ilpex award for excellence...

Join a Class of Distinction

2018 ILPEx Award for Excellence

Application

ILPEx Recognition Program

1501 W. Bradley Ave, Jobst 428

Peoria, IL 61625

2018 ILPEx Quality Award

Application

Meridian CUSD 223

207 W. Main St.

Stillman Valley, IL 61084

Dr. PJ Caposey

Superintendent of Schools

Contact Information for Senior Leaders in Org. Chart

Name Cell Phone Position

John Finley 815.979.0421 Buildings and Grounds Director

Shawn Gadow 815.441.3604 Technology Director

Jen Hagemann 815.509.5840 Transportation Co-Director

Perky Ruggeberg 815.978.4846 Transportaiton Co-Director

Heather Alderks 815.978.8286 Activities Director

PJ Caposey 815.980.0310 Superintendent

Leslie Showers 815.978.0945 HS principal

Jeff Voltz 815.721.1868 HS assistant principal

Jill Davis 815.519.0989 JH principal

Sarah Hogan 815.218.2088 El Ed principal

Mike Coulahan 815.218.7372 El Ed principal

Joe Mullikin 815.905.4801 El Ed assistant principals

Kayla McKinney 815.209.1355 Health Services Director

Lisa Reber 815.979.5580 Food Services Director

ILPEx Interest Level Application Overview and Release Form

1. Applicant Meridian CUSD 223

207 W Main St., Stillman Valley, 61084

250 Employees

5 building sites

2. Industry Sector

Education

3. Industrial Sector

6111 Elementary and Secondary Schools

4. Official Contact

PJ Caposey

Superintendent


815.980.0310

[email protected]

5. Application Fee

Waived per conversation with Ben Krupowicz at

Evaluator Training

6. Enter a one-sentence description of your

organization

Meridian CUSD 223 is a public education system

serving nearly 1700 students in grades pre-

kindergarten through 12th grade.

7. Release statement and Signature of Highest

Ranking Official

PJ Caposey

Superintendent


815.980.0310

[email protected]

8. Please read and sign

I state and attest that:

I have reviewed the information supplied in this

Application and related Organizational Profile.

To the best of my knowledge, no untrue

statement or omission of a material fact has

been made in this application package. Based

on the information herein and the current

eligibility requirements for the Illinois

Performance Excellence Award, my organization

is eligible to apply.

______________________________

Signature and Date

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

GLOSSARY OF TERMS & ABBREVIATIONS

1:1 – One-to-one laptop initiative; a program that will put laptop computers in the hands of students to aid in learning, engagement, &

productivity

3-5 – Term that refers to grade levels 3rd through 5th; also refers to students primarily at Monroe Center Grade School

6-8 – Term that refers to grade levels 6th through 8th; also referred to as “Junior High”

9-12 – Term that refers to grade levels 9th through 12th; also referred to as “High School”

A ACT – American College Testing; standardized test taken independently by high school students for college admissions; 36 is the maximum score

AP – Advanced Placement; college level courses taught at the high school; national program with curriculum specified by the College

Board

Assessment – Tools used to determine whether or not students have mastered standards and skills which have been taught

B

C Curriculum – Program of study for all students

D

E ELA – English/Language Arts; subject area blending the study of reading and writing

Essential Outcome – Learning outcomes which are essential for students to know or be able to do by the end of a course of study;

usually based upon endurance of standards, leverage of learning, and readiness for the next level

F

G

H HCC – Highland Community College; local community college that partners with M223 in order to provide both vocational courses

and enrichment courses for SVHS students in order to receive college credit

HES – Highland Elementary School (PreK-2)

I Instruction – Teaching to impart both skills & knowledge so students learn

ISBE – Illinois State Board of Education; state level association which oversees public education in the State of Illinois

J

K K-5 – Kindergarten through Grade 5; term that refers to the Elementary grades

K - 12 – Kindergarten through Grade 12; term that refers to the entire breadth of a students’ experience from the time they enter

school to the time they graduate; sometimes referred to as “PreK-12” as Highland Elementary School offers Early Childhood for some

students before Kindergarten

L

M M223 – Meridian Community Unit School District 223; also referred to as “Meridian” and “District” in the application

MC – Monroe Center Grade School; 3-5

MJHS – Meridian Junior High School; 6-8

MTSS – Multi-Tiered System of Support; Tiered system of support delivered by Student Services for identified students in need of

academic or behavioral support or enrichment; offered in 3 tiers with each tier becoming more intensified

MVV – Mission, Vision, Values

MyON – Online subscription service that allows students to have access online to thousands of books at their individual reading level;

also has rich database of modalities and components which assist in the learning process within the classroom

N

O

P PES – Performance Evaluation System; key work process tool used to evaluate & improve job performance for all employees

PLC – Professional Learning Community; a work group formation which provides an extended learning & networking opportunity for

teachers to collaborate with each other about instruction and student learning needs

Pre-K – Pre-Kindergarten; program for students ages 3 & 4 which helps children develop the academic and developmental skills

necessary to be successful in Kindergarten and beyond

Q

R RVC – Rock Valley College; local community college that partners with M223 in order to provide both vocational courses and

enrichment courses for SVHS students in order to receive college credit

S SLO – Student Learning Objective; individual learning objectives for students which are used in the process of teacher evaluation

SP – Strategic plan

STAR – Renaissance Learning assessment system; standards-aligned, computer based, adaptive assessment system for grades K-8 to

monitor and benchmark student reading and math achievement level to better guide individualized instruction and predict success on

state and national level assessments; also referred to as “STAR360”

SVEA – Stillman Valley Education Association; Union representing certified staff

SVHS – Stillman Valley High School; 9-12

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

i

MERIDIAN CUSD 223

“Small town values, world-class results” ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE

Preface: Organizational Profile P.1 Organizational DescriptionMeridian CUSD 223 (M223) is located primarily in Ogle County,

but extends slightly into Winnebago County. Meridian is a ruraldistrict offering a high quality education to students who primarily

reside in the Stillman Valley, Davis Junction, and Monroe Center

communities. M223 is a geographically large district

encompassing over 120 square miles and serves just under 1700

pre-k through 12th grade students.

M223 is a consistently high achieving school district earning three national recognitions within the last months. The district was

named a District of Distinction for its systematic approach to

leadership development, earned the title a School of Opportunity

for the social-emotional supports put in place, and earned a Silver

status from US News and World Report for academic

achievement. These achievements helped to move M223 towards

its vision of being ‘world class’ while maintaining small town

values.

Figure P.1 Operational Framework

Mission

Our mission is to educate students to be self-directed learners, collaborative workers, complex thinkers, quality producers and

community contributors

Vision

Small Town Values, World-Class Results

Core Values

Integrity, Innovation, and Excellence

Core Competencies

Community Partnerships, Rigorous Pre-K-12 curriculum Culture of continuous improvement, Financial Stability and Fiscal

Responsibility, Communication and Customer Service Mindset

Figure P.2 Educational Program & Service Offerings Academic

Work Process

PLC

Questions

Delivery Mechanism Key Process

Improvement Tool

Curriculum What do students need to know and

be able to do?

Board-approved scope and sequence of coursework for all students exceeding

Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) regulations

2 Key Areas: Math & English/Language Arts (ELA)

Science & Social Studies also viewed as core subjects

Supported by elective courses in multiple areas

Technology is infused within all curricular subject areas to support development oftechnological citizenship and literacy

Essential Outcome Determination

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)

Instruction How will students learn what they need to know and be able to do?

High quality instruction is integrated into the SP

Systematic methodology for teaching key curricular areas of ELA and Math,

including a dedicated ELA Instructional Coach K-5

Professional development on SP initiatives provided to all teachers

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) provide teachers collaboration time for

increased pedagogy and sharing of best practices; individual ProfessionalDevelopment Plans focus on new knowledge & skills needed

Performance Evaluation System (PES) based on Danielson’s Framework for

Teaching evaluates classroom instruction of teachers

Strategic Plan focuses on improving outcomes for all individual students and

closing gaps in achievement

Development of Individual Professional Development Plan

Performance Evaluation System (PES)

PLCs

Assessment How will students demonstrate

what they know and need to be able to do?

System of evaluation of student learning focusing on formative (in-process

measures) and summative assessments, both designed locally and nationally-normed

PLCs provide teachers with time to move to grading “for” learning rather than

grading “of” learning

Student achievement data analyzed by teachers to determine needed interventions

and instructional changes; also in summer in our Annual Data Retreat

System of reporting student progress to parents via report cards and use of real

time, online data tool called Family Access

Use of national and state assessments to benchmark performance

Utilization of Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) for both teacher evaluation and

to set individualized learning outcomes for each student

Student Assessment System

PLCs

Annual Data Retreat

SLOs

Intervention/

Enrichment

How will we respond if students don’t learn or if they already knew it?

MTSS: Tiered system of support delivered by Student Services for identified

students in need of academic or behavioral support or enrichment; offered in 3 tierswith each tier becoming more intensified

Enrichment provided through the utilization of cluster grouping and seminar time

# of students receiving intervention or enrichment district wide?

Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS)

PLCs

ii

MERIDIAN CUSD 223


P.1a. Organizational Environment P.1a(1) Educational Program and Service Offerings M223 delivers educational programming and services utilizing four key Academic Work Processes. These four key work

processes allow M223 to ensure that students are continually met

at appropriate places within their educational lifespan in order to

ensure each has the assistance necessary to graduate college- and

career-ready. These work processes help to provide further input

and direction into the continued development and implementation

of our strategic plans (SP). These four key work processes also align directly to the key

questions within the Professional Learning Community (PLC)

model. M223 has provided dedicated time within each of the four

buildings throughout the district for teacher learning,

collaboration, and problem solving utilizing the model of PLCs. The high quality faculty & staff deliver our educational services

to students at each of our four buildings. Though our district

encompasses a 120 square mile geographic region, each of our

four buildings provides a well-articulated, connected, and

comprehensive system of Board-approved curriculum, aligned to

IL learning standards. Student interventions and other support

services, such as counseling services, speech services, special

educational services, occupation and physical therapy (OT/PT)

services and social work services are also aligned and allow for

ease of transitions throughout M223. Multiple opportunities also

exist for students to engage in extra-curricular activities. Both the academic alignment and intervention/support services have played

large role in the academic success of M223. P.1a(2) Mission, Vision and Values The M223 Board, administration, faculty, staff, and community

are all key contributors to establishing the mission, vision, and

values (MVV) of the organization. The M223 Board of Education

oversees this process and employs processes that review

components the MVV annually and ensures that all district goals

align with and will help achieve the stated mission of the district.

The Board has determined that key strategic objectives for the

district are financial security, employee and customer engagement

(culture), improved processes, and improved academic outcomes. M223 continues to drive toward these goals leveraging our core competencies of: Community Partnerships, Rigorous, Pre-K 12

curriculum, Culture of continuous improvement, Financial

Stability and Fiscal Responsibility, Communication and Customer

Service Mindset. The MVV and Core Competencies are further

articulated in Figure P.1. P.1a(3) Workforce Profile M223 is comprised of 221 dedicated employees who work

together to collectively achieve the mission of the organization.

We have worked over the past few years to increase our implementation of a Recruitment & Retention Plan in order to both

attract and retain exceptional, highly qualified staff. M223

segments our workforce as presented in Figure P.4. All

superintendents, principals, assistant principals, teachers and

paraprofessionals are licensed by ISBE. M223 currently works with one union bargaining unit, the

Stillman Valley Education Association (SVEA), which represents

teachers and other student services such as counselors. There have

been significant changes in both the funding model and the funds

available within M223 over the pasts few years. Over this time our

staff has remained dedicated and professional even in the times of

pay freezes. In addition to determining engagement within the work environment through our PES, we also utilize culture and

climate surveys asses factors & indicators of job satisfaction.

Figure P.3 Educational Programs & Service Offerings in M223’s Four Schools School FY18 Enrollment

& Grades Served Notable Programs & Service Offerings

Highland

Elementary

School (HES)

PreK – 2nd Leader in Me

Full Day Kindergarten for all Students (HES)

Half Day Pre-K for age 3 and 4 students (HES)

Recent infusion of Technology Recent infusion of technology has allowed teachers to leverage

Google Suite to support student learning

Full deployment of technology assisted activities to support student learning objectives, inclusive

of leveraging MyOn

Schedule designed to reflect educational priorities

Systematic approach to integrate use of STAR assessment data to support individual student needs

Monroe

Center Grade

School (MC)

3rd – 5th

Meridian

Junior High

School

(MJHS)

6th – 8th Daily time for intervention

Exposure to electives supporting the arts and technology

Extracurricular sports and activities

Innovative use of technology supporting educational trends to maximize student ownership of

learning

Counseling supports that focus not only on the social-emotional, but also provides students

guidance on college and career through the use of Career Cruising

Stillman

Valley High

School

(SVHS)

9th – 12th Block Schedule

‘X’ amount of AP courses

Courses leading to industry certification

Latin Honors

12+ program

Graduation Requirements

Partner with RVC and HCC to provide rigorous course work to students

Award winning Agriculture program

Community Service program leads to . . .

Extracurricular activities – name, number, etc.

iii

MERIDIAN CUSD 223


Figure P.4 Workforce Profile Key Workforce

Groups Statistics (as of August 21, 2017) Job Type # of Employees

Gender % Female

% Male

% Degreed % Graduate

% Bachelor’s Administration Superintendent (1)

Principal/AP/AD (7)

Directors (5.5)

63%

37%

89%

56%

22%

Faculty Teachers (108)

81%

19%

100%

70%

30%

Support Staff District Office (2)

Secretaries (12)

Technology (2)

Paraprofessional (40)

Custodial/Maint. (16)

Nursing (4)

Transportation (20)

Food Services (18)

82%

18% N/A

P.1a(4) Assets M223 spans three communities and has key assets and facilities

in each of the towns. Monroe Center Elementary is housed in

Monroe Center, Illinois and in the past 20 years has been expanded

to serve a once-expanding enrollment. M223 has a positive

intergovernmental relationship with Davis Junction and is able to

utilize their world-class park

system to support interscholastic

activities. Stillman Valley

houses three M223 schools:

Stillman Valley High School,

Meridian Junior High School, and Highland Elementary

School, and other key

operational facilities inclusive of

a bus barn and maintenance

garage. M223 is also emerging in our

procurement of new technology

and equipment. By the close of

the 17-18 fiscal year (ending

June 30) M223 expects to have a

1:1 student/computer ratio. Additionally, no student is transported on a bus to or from school

that is older than three years old. The district has also proactively purchased land adjacent to the

current high school in the event funding becomes available to add

or improve upon our existing facilities. All buildings received an addition nearly 20 years ago and the

district just completed a $10 million dollar facilities improvement

process that not only made buildings safer and more accessible,

also dramatically improved the technological infrastructure within

the district. P.1a(5) Regulatory Requirements Schools in the state of Illinois operate in intensely regulated

environments. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) works

under Federal rules and Illinois statutory code to provide districts

guidance on regulatory requirements and suggested procedures.

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) drives many of the key

federal regulations that serve to govern schools. All regulations

and mandates set forth are managed by M223 by converting them

into district policy and converting them into actionable

administrative procedures. Additionally, the Regional Office of

Education (ROE) serves as a compliance and regulatory agency

for the district. ROE compliance checks are inclusive of everything spanning

from the curriculum being taught, to formally adopted Board policy, to examination of records denoting mandated trainings.

Guidance from the ROE and ISBE dictate almost every hire

within M223. In fact, the only employee groups that are not

required to have precise certifications are secretaries, technology

technicians, maintenance, and food service workers.

Other laws that govern school actions include Title IX,

Americans with Disabilities Act, Family and Medical Leave Act,

Federal Labor Standards Act, all guidance from the Equal

Employment Opportunities Commission, IDEA and Section 504. School performance is measured through a Balanced

Accountability Model through ISBE that meets the requirements set forth in ESSA. The testing environment is controlled within the

district and the data is used an indicator to drive school

improvement. Given the lack of timeliness of the state-sponsored

assessments, M223 uses the STAR test through Renaissance

Learning and the PSAT series to continually monitor student

growth and performance. P.1b Organizational

Relationships P.1b(1) Organizational

Structure M223 is governed by a seven

elected member Board of

Education (BOE). This governing unit works

collaboratively with the

Leadership Team (LT) to

implement M223’s strategic

plan. The BOE hires and

evaluates the Superintendent.

The 13 administrators and

directors who serve on M223’s

LT are identified in 1.1a1. The

Superintendent leads the LT and

charges all senior leaders to lead and work with their respective

staffs to reach SP goals and carry out actions and procedures to support BOE policy. P.1b(2) Students, Other Customers and Stakeholders Key student segments and current enrollments within each of the

student segments is indicated in Figure P.5. These segments are

determined both by the methods which M223 uses to analyze data

and through the PLC component of our work processes. M223

prides ourselves on the degree to which we utilize data to monitor

student progress and achievement. To make sure we are equitable

in our pursuit of helping all students achieve success, we closely monitor the progress of multiple student segments. In a

commitment to our mission, when we identify gaps, we work hard

to rectify performance gaps found within student segments. Key

market segments are determined by how we attain student

enrollment (P.5). The overwhelming majority of resident students

within M223 boundaries choose to attend M223 schools, but some

choose private or parochial schools, are home-schooled, or attend

an alternative school. Key stakeholder groups are identified

Figure P.5 Key Student & Market Segments Key Student Segments Key Market Segments

School (HES, MC, MJHS, SVHS) Resident

Grade Level/Graduating Class M223 Students

Gender Private Schooled Students

Low Socio-economic status (30%)

Home-Schooled Students

Students with Disabilities (13%) Alternative Placement Students

English Language Learners (4%) Non-Resident

Race/Ethnic Diversity (83.3% White, 11.9% Hispanic, 0.7% Black, 4% Other)

Families Relocating

Gifted and Accelerated (10-15%) Tuition Based

Students Requiring Intervention

Individual

iv

MERIDIAN CUSD 223


within Figure P.6. As a part of the continuous improvement

process stakeholder groups have become increasingly more

involved within the development and implementation of all

elements and stages within the improvement process. Stakeholder

requirements are also updated through the process of continuous improvement and are identified in Figure P.6. P.1b(3) Key Suppliers, Partners and Collaborators Key suppliers, partners and collaborators are identified in

Figure P.7. Collaborators are the volunteers and groups, often

made up of M223 parents & community members, whose efforts

are designed to improve M223 student programs and offerings.

M223 has countless key collaborators. All K-8 parents have the

opportunity to be involved with the Parent Teacher Organization

(PTO) and many parents serve in the Booster Club & other areas to support activities & athletics. Meridian Education Foundation

is also made up of 25 members & has played a large role in

supporting our teachers, buildings and district in many ways. The

PTO & Meridian Education Foundation support curricular &

extracurricular enhancement with the funding of assemblies, field

trips and teacher grants, while the Booster Club provides

additional funding for athletics & activities. Each building also

has active Principal-Parent Advisory Councils (PPAC) and

SVHS has a Principal-Student Advisory Council (PSAC) which

work as sounding boards to attain parent & student input

concerning programs, offerings, & services. Partners are the many members of the multiple local communities business &

civic communities with whom we have formal partnerships in

order to support the execution of our Vision & Mission. Many of

the partners have served on committees, councils and boards

within M223. Each of their areas of expertise provide M223 with

opportunities to enhance both the educational experience for

students,

while also

allowing us

to be a

strong

assets within the

community

as a whole.

Suppliers provided

needed

materials &

services, all

functioning under the BOE policies. BOE policy & contracts

outline District requirements for services. Central States provides

us with the busses which we lease. Fox River Foods is our primary supplier for foods in order to serve nutritious meals in a

cost-effective manner. GCN provides us with the services

necessary to ensure that all teachers receive mandatory state

compliance trainings. P.2 Organizational Situation P.2a Competitive Environment P.2a(1) Competitive Position M223 uses data in a variety of ways to monitor our competitive

position and to fuel our continuous improvement efforts. While

education is a data-centric field, denoting a true competitive

position is hard to precisely quantify. Despite the difficulty in precisely measuring competitive

environment, the Baldrige process has aided the district in

identifying and celebrating many data points which indicate the

district’s success. In the past 18 months, the district has been

awarded three (3) national level awards: District Administration -

District of Distinction, US News & World Report - Silver

recognition, and earning a Silver Recognition in the Schools of

Opportunity competition (top 20 in the country). Important to consider when evaluating M223’s successes is the

financial strain and constraints placed upon the district. To

explain, the Instructional Expenditure Per Pupil (IEPP) is

dramatically less than most other ‘high achieving’ schools. To

explain, in examining the US News and World Report recognition

M223 earned this past year only two other schools receiving the

award were in the same general area in terms of IEPP with

everyone else dramatically higher. Thus, as M223 evaluates its competitive environment we look

three different subsets of schools. The first being geographical,

the second being high achieving per outside ranking, i.e. US News

and World Report, and similar IEPP. P.2a(2) Competitiveness Changes The landscape of education is constantly changing. Major

changes impacting the district and its efforts to continually

improve and achieve its mission are as follows: 1. Declining Enrollment - M223 faces an interesting challenge

of rapidly declining enrollment. This challenge will lead to

decreased funding from the state and force staffing changes

in the future.

2. Implementation of STAR testing - As part of a continuous improvement effort M223 learned that the effectiveness of

benchmarking students could be increased with a more

effective and comprehensive assessment system. The district

purchased and began using STAR in the 2016-2017 school

year.

3. Improved technology infrastructure - As part of a 10 million

dollar building project in the summer of 2016, technology

infrastructure was improved and has allowed the district to

move rapidly toward a 1:1 computing environment.

4. State’s conversion to SAT and PARCC - In the past five

years, the state accountability measure for schools has changed three times. Currently, the testing system is

anchored by PARCC at grades 3-8 and SAT in 11th grade.

Additionally, new Science tests were introduced two years

ago as well.

Figure P.6 Key Stakeholder Groups Students High quality education, engagement,

challenge

Parents Safe schools, strong communication, high quality education

Community High quality education, cost effective, communication, facilities, service

Alumni Preparedness for college & career, high

quality education, access

Employees Safe work environment, involvement & engagement, communication, responsive leadership & compensation/benefits

Figure P.7 Key Collaborators, Partners

& Suppliers Collaborators Volunteers, PTO, Booster Club,

Meridian Education Foundation, Parent Advisory Councils, Student Advisory Council, Vendors

Partners Villages/Cities, Faith-based organization, Community daycares, Lions, Local Businesses, Smeja Farm, Alumni FFA

Supplies Central States (Busses), Fox River Foods, Rock River Energy, GCN

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MERIDIAN CUSD 223


P.2a(3) Comparative Data M223 utilizes comparative & competitive data (Figure P.9)

aligned to our core values in order to continue to foster a culture

of continuous improvement. M223 does not employ any data

assessment staff, therefore the SL take on the responsibility of collecting, compiling & utilizing comparative & competitive data.

We primarily utilize available public data found on the Illinois

Report Card website or published through a third party evaluator

such as Newsweek, US News and World Report, or Niche

rankings. It is difficult to collect data on work process areas, as

districts are under no responsibility to report this publically. M223

strategically identifies areas & benchmarking opportunities within

our work process areas & elects to benchmark with high

performing IL schools whose student achievement we aspire to

attain.

P.2b Strategic Context The strategic advantages strengthen M223’s ability to both stay

sustainable & support the attainment of our Mission. They also

influence our core competencies. Our strategic challenges are

addressed within the process for continuous improvement & by

our core competencies. Strategic advantages & strategic

challenges (Figure P.8) are identified through both the strategic

planning process at the district level and the improvement process

taking place in each department and school. The improvement processes are fueled by a 360 analysis of strengths, weaknesses,

and high leverage areas of potential growth. These analyses are

fueled through staff feedback, qualitative data, and a substantive

amount of quantitative data measuring our pursuit of strategic

goals.

P.2c Performance Improvement System Our core values are integrated in our performance improvement

system. M223 has developed and nurtured a culture of continuous

improvement by committing to a three-pronged performance

improvement system. First, we are systematically utilizing the

Baldrige Framework for Performance Excellence as our

framework for performance improvement. The framework guides

our improvement by: Focusing our goals and action plans that help guide our

Academic & all support work processes & help us to better understand, listen to, & serve all stakeholders.

Using an evidence-based performance measurement

system that utilizes results so we lead by evidence-based

fact

Systematically using benchmarking to discover

successes, gaps and growth opportunities

Second, we achieve performance improvement via a systems

approach to improving our key work processes. These are then embedded both with the Strategic Planning Process & consistently

within the function of the leadership team. Our SPP, and more

specifically our continuous improvement processes at each level,

is the primary tool for planning & focusing on action, M223 sets

results-driven goals based upon data from National, State,

regional, & internal performance results. This furthers our

commitment to ensure that our action plans drive our processes.

Third, we utilize a process composed of four steps (Plan-Do-

Study-Act) to strategically approach performance improvement.

This process is utilized by the Leadership Team, schools &

departments to systematically plan new or improve current programs, offerings, services, & key work processes.

Figure P.8 Strategic Advantages & Challenges Strategic Goal Area Strategic Advantage Strategic Challenge Core Value Alignment

Academic

Achievement

High student achievement

Comprehensive curriculum offerings Extra-curricular offerings & programming Small class sizes

K-12 Articulation

Increasing student achievement for all students Increasing the access to, integration of and appropriate use of technology

Rigorous Evaluation

Comprehensive Curriculum Quality Personnel 21st Century Schools Best Practices

District Culture Safe campus settings Strong value on the tradition & legacy of the district Strong parent partnerships & collaboration

Value of tradition Lack of community partners

Organizational Trust Consistency High Expectations

Financial

Responsibility

Fiscal stability Comfortable operating reserve

Changes and inconsistencies in the funding at the state and local level Low EAV due to lack of business

Accountability Commitment

Organizational

Effectiveness

Strong & Cohesive Leadership Commitment to process improvement

Retention of staff Competitive salary & benefits

Visionary Leadership Effective Communication

Figure P.9 Sources of Comparative & Competitive Data

Used by M223 to Strategically Benchmark Key Academic Work Processes Key Support Process Areas

Nation (College Board for SAT & AP, ACT, US News & World Report, Newsweek, US Schools of Opportunity)

Nation (HumanEX, Net Promoter Score)

State (Illinois School Report Card)

State (Niche Ratings, IL Performance Excellence, ISBE Financial Profile)

Geographic School Districts (Illinois School Report Card)

Rock River Energy (comparing energy efficiency)

IL Schools with similar

expenditures (Illinois School Report Card)

Baldrige & ILPEX winning

organizations within and outside education (for process ideas)

High achieving IL school districts, per outside rankings (Illinois School Report Card, US News & World Report, Newsweek)

Local real estate environment (predict enrollment & staffing)

ilpex award for excellence...

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