Effective Strategic Planning

To be an effective leader, one needs to set not only the end result but the course involved to get there. One way to set the course and the ultimate destination is to use the process of strategic planning. Strategic planning, when done correctly, necessitates making decisions that will ensure the district's ability to successfully respond to changes, focus on specific goals and plan for sustainable financial and educational viability.

As superintendent, I have had the experience of both leading strategic planning initiatives and also using professional organizations to assist our efforts. One key and fundamental component in making the strategic planning process work effectively is to include all major stakeholders within the school district. Those stakeholders include the Board of Education, staff
The use of all types of data that the district creates is an effective way to accomplish this goal. If student achievement is our goal, the use of student assessments could be used to determine a starting point for growth. If upgrading school district facilities are a concern, starting with the data compiled by the long-range facility plan could be used to determine deficiencies and where things need to be improved upon. Whatever the case, using various types of data is essential in setting the course for an effective strategic planning process.

Strategic planning involves defining a mission, developing goals, and creating an action plan which must be readily available to everyone. This plan contains strategies to attain the district's goals along with assessment criteria and chairpersons for each goal. I have used a dashboard to chart growth and movement toward attaining the goals of the action plan. The action plan will be revisited throughout the year to ensure alignment and that the cycle is repeat on an annual