LEAD - Kent ISD's Strategic Plan

The Kent ISD School Board approved and adopted a three-year strategic plan in February 2022 highlighting the organization’s values, vision, mission and goals for enhancing education in the region. The plan is named LEAD, Leadership in Education, Advocacy and Development, and is the result of months-long planning. The plan was developed by a group of more than 40 ISD staff and community partners using the data from more than 1,200 respondents to focus groups and surveys which included staff, partners, parents and students. This plan focuses on and guides our work as we continue to lead learning.

Core Values

Part of the LEAD process involved re-imagining our core values. These values animate the Mission, Vision and goals of the organization.

Relationships
Learning
Equity
Opportunities
Innovation
Service
Excellence

Mission

Kent ISD partners with our schools and communities providing enhanced and equitable opportunities to enrich the experiences and achievements of our learners.

Vision

Building thriving communities through meaningful partnerships and equitable educational opportunities for all learners.

Goals

Goal 1: Position Kent ISD as a leader for student-centered programming and regional educational services.

Kent ISD is the fourth largest ISD in the second most populous region in Michigan. This positions the organization to not only be a regional leader, but also a model for quality statewide. Kent ISD’s goal is to be the premier destination for high-quality student and school district programming - one that meets the needs of all students and districts.

Goal 2: Build an organizational culture of transparency and accountability.

Internally, a culture of transparency and accountability builds a culture driven on setting and meeting goals. It also promotes the notion that decisions are made using evidence. Externally, it demonstrates that Kent ISD is a good steward of resources.

Goal 3: Recruit and retain a thriving, diverse and inclusive workforce.

The foundation of any high-functioning organization is a highly-skilled, self-motivated and thriving workforce, with the right people in the right positions. To best meet the needs of all learners, Kent ISD’s workforce should reflect the diversity of its diverse student population.

Goal 4: Demonstrate Kent ISD’s value as a community partner.

As a regional education service agency, Kent ISD has an obligation to use its resources, talent and expertise to serve the community at large. This includes intentional community outreach and awareness around the services available through Kent ISD.

Goal 5: Proactively address the evolving needs of the work environment.

Talent is any organization’s greatest asset. Kent ISD must meet the evolving needs of the workplace - including ensuring talent is productive and well supported in their roles. Needs range from leveraging technology to instituting more streamlined business processes to distributed work opportunities.

Our Process

A primary motivation in developing a new strategic plan is to ensure we serve our stakeholders as effectively as possible. This is why feedback from community members, students, parents and staff have been central to our process from the start.

Surveys and focus groups with key stakeholders (Aug.-Oct. 2021)
Analysis of findings (Nov.-Dec. 2021)
Community forum to share results and develop goals (Jan. 2022)
Approval of the strategic plan by Kent ISD School Board (Feb. 2022)
First update presented to the Kent ISD School Board (Feb. 2023)
Second update presented to the Kent ISD School Board (Aug. 2023)

Next steps: Every program and department continues to take action based on the goals established - some developing new initiatives and others continuing work that aligns with our new goals.

Kent ISD will reassess our strategic plan every three years to ensure that it optimally serves our stakeholders' needs.

Strategic Plan Updates

Kent ISD Strategic Planning Update - December 2024

The Kent ISD Strategic Planning Workgroup has made significant progress in launching our LEAD 2.0 strategic planning initiative. Through two productive meetings in November and December 2024, we have established a strong foundation for developing our next strategic plan while carefully evaluating the outcomes of our current LEAD 1.0 framework.

Our initial kickoff meeting in November focused on establishing the groundwork for a comprehensive strategic planning process. The team reviewed the Knoster Model of Complex Change and established clear roles and responsibilities through a detailed RACI matrix. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to introducing the SWOT analysis process, with team members receiving detailed interview guides and response prompts to conduct stakeholder interviews. Each workgroup member was tasked with completing 3-5 individual SWOT analyses, plus their own analysis ensuring a broad range of perspectives would be captured from across the organization.

In our December meeting, the workgroup engaged in an extensive review of the collected SWOT data through a carousel priority identification method. Team members rotated through stations to review and build upon the collected insights, ensuring multiple perspectives were thoroughly examined and prioritized. This collaborative approach has yielded rich insights that will inform our strategic priorities moving forward.

Key Outcomes to Date:

Established a comprehensive strategic planning timeline extending through May 2025
Completed extensive SWOT analysis data collection through stakeholder interviews
Identified emerging themes and priority areas through collaborative analysis
Created a structured approach for ongoing stakeholder engagement
Developed clear frameworks for evaluating and building upon LEAD 1.0 achievements

Next Steps: The workgroup will reconvene in January 2025 to synthesize our SWOT findings and begin developing strategic priorities for the next three years. We are implementing a robust staff engagement strategy that includes department-level focus groups, surveys, and listening posts to ensure broad input from across the organization.

Future meetings are scheduled monthly through May 2025, with our next gathering in January 2025. We look forward to continuing this important work and sharing regular updates as we shape Kent ISD's strategic direction for the years ahead.

For those interested in learning more or contributing to this process, please reach out to Ron Houtman, Director of Strategic Planning and Organizational Initiatives