Strategic Plan
York Public Schools
“TO-DO LIST” 
OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS
- Increase availability of math interventions
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- YES using Compass learning for Math supports
- YES using Xtra Math program
- YMS added a “Math Plus” class for students in co-taught math
- YMS has Math interventionist 3 periods per day
- Math Strategies and Peer Tutoring at YHS
- ALEKS computerized math program in study skills
- YHS added “Technical Math” in 2016-17
- Peer tutoring/mentoring
- HOPE Squads added by school counselors in each building for 2017-18
- Circle of Friends at YHS, YMS, and YES
- Lunch Bunch at YES
- SUCCESSful Friends in YMS SUCCESS class – peers with SUCCESS students
- BOOST and All Stars programs
- Over 150 Teammates matches
- Enrichment and exploratory options
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- Manufacturing & Entrepreneurship class launched at YMS in January 2018
- Invention Convention and Science Expo
- Robotics
- Code Club at YES launched in 2015-16
- Entrepreneurship Academy began in July 2015
- Math Counts
- Bright Lights
- Summer Learning Academies
- State Fair Competitions
- Art Club
- Career exploration
- Career Academies
- College Access Grant
- Career Day – YMS
- SUCCESS students at YHS with Mosaic – Recycling, Meals on Wheels, etc.
- Job shadowing with Career Academy and Peru State classes
- Agronomy Academy that began in 2014-15
- Work Certification Program through NCTA, Reinke, & CVA launched in Sept. 2015
- Added partnerships at Champion Homes and UTC in 2017-18
- College credit course offerings
- 888 credits were earned in 2016-17 (small senior class)
- 942 credits earned in 2015-16
- 938 credits earned in 2014-15
- 1,072 credits earned in 2012-13
- On-line courses
- Began in Spring 2015 with AP Environmental Science
- Use of upper level Edgenuity classes
- Willing and able to meet other individualized needs/desires
- Career Academy and job shadow pursuits
- Many local businesses being utilized on differentiated circumstances
- Very successful launch of York General partnership with Josh Miller’s class in Fall 2016 that looks to continue
- “Life skills programming”
- Project SEARCH
- Vocational opportunities with Region V and Mosaic
- Increase course offerings
- Work certification programming through NCTA began in Sept 2015
- “Coding” clubs at YES and class work at YMS began in 2014
- Theater/Speech class at YMS
- Technology curriculum map update
- Looking to add manufacturing/entrepreneurship course at YMS in 2017-18
- Before/After-School Programs
- Began in 2011-12
- Received renewal grant for a 5-year continuation program that began in 2016-17
- Received a $20,000 grant from the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation for 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20 ($20,000 for each of these three individual years)
- Began programming in 2017-18 on days out of school within August – May
- Summer Programming
- Entrepreneurship Academy began in July 2015
- Learning Academies began in 2010
- BOOST and All Stars
- Young Nebraska Scientists held an Ag Bio Tech Camp in June 2017
- Bright Lights programming in Lincoln every June and July
- High Ability Learner programming
- Bright Lights
- Entrepreneurship Academy began in July 2015
- Revamped identification and communication protocol
- STEM/STEAM added at YMS in 2016-17
- Math Counts teams added at YES and YMS in 2014
- Science Olympiad teams added at YES and YMS in 2014
- Compass Learning “grouping” at YES
- Birth-to-Five programming
- Looking into facility issues as of January 2018 with SCC and YCDC
- Expanded programming through additional grants in 2012 and 2013
- Looking to apply for new grant through sixpence at LB547
- Early Childhood Summit – Mid Nebraska Conference in York has become an outstanding conference led by Kris Friesen and staff
- Continued partnership with York County Head Start
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
- Purposeful technology integration within our curriculum
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- Part of our Wednesday early-out plans
- Teacher-driven at the building level
- Digital Citizenship Curriculum
- Large group of teachers attend NETA each year
- Teachers presenting to other teachers at MLK conference
- Effective strategies for working with special needs students
- Emphasized annually at MLK in-service and in building level offerings
- Contracted with Munroe Meyer for severely impaired behavior/low cognition
- Co-Teaching Book Study 2013-14, using Marilyn Friend’s work
- Joined Special Olympics Nebraska’s “UNIFIED SCHOOLS” Program in 2016-17
- Unified Bowling at YHS launched in Fall 2017
- Individualized instruction
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- Emphasized at YES with use of “Compass Learning” instructional paths
- YHS has individual learning plans developed and implemented
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- Tami presented on this topic at the state AQuESTT Conference in 2015
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- RTI
- RTI teams at YES with a systematic RTI process that is written/followed
- Written RTI process in place in all buildings and is often the topic of grade level team meetings
- Implemented a 3-tier RTI model that includes Grade Level Teams at YHS
- Marzano’s “Science of Teaching”
- Cohort groups each year
- Large whole group instructional model work began May 2015
- Teacher buy-in has increased in 2017-18 as it is leading towards revamped teacher evaluation model
- Monthly themes are addressed in each building with a district-wide perspective
- Anita Archer Strategies shared with YES Staff in 2015-16
- Growth Mindset book study at YES in 2014-15 and 2015-16
- “Instructional Rounds”
- Began in 2013 and allows teachers to visit other buildings
- Assists with our transitional planning from 5th to 6th and 8th to 9th grades
- Part of our “new teacher orientation” process as well
- New Teacher Orientation
- Additional day each September to learn more, revisit important initiatives, visit teachers in other buildings, etc.
- Will incorporate more civic offerings and a sense of community
COMMUNICATION
- Community Coffees
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- Traveled to YGH and Senior Center in 2017-18
- Implemented a “traveling community coffee” at Willowbrook in Oct. 2015
- Senior Center in May 2017
- Visited Willowbrook and Mahoney House in Fall 2016
- Had a very successful coffee/community tour of Animal Science Lab on 12-8-15 with an estimated 400 folks in attendance
- Replicated this in December 2016 with tours of welding lab and parent program on digital citizenship in the YHS media center before the Band Concert
- Social media
- Daily use of Twitter and Facebook to communicate with parents and patrons
- Presented at NETA in Spring and Fall 2015, Fall 2016, and in April 2017
- Instagram #yorkdukes was added in the Fall of 2015
- Google Community for York Instruction, New Teachers, Marzano Cohorts
- Superintedent’s blog is done weekly
- STRIV system greatly enhanced during 2017-18 with new equipment and processes to improve our productions and visibility
- Website
- Checked daily for freshness
- Moved to Striv Website for 2016-17
- Added a sticky note feature to grab attention for special notices in January 2018
- Press releases
- Done at least quarterly and often more frequently
- “When did Public Education Become the Enemy” received nationwide attention the week of January 11, 2016
- Numerous guest columns in the YNT, LJS, and OWH dealing with property tax relief and other pertinent topics
- Staff visibility and involvement within community
- Volunteerism, service clubs, churches, etc.
- Alumni outreach
- Sent out 1st alumni newsletter in Summer 2015
- Held first “come back home event” in Sept 2016
- Continue to work on this with various committees
- Expand awareness of the YPS Foundation
- Included info in our alumni newsletter
- An articles was placed in the York News-Times in the Fall of 2015
- Added “Lunch and Learns” in 2016-17
- Held at Senior Center and district office in 2017-18 on a variety of topics with student and staff presenters
- Continued emphasis on “inside-out” communications where our staff hears about “issues” and sees press releases, agendas, etc. before parents and patrons do
FACILITIES
- Provide safe, nurturing, attractive, and healthy environments
- Pursue a PLAY/EC facility on YES campus
- Compare/contrast adding on to YES vs. a stand-alone facility
- Moved PLAY to YES campus during 2017-18
- Annual summer projects as addressed in our 7-Year Facilities Plan
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- See updated facilities plan
- Continued cooperation with City of York regarding facility usage
- ½% sales tax referendum passed in November 2014 for quiet zone and ball field complex
- Held Special Olympics Nebraska Flag Football event in October 2017 and will do so again in October 2018
- Continue to pursue viable, long-term solutions for our Enrichment Center needs
- New rental location began in July 2016
SCHOOL FINANCE
- Maximize all sources of revenue to meet our needs/challenges
- Receive more money than we spend each year within General Fund
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- Audited data
- Pursue sustainable grants
- At least one grant valued at $10,000 or more is pursued each quarter
- $20,000 grant to help with purchase of new bus in February 2018
- $20,000 “Beyond School Bells” grant for 2017-18 to add more after-school programming
- Effectively use depreciation and building funds to address district needs
- OCTOBER 2014
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- Depreciation had $57,612
- Building Fund had $571,499
- OCTOBER 2015
- Depreciation had $175,330
- Building Fund had $390,372
- OCTOBER 2016
- Depreciation had $112,491
- Building Fund had $360,236
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- OCTOBER 2017
- Depreciation had $82,696
- Building Fund had $228,163 + $251,851 in “savings” for larger projects
- Build up cash reserve within General Fund
- At the end of the 2009-10 fiscal year, we had –($995,591) due to a line of credit
- At the end of the 2012-13 fiscal year, we had $576,246
- At the end of the 2014-15 fiscal year, we had $1,183,046
- At the end of the 2015-16 fiscal year, we had $1,828,412
- At the end of the 2016-17 fiscal year, we had $1,505,119