Commitment to

Excellence and Accountability

September 10, 2008

1. Accountability: The Board of Education is committed to tying the request for levy support to educational accountability

a. We will set measurable standards for educational excellence for all students at all levels of aptitude to assure that each student is challenged to succeed to the maximum of his or her ability.

b. We will set performance standards for each program funded by the operating levy and we will regularly report on its contribution to educational excellence

c. We will convene outside panels of experts to evaluate our progress in meeting high standards and our use of best practices, and we will regularly report our progress to the community.

2. Student and Family Responsibility District 742 will expect that individual students and their families will meet their responsibility to assure that all students are prepared for school.

a. Teachers will regularly communicate to families what is expected in their classes and will provide regular and frequent information to families on student progress.

b. Where families cannot provide the necessary support, the district will link students with community provided mentoring and other resources to assure that every student has an opportunity to meet his or her individual responsibilities to prepare for school.

3. Graduation to Excellence

a. We will maintain and increase the placement of our students into challenging post high school opportunities.

i. We will maintain and increase the rate of successful placement of our students into college and other post high school educational opportunities.

ii. We will substantially increase the successful placement of “first generation,” minority and disadvantaged students into college and other post high school educational opportunities.

iii. We will maintain and increase the successful placement of students into post secondary programs of distinction.

iv. We will graduate our students ready for employment

b. We will maintain and increase the participation of our students into courses that prepare them for graduation to excellence.

c. School leadership at each school will maintain a regular dialog with families they serve to make sure that programs and services are meeting community expectations

d. We will collect reliable data on these objectives. We will develop objective standards that measure our progress towards success and regularly report our progress to the community.

4. Fiscal Accountability

a. We will continue efforts to implement financial efficiencies

b. We will convene a panel of accountants, economists and persons with business and financial management expertise to provide a progress report on our efforts to use public money wisely

c. We will make regular use of outside studies to assure that we are using best practices and regularly report our progress to the community.