Fiscal Planning for Instructional Success: Our Story
Where are we coming from?
American schools have been under fire for decades based upon comparisons with other nations and there are complaints from employers and college presidents that students are not ready for life after high school. Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS) suggest the performance of our students lags behind students from other nations. A critical examination of the data actually reveals that today’s students are better prepared than graduates of the past. They take a more rigorous course load and are held to more exacting testing standards. Simple testing data debunks the myth that our students are lagging behind international students as illustrated by the correlation of Massachusetts performance with global TIMMS data. Furthermore, it is evident from state testing data that Wachusett students outperform Massachusetts by a large measure, thereby correlating to performance beyond that of many nations.
Our success is the result of purposeful planning for educational programs. The District is staffed by a strong group of administrators who manage the work of talented and committed teachers. This combination has produced meaningful progress in key areas. For example, our Literacy Initiative, introduced 7 years ago, embodies our core belief around the importance of balanced literacy and has significantly enhanced reading achievement.
What was the impact?
MCAS results show our students’ success is not confined to reading. When compared to results from Shrewsbury and Westboro, two excellent school systems in Central Massachusetts, improvement in target areas is undeniable. Learning from our areas of success, we are currently tackling improvement goals for middle school math.
Change will not happen overnight, but we will solve this problem, as we solved our reading hurdles. The formula is the same—a targeted approach based on solid research and best practice. We have included such an approach in our FY13 budget.
In addition to academic opportunities in our classrooms, WRSD students also have a rich extracurricular life, pursuing a variety of academic, civic, athletic and recreational interests. Our middle schools host over 25 extracurricular offerings and our high school boasts more than 55 clubs. Almost 1,100 students participate in interscholastic athletics at WRHS each year. While we are proud of these opportunities, our recent budgetary constraints have forced us to neglect late bussing, a very basic obligation we have in supporting after school activities. We will seek funding for the restoration of late buses in the FY13 budget.
Where are we going?
Moving forward, we will work to develop 21st century schools and prepare our students with college and career readiness. Meeting this goal will require rethinking how we teach, when we teach, and how we evaluate the fruits of our efforts. Our success will depend, in part, on our ability to provide student access to technology. Digital knowledge is the medium of our culture and, to a greater and greater extent, what we do in schools must be delivered in digital format. Our fiscal plans include a five-year proposal for technology acquisition to achieve this goal. Ambitious instructional and fiscal goals are not possible unless we rethink the manner in which we fund our schools. Find out more about our proposed strategy for collaborative District and town budget planning.
Wachusett Regional School District Holden - Paxton - Princeton - Rutland - Sterling
