pcsd strategic plan

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Park City School District

Education for the Emerging

World in which We Live

Strategic Plan

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Message from the Superintendent

Dr. Ray Timothy

435-645-5600 x1425

[email protected]

Park City School District takes great pride in the quality of education that

is provided to its students. Parents, patrons, community members,

students, and district employees have high expectations in helping to

prepare our students for the world in which they live.

Much of the success that our students achieve today is the result of the

collaborative efforts of our stakeholders. This strategic plan is a prime

example of such collaboration. It is the product of several months of hard

work between board members, teachers, administrators, staff, and

community leaders. This collaboration has not only helped in envisioning

the future of the District, but also in the development of the roadmap that

will take us there. By clearly articulating our values, vision, mission, focus

areas, and objectives, we are in the position to continue in the direction of

educational excellence.

I am grateful for all of the time, energy, hard work, and creativity given by

many in the development of this plan. As we continue to move forward, the

strategic plan will be used to guide our direction in doing that which is in

the best interest of our students.

mailto:[email protected]

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Message from the School Board

Good planning is an integral part of any successful organization.

While planning has taken place in a number of different forms

within the Park City School District over the past few years, the

Park City Board of Education and Superintendent felt it was time

for a new and more comprehensive strategic plan. We carefully

selected the University of Utah’s Utah Education Policy Center to

facilitate the process. The organization’s expertise with education

research and policy development, along with being a local

organization with an understanding of Utah State statutes, code

and standards, were key in its selection. We also utilized the

talents of many local community members, teachers,

administrators, and staff. The Board wishes to thank all of those

that participated in the six-month process or provided input. Your

contribution has been invaluable.

This strategic plan will be a dynamic, living document. It will be

used to guide us in decision making at both the school and district

level, and to help evaluate current programs for effectiveness and

contribution to our district goals, mission and vision. It will create

measures for our initiatives and programs that will become tools to

monitor our success and illustrate areas for improvement. Reports

at the Board level will be designed to clearly communicate this

information to the community on a regular basis. This plan will

also inform our master planning process for effective facilities

development.

As Benjamin Franklin said, ―By failing to plan, you are planning to

fail.‖ This plan will guide the Park City School District in our

quest to provide the highest quality of education that our students

and community expect and deserve. We will build on our legacy of

success.

Thank you for your support,

The Park City Board of Education

June 15, 2010

Maurice

Hickey,

District 1

Lisa

Kirchenheiter,

District 2

Anne

Bransford,

District 3

Kim Carson,

District 4;

President

Michael Boyle,

District 5;

Vice-President

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Contents Message from the Superintendent ............................................................ i

Message from the School Board ............................................................... ii

Contents ................................................................................................... iii

Tables ....................................................................................................... iv

Figures ..................................................................................................... iv

Park City School District ......................................................................... 1

Process ................................................................................................... 2

Strategic Planning Committee Members ............................................. 3

Park City School District Strategic Plan ................................................. 5

Values .................................................................................................... 5

Vision ..................................................................................................... 5

Mission .................................................................................................. 5

Strategic Focus Areas ........................................................................... 6

Objectives and Measures ...................................................................... 8

Initiatives ................................................................................................ 14

Types of Initiatives ............................................................................. 14

Strategic Focus Area Initiatives ......................................................... 15

Decision Making Criteria for Initiative Selection, Adoption, and

Retention ............................................................................................. 23

Example of Applying Criteria to Learning Initiatives ................... 24

Implementation and Sustainability ....................................................... 26

Glossary of Terms ................................................................................... 31

UEPC Acknowledgments ....................................................................... 34

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Tables Table 1. PCSD Schools, Grade, and Enrollment, Demographics 2010 .................... 1

Table 2. Park City School District Strategic Planning Committee ............................ 4

Table 3. Learning Objectives and Measures ..................................................................... 8

Table 4. Instruction Objectives and Measures ............................................................. 10

Table 5. Choice/Options Objectives and Measures .................................................... 11

Table 6. Programs Objectives and Measures ................................................................ 12

Table 7. Partnerships Objectives and Measures .......................................................... 13

Table 8. Sample Learning Initiatives ................................................................................ 15

Table 9. Sample Instruction Initiatives ........................................................................... 17

Table 10. Sample Choice/Options Initiatives ................................................................ 18

Table 11. Sample Program Initiatives .............................................................................. 20

Table 12. Sample Partnership Initiatives ....................................................................... 21

Table 13. Example Decision-Making Process When Adopting an Initiative that

Addresses a Learning Objective ............................................................................... 24

Table 14. PCSD Strategic Plan Leverage Points ........................................................... 27

Figures Figure 1. Park City School District Core Values .............................................................. 5

Figure 2. Park City School District Strategic Focus Areas ........................................... 6

Figure 3. Strategic Focus Areas and Objectives .............................................................. 7

Figure 4. Selection, Adoption, and Retention Criteria for District-wide, District

Sponsored and District-Endorsed Initiatives ...................................................... 23

Figure 5. Implementation and Sustainability Leverage Points .............................. 27

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Park City School District The Park City School District (PCSD) is located in the Wasatch Mountain

resort town of Park City, Utah in Summit County. The majority of Summit

County's 35,000 residents live in Park City and the surrounding

unincorporated Snyderville Basin. PCSD currently serves 4,561 students in

Grades K-12. Four elementary schools with Kindergarten through Grade 5

serve approximately 2,100 students. One middle school (grades 6 and 7)

and one junior high school (grades 8 and 9) serve approximately 1,445

students. One high school serves approximately 1,030 students in Grades

10 -12. In addition, the PCSD serves students in an alternative high school

setting. Table 1 provides an overview of the PCSD schools and student

demographics.

Table 1. PCSD Schools, Grade, and Enrollment, Demographics 2010

School En

roll

men

t

Ma

le

Fem

ale

Eli

gib

le f

or

Fre

e

& R

ed

uce

d

Lu

nch

E

ngli

sh

La

ngu

age

Lea

rners

A

sia

n

Bla

ck

His

pa

nic

Am

eri

can

In

dia

n

Pa

cifi

c Is

lan

der

Wh

ite

Un

kn

ow

n

Elementary

Jeremy Ranch

(K-5)

568 278 290 72 50 18 7 63 0 0 480 0

McPolin (K-5) 372 180 192 176 120 8 2 178 0 0 180 4

Trailside (K-5) 526 275 251 88 59 3 1 63 0 7 451 1

Parley's Park

(K-5)

613 306 307 143 96 0 0 2 0 0 0 0

Middle Schools

Ecker Hill

International

(6-7)

722 374 348 118 41 11 6 95 2 3 604 1

Treasure

Mountain

International

(7-8)

723 369 354 98 19 11 3 78 1 1 627 2

High Schools

Park City High

(10-12)

970 524 446 86 25 10 11 73 2 1 872 1

Park City

Learning

Center (10-12)

67 40 27 16 3 1 0 15 1 0 49 1

District Total 4,561 2,346 2,215 797 413 62 30 567 6 12 3,263 10

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This Strategic Plan provides Park City School District with a clear

direction and road map and a means of navigating the district’s course for

the future. Based on numerous hours and contributions from many

district and community representatives, this plan is expected to help the

district leadership, administration, faculty and staff members maximize

the opportunities for students across the district and successfully traverse

the challenges they face in the years ahead.

Process In January 2010, the PCSD Superintendency and School Board met with

the Utah Education Policy Center (UEPC) to discuss the district’s needs,

mission, and timeline for the strategic planning process. The UEPC is a

research-based center at the University of Utah’s College of Education.

The UEPC’s purpose is to bridge research, policy, and practice in education

to improve access and opportunities. The UEPC’s facilitation of the

strategic planning process was guided by four principles:

Tailored to the individual organization and its needs

Inclusive and transparent

Data-based and research-informed

A dynamic or living instrument that guides progress and

improvement

Following the initial January meeting, the PCSD invited committee

participants who met from January 2010 through June 2010 in a series of

10 committee-at-large and subcommittee meetings. To develop the

Strategic Plan, the Committee:

Revisited the previous mission statement, vision, focus areas, and

objectives (January – May, 2010)

Reviewed data presented by district leadership on the status of the

district (February, 2010)

Developed core values and revised PCSD’s mission and vision

statement, focus areas, objectives, measures, and initiatives through

the planning process and analysis of current data (January – June,

2010)

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Presented draft plan and solicited feedback at Public Forum (May

2010)

UEPC prepared final report of the Strategic Plan and presented the

plan to the Strategic Planning Committee and the PCSD Board of

Education (June 15, 2010)

Over the past six months, the PCSD Strategic Planning Committee

completed a series of planning activities to determine the strengths of the

district, the challenges it faces, the opportunities that exist, and the

direction the district should take to accomplish its goals and vision for

students. These activities included iterative, cumulative exercises that

incorporated multiple perspectives and feedback from the community,

resulting in a unified plan.

Nearly 70 district patrons participated in the Public Forum in May 2010.

Information gathered at the public forum included a focus on the need for

consistent and constant communication from PCSD and the importance of

using the strategic plan to improve decision-making in the district and

across schools. Subsequent feedback from forum participants and those who

provided input through the PCSD website informed the Committee’s final

considerations for the Strategic Plan.

Strategic Planning Committee Members Of those individuals invited to participate in the Strategic Planning

Committee, 35 accepted the invitation. The Strategic Planning Committee

included:

Board Members (5)

Superintendency (4)

School-level leadership (3)

Teachers (7)

Staff representatives (1)

Parents (5)

Student (1)

Parents (2)

Community Organizations (3)

City/County (2)

Community-at-Large representatives (2)

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Committee members engaged individually in over 40 hours of meetings

across six months. Table 2 below presents the individual members of the

Strategic Planning Committee.

Table 2. Park City School District Strategic Planning Committee

Michael Boyle (School

Board)

Anne Bransford (School

Board)

Kara Brechwald (Teacher)

Nora Buchanan (Teacher)

Kim Carson (School Board)

Veronica Claridge (Park

City Classified Employee

Association)

Ana Cruz (Student)

Charles Cunningham

(Parent)

Shawna Doughman (Parent

Teacher Association)

Bob Edmiston (Principal)

Julie Eihausen (Parent)

Mark Etheridge (Teacher)

Traci Evans (Assistant

Principal)

Ken Fisher (Recreation/

Park City Municipal)

Lori Gardner (District

Director)

Stacey Hamill (Community

Council)

John Hanrahan (Summit

County Council)

Moe Hickey (School Board)

Brian Hoyt (Special

Education Teacher)

Lisa Kirchenheiter (School

Board)

Manuel Maravi (Teacher)

Cindy Matsumoto (City

Council)

Heidi Matthews (Park City

Education Association)

Gail McGuill (Community)

Abby McNulty (Park City

Education Foundation)

Suzanne Moore

(Community/ Higher

Education)

Matthew Nagel (Teacher)

Lars Nordfelt (Teacher)

Bob O’Connor (Principal)

Steve Oliver (Director

Support Services)

Mary Ann Pajakowski

(Holy Cross Ministries)

Charles Robinson

(Community)

Ray Timothy

(Superintendent)

Tom VanGorder (District

Office)

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Park City School District Strategic Plan

Values The Park City School District has

distinguished five core values and

beliefs:

The core values, as identified in Figure 1, guided the development of the

district’s vision, mission, strategic focus areas, and objectives. The core

values serve as anchors for the district’s efforts in accomplishing the

Strategic Plan.

Vision Park City School District will be a district of choice that provides an

innovative and excellent education to all students that fosters achievement

and success.

Mission Park City School District empowers students to develop their knowledge,

skills, and potential as critical thinkers. We maximize resources for

academic rigor and excellence through staff, programs, and technology that

make learning relevant to the emerging world in which we live.

Figure 1. Park City School District Core

Values

Excellence in Teaching &

Learning

Respect & Commitment

Personal & Social

Responsibility

Community Engagement

Sustainability of Resources

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Strategic Focus Areas The Park City School District has five strategic focus areas. As illustrated

in Figure 2, the five strategic focus areas include:

Learning

Instruction

Choice/Options

Programs

Partnerships

The strategic focus areas provide guidance for PCSD leadership and policy

decisions, and development of initiatives and strategies to achieve our

vision.

For each of the above strategic focus areas, the Strategic Plan contains both

process and outcome objectives which are listed in Figure 3. The process

objectives identify the actions that the district will take to achieve the

PCSD mission and vision. The outcome objectives emphasize the changes

anticipated as a result of the PCSD activities.

Figure 2. Park City School District Strategic Focus Areas

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Figure 3. Strategic Focus Areas and Objectives

Learning

•Improve student achievement across all content areas.

•Improve student achievement across all student groups.

•Increase student engagement in learning.

•Increase student responsibility for learning.

•Promote and maintain a safe learning environment.

Instruction

•Attract, develop, retain and support caring, motivated, innovative, engaging, and professional faculty and staff.

•Differentiate instruction based on student individual needs.

•Identify and use multiple measures of student learning.

•Increase accountability for performance.

Choice/ Options

•Provide multiple pathways for students to post-secondary education programs and career opportunities.

•Provide extended day and summer options for students.

•Provide community education opportunities for students and adults.

Programs

•Identify effective research and evidence-based programs.

•Implement effective instructional programs.

•Evaluate programs for effectiveness.

Partnerships

•Improve District’s communication with parents and community.

•Promote parental and community support for student learning and achievement.

•Support active district/school and community partnerships.

•Access local talent and expertise to support district/school goals and objectives.

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Objectives and Measures The Park City School District is dedicated to monitoring and

evaluating the Strategic Plan and progress on each of the

objectives for the five focus areas. To accomplish this,

performance measures for each of the objectives were considered.

The performance measures are outlined in Tables 3-7.

Table 3. Learning Objectives and Measures

Focus

Area

Strategic Objectives Performance Measures

Lea

rnin

g

Improve student

achievement across

all content areas.

CRT scores

DIBELS scores

State Kindergarten Assessment

scores

Advanced Placement Assessment

scores

Advanced Placement Course

Taking rates

NAEP scores

Cognitive Abilities Test scores

Benchmark Assessment scores

STAMP Language Proficiency

scores

Direct Writing Assessment scores

ACT participation rates and

scores

Improve student

achievement across

all student groups.

CRT scores

DIBELS scores

State Kindergarten Assessment

scores

Advanced Placement Assessment

scores

Advanced Placement Course

Taking rates

NAEP scores

Cognitive Abilities Test scores

Benchmark Assessment scores

STAMP Language Proficiency

scores

Direct Writing Assessment scores

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Focus

Area

Strategic Objectives Performance Measures

ACT participation rates and

scores

Increase student

engagement in

learning.

Program Participation Rates

Attendance Rates

Chronic Absenteeism Rate

Graduation Rates

Sheltered Instructional

Observation Protocol Indicators

Increase student

responsibility for

learning.

Student Led Conferences

Homework Completion Rates

Promote and

maintain a safe

learning

environment.

School Quality Indicators

Safe School Reports

Professional Practice Report

Crisis Management Plan

State Risk Property Assessment

SHARP Survey

Student incident report

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Table 4. Instruction Objectives and Measures

Focus

Area

Strategic Objectives Performance Measures In

stru

ctio

n

Attract, develop,

retain, and support

caring, motivated,

innovative,

engaging and

professional faculty

and staff.

Qualifications and Experience

of faculty and staff

Demographics of faculty and

staff

Turnover rates by school

Non-renewal rates

Professional development

participation rates

Lane change rates

Tenure progression rates

Exit survey responses

Job Satisfaction survey results

Differentiate

instruction based on

student individual

needs.

SIOP Indicators

Learning intervention rates

Coaching observations

Identify and use

multiple measures

of student learning.

PLC's use of multiple

measures to guide instruction

Changes in teacher use of

multiple measures of student

learning

Increase

accountability for

performance.

School Quality Indicators

AYP (including Sub Group

Progress by Teacher)

Indicators of student

achievement-measure student

performance

Nonrenewal rates, including

reasons for nonrenewal

Parent satisfaction survey

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Table 5. Choice/Options Objectives and Measures

Focus

Area

Strategic Objectives Performance Measures C

hoic

e/O

pti

on

s

Provide multiple

pathways for

students to post-

secondary education

programs and

career

opportunities.

AP assessment scores

AP course taking rates

Program participation rates

(e.g., IB, CTE, Internships)

ACT scores

Graduation rates

Dropout rates

Postsecondary application

rates

Postsecondary attendance and

placement rates

Postsecondary and career

counseling participation

Provide extended

day and summer

options for students.


Course completion (including

the types of course)

Number and type of

partnerships

Parent, students, and

community satisfaction

surveys

Provide community

education

opportunities for

students and adults.


Course completion (including

the types of course)

Number and type of

partnerships

Participant satisfaction

surveys

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Table 6. Programs Objectives and Measures

Focus

Area

Strategic Objective Performance Measure P

rogra

ms

Identify effective

research and

evidence-based

programs.

Type of evidence used

Implement effective

instructional

programs.

Number and effectiveness of

pilot programs

Alignment of programs to

instructional goals

Programs meet effectiveness

criteria

Evaluate programs

for effectiveness.

Implementation fidelity

Program outcomes (e.g.,

Relationship between

participation and other

academic outcomes)

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Table 7. Partnerships Objectives and Measures

Focus

Area

Strategic Objective Performance Measure

Pa

rtn

ers

hip

s Improve District’s

communication with

parents and

community.

Type of parent involvement

Rate of parent and

community communication

Promote parental

and community

support for student

learning and

achievement.

Parent/Community time

contributions

Parent/Community monetary

contributions

Parent/Community

volunteer rates

Number of partnerships that

support learning goals

Type of parent involvement

Support active

district/school and

community

partnerships.

Number of

community/business

partnerships

Rate of community

involvement

Access local talent

and expertise to

support

district/school goals

and objectives.

Type of talent and/or

expertise provided

Number of individuals who

share their expertise

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Initiatives

Park City School District emphasizes the importance of innovation while

honoring the history and contributions of initiatives that to date have

benefited students, faculty, staff, and the community. As such, the PCSD

aims to enhance the flexibility of the district and schools to select and

implement initiatives that are responsive to individual school needs and

ensure that the outcomes associated with selected initiatives may be

maximized across the district.

Types of Initiatives PCSD, as a school system, will support three types of District initiatives:

District-wide initiatives are those initiatives that would be present

in each school and receive some form of resource support from PCSD.

District-sponsored initiatives are those initiatives that the PCSD

may provide resources for but may not be found at every school.

District-endorsed initiatives are those initiatives that PCSD

approves and may encourage but subsequent resources may not be

available from the district.

Importantly, PCSD recognizes the discretion of schools and their authority

for shared decision making at the local school site. At the same time, PCSD

seeks to ensure that students have comparable and equally beneficial

experiences and opportunities across all schools.

To illustrate how PCSD might use the above criteria in selecting, adopting,

or retaining district-wide, district sponsored, or district-endorsed

initiatives, the following example is provided.

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Strategic Focus Area Initiatives As indicated above, the following objectives were established to meet the

PCSD’s mission and vision related to the learning focus area:

Improve student achievement across all content areas.

Improve student achievement across all student groups.

Increase student engagement in learning.

Increase student responsibility for learning.

Promote and maintain a safe learning environment.

The Planning Committee generated sample initiatives for the district to

explore as it continues its plan to select, adopt, and/or retain initiatives

that may be used to address the learning objectives. The Sample Learning

Initiatives are listed in Table 8.

Table 8. Sample Learning Initiatives

Examples of District-Wide

Initiatives

Examples of District-

Sponsored or District-

Endorsed Initiatives

Sheltered Instruction

Observation Protocol (SIOP)

Response to Intervention (RTI)

Collaborative planning (e.g.,

teachers collaborate to discuss

results and make plans to

address areas of student need)

Using data to support student

learning (e.g., support COGNOS

and continued development of

reports to improve learning;

understanding of data presented

and used in assessing students)

Technology integration (e.g.,

District technology plan to

support learning)

Literacy program

Supports for English Language

Learners (ELL) (e.g., literacy

programs, translators)

Gifted And Talented Education

(GATE)

Safe Schools Initiatives (e.g.,

Scholarships,

competitions,

recognitions

Group/individual

performances (e.g., in

the arts)

Standards-based

grading

Study and

organizational skills

development

Parent Academy

Parent nights

Latinos in Action (e.g.,

enhance and support

students)

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keyless entry, ID cards)

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The following objectives were established to meet the PCSD’s mission

and vision related to the instruction focus area:

Attract, develop, retain and support caring, motivated, innovative, engaging,

and professional faculty and staff.

Differentiate instruction based on student individual needs.

Identify and use multiple measures of student learning.

Increase accountability for performance.



that may be used to address the instruction objectives. The Sample

Instruction Initiatives are listed in Table 9.

Table 9. Sample Instruction Initiatives


Initiatives




Response-to-Intervention (RTI),

tiered instruction,

Multiple assessments (e.g., IEPs

computer-adaptive, inventory of

teachers use of authentic

assessments)

Incentive and/or compensation

package (e.g., incentive program,

brokering partnerships with

housing, food, and transportation

to increase living affordability for

teachers)

Teacher performance evaluation

systems (e.g., 360 Reviews,

recognize and reward effective

teachers, modify Jordan

Performance Appraisal System

(JPAS), including SIOP

indicators)

Professional development (e.g.,

instructional coaches, professional

growth plans, action research

projects, leadership development

opportunities)

Partnership with

higher education

institutions

Authentic learning

portfolios

Professional

Learning

Communities (PLC)

to develop authentic

measures of student

learning

E-Mints teachers

collaboration

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PC Early Years Enhancement


and vision related to the choice/options focus area:

Provide multiple pathways for students to post-secondary

education programs and career opportunities.

Provide extended day and summer options for students.

Provide community education opportunities for students and

adults.



that may be used to address the choice/option objectives. The Sample

Choice/Options Initiatives are listed in Table 10.

Table 10. Sample Choice/Options Initiatives


Initiatives

Examples of District-Sponsored or

District-Endorsed Initiatives

Curriculum consistent

with state core

curriculum

(standards/objectives)

Instructional choice

options at all grade levels

for all students

Career and Technical

Education (CTE),

including provision of

CTE center

Preschool accessible for

all students

Full-Day Kindergarten

Lecture series for

members of the

community

Expand career day to

lower grade levels

Electronic high school

Utah Science Technology

and Research (USTAR)

initiative

Online learning options

(e.g., ―Hybrid‖ courses

offered on-line and at site)

Student recognition

programs (e.g., Sterling

Scholar, National Merit,

Honor Roll)

Extracurricular activities

(e.g., student government,

athletics)

Outside of school

enrichment opportunities

(service learning)

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and vision related to the programs focus area:

Identify effective research and evidence-based programs.

Implement effective instructional programs.

Evaluate programs for effectiveness.



that may be used to address the program objectives. The Sample Program

Initiatives are listed in Table 11.

Table 11. Sample Program Initiatives


Initiatives




Formal process for initiative

adoption and review with

support and maintenance

Expand instructional

programs for adult and

community learners

Choose research-based

programs with record of

success

Prioritize instructional

programs based on

effectiveness

RTI

Promote consistency,

alignment, and cohesiveness

of PK-12 programs

Continuous improvement of

instructional programs

Develop database of

effective programs

based on research

Provide research based

choice options

Identify transition

issues (K, 6th, 8th,

10th)

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and vision related to the partnership focus area:

Improve District’s communication with parents and community.

Promote parental and community support for student learning and

achievement.

Support active district/school and community partnerships.

Access local talent and expertise to support district/school goals and

objectives.



that may be used to address the partnership objectives. The Sample

Partnerships Initiatives are listed in Table 12.

Table 12. Sample Partnership Initiatives


Initiatives




Communication plan

Communication (website, state of

the schools’ annual address, task

force composed of faculty and

parents to develop communication

plan, KPCW, Park Record weekly

column, PTA/O newsletter at each

school, district public relations

person to have a liaison at each

school, School FAQ’s,

student/parent concerns,

technology to help faculty

communicate with parents)

Guidance for partnerships (e.g.,

policy committee to develop

decision matrix for eligibility of

facility use)

Cultivate relationship between

PCSD and Park City Education

Foundation

School FAQ’s,

student/parent

concerns that can be

addressed

Community Learning

Centers

Develop and maintain

a database of

community talent

resources

Schools communicate

their needs to the

community (e.g.,

tutoring program for

Latino students)

Process for teachers to

communication about

their wants and needs

with those able to

access community

resources and expertise

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Decision Making Criteria for Initiative Selection,

Adoption, and Retention To determine how initiatives are selected and adopted, as well as how

existing initiatives are retained, PCSD will consider the following

criteria for such decisions: effectiveness, alignment and prioritization,

feasibility, and benefits and costs. These criteria, as illustrated in

Figure 4, shall be considered in tandem with the above values, vision,

mission, and objectives when selecting, adopting, and retaining

initiatives.

Figure 4. Selection, Adoption, and Retention Criteria for District-wide,

District Sponsored and District-Endorsed Initiatives

Guiding Protocol Questions — The following questions are provided to

advance the decision making process for selection, adoption or retention of

initiatives.

Effectiveness – How effective has this initiative been in comparable

districts with comparable schools? What makes this initiative effective

elsewhere? What evidence and research supports the adoption of this

initiative in PCSD? How effective is the initiative likely to be in PCSD?

Alignment & Prioritization – How does this initiative align with the

values, vision, mission, and objectives? How does this initiative align with

other initiatives in the district? Does this initiative duplicate another

district initiatives? How should this initiative take priority?

Feasibility – How feasible (e.g., easy, difficult) will it be to adopt and

implement this initiative in our district? What will need to occur prior to

and during implementation to assist with successful implementation?

Effectiveness

Alignment & Prioritization

Feasibility

Benefits & Costs

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What resources (e.g. facilities, budget constraints, staff) are necessary

and available to support successful implementation?

Benefits & Costs – What are the benefits to adopting this initiative in

the district and to whom? What are the costs (e.g., impact to other

initiatives, financial, time, facilities, staff) to adopting this initiative and

for whom? Are the costs to adopt this initiative worth the benefits? Will

adopting the initiative diminish our ability to carry out other high

priority efforts? Will adopting this initiative eliminate another initiative?

Example of Applying Criteria to Learning Initiatives

As indicated above, an important learning objective is to improve student

achievement across all content areas. The Committee identified several

initiatives that might support this objective, particularly ones that address

the use of data to identify student learning needs.

The following is an example of how the decision-making process might

progress if the district were considering the adoption of a new initiative

aimed at improving student achievement across content areas.

Proposed Initiative: Professional development to help

educators (e.g., teachers, instructional coaches) use formative

and summative assessments and SIOP data to inform

instruction, engage in collaborative planning, and monitor

student progress in the content areas.

Table 13. Example Decision-Making Process When Adopting an Initiative

that Addresses a Learning Objective

Criteria Example Decision-Making Process

Effectiveness

What are the specific outcomes that this

initiative is expected to accomplish?

Does the particular professional development

use strategies that are supported by the

research evidence?

How have the particular strategies for using

data been adopted in similar districts with

positive outcomes?

What does the research evidence suggest needs

to be in place for this initiative to be effective?

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Alignment and

Prioritization

In what ways do the proposed data strategies

reflect our values regarding excellence in

teaching and learning, respect and

commitment, personal and social

responsibility, community engagement, and

sustainability of resources (Values)?

In what ways does this initiative help us to

provide an innovative and excellent education

(Vision)?

In what ways does this initiative help us to

(Mission):

o Empower students to develop their

knowledge, skills, and potential as critical

thinkers?

o Maximize resources?

o Promote academic rigor and excellence ?

o Ensure that learning is relevant to the

emerging world in which we live?

Feasibility

How different are the proposed strategies from

what we are already doing with data?

How would the proposed strategies

complement what we do or would we have to

adopt entirely new strategies?

What data will we need to collect to meet the

requirements of this initiative in order to be

successful?

What technology will we need to adopt the

proposed strategies and do we have sufficient

technological infrastructure?

What background and expertise is needed to

support implementation?

What additional staff will need to be hired and

with what expertise or do we have the

expertise in-house already?

Benefits &

Costs

How much will the proposed strategies benefit

student learning?

What are the costs to adopting this initiative in

terms of

o Time?

o Training costs?

o One-time and ongoing costs for supplies

and materials?

o Staffing (e.g., to provide ongoing

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professional development or technical

assistance)?

o Technology (e.g., software, hardware,

infrastructure)?

o Impact on teachers or staff?

What are other less costly initiatives or

strategies that would yield the same/similar

results?

While the above example provides the type of reflection and discussions

that the district might engage when making decisions to select, adopt, or

retain initiatives, it is not exhaustive. Nevertheless, if these criteria are

addressed, we expect that the Strategic Plan will provide a more useful

planning and decision-making guide.

Implementation and Sustainability The Park City School District recognizes the imperative nature of both

implementing and sustaining the Strategic Plan. As such, the PCSD has

selected five leverage points to frame implementation and sustainability

across all components of the Strategic Plan. These leverage points, as

identified in Figure 5, include:

Leadership and Governance

Resource Allocation

Technology

Communication

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Resource Allocation

Technology

Communication

Accountability Leadership and

Governance

Accountability

Below are considerations for how each of these leverage points may be

used. Taken together, the five leverage points provide part of the

infrastructure necessary to support district-wide Strategic Plan

implementation and sustainability. These leverage point strategies

provide targeted action steps for PCSD. Moreover, they also provide

sufficient guidance so that the leverage point strategies may be further

tailored to both PCSD and PCSD schools.

Table 14. PCSD Strategic Plan Leverage Points

Leverage Point Leverage Point Strategy

Figure 5. Implementation and Sustainability Leverage Points

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Leadership and

Governance

Maintain a focus on students

Engage in and be visible in initiatives that

support the Strategic Plan

Advocate for and or adopt policies that

align and support Strategic Plan

Use Strategic Plan as ―road map‖ for

decision making

Continue to engage teachers, parents, and

community in decision-making, as

stipulated in the PCSD policy on shared

decision making

Conduct annual review of Strategic Plan

and revise as necessary

Resource

Allocation

(Financial,

Facilities,

Staffing, and

Materials)

Use Strategic Plan to inform Master

Planning for development of facilities in

PCSD

Establish timeline for resource acquisition,

budgets, and allocation to support

implementation of the Strategic Plan

Dedicate resources to the development of

knowledge and skills that ensure success of

Strategic Plan

Provide staff and time to support initiatives

that align with Strategic Plan

Consider transportation alternatives to

increase efficiency and access to programs

Are there other partnerships that could

offer an initiative

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Technology

Use PCSD Technology Committee to:

o Determine technology needs of schools to

effectively meet the Strategic Plan

objectives through the Site-based

Technology Committees, and the District

Technology Advisory Committee

o Distribute technology (software and

hardware)

Use PCSD technology as means of sharing

innovation and ―best practice‖

Support accessibility and use of technology

Provide information on available technology

based on school needs and student learning,

teaching, partnership, and program goals

Communication

Develop a communication plan to:

o Communicate Strategic Plan goals and

activities

o Communicate progress on and impact of

objectives and initiatives

o Provide district message for school

newsletters

o Align some elements of school websites

with Strategic Plan

o Coordinate communication across district

schools for district-wide initiatives

Facilitate conversations among school

leaders and leadership teams about

initiatives that support strategic plan

implementation.

Define purpose of communication, to whom

communications need to occur (e.g.,

principals, teachers, support staff, parents

and community), how often (e.g.,

consistently and constantly), and in what

medium (e.g., district and school

newsletters and websites, radio, TV,

Facebook, Twitter)

Continue to use and make PowerSchool

accessible to communicate with

parents/guardians

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Accountability

Provide roles and opportunities for

principals, teachers and staff, parents and

community members to participate in the

implementation and evaluation of the

Strategic Plan

Establish targets for each objective

measure of the Strategic Plan

Use measures of Strategic Plan objectives

to inform continuous improvement efforts

Provide report on ―Strategic Plan Progress‖

annually to teachers, parents, and

community, including community forum for

feedback and sharing successes

Develop a means for schools to report on

how their school improvement plan

addresses the strategic plan, as stipulated

in the PCSD School Community Council

Policy

Hold district and school leadership,

teachers, parents, and community

accountable for success of Strategic Plan

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Glossary of Terms

Term Abbreviation Description

Adequate Yearly Progress

(AYP) Annual measurable achievement objectives uses consistent methods and measurements to reflect the increases in student achievement (Source: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/107-110.pdf)

Advanced Placement

(AP) Advanced Placement program offers college-level course work to high school students. Many institutions of higher education offer college credits to students who take AP courses. (Source: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/about.html)

American College Test

(ACT) Assessment programs that assess what learners have achieved through various stages of education, K-16 (Source: http://www.act.org/)

Career and Technical Education

(CTE) Competency-based instruction, culminating in essential life skills, certified occupational skills, and meaningful employment (Source: http://www.schools.utah.gov/cte/)

Criterion Referenced Test

(CRT) Tests that identify subject mastery (Source: http://www.schools.utah.gov/assessment/info_ela.aspx)

Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills

(DIBELS) The DIBELS measures the 5 Big Ideas in early literacy identified by the National Reading Panel (Source: https://dibels.uoregon.edu/)

English Language Learner

(ELL) Affirmative steps to rectify language deficiency in order to open instructional program to students who are learning English (Source: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/ellresources.html)

Enhancing Missouri’s Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies

(eMINTS) Instructional strategies powered by technology (Source: http://www.emints.org/)

Gifted and Talented Education

(GATE) Educational programs that recognize and make provisions for the needs of gifted and talented learners (Source: http://www.schools.utah.gov/curr/gift_talent/default.htm)

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Individualized Education Plan

(IEP) Specific practices to accommodate a student’s educational needs due to physical or mental limitations (Source: www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/speced/toolkit/iep-teams.doc)

International Baccalaureate

(IB) Curriculum and pedagogy of focused on international perspectives of learning and teaching, while insisting that students fully explore their home culture and language (Source: http://www.ibo.org/)

Jordan Performance Assessment System

(JPAS) Performance Appraisal System is designed to help teachers provide high quality instruction to all students. (Source: http://www.jordandistrict.org/departments/forms/curriculum/JPASbook.pdf)

National Assessment of Educational Progress

(NAEP) Nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas run by the Commissioner of Education Statistics in the U.S. Department of Education (Source: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/)

Parent Teacher Association/Organization

(PTA/O) Parental groups that are partners with the school to provide support (Source: http://www.pta.org/)


(PCSD) (Source : http://www.pcschools.us/)

Professional Learning Communities

(PLC) A staff development approach and a strategy for school change and improvement (Source: http://www.sedl.org/change/issues/issues61.html)

Response to Intervention

(RTI) Identification of students at risk for poor learning outcomes, monitor student progress, provide evidence-based interventions and adjust the intensity and nature of those interventions depending on a student’s responsiveness, and identify students with learning disabilities or other disabilities (Source: http://www.rti4success.org/)

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Sheltered Instruction, Observation Protocol

(SIOP) A practical model of sheltered instruction with an intent to facilitate high quality instruction for English Learners in content area teaching (Source: http://www.siopinstitute.net/)

Standards-Based Measurement and Proficiency

(STAMP) An online test designed to assess what students can do with a language (reading, writing, speaking) (Source: http://www.stamptest.net/stamp0708/stamptest/)

Student Health And Risk Prevention

(SHARP) Survey used to look and school environmental factors such as safety. (Source: http://www.dsamh.utah.gov/sharp.htm)

Utah Education Policy Center

(UEPC) (Source: http://uepc.ed.utah.edu/index.htm)

Utah Science Technology and Research initiative

(USTAR) An economic development initiative that invests in the State’s research universities to create technology based start up firms, jobs, and expand the Utah tax base (Source: http://www.ustar.utah.edu/)

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UEPC Acknowledgments

The Utah Education Policy Center recognizes the Park City School

District Superintendent, Board of Education, and members of the

Superintendent’s Cabinet in this endeavor to determine a path for success

of students, teachers, families, and community. The Strategic Plan will

provide guidance for PCSD’s decision making and actions in the coming

years. Moreover, we acknowledge the tremendous contributions of the

Strategic Planning Committee who dedicated their time, experience, and

expertise to the development of the Park City School District Strategic Plan

and whose engagement reflects the commitment of the Park City

community investment in education.

We appreciated the opportunity to work with Park City School District.

For more information on UEPC research, evaluation, and policy

development services contact the UEPC at:

Andrea K. Rorrer, Ph.D

UEPC Director

Phone: 801-581-4207

[email protected]

http://uepc.ed.utah.edu

http://uepc.ed.utah.edu/

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2700 Kearns Blvd

Park City, UT 84060

Phone: 435-645-5600

Fax: 435-645-5609

http://www.pcschools.us/

pcsd strategic plan

Documents

district goals

district employees

reports district

strategic plan page

comprehensive strategic

board members

school board good planning

plan willalso