Woodward (OK) Public Schools

Woodward, OK
United States

Woodward (OK) Public Schools, located in Northwest Oklahoma, is seeking a superintendent to lead an outstanding district of 2,511 students.

The district believes that Woodward Boomers will become lifelong learners with a pioneer spirt – cooperative, productive, responsible and ready for the future.

The Woodward Board of Education has partnered with the Oklahoma State School Boards Association to conduct this important search. To learn more about Woodward Public Schools and the community of Woodward or to apply for the position, please visit ossba.org/woodward.

District Points of Pride include:

Staff and Students: The Woodward School District has an incredible staff of dedicated teachers and support personnel. Our students are a melting pot of diverse backgrounds, interests and talents. There is a sense of community that unites the entire district and creates an atmosphere where students are meant to thrive.

TAP: The Technical Applications Program (TAP) was established to introduce middle and high school students to numerous careers and trades through hands-on learning programs. This unique and innovative program was conceived and developed as a result of the partnerships created between the Woodward Administration team and High Plains Technology Center (HPTC). The TAP campus is located at the Middle School, and the TAP classes are taught by HPTC staff. TAP introduces students to careers via hands-on skill-based experiences and opens minds to unrealized post-secondary opportunities. Since the inception of this program approximately six years ago, disciplinary infractions have decreased, truancies have decreased and ACT scores have increased. This is a hugely successful program that serves as a blueprint for other schools, having received both state and national attention.

BOOMER ExSTREAM: This program was initiated and developed a few years ago with a very generous donation of $100,000 by a long-time avid Woodward Public Schools supporter. With this donation, WPS launched the ExSTREAM program, an after-school program focusing on hands-on activities related to science, technology, reading, engineering, arts and math (STREAM). Snacks are provided and the staff assists the students with homework assignments as needed. Since the initial launch of this very successful and effective program, the district has been awarded two $1.3 million 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants to help ensure its continued sustainability.

PLC: Several years ago, Woodward Schools adopted the concept of becoming a Professional Learning Community (PLC) school system. This concept encourages teachers to work collaboratively. Each Monday, the entire district releases students an hour early to carve out PLC time for teachers to meet and plan together looking at student data, curriculum and the roadmap of where students are and where the teachers need take them. Also, new teachers are paired with a mentor for guidance during their first year of teaching.

COPE: The COPE (Community Outreach Prevention and Education) program is possible through the partnership between Woodward Public Schools (WPS) and Western Plains Youth and Family Services. Traditionally, when a student is suspended from school for a major violation, they are most often sent home to an environment that only exacerbates what issues they are already personally dealing with. The COPE program allows these students to spend their school day away from their home environment receiving not only academic help but also being fed, being taught life and study skills and receiving counseling services.

AWARE: Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resilience in Education) is a five-year, multi-million dollar federally funded grant that provides structure through MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support). This program helps strengthen relationships between the school and local providers and also helps the students develop positive mental health strategies. Project AWARE has allowed us to hire two full-time counselors whose sole job is to work with troubled students, but another major effect is the outstanding professional development that it provides for our staff. Project AWARE has given Tier 2 and Tier 3 supports to students such as on-staff Therapeutic Counseling, Restorative Practices and SEL Curriculums in the schools. The staff has had access to top notch training in trauma and the restorative classroom as well.