Strategic Plan
Our Strategic Plan is shaping the future of Holyoke Public Schools
Under the umbrella of the existing turnaround plan, Holyoke Public Schools released a multi-year strategic plan in August 2022. This plan reflects all the work that has been done under the turnaround plan over the last almost nine years and articulates focus for the next few years.
The district’s strategic planning process began in September 2021 as Superintendent Anthony Soto launched his entry plan work, which concluded in February 2022 with the release of his entry plan findings report. Then, Superintendent Soto recruited students, families, staff and community members to join a large group Advisory Committee and small group Steering Committee to support the development of the strategic plan. Education Resource Strategies (ERS) in Watertown, MA, facilitated these groups. Throughout the process, more than 400 staff, family members, students, and community members provided input for the plan, in addition to the 1,150+ people who contributed to Superintendent Anthony Soto’s entry plan process that concluded earlier this year. Additionally, each year, Superintendent Soto solicited input from stakeholders on the implementation of the strategic plan, in order to strengthen efforts for future years.
The Strategic Plan, Moving Forward Together, builds on the strengths of our past, while serving as a call to action to dramatically and urgently accelerate student learning. This requires thinking differently about how we teach, how we work together, and how we support students’ well being.
Please visit the What We Stand For webpage to read the vision, mission, core beliefs, and equity commitments.
Priorities
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Focus Areas for 2024-25
Deliver high-quality lessons* so that all students are supported to develop grade-level skills and knowledge (*K-2 focus is early literacy);
Use instructional feedback and student data to identify what students know, what they need, and adjust planning accordingly; and
Execute schoolwide systems and classroom strategies to promote student connection and positive learning behaviors.
Strategic Plan benchmarks for 2024-25
Aligned to the priorities and strategies in the strategic plan, HPS has developed benchmarks—or key actions—for the 2024-25 school year. Please refer to the chart below for details of these benchmarks. The district's top four priority benchmarks for 2024-25 are listed in bold in the chart below. ***
Priority Area | Multiyear Strategy | 2024-25 Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
Early Literacy | 1.1 Create and implement an early literacy plan that includes high-quality curriculum, effective teaching strategies and deep early literacy content knowledge. | By June 2025, 75% of K-2 teachers deliver high quality lessons utilizing the new district-approved HMH Curriculum as measured by the Early Literacy Walkthrough tool. *** |
1.2 Maximize the impact of instructional leadership roles who directly support teachers. | By June 2025, 80% of K-2 instructional leaders provide planning and coaching to all K-2 teachers to implement the new curriculum and Science of Reading (SOR) early literacy practices as measured by meeting agendas and/or coaching cycle logs. | |
1.3 Create data systems to support early literacy instruction & monitor student progress. | By June 2025, 80% of K-2 teachers and expert teachers engage in benchmark and progress monitoring data meetings to evaluate the impact of early literacy instruction and intervention supports as measured by meeting data captured in the Continuum platform. |
Learning Experiences | 2.1 Strengthen Tier 1 instruction to ensure consistent access to high quality, grade level instruction | By June 2025, 80% of K-12 teachers are delivering high quality lessons as measured by HPS walkthrough tool. *** |
2.2. Redesign school schedules to build in sufficient time for core content, targeted instruction and enrichment (e.g. arts, music, world language, physical education, STEM), social emotional learning, and teacher collaboration/planning. | By June 2025, lead an inclusive process to strengthen the middle school experience, including developing a plan to launch a new middle school in August 2025. | |
2.3 Move to separate elementary and middle schools, and continue to grow the dual language program. | By July 2025, complete construction of a new middle school building. | |
2.4 Align the work of Central Office departments focused on student learning. | This is a supporting strategy and woven into how we implement the other benchmarks. | |
2.5 Create data systems to support instruction & monitor student progress. | By June 2025, implement and monitor a system that uses instructional feedback and student data to guide district and school instructional leadership. |
Inclusion | 3.1 Identify, train, and monitor implementation of key inclusive practices to close performance gaps with MLL and SPED | Refer to 3.2 |
3.2 Accelerate job-embedded support for educators to understand, meet and scaffold for students to reach grade-level expectations. | By June 2025, 95% of instructional leaders will implement learner variability in planning and data meetings as measured by the Inclusive Practices section of the HPS walkthrough tool. | |
3.3 Continue to build trusting relationships with families, educators, and students around how to meet the unique needs of every child. | By August 2024, develop and by June 2025, implement a comprehensive and multifaceted attendance plan that leads to a TBD-point decrease in chronic absenteeism. *** |
Whole Child | 4.1 Develop a plan to increase access to and quality of social emotional learning (SEL). | Execute school-wide systems and classroom strategies to promote student connection and positive learning behaviors, as measured by a monitoring tool and decrease in suspensions and referrals. *** |
4.2 Connect students with school-based supports and community providers to meet their mental health needs. | By June 2025, continue to strengthen key partnerships with DCF and RVCC, in formal and clearly articulated ways, with ongoing coordination at the district and school level, so that by June 2025, 10% more students are receiving mental health services. | |
4.3 Partner with staff, families and the community to ensure students experience positive relationships, mentorship, and access opportunities. | Refer to 3.3 and 4.1 |
Educator Development | 5.1 Continue to develop career pathways for educators that diversify the teaching staff and provide support to staff pursuing additional credentials. | By June 2025, all educators employed on an emergency license or waiver will have submitted their proof of progress to DESE and HR, and HR is able to make a determination about eligibility for continued employment. |
5.2 Provide equity training for staff and partner with stakeholders to develop and implement an equity plan. | By June 2025, continue to implement the equity plan, including providing three high-quality equity learning sessions at each school and central office and hosting affinity groups. | |
5.3 Develop and implement a plan to promote staff wellness and ensure a positive, rewarding work environment. | By December 2024, examine retention for other staffing groups, and by June 2025, implement a retention plan. | |
5.4. Provide educators with PD, coaching, and time for collaboration/planning. | By June 2025, execute and evaluate a differentiated, coordinated, cascading professional development series for districtwide learning, including clear expectations and supports for school-based collaborative learning. |