FY18-22 Plan Development

During the 2016-17 school year, the School Board and division staff led the efforts to update and develop a strategic plan for fiscal years FY18 through FY22. This process included the involvement of staff, parents and community members.

Planning: November 2016 - May 2017

Phase 1: Assess the Environment

In the fall of 2016, division staff conducted 26 stakeholder sessions to establish key priorities of focus for the next five years by identifying internal and external factors the division will or may face and review existing objectives and strategies.

Participants were provided information on the Virginia Department of Education's Profile of a Virginia Graduate. The Profile is the framework for the Board of Education's revision of graduation requirements in effect for the graduating class of 2022.

Through a visioning activity and a writing activity, stakeholders identified the skills, knowledge, and experiences that a YCSD graduate should have to be prepared for college and career success as well as specific objectives believed to be critical to student success.

Strategic Plan Visioning Activity

Strategic Plan Objectives Activity

Finally, all participants reviewed the division FY13-17 Strategic Plan to determine if the existing objectives should be kept, revised or discarded.

Strategic Plan Survey Results

Phase 2: Frame the Opportunities

One the data collection was complete, staff moved into the data analysis phase. Building and division administrators reviewed the priority areas for skills and knowledge as well as experience created be each of the stakeholder groups in phase one. They collectively identified key strategic themes, opportunities, and priorities.

Skills & Knowledge		Experiences
Life Skills		School to Work Transition
Communication Skills		Interdisciplinary Activities
Basic Literacy & Math Skills		Career Readiness Skills
Problem Solving & Critical Thinking		Community Service/Volunteering
Technology		Increased Technology Use
Workplace Readiness		Collaboration for Production
Global & Cultural Awareness		Vocational Training
Citizenship

Staff representatives from each school and division-level department then reviewed the individual objectives crafted by stakeholders during Phase 1. Their task was to sort the 496 suggestions into themes or categories. They identified 20 common themes in this process.

Objectives Writing Activity Themes
Class Size/Student:Teacher Ratio	Learner Experience
College & Career Readiness/Life Skills	Other
Communication Skills	Professional Development
Compensation	Recruitment/Retention
Continuum of Services for Students w/ Disabilities	Safety: Drills & Training
Core Competencies	Social/Cultural Awareness & Acceptance
Expanding Course Offerings	Technology Integration & Access
Family Engagement & Involvement	Utilizing Community Resources
Financial Literacy/Money Management	Vocational Opportunities
Internships/Mentorships	Volunteering/Community Service

Phase 3: Identify Objectives, Action Steps, and Resources

In the final development stage School Board Office staff crafted objectives for each of the five goal statements, based on the prior activities. Stakeholders were then given another opportunity to provide feedback on the new draft objectives during a School Board public hearing.

The Board adopted the new Strategic Plan in May 2017.