Palm Beach County Education Commission

Strategic Plan Update - 2005-2007

The Palm Beach County Education Commission’s overarching goal is to identify, facilitate and move forward, community agendas that support and link educational institutions, social service agencies and job preparation organizations to each other and the people they serve to support the success of children and families in Palm Beach County. As a value added organization, raising student achievement by improving all parts of Palm Beach County’s educational system, PreK-20, to provide everyone an opportunity for gainful employment and meaningful citizenship remains the guiding principle of the Palm Beach County Education Commission.

The Education Commission will continue to focus on three major goal areas:
1. Child Readiness
2. Student Achievement and Learning Environment
3. Skilled Workforce

As community and organizational leaders, Education Commission members will advocate for legislation and policy development that supports the successful implementation and sustainability of Commission goals. As issues emerge, the Education Commission may:

• Initiate solutions and take the lead in implementation
• Initiate solutions and hand off to the appropriate agency/institution
• Support other agencies/institutions in their response
• Facilitate or convene stakeholders
• Endorse positions
• Take no action

GOAL 1: Child Readiness

The Challenge

In our efforts to create a seamless education system, the Palm Beach County Education Commission will promote services for the care, support and education of children before birth and continuing through pre-kindergarten until a child enters the formal K-20 education system.

The Strategies
• Complete an academic articulation for early childhood teacher education between the School District and Palm Beach Community College. See CD2 - Career Development in Child Development
• Define a plan for academic articulation for early childhood teacher education between Palm Beach Community College and Florida Atlantic University.
• Develop a training program for Childcare Center Directors
• Implement Perry Preschool model programs at school sites with Beacon centers
• Support regional and statewide efforts to develop an articulated pathway model based on the competencies in the Pathways to Professionalism.
• Identify and find solutions to the barriers that prevent childcare workers from improving their skills and/or taking advantage of opportunities for career advancement.
• Amend Pre-Kindergarten legislation to ensure that school districts can participate in the Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) program without jeopardy.

GOAL 2: Improve Student Achievement and the
Learning Environment

The Challenge

The Palm Beach County Education Commission seeks to improve the knowledge and skills of Palm Beach County’s residents through high student achievement based on a supportive learning environment.

The Strategies

• Design a locally based, senior management leadership program.
• Implement a middle management leadership training program.
• Support teacher-training programs that provide professionals with bachelor degrees, the coursework necessary for certification and successful transition to teaching.
• Develop intra-institutional staff development opportunities through the Distance Learning Consortium.
• Support regional efforts to address the district cost differential issue.
• Support data sharing between educational institutions, social service agencies and workforce preparation organizations to increase opportunities for students and improve services.
• Encourage regional initiatives that support a seamless system of Pre-K-20 education.
• Encourage resource leveraging between education institutions and support agencies.

GOAL 3: Skilled Workforce

The Challenge

Nearly everyone in Palm Beach County works and work begins at an early age. To be realistic about the needs of the County's people, the Palm Beach County Education Commission must and will seek to prepare everyone to successfully enter the workforce, to integrate workforce preparation with the K-20 education system, to identify realistic job opportunities and to constantly and flexibly match lifelong workforce preparation with changing job opportunities.

The Strategies

• Develop high school and community college curriculum in response to information provided by business and industry.
• Refine career academy curriculum by integrating academic and technical coursework. Career Pathways Report
• Provide effective career counseling beginning in middle school and continuing through postsecondary education.
• Support new policies that would require a career and postsecondary plan for all students.
• Initiate a workplace readiness certification program for students graduating from career academies.
• Establish a high-school capstone program that includes a project related to a career.
• Advocate for adequate funding to support career and technical education courses in high schools and the community college.
• Expand the Business Development Board PACE (People Available, Committed and Employed) Teacher to Work initiative.
• Support the Workforce Alliance QE3 (Quality Education, Employment, Economic Development) initiative.