In May 2021, the Eastland Fairfield Career & Technical Schools (EFCTS) selected Rice Education Consulting (REdCon) to develop a three- to five-year strategic plan after a competitive bid process. To execute on the charge, REdCon, with the approval of EFCTS, developed a three-phase planning process.
PHASE I: STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT
During the strategic alignment phase, representatives of REdCon and the EFCTS administrative team:
- identified the organization goals and objectives,
- established the project goals and objectives,
- identified key stakeholders and their roles and responsibilities, and
- developed the project timeline.
PHASE II: SENSING
To gather input from district stakeholders, a three-part sensing process was developed:
- Anonymous surveys were given for six key target groups: EFCTS staff members, current high
school and adult students, alumni, parents and guardians, and associate school employees. - One-on-one interviews were conducted with board members and staff. Each board member
was given the opportunity to participate in a 30-minute phone meeting with a representative from REdCon. - Focus groups were conducted with district stakeholders
PHASE III: STRATEGY SESSIONS
From August 2021 to September 2021, REdCon facilitated five strategic planning sessions. The session participants included EFCTS staff, senior administrators, and business partners.
Session 1: Setting Priorities (August 3, 2021)
Session 2: Establishing Goals (August 4, 2021)
Session 3: Strategic Actions and Success Measures (August 16, 2021) – Virtual
Session 4: Prioritize Strategies and Key Actions (September 1, 2021) – Virtual
Session 5: Alignment (September 8, 2021) – Virtual
GLOSSARY TERMS
Goal - The desired outcomes of the plan
Implementation notes - Guidance and considerations provided by the consultant to increase the likelihood of success in execution and/or implementation
Measure of performance - Quantification of the results of an action that provides objective proof of completion of that action
Measure of effectiveness - Metric used to assess changes in system behavior, capability, or environment; to determine whether actions are having the desired effects; and to gauge results of the effort
Objective - The action(s) taken to achieve the goals of the plan
Pillar - A strategic focus area of the plan
Strategy - A specific plan of action to meet the objective(s)