If the Glendale Schools 2005 Strategic Plan were a motion picture, Hollywood
producers would advertise it as "the sequel to the original hit." The sequel is more
targeted than the previous strategic plan - Glendale Schools 2000 - because it
emphasizes standards, accountability and results that can be readily
measured.
Glendale Schools 2005 is the "newest generation" of long-term strategic plans implemented by the Glendale Unified School District since 1990. Planning strategically has long been a practice in business and industry. The District borrowed this successful concept as one means to keep pace with rapid changes affecting the Glendale Schools, from demographics to the growing use of technology in the classroom.
Glendale Schools 2000 served the District and community extremely well. It was the educational "blueprint" of the District and of each school through early 1998. Its primary purpose was to help better prepare students for higher education, the workplace, and living harmoniously and productively. It included a set of 17 strategies and more than 110 action plans, which were implemented in three phases.
Targets, Standards and Greater Accountibility
As insightful and successful as Glendale Schools 2000 was, regular evaluations and burgeoning state and national education reforms began to re-shape the thinking of District staff toward revising the plan, incorporating the use of standards and greater accountability. The concept of "targets" quantified by results was developed, and this would become one of the focal points of Glendale Schools 2005. During the 1996-97 school year, the first seeds revising Glendale Schools 2000 were sown, and a new District Strategic Planning Team was formed. The process of revising and re-shaping the existing plan continued for more than seven months, involving more than 100 District staff members, parents, students and community representatives. In April 1998, the Board of Education unanimously adopted Glendale Schools 2005 and initiated a three-year phase-in schedule.
Parts of the Plan
The plan includes a listing of core organizational values, a mission statement, vision statements, targets and strategies. Each is defined as follows:
Organizational Values - Statements that reflect the fundamental conviction and values of the District. They are
used to guide decision-making and relationships within the organization.
Mission Statement - Reflects the unique purpose for which the District exists.
Vision Statements - They provide a picture of what the schools and the District will look like and be like in the year 2005.
Targets - Statements of quantitative results that will provide direction and focus for all schools. They include direction statements and examples of assessment indicators.
Strategic Directions - These are the most essential things that must be done at the District level to support schools in their quest to meet the strategies. Each strategic direction at the District level is managed by one of more District administrators who are held accountable for their implementation.
Glendale Schools 2005 is now the guiding force behind the direction of the District, including instruction, facilities and budgeting. In addition, each year the Board of Education develops its own goals in concert with Glendale Schools 2005. Glendale Schools 2005 also makes it easier for schools to implement a single plan rather than the multitude of plans required in Glendale Schools 2000. Another important element of 2005 is a series of client feedback surveys. Data received in these surveys of parents, students and staff will help evaluate the progress toward meeting several of the targets.
The plan also will be evaluated each year and, where necessary, revisions recommended to the Board of Education by the District's Strategic Planning Team.
Mission Statement
With a vision toward the future and a commitment to excellence, Glendale Unified School District provides quality teaching, ensuring that all students become responsible citizens who possess the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in an ever-changing world.
Strategic Direction 1
Strategic Direction 2
Strategic Direction 3
Strategic Direction 4
Strategic Direction 5
Strategic Direction 6
Strategic Planning Team Membership
Strategic Direction Committee Membership