Learn - Lead - Succeed

The mission of the Iowa Falls and Alden Community School Districts is to empower all to learn, lead and succeed at high levels both locally and globally. To achieve this, we are committed to excellence in communication, accountability, decision making, effort, and teamwork. Excellence is defined as communicating effectively, being accountable for our words and actions, making sound decisions, giving maximum effort even when things are difficult, and working collaboratively to achieve goals.

Commit to excellence.

Collective Commitments (How we will get there):

IFA C.A.D.E.T. Pride (Communication, Accountabilitiy, Decision-Making, Effort, Teamwork)

Communication is based on the successful sharing of information through multiple means that include visual, digital, verbal and nonverbal interactions. The message is purposeful, clear and concise and leads to an accurate exchange of information and ideas.

Staff Commitments

• I will communicate ways that reflect tact, tone and cultural-awareness.

• I will engage in active listening.

• I will engage in meaningful, professional conversations that are solution-focused.

• I will provide feedback that leads to growth, based on clearly defined expectations.

Student Commitments

• I will engage in active listening in order to gain perspective.

• I will communicate clearly using multiple and appropriate means.

• I will convey my thoughts, feelings and frustrations in a respectful manner.

• I will communicate in a way that promotes a healthy, safe and productive environment for all learners.

Accountability is demonstrated through efficient time management, appropriate resource allocation, personal integrity and self-monitoring. Individuals and teams recognize the interconnectedness of their actions at all levels.

Staff Commitments

• I will demonstrate initiative, self-direction and personal responsibility to add value to our classrooms, our buildings, our district and the world around me.

• I will create and/or support a culture of learning that will meet the needs of every student.

• I will embrace and support the decisions made.

Student Commitments

• I will demonstrate responsible behaviors that contribute to a positive, supportive and safe environment.

• I will take responsibility for my successes and failures. (Learning Outcomes)

• I will take ownership of my actions and reactions to all situations. (Emotional Outcomes)

Decision-making utilizes critical thinking to access and analyze key information to develop solutions to complex problems. It incorporates reflective and visionary processes to guide decisions, behaviors and actions.

Staff Commitments

• I will make decisions with the district’s mission, vision and values in mind.

• I will use reflective practices to guide decisions.

• I will remove emotions and personal bias when making decisions that impact district stakeholders.

• I will use evidence of student-learning to inform and improve my practice to better meet the needs of individual students and the class as a whole. (Teacher only)

Student Commitments

• I will consider the impact of my decisions on myself and others.

• I will understand how personal values, emotions, and social pressures influence my decisions.

• I will make informed, responsible decisions.

• I will use reflective practice and feedback to improve future decisions.

Effort is giving the best of myself in all aspects of the profession. Effort includes responding and adjusting to situational needs, and changing to meet the challenges of new roles, paradigms and environments.

Staff Commitments

• I will actively engage in continuous growth cycles.

• I will persevere through all challenges.

• I will embrace a fail-fast, fail-forward mentality.

Student Commitments

• I will actively engage in the learning process.

• I will persevere through all challenges. (I will do what I can until I can do some more)

• I will learn from failures, frustrations and successes in order to grow.

• I will understand my current limitations and work to move beyond them.

Teamwork is working among and across personal and global networks to achieve common goals. Teamwork requires collaboration and personal responsibility to be a part of something that is bigger than the individual.

Staff Commitments

• I will share my strengths and encourage the strengths of others.

• I will have genuine consideration for others in an effort to find the best way, not just in having my own way.

• I will work collaboratively to establish measurable team outcomes and monitor progress of goal attainment. (Teacher only)

Student Commitments

• I will understand my strengths and the strengths of others.

• I will embrace my role and the roles of others to achieve more collectively than we could individually.

• I will have genuine consideration for others in an effort to find the best way, not just in having my own way.