Project Teams

Project Teams
Project Teams are responsible for monitoring Board Goals and Executive Limitations and producing annual monitoring reports. Each Cabinet member leads a Project Team and forms other Improvement Teams as appropriate to close identified gaps. Monitoring Reports and summary information about each Project Team or other Improvement Teams may be obtained by following the links below. If you need more detailed information about a specific project, please contact the Project Leader or the Project Manager.

Project Team Update Form (28kb MS Word .doc)

Superintendent's Project Team

Learning Services Project Team

Leader:	Annette Fante – Learning Services
Policies:	Goal 1 – Student Achievement Executive Limitation 1 – Instructional Program
Summary:	This team is monitoring student progress in reading, writing, and math on State and District content standards. This includes growth for exceptional students, preparation for post secondary options, and the curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices and intervention programs that support all students. This also includes the procedures, policies, and conditions that ensure a reasonably safe, lawful, and respectful environment supportive of the learning process.

Learning Services Improvement Teams

Title:	School Improvement Plans and Accreditation
Leader:	Annette Sulzman – Director of Schools
Summary:	This team is revising the current School Accreditation process and the current School Improvement Plan.
Status:	The revised School Improvement Plans and Accreditation will be rolled out in July, 2005.

Title:	Intervention Programs
Leader:	Tammy Heflebower – Director of Literacy
Summary:	This team is examining the district’s intervention programs.
Status:	This team is implementing the treatment recommendation to align literacy support (Title 1, Literacy Specialists, and Read to Succeed) at the elementary, middle and high schools. The team has also implemented the recommendation to provide systemic professional development to primary classroom teachers to further connect best instructional practices.

Title:	Elementary Progress Report
Leader:	Diane Smith – Director of Schools
Summary:	This team is implementing the treatment recommended by the Effective Use of Resources Project Team.
Status:	Currently, an online survey is being conducted to gather feedback from parents about using the new elementary progress report.

Title:	Middle School Progress Report
Leader:	Terry Killin – Director of Schools
Summary:	This team is piloting a new middle school progress report.
Status:

Title:	CBLA
Leader:	Cheryl DeLong – Director of Literacy Jan Martinez – CBLA Coordinator
Summary:	This team will review the current process of monitoring ILPs and will recommend a process to streamline the documentation and monitoring of ILPs. A more effective model will be developed to address combining the formal ILP and IEP.
Status:	This team will formally begin in May, 2005

Title:	Freshman Initiative
Leader:	Mike Lynch – Director of Schools Annette Sulzman – Director of Schools
Summary:	This team is examining concerns about student achievement at the freshman level.
Status:

Title:	Safe and Secure Schools
Leader:	Larry Borland – Director of Security
Summary:	This team is examining the procedures, policies and conditions that ensure a reasonably safe, lawful and respectful environment supportive of the learning process.
Status:

Educational Support Services Project Team

Human Resources Project Team

Leader:	Bill Hodges – Human Resources
Policies:	Goal 2.1 – Human Resources Executive Limitation 2.1 – Human Resources
Summary:	This team is monitoring how effective human resource management contributes to the improvement of student achievement. The team is also monitoring recruitment and retention, personnel management, performance evaluations, the Pay for Performance program, and employee compensation.

Human Resources Improvement Teams

Title:	Admin/Pro/Tech Evaluation
Leader:	Steve Herzog – Director of Human Resources
Summary:	This team is revising the current Administrative and Professional/Technical Evaluation process.
Status:	The rollout for the revised evaluations began July 2005, with Focus Groups to provide feedback during the 2005-2006 school year.

Title:	Certified & Classified Staffing/Budgeting
Leader:	Doug Hartman – Director of Human Resources Debbie McGee – Director of Human Resources
Summary:	This team is implementing the revised position control treatment.
Status:	Implementation of the “Site Based” Funding model as a pilot along with “Position Control” and “Public Sector Budgeting” in partnership with the Budget and Finance Division.

Title:	Classified Evaluation
Leader:	Sarah Mesmer – Director of Human Resources
Summary:	This team is revising the current Classified Evaluation process.
Status:	The pilot rollout for the revised evaluation began July 2005.

Title:	Teacher Evaluation MOU
Leader:	Steve Herzog – Director of Human Resources
Summary:	This team is revising the current Teacher Evaluation process.
Status:	The evaluation has been revised and the pilot rollout began July 2005.

Title:	Recruitment and Retention
Leader:	Jack Kronser – Director of Human Resources
Summary:	This team is examining the district’s approach to recruitment and retention.
Status:	The team will be examining the impact of using the TeacherInsight tool as a screening process for hiring teachers, and will continue to look at other district recruiting systems for effectiveness.

Title:	Compensation
Leader:	Debbie McGee/Steve Herzog – Directors of Human Resources
Summary:	This team is examining the district’s compensation programs.
Status:	Continue to compare salaries with comparable districts in an effort to reduce the number of positions +/- 5% the midpoint range, making adjustments where financially feasible.

Title:	Pay for Performance (Administrator/Professional)
Leader:	Steve Herzog – Director of Human Resources
Summary:	This team is revising the Pay for Performance structure for Administrator/Professional/Technical staff.
Status:	Revisions to the Pay for Performance plan for this group are currently being shared with Focus Groups and the Superintendent's Cabinet, with a rollout planned for November 2005.

Title:	Pay for Performance (Certified)
Leader:	Sarah Mesmer/Doug Hartman – Directors of Human Resources
Summary:	This team is examining the Pay for Performance structure for Certified Staff.
Status:	Determine to what extent our “Outstanding” and “Master Teacher” teachers are improving student achievement along with an overall assessment of our current “Pay for Performance” programs.

Business Services Project Teams

Technology Project Team

Communications Project Team

Douglas County Federation of Teachers Project Team