The Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) released an updated and extended Strategic Plan today after eight months of gathering and reviewing input from thousands of educators, students and community members. On Tuesday, Dec. 6, the Board of Education (BOE) is scheduled to vote on adoption of the plan.
“This is the third strategic plan that I’ve worked on in the Department of Education and each one has become more focused and better based on what we’ve learned and on the progress that we’ve made,”said Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi. “This process was much more collaborative and included a tremendous amount of feedback.”
Based on the BOE’s direction in January 2016 to review, update and extend the plan, outreach efforts were conducted in phases.
Phase I began in April 2016 and garnered responses from more than 1,200 participants at 108 focus groups statewide and 1,429 online survey responses. The results were compiled in a comprehensive report, which outlines six community-based definitions of Student Success.
During Phase II, HIDOE and BOE hosted community meetings on Hawaii Island, Maui, Molokai, Oahu and Kauai to help refine, rework or reject components of the draft developed during Phase I. In addition to the meetings, the public was asked to participate in a second survey to gather input on objectives and strategies for Goal 2 (Staff Success) and Goal 3 (Successful Systems of Support). The survey netted 1,144 responses.
“The feedback we’ve received validates the belief that the Department is not alone in caring about our students’futures. Students need the support of their families, educators and communities. We all want our children to succeed,”added Superintendent Matayoshi.
A draft plan was presented to the BOE and posted online on Oct. 18 for public comment. During a two-week period, it received more than 4,000 views. As part of the feedback process, participants were asked what they thought of the objectives and indicators through polling questions. The majority of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the changes. The results of the public comment period were presented to the BOE on Nov. 15.
The mission, vision and three primary goals of the 2012 Strategic Plan remain in the 2017-20 update. However, the update includes a revised set of objectives, indicators of progress and targets that are a culmination of feedback, research and discussions with Board members and the Governor over the past eight months.
All students demonstrate they are on a path toward success in college, career, and citizenship.
- Objective 1, Empowered: All students are empowered in their learning to set and achieve their aspirations for the future.
- Objective 2, Whole Child: All students are safe, healthy, and supported in school, so that they can engage fully in high-quality educational opportunities.
- Objective 3, Well-Rounded: All students are offered and engage in rigorous, well-rounded education so that students are prepared to be successful in their post-high school goals.
- Objective 4, Prepared and Resilient: All students transition successfully throughout their educational experiences.
Public schools have a high-performing culture where employees have the training, support, and professional development to contribute effectively to student success.
- Objective 1, Focused Professional Development: Develop and grow employees to support student success and continuous improvement.
- Objective 2, Timely Recruitment and Placement: Timely recruitment and placement of applicants to better serve all students to address achievement gaps and attain quality.
- Objective 3, Expanded Professional Pipeline: Expand well-qualified applicant pools for all Hawaii educator positions and expand the number of candidates who are prepared to support Student Success objectives.
The system and culture of public education work to effectively organize financial, human, and community resources in support of student success.
- Objective 1, Innovation: Foster innovation and scaling of effective instructional and operational practices to meet and exceed our educational goals.
- Objective 2, Adequate and Expanded Resources: Secure adequate resources to support school and community-based plans for student success.
- Objective 3, Efficient and Transparent Supports: Increase efficiency and transparency of instructional and operational supports to promote student learning and help schools while stewarding public education resources.
Once adopted by the BOE, the updated Strategic Plan will be set for implementation in the 2017-18 school year.
About the Strategic Plan and ESSA
On Dec. 10, 2015, President Barack Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) into law. The new law provides states with more flexibility compared to No Child Left Behind, and Hawaii will take advantage of this by using the state’s updated Strategic Plan to guide the preparation of the state’s ESSA plan. Since January, HIDOE has monitored the national changes including how the ESSA regulations and timelines would impact Hawaii. The Department anticipates submitting the state’s ESSA plan for funding before the U.S. Department of Education’s April 3, 2017 deadline. Full implementation is required during the 2017-18 school year.
