Orland Unified School District

Background: Orland Unified School District serves nearly 2,300 students with diverse educational needs. Over three-quarters of our students and their families are qualified as socio-economically disadvantaged and nearly 30% of our students are English Learners. As we enter the next generation of statewide assessments and anxiously await the outcomes, our historical data suggests that students continue to struggle to master the state content standards, as measured by the Academic Performance Index (API). Although our students continue to achieve at higher levels than they did over a decade ago, our school sites and our district have been targeted as a system in need; a Program Improvement district.

Our students and their families continue to come to campus with increasingly diverse educational needs. We must broaden our definition of education to include essential support and services that engage our families and strengthen our community. By focusing on a wider array of support services rather than just traditional educational services, we will be more equipped to work with all students. Therefore, as an educational community, we must create a coherent system of support that connects all services and programs to the established academic expectations for all students.

While focusing on building a coherent system of support that is aligned to the instructional core, we will remain relentless in our pursuit of instructional reform to ensure quality instruction for all students. We will build capacity for advancing instruction by investing in our teachers, administrators and staff through ongoing, evidence-based instructional programs, professional development and coaching. Staff will be supported through focused conversations which encourage reflection on professional practices. We will build a common language around the technical core of student learning to create an articulated learning experience for students and a professional learning community for staff. We will ensure that all schools have the resources and supports they need to provide all students with the opportunities to learn.

In order to build and maintain a system that is responsive to the dynamic and changing needs of the Orland community, we must commit ourselves to building and sustaining effective and productive teams. Effective teams are built around open dialogue, discussion and debate on essential ideas that impact the education of our students; a transparent and efficient communication and decision-making loop undergirds a coherent and productive system.

As stakeholders we will adopt and implement a rich data literate culture. Through the effective implementation of data analysis protocols and a robust system of monitoring and support, OUSD will propel all students on a trajectory of personal, academic and life success.

As stakeholders we will engage in our own professional development so that we can respond to the changing needs of our district. We will become proficient in anticipating challenges and hurdles rather than reacting to barriers faced by teams, sites and the district office. We must hold ourselves accountable and fulfill our promise to ensure that what we do on a daily basis directly impacts what happens for every student, every day in every way.

Each stakeholder brings a unique perspective, a rich skill-set and a desire to be part of 'system on the move.' Together, our creativity and wealth of experiences strengthens and grounds the important work ahead.