Okoboji Site Visit Report Released

On January 26th through the 28th, the Okoboji Community Schools went through its state accreditation visit from the Department of Education. We had a group of six members on the team and they spent time with parents, the board, staff, students and administrators making sure we are meeting the necessary guidelines as prescribed by the state. We received the final report from the team and I would like to share some of the highlights with the readers. There has been a change in that the DE now looks at several “strands” which is a change from year’s past. The entire report will be posted on the school’s website shortly if you would like to read it in its entirety.
The first strand is Vision, Mission and Goals. The line that stood out to me said, “It was evident from observation and interviewees that students continually receive messages of encouragement and support to achieve at high levels.” That says an awful lot to me as it shows that we have a caring staff that really wants our kids to succeed.

Under the second strand of Leadership, it states, “As a team, principals and the superintendent are forward-looking, thoughtful, and enthusiastic about goal setting and providing high quality educational programs.” I’m really proud of our board and administrative team and the good work that gets accomplished in each building. We all share the same vision, of making the Okoboji schools and students the best they can be.

The next strand is Collaborative Relationships and it states, “Teachers value opportunities to collaborate with other teachers.” One of the mantras we try to follow for both students and staff is that we want people to create, communicate and collaborate. I was very pleased to see that line in the report and that our teachers feel that they are getting the necessary time to work with their colleagues.

Strand four is Learning Environment and it states, “All interviewees expressed pride in the facilities. The district’s buildings and grounds were described as an asset.” To borrow a phrase from my youth – Right On! Dennis Baschke and his crew of custodians do more than an outstanding job with our buildings and grounds. Our summer list of maintenance items gets smaller each year as this hard working crew keeps everything up to date. We are very proud of our facilities.

The next strand is Curriculum and Instruction. One of the highlights states, “Flexible reading groups in the elementary school provide students with reading instruction to provide instruction at developmentally appropriate levels.” All of our teachers work very hard to bring the best instructional practices into their classrooms. The flexible reading groups is just one example of how our teachers meet the needs of all students.

Strand six is Professional Development and it states, “The district values professional development and demonstrates an ongoing commitment to the advancement of teachers’ knowledge and skills.” We all know that schools are either getting better or getting worse and that there is no status quo in education. Our teachers model the continuous improvement model by always striving to get better in their craft. Our professional development is certainly a strength of this district.

The final strand is Monitoring and Accountability. This sentence highlight reads, “Communication with parents, students, and community members is augmented through a variety of electronic tools.” It is becoming a digital world and Okoboji is utilizing this communication tool to let parents know what is happening with their children.

As you can see, these highlights certainly shine brightly on our school district and there are many more fine comments on the entire report. In fairness, there were some things that were listed as areas that we can improve upon, but everyone, including myself, can improve in some areas, so we will attack those areas with the same gusto we have on other projects and we will continue to make Okoboji schools “Leaders in Learning.” Thanks for supporting the Okoboji Community Schools!