Jan 12, 2017

Chapter Thirteen >>>>> Strategic Plan: Acceleration 2020 (Third Snippet from My New Book, >Understanding the Minneapolis Public Schools: Current Condition, Future Prospect<)

At the beginning of academic year 2014, members of the Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) Board of Education voted approval for Strategic Plan: Acceleration 2020, which is as close as this school district gets to offering a philosophy of education that drives decision-making.

 

In my nearly completed book, Understanding the Minneapolis Public Schools:  Current Condition, Future Prospect, I will include a copy of this plan in full and in Part Two of the book I will analyze the philosophy undergirding the plan, action taken to make the plan a reality, and the results of efforts to implement the plan as reflected in student outcomes, resource usage, teacher effectiveness, and family and community partnerships established.

 

As an indicator of the analysis that I will offer in the book, I will make two brief comments:

 

1)  Two and one-half years into this six-year plan, as we near therefore the midpoint of the term for which the plan is to be in effect, none of the goals of Strategic Plan: Acceleration 2020 have been achieved.  Graduation rates have improved a bit, but across many indicators student performance has actually worsened, as indicated in summaries of MCA results and other indicators that I have posted at many junctures on this blog.  

 

2)   At the beginning of this academic year 2016-2017, consultant Michael Casserly of the Council of Great City Schools told Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education members and MPS administrators that he has never observed favorable results for a strategic plan offering the notion of schools as the unit of change (as opposed to the entire school system as a unit of change);  he offered similar comments regarding the notion of school autonomy according to which district officials have proffered the community partnership school concept and approved four such schools.

 

The evidence strongly suggests a poverty of educational philosophy as associated with MPS officials and school board members, and that what philosophy exists is errant.

 

But now please just think your own thoughts and make your own judgments as you read this summary of Strategic Plan: Acceleration 2020 extracted from website information posted on the MPS website:

 

 

Strategic Plan: Acceleration 2020 Our Theory of Action: Schools as the Unit of Change

 

Acceleration 2020 is an ambitious plan to accelerate student outcomes and close the achievement gap by 2020. MPS will increase school autonomy so schools can tailor programs to meet community needs and values; deliver funding so schools will receive resources based on the needs of their unique student populations; and focus on academic support efforts.

 


All students graduate ready for college and career with global competencies for the 21st century

Learning for students and student groups is accelerated to transcend disparities and ensure positive educational outcomes



MPS engages families and the community to support student success



MPS is a learning organization committed to the growth, development and engagement of all staff



MPS is a well-managed organization committed to strong stewardship of resources



Resources and services are allocated transparently and equitable to best meet the diverse needs of all students

To close the achievement gap by 2020, every year for the next five years, we must have:

 

5% annual increase in students overall meeting or exceeding state standards in reading and math

8% annual increase in students meeting or exceeding standards in reading and math for MPS’

                   lowest-performing students

10% annual increase in the four-year graduation rate

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