Overview

Transitioning to a new Superintendent can be a time of upheaval for a district. Berkeley School District 87 was no different. The new Superintendent wanted to clarify and refine the direction for the district. He wanted to ensure a process that identified a clear path and common focus for the district. Having worked with CEC in the past, he was familiar with the collaborative nature of their work and wanted to ensure maximum stakeholder voice in the district strategic planning development. Berkeley School District 87 selected CEC to help them build their new strategic plan to identify their “compass” for the next five years and realign their system to a true continuous improvement process.

This decision was made based on CEC’s reputation of not only identifying problems, but also being there every step of the way through the tough challenges. Additionally, Berkeley School District 87 has had positive past experiences with CEC spanning over six years. With this agreement, CEC aimed to help Berkeley redefine its Mission, Vision, and Core Values to narrow its focus and set a foundation for the future.

Client: Berkely School District 87
Impact Area: Continuous Improvement
Related Services: School Improvement

The Opportunity

The District created a team of Students, Parents and Community, Staff, and Board and Administration and and met to begin the exciting work of Strategic Planning. The goal was to examine stakeholder feedback, district reports and metrics, and determine the priorities for improvement of the district. Initially, Berkeley School District 87 conducted a SWOT Analysis Feedback Survey with Stakeholders to identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats to the District. The team then determined the preferred future vision for the district and identified who the district, staff and students needed to be to foster financially independent citizens. Lastly, the team identified the “pathway” to get from where they are now to where they want to be in the future. Based on these results, the individuals narrowed down five long-range goals that the district should focus on as part of their continuous improvement journey.

The individuals then created strategies to identify how the district will obtain each long-range goal, and subsequently surveyed Stakeholders to gauge whether the proposed strategic plan could be supported.

Five Identified Goals:

1. 1. Student Growth & Achievement
   2. Inclusive Learning Environment
   3. High-Quality Staff & Leadership
   4. Connected Community
   5. Equitable Resources