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Whitehall-Coplay School District

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District Comprehensive Plan

Comprehensive Planning

The Pennsylvanian Dept. of Education requires school districts to complete a comprehensive planning process every three years.  The District is scheduled to begin the process in the 2021-2022 school year. In fall of 2021, the District will assemble a steering committee to lead the planning process.

A survey will be sent seeking parents and community members interested in participating in the process and developing a new comprehensive plan for the District that will guide our educational efforts for 2022- 2025.

Comprehensive Planning is a continuous process used to ensure that all students are achieving at high levels. All schools can create better environments so that more students are successful. Continuous Comprehensive planning for all schools is essential to providing increased student performance and quality results. Innovative, exemplary, and research-based programs, coupled with staff development, focused and aligned resources, and public participation in planning, are critical factors in schools that demonstrate continuous growth.

High performing schools with varied demographic conditions have shown they share common characteristics. These Nine Characteristics are strongly correlated to consistently high performing schools. As school teams go through the process of Comprehensive planning, they will look for the presence of these characteristics. The characteristics are:

  1. Clear and Shared Focus: Everybody knows where they are going and why. The vision is shared—everybody is involved and all understand their role in achieving the vision. The vision is developed from common beliefs and values, creating a consistent focus.
  2. High Standards and Expectations: Teachers and staff believe that all students can learn and that they can teach all students. There is recognition of barriers for some students to overcome, but the barriers are not insurmountable. Students become engaged in an ambitious and rigorous course of study.
  3. Effective District Leadership: Effective leadership is required to implement change processes within the District. This leadership takes many forms. Principals often play this role, but so do teachers and other staff, including those in the school community. Effective leaders advocate, nurture, and sustain a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning and staff professional growth.
  4. High Levels of Collaboration and Communication: There is constant collaboration and communication between and among teachers of all grades. Everybody is involved and connected, including parents and members of the community, to solve problems and create solutions.
  5. Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Aligned with Standards: Curriculum is aligned with local, state and national standards. Research-based materials and teaching and learning strategies are implemented. There is a clear understanding of the assessment system, what is measured in various assessments and how it is measured. 
  6. Frequent Monitoring of Teaching and Learning: Teaching and Learning are continually adjusted based on frequent monitoring of student progress and needs. A variety of assessment procedures are used. The results of the assessment are used to improve student performances and also to improve the instructional program.
  7. Focused Professional Development: Professional development for all educators is aligned with the school’s common focus, objectives, and high expectations. It is ongoing and based on high need areas.
  8. Supportive Learning Environment: The school has a safe, civil, healthy and intellectually stimulating learning environment. Students feel respected and connected with the staff, and are engaged in learning. Instruction is personalized and small learning environments increase student contact with teachers.
  9. High Levels of Community and Parent Involvement: There is a sense that all educational stakeholders have a responsibility to educate students, not just the teachers and staff in schools. Parents, as well as businesses, social service agencies, and community all play a vital role in this effort. 

View the current Comprehensive Plan here