Arizona Department of
Education
Strategic Plan
FY 2013-2014

(Rev 022514)

2013—2014 Strategic Plan

ADE Vision
A great place to work that delivers “Knock Your Socks Off” service1

ADE Mission
To serve Arizona’s education community, ensuring every student has access to an
excellent education

Values









1

Integrity: honesty, transparency, highly ethical behavior
Respect: be courteous and considerate, value others
Help each other succeed: collaborate, support others, inspire
accomplishment
Dedication to excellence: high standards, high expectations, great results
Efficiency: minimize waste of time, effort and resources
Continuous improvement: always learn, always innovate, always improve
Customer focused: understand needs, deliver quality service, exceed
expectations
Effective communication: share information, actively listen, ensure
understanding

Performance Associates, Inc; Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service, (New York: AMACON, 2007)

Rev 012214

2

2013—2014 Strategic Plan

Our Future Expectations
The Arizona Department of Education supports an adequately funded, world-class education system
that embraces and supports students of all abilities and backgrounds to become Arizona’s college and
career-ready graduates who:


Demonstrate strong literacy and numeracy skills—it is not good enough in this day and age to be
proficient using current performance standards and expectations; our graduates must
demonstrate higher comprehension and application of skills.



Speak multiple languages—a graduate ready to compete in the new world economy must
demonstrate communications skills in multiple ways.



Exhibit artistic skills—a well-balanced education includes exposure to and appreciation of the
arts, enhancing the ability to connect with science and technology.



Understand the need for, and exhibit, a healthy lifestyle—ensure every student is exposed to
daily physical activity and opportunities to learn life-long health enhancing behaviors, and given
knowledge for establishing and maintaining a healthy life style to ensure sound body and mind.



Utilize technology appropriately—the world of technology is changing rapidly; every graduate
must be exposed to current technologies and know how to apply technology throughout life.



Articulate career skills for their future—the most successful students have a clear direction for
post-secondary education and careers; we must help provide opportunities and encouragement
for all students to develop and implement strategies for their future success.



Achieve National Assessment of Educational Progress (“NAEP”) test scores that rank Arizona
among the top ten states in gains on NAEP tests over the next five years—it is not enough to
graduate and to thrive in world markets; our students must be among the most knowledgeable,
analytical and critical thinkers in the world.



Are civic-minded—ready to participate and lead in a democratic society.



Demonstrate high competence—able to succeed in the workforce and/or post-secondary
education without the need for remediation.

To help schools achieve these types of graduates, we commit ourselves to:
I.

Supporting schools to ensure higher student achievement through innovations in technology,
accountability systems, incentive systems and supportive services;

II.

Providing efficient & effective services that alleviate administrative burdens and costs;

III.

Listening to educators, parents and students to meet their needs through the delivery of
outstanding services; and

IV.

Making ADE a place where its staff is empowered to help schools and their students achieve
their highest potential.

Rev 012214

3

2013—2014 Strategic Plan

ADE Goals and 2013-2014 Objectives
Goal #1: Provide Support Services to Schools to Influence Higher Student
Achievement
Objectives:
I.

Identify strategies and create initiatives that will continuously improve classroom results.
a. College and Career Ready Standards (“AZCCRS”) rollout:
i. By June 30, 2014, 100% of ADE Education Programs staff will complete College
and Career Ready Standards training (modules and webinars) to establish a
shared understanding of Arizona’s College and Career Ready Standards
(“AZCCRS”) expectations/requirements.
ii. At least 85% of school teachers and administrators will report capability to
effectively incorporate new standards into classroom instruction.
iii. By March 31, 2014, develop an assessment for the new standards for piloting in
April, 2014.
b. Fully implement Arizona’s Education Learning Assessment System’s (“AELAS”)
Business Plan accordingly to schedule established and within appropriated funding
limits.
c. Gather and report on teacher, student and parent surveys for at least 10% of districts
and charters by December 31, 2013.
d. By September 30, 2013, restructure school improvement approaches to reduce the
number of failing and low-performing schools in future years while raising the
performance of existing failing schools.
e. Continue to develop and expand by at least 10% use of innovative technology-based
learning tools that demonstrate improved student growth.

II.

Provide resources and guidance to districts and charters for full implementation of the
teacher/principal evaluation model by 2014.
a. By January 31, 2014, refine and streamline the state’s teacher/principal evaluation
optional model to provide a viable, automated resource to improve teaching and
leading in order to increase student success.
b. By July 1, 2014, establish a baseline for the percent of highly effective teachers and
principals, as reported in teacher and principal evaluation data submitted by districts
and charters.

III.

Issue reliable, fact-based school and district letter grades by July 30, 2013.

IV.

By June 30, 2014, increase the percent of Fluent English Proficient (“FEP”) students by 10%
of the reclassification rate defined for 2013.

V.

Baseline the existing number of additional second language program opportunities for all
students by September 30, 2013.

VI.

Develop and implement childhood literacy programs by January 15, 2014 that result in
90% of children at proficient or above by third grade in 2018.

Rev 012214

4

2013—2014 Strategic Plan
VII.

By June 30, 2014, in partnership with other public and private organizations, develop a
Kindergarten Developmental Inventory (“KDI”) for piloting in 1—3 LEAs in 2014-2015 to
better understand the needs of new students entering kindergarten.

VIII. Baseline the existing level of arts exposure opportunities for all students by September 30,
2013, then develop and implement enhancement strategies and targets for FY 2014.
IX.

Baseline existing level of career exploration/development opportunities for students in
grades 9—12 by September 30, 2013, then develop and implement strategies and targets
for enhancements for FY 2014.

X.

By June 30, 2014, provide support services to LEAs participating in the National School
Lunch Program to increase:
a. From 50% to 53% the percentage of elementary schools requiring all students to
participate in daily recess;
b. From 51% to 54% the percentage of schools that have Nutrition Education included
in their Local Wellness Policy; and
c. By 3 percentage points, the percentage of elementary schools that are providing at
least 150 minutes of weekly physical education, and the percentage of middle and
high schools providing at least 225 minutes of weekly physical education.

XI.

From 2013 to 2014, incident rates for threat/intimidation, fighting and assault will each
decrease 2% more in schools participating in the S32 Project than in schools not
participating, as measured by AZ SAFE data.

Goal #2: Enhance Efficiency & Effectiveness to Reduce Administrative
Burdens on Schools
Objectives:
I.

Implement the Arizona Education Learning Assessment System (“AELAS”) according to the
plan schedule, to provide teachers, school administrators, students, parents and policy
makers information that can be used to inform both instruction in the classroom and
policy decisions that will enhance opportunities for students to increase their
achievement, as measured on AIMS (or district assessments), while reducing the
administrative burdens on schools.

II.

By June 30, 2014, reduce the percent of ADE requests of data from LEAs by at least 50%,
from 57,000 data entities to no more than 28,000 data entities.

III.

Develop AELAS systems as planned for FY 2014 on time and within budget.

IV.

Implement a new automated grants management system by August 1, 2013, that will
reduce ADE and education community time and expenditures.

V.

Implement on-line certification system by April 1, 2014.

VII.

Identify at least four major complaints of ADE services by the education community and

conduct process improvements to meet customer needs.
a.

Rev 012214

By January 1, 2014, increase percent of payments made to LEAs within five business
days from 95% to 97%.
5

2013—2014 Strategic Plan
b.
c.
d.

By June 30, 2014, in collaboration with district vendors, reduce data redundancy and
reporting by at least 25%.
By January 31, 2014, review the assurance requirements for at least five major grants
to identify and eliminate duplication of LEA/school “Assurances” by at least 10%.
By January 31, 2014, analyze the monitoring process for at least five major grants to
determine how to streamline the time and resources it takes to conduct LEA
monitoring visits and implement a pilot program to study effectiveness by June 1,
2014.

Goal #3: Provide Outstanding Services that will Promote Great Schools,
Excellent Teachers, and Successful Students
Objectives:
I.

Increase the number of ADE Units achieving 45% or higher Net Top Box ratings of
“Outstanding” on annual surveys from 13 in 2012 to at least 18 in 2014.

II.

By December 31, 2013, provide at least five opportunities for ADE staff to participate in
statistical training for data use to better use data to serve customers. (Use baseline
measures of “accuracy of data” and “overall satisfaction” as lagging indicators).

III.

By January 31, 2014, initiate pilot of “single point of contact” team for grant-related
services (measure satisfaction of participants) for medium and small districts and charters.

IV.

By December 31, 2013, develop and implement a master email list to improve accuracy of
communication outreach contacts.

Goal #4: Create a Great Place to Work that Produces Competent, Dedicated
and Empowered Professionals to Support Schools
Objectives:
I.

By March 1, 2014, increase overall employee satisfaction from 19.9% Net Top Box to at
least 25% Net Top Box and improve timeliness and effectiveness of communications from
14.6% Net Top Box to at least 20% Net Top Box.

II.

Ensure that the hiring process provides all employees with a fair opportunity to advance,
thereby increasing perception of fairness in promotion process from 12.2% Net Top Box to
at least 20% Net Top Box by March 1, 2014.

III.

By December 31, 2013, develop and implement a 3 year plan to address internal
professional development needs.

IV.

Implement by January 31, 2014, if financially feasible, a performance incentive program
for staff based on customer feedback and achievement of division and agency
performance measures.

V.

By November 1, 2014, develop a catalogue of internal professional development
opportunities for ADE staff, with implementation process developed and initiated on at
least 60% of listed courses by July 1, 2015.

Rev 012214

6