Greenwich Public Schools
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PROJECT PLAN
Project Description and Definition of Project Success
Project Description
Greenwich, Connecticut is located in Fairfield County at the southwestern tip where Connecticut meets
New York. The proximity to New York City (accessible via a 38 minute train aboard Metro North’s New
Haven Line), attracts globally diverse residents and a richness of cultural traditions. Greenwich also boasts
a thriving financial service industry. Wedged between two major access roads, (Interstate 95 and the
Merritt Parkway), Greenwich enjoys a small downtown. Nearly 63,000 people call Greenwich home and
nearly 9,000 students attend the Greenwich public schools. Greenwich is also home to ten private schools.
The Greenwich Public Schools (GPS) are made up of eleven elementary schools, three middle schools,
one comprehensive high school, an alternative high school, and a preschool at four sites. Considered
among the most affluent communities nationally, nearly an eighth of the students are eligible for free and
reduced lunch and a quarter of the population is categorized as minority. The GPS has been under State
mandate to address the concentration of minority populations in three of its elementary schools. The
Greenwich Public Schools provide an excellent education to this diverse population, representing over 50
different languages spoken at home, resulting in strong achievement on multiple measures. Whether the
measure is college matriculation, AP and SAT results, state standardized assessments, or national, state
and regional awards and accomplishments, our students perform at top levels, academically, athletically,
artistically and in service to their community.
With this backdrop, the Board and GPS Leadership embarked on fashioning a strategic plan that would
shape the vision of the District for the next five years. By prioritizing the development of a strategic plan
during the forthcoming academic year, the Greenwich Public Schools is sending a clear message to the
community that they are interested in building upon their strengths and successes to push the boundaries
of educational possibilities and accelerate achievement for all.
Over the course of this project, PCG will facilitate GPS stakeholders in the development of a strategic plan including the following elements:
Measureable key performance-based outcomes, based on quantitative data
A maximum of no more than five high-leverage and achievable strategic goals addressed over the next five years
Inclusive of community and stakeholder input Developing a multi-year strategic plan will provide GPS with greater clarity around priority areas by
identifying shared goals and pathways to accomplishing them. Specifically, PCG will facilitate the
development of Greenwich Public Schools’ strategic plan, inclusive of the following:
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A vision statement, indicating the aspirational outcomes for the district and its students;
A set of priorities, inclusive of the academic and financial imperatives that arise in addressing
these priorities;
A gap analysis between current practices and anticipated desired practices;
A set of well-defined goals with accompanying action plans, including implications for policy,
budget, and curriculum, specificity of activities, target dates, indicators of success, and
responsible individuals;
A set of key performance indicators of success on each of the priority areas;
A report of supporting evidence and research for best practices and current trends in academic
development from which best practices can be derived.
Key steps along the way include:
Intensive, PCG-facilitated focus groups invested in the ongoing success and growth of GPS;
Examine the best practices and performance (financial and academic) of other like school
districts.
Use of multiple data collection, visioning, and action planning protocols developed or adapted
by PCG’s subject matter experts to help GPS identify, contextualize, and act upon those findings
through methodical, focused goal action maps;
Collaboration with GPS to develop a positive future vision, guiding Vision statement, and
creation of a 5-year strategic plan.
Key documents include:
An agreed-upon Project Plan (this document) and timeline;
Survey results summary from school employees and community members;
A summary of findings (themes) from Focus Groups;
A gap analysis in the form of a District and School Capacity Profile;
Final Report encompassing the Strategic Plan, including the vision, goals, action maps (including
financial and other resources), and supporting documents spanning the entire engagement.
Definition of Project Success
The final GPS strategic plan will include a set of clearly defined goals, action plans, guidance for
accountable behavior and the means to review, reflect, and revise the plan to meet the goals over the
short term (up to five years) and expand over the longer term.
The goal of this project is to identify a set of shared values and principles among families, community
members, and professional educators upon which a set of achievable and adaptable educational priorities
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will be established and enacted. By creating a shared vision of the future together, the GPS community
will be prepared to take action on each priority.
Other Indicators of Success
The following are additional success factors critical to the development of the GPS Strategic Plan. The
greater degree to which these factors are adhered to over the life of the project, the higher the chances
of overall project success:
An inclusive process drawing on the many voices of the GPS community to build a vision of the
future in which people feel heard and improves overall communications.
Reflects and expresses the unique character and potential of GPS.
Provides clarity of direction and reduces tensions associated with politicizing public education.
Provides direction that also addresses resource allocations.
Sufficiently detailed to drive future behaviors.
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Project Objectives
Phase 1 – Project Launch and Data Collection
Kick-off Meeting
Engage with a leadership team to review the project plan and bring greater clarity related to
overall goals of the strategic planning initiative and project tasks, dates, and deliverables.
Identify key people
Create school-driven communications plan
Prepare a draft of the project work plan and agree to working assumptions.
Data Collection
Conduct focus groups of various constituents served by the school
Develop forward-looking vision for the school through facilitated focus groups.
Survey school (students and teachers/staff) and community members (parents).
Interviews with key stakeholders.
Phase 2 – Developing the Vision
Narrow Priorities and Establish Goals
Engage with the GPS leadership team to review and identify emerging priorities, expectations,
and aspirations for the future based on data collected, the mission, vision, and areas of focus.
Seek supporting data for emerging priority areas to support evaluation metrics. Establish KPIs
and determine best practices from literature and observed practices elsewhere.
Establish goal statements within specific areas of strategic focus that reflect the collected data,
mission, vision, and value statements.
Gap Analysis
Conduct gap analysis
Facilitate School Capacity Profile
Phase 3 – From Strategic Goals to Action Maps
Develop an achievable set of goal statements to form the basis of the strategic plan.
Incorporate academic best practices wherever appropriate in support of strategic goals
Parse goals into time-bound actions.
Identify actionable steps that will support the realization of the strategic goals as identified in
Phase 2 of the project.
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Identify key personnel responsible for ensuring the success of a goal.
Identify evaluation metrics for determining the success of each goal.
Phase 4 – Complete and Deliver Final Strategic Planning Document
Prepare a final document that provides specific guidance for implementing the Strategic Plan
(e.g., inclusive of goals, rationales, actions steps, metrics for evaluating success).
Present the strategic plan (a work product of the GPS leadership team assembled by PCG)
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Project Organization
The success of the project is dependent upon a sustained partnership between PCG, the GPS team, and
involvement from the staff of GPS and from the community-at-large. The Strategic Planning team will
provide overall project sponsorship and decision making authority for development of the Strategic
Plan. The Team will work in concert with PCG to maintain the overall schedule and processes of the
project.
Project Role Description of Roles and Responsibilities
Leadership Team
Executive Sponsor
Project Manager
GPS Team
Provide overall project sponsorship
Participate in regular check-ins with PCG
Identify the stakeholders that will participate in focus groups and
forums
View the data collections tools and protocols and provide feedback
Assist with identifying/sourcing relevant data sources for metric
development
Review draft deliverables
Select a co-project manager to provide support in scheduling and
coordinating logistics for focus groups, interviews, completion of
school capacity profile, and other meetings
Executive Sponsor
Provide executive sponsorship for the project
GPS Co-Project Manager
Serve as the “single point of contact” from GPS for managing project logistics
Maintain the project schedule
Schedule the stakeholders that will participate in focus groups
Participate in Vision activities
Provide oversight and guidance
Review of emerging themes and priorities
Review of Final Report during draft stages
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Project Role Description of Roles and Responsibilities
PCG
Steve Kutno, Lead
Facilitator
Phil Obbard,
Project Director
Anna d’Entremont
PCG Project Manager
Steve McLean, Project
Advisor
Other PCG Support Staff
PCG Team
Support GPS in the development of a vision
Support GPS in development and execution of communications plan
Complete data collection and analysis
Guide the development of strategic goals and action maps
Support data collection for metric development
Facilitate the completion of a final strategic planning document
PCG Co-Project Manager
Serve as the “single point of contact” from PCG for managing
project logistics
Maintain the project schedule
Communicate project status across teams
School Representatives
School Leadership Teams
Teachers
Administration
Business Office
Participate in Focus Groups
Participate in School Capacity Profile and gap analysis
Participate in Action Planning
Public Consulting Group Project Team
PCG has put together a team of staff that has extensive experience in assessing current state to facilitate
goal development, engaging stakeholders from multiple domains, and fostering strategic planning.
Descriptions of roles and responsibilities of staff in the development of GPS’ Strategic Plan are delineated
below.
PCG Education Team Description of Roles and Responsibilities
Dr. Steve Kutno,
Lead Facilitator
Develop the data collection and strategic planning tools
Facilitate focus groups and completion of school capacity profiles
Report development
Facilitate the strategic planning process
Anna d’Entremont
PCG Project Manager
Project Advisor
Facilitate Focus Groups and Interviews
Communicate project status across teams
Facilitate regular check-ins
Ensure that project tasks and deliverables are completed on time
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Review deliverables
Phil Obbard,
Project Director
Project oversight
Ensure that all work is successfully completed
Review risks and mitigation approaches
Steve McLean,
Facilitator
Support during data collection activities (survey development, data
analysis)
Final Report development
Other PCG Staff Data analysis
Research and Final Report development
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Key Stakeholders
PCG Education and the Strategic Planning team recognize that stakeholder involvement at every stage in
the development of a Strategic Plan is critical to ensuring its breadth, depth, and future success. To help
facilitate community input, select stakeholders (to be defined at a later date) and expected
contributions are delineated below. Overall, we will solicit feedback from the stakeholders stated below
over the course of the strategic plan’s development.
Stakeholder Group Project Contributions
School Board Members Interviews
Survey
Cabinet Survey
District Capacity Profile
Interviews
School and Program Administrators School Capacity Profile
Survey
Focus Group
Middle/Secondary Parents Focus Group
Survey
Pre-K/Elementary Parents Focus Group
Survey
Student Services (Spanish-speaking) Focus Group
Students Focus Group (1 hr)
Survey
Pre-K/Elementary School Teachers Participate in School Capacity Profiles
Focus Group
Survey
Middle/High School Teachers Participate in School Capacity Profiles
Focus Group
Survey
Business and Community Leaders Focus Group
Support Staff Focus Group
Survey
Former Parents/Alumni Survey
Social Services (Board of Selectman, Towns
Boards and Commissions, Fire/Police)
Focus Group
Survey
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Families in Private School Focus Group
Survey
PTA Council (inc. SPED, ALP) Focus Group
Survey
RTM & BET Focus Group
Survey
Preschool Parents Survey
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Work Plan
The Work Plan displays shared tasks, project dates, and deliverables. Its purpose is threefold: 1.)
Establishes a shared ownership of the project, as PCG is dependent upon GPS engagement in order to
facilitate the development of a strategic plan; 2.) Demonstrates the importance of maintaining the
calendar, as the timeline delineated is aggressive and succeeding tasks are largely dependent on the
completion of previous tasks; and 3.) Clarifies what is not in the project scope so that both parties can be
focused in their efforts.
Below find a high-level overview of the project components. The following table summarizes the
timeline for completing each of the phases of the project.
Month Phase Deliverables
November 2014 Project Launch Project Work Plan
December 2014 Data Collection Survey (Online)
Focus Groups (held over a 5-day period)
Community Forum
January 2014 Data Analysis Key themes and priorities identified and ranked
February 2014 Data Review A narrowing of priorities
March 2015 Gap Analysis Within each priority, identified policy, budget and curriculum changes
March 2015 – May
2015
Action Planning Community Forum
Action plans with specifics of work to be completed
May– June 2015 Compiling of final
document and presentation
Final strategic plan
Community Presentation
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Deliverable Summary
The Deliverable Summary describes the material that PCG will provide GPS with over the course of the
engagement. Several items will be on-going:
Status Meetings. Initially weekly (but changing to bi-weekly after Phase 1 is underway) meetings
with the PCG Project Team and the GPS Leadership Team.
Deliverable Description
Phase 1: Project Launch and Data Collection
Project Plan
Description: A mutually agreed upon document that outlines the
roles and responsibilities of PCG and GPS, establishes a project
calendar, and establishes principles and objectives to provide
guidance to the project
Draft Due Date: November 17th
Due Date: Week of November 24th
Survey
Description: Survey for staff and community
Draft Due Date: November 17th
Due Date for Administration: Week of December 1st
Focus Groups
Description: Group specific protocols and facilitation of Focus
Groups
Due Date: Week of December 1st, December 15th
Phase 2: Developing the Vision
Data Analysis Summary
Description: PCG will summarize the data, identify major themes,
derived from the data collection activities (Focus Groups, Surveys,
Interviews).
Due Date: Week of January 12th
Phase 3: Identify 3-5 Strategic Goals and Action Plans
Strategic Goals Identified
Description: From the data analysis, 3-5 priority areas will be select
for strategic goals.
Due Date: Week of February 9th
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School Capacity Profile / Gap
Analysis
Description: Facilitation of School Capacity Profile
Due Date: March 2015
Action Planning
Description: From the agreed upon strategic goals, action maps
will be developed.
Date: March 2015
Due Date: May 2015
Phase 4: Complete and Deliver Final Strategic Planning Document
Final Strategic Planning
Document
Description: The final document containing a summary of findings,
final goals, action maps, and multiple appendices.
Due Date: Week of June 8th