School Purpose

PURPOSE

Soldotna High School exists for the purpose of educating students to become responsible and productive citizens. The cooperative efforts of the family, the school, and the community are essential for the realization of our purpose.

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of Soldotna High School is to create and to maintain an environment that ensures the opportunity for each member of the school community to reach a high level of individual, academic and vocational achievement as determined by local, state and national standards paired with employability skills. We commit to a comprehensive system of support within our school and community for all students.

Our mission statement describes the essence of what we as an educational community is seeking to achieve. We believe in the individual and the potential of each individual to achieve his or her goals. Our belief then becomes a set of expectations by which we continually assesses the effectiveness of our teaching and the learning process. We believe every component of the school community must focus on enabling all students to not only meet expectations but to reach and to surpass their potential for learning.

COMMON VISION

Our commitment to our purpose and mission is reflected in a set of core values that is emphasized and reinforced through instruction and student participation. These values are derived from our school mascot, STARS.

                                                                         STARS

Strive for excellence within the classroom, within our activity programs and throughout life.

Think critically and analytically in pursuit of knowledge.

Achieve mastery of the lessons being taught.

Respect ALL students, staff and community members.

Succeed in ALL that we do, and may our future be our brightest STAR!

TEACHING AND LEARNING

Soldotna High School engages students through a rigorous standards-based curriculum, a variety of vocational and advanced placement programs, instructional strategies based upon current research, and a comprehensive assessment program. To ensure the effectiveness of instruction, staff members are organized into Student Learning Teams (SLT) for the purpose of setting goals, planning strategies, and evaluating instruction and outcomes. Staff evaluation utilizes the Charlotte Danielson Framework for Teaching model, which stresses the need for reflection and collaboration as essential to effective instruction and productive evaluation. A comprehensive assessment program identifies individual student needs by providing vital and reliable data for curricular planning. The assessment program incorporates standardized and locally developed assessment tools, such as the Analytical Writing Assessment, that offers both summative and formative feedback to students, parents, staff, and community. These assessment programs provide the basis for data-driven decision-making and the utilization of best practices instruction for our students.