November 2023 Report
This is the Oregon City School District reporting on the Strategic Plan efforts as of November 3rd, 2023.
On Monday, November 13th, 2023 we presented our November report to our school board. This report is on the efforts of the Strategic Plan as of November 3rd, 2023. You may find the report below.
Strategic Plan Voices
In the creation of our Strategic Plan, we formed a committee of over 40 different people from various perspectives in our district to provide their thoughts and dreams. Some of these committee members were our very own students. Austynn Jester-Feldsher was an eighth grader at Tumwata Middle School during this time. She has since moved to Oregon City High School and is attending as a freshman this year. Here is what she has to say about our Strategic Plan:
"I think that my favorite things that are coming with the Strategic Plan is that they are really trying to focus on college and career preparedness, they want a more diverse staff/faculty team and that they are actively getting the community more involved. It’s extremely important that they want to engage the community in various ways; some include having internships available for juniors and seniors, having the buildings open to the public for different events, and having other partnerships within the community. I believe that having good communal relations will improve not just OCSD but Oregon City as a whole. The more people find Oregon City a fun, safe place to be, the more people will move here, allowing us to have a more diverse environment, thus allowing us to have a more diverse staff. I love that they want young adults to leave high school feeling prepared for the world around them and not just know how to navigate their way around a school.
Considering all the work that was put in creating the Strategic Plan I think the end result in 2027 will benefit the school district a lot. Once the plan comes to a wrap we will have a happier and safer environment for everyone involved. Students' grades will likely improve and they will have a better perception of themselves and their peers. New staff members will come with an understanding of how things are run. This will help create a more welcoming and safe environment for students.
Last year when I was in 8th grade, it had been suggested by my principal to apply for the Strategic Plan Steering Committee. I am very grateful that I was able to have that experience of collaborating with adults (and students) to figure out how to make the school district better. It was really cool to feel like an adult, like I was making a change in my environment. I get that some adults feel like they don’t have the power to make a difference, but you really do have an impact on the generation before and after you. I believe it’s important for us to find a way to communicate with one another no matter what your role is in the community. "
Priorities
On Monday evening, our Strategic Plan Steering Committee met again, for the final time, to provide feedback on the development of our mission, vision, and values as well as the top five priorities our District should focus efforts. We also looked at the ways our district will measure these priorities and the reporting schedule. We have worked hard to hear what our community feels is important and would like to have included. This includes experiences and thoughts from parents, students, educators, staff, and the local community. We’ve taken into consideration their thoughts on the specifics of the content of each priority, the specific language used to describe each priority and the mission, vision, and values, and the graphic design.
This has been a wonderful collaboration of the entire Oregon City School District community. Together we worked hard to ensure all of our students needs were met, heard, and are seen. This plan will help shape our decisions moving forward, and we couldn’t have done it without all of the incredible support and collaboration from this community.
On June 12th, this plan will go to the school board for review and adoption. Once it has been adopted, we will launch it district wide. Be on the lookout for what’s next!
Design Discussion
On the evening of March 6th, members of our Steering Committee gathered once more in the library at Oregon City High School. Alan Coverstone from Insight Educational Group joined us and led the discussion. We were broken out into small groups and handed another district’s strategic plan as an example. With this example we were to identify areas that appealed to us and areas that we found to be undesirable for our own strategic plan presentation. Then we partnered with another small group and presented our findings. With that partnership we reported design elements out to the larger group that we either would like to see, or not see, in our own strategic plan.
Digging Into the Data
This week our strategic plan steering committee met via zoom to review and discuss several forms of data. Members looked at a distilled version of the survey results, as well as the data from the Oregon Department of Education for the 2021-2022 school year in comparison with the last two/three school years (2017 - 2019, 2020-2021 was omitted due to data not gathered during the COVID-19 emergency).
Members were grouped into 6 smaller groups to review and discuss the data and find trends that would inform our priorities as a district. They first reviewed the distilled survey data and found three common potential priorities that appeared across the results. Then they reviewed the ODE data and found three more common potential priorities that could be addressed. Then they compared the two sets of potential priorities to develop a final set of three potential priorities the district could focus on in regards to budgeting district resources.
The next step in our strategic plan will be engaging Focus Groups to give feedback on the drafts of the mission, vision, values, as well as the potential priorities.
We’re getting close to the end of this process and want to sincerely thank all of those dedicated individuals who have participated either by completing the survey, to acting on the steering committee, to engaging in a focus group. This is incredibly important work for our district and will help shape our future! The outcomes of our strategic plan will inform our district on how and where to seek funding, how and where to spend funding, and what to focus on as a priority in the upcoming years.
Revisioning OCSD
On January 30th, the Strategic Plan Steering Committee met for the second time. As before, folks were grouped into small groups to work together on drafting a potential version of the Values, Vision, and Mission OCSD will eventually adopt.
While the first meeting focused on laying the ground work and brainstorming commonalities, the second meeting worked on honing those down from previous versions and redrafting them to better fit OCSD. From here the drafts will move through district leadership and the board for further revisions.
The next meeting will be mostly concerned with looking at data gathered to help give a clearer picture of what needs change, what’s working, and what folks hope for in our district moving forward. This too will help in the creation of our Values, Vision, and Mission which will in turn help guide our district in making decisions for our future.
First Steering Committee Meeting Held
Bright and early on Tuesday, January 3rd, members of the steering committee for the strategic plan came together to begin the important work of realigning our vision, mission, and values within Oregon City School District 62. Alan Coverstone from Insight Education Group facilitated the conversations and discussions around what those could be, and how they are important.
Members worked together in small groups and teams of small groups to brainstorm what values were important to center OCSD, and how we visualize our future will looking. In the end, there was a rough idea of what those values and visions could be for our district. Because the discussion was so lively and focused, they ran out of time to discuss the mission. However that will be included in the next meeting.
The ideas of what values OCSD should center around and the hopeful visions will be brought to the leadership team in the district, who will craft and hone the values and visions further. Finally, they will eventually bring an example to the school board to consider.
Oregon City School District Partners with Insight Education Group
We have partnered with Insight Education Group to help us create a strategic plan. This plan will help guide our district in its decisions for the next four years.
Insight Education Group is a group of experienced educators and professionals that parnter with educational institutions to accelerate professional growth and ensure every student has a great teacher. Their core values are centered around equity and inclusion. Their team is comprised of life long learners who thrive in a dynamic environment and support one another.
Together with Insight, Oregon City School District 62 and a diverse advisory committee of students, parents, caregivers, teachers, staff, and community members, will begin forming a strategic plan for the future of our schools. This plan will help the district decide which actions to take in terms of budgeting, hiring, messaging, etc.
Strategic Plan RFPs Reviewed and Candidates Interviewed
Last week we interviewed several highly qualified candidates to team up with us and create a strategic plan for our school district. Each candidate provided a diverse set of skills and tools for us to use and we’ve narrowed it down to two teams to decide on. We’re currently checking references and doing our homework to ensure they are the best fit for our needs. Soon we will have a decision and can move forward making Oregon City School District the best it can be for our students.