Improving Education


Fiscal Year 2013 City Budget Process


Underway The City Budget process begins


nearly twelve months before the actual start of the budget year, which runs from July 1st


through June 30th


following year. for:


of the This process provides


■ A substantial degree of citizen input


■ Formal direction from elected officials


■ Preparation of the proposed budget by City staff


■ Final decision and adoption by the elected City Council


The FY2013 City budget meetings


at City Hall are open to the public. Citizens are welcome to attend.


■ Monday, February 7:00 p.m. set


13, 2012, Maximum budget


■ Monday, February 27, 2012, 7:00 p.m.


Final Adoption of budget Public Hearing & Have you noticed school buses in your neighborhood later on Tuesday mornings


or earlier on Wednesday afternoons? The Cedar Falls Community School District has implemented a new professional development process for educators this year called Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). A PLC is an ongoing process where educators work together to systematically achieve better results for the students they serve. Much of this work will be done during Tuesday late starts for the high school and junior highs and on Wednesday early release times for elementary schools.


Do we need to change?


While it’s true that we have great schools and high achieving students in Cedar Falls, it’s a fact that student achievement in Iowa has remained flat compared to other states and countries. Consider this: in 1992 no state scored higher than Iowa on the National Assessment of Educational Progress in fourth grade. By 2009, 13 states scored significantly higher.


How will PLCs benefit students?


■ PLCs are focused on a commitment to the learning of each student. Not a focus on ensuring that children are taught- rather each student learns essential knowledge, skills and character.


■ PLCs are a collaborative process. It


that


front of a classroom teaching are not working. However, in the countries where the greatest educational gains have been made, teachers are provided with regularly scheduled time during the day for collaborative work aimed at student learning.


is a uniquely American belief teachers who are not in


■ PLCs have a results orientation. All the efforts of the PLC process must be evaluated on the basis of student learning rather than good intentions. Teams are focused on 4 critical questions to guide their work. 1. What is it we want our students to learn?


2. How will we know if each student has learned?


3. How will we respond when some students learn?


don’t


4. How can we extend and enrich the learning for students who have demonstrated proficiency?


Look for updated information regarding the PLC process at www.cfschools.org. www.CedarFalls.com Winter 2012 | 5


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