Strategic Plan » Strategic Plan

Strategic Plan

 

We are excited to announce the refresh of our 2023-2028 SCSD Strategic Plan after a year-long collaboration that collected input from Trustees, school leadership, teachers, staff, parents, students and community partners. Through these collaborative efforts, we have embarked on a transformative journey to shape the future of education in our district.

Strategic Plan Cover Image

The heart of this endeavor lies in the formulation of a new Vision for the District. Embracing innovation and growth, our Vision embodies a commitment to excellence in education, fostering a diverse and inclusive learning environment that empowers students to become engaged global citizens and trailblazers of tomorrow. Grounded in the values of equity, empathy, and citizenship, the new Vision sets a bold course towards a brighter future for all learners.

VISION

The San Carlos School District shall provide an innovative and engaging learning experience that fosters the development of the Whole Child to ensure all students are well prepared for success in the future, as evidenced by:

- Reaching their highest academic, social, emotional, intellectual, and physical potential;
- Becoming problem solvers, curious self-aware learners, and kind citizens; and
- Developing into empathic citizens and leaders who are responsible stewards of their world and care about equity and justice, both locally and worldwide.
 
PROFILE OF A LEARNER

In addition to the Vision, the refresh of the Strategic Plan introduces an inspiring new Profile of a Learner. This dynamic framework outlines the attributes and skills that every student will develop throughout their educational journey with SCSD. Going beyond traditional academics, the Profile of a Learner emphasizes critical thinking, creativity, adaptability, and collaboration, equipping students with the tools they need to thrive in an ever-changing world.

The Learner Profile Image

CONTINUING WORK

The Design Team is continuing the next phase of work with SCSD teachers, leadership, and the community to develop action plans for success indicators.

STRATEGIC PLAN VIDEOS

We are delighted to share with you a collection of videos highlighting important elements of our new Strategic Plan.

Week 1: Curious Problem Solvers, password: scsd

Week 2: Kind Citizens

Week 3: Self-Aware Learners

Week 4: The Educator

Week 5: The School

Week 6: The Community

Week 7: SCSD Promo Video

Week 8: Early Learning / Preschool Programs

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Board Meeting Update - April 6, 2023
 

The SCSD Strategic Plan Design Team has developed a draft of the revision of the SCSD Strategic Plan. Using feedback from focus groups, educational partners, stakeholder engagement sessions, staff and a community survey, the team created a first draft to share with the Board of Trustees for reactions and input. The draft includes a Profile of the Learner example, a picture of success for the concentric circles around SCSD Learners (teachers, school, and community), and success indicators that describe the results of the actions that will be developed next in the action plan. Click here to see the Presentation and the SCSD Strategic Plan 2023-28 rough draft shared at the board meeting.

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 Strategic Plan Refresh 2022-23

Our Strategic Plan was written in 2013. Many elements like Whole Child, Project Based- Learning and the 5 C’s were ahead of their time and continue to inform our teaching and learning. However, much has changed since 2013 and we must evaluate how to educate future-ready learners. Our strategic plan refresh process has involved workshops, surveys, stakeholder meetings and a design team process. Community input has been invaluable to co-creating a resulting roadmap to inform next steps for our learners. Opportunities to share feedback included:

  • Completing a strategic planning survey - taken online before December 15 - available in Spanish and English.
  • Attending one of our in-person community meetings to learn more about the strategic planning process, receive updates on recently collected input, and real-time brainstorming about future opportunities for SCSD and our students:
    • Wednesday, October 26 - 4:00 - 5:30 pm - Arroyo Upper Elementary Learning Commons
    • Thursday, November 3 - 8:45 - 10:15 am - Tierra Linda Middle School Multi-Use Room
    • Wednesday, November 30 - 6:30 - 8:00 pm - Ravenswood YMCA (550 Bell St., East Palo Alto) **habrá traducción simultánea**
    • Tuesday, December 13 - 6:00 - 7:30 pm - Arundel Elementary Elementary Multi-Use Room 

All feedback will be considered by a Design Team to represent the thinking across all interested groups, identify themes, and revise the objectives and directions regarding Teaching and Learning, Social Emotional Learning and Learning Spaces.

 

SCSD Strategic Plan: 3 Main Pillars

  1. Developing and delivering innovative and engaging curriculum and instruction;
  2. Leveraging human capital to support staff as 21st century educators;
  3. Building learning environments that reflect, support, and sustain 21st century learners. 
 

PHASES OF WORK

AND TIMELINE

 

 

Site and district leaders began the discovery phase in June 2022


JUNE – SEPT 2022


OCT – MAR 2022


APR - JUNE 2023


DISCOVERY PHASE


MAPPING PHASE


REVIEW PHASE

Review Prior Analysis & Determine Future State

Define Road Map for Strategic Plan Development

Review and Refine Strategic Plan for Final Adoption

 

Discovery Phase Part 1: What in the 2013-2018 Strategic Plan is Evergreen?

The following are universally relevant for SCSD education:

  • Educating the Whole Child
  • Personalizing learning
  • Staying innovative to create future-ready students
  • Implementing the 5 C’s (8 C’s)
  • Infusing project-based learning and STEM/STEAM
  • Climate readiness
  • Incorporating Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
 
Discovery Phase Part II: REIMAGINE the future & close gaps
Meetings - Outreach 2022-23

Engagement

Meeting

Date

Engagement - Visioning

Management Team

6/13/22

Engagement - Visioning

Management Team

8/1-2/2022

Engagement - Visioning

Visioning Session 1 - PTACC

10/5/22

Engagement - Visioning

Staff Intro to Process & Invite to Meetings

10/13/22

Engagement - Visioning

Staff & Community Survey - English | Spanish

Oct-Dec

Engagement - Visioning

Community Intro to Process & Invite to Meetings

10/14/22

Engagement - Kick Off

Steering Committee Meeting No. 1 - Kick-Off

10/19/22

Engagement - Community

Session 1 - SCEF

10/25/22

Engagement - Community

Session 2 - Arroyo Community Meeting

10/26/22

Engagement - Community

Session 3 - PTACC

11/2/22

Engagement - Community

Session 4 - Tierra Linda Community Meeting

11/3/22

Engagement - Community

Session 5 - Ravenswood/East Palo Alto Community Meeting

11/30/22

Engagement - Community

Session 6 - Arundel Community Meeting

12/13/22

Engagement - Community

Sessions 7-15 - All School Sites

Dec

 
Upcoming Meetings

Engagement

Meeting

Date

Engagement - Community

Sessions 17-24 - Student Meetings

Jan

Engagement - Community

Session 25 - District Office Staff

Jan

Engagement - Community

Session 26 - DEIB Steering Committee

Feb

Engagement - Community

Sessions 27 - DELAC Committee

Feb

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2013-2022 Strategic Plan

 

In June 2013 the San Carlos School Board passed a groundbreaking Strategic Plan that examines how to re-think public education for the 21st Century. This plan outlined the vision, strategy, direction and goals of SCSD and was created over a period of two years in collaboration with District staff and community members. While it is written as a five-year plan, it is intended to be an evolving, living document, and so will be reviewed and altered annually, as appropriate.

 
In October 2015 the Board unanimously approved revisions to the Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan is accompanied by the District’s Facility Master Plan along with the Implementation Plan and various school site plans. The Strategic Plan is centered around three main pillars:
 
1. Developing and delivering innovative and engaging curriculum and instruction
  • Implementing Common Core standards and leveraging powerful 21st century approaches such as blended learning, technology-infused project-based learning, STEM, and design and innovation learning
  • Creating greater emphasis on a relevant, real-world, global curriculum with expanded choices and electives, — with a continued emphasis on the arts — integrating environmental stewardship, equity and justice, and related topics into the curriculum and an expansion of physical, social, and emotional wellness programs.
  • Focusing on problem-solving, collaboration, critical-thinking skills with a personalized approach to learning that ignites students’ passions.
  • Experimenting with “blurring the lines of time and place” so that the community becomes the classroom.
 
2.  Leveraging human capital to support staff as 21st century educators
  • Pursuing a path to more greatly professionalize the role of the educator by providing a greater level of autonomy, responsibility, and support
  • Building robust professional development for staff, creating time for collaboration, using professional learning communities, and having social-based forums for staff collaboration
  • Expanding the definition of “educator” to include larger community-based and worldwide resources, including parents, other community members, and experts from afar, all integrated into the curriculum.
  • Establishing a new system of evaluation for all staff based on professional growth, coaching and mentoring
  • Creating a new system of career paths, roles, and compensation that reflect the professional nature of our staff and the reality of our borderless environment
 
3. Building learning environments that reflect, support, and sustain 21st century learners
    • Implementing the Facilities Master Plan, which includes the building of two new schools with flexible learning and collaboration spaces for students and educators
    • Establishing learning spaces as sustainable and natural environments
    • Ensuring spaces have robust technology infrastructure and flexibility to provide capacity for one-to-one computing and a platform for district wide collaboration and sharing
 
Click here to download the 2013-2022 Strategic Plan.
 

If you have any questions, please email [email protected] or call (650) 580-7333.