First Strategic Planning Session
The Strategic Planning Team consisted of 30 individuals who collectively reflect the values and perspectives of the district. The team is made up of students, parents, teachers, community members, board members, administrators, and other staff members. After collecting data regarding GCISD's distinctive characteristics, the Planning Team met for 20 hours over the course of two days in October 2010 to begin the actual planning process. During this meeting, all the following components of the plan were reviewed and/or developed in draft form:
Beliefs
A statement that is a formal expression of the organization’s (community’s) fundamental values: its ethical code, its overriding convictions, its inviolate commitments.
Mission
A statement that is a clear and concise expression of the district’s identity, purpose, and the means of action.
Strategic Parameters
Limitations the organization places upon itself. They are things the organization either will never do or will always do. The intent is concentration of effort on the mission and objectives.
Objectives
The planning organization’s commitment to achieve specific, measurable end results in terms of student success, achievement and/or performance.
Strategies
The most important part of the planning discipline. In particular, the articulation of bold initiatives through which the organization will deploy its resources toward the stated mission and objectives.
In addition, the team conducted extensive analyses of:
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Internal Factors: A thorough, unbiased examination of the organization: strengths, weaknesses, and a critique of the organizational design.
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External Factors: An examination of those forces which an organization has little or no control, such as social, political, economic, demographic, technological, or educational trends.
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Competition: Any other organization providing the same service in the marketplace.
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Critical Issues: Threats and opportunities redefined strategically.
Action Plan Development
After the draft strategic plan was reviewed with all publics, a facilitator began working to direct and assist Action Teams as they developed Action Plans which will implement the strategies. Each strategy was assigned to an Action Team made up of a cross section of people who are affected by and involved in the strategy. The development of Action Plans usually takes 3-4 months. Action Teams are worked from October 2010-January 2011 to develop their proposed Action Plans.
Second Strategic Planning Session
After the Action Plans and Cost/Benefit Analyses have been developed, the Strategic Planning Team met for the Second Planning Session. During this meeting, the action plans most likely to implement the strategies were selected. The total plan was reviewed, and the final plan was prepared for presentation to the Board, via the Superintendent, for approval. This process occurred in January 2011.
Periodic Updates
To ensure that Strategic Planning is a continuing process of creation, a Strategic Planning Team will be assembled periodically (usually on an annual basis) to review progress, re-examine internal and external factors, revise any portion of the plan, incorporate new or updated objectives and strategies, and/or delete those accomplished or no longer relevant.
Preparation of Final Draft (with resource allocation plan)
Working with the facilitator(s), the Superintendent will develop a phased schedule for moving the plans to action and will prepare a five-year projection of both costs and savings associated with every plan. Existing programs and activities outside the plan will be abandoned and resources will be reallocated to new action plans.
Board Approval
The Superintendent and members of the LEAD 2021 Strategic Planning Team and Action Teams presented the proposed plan and schedule to the GCISD Board of Trustees in February 2011 and it was approved.