Guidelines for Developing a School Strategic Plan
Before her current role as a school psychologist with Cumberland Therapies, longtime school administrator Rebecca Lowry, PhD, served as the superintendent of Westmoreland County Public Schools. As such, Dr. Rebecca Lowry helped draft and implement the district’s strategic plan.
Developing a strategic plan for a school district is a complex task often undertaken by a superintendent or school board head. Below are some strategies for drafting an effective plan:
- Draft the vision last. Though it may seem counterintuitive, it is more effective to articulate a school or districtwide vision and mission after reviewing how the school system is performing and any areas that need improvement. This way, the vision and mission statements can specifically address the challenges and objectives.
- Set goals. Once the school’s weaknesses and strengths have been identified, they can be used as a springboard to establish specific, measurable goals that can be achieved within the timeframe of the strategic plan. Some common goals include further integrating technology into the curriculum and raising student test scores.
- Work with the board. Before beginning the process, it is crucial to confer with other members of the board to ensure that any drastic changes will have strong support. Otherwise, key features of the plan may be rejected and can make passing any type of plan very difficult.
Developing a strategic plan for a school district is a complex task often undertaken by a superintendent or school board head. Below are some strategies for drafting an effective plan:
- Draft the vision last. Though it may seem counterintuitive, it is more effective to articulate a school or districtwide vision and mission after reviewing how the school system is performing and any areas that need improvement. This way, the vision and mission statements can specifically address the challenges and objectives.
- Set goals. Once the school’s weaknesses and strengths have been identified, they can be used as a springboard to establish specific, measurable goals that can be achieved within the timeframe of the strategic plan. Some common goals include further integrating technology into the curriculum and raising student test scores.
- Work with the board. Before beginning the process, it is crucial to confer with other members of the board to ensure that any drastic changes will have strong support. Otherwise, key features of the plan may be rejected and can make passing any type of plan very difficult.
