Our Beliefs…Students in Forsyth County Schools can achieve levels of superior performance on the SAT and be optimally prepared for post-secondary options, including college.

Forsyth County Schools has all of the resources needed to support superior student performance on the SAT and maximize preparation for all post-secondary choices.

Our Beliefs…

Students in Forsyth County Schools can be optimally prepared for college and SAT / ACT performance with community involvement and the support of a focused, district-wide initiative for improvement.

What We Have Done…

Organized a community Task Force that will investigate & discuss strategies that can be implemented district-wide which will address:

• Academic Rigor in Curriculum & Instruction

• SAT / ACT Test Preparation Opportunities

• Advisement & Guidance Programs

• School & Student Incentives

• Stakeholder Communication

What We Have Done…

February 20 MeetingGenerate possible ideas & action steps for consideration in our five core areas.

March 19 MeetingRefine & prioritize possible action steps in the five core areas.

Identify end product, process or plan of each action step.

ADVISEMENT & GUIDANCE

Implement a revised 6-12 assessment plan (incorporating EXPLORE, PLAN, PSAT, Compass / Asset / ASVAB in grades 8-12).

Provide 6-12 professional learning for teachers to use & explain testing data.

Develop an improved 6-12 counseling plan for post-secondary planning.

Include post-secondary planning as part of 6-12 advisement program.

CURRICULUM

Implement 6-12 vertical teaming to embed College Board / ACT college readiness standards into FCS curriculum with the GPS & QCC.

Provide 6-12 professional learning for teachers in areas of vertical teaming and teaching critical thinking / problem solving strategies.

Develop process / plan for incorporating critical thinking / problem solving, academic vocabulary & reading comprehension, and student application of knowledge into all K-12 classrooms.

SAT / ACT PREP

Define academic rigor K-12 for all classrooms & content areas.

Revise & improve SAT Prep Course offered in FCS high school curriculum.

Develop district-wide process for identifying & teaching academic vocabulary K-12.

STUDENT & SCHOOL INCENTIVES

Develop district-wide scholarship & recognition program for students showing greatest improvement in SAT.

Develop programs where successful high schools students mentor & advise 6-8 students to prepare them for high school success and post-secondary planning.

Develop a classroom extra credit program rewarding students for participation in SAT Question of the Day in every core high school classroom (ELA, Math, Sci, Social Studies).

Design on-going recognition programs at all high schools for students (pep rallies, T shirts, etc.)

Design FCS “Academic Trophy” process to reward schools for achievement & improvement in SAT / ACT scores.

COMMUNICATIONS

Develop a district-wide communication plan that effectively targets our audiences:

• Students

• Parents

• School System Staff

• Community

And uses varied resources (print, electronic, mail, DVD) to reach all school system stakeholders with accurate, timely, and relevant post-secondary planning information on an ongoing basis.

Where we are going next…

Our next steps at our April 23 Task Force meeting are to:

• Finalize ideas as recommendations for BOE consideration

• Identify implementation time frame & necessary resources for our action steps

• Establish how we will measure success / effectiveness of our action steps