Return to Headlines

Board of Education establishes governance goals

Goal setting is a critical part of a school board's role in improving student achievement and driving efforts to improve schools. As part of its continuous process for strengthening its governance capacity, the Poughkeepsie City School District Board of Education approved its 2024-25 Board Goals at its regular meeting this past Tuesday. 

This past spring, board trustees began the process of identifying priorities and needs and developing goal categories and goal statements (See Superintendent's Brief No. 47 Vol.5). Through this process, the BOE identified four goals with measurable performance objectives that it aims to achieve before the end of the school year on June 30, 2025. 

Goal No. 1: The board will support the district’s efforts to set high expectations of student success and demonstrate improvement in student achievement.  

Objective:

  • The board will continue to support the district’s efforts to build an effective district dashboard and to use results from the dashboard to create and implement data-based improvement plans.
  • The board will review attendance, test scores, suspension, graduation and other important metrics of student success in order to support the district’s academic improvement plans for all students, including for English language learners and students with exceptionalities.   

Goal No. 2: The board will improve the effectiveness, efficiency, transparency and sustainability of governance team policies, practices and operations.  

Objective:

  • In order to ensure continuity of best practices, the board will create a board handbook and establish an orientation procedure for new board members.
  • The board will continue to refine the responsibilities, and improve the effectiveness of its committees.   
  • The board will continue to emphasize adherence to current policy while accelerating the process of reviewing and revising the PCSD Policy Manual, with the goal of reviewing at least 10 policies per regular meeting.

Goal No. 3: The board will leverage community resources for the benefit of our students by building stronger engagement with parents and the community.  

Objective:

  • In order to better engage the community, the board will take steps to increase live attendance and participation at board meetings.
  • The board will track and strive to increase board member attendance at community and district events.  
  • In order to align the district with community values and activities, the board will continue to actively participate in the Poughkeepsie Children’s Cabinet.   

Goal No. 4: The board will support the district’s efforts to implement new contracts, enhance equity, and provide for staff wellness and professional development.   

Objective:

  • The board will require the superintendent to: 1) maintain the currency of all labor contracts; 2) prioritize the principle of equity in all contract negotiations; and 3) prioritize the principle of equity in the revision of the non-represented employee policies.   
  • The board will support the superintendent’s efforts to provide for staff wellness and professional development.  

The 2024-25 Board of Education Goals document is available on the board’s website.