How Do We Set The Course

We set the course by taking action.

Rationale
 The Adventist EDGE is about innovative change that will result in measurable school improvement. To do this the Southern Union has implemented a comprehensive improvement initiative of Adventist education PreK-12 and has set the course for excellence in all areas. This initiative is aligned with the North American Division Journey to Excellence and focuses on the essential core elements that identify the high expectation of what students should know and be able to do, as well as the preferred practices that support an effective ongoing school improvement process.



Components
The Adventist EDGE initiative is made up of three subsets: the central, enabling, and supporting components. Each area focuses on specific needs. The central focuses on learning. The enabling enhances the learning process and the supporting provides professional development, administrative leadership, and resources.

God-centered

Results-oriented

Environment that is safe and nurturing

Aligned with Adventist and National Standards

Team effort

 Professional Growth
Professional development is an essential, ongoing process that creates a collaborative school environment to foster student achievement. Teachers and administrators participate in professional growth activities at regular intervals throughout the school year and intentionally provide adequate time for planning, implementing and participating in these activities.

Funding for ExcellenceThe Adventist EDGE “SMART” Fund (Schools Making A Real Transformation) will provide funds to help schools in the Southern Union Conference deliver GREAT education and achieve Adventist EDGE “School of Excellence” status over a maximum period of three years. This funding can be used for pre-approved expenditures that accelerate the progress of the schools’ continuous improvement Action Plans.

Learning 

In order to make a clear and planned change, teachers will intentionally move from the old model of instruction to new models. This involves using authentic strategies that are meaningful to students and relevant to their daily lives thereby transforming students from passive recipients of information to active participants in the learning process. No longer will they teach “to the middle”, but actively find ways to honor individual differences with lessons that are appropriate for all learners.

This is an overview of how the Adventist EDGE is setting the course. For a detailed explanation of how to implement the Adventist EDGE, go to www.adventistedge.org to purchase Adventist EDGE Handbook.