Reasonable Interpretations
All students will demonstrate the aptitude, attitude, and skills to lead responsible, fulfilling, and respectful lives. Working in partnership with school and family, students will:
Each student will demonstrate the ability to work with others and develop relationships through effective communication, cooperation, negotiation, honesty, and ethical behavior. These essential life skills will be woven into each student’s school experience in content areas such as English, social studies, health, and physical education. In addition, the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) K-12 Developmental School Counseling Curriculum will be used to teach students the desired skills. A student who successfully completes the rigorous FCPS curriculum will possess the essential knowledge to effectively participate in a diverse global society. However, knowledge alone is not enough. Through individual and group projects, student learning plans, and behavior, each student will effectively use and demonstrate essential life skills knowledge, allowing him or her to succeed in 21st century personal, workplace, and community environments.
Further, essential life skills will be part of the FCPS definition of successful performance at transitional times, or passages, during elementary, middle, and high school years. The passage performance expectations will include opportunities for each student to reflect on his or her life skills, identify strengths, passions, and interests and, with input from family and school staff, set age-appropriate goals.
Working in partnership with school and family means that together with his or her family and a school staff member, each student will develop a student learning plan that includes selected essential life skills goals. Beginning in elementary school, students will explore their personal strengths and developing intrapersonal and interpersonal skills. In middle school and high school, students’ learning plans will show a connection among academic, citizenship, and life goals and future career and/or post-secondary plans.
2.1 Demonstrate honesty, responsibility, and leadership.-
2.1.1 Model honest and ethical behavior.
2.1.2 Take responsibility for their actions.
2.1.3 Keep their promises and commitments.
2.1.4 Respect people, property, and authority.
2.1.5 Protect others’ health and safety.
2.1.6 Show respect and understanding for the interests and opinions of others.
2.1.7 Be capable of placing their own self-interests in perspective with the interests of others.
Demonstrate honesty, responsibility, and leadership means students will be truthful, follow through on promises and goals; follow class, school and community rules and laws; govern themselves; accept responsibility for actions; and assume leadership roles in school and the community. They will show consideration for the rights and belongings of others, take care of personal belongings, and respect those in authority. Students will assist, protect, and support others as needed and understand bullying behaviors and the negative impact of those behaviors on others. Students will advocate for their personal interests, ideas, and needs and balance self-interests for the common good.
2.2 Work effectively within a group dynamic.
To work effectively within a group dynamic means students will demonstrate the following group process skills:
- active communication
- organization
- planning
- negotiation
- compromise
- consensus building
In addition, students will demonstrate the ability to focus on group goals, respect multiple points of view, clearly express their own opinions and ideas, and assume leadership roles.
2.3 Develop the resilience and self-confidence required to deal effectively with life’s challenges.
Develop self-confidence means students will learn to assess personal strengths and abilities, problem solve to follow a course of action, identify resources, and learn how to access those resources. Students will also critically reflect upon past experiences of success and failure to improve performance or outcomes and to adapt to change. Resilience means students will be able to persist in the face of adverse circumstances or setbacks and demonstrate willingness to try again despite adverse circumstances or incomplete results.
2.4 Possess the skills to manage and resolve conflict.
Possess the skills to manage and resolve conflict means that students understand others’ points of view, make responsible choices, recognize alternative responses to a problem, and communicate effectively to manage and resolve conflict. In conflict situations, students will work effectively with people to facilitate positive outcomes.
2.5 Be inspired to learn throughout life.
To be inspired to learn throughout life means students will be instilled with a desire for lifelong learning, developing the attitudes and skills to learn for themselves within a wide variety of contexts, including the school, the family, the community, and the workplace. Students will become self-directed in pursuit of knowledge and recognize their personal strengths, passions, and interests and that these strengths, passions, and interests can change and vary throughout life. To foster passion and enthusiasm for lifelong learning, students will plan and assess their own learning, explore new ideas and interests, and determine what they need to know to meet personal goals.
2.6 Courageously identify and pursue their personal goals.
Courageously identify and pursue their personal goals means that students will develop long-term, short-term, and “stretch” goals that match current interests and develop specific strategies to achieve those goals.
2.7 Develop practical life skills including but not limited to:
2.7.1 Problem solving/critical thinking.
2.7.2 Work habits.
2.7.3 Financial competency.
2.7.4 Self-sufficiency.
2.7.5 Time management.
Practical life skills prepare students to plan and manage their own lives. Problem solving means that students will gather and analyze data, take action, and evaluate results. Work habits means that students will demonstrate the behaviors necessary for success in school, higher education, and the workplace. Further, students will develop financial competency, including the skills to determine financial goals, create and maintain a budget, balance a checkbook, understand credit and the cost of borrowing, and understand the mechanics of earning and saving. Self-sufficiency means that students will be prepared to lead productive, independent lives.
2.8 Make healthy and safe life choices.
Make healthy and safe life choices means that students will practice healthy nutrition and hygiene and understand the benefits of life-long physical activity and personal wellness. Students will avoid harmful or illegal substances and understand the need for safe driving practices. Additionally, students will learn to make safe choices in social situations and in their personal relationships.
Indicators
October 23, 2008- Goal 2. Essential Life Skills
Monitoring Reports
The Board has established an annual calendar and work plan for its work, which includes scheduled monitoring throughout the year of each stated student goal, and scheduled monitoring of each operational expectation. The Superintendent will provide thorough and detailed monitoring reports as prescribed in the annual calendar. The Board will respond to each monitoring report indicating one of the following: 1.) acceptance of the report as evidence of satisfactory performance; or 2.) expectation for improvement based on the conclusion of a majority of the Board.
April 2, 2009 - Goal 2. Essential Life Skills