A strategic statement is made up of three basic elements ? ‘the vision, the mission and the values of the organization,? according to Dr. Steve Powelson, an IT/strategy collaborator of Revelation Companies, based in Phoenix Arizona.
Powelson was hired by Oxford Schools last year to help with their new strategic plan, known as ‘Strategic Plan 2.0?
‘I’ve been working with the school district for a couple of years now in transition (from) the old strategic plan to the new strategic process that’s been going on,? Powelson told the board at the June 24 meeting. ‘So, I’ve had the good pleasure of understanding the good work that’s been done (in) the past and then, the new consideration of achievement that we want to accomplish going forward.?
Powelson has a doctorate in technology entrepreneurship, a Masters in Innovational Leadership and an undergraduate degree in computer science.
‘I’ve been working in the industry for about 30 years, deploying strategies for organizations to achieve mission results, combining, technology, innovation, leadership to accomplish those mission results,? he said.
Academic achievement
Trustee Joyce Brasington asked Powelson what the ideas were of how they’re going to ‘measure academic achievement versus just opportunity after opportunity.?
Powelson noted that developing metrics at various levels, specifically in academic achievement is one of the ‘primary objectives? of the process, but they haven’t determined how they’re going to measure that yet.
‘Oxford is very unique, very dynamic at providing the great learning environment . . .and there are unique things associated with Oxford that have to be factored into that student achievement. That’s part of the process work to be done,? he said. ‘We’ll have some preliminary ones that will be refined up front and then we’ll have some (develop) over time, but the outcome of that process, in a matter of months, will be some very crisp metrics that we can use that distinguishes Oxford, its performance (and) gives us a benchmark against the state and nation.?
Trustee Mike Schweig asked what the former metrics were for student achievement in the previous plan. Powelson replied there were ‘several categories (to measure student achievement) with each category having about 20-30 measurements in them, but they all weren’t correlated into what he would classify as a student achievement metric.?
‘There were measurements and premeditation in the process to achieve new specific strategic objectives, like the IB Program and others,? Powelson explained. ‘On the outset, there wasn’t enough knowledge to know how this would be correlated into a metric for strategic performance.?
‘That was my concern with our previous strategic plan ? we did some milestone things that were very good, but the assumption was that those would improve our student achievement. Some of them may have (done that), but because we don’t have the correlating factors, that’s our fault. Someone should have those correlating factors. I think that’s where we’ve missed some things,? Schweig responded. ‘I want to make sure as we go forward with our new strategic plans that we don’t repeat those same types of global type of understandings that if we have IB and if students are attending school everyday we have accomplished what? ?
Board Treasurer Dan D’Alessandro, who took part in the previous strategic plan, said one of the things they insisted on was that ‘every student reach their maximum potential.?
‘If you have a special needs student, we want them to reach their maximum potential. If you have an all-A, 4.0 (grade point average) student we want them to go higher. You want them to get the most out of their educational process,? he said. ‘I think a lot of districts are looking at state tests (in terms of measuring student success.) We do not do that. Some people are going to criticize and that’s OK. I think from the onset that was our objective with the strategic plan that every student matters regardless of where they’re at.?
Board President Jim Reis recalled being presented with over 300 initiatives to look at with the old plan. ‘Every time you would come there was a sheet a mile long,? he said. ‘At one point, we said ‘no more new initiatives let’s hold it back for awhile.?
As far as testing goes, Reis said there is more that goes into a student than just a state test score.
‘My daughter just graduated and I know for a fact that there were friends of hers who had great ACT scores, but they may not have been a leader in a club or done this or that and didn’t get into the university they wanted even though they had a great ACT score,? he said. ‘There is so much more that goes into a student than an ACT score.?
Chief Academic Officer Ken Weaver also warned the board to be careful when looking at test scores and statistical data that’s related to it.
‘Certain organizations who want to use the statistics to present an argument they want politically. A lot of your student achievement right now is very political, very much motivated by which side of the aisle you sit on, so you got to be careful how you bring that argument and I think we have to carefully look at it (all),? he added. ‘You (have) got to look at everything and that’s what I want to caution the board on as (far as) the strategic plan goes, to define what exactly student academic achievement is.?
The conversation over what academic achievement is for all kids will be ‘the thing that is going to drive this whole process,? Weaver noted.
Public response
Kallie Roesner-Meyers said there are a lot of questions as to what a ‘global education? means, but as a parent, she’s not impressed by the mission statement.
‘What would impress me as a parent is graduation rate, SAT/ACT scores, scholarships, college placement, first-year success at college for our graduates, trade school, grants and placements for kids who don’t go to college and employment opportunities,? she said. ‘I don’t see a lot of global in those, but those are goals most of the high school students should have. Because what is high school about? It’s about preparing for college or (a) trade school or (a) career. I’m not seeing the vision statement align with what I would expect as a parent.?
Ruth Vrbensky also weighed in on measuring academic achievement and believed there needs to be greater emphasis on ACT/SAT scores.
‘I have a son who was an honor graduate who didn’t do so well on his ACT test, took it three times and still didn’t do so well. That is what colleges measure students by. That is it,? she said. ‘They can look at a kid who’s got a 4.0, but if they bomb that ACT test, they’re not going to get scholarship money, period, because schools want a 27 (score) or better on that ACT test. If they get less than a 27, there is no scholarship money.?
Foundation going forward
Powelson told the board that he is ‘elated and encouraged by what Oxford is doing.?
‘The foundation has been accomplished with an existing strategic plan. The progress (that) was made in the 2014-15 strategic progress is a tremendous base to build upon and we have great assets in our staff. The staff is just very eager to contribute at greater levels,? he said. ‘I applaud Oxford Schools for what you have accomplished and what we (have) got to build upon.?