The Mission of the Lower Dauphin School District is to ensure that all students develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes which enable them to reach their full potential as productive and responsible citizens, family members and lifelong learners.
To help make this mission a reality, a team of school district administrators, teachers, parents and community members joined together to create a list of educational and organizational goals. These goals were identified through an assessment of district and state data regarding the present status of our students and their future needs in our society. In September 2006, the Lower Dauphin School Board of Education adopted the district's strategic plan which includes educational and organizational goals related to student achievement and graduation.
Educational Goals
The Lower Dauphin School District will ensure that:
Students will acquire knowledge and develop skills as provided through the Lower Dauphin Curriculum, inclusive of the state and national standards.
Students will acquire the ability to solve problems and make informed decisions, utilizing the processes of analysis, synthesis and evaluation.
Students will become life-long, independent learners who can effectively collaborate with others to acquire knowledge and develop ideas and skills.
Students will develop positive interpersonal skills, take responsibility and make ethical decisions.
Students will know how to access information and use technology to learn and communicate.
Organizational Goals
The Lower Dauphin School District shall:
Create a positive school climate through the following objectives:
Recognize student and faculty accomplishments in academics, activities, and community service.
Create a formal system of gathering feedback from students, staff, and community to be used in decision-making.
Maintain clean, safe facilities where people enjoy coming to learn and work.
Plan for future space and educational needs.
Embrace the community as an integral part of the learning environment through the following objectives:
Initiate Communities That Care process.
Promote parental involvement within the educational process.
Incorporate community resources (workforce, organizations, facilities, etc.)
Provide continuing professional development of the highest quality for all personnel based on identified needs and instructional initiatives.
Revise and update curriculum systematically in accordance with state and national standards.
Develop assessment procedures to determine student proficiencies in all curricular areas.
Provide the resources for students to develop essential technology skills.
Provide high quality resources, both material and human, to meet the needs of the educational program and then manage those resources in a fiscally sound manner.
Establish and sustain partnerships with its municipalities to develop and implement a plan for managing growth.
Devise measures to assess the above organizational goals and share the results with the Strategic Planning Committee for future planning.
Academic Standards for Student Achievement
The academic standards describe the knowledge and skills that students will be expected to demonstrate. The district shall provide for attainment of the academic standards as per Chapter 4, Section 4.12. The PA Academic Standards in grades 3, 5, 8, and 11 for reading, writing, speaking, listening and mathematics shall guide the educational program in these areas in the district. The district has developed benchmarks designed down from the PA Academic Standards document for grades K, 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 12 in these subject areas. These benchmarks are taught and assessed at each grade level.
The district is currently in an extensive review process of th curriculum in the areas of Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, and Science utilizing the Learning Focused Schools model of prioritizing curriculum. Other subjects will follow in the 2007-2008 school year.
Copies of the current district curriculum may be obtained at each of the educational buildings. (Please refer to Board Policy 105.1 and 800 for specific procedures.)
