School Success Results from Planning
Adrian H. Cline, Superintendent
Good planning is a hallmark of success, and planning is as
essential in education as in any other organization. Today, in view of
essential revenues and increasing enrollments, school districts across the
nation have learned how to be "lean and mean," providing more
educational programs with limited revenues. How have they accomplished this?
This can only happen through extensive planning, designed to meet both short-tern
and long-term goals.
Planning has always been essential in the educational
setting. Traditionally, the classroom teacher is responsible for developing
lesson plans that meet the school’s requirements in preparing students for
advancement to the next grade level. These educational goals set by the schools
are integrated with the district’s educational plan, interpreted from the goals
set by the district’s school board and the department of education.
Complicated? Yes, and yet necessary for our students’ success.
The school curriculum and the annual development of the operations
budget are the two areas in education requiring the most planning. Teachers and
administrators work together to determine what will be taught and how, and at
what cost. They prepare and align the curriculum, develop tests to evaluate
desired outcomes, and prepare materials for the start of school.
Another area in which planning is crucial is the district’s operating
budget. From the support staff to the superintendent, material and staffing
needs are prioritized and compared to available revenues. Once aligned with
goals and desired outcomes, a final draft of the budget is presented to the
school board for its review, modification, and approval. Much the same process
is applied to improvement expenditures for new buildings and major renovations.
District planners must, however, project student enrollments, and then draft
plans for new construction far enough in advance to ensure that new buildings
are ready when enrollment dictates the need. Sometimes such planning requires a
five- to ten-year timeline.
Planning in education is a continuous process, as staff and
administrators strive to ensure that school plans and district plans
interconnect to both support and enhance the entire educational program.
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