It is an honor to serve the students, families/caregivers, staff, member districts, and community partners of Intermediate District 287. Since I arrived in 2022, I have been moved by the unwavering support that underpins our collective commitment to excellent student outcomes. Central to our vision is a dedication to providing the best education for our students. I’m thrilled to introduce the 2024-2029 Strategic Plan that will catalyze achieving exceptional student outcomes.
This strategic plan will be a living document that will ensure student voice is always at the center. Acknowledging the rich tapestry of our learners’ diverse needs and the ever-changing nature of education, our goals will continually evolve to ensure a responsive and inclusive learning environment. Embracing the voice of students, families/caregivers, staff, member districts, and community partners, we firmly believe that this strategic plan will move the district forward.
In the spirit of fostering open and transparent communication, we will provide annual updates on the progress of our strategic plan to all of our constituents.
In partnership with our school board, we confidently launch this strategic plan and are excited to see our achievements over the next five years.
Background
In October 2022, Superintendent Marcy Doud started the strategic planning process. Through an extensive engagement process, staff, students, families/caregivers and community partners participated in affirming Intermediate District 287’s mission, developing new values/beliefs and created three themes. The 5-year Strategic Plan will have Focus Groups made up of staff and parents, to help develop goals which will ensure we are able to live out these themes by 2029.
Mission Statement
The mission of Intermediate District 287 is to be the premier provider of innovative specialized services to ensure that each member district can meet the unique learning needs of its students.
Values & Beliefs
Inclusion
We believe inclusion exists when everyone has equitable access and the opportunity to be acknowledged and validated.
Integrity
We believe organizational integrity occurs when we hold ourselves
and each other accountable.
Trust
We believe trust is developed through honesty, reliability, and when our actions align with the District’s values.
Authenticity
We believe organizational authenticity happens when each person shows up as their true self, embraces the uniqueness of others, and creates a safe environment.
Themes
Achieving Academic Success
Students meet their individualized academic goals.
Staff demonstrate the knowledge and skills to deliver culturally responsive education.
Families/caregivers are empowered through collaborative partnerships and resources to support students in reaching their academic goals.
Cultivating Equity and Inclusion
Students have equitable access to educational opportunities and resources within District 287.
Staff create a district culture that celebrates diversity and advances inclusion.
Families/caregivers feel welcomed, heard, and valued in our district.
Promoting Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)
Students thrive emotionally and socially.
Staff cultivate a positive, safe, and healing learning environment for one another and students.
Families/caregivers are empowered through collaborative partnerships and resources to support students in reaching their social-emotional goals.
By May 2026, 80% of all students will meet or exceed one identified academic goal, as measured by weekly formative assessments, including progress monitoring.
Staff Goal
By May 2026, through monthly collaborative team meetings, all staff teams will show evidence of using disaggregated student/school data and implementing targeted intervention plans.
Cultivating Equity & Inclusion
Student Goal
By May 2026, each educational center will have a student leadership group that is representative of their student body; the district’s programs (C&T, Itinerant, NSO) will provide opportunities for student voice on curriculum, activities, or events.
Staff Goal
By May 2026, all full-time staff will engage in at least eight activities to reflect on their social identities and how that influences their work with students and colleagues.
Family/Caregiver Goal
By May 2026, each educational center and district program (C&T, Itinerant, NSO) will establish a family/caregiver group to provide feedback to administration on district curriculum and school activities.
Promoting Social-Emotional Learning
Student Goal
By May 2026, 80% of all students will meet or exceed one identified SEL goal, as measured by weekly formative assessments, including self-assessments or progress monitoring.
Staff Goal
By May 2026, retention rates for staff within their first year will increase by 10% from the previous year through consistent onboarding and mentorship, as measured by annual retention data and stay interviews.
By May 2026, to increase family/caregiver knowledge of their student’s progress, staff will provide caregivers with an opportunity to review and discuss their formative assessment data on academic and SEL goals at conferences.
Each student will have an academic growth target, and 80% of students will meet or exceed their growth target.
Outcome
Strong progress was made in setting goals, especially among students enrolled for 42 or more days, with over 99% having a goal entered. However, the district did not meet the performance target. Across sites, approximately 60% of students either met or were on track to meet their academic goal, falling short of the 80% benchmark. Additionally, a small but notable portion of students (11%) had no recorded progress toward their goal, despite being enrolled long enough to warrant monitoring.
Several factors contributed to the gap:
Inconsistent progress monitoring and data entry across some sites
Variability in the use of intervention supports for students flagged as at-risk or urgent
The need for stronger alignment between goal-setting, instructional support, and collaborative team review cycles
The data reinforces the positive impact of goal-setting. For example, in the Northern Star Online (NSO) program, 88% of students who set a learning goal completed their course, compared to only 68% of those without a goal. This trend held especially true for Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous students, where the course completion rate was 87% with a goal versus 68% without one, underscoring the importance of this practice in supporting equity.
Moving forward, key focus areas will include:
Strengthening consistency in goal progress monitoring using the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) module in Synergy
Providing additional support to sites with lower goal attainment rates
Ensuring every student receives timely interventions when they are off-track
Enhancing training and accountability for entering and updating progress in a timely manner
This work remains central to our strategic commitment: ensuring that every student not only sets a goal but is meaningfully supported in reaching it.
Staff Goal
During observations of scheduled planning time, 100% of classrooms/programs will show evidence of implementing the Collaborative Planning Time Guide for teachers, ESPs, and related service providers.
Outcome
Observations and site reporting confirmed that 100% of classrooms and programs implemented the Collaborative Planning Time Guide during scheduled planning time. This meets our strategic plan expectation for consistent use of the guide across the district. All sites established regular collaborative teaming structures with shared calendars and agendas, reflecting strong alignment with the foundational elements of the guide. Participant roles and the inclusion of related service providers were also consistently observed, though with some variation in clarity and consistency by site.
While the structural components of the process were implemented with high fidelity, site reports showed more variability in the deeper instructional work—particularly in using disaggregated student data to drive discussions and in assigning specific follow-up actions. These more complex elements were implemented at a medium level across most sites. This analysis has informed our 2025-2026 goal, which will focus on:
Strengthening the use of student- and school-level data to guide planning conversations
Increasing consistency in developing and implementing targeted intervention plans as action steps
Supporting teams in refining roles and responsibilities to deepen shared ownership
Overall, this year’s implementation reflects a strong foundation and a clear path forward to deepen the impact of collaborative planning time on student learning outcomes.
Family/Caregiver Goal
A comprehensive system for communicating with families/caregivers regarding school and academic progress will be completed.
Outcome
A comprehensive system for communicating with families/caregivers about school and academic progress has been developed and implemented, meeting the strategic plan goal. The system outlines how families can expect to receive information about their student’s academic progress, school updates, and other important communications. It is posted on the district website and available in Spanish, Somali, and Hmong, ensuring broader accessibility for families/caregivers whose primary language is not English. To assess the usefulness of the new system, the district surveyed families who reviewed it. Of those surveyed, the majority found the system very helpful to know how and when they would receive academic and school-related information. This feedback confirms that the system not only meets the goal, but also provides meaningful support to families by improving clarity and consistency in communication. Moving forward, the district will continue to promote awareness of the system and monitor feedback to ensure it remains responsive to the needs of all families.
Tier 1, Tier 2, and Academy students will have digital access to view all of District 287’s courses and select classes.
Outcome
Tier 1, Tier 2, and Academy students have digital access to view and select from all of District 287’s course offerings through a centralized catalog (see Figure 3) available on the District website, fulfilling the strategic plan goal. The course catalog includes offerings across key areas:
Core academic subjects
Graduation requirement courses
Career & Technical Center (CTC) pathways
Northern Star Online (NSO)
West Suburban Summer School
All courses align with Minnesota state standards and are part of an ongoing effort to ensure high-quality, consistent learning experiences across programs. In addition to serving students, a catalog is being developed for staff, which includes syllabi and scope-and-sequence tools to support instructional planning and alignment. This catalog enhances transparency and supports informed decision-making for students, families/caregivers, and staff across the district.
Staff Goal
Each District 287 site and program will host two culturally relevant educational opportunities, experiences, or performances.
Outcome
Each District 287 site and program hosted at least two culturally relevant educational opportunities, experiences, or performances during the school year, while some exceeded the goal by hosting more than two. These events were organized and led by Equity Teams at each site and department, demonstrating strong district-wide engagement and commitment to culturally responsive education. Activities were designed to celebrate diverse identities, promote inclusive learning environments, and engage students in meaningful cultural experiences. Examples of culturally relevant events included:
Festival of Nations
Viewing and discussion of The Space Race documentary
Door decorating contests celebrating cultural heritage
Equity Empowerment Exposition
Student art fairs
Visits from cultural dance troupes and local authors
Each event was documented through the district’s Culturally Responsive Event Documentation system, supporting accountability and shared learning across programs. These opportunities not only met the strategic goal but also contributed to building a more inclusive and affirming school climate for all students, staff, and families/caregivers.
Family/Caregiver Goal
Culturally relevant interpreting and translating resources will be provided to staff, along with consistent standards of usage.
Outcome
Culturally relevant interpreting and translating resources have been made available to all staff, along with clear and consistent standards for usage, fully meeting the strategic plan goal. These standards have been embedded into a comprehensive process and a state-mandated Language Access Plan (LAP), ensuring alignment with legal and equity-focused expectations for serving multilingual families and caregivers. The LAP will be recommended to the board for approval in the 2025-2026 school year and available on the District website. Resources are accessible on the Communications Department staff website and include:
Step-by-step instructions for requesting interpretation and translation services
Vetted list of freelance interpreters and approved local agencies
Digital platform, called ParentNotices offers hundreds of federally compliant, legally reviewed, and translated family engagement documents
Library of District 287–specific translated forms
Interpreter Best Practices and guidance on Prohibited Practices
These tools support consistent, culturally respectful communication and ensure that families, regardless of language, can engage meaningfully in their students’ educational experience.
80% of Tier 2 Elementary and Middle School and Academy students will develop their own social-emotional learning goal, self-monitor progress, and confer with staff.
Outcome
Approximately 90% of students in Tier 2 Elementary, Middle School, and Academy programs developed their own social-emotional learning (SEL) goal, self monitored their progress, and conferred with staff during the 2024–2025 school year. This exceeds the district’s goal of 80% and reflects strong implementation of student-centered SEL practices across programs. Through this process, students were supported in identifying meaningful goals, tracking their own growth, and engaging in reflective conversations with staff, building both self-awareness and agency. This outcome highlights the district’s continued commitment to integrating SEL as a core part of student learning and well-being, particularly in settings where students benefit from additional social-emotional support.
Staff Goal
A universal onboarding system for new staff, including mentoring with experienced staff and a minimum of eight hours of understanding disabilities, mental health, trauma, and de-escalation, will be developed.
Outcome
A universal onboarding system was developed and implemented for all new staff during the 2024–2025 school year. The district launched a three-day orientation program that includes foundational training in disability awareness, mental health, trauma-informed practices, and de-escalation strategies, ensuring all new staff receive at least eight hours of training in these critical areas. The onboarding process also connects new staff with experienced colleagues to foster mentorship and professional support. The onboarding system was refined through staff feedback:
In January 2025, teams met to reflect on presentation effectiveness, identify challenges, and share recommendations for improvement.
In May 2025, teams reviewed mid-year adjustments and began planning enhancements for the following year.
This ongoing feedback loop ensures the onboarding process remains responsive to staff needs and aligned with the district’s commitment to equitable, inclusive, and trauma-informed practices.
Family/Caregiver Goal
A minimum of four social-emotional learning (SEL)-based opportunities will be provided to families/caregivers.
Outcome
During the 2024–2025 school year, the district hosted four SEL-based events designed to engage families and caregivers in supporting student well-being. These opportunities were aligned with our strategic plan and focused on strengthening school-home partnerships through SEL. Events included activities that helped families understand SEL practices used in schools and provided tools for supporting students’ emotional growth at home. The consistent turnout and positive feedback from participants affirmed the value of these learning opportunities. Moving forward, SEL information will be integrated into existing family nights to increase family/caregiver participation.
Literacy and math assessments that are accessible for each student will be established and staff professional development will be designed for opening week.
Outcome
An academic assessment one-pager outlining literacy and math assessments accessible to each student was developed and made available for implementation.
Staff professional development for building administrators and district leaders occurred this summer. Licensed and non-licensed staff were scheduled for opening week.
Staff Goal
A Collaborative Planning Time Guide and professional development for teachers, ESPs, and related service providers will be completed.
Outcome
The Collaborative Planning Time Guide was completed.
Professional development took place during team time for licensed and non-licensed staff to ensure the implementation of the guide.
Family/Caregiver Goal
An audit and summary report of current methods of communication to parents will be completed.
Outcome
An audit and summary report of current methods of communication to parents was completed.
The most prevalent ways staff communicated with parents were phone calls, emails, daily notebooks, and text messages, which were commonly used for direct communication.
The recommendation was to create a workgroup to develop standards and expectations for communication within programs and for the use of district-sponsored platforms.
At least 40 students in the Tier 1 and Tier 2 programs and Academies will provide input on the accessibility and course offerings in a digital format.
Outcome
118 students in Tier 1 Transition and Tier 2 High School and Academies gave input.
The students recommended direct instruction on graduation requirements, video introductions to courses from teachers, and courses organized by credit area and quarter.
The students shared that they wanted adults to consider their interests, long-term goals, and their school work-life balance when building courses and setting homework expectations.
Staff Goal
A cultural calendar, featuring dates of observances, educational resources, and recognitions of different cultures, will be developed and provided to all District 287 staff.
Outcome
A cultural calendar, featuring dates of observances, educational resources, and recognitions of different cultures, was developed and made available to all District 287 staff. Staff will receive access to this resource at the beginning of the school year.
Family/Caregiver Goal
An audit to determine the current level of cultural appropriateness of translation and interpretation service providers, languages, and usage will be completed.
Outcome
An audit of the cultural appropriateness of translation and interpretation service providers was completed.
The audit showed that the majority of staff were using Google Translate and were underutilizing or unaware of the district-sponsored service provider, INGCO.
Recommendations included:
Treating expectations and guidelines for when and how to translate materials or invite interpreters.
Translating district publications into Spanish, Somali, and Hmong.
Students will participate in the selection of the district’s Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum and staff professional development will be completed.
Outcome
155 students and 41 staff from Tier 2 Elementary, Tier 2 Middle, and Academies participated in selecting the district’s Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum. The SEL curriculum recommendations were:
Harmony for Tier 2 Elementary.
We Do It for the Culture for Tier 2 Middle.
SAFE Circles for Academies.
Professional development (PD) occurred over the summer, and targeted PD took place for new teachers at the beginning of the school year.
Staff Goal
An audit of current onboarding processes will be completed with recommendations for improvement.
Outcome
An audit of current onboarding processes was completed.
The recommendations were to:
Extend the length of onboarding from 1 day to 3 days.
Create and utilize a standardized new employee checklist that includes customization by site/program.
Incorporate more training on de-escalation, behavior management, and understanding the disabilities of our students.
Family/Caregiver Goal
Identify dates for family/caregiver engagement and gather feedback on four suggested SEL topics.
Outcome
The following dates for family/caregiver engagement were identified:
Wednesday October 23, 2024
Tuesday December 10, 2024
Wednesday February 26, 2024
Friday May 16, 2024
Based on feedback from families and caregivers, the following four SEL topics were selected:
Mental Health Basics (Self-Awareness)
Healthy Relationships (Relationship Skills)
Managing Stress (Self-Management)
Friendship Skills (Social Awareness)
Acknowledgements
We want to thank the Intermediate District 287 students, families/caregivers, staff, member districts, and community partners who participated in the development of the 2024-2029 Strategic Plan. We also want to thank the teams that support the development of our annual goals.
