completed at two school sites as part of the final stage of the Measure R $33 million multi-project plan. Two new classroom wings, which replaced portable buildings, are opening this fall for students at Mountain Meadows and Arroyo West Schools.  For a full list of the completed Measure R projects  across the District, see the District website under Business Services along with reports from the Citizen’s Bond Oversight Committee. 

Career Technical Education: 
Last year MUSD instituted career focus programs at the 7^th and 9^th grades to provide awareness, exploration, goal-setting and workplace skill development opportunities.  This year, English and Social Science teachers at the high school level will facilitate continued student focus on career preparation by infusing career technical standards into their courses.  In addition, MUSD is part of a career technical education consortium with Moorpark College that is working to connect course work at the high school level with course sequences at the community college leading to certification or transfer to further articulated programs at the university level.

Communication:

A strong partnership between school and home is one of the most powerful supports we can put in place for assisting all our students to achieve their full potential.  Communication is a key facet of this partnership, so we at MUSD continually strive to provide multiple means of promoting the two-way flow of information and discussion.  Here are some of the ways that we are using technology to facilitate communication across the school community. 

·        Our District website, www.mrpk.org, was entirely re-designed last year as a way to provide access to a wide variety of information about programs, services and operations.  It is also one of the fastest ways we have of providing parents with “up-to-the-minute” status reports about emergencies and other time sensitive news.  Breaking news will be posted in the center of the home page in a red-bordered box.

·        Parent Connection was introduced last year; which provides parents with password protected access to their students’ grades, test scores and attendance information.  Passwords are typically provided during Back to School Night events.

·        This year, Connect-Ed, a rapid dial phone system, will allow the District and schools to send messages to thousands of parents, faculty, and staff in minutes.  For this system to work effectively, your up-to-date phone information is crucial, so parents and staff are urged to notify the school office of changes in contact numbers.