Due Week 6 and worth 185 points 

Review the case study below titled “Turn It Around”, in which Dr. P. De Gogy, a newly hired superintendent of a small rural school district, must develop a plan to address and correct a myriad of issues and challenges within the district.

Dr. P.De. Gogy was extremely excited to have been selected for the Superintendent’s position in the Rocky Road School District. Dr. Gogy felt that this would be a great way to give back to her community. The headlines of the local newspaper read, “Local leader comes home to help.” She was extremely flattered that they had written the story about her. What she didn’t know was that the word “help” was an understatement. Rocky Road was in the throes of several lawsuits from former staff members who claimed discrimination and from angry parents who were suing because of alleged mishandling of their children’s Special Education IEPs (Individualized Education Plans). The job on which she was about to embark would be a tough one.

When Dr. Gogy graduated high school, she was awarded a full scholarship to the State University. She then earned her master’s and doctorate from a top tier university. During this time, she taught, became a principal, and wrote several books on school reform issues in America. She visited several other countries and was a guest lecturer at many conferences and universities, both in the US and abroad. Her father is a farmer and her mother works in a chicken factory.

The Rocky Road School District is located in rural Virginia and has a student population of 2,800. There is one high school, one middle school, and two elementary schools. The average family income in the district is $28,500. Fifty-five percent of the population is Caucasian, 22% is African American, 15% is Latino, 7% is Asian and 1% identifies as “other”. Farming is the major industry in this area; however, a number of residents work for a major chicken factory. The district has an annual operating budget of approximately $100,000,000.  

During the first three months of Dr. Gogy’s tenure, she has faced teaching contract negotiations; however, the most pressing issue is that student test scores for the past three years have been sliding. The district itself did not meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)and is in Corrective Action. If Dr. Gogy and the Board don’t turn this ship around, the State has threatened take over the troubled Rocky Road School District.

Although the teachers’ contract negotiations are looking promising, several parents have pulled their children out and enrolled them in charter schools. Many of the parents who pulled their children out of the district indicated that the class sizes were too large, the school buildings were dilapidated, the teachers did not seem to care, and the principals never made time to meet with them.  Dr. Gogy signed a 5-year contract; however, turning around this district will be tough. Dr. Gogy has to present a comprehensive 3-year strategic plan to the Board of Education in three months. 

Proposal Report

Image that you are Dr. Gogy and are preparing to present the plan you have developed to the school board. Write a three to five (3-5) page proposal report in which you:

1. Determine the main challenges that the Rocky Road School District is currently facing. Develop a three (3) year plan to address these challenges. Examine the actions you will take to address each of these challenges.
2. Identify the main resources that you will need in each of the following areas in order to implement the plan – economic, social / community, political, and staffing.
3. Take a position on whether it is feasible for you to turn this school district around within the length of your five (5) year contract. Provide support and a rationale for your position.
4. Use at least four (4) peer-reviewed academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar websites do not qualify as academic resources. Peer-reviewed academic resources refer to articles and scholarly journals that are reviewed by a panel of experts or peers in the field. Review the video titled Research Starter: Finding Peer-Reviewed References for more information on obtaining peer-reviewed academic resources through your Blackboard course shell.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Develop a multi-year plan for a struggling education community.