Policy 2131 - EDUCATIONAL GOALS

The Board adopts the following State goals as applicable to school districts:

	1.	Provide quality preschool opportunities for all children, through 					collaboration between public schools and community agencies and 					provide parent education programs designed and implemented by all 				districts to assist parents in providing readiness experiences for their 				preschool children;

	2.	Strive for a high school graduation rate of at least 90 percent;

		a.	Provide least restrictive, alternative programs for pupils who cannot 				succeed in the regular high school environment, including those 					students with disabilities,

		b.	Provide dropout prevention programs for pupils at risk

	3.	All pupils leaving grade four, eight, and eleven shall have demonstrated 				competency in challenging subject matter including reading, writing, 				mathematics, science, social studies (civics, history, and geography), 				health, physical education, and fine practical and performing arts;	

		a.	Implement a State-approved curriculum content standards and 					appropriate assessments to enable pupils to succeed and to 						evaluate their performance,

		b.	Provide staff development opportunities to ensure that teachers are 					adequately equipped to teach challenging and up-to-date subject 					matter and to implement effective teaching techniques;	

	4.	All pupils shall learn to use their minds well, so that they may be prepared for 			responsible citizenship, further learning, and productive employment in our 			modern economy;

		a.	Provide pupils with experiences in higher level thinking, information 				processing, the responsibilities of citizenship, and employability skills,
		
		b.	All pupils shall demonstrate competency in the subject areas of health, 				physical education, fine, practical and performing arts, and career 					education,

		c.	All pupils shall demonstrate respect for racial, cultural, ethnic and 					religious diversity;

	5.	All pupils shall increase their achievement levels in science and mathematics to 			contribute to our country’s ability to compete academically with all other 				countries of the world;

		a.	Revise its curriculum offerings in science and mathematics according to 				State standards as they are developed,

		b.	Provide staff training in the teaching of mathematics and science at grades 				K-12 to increase teachers’ understanding of and ability to teach these 				subjects,

		c.	Attempt to assure that every adult is literate and possesses the knowledge 				and skills necessary to compete in a global economy and exercise the 				rights and responsibilities of citizenship,

		d.	Provide adult education programs in conjunction with other school 					districts, community colleges and other educational agencies, to provide 				greater opportunities for adults to continue learning for work skills, leisure 			pursuits, intellectual and cultural growth and to assist their children in 				learning,

		e.	Encourage business and industry to collaborate with educational agencies 				to design and increase access to educational programs for adults, such as 				flex time, distance learning, and interactive technology;

	6.	Provide a school environment free of drugs and violence and offer a safe, 				disciplined environment conducive to learning;

		a.	Develop partnerships with parents to establish the responsibilities of each 				to create and maintain safe and healthy educational environments for all 				pupils,

		b.	Provide programs and staffing to deal with pupils at risk,
		c.	Expand their cooperative efforts with the community to create drug and 				violence-free environments,

		d.	Pupils shall develop a positive view of self and learn to use effective 				interpersonal skills.

Date Adopted:		8/17/65
Date Revised:		1/19/76, 4/18/77, 3/18/91, 5/17/93, 9/20/93, 7/21/97