FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2001

Updated Strategic Plan Results in Priority Action Teams

Five Strategic Priority Action Teams, centered around the most critical challenges facing the Madison Metropolitan School District, are among the outcomes of the recently-completed strategic plan.

"The immediate and emerging challenges facing the district are addressed in our revitalized strategic plan," said Superintendent Art Rainwater, "and the Action Teams are focused on five important priorities for us."

The five strategic priorities are:

• Instructional Excellence - improving student achievement; offering challenging, diverse and contemporary curriculum and instruction
• Student Support - assuring a safe, respectful and welcoming learning environment
• Staff Effectiveness - recruiting, developing and retaining a highly competent workforce that reflects the diversity of our students
• Home and Community Partnerships - strengthening community and family partnerships and communication
• Fiscal Responsibility - using resources efficiently and strategically

The five Strategic Priority Action Teams, one for each of the five priorities, are taking on the responsibility for continuous improvement toward "their" priority.

The Action Teams, which will have both staff members and non-staff members, will be responsible for existing initiatives. In addition they will identify and recommend benchmarks to use in assessing school district performance.

"We have a huge number of initiatives," said Rainwater. "This strategic plan gives us a systemic approach to change, so that every initiative, everything we do, leads us to these established goals. I believe it is critical to our district's success that we follow this strategic plan and use it as a decision filter against which we measure our activities."

Two other outcomes from the updated strategic plan are:

1. a set of beliefs about children, families, enhanced learning, and the quality of life and learning, all of which are integrated with an identified District vision and mission.
2. improved cost efficiency and effectiveness of many central office functions, which are being addressed on an ongoing basis.

Madison Schools' initial strategic plan came about in 1991, and provided direction until this update.

"As a result of this project," said Rainwater, "all of us who are stakeholders -- parents, students, teachers and staff, administrators and community members -- will share a renewed sense of clarity, while seeing an ever-more efficient deployment of resources."

You can see the complete strategic plan on the district's Web site: http://www.mmsd.org.

Madison Metropolitan School District

Public Information Office
545 W. Dayton St.
Madison, WI 53703
608-266-6270
email: newsrelease@madison.k12.wi.us

Last Modified: 2001-03-01
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