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BELMONT -- Union Local School District leaders heard from state-approved evaluators Thursday about the district's progress and areas that have room for improvement.
Union Local was one of eight districts in the state chosen as a pilot program for an educational "audit" or "snapshot in time" of last school year's data as well as test scores from previous years to better establish the district's strengths, room for growth and possible next steps.
Peter Leida, partnership manager, and Tarik White, liaison of the Insight Education Group, a contracted company, said the performance review included conferring with teachers and school leaders, touching on domains such as curriculum, instruction and learning, and what they should look like. They said the on-site reviews were smooth and effective.
In terms of bright spots, they said Union Local's strengths include strong retention of teachers, which they noted is not common among many school districts in the country. They recognized a strong commitment to the district from the staff. Other strengths are the partnerships the district has made with other entities and how the district is using its assets with a goal of long-term improvement for the students.
Superintendent Zac Shutler noted this was a strength to build on.
"We do have a good culture. We want to improve that culture, but it's a strong culture. People don't leave, they stay, and that gives us an opportunity to grow and develop them to be the best for their students," he said.
Leida also listed areas that have room for growth. These include a need for more coaching, organizational coherence and shared decision-making. This involves classroom visitations and consistent messages being shared with teachers and students to drive maximum performance.
Leida noted the district already has taken some steps that align with these growth opportunities, such as coaching. He added that evaluators will come back in six months and observe how the district has continued to progress.
Shutler thanked the organization and commended the representatives' professionalism during the review.
"If we want to coach our staff, we have to coach more ourselves," he said. "I was pleased to see the term 'coaching' come up. I think it's something that's relatively new here. I know we talk about buzz words and things that are in vogue, but coaching is about helping our teachers develop, it's about our teachers helping our students develop, and as administrators, we're tasked with helping our teachers and staff develop."
Leida noted the value of building a "culture of coaching."
Board member Shaun Roe agreed.
"I read the report and realized when talking with Dr. Shutler and the administrative team, a lot of the changes that were recommended were changes that we were taking steps toward, so this kind of solidified the areas that we, I think, identified," Roe said. "To help with the implementation will be certainly valuable."
Shutler spoke further after the meeting.
"I was really pleased that the things that we've been working on coordinated well with what the state saw when they came in. I'm excited to work with my administrative team. I'm excited to work with our teachers and attack these issues that need improved for the betterment of our students," he said. "I'm excited for the energy we have going into this school year."
Shutler added that he sees value in coaching in providing a different view of a situation and how to be more effective in the classroom.
"It's helping people be the best version of themselves," he said. "Our test scores needed improvement and work. We've been striving to do that. They came in to see how they could assist, and we're trying to be as proactive as we can. ... The areas that are opportunities for growth are legitimate, and we need to continue growing."
The board also went into a closed-door session for more than two hours to consider the purchase of property for public purposes. No action was taken. Shutler said there was a "right of way issue" involved but declined further comment.
The board set a special meeting for 7:30 p.m. Aug. 28 for the retirement and rehiring of Lisa Marple, high school art teacher.