Strategic Plan - Issue Analysis
Introduction
Learning strategies establishes the approach for attaining learning objectives, which include learning activities, information presentation and pre-instructional activities. These strategies are oriented to the interests and needs of learners in order to stimulate learning, although they are based on various types of learning styles. One of the vital learning strategies, which this paper going to discuss is grade retention. This strategy allows student to repeat the course due to different reasons, which are both determined by educator and school standards (Aldridge and Goldman, 2007). This may prove to be a feasible option for educators to allow the student to address academic problems. It also highlights specific challenges in long-term performance and achievement. This strategy is considered as one of the best opportunity for students who failed to achieve their learning objectives in the previous learning.
Analysis Using Peter Senge’s Model
To address this problem and opportunity, Peter Senge’s model can be used in order to identify possible steps in managing grade retention effectively. Specifically, the three disciplines are shared vision, team learning and personal mastery.
Applying the concept of ‘shared vision’, the educator seeks to understand the reasons for grade retention within the learning institution. Primarily, he/she tries to determine possible challenges that student faces and why it fosters grade retention. These questions in turn allow the educator to come out with appropriate solutions that determine a particular stand or approach on handling these scenarios. Here, it gives the educator a guide on how these tasks should be accomplished and administered to students.
When comes to team learning, the educator can seek out and establish communication to different stakeholders. Specifically, it considers allowing parents and the community to understand the process of grade retention. As Seattle Public Schools (2010) argues, “50% of responding families at targeted schools indicate an increased ability to help their students’ learning at home” (p.1). Thereby, allowing parents to become involved, it creates a better support system to guide students and serve as a tool for detecting slow learner students as early as possible.
Lastly, the process of personal mastery takes into account how the educator would utilize experiences in the past and present to redefine objectives and goals of the program in order to address grade retention. Given that some programs may not prove to be effective compared to others, it is critical to consider how it can be improved (Infed.com, 2000). In addition, creating new programs to supplement or amend old ones makes it possible to adapt and change student needs and it creates a more defined standard that focuses on the problem. Here, educators need to understand that in order to promote change, they must be willing to learn.
SWOT analysis
Strengths
- The school’s office administrator manager has the academic experience and skills necessary to troubleshoot occasional technical problems that pop-up
- The cooperation of various education stakeholders whom agreed to work closely with the administrator in improving the performance of the school and have pledged to hold monthly meetings each academic year to discuss alternative solutions for grade retention.
- The application of advanced education materials and resources, like computers, which offers remedial coaching and tutorial assistance to weak students so that they do not become culprits of grade retention
Weaknesses
- One of the greatest weaknesses in this school with regard to the problem of grade retention is that district education officials are not yet convinced that grade retention poses challenges to the welfare of the school and the children.
- In addition, most of students do not understand the relevance or importance of grade retention and therefore, they perceive it as an exercise in vain.
Opportunities
- There is a performance monitoring strategic plan that can be applied by the teachers and assist them to gauge student performance in line with set objectives and targets.
- The school can arrange and plan for workshops for staff in which teachers can be taught about managing student teacher relationship for improved performance.
Threats
- Many teachers are feeling overloaded with the extra task of coaching grade-retaining students.
- The strategic plan is not likely to be adopted as not all stakeholders have expressed willingness to buy into the idea that grade retention is not in the best interest of the student.
- In addition, even if an alternative method to grade retention was to be adopted, it might not be the best as far as improvement of the student performance is concerned. To hit the nail on the head, teachers and parents are not willing to consider any alternative solutions to grade retention.
Smart Goals
Fall 2011- State, District and School officials will begin meeting to study and discuss the research and the data that was provided to them by the Grade Retention Strategy committee.
Spring 2012- State, District and School officials will meet three times in a month in order to devise an official plan set in place for their school district. Principals will also report the number of students that have been retained at their school and will assign a team to research these students’ cumulative folders to see if they had any problems.
Summer 2012- Grade Retention Conference will be held at State Capital to discuss and implement strategies and guidelines for the upcoming school year for teachers to follow.
Fall 2012- All principals and teachers will be officially trained and will have grade retention strategies and options in place for the new school year.
