Strategic Plan

 I.     Terra Firma

     a.

·        Everyone is responsible and accountable for student learning

·        Discover and develop the giftedness in every child

·        Committed to high quality public education

·        Set high levels of academic achievement

·        Recruit, hire, and develop high quality staff committed to quality and improvement of all levels of the system

·        Function as an interdependent, interconnected system working together with shared purpose and direction

·        Knowledge management, relationship management, human capital management, and information management are essential skills for effective leadership

·        Assure access to high levels of learning for every child

·        Focus  all levels of school system on teaching and learning

               b.  Inverted Pyramid

II.  Guiding Principles (Development of Child)

·        Infinite potential for every child

·        High expectations inspire high achievement

·        Personalized and differentiated instruction optimize and actualize potential

·        Positive relationships motivate students to succeed

·        Children have a natural passion for learning

 III.  Vision

·        The vision of the Consolidated School District of New Britain is to promote and sustain a culture and a safe and secure learning environment that builds capacity in administrators, faculty, and parents to improve academic achievement, equipping all students with the necessary aspirations, skills, and knowledge to successfully complete college, be lifelong learners, and be productive citizens

 IV.  Mission

·        The mission of the Consolidated School District of New Britain is to provide a rigorous and relevant, high-quality research-based, data-driven education that meets the intellectual, physical, moral, and social developmental needs of every child.

V.  Systems, Conditions to Improve District (NSSE)

      A.

·        Recruit, place and professionally develop teachers to achieve the District’s vision of student learning.

·        Train all administrators and teachers in Systems Thinking to guide decisions and practices to support the District’s vision and mission.

·        Develop and implement policies and practice that support improvement efforts.

·        Allocate and deploy human, technology, financial, and material resources that support improvement efforts.

·        Collect, manage and use information to support the District’s vision of student learning.

             B.

1.  Leadership

    a.   Things we do

          1.  Align all improvement plans

          2.   Establish a Mission and Vision

          3.   Monitor and evaluate improvement plans annually

          4.   Use Systems Thinking approach

          5.   Manage change to support District vision and improvement

          6.   Read and learn continuously

2.  Policies and Practices

     a.  Things we do/have

          1.  Teacher/Administrator Evaluation Plans

          2.  Professional Development Plan

          3.  Curriculum Revision Plan

          4.  Need an Assessment Plan

          5.  Developing policies to meet needs of students and are  research-based

          6.  Small Learning Communities

          7.  Standards in Practice (SIP)

          8.  Pilot innovative programs and software

          9.  Roadmap to Learning

3.  Resources and Support System

     a.  Things we do/have:

          1.  Budget is aligned to District goal for student learning

               ( Mission & Vision)

          2.  Staff is selectively matched to support improvement efforts

          3.  Technology Plan

          4.  Textbook adoption and material selection policy

4.   Quality Teachers

      a.  Things we do:

          1.  Recruitment, hiring and retention plan

          2.  Competency-based interviewing

          3.  Relationship awareness training

          4.  Comprehensive, aligned and multi-faceted staff development

5.  Quality Information

      a.  Things we do:

          1.  Use data to establish benchmarks

          2.  Use summative and formative assessment to make adjustments

          3.  Evaluate programs

VI.    Goals and Objectives

·        Minimally, all students will reach proficiency on CMT and CAPT in reading, mathematics, writing, and science

·        All students will be college and workplace ready

·        Add a year or more of value to all students’ learning every year

·        Build capacity in the system and the subsystems to more effectively increase student achievement

·        Invest in development and optimization of human capital (emotional and cognitive)

·        Define and standardize what quality teaching and quality student work look like

·        Build a collaborative partnership between the Board of Education, Superintendent, and community leaders and parents

VII.    Theory of Action

  The Consolidated School District of New Britain’s Theory of Action is based on a few fundamental guiding principles.  At the core is the belief that the Consolidated School District of New Britain is a system, a dynamic entity, comprised of interdependent, interrelated, interacting subsystems which function together as a whole to achieve specific purposes and common goals.  Moreover, it is assumed that a system is designed to produce the results it gets.  Therefore, in order to transform the school system to one that raises academic achievement to high levels for every child, the system must be changed.

            Other assumptions that undergird our Theory of Action include:

1.  the focus should be on what we teach, how we teach and whom we teach;

2. no significant student learning occurs without significant adult learning;

3.   every child has the right and the ability to learn;

4. the quality of our system and the key to high academic achievement of every student is determined by the quality of relationships:  student to teacher, teacher to     teacher, teacher to administrator, administrator to student, student to student, Board of Education to Superintendent, support systems to students;

5. classroom learning must be the focus on all levels of the system;

6. collaborative teaming focused on teaching and learning is essential to student success;

7. the change process must be understood, guided, and managed;

8. and everyone is accountable for student learning.

            In order to facilitate and simplify the organization of the Theory of Action, the District uses frameworks from Cordell, Waters and McDonald (1993) and McREL.  They define three “domains” of school systems: the Technical Domain, the Personal Domain, and the Organizational Domain.

            The Technical Domain of a school system includes what students learn, how they are taught, and the methods that are used to assess their acquisition of new knowledge and skills.  This domain consists of “the stuff” of schooling.

            Improvement efforts that center around this domain include developing standards and benchmarks for various grade levels, aligning curricula with standards, identifying effective instructional strategies, and redesigning assessments to better measure student achievement and progress.  We consider the following components of education to be part of the “technical” domain:

·        Standards

·        Curriculum

·        Instruction

·        Assessment

The Personal Domain of a school system refers to the affective part of the system; that is, issues related to the attitudes, skills and behaviors of the people in the system.  This includes school and district leadership, professional development activities, communication, and the personal relationships among students, teachers, and administrators, as well as the culture these factors collectively create.

            Improvement efforts that revolve closely around this domain include ensuring that students and teachers view tasks as meaningful and personally relevant, that positive school and classroom climates support learning, and that students’ and teachers’ voices are heard and respected.  We consider the following components to be part of the “personal” domain:

·        Staff Development

·        Leadership & Supervision

·        Internal Communication

·        Climate & Culture

            The Organizational Domain of a school system refers to the “resources and structures of the system” in which teaching and learning occur.  Issues related to this domain include the system’s external environment (e.g., changing demographics, state mandates), stakeholders (e.g., parents, community members), resources, technology, and accountability requirements.

            Improvement efforts that relate most closely to this domain include finding ways to involve stakeholders in school improvement efforts, encouraging teachers to integrate technology into instruction, and evaluating emerging government regulations or changes in the public’s view of education (e.g., parents’ concerns about quality).  We define the following aspects of education to be part of the “organizational” domain:

·        External Environment

·        Stakeholders

·        Resource Allocation

·        Technology

·        Accountability

            Each strategic initiative will be examined through each domain’s lens by developing specific questions and tactics/actions.
 

Theory of Action

For

Student Achievement

            We believe that if we focus on these elements, that collectively represent our Theory of Action, high levels of academic achievement will occur for every child:

(T) Technical Domain                       (P) Personal Domain             (O) Organizational Domain

(T) Technical Domain

1.            Establish a comprehensive, multifaceted, and cohesive approach to enabling learning by addressing barriers to learning as a primary and essential component of school improvement. 

 

2.            Align curriculum, instruction, technology, and assessment. 

 

3.            Monitor and evaluate student progress incrementally to make adjustments and adaptations in real time.  Use assessment data to address and prevent barriers to learning and teaching. 

(P) Personal Domain

4.            Establish a district-wide focus on a shared set of instructional and learning goals by aligning and attuning Curriculum and Instruction with District mission, goals. 
 

5.            Establish a culture of continuous learning in which analyses of practices of student work and of principles of effective research-based instruction are part of the culture. 

6.            Build capacity in administration and faculty in curriculum, strategic differentiation and personalization of instruction, management (classroom, knowledge, information, and relationship), leadership, building relationships, collaborative teams, systems thinking, strategic planning, and in understanding, managing, and leading change. 

 

7.            Embrace the belief that every child needs a rigorous/relevant curriculum and every child can learn to high capacity.  Re-culture – transform the way we do things in the organization – and change culture and behavior centered around the District’s mission and vision, belief system and direction, high expectations, professional learning, and accountability. 

8.            Establish and maintain a positive climate in schools and in classrooms that facilitates learning and is supporting, caring, and nurturing. 

 

9.            Ensure every child has a meaningful relationship with an adult who is an advocate for him/her. 

 

(O) Organizational Domain

10.        Redeploy and reallocate all internal resources (finances, personnel, time, space, equipment, etc.), integrate external resources, aligning them to the District’s mission and vision and instructive goals and using them to operationalize policy and promising practices.

11.        Build strong school, parent, and community collaborations and partnerships, strengthening them in their capacity to provide supplementary support for academic and personal student development.

12.        Create structures that build and support horizontal, vertical, and cross-functional teams for the purposes of collaborative decision making. 

13.        Redesign and re-culture the system and its behaviors to create a high performing learning organization to achieve the District’s mission and vision.

       VIII.   Strategic Priorities (NSSE)

·        Ensure Desired Results

·        Improve Teaching and Learning

·        Foster a Culture for Improvement

Expectations, Behaviors and Practices

(NSSE)

Ensure Desired Results

            Simply stated, school districts ensure desired results for student learning by expecting certain results and then monitoring the District’s performance in achieving them.  Districts determine what they desire as performance results based on their expectations for student learning.  For a school district to expect and ensure certain results, it must:

·        maintain high expectations for student achievement

·        implement its vision for student learning through goals and strategies

·        maintain a relentless focus on improving student learning which permeates all levels of the District

·        be compelled by a common belief that, collectively, staff and other stakeholders can impact the desired results of the District.

            In addition, for a school district to effectively monitor performance in order to produce the results it expects, it will:

·        use data to inform decision-making about teaching and learning

·        use a comprehensive assessment system to provide feedback for improvement in instructional practices and student performance

·        use classroom-based assessments to provide robust measures of students’ academic, cognitive, and metacognitive skills

·        identify performance targets, indicators, and measures for comparing and improving effectiveness

·        take appropriate and timely action to improve areas of identified needs 

Improve Teaching and Learning

            The ultimate goal of the District is to improve teaching and learning.  Districts that support students in their learning:

·        maintain districtwide expectations for student learning that reflect academic,       cognitive, and metacognitive skills

·        deliver on the expectations for student learning through a curriculum that is         coherent and rigorous  

·        align an assessment system with curriculum which is enacted in the classroom     through instruction

·        support the equitable opportunity of students to learn through individualization    and differentiation

·        provide student support services and special programs to optimize individual      student learning

·        support a student learning community that includes student involvement beyond the classroom and that offers a safe environment

·        involve families and the community in supporting children as learners

             The District’s support for teachers and the practices that maximize teachers’ effectiveness are of equal importance to the District’s support of students.  These practices help teachers to:

·        use instructional strategies that provide students with focus, feedback, and sufficient opportunities to master skills

·        use appropriate strategies to assess the performance of students’ academic, cognitive, and metacognitive skills

·        engage learners using instruction that is adapted to the needs of learners

·        maximize the use of time for instruction

·        create a classroom environment conducive to learning

·        optimize technology and multimedia as learning tools

Foster a Culture of Improvement

            In addition to ensuring desired results and improving teaching and learning, the NSSE research indicates that a quality district must cultivate an environment which has improvement embedded in its daily practices.  The professional learning community will influence the impact of any improvement initiative.  In order to foster a culture of improvement, learning community members:

·        share a common vision and goals that have student learning as the focus

·        improve individual and collective performance by coming together regularly for learning, decision-making, problem solving, and celebration

·        enhance continuously individual effectiveness through inquiry, practice, and peer reflection

·        support a culture of collegiality, collaboration, respect, and trust

            Leaders of a professional learning community have a unique responsibility to:

·        share leadership for the improvement of teaching and learning throughout the district

·        articulate a compelling need for improvement and provide meaningful ways for the professional learning community to focus on its performance

·        engage in practices that support the ongoing improvement of teaching and learning

       IX.     Tactics/Action Plan

Ensure Desired Results

·        Maximize Teacher Effectiveness

·        Systematically use data

·        Align assessment strategies with curriculum/instruction

·        Engage parents as partners in student learning

Improve Teaching/Learning

·        Create smaller learning communities

·        Coherent and systematic delivery of learning

·        Differentiate and personalize instruction

·        Use summative and formative assessments to adjust curriculum/instruction

·        Collaborative teaming of teachers addressing student work and their professional practice

Foster Culture for Improvement

·        Celebrate successes

·        Use data to improve areas of identified needs

·        Continuously enhance the effectiveness of individuals, teams, schools, and systems

·        Identify performance targets, commanding and improving indicators, and measure for improvements in instructional practices and student performance

·        Understand, lead and manage change

X.        Tools/Resources

·        Student Information System Needs

·        Data Retrieval Plan

·        Portfolio of small learning communities

·        Coaches for Principals/Teachers

·        Rigor/Relevance books/materials

·        Professional Learning Communities/books/videos

·        Resource binders

·        Small Learning Communities

·        Transformational Change Management Guide

·        Planning Rigor/Relevance instruction

·        Meeting AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress)

·        Administrators Almanac

·        Restructure of the 9^th grade Academies through personalization

·        Administrative Council

·        Technology

·        Roadmap to Learning

·        Consultants

·        CREC

·        Resource Teachers

       XI.       Professional Development/Teachers/Administrators

·        Learning and growth initiatives

       XII.      Strategic Feedback Loops

·        Formative information for purpose of facilitating continuous improvement

·        Double-loop learning – leaders question underlying presumptions and reflect on whether the theory under which they were operating remains consistent with current evidence, observations, and experience.  Feedback, if planned, remains viable and successful

·        Single loop learning – feedback about whether a strategy is being executed according to plan

·        Process of data gathering, hypothesis testing, reflections, strategic learning, and adaptation

          - team problem-solving

          - cross-functional team

XIII.    Evaluation/Evidence

·        Determine metrics/targets

·        Key performance and content indicators (metrics that indicate success)

·        Tools and timetables to assess progress

·        Correlation of District’s activities and successes

·        Accountability for performance

     - school-by-school

     - student group-by-student group

     - subject-by-subject

     - student-by-student

·        Communications – spread results measure internally/externally

·        Measurement matrices support the definition and tracking of success in each of the specifics

·        Deciding what should be measured and tracked based on data and definitions of success

·        Outcomes – tracking indicators

·        Performance drivers – leading indicator

·        Indicator – Data Collected – Person Responsible – Evidence

·        Correlation analysis

     - evaluate success of interventions

     - key communication of results to various stakeholder groups