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Value Added Flexibility Submission

Introduction

This application aims to identify strategic initiatives at the school level, including both requests for flexibility in adhering to district policy and local programming requests.

This form allows schools to:

Request flexibility: Outline a situation where adhering to a specific district policy or state law might hinder a school's ability to effectively serve its students.

Propose a new program: Request a program your school would like to implement from the district program inventory or that is not currently offered in FCS.

In either case, schools will be asked to clearly articulate:

  • The specific challenge or opportunity they are addressing.
  • Your proposed solution, including details of the requested flexibility or the new program.  
  • The expected outcomes and positive impacts of their proposal.

Report on an active program: Provide an update on a program that is currently being implemented at your school to ensure Board approval for the program offering.

Discontinue an existing program: Share rationale for sunsetting a program that has traditionally been active at the school.

Please complete this form thoroughly and in consultation with your principal and fellow council members.

Note, all programs offered at Fulton County Schools must be board approved and require board certification every three years.

The information below was taken directly from the original Value Added Flexibility Application. 

Value Added Flexibility Form

  • Select one of the following: Submit a Programming Request or Update
  • Grade Level: Elementary
  • School: Woodland Elementary Charter

Programming Requests/Updates

Active Programs: STEM Magnet

  1. Describe the specifical goals and objectives of the program(s). How do the program(s) align with the school’s Strategic Action Plan? At Woodland Elementary, we believe every student has an idea worth investigating. Our vision is for STEM to enable all students to thrive as problem solvers who empathize, ideate, design, and engineer to bring their ideas to life. Through the duration of our certification, we are sustaining the momentum with problem-based learning lessons, showcasing our students' work, supporting and growing the culture of interdisciplinary planning and instruction. The STEM program aligns to our strategic plan in the areas of enhancing performance for all students in the area of math.

Sunsetting Programs: N/A

New Programs: STEM Magnet

  1. What need or challenge would this program address at your school? Describe the problem and how you became aware that it needed to be addressed. Woodland ES has a very diverse population of students, both in academic abilities and programming. WES has designed and planned an instructional model that ensures 100% of our student body receives STEM-based instruction every day.

  2. Why do you this program would be successful at your school? Include any research/evidence that leads you to believe that the program will accomplish the school's need. The model for instruction, professional development, and supports allow the vision for our STEM program to be sustained regardless of the staff turnover and student mobility rate. Over the past three and a half years, we have tracked trends in our students' iReady math data and science interim results. We have grown our community partners and experts who support the various grade level driving problems explored through the design thinking process.

  3. How does this program align with your School Action Plan? Draw connections between the proposed solution and the needs of your school and/or community. As we have worked to turn data into information and information into insight, we have seen the connections between students' achievement and unit assessment performance, attendance and discipline, as well as a reduction in the staff turnover. Our student productions yield technology integration, rigor and relevance, and investigative research.

  4. What steps will you take to implement this program? Include any resources, required training/professional development and/or additional implications associated with the proposal. The success of our STEM program comes with the allocation of a STEM teacher, STEM coordinator, on-going professional development, and materials and resources to support student exploration and inquiring regarding the world around them. Over the past three years, our PTO and community partners have supported our programming with annual resources up to but not limited to $15,000-$20,000. This amount does not include the funding for the STEM teacher, coordinator and professional development.

Zone Superintendent Review

  • Zone Superintendent Decision: Approve
  • Comments: Woodland has an already thriving STEM program and would benefit from being named an official STEM magnet by the board.

Public Comment

Public comment for the Value Added Flexibility Submission is due December 3, 2024, at 7:30am.