AGSD's Strategic Planning Process OverviewSomething successful school districts do to build support for their schools is to work closely with their communities to develop and implement a “Strategic Plan”. For the past several months, the Alaska Gateway School District has been preparing for the work that will be taking place over the next several weeks on our new strategic plan. A Strategic Plan is created by first identifying core community values, which are then used to develop and shape our vision and mission. These become the guiding principles for the goals that our schools will focus on, and defines what steps we will take to accomplish them. We want our schools to be great places for students to learn, where effective instruction intersects with each student’s own passions and interests, a place where parents support that learning. The purpose of the Strategic Plan is to get us there, informed by the values and needs of our stakeholders - parents, students, community members, and staff - all working together with a common vision. The finished Strategic Plan will serve as a guide for the District and its schools when making decisions about everything from how it will improve school climate, to what kinds of programs and initiatives will be pursued for students.
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Every school is a reflection of their community. In communities where there is support for the school, that support is reflected in positive student attitudes and values for what they are learning every day, and that support is reflected in how parents interact with with the school. Community support has a powerful impact on how well a school performs over-all. Great schools get this right, and work not only on building the support they need to be a positive place of learning, but also to be a place where community culture and values are reflected in the school on a daily basis. Building support for this takes time and work, but it is very important, and we need everyone’s help.
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The Initial 6 Focus Areas
The community and staff groups that met between November 10 and November 13 built a framework for discussion around 6 focus areas. They are currently in draft form. See the menu item above to read more about them.
1Student Engagement
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2Teacher Recruitment &
Retention |
3School Culture
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4Cultural Knowledge
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5Teaching & Learning
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6Community
Partnerships |