MISSION STATEMENT

Cottonwood Valley Charter School offers a rigorous academic program designed to meet the individual needs of each student while developing habits of success, civic responsibility, and global awareness. The school offers the community a parent-driven public school choice in which teachers, students, and parents are partners.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Goal 1. Optimize Opportunities for Student Learning

1. Limit school size to 170 students.
2. Evaluate each student's academic skill level by subject area. As a general screening process to determine needs, evaluations will be conducted as part of the school entry process. Re-evaluations will be conducted at least annually or more frequently as recommended by staff or requested by parent(s)/guardian(s).
3. Establish a Personal Learning Plan for each student. The plan will be agreed upon by the student, parent(s), and teacher(s). It will specify the student's academic goals and will delineate the responsibilities of each party in achieving those goals.
4. Group students according to skill attainment for academic subjects. Placement by skill level will be specific to each academic subject.
5. Advance students through skill-level groups based on each individual's rate of subject mastery as determined by clear, rigorous performance standards. No student may progress to a higher skill level in any given subject area until mastery of the prior level has been achieved.
6. Use emerging technologies to develop each student's set of basic skills in reading, writing, and arithmetic.
7. Employ an integrated curriculum in which a topic is explored through a variety of academic approaches and skills, e.g. a unit on oceans may require students to use the following skills in exploring the topic: math, science, geography, reading, research skills, and report development.
8. Provide real-world learning opportunities through hands-on educational experiences within the school setting and through community-based "world-as-classroom" collaboration experiences.
9. Incorporate formal foreign language training at each grade level. Spanish will be taught to all students, with a second foreign language, e.g. French, offered for those with language skills equivalent to upper-primary level.
10. Provide training in music, the arts, and physical and health education to supplement and support basic skills development.
11. Teach students to be curious and to ask questions, and then provide them the tools necessary to explore their world for answers. Encourage parents and staff to provide positive role-models for students through their own lifelong learning activities and their involvement in the school.
12. Offer after-school and weekend programs to supplement and enrich the school's program to develop well-rounded, healthy, responsible, knowledge-seeking individuals.
13. Explore the potential advantages/disadvantages of offering an extended year or flexible scheduling program.

Goal 2. Create a Positive Learning Environment

1. Provide a welcoming atmosphere for parents and community members.
2. Hold students to a high standard of behavior that stresses discipline and personal responsibility. The Discipline Policy, as set forth in the Charter and Bylaws and in the Student and Parent Handbook, will be strictly enforced.
3. Hold staff, parents, volunteers, and other visitors to these same standards of behavior both at the school site and during school-sponsored off-site activities.
4. Require staff members, and encourage others involved with the school, to provide positive role models for students in terms of behavior, attitude, language, and dedication to lifelong learning.
5. Provide a physical environment that is safe, comfortable, well-maintained, and conducive to learning.
6. Establish a school culture which fosters academic pride and positive peer support.
7. Foster a sense of personal responsibility for the school among students, parents, staff, and other community members.
8. Provide programs, e.g. mediation training, to students, parents, staff, and other interested community members as a means of positive conflict resolution and individual growth.
9. Establish a mentoring program within the school linking students with staff and/or volunteers, and younger students with older students.
10. Promote "Habits of Success" for each student in school work, attendance, punctuality, perseverance, effort, cooperation, and good citizenship.

Goal 3. Create Strong, Ongoing Bonds between the School and the Community

1. Strengthen the ties connecting the school and community for the benefit of our students and the future of our community.
2. Continue partnerships with community agencies, businesses, and organizations to assist and encourage individual students and classes to explore various academic areas and to develop their sense of civic responsibility.
3. Expand our school volunteer program to supplement staff-student interactions.
4. Establish a Community Service Program to support the civic development of students.

Goal 4. Establish Procedures for School Organization and Policy Making

1. Seek local school board waivers from local district policies as necessary to allow for innovation and flexibility. Seek waivers from the State Public Education Department regulations and certain areas of the Public School Code.
2. Operate through a separate, autonomous system of governance within the district in order to provide parents with a public-school education alternative, with a focus on the whole child and his/her individual needs, strengths, learning styles, and pace of development.
3. Employ the most promising education reform methodologies and the emerging technologies and world view of the 21st Century.
4. Utilize a Governing Council to make policy decisions. Council meetings and activities will comply with the Open Meetings Act.
5. Continue the position of School Administrator, responsible to the Governing Council, to fulfill the following roles:
   • Facilitate collaboration among the Council, staff, parents, and community
   • Make recommendations to the Council on programs, staffing, budget, and educational innovations
   • Act as liaison between the Cottonwood Valley Charter School and the State of New Mexico Public Education Department; the School's community partners; the Socorro Board of Education; the Socorro Consolidated Schools district office and school sites; and other interested local, state, and national agencies and organizations
   • Evaluate programs and ensure that all required reports are submitted on a timely basis
   • Oversee budgetary matters and grant funding activities
   • Act as disciplinary referral/resource to staff
6. Contract with staff to provide educational services to students within the philosophy and procedures of the School and with the approval of the Governing Council.
7. Submit annual written progress reports to the local school board, community and the State of New Mexico Public Education Department including such information as:
   • Student performance
   • Teaching methodologies
   • Strategies for success
   • Community involvement
   • Special projects
8. Maintain fiscal records in accordance with local, state and federal regulations and laws, and submit fiscal reports as required by state and federal mandates.

Goal 5. Enhance Professional Development

1. Recognize staff as education professionals with the knowledge and skill to act autonomously within the guidelines of State mandates and the Governing Council.
2. Provide staff the freedom to be flexible and innovative in their classrooms while being accountable to the Governing Council.
3. Develop an individual performance and development plan for staff.
4. Provide staff with adequate time and budgetary support for classroom preparation, student evaluations, and professional development.
5. Identify and/or provide training opportunities for staff in subject-matter fields and innovative methodologies.
6. Encourage staff collaboration in using multi-person, multi-techniques in evaluating students, such as standardized tests, writing samples, portfolios of progress, special projects, and review meetings including all appropriate staff members, volunteers, and parents.
7. Foster staff's individual attention to students through small class size and strict disciplinary policy.
8. Facilitate staff collaboration and a multi-disciplinary approach to student learning.

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