In response to community concerns raised through surveys, social media, comments to the Board of Education and other sources, Falcon High School is hosting a series of meetings and input opportunities to help shape educational programs for the future. Depending on input from all stakeholders, those plans may go forward as a new three-year innovation plan, or they may become an educational plan independent of the innovation process.
This site contains an overview of the first meeting, held at Falcon High School on Tuesday, Feb. 17. It is meant to provide an opportunity for parents and community members who weren't able to attend the first of these meetings to participate in the process by reviewing and commenting on the work of the first meeting.
The purpose of the meeting, the first in a multi-step process to evaluate the innovation plan at Falcon High School and define the future of the school, was to, through table group story boarding:
State what questions or concerns need to be addressed in this process
Find group consensus on the purpose of the learning, assessment, feedback and documentation system at FHS
Find group consensus on characteristics that the learning, assessment, feedback and documentation system should have
The hard work done by the group at the first meeting resulted in a rich and clear set of concerns and questions about the current innovation plan. Consensus emerged from the group work about highly valued purposes and characteristics of an educational system that should be incorporated in the system of learning, assessment, feedback and documentation as we move forward.
Meeting Agenda
Community Meal/Fellowship
Framing Our Evening
Recent History
Defining Our Future
Learning
Assessment
Feedback
Documentation
Logistics
Communication
Implementation
Evaluation
Final Word
The school's principal led the community members as they set basic norms (expectations) for the meeting. The produced the following norms:
Positive Feedback
Polite
Wait to be acknowledged
No interruptions
Process or Problem, not People
Priority = Students
Peter Hilts, chief education officer, acted as the facilitator for the meeting. Mr. Hilts explained his role as the facilitator in guiding the group through the work of:
Developing ideas, thoughts and concerns around the innovation plan at Falcon High School
Finding group consensus around emerging themes and ideas
Identifying areas of disagreement within the group
Cheryl DeGeorge, Falcon High School principal, reviewed the Falcon High School innovation plan developed and approved in 2011. Ms. DeGeorge highlighted:
Professional Learning Communities
School instructors plan together, analyze student data and align instruction and assessment.
Academies
A successful health academy and other future academies in the innovation plan