| LA | 2011-12 | KIPP Believe Primary | KIPP Believe had a five-year strategic plan in Y1. | KIPP Believe's strategic plan has become more refined in Y2. Top challenges in Y2 are 'fleshing out the leadership team, aligning math curriculum with goals, and differentiating development' and the staff is very concerned about staff retention/sustainability and plans for growth as grades are added. | It is the school leader's role to create sustainability, though the CMO helps some. There is a strong focus on staff retention and creating leadership responsibilities for staff. | The lack of a long-term facility plays a role in KIPP Believe's Y4 strategic planning capabilities. The school notes that they would like to be more intentional about connecting to the middle school for a seamless K-8, but the lack of a shared or nearby facility hampers this. The school has plans to adjust course with literacy instruction and psychology resources in the fall and is working to do K-8 long-term planning. | No data | The board has a strategic plan focused on four key issues: money, human capital, the local landscape, and growth in Baton Rouge. The board doesn't focus on academics in their strategic planning because "we sort of take it for granted at KIPP because it's been so good." Before having their strategic plan, KIPP NOLA relied on a Bain Consulting report. | KIPP Believe has placed a lot of care into the creation and development of a strategic plan, but there have also been barriers to accomplishing all goals. KIPP Believe had a five-year strategic plan in Y1, which the school leader notes have become more refined in Y2. Top challenges in Y2 are 'fleshing out the leadership team, aligning math curriculum with goals, and differentiating development' and the staff is very concerned about staff retention/sustainability and plans for growth as grades are added. In Y3 KBP is focused on creating sustainability, and the CMO helps with this some. There is a strong focus on staff retention and creating leadership responsibilities. The lack of a long-term facility plays a role in KIPP Believe's Y4 strategic planning capabilities. They would like to be more intentional about connecting to the middle school for a seamless K-8, but the lack of a shared or nearby facility hampers this. They have plans to adjust course with literacy instruction and psychology resources in the fall and are working to do K-8 long-term planning. The board is aware of the strategic plan and focuses on money, human capital, landscape, and scaling to Baton Rouge. The board doesn't much focus on academics because KIPP has been relatively high-performing there and the board can "take it for granted." |
| LA | 2011-12 | Clark | Clark had a 4-year strategic plan in Y1 that was tied to action steps and the principal's performance. | In Y2 there is an overall staffing plan created by the network and the school has increased resources for intervention, adding more SPED and reading interventionists. Teacher concerns in Y1 and Y2 are maintaining a culture with the student population doubling and the large percent of SPED students. | It is the role of the school leader to create sustainability in Y3, but this is also supported by school leadership and the CMO. | The top issues in Y4 are mainly related to strategic planning and remain very similar to problems throughout the life of the school. Challenges include 'consistency in rules, discipline, culture,' enrollment, SPED and academics. The school leadership has plans to address these, including several new hires and 'planning ahead.' | No data | Clark's board reviews the strategic plan annually. The board focuses on academics, resources, whole child supports, management and fiscal stewardship, advocating for Firstline's mission, and knowing the politics. The board is also sensitive to the lack of transparency among charter boards and the need to diversify board membership. | Although it seems that both the CMO and school put a significant amount of effort into strategic planning, the school is never able to meet the challenges that are presented. Clark had a 4-year strategic plan in Y1 that was tied to action steps and the principal's performance. In Y2 there is an overall staffing plan created by the network and the school has increased resources for intervention, adding more SPED and reading interventionists. There are concerns in Y1 and Y2 around maintaining the culture with the student population doubling, and a large percentage of SPED students. It is the role of the school leader to create sustainability in Y3, but this is also supported by school leadership, the CMO, and the board. The top issues in Y4 are largely related to strategic planning and remain very similar to issues throughout the life of the school. Challenges include 'consistency in rules, discipline, culture,' enrollment, SPED and academics. The school has plans to address these, including several new hires and 'planning ahead.' Additionally, the board notes that system-wide, challenges with charter board transparency and diversity undermine the charter reform model. |
| LA | 2011-12 | Tubman | Tubman does not have a strategic plan in Y1 but says the charter serves as a strategic plan that covers five years. | The overall staffing plan at Tubman has not changed much from Y1 to Y2, though there has been a shift toward the CMO covering more human resource duties. One staff member says sustainability and refinement of practices are a top challenge in Y2, including making academic gains and providing social, emotional, SPED, and educational resources to students consistently. | It is the responsibility of both the school leader and the CMO to create sustainability in Y3. | No data | No data | The Tubman board does not have a strategic plan but does have annual goal-setting conversations with CMO leadership. | Tubman does not have a strategic plan in Y1 but says the charter serves as a strategic plan that covers five years. The overall staffing plan in Y2 has not changed much from Y1, though there has been a shift toward the CMO covering more HR duties. One staff member says sustainability and refinement of practices are a top challenge in Y2, including making academic gains and providing social, emotional, SPED, and educational resources to students consistently. It is the responsibility of both the school leader and the CMO to create sustainability in Y3. |
| LA | 2012-13 | Carver Prep | Carver Prep has a strategic plan in Y1, but it was created by the CMO and has not been read at the building level. Top concerns in Y1 include students who are still really far behind, behavior systems (in particular for outliers), doubling in population and teacher hiring for this. | In Y2 there is a school staffing plan, and the only change from Y1 is increasing support for high-needs scholars due to a greater need. | Carver Prep in Y3 comments on the challenges of school turnaround saying, 'We're growing. We're struggling still a whole lot. We're learning to focus on developing leaders... It's way harder to go from mediocre to excellent than crappy to mediocre, and it was really hard to get to mediocre.' Multiple staff also note that the school has 'got to think about teacher sustainability'. | No data | | One board member notes that a formal strategic plan, especially focused on CMO growth, is in the works in Y4. | Carver Prep has a strategic plan in Y1, but it was created by the CMO and has not been read at the building level. Top concerns in Y1 include students who are still really far behind, behavior systems (in particular for outliers), doubling in population, and teacher hiring for this. In Y2 there is a school staffing plan, and the only change from Y1 is increasing support for high-needs scholars due to a greater need. The challenges of school turnaround are characterized: 'We're growing. We're struggling still a whole lot. It's way harder to go from mediocre to excellent than crappy to mediocre, and it was really hard to get to mediocre.' The school has 'got to think about teacher sustainability.' |
| LA | 2012-13 | Carver Collegiate | Carver Collegiate has a strategic plan in Y1 that covers four years, but this is managed at the CMO level, and it is not connected to the school leader's performance. | There is an overall staffing plan in Y2, much of which is done at the CMO level. In Y2 the top challenges are sustainability and 'consistently strong academic practices.' Although Carver Collegiate expects to retain more teachers this year, one staff member says that the time commitment is a challenge. | No data | No data | | A board member notes that a formal strategic plan, primarily focused on CMO growth, is in the works in Y4. | Carver Collegiate has a strategic plan in Y1 that covers four years, but this is not managed at the school level and is not connected to principal performance. There is an overall staffing plan in Y2, much of which is done at the CMO level and school leadership is very happy with this. In Y2 the top challenges are sustainability and 'consistently strong academic practices.' Although Carver Collegiate expects to retain more teachers in year 2, one staff member says that the time commitment is a challenge. |
| LA | 2012-13 | Cohen | Cohen has a strategic plan in Y1 that was mostly created by the CEO with some school leader input. The plan covers five years and has action steps, but it is not tied to principal performance. One staff member in Y1 says, 'We have a strong leadership team who has thought through staff culture expectations. Collaboration between staff is the only way this will work. There's never a part of the day that you can't have thought out too much. It has to be envisioned and communicated.' Top Y1 staff concerns are managing consistency amongst growing staff, student behavior, and parent engagement. | In Y2 there is an overall staffing plan, and the school has increased support staff at Cohen. Top concerns are 9th-grade behavior and SPED challenges, getting the senior class into college, and continuing to develop strong systems. Cohen also reports progress: 'The things that were threats at the school review last year no longer are. Scaling was challenging. We worked really hard to be clear on these systems.' Teacher challenges in Y2 are similar to Y1: 'foreseeing challenges with growth,' teacher burnout/retention, inconsistencies in systems and systems that aren't growing with the school population. | No data | No data | | The NOCP board works with the CEO each year to set goals related to mission-critical functions, including creating a K-12 pipeline within their network and college access, as well as financial sustainability. However, this is not recognized as a formal strategic plan (but is working with the CEO on strategic goals). | Cohen has a strategic plan in Y1 that was mostly created by the CEO with some school leader input. The plan covers five years and has action steps, but it is not tied to principal performance. One respondent in Y1 says, 'We have a strong leadership team who has thought through staff culture expectations. Collaboration between staff is the only way this will work. There's never a part of the day that you can't have thought out too much. It has to be envisioned and communicated.' Top Y1 concerns are managing consistency amongst growing staff, student behavior, and parent engagement. In Y2 there is an overall staffing plan, and the school has increased support staff. Top concerns are 9th-grade behavior and SPED challenges, getting the senior class into college, and continuing to develop strong systems. Progress is reported in that 'The things that were threats at the school review last year no longer are. Scaling was challenging. We worked hard to be clear on these systems.' Challenges in Y2 are similar to Y1: 'foreseeing challenges with growth,' teacher burnout/retention, inconsistencies in systems and systems that aren't growing with the school population. The board works with the CEO on strategic planning yearly, specific to mission-critical functions such as sustainability, college access and K-12 pipeline within the network. |
| LA | 2012-13 | Craig | Craig has a strategic plan in Y1 that was created by the school leader and the CMO. The plan covers three years, and the principal's performance depends on the plan although it's not clear how this translates to clear action steps at the building level. | In Y2 there is an overall staffing plan, and the school has mostly met it, but they are short a few staff due to lack of funds. (At the end of Y1 Craig had to let six staff go and cut salaries by 2% due to under-enrollment, then four staff left in September of Y2. They were still short a 6th-grade teacher at the time of interview.) | No data | No data | | The Board notes that there was a strategic plan developed early on but that it is not referenced by the board in later years and probably needs to be updated. | Craig has a strategic plan in Y1 that was created by the school leader and the CMO. The plan covers three years. The principal's performance depends on the plan although it's not clear how this translates to clear action steps at the building level. In Y2 there is an overall staffing plan, and the school has mostly met it, but they are short a few staff due to lack of funds. (At the end of Y1 Craig had to let six staff go and cut salaries by 2% (due to under-enrollment), then four left in September of Y2. They were still short a 6th-grade teacher at the time of interview.) The board does not treat the strategic plan as a living document and recognizes that they could do a better job of updating it. |
| LA | 2012-13 | Crescent Leadership Academy | CLA has a strategic plan in Y1 that was created by the school leader and the CMO. The plan covers five years, and the only specifics are SPS and enrollment. Principals performance is tied to the plan. | There is an overall staffing plan in Y2, and top concerns are around facilities/moving, resetting after the move, and keeping the focus on academics. | No data | No data | | The board does not identify a strategic plan in later years but is "working on it." | CLA has a strategic plan in Y1 that was created by the school leader and the CMO, although the board is not entirely versed in it in later years. The plan covers five years, and the only specifics are SPS and enrollment. Principal's performance is tied to the plan. There is an overall staffing plan in Y2, and top concerns are around facilities/moving, resetting because of this, and keeping the focus on academics. |
| LA | 2012-13 | John McDonogh | John McDonogh does not have a strategic plan in Y1, which is identified as a major issue. | There is likewise no staffing plan in Y2. John McDonogh reports that under-enrollment severely affected staffing and the CMO did not have a plan. | No data | No data | | none | John McDonogh does not have a strategic plan in Y1, which was identified as a major issue. There is likewise no staffing plan in Y2. The school reports that under-enrollment severely affected staffing and the CMO did not have a plan. |
| LA | 2012-13 | McDonogh 42 | McDonogh 42 reports that there is a strategic plan in Y1 that covers three years, but it is 'not formal, ' and there are no specific action steps tied to it. | In Y2 there is an overall staffing plan for McDonogh 42, though the school is short one SPED teacher at the time of the interview. (The school had to let staff go in Y1 because enrollment did not meet One App projections.) | In Y3 the school says they have done a good job building capacity at the school through the creation of staff committees for school beautification, student government, and other projects. | No data | | The board has a strategic plan focused on academic performance and expansion of the CMO. However, the plan is not often referenced by the board as a guiding document. | McDonogh 42 reports that there is a strategic plan in Y1 that covers three years, but it is 'not formal, ' and there are no specific action steps tied to it. In Y2 there is an overall staffing plan, though the school is short one SPED teacher at the time of the interview. (The school had to let staff go in Y1 because enrollment did not meet One App projections.) In Y3 the school says they have done a good job building capacity at the school through the creation of staff committees for school beautification, student government, and other projects. The board notes the existence of a plan developed in early years and referenced in later years around academic performance goals and scaling the CMO, but the board does not rely on the strategic plan heavily in their governance function. |
| TN | 2012-13 | Brick Church Middle School | Brick Church has a strategic plan in Y1 that was developed by CMO and school leadership. The plan covers five years and has specifics tied to academics but not culture. Teacher top challenges in Y1 are the shared facility, maintaining strong culture while doubling the school population, and behavior systems for outliers. | In Y2 there is an overall staffing plan, and the school added four behavioral support staff based on Y1 needs. Top teacher challenges in Y2 are retaining teachers, keeping rigorous instruction, and successful implementation of 7th and 8th grades. | No data | No data | | The board feels that a strategic plan is the aegis of management; the board's role is to support leadership in actualizing strategy. The board does engage in issues including CMO growth, facilities, and financial sustainability. | Brick Church has a strategic plan in Y1 that was developed by CMO and school leadership. The board takes a hands-off role, supporting the CMO in activating the plan rather than developing it as a board function (the board does engage in issues including CMO growth, facilities, and financial sustainability). The plan covers five years and has specifics tied to academics but not culture. Top challenges identified by teachers in Y1 are the shared facility, maintaining strong culture while doubling the school population, and behavior systems for outliers. In Y2 there is an overall staffing plan, and the school added four behavioral support staff based on Y1 needs. Top teacher challenges in Y2 are retaining teachers, keeping rigorous instruction, and successful implementation of 7th and 8th grades. |
| TN | 2012-13 | Humes | Humes has a strategic plan in Y1 that was created by the CMO and NSNO. The plan covers three years and has specific action steps. The staff has similar concerns for the coming year around scalability, sustainability, and teacher quality (including SPED teachers), as well as the addition of more students and teachers, and student behavior. | There is an overall staffing plan in Y2 and the school reports that SPED, and STEM staffing has changed since Y1 (it is unclear how). | No data | No data | | The board in later years works to develop a set of governance and decision tools rather than a narrative strategic plan. | Humes has a strategic plan in Y1 that was created by the CMO and NSNO. The plan covers three years and has specific action steps. The staff has similar concerns for the coming year around scalability, sustainability, and teacher quality (including SPED teachers), as well as the addition of more students and teachers, and student behavior. There is an overall staffing plan in Y2, and the school leader reports that SPED and stem staffing has changed since Y1 (it is unclear how). The board sees the "plan" as more a set of decision tools, more "spreadsheet-y than narrative." |
| TN | 2012-13 | KIPP Memphis Academy Middle | There is a strategic plan in Y1, though it sounds more like a regional CMO plan. The plan is created by the CMO and covers three years, with specific targets for enrollment. Top concerns for Y1 are school population growth (as grades are added) and teacher talent. | There is an overall staffing plan in Y2. Top challenges in Y2 remain similar to Y1: the growth of the school, operations, and teacher talent. One staff member comments on the sense of common vision at the school: '[School turnaround] takes more work than you expect it to be. When you have one vision that everyone buys into it makes a world of difference.' | No data | No data | | The board has a strategic plan specific to expanding the KIPP Memphis footprint to support more high-quality seats in the region. The plan was developed with support from CSGF. It is not consistently referenced by the board in later years. | There is a strategic plan in Y1, though it sounds more like a regional CMO plan. The plan is created by the CMO and covers three years, with specific targets for enrollment. Top concerns for Y1 are school growth and teacher talent. There is an overall staffing plan in Y2. Top challenges in Y2 remain similar to Y1: the growth of the school, operations, and teacher talent. One staff member comments on the sense of common vision at the school: '[School turnaround] takes more work than you expect it to be. When you have one vision that everyone buys into it makes a world of difference.' The board relies on the strategic plan specific to expanding the KIPP Memphis footprint to support more high-quality seats in the region, although their reliance is inconsistent over the years. The plan was developed with support from CSGF. |
| LA | 2013-14 | Einstein Extension | Einstein has a strategic plan in Y1 that was created by the CMO and the school leadership team, covers two years, and has specific action steps. One staff member comments that there is a 'need to better differentiate between the way we run things for 1st grade vs. 8th grade.' | In Y2 one staff member comments on the difficulty of the turnaround, saying that the schools can get a lot accomplished because CMO staff have autonomy and are a strong team, but that he/she doesn't think they have the capacity for expansion. Teacher concerns in Y2 are school expansion, retention of staff, communication (as the charter expands), more professional development, and behavior of students. | In Y3 it is the Principal's responsibility to create sustainability, but the CMO and OPSB also have a role in this. | | | The board does not have a formal strategic plan. | Einstein has a strategic plan in Y1 that was created by the CMO and the school leadership team, covers two years, and has specific action steps. There is a 'need to better differentiate between the way we run things for 1st grade vs. 8th grade.' In Y2 the difficulty of turnaround is salient-one staff member says that the schools can get a lot accomplished because CMO staff have autonomy and are a strong team, but that they may not have the capacity for expansion. Other concerns in Y2 are school expansion, retention of staff, communication (as the charter expands), more PD, and behavior of students. In Y3 it is the Principal's responsibility to create sustainability, but the CMO and OPSB also have a role in this. The board does not report having a formal strategic plan to support these goals. |
| TN | 2013-14 | Cornerstone Lester | Cornerstone has a strategic plan in Y1 that was created mostly by the CEO/Board with a little input from the Principal, though specifics of the plan are not known at the school level. Top concerns in Y1 are adding grades, SPED high needs and costs, and over-age students. | Staff sees a lot of challenges in Y2, including teacher retention, sustainability, grade expansion, the ability to meet the needs of all students (SPED, ESL), solidifying curriculum, and staying consistent in school systems and expectations. | In Y3 it is the school leader's responsibility to create sustainability. The school is still working to maintain high academics into grades 3-5, and investing more than ever in human capital and supports for academics. (Students who have been at the school since Kindergarten have lost ground.) | | | The board has no strategic plan. | Cornerstone has a strategic plan in Y1 that was created mostly by the CEO/Board with a little input from the Principal, though in later years the board is not aware of said plan. Additionally, the specifics are not known at the building level in Y1. Top concerns in Y1 are adding grades, SPED high needs and costs, and over-age students. Staff sees a lot of challenges in Y2, including teacher retention, sustainability, grade expansion, the ability to meet the needs of all students (SPED, ESL), solidifying curriculum, and staying consistent in school systems and expectations. In Y3 it is the school leader's responsibility to create sustainability. The school is still working to maintain high academics into grades 3-5, and investing more than ever in human capital and supports for academics. (Students who have been at the school since Kindergarten have lost ground.) |
| TN | 2013-14 | Hanley | Hanley has a strategic plan in Y1 that was created by the school leader and CMO regional director. The plan covers three years and has action steps and due dates. One staff member comments that challenges with student need were more than many at the school expected, but Aspire has responded well and plans to transfer this knowledge to other new schools. | In Y2, top concerns are teacher retention, student transience, adding grades 7-8, meeting TCAP requirements, and large class sizes. | It is the responsibility of the school leader and the regional director to create sustainability in Y3. Staff note that the school needed more planning time for adding 6th and 7th grades and they are still working to improve this. | | | No data | Hanley has a strategic plan in Y1 that was created by the school leader and CMO regional director. The plan covers 3 years and has action steps and due dates. One staff member comments that challenges with student need were more than many at the school expected, but Aspire has responded well and plans to transfer this knowledge to other new schools. In Y2, top concerns are teacher retention, student transience, adding grades 7-8, meeting TCAP requirements, and large class sizes. It is the responsibility of the school leader and the regional director to create sustainability in Y3. Staff note that the school needed more planning time for adding 6th and 7th grades and they are still working to improve this. |
| TN | 2013-14 | Klondike | Klondike has a strategic plan in Y1 that was created by the CMO. The plan covers 3-5 years but does not have specific action steps or dates. Top Y1 teacher concerns are the addition of grades, maintaining culture while expanding, and teacher retention. | In Y2 the Y1 concerns of staff became a reality when additional unexpected grades were added. The school reports that there were supposed to be two school leaders (K-2 and 3-5), but this didn't happen. | In Y3 it is the school leader's responsibility to create sustainability, but teachers are also expected to support this and staff from the CMO are supportive. | | | The board in later years works to develop a set of governance and decision tools rather than a narrative plan. | Klondike has a strategic plan in Y1 that was created by the CMO. The plan covers 3-5 years but does not have specific action steps/dates. In later years the board works to develop a set of decision and governance tools that replace a narrative strategic plan. Top Y1 teacher concerns are the addition of grades, maintaining culture while expanding, and teacher retention. In Y2 these concerns became a reality when additional unexpected grades were added. The school reports that there were supposed to be two school leaders (K-2 and 3-5), but this didn't happen. In Y3 it is the school leader's responsibility to create sustainability, but teachers are also expected to support this and staff from the CMO are supportive. |
| TN | 2013-14 | KIPP Memphis Preparatory Academy | KIPP Prep has a strategic plan in Y1 that was developed by the school leader and CAO. The plan covers five years and does not contain specific action steps but specifies plans for hiring and recruitment. | No data | In Y3 it is the responsibility of the school leader and CMO to create sustainability. The school reports that the CMO consistently 'pushes us toward a view of four years out' and says, 'we are building a bench' for leadership in the school. | | | The board has a strategic plan specific to expanding the KIPP Memphis footprint to support more high quality seats in the region. The plan was developed with support from CSGF. It is not consistently referenced by the board in later years. | KIPP Prep has a strategic plan in Y1 that was developed by the school leader and CAO. The plan covers five years and does not contain specific action steps but specifies plans for hiring and recruitment. In Y3 it is the responsibility of the school leader and CMO to create sustainability. The school reports that the CMO consistently 'pushes us toward a view of four years out' and says, 'we are building a bench' for leadership in the school. The board has a strategic plan specific to expanding the KIPP Memphis footprint to support more high-quality seats in the region, but the plan is only inconsistently referenced by the board in later years. The plan was developed with support from CSGF. |
| TN | 2014-15 | Freedom Preparatory Academy | Freedom Prep has a strategic plan in Y1 that is created by the CMO and school leader, with input from Building Excellent Schools. It is unclear at the school level whether there are specific dates attached and how many years the plan covers. Top concerns in Y1 are growing grades/adding students, maintaining consistent high expectations, and teacher retention. | Freedom Prep had a lot of changes in Y2, including turnover of the school leader and the addition of unexpected upper grades. Staff hiring was incomplete several months into the school year. | | | | The Freedom Prep board is not fully versed in the strategic plan but assumes the CEO has this function under her control. | Freedom Prep has a strategic plan in Y1 that is created by the CMO and school leader, with input from Building Excellent Schools. It is unclear at the school level whether there are specific dates attached and how many years the plan covers. Top concerns in Y1 are growing grades/adding students, maintaining consistent high expectations, and teacher retention. Y2 had a lot of changes, including turnover of the school leader and the addition of unexpected upper grades. Staff hiring was incomplete several months into the school year. The board relegates strategic planning to the CMO leadership. |
| LA | 2015-16 | KIPP East Community Primary | KIPP East does not have a strategic plan in Y1, though there are specific goals set for the year and regional planning around academic college readiness. Top concerns for the future include enrollment, maintaining strong culture and academic rigor through expansion, and moving in 2017. Teacher compensation is also a concern for the school leader. | | | | | | KIPP East does not have a strategic plan in Y1, though there are specific goals set for the year and regional planning around academic college readiness. Top concerns for the future include enrollment, maintaining a strong culture and academic rigor through expansion, and moving in 2017. Teacher compensation is also a concern for the school leader. |
| LA | 2015-16 | Wilson | Wilson has a strategic plan in Y1 that was designed by the CMO. The plan covers five years, but it is unclear at the school level whether there are specific dates and action steps. | | | | | The board is aware of the strategic plan relative to academic goals and expansion of the CMO's footprint. | Wilson has a strategic plan in Y1 that was designed by the CMO. The plan covers five years, but it is unclear at the school level whether there are specific dates and action steps. The board characterizes the strategic plan as focusing on academic goals and expansion of the CMO's footprint. |