Developing a Dynamic Action Plan
Now, the real fun begins at Guidepost #4. Your core steering committee needs to agree on a vision for your program and anchor it in some solid planning by establishing some measurable goals and the means to achieve those goals. Be certain that the initial draft plan is shared broadly and open to feedback.
One of the tasks associated with this Guidepost is to make that vision clear to all. Make certain that your school or district's mission statement, belief statements, handbook, Web site, faculty and committee agenda reflect these vision and goals. Some schools often find themselves at this Guidepost, believing that the stakeholders do share the vision, but then fail to make them part of school culture in tangible ways. For example, check to see if your district has established core ethical values, as required by N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7. Perhaps this will afford you an opening to promote your program.
Figuring out the ways to achieve those goals is the second half of your dynamic action plan. Here, the research you have done in Guidepost #2 comes into play-determining which specific means will help you achieve your vision. Many strategies are helpful in achieving your goals: meaningful professional development for the whole staff; voluntary staff observation of each other; mentoring by another school with a successful character program; sending your staff to conferences and seminars and utilizing their knowledge to turnkey programs; small group reporting and systematic input by focus groups; developing periodic and structured assessments of progress. You may need to look ahead to Guidepost #7 at this point to make sure you are constructing an assessment process that is logically related to your intended outcomes.
The important way to view your action plan is that it is a truly dynamic vehicle. As you encounter inevitable setbacks due to unanticipated problems or roadblocks or see new opportunities that will take you in unexpected directions or give you opportunities to enrich your original vision, take stock of the impact on your plan, make adjustments to it and share the revisions with your key stakeholders. Your plan needs to be a record of accountability, progress, and a way to take clear bearings for the next phase of your journey.
A Closer Look at Guidepost #4 Within Schools
Radix Elementary School
Zane North Elementary School
Carl W. Goetz Middle School
Memorial Middle School
Pequannock Valley School
School: Radix Elementary School, Williamstown NJ
Grade Levels: PreK – 4
CONTACT
Raymond C. Dinovi, Jr.
Principal
(856) 728-8650
E-mail: rdinovi@monroetwp.k12.nj.us
Website: http://www.monroetwp.k12.nj.us/es/radix/radix.htm
Guidepost #4 Developing a Dynamic Action Plan
A representative team of teachers developed an action plan, providing Radix a direction of where they would like to travel. This plan included people, resources, and a timeline needed to meet both short and long term goals. The driving force behind the plan was the voices of the stakeholders and what they wanted to see at their school. The action plan was filled with checkpoints, opportunities for reflection and remained flexible.
School: Zane North Elementary School, Collingswood NJ
Grade Levels: PreK – 6
CONTACT
Thomas Santo
Principal
(856) 962-5710
E-mail: santo@collingswood.k12.nj.us
Website: http://zane.collingswood.k12.nj.us/index.jsp
Guidepost #4 Developing a Dynamic Action Plan
The development of shared moral leadership is a catalyst inspiring full participation in the character education initiative through networking and establishing collaborative relationships. Character education at Zane North School has taken precedence. For the Zane North team, the outcome has been revolutionary. A dynamic, exciting adventure has developed for all who enter Zane North School. Through the gift of character education, intrinsic focused driven educators target excellence. A paradigm of distinction is established for students, staff, administration, and parents. The underlying principle of excellence stimulates proactive commitment to revolutionize the normal school routine.
Zane North character educators acknowledge the battle, and to their credit have defined their mission. Empowered by a passionate revolution of character, the character education revolution extends to the “whole child”. Zane North character educators believe that socially, emotionally, intellectually, and physically sound children contribute to a productive citizenry. Thus, our staff paints a portrait of understanding on a canvas appreciated by all cultures. Depicted in this picture is a school community with a heart and a mind sensitive to the needs of the world and intelligent enough to create solutions that will benefit all humanity.
School: Carl W. Goetz Middle School, Jackson, NJ
Grade Levels: 6 - 8
CONTACT
Carol Lawrence
7th grade Literacy Teacher
(732) 833-4610
E-mail: calawrence@jacksonsd.org
Website: http://goetz.jacksonsd.org/home.aspx
Guidepost #4 Developing a Dynamic Action Plan
After careful consideration of the surveys, group meetings, community feedback, and professional articulation the committee developed an action plan. It was based on the belief that the Carl W. Goetz Middle School needed something unique- a “homegrown”
program that used a theme to “spell out” the characteristics that its own school had selected as the most important to the students, staff, and community. Short term and long term goals were identified, a system of documentation was adopted, and a need for reflection was noted. The foundation for the development of an action plan was in place, creativity was encouraged, and then the work began. After much collaboration the new Goetz Character Education program entitled “RACER” was born.
School: Memorial Middle School, Fair Lawn, NJ
Grade Levels: 6 - 8
CONTACT
Laurianne Brunetti
Character Education Coordinator/7th-8th LAL
(201) 401-2351
E-mail: lbrunetti@fairlawnschools.org
Website: https://www.edline.net/GroupHome.page
Guidepost #4 Developing a Dynamic Action Plan
There is an adage that is often used in the discussion and reflection of character education. It is, “Character Education is not “another thing on the plate… it is the plate.”
One of the many challenges we face in education today is finding the time and the resources to devote to the multitude of requirements and demands that are placed upon our system. We are immersed in testing, assessments, qualification procedures, standard reviews and most importantly, the everyday needs and challenges of serving growing children. School leaders have the responsibility to help their schools establish a focus, to adopt a philosophy and to create a culture that allows them to work together to make connections within the learning process and to make a contribution to the social, emotional and academic growth of students. Building and sustaining a character education program is the force and the focus that will allow all the other demands to be fulfilled. It provides the opportunity and establishes the expectation for all members of the professional community to become involved. It builds a bridge between home and school and it centers the focus of education on the whole child. An effective Character Education program is the foundation, the plate, for an effective, proactive and successful school.
School: Pequannock Valley School, Pompton Plains, NJ
Grade Levels: 6 - 8
CONTACT
Dr. William H. Trusheim
Principal
(973) 616-6050
E-mail: william.trusheim@pequannock.org
Website: http://pvms.pequannock.org/index.cfm?sid=39
Guidepost #4 Developing a Dynamic Action Plan
Our initial effort to move our Character Education focus to a higher level suffered because our faculty leaders both left the school without creating a plan (their personal plans changed and this actually delayed the start of our implementation of Character Counts!). Realizing that we needed to put some new energy into getting the initiative started, we had to come with an action plan that would have immediate traction with the faculty and with the students in our school. Two of our leaders went to a training session given by Character Counts! and they were able to develop our initial action plan to introduce the program first to faculty and then to our students. One of the key elements in the plan was to have the faculty as a whole decide on at least one whole-school project for the first year that would roll out our new vision of character education for our school community. This was done through a planning activity at one of the first faculty meetings of that school year and several ideas were forwarded by the faculty. Our initial plan included an essay contest and the Pillar Poster Contest. These activities augmented projects that had already been initiated in some form (i.e. ICU board and Wall of Stars). Through our initial plan we were able to successfully introduce our new initiative to faculty and students with a positive reception by both groups.
The next stage of this process was to solicit volunteers to serve on our faculty Character Education Committee. We did get several volunteers and they worked with our Committee Chair and Co-Chair who had attended the training program the previous summer. Since that time, the committee has continued to function and to guide our journey in Character Education. The committee has ownership over the action plan which is dynamic and adjustable to the current needs of our school and its students. On an annual basis, committee members ask for project ideas and decide which projects to reprise and which new ones to initiate. We have been quite fortunate in having strong volunteer participation in this endeavor. The members of our committee have been steadfast in facilitating a wide array of activities and projects in our school. These have included poetry contests, environmental projects, “Take Action”, an advisory pilot program, best-practice applications and awards, a self-evaluation and application for State and National School of Character recognition, and presentation of workshops at regional and state conferences.
This January, as our group worked with an aspiring school, we realized that it had been some time since we covered the groundwork of character education. With changes in faculty through retirements and other moves, we deemed it to be important to reprise some of the basic tenets of our Character Education Program using some of the ideas that were generated through our coaching experience. This presentation activity occurred at our January faculty meeting and serves as a great illustration of how a dynamic plan can serve current needs.
 |
