Top Performing Schools & Resources
In order to help the community actively participate in the strategic planning process, we are happy to provide some links to additional information.
Lists of top performing school districts.
U.S. News & World Report – Best High Schools
http://www.usnews.com/sections/education/high-schools/
U.S.News & World Report magazine's methodology uses a three-step process with the first two steps to assess how well schools serve all their students, using state proficiency standards as the measuring benchmarks. For those schools that made it past the first two steps, a third step assesses the degree to which schools prepare students for college-level work.
Newsweek – Top
http://www.newsweek.com/id/39380
Unlike other academic rankings that consider a variety of factors, Newsweek magazine's list top-rated public high schools is narrowly focused on the number of all students at a school who take Advanced Placement and similar tests, divided by the number of graduating seniors. This year only about five percent of the approximately 27,000
Resources for analyzing and comparing school district performance and research into new curriculum concepts.
http://www.schoolmatters.com/
An independent, analytical resource for state and education leaders.
School Data Direct
http://www.schooldatadirect.org/
Comprehensive state, district & school-level data.
Battelle for Kids
http://www.battelleforkids.org/
Battelle for Kids is a national not-for-profit organization that provides strategic counsel and innovative solutions for today’s complex educational-improvement challenges.
KnowledgeWorks Foundation
Their work primarily focuses on redesigning high schools, increasing college access, enhancing workforce education, and creating a seamless education system.
Education Sector
http://www.educationsector.org/
Education Sector is an independent, non-partisan think tank committed to achieving measurable impact in education policy. Their mission is to promote changes in policy and practice that lead to improved student opportunities and outcomes.
Top Performing School Districts
It's often helpful and interesting to see how other communities approach strategic planning. Here are some examples of highly ranked school districts, representing various sizes, locations, and demographics. This is not an endorsement of any particular approach, but examples of how other top performing school districts approach the process and engage their communities.
http://www.lbusd.k12.ca.us/Main_Offices/Superintendent/Strategic_Planning/index.cfm
Brandywine School District
http://brandywineschools.org/16021011616959890/site/default.asp
Marietta City Schools,
http://www.marietta-city.k12.ga.us/aboutus/strategicplan.php
http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/strategic_planning/index.html
Beaverton School District
http://www.beavton.k12.or.us/home/departments/community-involvement/the-strategic-planning-process
Lower
http://www.lmtsd.org/145210730215452373/blank/browse.asp?A=383&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&C=55173
Pasco School District,
Learn more about the Board of Education's efforts regarding the strategic planning process
A few years ago, the school district adopted the “Learning Community Philosophy” as espoused by Richard DuFour in Professional Learning Communities at Work: Best Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement. DuFour's work outlines and demonstrates concepts for school constituencies to work collaboratively to change, redefine, and/or shape a school's mission and goals. We are not questioning any of the decisions made, at this time, but we simply want to know how we've reached this point. It's important to share critical decision-making elements such as information gathering process, selection criteria used, alternatives considered, etc.
Through this process, there are clear suggestions on how school improvement, cultural change, and curriculum development can be achieved. In discussing its approach to the learning community philosophy, our school district’s website comments, “A strategic plan, common themes, and well-defined frameworks for collaboration are important elements for success.”
NAFK leadership, as well as several other members of the community, have advocated for our school to engage in a strategic planning process. It's interesting that our school district acknowledges the importance of strategic planning, but has not made any open, clear effort in a long time. To support a renewed process and begin to address concerns heard throughout the community, New Albany for Kids has developed a community engagement plan aimed to increase transparency of the school board’s decision making process and involve residents in issues of importance to our schools.
To continue our development as an outstanding school district will require an open dialogue with the community, greater transparency of process, and important prioritization decisions. Members of NAFK’s leadership have attended every Board of Education meeting and workshop regarding the school’s discussion of strategic planning activities.
We have consistently urged school district leadership to share information in an open and timely fashion. Unfortunately, despite having attended every public meeting on the subject, we have seen very little information describing the process for how decisions are being made.
Planning the Process Expected outcomes Decision-making process Request for Proposal (RFP) External assistance
Timeline and budget
Here are some questions that we believe are an important part of a good planning process. These are questions that should be asked by both participants and stakeholders.