By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

In its first meeting of 2008, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education will tonight (Thursday) examine the 2008-13 District Strategic Plan, which will help guide the school district through 2013.

The district’s current strategic plan expires in June. The proposed plan outlines specific goals, outcome measures and strategies to reach those goals, which include:

• All students will graduate as high-achieving learners with 21st-century skills;
• All educators will provide an effective educational program for all students;
• All learning environments will be safe, inviting, respectful and promote character development; and
• All district and school leaders will be responsive and accountable to their constituents and ensure that the resources provided by the community are used effectively.

The proposed plan also states that “all means all,” adding that the Strategic Planning Committee “wanted to ensure equitable services for students of all racial, ethnic, socio-economic and academic groups.”

Last week, Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP and Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance leaders distributed a report card to school officials outlining failures in 11 categories, including eliminating the minority achievement gap and decreasing the dropout rate of black students.

According to the school district, about 44 percent of black elementary school students passed both reading and math End of Grade tests, compared with 93 percent of white elementary school students.

In a weekly district newsletter, Superintendent Neil Pedersen wrote, “While I agree that improvement is not only possible, but necessary in many of the identified areas, I find failing grades to be unsupported and insulting to the many dedicated and talented staff members in our district,” adding that the district has made “significant progress in many critical areas.”

The proposed plan’s strategies include expanding alternative programs for high school students, implementing systematic intervention programs, fully implementing the district’s Professional Learning Communities and more.

The board is set to review the plan tonight and February 21, and then adopt the plan March 6.