DCPS Strategic Planning Process

Strategic Planning Process 2024

Overview

Our strategic plan will accelerate student outcomes, optimize resource allocation, and strengthen our partnerships with the DCPS community.

By listening deeply to all stakeholders, embracing a sense of possibility, studying evidence-based practices, and focusing on continuous improvement, we will chart an actionorientated course that prepares our students for success in school and equips them with the skills, knowledge, and values to thrive in an ever-changing world.

At its core, this strategic planning process is a collaborative endeavor that brings together educators, administrators, students, parents, and community members from across the district. Our plan will resonate with and motivate stakeholders from across the district. By leveraging our collective wisdom and experiences we will co-create a roadmap that reflects DCPS’ unique strengths, challenges, and aspirations and will lead to meaningful change.

Now is the Time

Now is the ideal time to initiate a comprehensive strategic planning process. The process will:

Provide the new superintendent with a thorough quantitative and qualitative analysis of the current state of DCPS.

Allow the new superintendent to guide the process that creates DCPS’ future.

Create strategic priorities that are developed from a methodologically sophisticated analysis and are aligned to Blueprint.

Develop a framework and process for resource allocation that are aligned to strategic priorities.

Leverage the Strategic Facilitator’s vast expertise and deep familiarity with DCPS.

Key Dates

June 6

Strategic Planning Begins.

June 18 Board Retreat.

September SWOT Analysis Completed.

October 5-Year Student Outcome Statement Completed.

December Strategic Initiatives Completed.

April Aligned Action Plans Completed.

May

Strategic Plan Completed.

Roles and Resposibilities

The Supervisor of Strategic Initiatives and Strategic Facilitator will:

- Design and facilitate all stakeholder and Steering Committee meetings and report findings to the Executive Team.

- Collect and analyze all data during the Discovery period and present data to the Executive Team.

- Design and lead a collaborative process with Pillar leads to assess the success and challenges of major workstreams aligned to the Blueprint.

- Design and lead a process for strategic resource allocation.

- Ensure all deliverables align to current DCPS initiatives, Blueprint work, and MSDE deliverables.

- Design and lead a process for continuous improvement and district-wide communication.

- Provide bi-weekly updates to the Executive Team.

The Superintendent will:

- Keep the Board of Education updated on all strategic planning processes.

- Provide strategic direction.

- Provide oversight and leadership of work across pillars.

Steering Committee Executive Team Board

The Executive Team (Pillar Leads):

- Engage and inform their teams and relevant stakeholders as needed.

- Collaborate with the Supervisor of Strategic Initiatives and Strategic Facilitator on a comprehensive assessment of the major workstreams aligned to the Blueprint.

- Engage their teams in goal setting, budget prioritization, risk assessment, and dependency identification.

- Lead their teams in creating strategies and actions aligned to strategic priorities.

Steering Committee (8-10 members):

- Provide oversite of the process.

- Offer feedback and recommendations to the Executive Team.

- Report back to their constituencies as needed.

Description of the Phases

Kickoff

May – June

Input

Collaborative multi-stakeholder meetings.

- The Supervisor of Strategic Initiatives and Strategic Facilitator will lead a design meeting with the Executive Team.

- Introductory conversations with stakeholders.

- Kickoff meetings across the district.

Deliverables

- Materials for Kick Off meetings.

- Branded collateral describing the process.

- Collateral for website.

Discovery

May – August

Input

The Supervisor of Strategic Initiatives and Strategic Facilitator will utilize the following methods to garner feedback from students, families, teachers, administrators, non-teaching staff, paraprofessionals, community members, and central office staff:

- Survey.

- Interviews.

- Focus groups.

- Classroom visits.

- Shadow students.

- Forums/town halls.

The Supervisor of Strategic Initiatives and Strategic Facilitator will work with Pillar Leads to assess major workstreams aligned to the Blueprint, identifying:

- Major strategies and initiatives.

- Strengths of strategies and action plans.

- Challenges of strategies and action plans.

Deliverables

- SWOT analysis.

Visioning

September – October

Input

Collaborative multi-stakeholder meetings.

- The Supervisor of Strategic Initiatives and Strategic Facilitator will design and facilitate at least five design sessions with various stakeholder groups (we will meet groups at locations and times that are aligned to their needs).

- The Supervisor of Strategic Initiatives and Strategic Facilitator will design and facilitate one meeting with each of the Steering Committee and the Executive Team.

- Pillar Leads will meet with their teams to inform them of the process.

Deliverables

- Mission, Vision, and values statement.

- 5-Year student outcome statement.

Goal Setting

October – December

Input

Collaborative multi-stakeholder meetings.

- The Supervisor of Strategic Initiatives and Strategic Facilitator will design and facilitate at least five design sessions with various stakeholder groups (there will be an emphasis on garnering feedback from central office and school-based personnel).

- The Supervisor of Strategic Initiatives and Strategic Facilitator will design and facilitate two meetings with each the Steering Committee and the Executive Team.

- The Executive Team (Pillar Leads) will engage their teams in goal setting, budget prioritization, risk assessment, and dependency identification.

Action Planning

January – April

Deliverables

All deliverables will align to current DCPS initiatives, Blueprint work and MSDE requirements.

- Strategic priorities.

- Strategic resource allocation decision making framework.

- Measures of success.

- Risks and dependencies.

- Action planning design process.

Input

Collaborative multi-stakeholder meetings.

- The Supervisor of Strategic Initiatives and Strategic Facilitator will design and facilitate at least three design sessions with various stakeholder groups (there will be an emphasis on working meetings between and with functional units).

- The Supervisor of Strategic Initiatives and Strategic Facilitator will design and facilitate three meetings with each of the Steering Committee and the Executive Team.

- The Supervisor of Strategic Initiatives and Strategic Facilitator will design and facilitate a (1) full-day workshop with the Executive Team.

- The Executive Team (Pillar Leads) will lead their teams in creating strategies and actions aligned to strategic priorities.

Deliverables

- Strategies, key activities, and success outcomes aligned to strategic priorities areas.

- Strategic resource allocation decisions aligned to strategic priorities.

Description of the Phases

Adjusting and Communicating May

Input

Collaborative multi-stakeholder meetings.

- The Supervisor of Strategic Initiatives and Strategic Facilitator will design and facilitate one meeting each with the Steering Committee and the Executive Team.

- The Supervisor of Strategic Initiatives and Strategic Facilitator will design and facilitate informational meetings across stakeholder groups.

Deliverables

- Continuous improvement plan.

- Communication plan.