The Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified School District is currently implementing a district-wide instructional improvement initiative entitled the ABCs of School Improvement based on information gained from studying successful schools and investigating research on school effectiveness.

With the assistance of the District Assistance and Intervention Team (DAIT), COJUSD has developed a new District Improvement Plan to implement their recommendations. By using the following simple building blocks, school improvement is as easy as  A -B - C 

Align Curriculum and Resources

• The District's fiscal policies and resource allocation plan will align with instructional goals.
• Staff development will be tightly aligned to directly support teaching and learning.
• Course offerings will be aligned to provide students with equitable access to quality instruction through deep implementation of content standards.
• Assessments will be curriculum-embedded to align with and guide instruction

Build Human Capacity at All Levels

• All teachers and administrators will be provided high quality professional development that directly supports teaching and learning of essential content standards.
• Staffs will collaborate on high leverage, powerful instructional strategies that support teaching and learning.
• Content Specialists will assist and coach other teachers in the classroom on an on-going basis.

Create a System for Continuous Improvement

• Data and feedback will be collected on both student learning outcomes and teacher practice to drive decision-making.
• Teachers will use assessment results to revise and refine their teaching.
• The district and schools will regularly schedule inquiry meetings to work as a team in analyzing student results on formative assessments to inform future action.

The Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified School District staff will accelerate student learning by

• aligning curriculum and resources,
• building human capacity at all levels, and
• creating a system for continuous improvement

to ensure that all students will graduate meeting eligibility requirements for college or university enrollment.

Long Term

• By June 2014, all students will score at the proficient or advanced level on state tests.

Short Term

• By June 2009, all COJUSD schools will meet "safe harbor" by increasing student proficiency by 10% for all numerically significant student populations as measured by state-mandated assessments.
• By June 2010, student proficiency will increase by 15% as measured by state-mandated assessments