Entry Plan Highlights | Jackson Free Press | Jackson, MS

Entry Plan Highlights

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Gray believes his experience turning around schools in the Memphis, which has demographics similar to Jackson, will help him lead JPS.

Dr. Cedrick Gray's entry plan focuses on engaging the following three groups:

• The Jackson Public School's Board of Trustees and the superintendent's staff;

• Community and religious leaders, members of the state Legislature, the mayor, City Council, county supervisors, parents and scholars from the university community;

• Principals, teachers and students.

The Five Goals

  1. Focus on academic achievement and academic growth through the alignment of resources and organizational efforts to ensure students are college and career ready.

• Analyze student achievement data from each school to evaluate current school performance.

• Identify underperforming schools, determine root cause, perform SWOT analysis and collaboratively determine effective resolution.

• Analyze budget to determine appropriate levels of financial support for building teacher capacity through professional development.

• Create a balanced assessment program that regularly monitors and evaluates the performance of students.

• Review current "zone structure" or feeder-pattern performance results with principal coaches and determine proactive actions for support and improvements.

  1. Develop and support a unified governance team that results in consistency of purpose, stability and teamwork by building a trusting and collaborative relationship with the Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees.

• Engage in one-on-one meetings with board members to ascertain strengths in governance create communication protocol and broaden perspective.

• Hold board retreat to discuss roles and responsibilities, expectations and agenda setting.

• Review process, structure and timeline of current strategic plan and budget for the district.

  1. Establish a positive climate throughout the learning community that is focused on high expectations for student achievement and continuous improvement.

• Establish productive, positive relationships with teacher organizations, student organizations and key district leadership.

• Create Student Board of Trustees consisting of one high-school senior from each of the seven high schools to meet once per nine-week period.

• Schedule meetings with principals and school leadership teams and establish regular meetings with these groups.

• Hold three Parent Impact! Symposiums throughout the school year to obtain parent feedback.

• Schedule a visit to each school to build relationships with school faculty and staff.

  1. Increase organizational effectiveness and operational accountability to ensure consistent support to schools

• Review job descriptions, standards of practice and expectations of executive staff. Identify and hire critical new executive staff members.

• Review current central-office organizational structure for efficiencies and focus on student achievement.

• Conduct one-on-one interviews with department and division heads, reviewing all vital documents, organizational charts, employee handbooks, procedural manuals, department specific strategic plans and student achievement data by school.

• Conduct retreat with executive staff to review pertinent district data, strategic plan, achievement data and position vacancies throughout district.

• Conduct an organizational audit using expert practitioner to review alignment, coherence and efficiency to the current organizational structure.

  1. Establish a positive, learning-focused district culture centered on student achievement, development and growth.

• Schedule group sessions to secure feedback regarding future hopes and plans from external entities.

• Conduct communication audit to determine effectiveness of programs, protocols with news media and comprehensive communication plan.

• Visit area churches and schedule meeting with key parent groups.

• Schedule meetings with student groups for initial listening and learning sessions.

• Meet with leaders of local media outlets, editorial boards, and education reporters to establish a framework for collaboration that is open and transparent.

Gray joined JPS in July, taking the reins from Superintendent Dr. Jayne Sargent.

Trip burns

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