Niles ESD 71 is taking a proactive step in maintaining its status as a leader in education by launching a strategic planning process to determine the future direction for District 71 schools.
The strategic planning process is designed to engage all district stakeholders – including parents, teachers, administrators, staff, students, and community residents – in developing a shared future vision for the District. Involvement of stakeholders from every corner of the community will result in a long-term framework for decision-making that builds upon the common values held by the community. Completion of the process is set for summer of 2017.
“Effective education of students requires a commitment from the entire community,” said Superintendent Kosirog, “and we are excited to launch this inclusive strategic planning process that will help create the future for our district and schools. The approach we are taking is very different than what most schools undertake in that it is research-based, which means that decisions come from data, rather than intuition.”
Between April and June, District 71 will solicit input from across the community about the future of the District. School board members, parents, employees, students, and community members who do not have children in the schools will be given opportunities to participate in interviews, focus groups and/or surveys. Information will be forthcoming about opportunities to participate in the process.
All of the data collected through interviews, focus groups, and surveys, along with the district’s mission statement, vision statement, guiding principles will be analyzed to determine findings, goals, and objectives for the District. The information will be presented to the Board of Education and released to the public in a Strategic Plan report when the process is complete.
District 71 is partnering with Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates (HYA), to conduct the strategic planning process.