At the start of the 2023-2024 school year, the Allentown School District issued a Request for Proposal to partner with an outside organization to facilitate the development of a Strategic Plan. The District selected Insight Education Group, which was board-approved on October 12, 2023. A Kick-Off event was held in November, and the Steering Committee began to meet monthly commencing in December 2023 through May 2024.
The community’s contributions and dedication have been instrumental in developing this plan, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who participated in the comprehensive stakeholder engagement process. The timeline below outlined not only when the Steering Committee met, but how other broad-based stakeholder engagement was created throughout different phases of the plan’s development.
Phase I Learning & Leading
Phase II Strategic Plan
Phase III Implement and Monitor
The focus of Phase I was to learn about bright spots and opportunities for improvement by leading community conversations that empower all of us to learn what we need to do to get better together.
The focus of Phase II was to convene cross-functional planning teams to develop a 5-Year Strategic Plan that will guide the District through a process of developing priorities and goals to bring clear focus to the organization.
The focus of Phase III will be implementing the Strategic Plan with discipline, focus, and accountability while monitoring our progress and making necessary adjustments along the way.
As the graphic indicates, The Strategic Planning Process included three phases: Learning & Leading, developing the Strategic Plan, and Implementing and Monitoring the plan. The Learning & Leading Plan was steeped in a three-pronged inquiry approach that will guide our thinking and identify goals, outcomes, and actions to influence a complex system focused on continuous improvement, talent management, and development
Stakeholder Engagement
The development process prioritized creating a strategic plan that reflected the needs and voices of our entire learning community. Over the course of six months, more than 5,000 individuals completed surveys or participated in various focus groups and advisory committees that collaborated with student and community needs in mind.
This living document is our roadmap to student success.
Let us embark on this journey together!
Strategic Planning Implementation
We Get Better Together, All of Our Strengths Are Needed!
Leading up to 2030 is our chance to transform our vision into reality. We will build this roadmap together by staying focused, disciplined, and accountable. Here are the keys to our success:
Empowering Leadership Teams - Passionate teams of educators, caregivers, and community members will champion each strategic area. They will be our guides, ensuring every step brings us closer to our goals.
Open Communication & Collaboration - Transparency is key to accountability. Regular updates will flow freely to the Board, staff, students, and our entire community. We will foster ongoing dialogue and actively seek your feedback to shape informed decisions.
Building a Sustainable Future - We will strategically allocate resources – people, funding, and time – to ensure the plan’s viability. Implementation will be phased, allowing for continuous assessment and adjustments.
Our Collaborative Journey (2024-2025 to 2029-2030)
Planning: We will create detailed blueprints with identified priority leaders and teams, resources, progress metrics, and potential challenges for each strategic action.
Launch: We will implement the actions, monitor its effectiveness closely, and refine as needed before full-scale implementation.
Implementation: With robust support in place, we will execute the action across the entire district.
Sustained Success: This is a continuous process. Constant monitoring and adjustments will ensure the long-term success of each strategy.
