How can you create a shared vision for school improvement with your community?

1 Identify your current reality

Before you can create a shared vision, you need to assess your current situation and identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges. You can use various methods to gather data and feedback from your staff, students, parents, and other community members, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, and audits. You should also review your school's mission, values, goals, and performance indicators to see how well they reflect your community's needs and expectations. By identifying your current reality, you can establish a baseline for improvement and identify the gaps and priorities that need to be addressed.

2 Engage your stakeholders

Creating a shared vision requires the involvement and input of all your stakeholders, not just a few leaders or experts. You should seek to engage your staff, students, parents, and other community members in meaningful and respectful dialogue about your school's vision. You can use various strategies to facilitate engagement, such as workshops, forums, brainstorming sessions, online platforms, and social media. You should also ensure that your engagement process is inclusive, transparent, and responsive, and that you acknowledge and address any concerns or conflicts that may arise. By engaging your stakeholders, you can build trust, ownership, and commitment to your school's vision.

3 Draft your vision statement

Based on the data and feedback you have collected, you can draft a vision statement that articulates your school's desired future and direction. Your vision statement should be clear, concise, and compelling, and reflect your school's mission, values, and goals. It should also be realistic, achievable, and measurable, and align with your district's and state's standards and expectations. You can use various tools and frameworks to help you draft your vision statement, such as SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) or SOAR (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, and Results). You should also seek feedback and validation from your stakeholders before finalizing your vision statement.

4 Communicate your vision

Once you have finalized your vision statement, you need to communicate it effectively and consistently to your school community and beyond. You can use various channels and formats to share your vision, such as newsletters, websites, social media, posters, videos, and presentations. You should also use stories, examples, and testimonials to illustrate how your vision will benefit your school and its stakeholders. You should also communicate how your vision aligns with your school's mission, values, and goals, and how it will guide your school improvement plan and actions. By communicating your vision, you can create awareness, understanding, and support for your school improvement efforts.

6 Review and revise your vision

Creating a shared vision is not a static or final process, but a dynamic and continuous one. You should regularly review and revise your vision based on the changing needs and expectations of your school and its stakeholders. You should also collect and analyze data and feedback to evaluate your vision's effectiveness and relevance. You should also celebrate your achievements and recognize your challenges and learn from them. You should also communicate any changes or updates to your vision and explain the reasons and benefits behind them. By reviewing and revising your vision, you can ensure that it remains responsive, flexible, and sustainable.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?