In-House Conference School Improvement is Topic SMITHFIELD-- More than 200 Johnston County Schools staff will participate in an intensive, two-day clinic on April 2 and 3 to review, update, and enhance the components of their School Improvement Plans. The conference is being hosted by a nationally recognized division of the Johnston County Schools that developed a program to specifically serve the needs of new teachers. In Johnston County, School Improvement Plans are living documents that are updated annually by a School Improvement Team. Each of the district's 38 schools has one. The plans, which give direction to a school for successfully achieving its vision of educating all of its students, are comprised of programs and strategies that ensure learning. Those components-programs and strategies-are researched, implemented, and continuously evaluated for quality and effectiveness. Principals, assistant principals, teachers and other staff will participate in the event. "Schools have developed School Improvement Plans for decades. It has only been in recent years that the SIP has been used as a blueprint or roadmap for achieving success," said Patricia Hester, Senior Executive Director of School Improvement and Professional Development. SIPs contain goals, objectives, student-centered strategies, timelines for completion, resources, professional development plans, and remediation and acceleration plans. During the two-day conference being held at the district's Facility Services building, staff will receive hands-on training and assistance in writing goals, monitoring the SIP, using and analyzing data, evaluating academic programs for effectiveness, and effectively involving parents in the learning process. "We must focus on management by fact, creating a climate for learning and achieving our ultimate vision in order to make a difference for our students. This conference, built around those focus areas, will help our SIT teams to fine-tune their plans to ensure that every goal, strategy, and objective has been developed to meet the needs of the students and staff at the school to ensure success," said Dr. Anthony Parker, Superintendent.
