GISD trustees review proposed improvement plans for district, campuses

Georgetown ISD trustees Monday previewed both district and campus annual improvement plan drafts for the 2022-23 school year.

Improvement plans reflect goals centered around academic achievement; college, career and military readiness; community-based accountability; personalized learning; community engagement; leadership development; and professional learning.

Wes Vanicek, GISD chief strategist for assessment, said aligning the campus and district plans is a delicate dance.

“We have campuses that share district goals, but each campus also has its own unique challenges and goals and we respect that,” he said.

The board could approve the district plan October 17, while campus plans will be up for a vote November 21.

District goals

According to the draft, four main district goals were outlined.

Goal 1: Develop a future-ready learning experience that reflects student voice, choice and ownership.

Goal 2: Engage the community to become champions and advocates for student success and the future of the district.

Goal 3: Cultivate an adaptive system of empowered leadership where collaboration and problem-solving are our natural behaviors.

Goal 4: Establish an innovative culture that encourages risk-taking, diverse thinking and meaningful exploration.

Trustee feedback

Responding to the draft plans, Trustee Stephen Benold cautioned against spreading resources too thin.

“We can’t fix everything because we don’t have the resources,” he said.

Trustee Jen Mauldin commended the work of campus staff members in creating their plans.

She asked if schools have a learning strategist or position to help implement plans. She also said she wants campus goals to address specific problem areas and requested clarification on how GISD’s Learner Profile is incorporated into classroom learning.

Mr. Benold and Trustee Stephanie Blanck both emphasized that goals should be measurable.

“Campuses should identify 4-5 critical academic goals and write specific plans to address them,” Mr. Benold said.

Planning process

Mr. Vanicek outlined the process for creating improvement plans.

Board members annually adopt district goals and performance objectives that are aligned to the district’s Strategic Plan, board goals, mission and priorities.

Improvement Plans are developed in accordance with GISD’s District of Innovation Plan.

Staff review data, identifying trends and needs to address. Data includes academic achievement data, demographic data, student, staff and family perceptions, behavioral/ discipline, and attendance.

Campus and district leaders collaborate to build strategies and identify needed resources. Campus teams and performance committees work with campus and district staff to provide input to the drafted plans.