ROCHESTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN 2023-2025

Background

In June of 2022 our 2022-2025 strategic action plan was approved unanimously by the Rochester Public School Board. RPS is currently in the implementation phase as we work towards finalizing the work of our district-wide initiatives for systems change (DISC) teams and driving the 26 strategic initiatives outlined in our strategic plan. This plan was developed based on a highly engaged and data-informed process, including input from 75 people in 26 action working group meetings between September 2021 and April 2022. During a seven-month planning period, we listened to staff, students, families and advisory groups to inform these strategies.

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Our Mission

Rochester Public Schools' mission is to inspire, challenge, and empower all students with the knowledge and skills required to reach their full potential, to contribute to future generations, and to become involved members of a global community.

The Building Blocks of our Strategic Plan

The RPS strategic plan has fifteen essential objectives, each of which is a building block of the world class school system we are creating. 

Strategic Block Graphic

Transform Education - green building block layer

Transform Education

  • We will Elevate Deeper Learning to provide every student with an education characterized by the three elements of deeper learning that have been identified by researchers Jal Mehta and Sarah Fine: mastery, identity, and creativity.

Strengthen Support building block layer

Strengthen Support

  • We will Implement a Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) to provide all students with access to a strong core curriculum and to give students who struggle the additional resources they need to succeed.

  • We will Expand and Upgrade Mental Health Services for students and staff by screening for those who need support and by expanding options for treatment.

Create Community building block layer

Create Community

  • We will Enhance Belonging and Behavior so that all students feel accepted and safe at school.

  • We will Engage Parents and Caregivers to help families support students’ academic, social, and emotional development.

  • We will Establish Strategic Partnerships that enable RPS to achieve the objectives of the strategic plan and that also advance the priorities of our partner organizations.

Empower People yellow building block layer

Empower People

  • We will Improve Recruitment and Retention processes to enable RPS to attract and retain talented staff, especially in hard-to-fill positions and from backgrounds that are underrepresented in our schools.

  • We will Develop Leadership Capacity to equip staff at multiple levels of the

    school district with the knowledge, skills, and tools they need to guide our work.

  • We will Uplift Youth Voice and Leadership so that issues that matter to

    students can be articulated and addressed and so that young people can

    contribute to their schools and our community.

  • We will Build Postsecondary and Career Pathways that help all students

    develop a vision for life after high school and take steps to realize that vision

    throughout their progress through RPS.

Shift Systems blue building block layer

Shift Systems

  • We will Modify Funding Formulas to provide schools with greater flexibility to allocate staff time and other resources in ways that meet student needs.

  • We will Restructure School Improvement processes to continually analyze and improve student outcomes.

  • The Rochester School Board will Review and Revise Policies for Equity and make changes as needed to ensure that students from marginalized communities have the support they need to thrive in RPS schools.

  • We will Redesign Transportation Routes to increase service to early childhood programs and to enable elementary schools to begin at times that optimize learning for younger students while preserving the benefits of later start times for older students.

  • We will Increase Philanthropic Support to advance implementation of the RPS strategic plan and to promote innovation across the district.