Strategic Plan

Eastern Carver County Schools has completed a comprehensive strategic planning process that identified what was working well, what needed improvement, and the desired experiences of students, families, and staff. The strategic plan is the roadmap the district will follow to continuously improve personalized instruction, climate, and experience to achieve high levels of success for all students.

Key Elements

Core Planning Team

The district's core planning team was very intentional in assembling a district strategic planning team that represents the diversity of experiences and perspectives found throughout our schools. Staff were identified in every building and department, representing various specialities, to be a part of the initial stages of this process. The district truly wanted to have as many voices participate as feasible both to honor district history and imagine what is possible through the ideas and perspectives of new staff, as well.

Community Engagement

Our strategic plan was created with a high level of engagement and input from key stakeholders that included students, parents, staff, board members, and community leaders.

DDE engagement

Surveys of all staff, families, and students in grades 8-12
Nine focus groups including random samples of parents at all three levels, Parent Advisory, SEAC, Early Childhood, and Families of Color
12 groups of students (65 students) representing a variety of achievement levels, student involvement, race, ethnicity, and gender/gender identification
Eight groups including licensed and non-licensed staff at all levels from different teaching and operational roles

Roadmap engagement

Surveys of all staff, families, and students in grades 8-12
Additional conversations with community leaders, parent advisory groups, and underrepresented populations

Personalized Learning Engagement

Survey of teachers regarding the current reality of personalized learning and the desire moving forward
Ten focus groups including: teachers at every level, coaches, community leaders, parents at every level and administration
Multiple reiterations of personalized learning based on feedback and discussions

District Analysis

Story Wall

The first step taken by the district strategic planning team was the StoryWall process. This work reflects on the district's history, its work in the present, and uses that information to set a foundation for the path moving forward. What was learned through the work is that this is a district rich in tradition that is student-focused and knows how to unite through adversity. Members identified their goals for the strategic planning process, which were to produce a shared, student-centered vision that used a collaborative approach for success and aligned resources to meet the needs of students and staff.

The growth within the Eastern Carver County Schools system was really captured during this process, as well as the impacts of changing leadership, technology, and demographics.

Environmental Scan

TeamWorks uses an Environmental Scan process to identify and assess key trends and influences within the educational system to determine which are increasing, decreasing, or evolving. It is a snapshot in time that helps districts determine what they're seeing within their schools and identify where change is necessary.

Desired Daily Experience

Essential Elements of Personalized Learning

If/when

We demonstrate our belief that all students can and will learn at high levels within a safe, welcoming and inclusive learning community.
Students are highly engaged, heard, and active in their learning and in collaboration with each other.
We articulate learning targets that are aligned to the MN state standards with clean success criteria.
Students are provided flexible and multiple modes of instruction, assessment and learning.
We utilize evidence-based instructional practices for growth in behavior, cognitive and social emotional intelligence for each and every student.
We provide each student with timely, relevant, and meaningful feedback that moves learning forward.
We engage in a data-driven, professional and collegial professional learning community process and professional development that improves learning experiences and academic outcomes.

Then, Eastern Carver County Schools’ Vision and Mission will be realized for each student; classroom by classroom.

The district’s focus during the 2022-23 school year will be on the two bolded elements. Progress on these elements will be tracked via professional development opportunities, and in the action cards at the school and district level.

Operational Plan

The district operational plan, using the district’s strategic directions as the framework, identifies the initiatives and projects under study or being implemented to improve and innovate within our schools. Data-driven and measurable Action Cards will be used by schools and departments to support the identified projects and initiatives.

The operational plan will be updated and reviewed annually to reflect progress and continue to push the district forward. The projects included will directly or indirectly connect to the operational plan. The following plans are aligned with the district operational plan:

Annual School Improvement Plan
Annual Department Improvement Plan
3-Year Governance Work Plan

These plans work together to create greater levels of coherence and alignment throughout the district through proactive planning, collaboration, and decision-making.

Reporting: Vision Card

The Vision Card is our accountability tool that tracks progress on our strategic plan. It shows district-wide results and connects each department and school improvement plan efforts to our overall goals. The Vision Card displays key measures and metrics from our strategic plan. Each metric is tied to one of our four strategic directions and shows progress we are making on on strategic plan. We update it twice yearly and present it at School Board meetings in late fall and early summer.

In spring 2025, after three years of tracking, we redesigned the Vision Card to include trend data and expanded information about student achievement, engagement, community partnerships, and finances.

How to Read the Vision Card

The overview page shows all four strategic directions with their metrics. Each metric is color-coded to show current performance in one of five categories:

Priority - Requires immediate, focused attention and resources
Intervention - Targeted interventions are actively underway
Monitoring - Performance approaching desired levels, closely observing
On Track - Current strategies are effective and should be sustained
Vision - Achieving the district’s highest aspirations

The definitions for these categories appear on page two.

Page Layout

Each page shows:

The strategic direction at the top
The specific measure and how it is calculated
Five colored circles showing the performance ranges
The current year's outcome (in gray)
Historical scores for comparison

Download the Vision Card

Our district's Strategic Plan is grounded in our Core Values -- Student-Centered, Excellence, Respect, Collaboration, and Accountability. These values are drivers of our work. At Chaska High School, staff and students were asked what excellence -- committed to high standards and striving for our best -- looks like at their school.

Our district's Strategic Plan is grounded in our Core Values -- Student-Centered, Excellence, Respect, Collaboration, and Accountability. These values are drivers of our work. At Integrated Arts Academy, the district's alternative 9-12 high school, the addition of a school counselor supports students as they explore, dream, and discover what their future plans will be. Being Student-Centered is at the heart of IAA principles.

Our district's Strategic Plan is grounded in our Core Values -- Student-Centered, Excellence, Respect, Collaboration, and Accountability. These values are drivers of our work. At Chaska Middle School East, after a two-year top-to-bottom renovation, students and staff are excited for the upgrades and fresh look. It's all part of what Thunderbird P.R.I.D.E stands for.

Our district's Strategic Plan is grounded in our Core Values -- Student-Centered, Excellence, Respect, Collaboration, and Accountability. These values are drivers of our work. At Chaska Middle School West, WEB (Where Everyone Belongs) Leaders help sixth graders with the transition from the elementary to secondary level by fostering relationships both inside of advisories and throughout the school.

Our district's Strategic Plan is grounded in our Core Values -- Student-Centered, Excellence, Respect, Collaboration, and Accountability. These values are drivers of our work. Pioneer Ridge Middle School shows us what Student-Centered, Excellence, Respect, Collaboration, and Accountability looks like across the different classrooms.

Our district's Strategic Plan is grounded in our Core Values -- Student-Centered, Excellence, Respect, Collaboration, and Accountability. These values are drivers of our work. At Bluff Creek Elementary, they have created a Pride Partners monthly school initiative where older grades partner with young grades on various projects and learning. This year's school theme is "We Are Family!"

Our district's Strategic Plan is grounded in our Core Values -- Student-Centered, Excellence, Respect, Collaboration, and Accountability. These values are drivers of our work. At La Academia Immersion School, we spotlighted their Hispanic Heritage school project from last fall. Collaboration is at the heart of this classroom, grade level, and building celebration!

Our district's Strategic Plan is grounded in our Core Values -- Student-Centered, Excellence, Respect, Collaboration, and Accountability. These values are drivers of our work. At Jonathan Elementary, staff dive into data from tri-annual Fastbridge testing to identify areas of strength that can be reinforced and also areas of concern that need more attention. They also look at data to make sure that when students transition from one grade to the next, they maintain the academic growth necessary. That's the ECCS Difference with personalized learning!

Our district's Strategic Plan is grounded in our Core Values -- Student-Centered, Excellence, Respect, Collaboration, and Accountability. These values are drivers of our work. At Clover Ridge Elementary, the Culture Day Festival has been celebrated at the school for 20 years. Students, staff, and community members presented on the many cultures that make up the diverse Clover Ridge community.

Our district's Strategic Plan is grounded in our Core Values -- Student-Centered, Excellence, Respect, Collaboration, and Accountability. These values are drivers of our work. At Carver Elementary, the school is in its third year of focusing on conscious discipline. When students become Carver Coyotes, that means they are putting their best foot forward.

Our district's Strategic Plan is grounded in our Core Values -- Student-Centered, Excellence, Respect, Collaboration, and Accountability. These values are drivers of our work. At Chanhassen Elementary, a collaboration project among students, staff, PTO, and the community that brought together a place for ALL students to gather is featured!

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District Services