Cincinnati Public Schools’ bold new strategic plan, titled Building Futures, is guiding the district toward goals based on high expectations and a strong dedication to building a family-supportive district that educates all students well.
Approved in April 2006, the plan creates a district that is more supportive of the needs of families and the community. The plan’s goals spell out clearly that Cincinnati Public Schools will engage its families in student learning, work with parent groups to increase parent involvement and provide more training opportunities for teachers and parents.
By following this strategic plan, CPS’ students will be well-prepared for college and careers. They will benefit from a growing number of strong partnerships with the community, and they will learn inside 21st-century schoolhouses that will welcome parents and neighbors, too.
Development of a new strategic plan was a priority for Superintendent Rosa Blackwell. The plan was approved by the Cincinnati Board of Education on April 24, 2006, following a nine-month development process. Its strength comes in part from the valuable input collected from hundreds of parents, students, business and community leaders, elected officials and school staff members. The plan took effect in the 2006-07 school year.
The new plan is built on the foundation of the old — called Students First, which expired in 2001 and was based on best practices that still represent the most effective means to improve student achievement.
The new plan is built around 10 goals, which Blackwell describes as ambitious but within reach. The plan includes targets for each goal spread over five years to assure steady progress in such areas as preparing students for college, maintaining schools that are accountable for academic results and assuring that CPS' teachers receive high-quality professional development.
A key component of Building Futures directs that all students take a college-preparatory curriculum, following the research-backed concept of challenging students to excel. A rigorous college-preparatory curriculum pushes students to learn at higher levels and prepares them for college and the workplace, while keeping students interested and motivated.
Research shows that districts that focus on preparing students for postsecondary success — doing more than handing out diplomas for minimum proficiency — are rewarded with fewer students dropping out, according to the Education Trust, a national organization of educators. Building Futures embraces the Education Trust’s basic tenet: All children will learn at high levels when they are taught at high levels.
"As superintendent, it is my responsibility to ensure that this document lives in our classrooms and our schools throughout the district," Blackwell said. "We, as a district, have the responsibility to ensure consistency of programs, constancy of purpose and equity across the district."
The theme for our strategic plan: Building Futures: Every student... Every school... Every day.
Students are the center of our work. We must know each student and build learning opportunities and webs of support so that every student reaches his or her highest potential.
We will hold high expectations for all students and create ways for students to meet them — both during the school day and beyond. We will enlist families and communities in this important work, and we will not rest until every student in this city is successful.
We believe that all students deserve to attend good schools. We will work to make sure every school in our district is high quality, and a viable choice for our families.
Principals and teachers, families and the community will have the opportunity to create Community Learning Centers in each school to support not only academic learning, but the arts and recreation and whatever else is considered important to meet student, family, and community needs. The choices are endless in what these centers can become, if partners collaborate to maximize resources for students, families and neighborhoods.
We, as a district, have the responsibility to ensure consistency of programs, constancy of purpose, and equity across the district. We also have a responsibility to maintain the focus and momentum of this strategic plan.
Cincinnati Public Schools will engage our staff and community in the implementation of this work. Our district will create a monitoring and support mechanism to ensure that we stay on track.
The following initiatives support the district's strategic plan.
Goal 1 Goal 2 Goal 3 Goal 4 Goal 5 Goal 10