Additionally, local teams devoted time each day of the conference to analyzing curriculum practices common to high performing school systems. This analysis is part of the process outlined by the West Virginia Framework for School System Improvement that will eventually culminate in each school system working with local education stakeholders in the writing of a five year strategic plan for the local school system.  

Each county team is part of a statewide initiative that began three years ago designed to achieve the state’s goal of bringing all children in the public school system to mastery and beyond and to close the achievement gap among the subgroups of students in the state’s schools. This year’s focus is on the elements that impact student achievement. These elements include curriculum (what is taught), instruction (how it is taught), school effectiveness (where it is taught), and parent/family support (the context in which children live).  

The county team brought home from the conference Learning Community Resource Packets on eight curriculum practices and on building a strong strategic plan. These resource packets are designed to be used with local educators for studying in a community learning setting about the different curriculum practices introduced at the conference. The team also has available to it resources for providing modules of professional development.