Page 38 - Kingsport City Calendar

KEY
INITIATIVES
Advanced Placement (AP):
Kingsport City Schools and Dobyns-Bennett High School continue to make great progress in their focus on high levels of
student achievement in rigorous coursework, as demonstrated by consistent gains in AP testing. Kingsport City Schools
was named to the 2014 College Board’s 5th Annual AP® District Honor Roll as one of only eight districts identified for this
honor in the state of Tennessee.
KCS and D-B have also continued to make other astounding gains with AP testing. The system increased the number of AP
exams administered in 2014 by 111 tests to a new high of 755 exams. This was an increase of almost 200 exams within the
last five years and over 150 exams within the last three years. Kingsport City Schools also tracks the number of students
participating in AP testing. This data shows the same pattern of progress with an 83 student count increase from 2013, for
a total of 422 students. This number has increased by over 100 students within the last three years. Finally, Kingsport City
Schools also measures the percent of students scoring a three or higher on the test. There was an increase of 39 students
within this band from the previous year, totaling 297 students in 2014. 70.4 percent of Dobyns-Bennett High School students
scored a three or higher on the 2014 administration of the AP test.
Strategic Plan
Kingsport City Schools annually revises its strategic plan utilizing a detailed process and review cycle.The plan is comprised of The newest communication tool utilized to promote students and staff is theWeAreKCS.com blog that paints a more complete
five goals with corresponding short and long-term targets that accompany each goal.The five KCS goals are:
• Goal One: Deliver world-class curriculum and instruction.
• GoalTwo: Provide committed and innovative educators.
• GoalThree: Furnish safe, appropriate, and well-maintained facilities that support teaching and learning.
• Goal Four: Ensure business operations effectively support teaching and learning.
• Goal Five: Engage families and the community.
The Kingsport City Schools Strategic Plan also measures and reviews the system’s progress from the previous year. The KCS
Strategic Plan was approved by the Kingsport Board of Education on December 3, 2015 and can be viewed at www.k12k.com.
Innovation Rubric
Innovation is adopting an idea, process, technology, or educational model that is either new or new to its proposed
application.The desired outcome of innovation is a breakthrough change in results, products, or process. Innovation benefits
from a supportive environment, a process for identifying strategic opportunities, and a willingness to pursue intelligent risks.
To simplify, innovation can be defined by the equation: INNOVATION = NEED + CREATIVE THINKING.
To help encourage and support innovative habits of mind, KCS has developed an“Innovation Rubric©.”This rubric helps focus
and measure ideas to ensure alignment to the system’s GuidingTenets and provides a structure to help decide if a new idea is
appropriate and should be pursued.
Kingsport City Schools continues to pursue innovative ideas in an effort to provide all students with a world-class and
student-focused education that ensures college and career readiness. Kingsport City Schools annually reviews and updates
its Innovation Rubric©, which was copyrighted in 2014.The system is currently developing an innovation tool and program to
assist staff in thinking through the innovation process. Kingsport City Schools plans to release the new innovation tool by the
end of the 2015-16 school year.
District Communications
The Kingsport City Schools Communications Department serves as a liaison between the community and the school district
through internal and external communications, media relations, special events, a radio station, video production, and an
online presence via website and social media platforms.
The department strives to maintain effective and efficient communication with all students, families, staff and the community.
KCS knows the importance and need of sharing news, events and information. However, in a district of over 8,500 students
and staff members, there are also many amazing stories of achievement and accomplishment to tell. The goal of the KCS
Communications Department is to share that message with all system stakeholders and the broader community, highlighting
the ways students and staff are striving to learn, grow, and become world class in all that they do.
Social media platforms are used as a primary source to share these stories. The district has a Facebook page, Twitter account,
YouTube Channel and blog. In addition, each school utilizes their own Twitter account. In January 2014, the district had
approximately 4,700 social media followers, which grew to over 7,600 by January 2015.
picture of Kingsport City Schools. This venture goes beyond the headlines and explores what is happening in the classrooms,
schools and community – truly shining a spotlight on all that is great in the district.
In addition, WCSK Radio 90.3 FM The Voice of Kingsport City Schools has remained a constant hallmark initiative of the
department, as a non-commercial and educational radio station in Kingsport since it first aired in 1979. The stereo signal
serves Kingsport and portions of Sullivan, Hawkins, Washington, Greene, Carter and Scott counties. Housed on the campus
of Dobyns-Bennett High School, there is one full-time KCS radio manager and approximately 35 student DJs in the D-B Radio
Club. Podcasts of recent interviews, school events and concerts are all available online, as well as a listing of the weekday and
weekend programs.WCSK Radio 90.3 FM is a true jewel of the district.
For information on the KCS Communications Department including informational resources, resources for parents and
community members and/or for faculty and staff, visit www.k12k.com – About KCS, Departments – Communications
Department. Follow us; we’re social!