Business & Computer Science
Summary
The mission of the Pine-Richland School District is to Focus on Learning for Every Student Every Day. Within the PRSD Strategic Plan, long-term and short-term goals outlined in the Teaching and Learning category form the foundation for continuous improvement. One of the short-term goals for 2016 - 2017 was to design and pilot an in-depth program review. This initial work was conducted in the areas of Science and Health & Physical Education. For 2017 - 2018, this short-term strategic goal continued with refinements to the process implemented by the Mathematics and Business & Computer Science Departments. Further information about the purpose and process for this work is outlined in the next section.
This report outlines the process, findings, and recommendations from that work. As an organization, it is understood that the pace of change may be dependent upon the impact of that change on other aspects of the educational program. The committee utilized the action priority matrix to evaluate each recommendation and established an implementation timeline with associated cost estimates.
One key element of the in-depth program review was the establishment of a departmental philosophy and vision (Figure 1). Given the combination of two distinct content areas within this department, it is especially important for students, staff, and community to understand the major focus and progression within this discipline. The vision is captured through the following words and image above this summary:
It was determined that a single image could not accurately capture the key message for each department. The “shaking hands” image for business reinforces the career connections to this discipline while also symbolizing the transferable soft skills that are important. For computer science, the concept of “gears driving improvement” was connected to computational thinking. This image also reinforces the connection to daily life. Finally, the bridge between the two departments reinforces the importance of ethical decision-making and the connection to society. Misuse or abuse in these areas can have a negative impact on many and even the global economy.