Strategic Plan 1998-2000
Prepared by the Strategic Planning Task Force
May 1998
Preface
THE STRATEGIC PLANNING TASK FORCE
The Strategic Planning Task Force of the Santa Barbara School Districts (SBSD) was organized to analyze issues facing schools, identify problems, and recommend solutions to the Administration and/or the Board of Education. Task Force members include parents, teachers, administrators, union members, and community members representing diverse points of view. In August of 1997, they were asked to help the Districts develop a Strategic Plan. The planning document was the result of a series of lively brainstorming and analytical discussions conducted over many months by the Task Force, complemented by editorial assistance from a steering committee.
THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS
The strategic planning process began by examining the impact of social, technological, demographic and economic forces on our schools. The Task Force members reached consensus in identifying several important themes:
- the shift from an industrial to an information age;
- the fast pace of technological advancements, the role of computers in the workplace and learning, and the dynamic development of new multi-media industries;
- the creative tensions and dynamics of our increasingly multicultural community and society;
- a global economy;
- the shrinking middle class;
- the changing nature of the family;
- the changing nature of the workplace with new emphasis on team structures and delivery systems;
- expectations for regular measures of academic standards;
- a greater involvement of business and industry in partnerships with schools;
- changes in funding sources for public education.
THE STRATEGIC PLAN
The Strategic Plan for the Santa Barbara School Districts provides a long-term framework for leading and managing change, analyzing resources, and planning for an uncertain future. The plan is structured as follows:
- A statement of Core Values defines the guiding principles for the Districts. These values include excellence and quality, responsibility and accountability, intellectual development, creativity and innovation, collaboration, civility and respect, and community involvement. Decisions regarding allocation of resources for personnel, programs, staff development, administrative structures, and facilities should reflect alignment with these Core Values.
- The Vision Statement reflects a description of what the ideal school district can be and what the Santa Barbara School Districts strive to achieve.
- The Mission Statement indicates the purpose and focus of the Santa Barbara School Districts and includes broad, general strategic directions for the Districts. The Mission Statement used for planning purposes was approved by the Board of Education in 1996.
- Five Strategic Directions which have emerged from the Santa Barbara School Districts’ Mission Statement include: Academic Excellence, Diversity, Community and Civic Responsibility, Technology, and Self-Responsibility for Learning and Development.
- The Goal Statements are broad, general targets to be achieved, each listing specific activities or actions that will be taken to accomplish these goals.
The Task Force has developed a list of recommended Performance Indicators for each goal area in order to help the Santa Barbara School Districts’ staff measure what level of success has been achieved in implementing the goals and objectives. Each school, through a similar planning process, will build on the Districts’ plan and more precisely decide how it will measure its accomplishments. The Strategic Plan will act as a roadmap ensuring that the Santa Barbara School Districts will successfully cross a bridge of our own design into the twenty-first century.