Background and Process

District 58’s last strategic plan, developed in partnership with the community approximately 10 years ago, has served the District well.  It has been a roadmap, defining the District’s long-term priorities and direction and guiding goal-setting and decision-making.

However, there is no denying that the world has changed greatly in the past 10 years, and in 2009 the District 58 Board of Education decided it was time to work with the community to update the District’s Strategic Plan. The desire was to develop a document that reflects the changes that have taken place, while maintaining the core values and culture that make District 58 and its 13 schools such a wonderful place for children to learn and grow.

 

Consultant, Steering Committee named

In 2010, a team interviewed potential consultants who could help guide the District in creating an updated Strategic Plan. The Board of Education approved the team’s recommendation that the District work with Linda Hanson of School Exec Connect.

At a Board retreat with Hanson in April 2010, Board members outlined their expectations and goals for the strategic planning process, and defined the components they wanted it to address. Board members also decided it would be appropriate for the launch of the strategic planning process to coincide with the beginning of the 2010-11 school year, and that a steering committee would be formed to oversee and guide the process.

The members of the Steering Committee, which included administrators, teachers and community members, were selected in summer 2010, and participated in an initial planning meeting with Hanson in mid-August.

 

Community-wide survey

The first step in District 58’s strategic planning process was an online community-wide survey, as it was vital that all stakeholders be given the opportunity to help shape the District’s future.

The District communicated about the survey and the subsequent community workshop through a variety of channels, encouraging parents, residents, staffers, and members of the business community to participate. Communications methods included a letter sent home to all parents; articles in District publications and on the District website; press releases; ConnectED e-mails; Twitter; and direct contact with elected officials and local civic groups, including the Rotary Club and Chamber of Commerce.

More than 1,400 stakeholders offered their input via the survey. All 13 schools were well-represented, and the feedback was extremely positive.  According to survey respondents, top strengths of District 58 are:

  • Quality teachers
  • Reading
  • Math
  • Community support of education
  • Neighborhood school model
  • School climate/environment

They also indicated that District 58 is transparent in its work and communication, and that the amount of focus/emphasis District 58 gives to its various programs is appropriate.

Survey respondents indicated the four main target areas for future planning are:

  • Student learning (curriculum, instruction and assessment)
  • Student well-being/Social-Emotional Learning
  • Technology for teaching and learning
  • Facilities, finance, operations and maintenance

Those four areas became the focal points of the District’s day-long community engagement workshop in March 2011, in which nearly 100 stakeholders participated.

 

Community engagement workshop

The March 19 community engagement workshop at Herrick Middle School began with background presentations by District 58 staff, as well as consultant and workshop facilitator Linda Hanson. Workshop participants had chosen one of the four key areas to discuss in groups of seven or eight.

Each small group reviewed and confirmed the District’s mission and belief statements and discussed their vision for the District in that group’s particular area. To conclude the workshop, each small group reported two key findings to the group as a whole; detailed written feedback from each group was given to the District for review.

 

Feedback review, refinement of core beliefs, mission, action areas

The Strategic Plan Steering Committee met several times following the workshop to review stakeholders’ feedback. That information was used to make proposed revisions to the District’s Mission Statement and Core Beliefs, and to develop proposed areas for focus and action based on the four priorities.

The committee’s changes to the Mission Statement, Core Belief Statements and Vision Statement reflect the following underlying themes:

  • The global nature of the world in which students are learning and growing
  • The District’s emphasis on Social-Emotional Learning
  • The importance of collaboration in teaching and learning
  • The District’s child-centered focus and continued desire to challenge each child to reach his/her highest potential
  • The belief in the importance of developing lifelong learners