Falls Church City Public Schools

2006 – 2012 Division Plan

FCCPS Mission and Values

The Falls Church City Public Schools, in partnership with our families and community,
educates and challenges every student to succeed and become a responsible and
contributing member of the global community.

We value our students and believe that

• all decisions of the Falls Church City Public Schools must be based on the needs of
students;

• students learn best in a secure environment that includes a rigorous and challenging
curriculum and a climate of high expectations and academic excellence;

• measurable and achievable student goals must guide teaching and learning; and

• schools that value diversity and promote lifelong learning and responsible citizenship
provide students with the foundation for success in a global community.

We value our staff and believe that

• a highly-skilled, experienced and dedicated staff is key to effective learning; and

• collegiality, collaboration and teamwork are essential.

We value our independent public education system and believe that

• small classes and small schools are the foundation for academic excellence;

• data must be used for continuous improvement in teaching and learning; and

• the necessary resources must be provided to support student achievement.

We value our partnership with the community and believe that

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 • our schools must be responsive and accountable to the community; and

• community involvement strengthens our schools.

Goals and Objectives

Student Goals
Goal 1: The Falls Church City Public Schools will educate, challenge and support every
student to succeed and become a responsible and contributing member of the global
community.
Objective 1.1: To provide a written, integrated K-12 curriculum that is relevant,
rigorous, differentiated and aligned with the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL’s).
Objective 1.2: To design and deliver instruction and program alternatives that will meet
the needs of all students, with a particular focus on “kids in the middle,” underachieving
students and at-risk students.
Objective 1.3: To use assessment data to inform and plan for instruction and to monitor
student progress.
Objective 1.4: To develop strategies to address continuous improvement in all division
programs including the College Preparatory (CP), Advanced Placement (AP) and
International Baccalaureate (IB) programs.
Objective 1.5: To provide appropriate support services so that all students experience
academic success.
Objective 1.6: To develop strategies that will prepare FCCPS students to be citizens of
the global society.

Goal 2: The Falls Church City Public Schools will sustain a culture that values diversity
and promotes positive and constructive student behavior.
Objective 2.1: To design and deliver a K-12 character education program that addresses
the needs of the FCCPS student population.

Objective 2.2: To provide a K-12 counseling and guidance program that is responsive to
the needs of the FCCPS student population.
Objective 2.3: To develop prevention and intervention strategies that address bullying.

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Goal 3: The Falls Church City Public Schools will provide a well-rounded education that
includes extra and co-curricular activities and sports.
Objective 3.1: To offer a variety of developmentally appropriate extra and co-curricular
activities.

Objective 3.2: To provide an athletic program that offers diverse, high- quality
experiences in athletic skill-building, healthy behaviors, competition, sportsmanship and
citizenship.

Staff Goals
Goal 1: The Falls Church City Public Schools will attract, retain and develop a highly-
skilled, experienced and dedicated teaching, administrative and support staff in a culture
of continuous growth.
Objective 1.1: To recruit, retain and reward an excellent staff.

Objective 1.2: To support and evaluate teachers to promote effective instruction and
professional growth.
Objective 1.3: To support and evaluate administrators to promote strong instructional
leadership, effective school management and professional growth.
Objective 1.4: To support and evaluate support staff to ensure they meet work
responsibilities and facilitate professional growth.

Goal 2: The Falls Church City Public Schools will create and sustain a culture characterized by
teamwork, collegiality and collaborative decision-making.
Objective 2.1: To define and communicate expectations for teamwork, collegiality and
collaborative decision-making.

Objective 2.2: To develop an action plan that includes training and other resources to
address these expectations.

Goal 3: The Falls Church City Public Schools expects administrators to provide effective
leadership and management.
Objective 3.1: To provide strong, supportive leadership throughout the division.

Objective 3.2: To manage carefully the resources provided.

Objective 3.3: To provide opportunities for ongoing staff development.
Objective 3.4: To provide protected time for teachers to collaborate, plan and deliver
instruction.

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 Objective 3.5: To provide employees with clearly articulated job responsibilities and
procedures that are communicated division-wide.
Objective 3.6: To utilize, support and promote the use of data by school staff.

Environmental Goals
Goal 1: The Falls Church City Public School buildings will be safe, healthy and comfortable
environments for students, staff and the community.
Objective 1.1: To ensure that FCCPS facilities and grounds are well maintained.

Objective 1.2: To ensure that FCCPS facilities and grounds are kept up-to-date through
the systems replacement, renewal and modernization schedule.
Objective 1.3: To pursue future planning that addresses ongoing building use,
community use and future construction.
Objective 1.4: To provide a comprehensive environmental assessment in all FCCPS
buildings on an annual basis.

Goal 2: The Falls Church City Public Schools will be prepared to respond to emergency
situations.
Objective 2.1: To ensure that all FCCPS facilities are secure.

Objective 2.2: To develop and practice plans that address emergency and crisis
situations.

Community Goals
Goal 1: The Falls Church City Public Schools will actively involve families as partners in their
child(ren)’s education.
Objective 1.1: To be responsive and accountable to FCCPS families.

Objective 1.2: To actively seek the involvement of families in our schools.

Objective 1.3: To communicate effectively with FCCPS families.

Goal 2: The Falls Church City Public Schools will actively involve the Falls Church community
as a partner in the education of the city’s children.
Objective 2.1: To be responsive and accountable to the Falls Church community.

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 Objective 2.2: To actively seek the involvement of the Falls Church community in the
schools.
Objective 2.3: To develop and cultivate relationships and partnerships to benefit the
schools and community.

Division-Wide Goals
Goal 1: The Falls Church City Public Schools will design and deliver programs that
address wellness and foster resiliency.
Objective 1.1: To promote student mental, emotional and physical health through a
variety of educational programs and services.

Objective 1.2: To create opportunities for staff to participate in activities that promote
wellness and resiliency.

Goal 2: The Falls Church City School Board will be a responsible steward of the community’s
resources and an advocate for the FCCPS mission.
Objective 2.1: To conduct the board’s work in a manner that is transparent, defensible
and consistent.

Objective 2.2: To develop and maintain the school board as a collaborative team.

Objective 2.3: To perform major functions of policy development and budget oversight
efficiently and effectively.

Goal 3: The Falls Church City Public Schools will ensure that the division
operates efficiently and effectively.
Objective 3.1: To develop division-wide expectations and procedures for
communication.

Objective 3.2: To use technology as an integral tool in data management, instruction and
communication.
Objective 3.3: To develop clear and transparent standard operating procedures.