Arizona Department of Education (Updated) Strategic Plan FY 2015-2016 (110716 Final) (Updated) FY15-16 Strategic Plan ADE Purpose Ensure all Arizona children have the knowledge to determine their future, achieve their goals and be successful citizens. ADE Mission To serve Arizona’s education community, and actively engage parents, to ensure every student has access to an excellent education Values         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: maximize use of time, effort and resources Continuous improvement: always learn, innovate, and improve Customer focused: understand needs, deliver quality service, exceed expectations Effective communication: share information, actively listen, ensure understanding 110716 (Final) 2 (Updated) FY15-16 Strategic Plan Our Future Expectations The Arizona Department of Education supports a 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, numeracy, communication and technology skills—the world is changing rapidly; to remain successful our graduates must be able to effectively apply a variety of skills in a real-world environment.  Demonstrate cultural competency – graduates will be able to understand, appreciate and interact with persons from cultures and/or belief systems other than their own, thus increasing their ability to successfully navigate the increasingly diverse global community.  Demonstrate strong critical thinking and reasoning skills – today’s graduates must possess both the persistence and creativity needed to effectively solve problems.  Become artistically literate— a graduate who is artistically literate is able to respond to or critique genres of art and music, and connect these to their lives and the world around them.  Be physically literate —ensure that every student is exposed to daily physical activity and opportunities to learn, establish, and maintain life-long health enhancing behaviors.  Articulate career and post-secondary goals—the most successful students have a clear direction for post-secondary education and careers, are able to enter post-secondary courses without the need for remediation, and have been provided with opportunities to develop and implement strategies for their future success.  Are civic-minded—ready to participate and lead in a representative republic. 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. 110716 (Final) 3 (Updated) FY15-16 Strategic Plan ADE Goals and 2015-2016 Objectives Goal 1: Improve Student Achievement and Opportunities for Success Strategy: A. Accountability: High performing schools lead to high performing students. Objective: i. By June 30, 2016, implement the state accountability transition plan and the ESEA waiver to meet state and federal requirements. Target met. (ADE Accountability is observing the prohibition of A-F Letter Grades through the end of this school year but continues to comply with our ESEA waiver and requirements for transitioning to new federal law authorized in December 2015.) Lead: Accountability Strategy: B. School Improvement: Underperforming schools receive comprehensive services and targeted support. Objective: i. By June 30, 2016, through the Aligning Efforts COP and the Integrated Support Team COP, all ADE academic program units will collaboratively support LEA and school systems, leaders and teachers in improving student outcomes by targeting support and services to underperforming schools. Target met. (Representation from all academic units has resulted in collaborative support to LEAs, school systems, leaders and teachers. This includes the development of specific deliverables that will reduce administrative burden on LEAs and schools.) Lead: SI Strategy: C. Graduation Rate: High graduation rates indicate success along the entire pre-K through twelve, and adult education systems. Objectives: i. Increase the graduation rate from 76% in 2015 to at least 79% for all high schools for the FY16 school year. Target not met. (77.82% - percentage of 9th grade students who graduate within four years) Lead: R&E ii. Increase the graduation rate from 48% to at least 51% for all Priority and Focus high schools for the FY16 school year. Target met. (51.7% graduation rate for FY16) Lead: SI iii. By June 30, 2016, the percent of adult learners age 16 and over achieving a High School Equivalency diploma will increase from 32% to 50%. Target not met. (30%. New baseline year determined by first full year of 2014 GED Test, the new High School Equivalency Test that is aligned to AZCCRS.) Lead: Adult Education Strategy: D. Post-Secondary Engagement: Enrollment in post-secondary programs without the need for remediation indicates success along the entire pre-K through twelve continuums. Objective: i. Identify the percent of students in grades 3 through 8 who are on track to be College and Career Ready, as indicated by passing AzMERIT/NCSC in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math. Target met. (27% on track.) Lead: R&E ii. Identify the percent of students in grade 12 determined to be College and Career Ready as indicated by passing all 6 required AzMERIT or NCSC end of course assessments in ELA and Math by August 1, 2018. (New date set; no longer applies to this FY.) Lead: R&E 110716 (Final) 4 (Updated) FY15-16 Strategic Plan Strategy: E. Community and Parent Engagement: Highly engaged communities and parents provide support to LEAs to enhance services and build strong school systems. Objective: i. By November 30, 2015, at least 50% of program area units will support one of the six evidence-based principles of effective family engagement during family engagement month (November). Target met. (15/16 - 94% of programs supported one or more principles in November; three programs hosted activities in October; Office of Communications conducted significant social media outreach.) Lead: ESS Strategy: F. Data Literacy: Educators, parents, and students who understand data are better able to adjust their practice in order to improve achievement. Objectives: i. Issue AzMERIT embargoed results to schools by November 1, 2015 (for Spring 2015 AzMERIT), by December 18, 2015 (for Fall 2015 AzMERIT), and by June 6, 2016 (for Spring 2016 AzMERIT). November, December, and June Targets met. Lead: Assessment ii. Issue AzMERIT school and district results to the public by November 30, 2015 (for Spring 2015 AzMERIT). November Target met. Lead: Communications iii. By June 30, 2016, all ADE program areas responsible for providing technical assistance or professional development will use the new ADE AELAS Professional Learning & Collaboration online tools (Blackboard Learn, Blackboard Collaborate, AZ Dash, Teachscape, Professional Learning Management System-LMS) to provide at least 50% of their service and support to the field. Target met. (23/23 programs completed target). Tracking to be conducted by Divisions/program areas.) Leads: Associates/Division Leaders. Goal #2: Develop and Implement Efficient and Effective Practices Strategy: A. Management of Grants: Well-managed grants and grants systems reduce redundancies for and increase timely feedback to LEAs. Objectives: i. By June 30, 2016, expand outreach to 75 LEAs from initial pilot of Single Point of Contact, and establish baseline rating of customer satisfaction. Target met. (Target adjusted; emphasis moved from Single Point of Contact, and placed instead on enhancing efficiency and effectiveness through creation and implementation of Grants Manual, and enhancements to the Grants System.) Lead: Grants Management 110716 (Final) 5 (Updated) FY15-16 Strategic Plan Strategy: Data Governance: Well-managed data ensures that LEAs receive fewer data requests and increases security of student-level data. Objective: i. Reduce costs to both ADE and LEAs by decreasing the number of ADE data requests to no more than 130 per year by June 30, 2016. (Target met. Number of requests to LEAs is 122) Lead: R&E B. Strategy: C. Internal and External Processes: Streamlined and up-to-date processes reduce waste and rework, and add value to customers. Objectives: i. All designated program staff will complete training on the Grants Management Policy Manual, and State Procurement Office (SPO)-required training on creating requisitions by December 31, 2015; all supervisors who approve requisitions and invoices will complete SPO-required training by January 15, 2016; and all ADE employees will complete ADE Procurement 101 training by February 15, 2016. Target not met. a) 86% - 151/176 completed GME training. b) (January updates) 15/63 (24%) have completed all required training classes for creating requisitions. c) (January updates) 16/60 – 26% have completed all required training classes for approving requisitions & invoices. d) (January updates) 272/571 – 47%, have completed Procurement 101. e) Procure AZ Training required only for new hires starting after 1/4/16. Leads: Business & Finance/HR ii. By January 4, 2016, through a collaborative process that includes Division representation ADE-wide, all Divisions will standardize operating procedures (including accountability review and documentation), to ensure accuracy and compliance with state and federal grants regulations and requirements. (Business & Finance SOPs completed in January for financial management of federal & state grants; Academic Divisions and IT (combined SOP) completed in February; Procurement SOP for all Academic Divisions also completed.) January target not met. Leads: Associates/Division Leaders iii. By June 30, 2016, all ADE program areas with content on the ADE website will upload 50% of content from their respective ADE websites for inclusion within the ADE Content Management System (CMS). Target met. (24/24 programs completed) Leads: Associates/Division Leaders 110716 (Final) 6 (Updated) FY15-16 Strategic Plan Goal #3: Provide Exceptional Services to Support Great Schools, Excellent Teachers, and Successful Students Strategy: A. Agency Communication: Organized and comprehensive communication structures reduce confusion and enhance the agency’s service-oriented reputation. Objective: i. By June 30, 2016, at least 41% (38% in FY15) of all programs’ External Customer surveys will receive a rating of 4.25 or higher on effectiveness of communication. Target not met. (12 of 31 program external surveys—39%—rated 4.25 or higher) Lead: ODD Strategy: B. Customer Satisfaction: Exceptional service to internal and external customers results in high levels of customer satisfaction. Objectives: i. At least 25% of programs with a rating lower than 4.25 will raise overall satisfaction ratings on their customer survey by .15 or more over their FY15 overall satisfaction performance level. Target not met. (6 of 26 surveys—23%—with 2015 scores below 4.25— increased by .15 or more) Lead: ODD ii. At least 33% of all program customer surveys will receive a rating of 4.25 or higher on overall satisfaction by June 15, 2016. Target met. (16 of 42 customer surveys—38%— rated 4.25 or higher) Lead: ODD Goal #4: Build a Great Place to Work Strategy: A. Employee Satisfaction and Retention: A positive working environment leads to greater employee retention and high job satisfaction. Objectives: i. Increase the average, overall satisfaction rating of ADE as a great place to work from 3.63 to at least 3.78 by March 1, 2016. Target not met. (2016 rating: 3.53) Lead: ODD ii. By March 31, 2016, establish a baseline of employee ratings on “In my work group, necessary information is communicated effectively and in a timely manner” for all work groups listed in the Annual Employee Satisfaction Survey. Target met. (Aggregated baseline for all programs: 3.88. Program baselines range from 3.50 to 4.25) Lead: ODD Strategy: B. Employee Professional Learning: Job-related professional learning increases the employee’s ability to carry out their work, and increases job satisfaction. Objective: i. By February 28, 2016, at least 70% of all ADE Divisions will have conducted a training needs assessment specific to their work, and developed a comprehensive training and development plan for all staff members within each work group. Target met. (9/10 Divisions – 90% – met the target by deadline.) Leads: Associates/Division Leaders 110716 (Final) 7