The Renewed Promise of Strategic Planning to Improve K12 Public School Outcomes
Laurie A. Kimbrel, Ed.D
Volume 11 Issue 6 2023
Abstract:
Calls to improve student achievement have intensified with the release of post-COVID-19 assessment
data. However, the literature makes it clear that traditional reform efforts mandated by federal and state policymakers,
including individual School Improvement Plans, have not resulted in large-scale improvements in student outcomes.
Evidence from research points to local control, collaborative planning involving key stakeholders, and district
support for schools as elements of continuous improvement that are the most likely to promote the conditions
necessary for increased student learning and achievement. District-wide strategic planning is not a commonly
implemented or studied process in K12 school districts, yet it incorporates the elements for continuous improvement
recommended by the literature. This paper builds a logical argument for the promise of a district-wide strategic
planning approach with aligned school implementation plans to develop local yet comprehensive and action-oriented
plans to improve student achievement.
