1. Lindsay Unified School District
Empowering And Motivating For Today And Tomorrow

2. Lindsay Unified School District Strategic Design
Welcome to the “strategic design” component of Module 1. The learning goal (LG) for this session is as follows: Learning Facilitators will be able to (LFWBAT) understand the history of the Lindsay Unified School District Strategic Design, and become familiar with the core values, visions, as well as the lifelong learning standards.
Empowering And Motivating For Today And Tomorrow

3. Where have we been? Where are we headed? How do we get there?
Some History…
Where have we been?
Where are we headed?
How do we get there?
Read further to learn the history of the Lindsay Unified School District Strategic Design.

4. Where We Have Been… Strategic design in 2007 Commitment of Leadership
team
Alignment of Staff
Vision for every school,
program, and department
The Strategic Design was born in It took strong commitment from District leaders as well alignment of all staff in every school, program, and department. We continue this work today.

5. Our Strategic Design
The Lindsay Unified School District Strategic Design has four components: Core values, beliefs and guiding principles, visions, and lifelong learning standards. Read further to learn more about these components.

6. CORE VALUES Integrity Commitment Excellence Risk-Taking Teamwork
Accountability
Improvement
Openness
Alignment
Courage
The ten core values are the “lens” through which all decisions are made. They are peppered throughout our everyday interactions. We hold each other and ourselves accountable to these core values.

7. Our Core Values How we will work together as we carry out the mission and vision
INTEGRITY: The embodiment of honesty, fairness, trustworthiness, honor, and consistent adherence to high-level moral principles
COMMITMENT: People’s willingness to devote their full energies and talents to the successful completion of undertakings
EXCELLENCE: A desire for, and pursuit of, the highest quality in any undertaking, process, product, or result
RISK-TAKING: Taking initiative, innovating, breaking the mold, and speaking out in sincere attempts to support core values
TEAMWORK: Working collaboratively and cooperatively toward achieving a common recognized end
ACCOUNTABILITY: Taking responsibility for the content and process of decisions made, actions taken, and the resulting outcomes
IMPROVEMENT: A commitment to continuously enhance the quality of personal and organizational results, performances, and processes
OPENNESS: A willingness and desire to receive, consider, and act ethically on information and possibilities of all kinds
ALIGNMENT: The purposeful, direct matching of decisions, resources, and organizational structures with the organization’s vision
COURAGE: The willingness of individuals and organizations to risk themselves despite the likelihood of negative consequences or fear
The core values are defined above.

8. BELIEFS &GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Next we learn about the “beliefs and guiding principles”. There are beliefs and guiding principles surrounding three different groups. This entails beliefs and guiding principles about students and learning, teachers and teaching, and about learning communities.
About Students And Learning
About Teachers And Teaching
About Learning Communities

9. Guiding Principles Students & Learning
All students can learn
Students learn in different ways and timeframes
Successful learning breeds continued success which influences esteem, attitude and motivation
Mistakes are inherent in the learning process
Learning and curiosity are basic human drives
Student learning requires positive and validating relationships with teachers
Student learning is enhanced by meaningful, real-life experiences requiring complex thinking
Learning is fun
Student learning is fostered by frequent, formative feedback
Student learning is future-focused
These are the guiding principles surrounding “students and learning”.

10. Guiding Principles Teachers & Teaching
Teachers are models of continuous learning and improvement
Teachers inspire, motivate and empower learners
Teaching is collaborative and involves on-going learning
Teachers set the conditions for a safe, welcoming, joyful classroom environment
Teachers are knowledgeable and competent in pedagogy and human development
Teaching reflects the current research on learning and cognition
Teachers relate to and connect with students
Teaching and learning are a cause and effect relationship
Teachers are the single most important factor in students’ learning
Teachers are future-focused
These are the guiding principles surrounding “teachers and teaching”.

11. Guiding Principles Learning Communities
All stakeholders in the community are partners in educating Lindsay’s students
Learning communities (LC’s) align all systems, policies, practices to support the principles that students learn in different ways and in different timeframes
LC’s have high expectations for all students and staff
LC’s embrace accountability and strive for continuous improvement
LC’s encourage and support risk-taking and innovation
LC’s have a clear, shared purpose and direction
All members of the LC are committed to the mission and vision and are empowered to achieve it
Communication in LC’s if frequent, open, and transparent
LC’s are inclusive and embrace diversity
These are the guiding principles surrounding “learning communities”.

12. VISIONS Learning Vision Curriculum Vision Instruction Vision
Assessment Vision
Technology Vision
Personnel Vision
Leadership Vision
Stakeholders Vision
These are the visions of Lindsay Unified School District in the areas of: Learning, curriculum, instruction, assessment, technology, personnel, leadership, and stakeholders. Read further to learn more about each vision.

13. Our Learning Vision What learning is like for students/learners
• Every day, Lindsay students come to school and are met at their developmental learning level, they are challenged, they are successful, and they leave school wanting to return tomorrow.
• All Lindsay students are naturally highly motivated to learn because the learning experiences of each student is matched to their developmental learning level, their learning styles and strengths, and their interests.
• Lindsay students believe that today’s world requires life-long learners, and teachers design learning activities to ensure that graduates leave the school system as self-directed, future-focused, life-long learners. As our learners advance through our program, they increasingly become accountable for their own learning.
• Our world is becoming increasingly global and diverse and Lindsay learners continuously learn to embrace diversity diversity of cultures, religions, ethnicity, and ways of viewing the world.
• All Lindsay students leave our school system with the opportunity to choose the future they desire graduates are ready for college, for employment, and/or for creatively designing their own future.
• Lindsay has become recognized as the place to visit to watch students and adults study, analyze, and debate cultural, religious, economic, and global issues.
The learning vision: What learning is like for learners.

14. Our Curriculum Vision What we want our learners to learn
• The Lindsay Strategic Design process identified the life-long learning outcomes for all students. When students graduate from our system, they are able to demonstrate all life-long learning outcomes which means that have been empowered to be successful in the life they will enter.
• The curriculum for each level of learning and each department, is also written in a student learning outcomes format that make it clear what students must be able to do to show mastery.
• At all times, Lindsay learners know how whatever they are being asked/required to learn will impact their success after they leave school. All learning is related to life. Our focus is to have learners see the life-relevance of what they are learning each day.
• The learner outcomes for Lindsay focus on the whole child/learner, they ensure that each child/learner is prepared academically, socially, and emotionally. We are concerned with what our learners know, what they are able to do, and what kind of person they are becoming.
• Although Lindsay does have some basic knowledge that they want all graduates to know, in most cases learner outcomes can be mastered accommodating the learning style and the interests of individual learners.
• Lindsay teachers and leaders are all future-focused trend trackers. Their study of the future allows them to update curriculum content when new and relevant content emerges. The same basic skills are then learned utilizing material that has meaning for everyone.
• Second and third languages are valued and expected of all Lindsay graduates.
The curriculum vision: What we want our learners to learn.

15. Our Instruction Vision How we help students to learn
• Lindsay makes maximum use of technology for learning. As learners advance in our system, more and more of our learner outcomes are mastered by individual students using computers to access challenging and exciting online learning. It is expected that high school students will learn 50% to 60% of their outcomes with technology,
leaving teachers time to teach those most important learning outcomes that require a master teacher working with a group of learners.
• Because all curriculum is online, anyone can learn most anything, from any place, at any time access to learning is 24/7 for Lindsay learners.
• Most learning takes place in a real-life learning context where students are able to learn to deal with real life situations. Learning and demonstrating learning through student projects is the norm.
• Learning opportunities often do not follow a single traditional field of study. Most frequently, learners will be learning math, science, language arts, and social science while analyzing and solving real-life problems in today’s
world.
• Because Lindsay customizes learning to the individual student, grade levels have been eliminated. The question is no longer “is Betty ready for the fifth grade” but is “what learning outcome is Betty now ready for.”
The instruction vision: How we help our students to learn.

16. Our Assessment Vision How we assess learning and hold the learners and the system accountable
• Student assessment is directly aligned with Lindsay learning outcomes. We identify what we want students to know, be able to do, and to be like, we teach to those learner outcomes, and we assess student progress based upon those learning outcomes. That is, there is direct alignment between learner outcomes, instruction, and student assessment.
• Students are allowed and encouraged to demonstrate their learning in various ways. Written tests are not the dominant manner for assessing student learning. Student performances are very popular and emphasized.
• Meeting individual student learning needs allows Lindsay to have high expectations for student achievement. Our curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices are rigorous, ensuring that our students will be successful in colleges and universities or whatever life they pursue after leaving Lindsay.
• Although Lindsay educators do not “teach for the test,” Lindsay students perform well when compared to other California schools and when compared nationally.
The assessment vision: How we assess learning and hold the learners and the system accountable.

17. Our Technology Vision How we will use technology to increase access to learning opportunities
• Every student has access to a computer and the Internet at school and at home.
• All Lindsay curriculum can be accessed online 24/7 and students have two or three learning style choices and two or three learning interest choices for most online instruction.
• The Lindsay Information Technology systems allow for easy and effective communication between teachers and parents. Parents, at any time, can access their child’s learning records, can get tips on how to help their child with their present learning challenges, and can view the entire Lindsay Unified curriculum.
• Teachers use technology as one effective accelerator of learning when possible and appropriate to inspire and challenge their students.
• All technology purchases hardware and software . . .
are made based upon the positive impact the technology
will have on children.
The technology vision: How we will use technology to increase access to learning opportunities.

18. Our Personnel Vision Who will be our leaders, teachers, and support staff?
• All Lindsay staff, and especially teachers, are hired, empowered, and retained because of their passion for educating children and young adults. Marginal staff members are given opportunities for development and helped to find employment elsewhere if they do not meet Lindsay standards.
• Lindsay Unified is committed to the goal of having a professional staff that values, supports and reflects the cultural diversity of the community and the students we serve.
• Lindsay staff members are true professionals who reflect deeply upon their work – as individuals and as team members – and continually advance their knowledge and skills within their profession.
• Lindsay staff members are caring, kind, consistent, respectful and just in their interactions with students. At the same time, staff members have high expectations and hold high standards for students. This powerful combination of caring and high expectations leads to high student performance.
• Teachers and administrators know that students learn in different ways, and sometimes, on different days.
They are firm in what learning students must ultimately demonstrate, but they are flexible regarding learning styles, learning rates, and manner of teaching.
• Teachers, administrators, and the support staff take their role as models for youth seriously and behave accordingly.
The personnel vision: Who will be our leaders, teachers, and support staff?

19. Our Leadership Vision Who will lead and manage our schools and school system?
• Lindsay leaders are authentic people with high levels of integrity. They are trustworthy and ethical. The Lindsay leadership team has identified and distributed their Moral Code which clearly states their core values, their principles of professionalism, the behaviors and actions that they expect of their group, and the behavior and actions of their group that will not be tolerated.
• Lindsay leaders are future-focused visionaries, not afraid to take a risk to improve learning for students.
• Lindsay leaders clearly, succinctly articulate and communicate the Lindsay Unified Vision to all groups, and can inform anyone how that vision impacts each staff member within the system. They are effective agents of change who involve everyone in the change process.
• Decisions by the Board of Education and the Leadership Team are always based upon the short term and long term needs of students. Cooperation and support are the norm and politics do not enter the decisions of the Board or the Leadership Team.
• Lindsay leaders have created an organizational culture that values and rewards student success, cooperation, innovation, and quality.
• Teachers are leaders too, and are recognized as such. Lindsay teachers are involved in the critical decisions that impact their lives and the lives of students.
The leadership vision: Who will lead and manage our schools and school system?

20. Our Stakeholders Vision How our community supports student learning
• The goals, vision, and values of the Lindsay Unified School District are a direct reflection of the community. The Lindsay community helped to set the Strategic Direction for their school so there is natural support for the vision and values.
• Lindsay Unified values and encourages parent participation that reflect the cultural diversity of our community.
• Members of the community are very familiar with and supportive of the Lindsay vision … education is top priority. It is common to see parents in schools providing additional learning opportunities to children.
• Lindsay parents are supportive of teachers and the school and team with the school to ensure that their children receive the best education possible.
• Lindsay facilities are first rate. All learning environments are clean, inviting, and suited for learning . . .including air conditioning which allows for year around schools.
• Because the learning outcomes for the Lindsay school are “life-based,” it is natural that the community serves as a learning laboratory for the school. Adults mentor children, businesses open their facilities for student learning, and business/school partnerships allow students to experience the real world.
The stakeholders vision: How our community supports student learning.

21. Life-Long Learning Standards
The Personal Sphere
The Learning Sphere
The Relationship Sphere
The Civic Sphere
The Global Sphere
The Economic Sphere
The Cultural Sphere
We now begin learning about the life-long learning standards. There are seven spheres to be considered. Read further to learn more about them.

22. The Personal Sphere A Well-Balanced Person
Articulates a clear set of values and beliefs that drive his/her decisions
Sets and pursues personal goals
Uses a variety of interpersonal communication skills
Establishes a balanced lifestyle (mental, emotional, physical, spiritual)
Adjusts and adapts to changes, stress, adversity and diversity
Seeks, reflects on, and adjusts to feedback
The personal sphere articulates what is needed to become a well balanced person.

23. The Learning Sphere A Self-Directed Life-Long Learner
Possesses core knowledge on which to build future learning
Sets and carries out personal learning goals
Acquires, analyzes, organizes, and evaluates information from a variety of sources
Perseveres in difficult situations
Demonstrates the habits of continuous improvement
Self-assesses progress, evaluates actions, and adjusts as needed
Engages in tasks even when answers or solutions are not immediately apparent
Views situations outside the boundaries of standard conventions
The learning sphere describes what is needed for our learners to become self directed, lifelong learners.

24. The Relationship Sphere A Caring, Compassionate Person
Uses interpersonal communication skills
Demonstrates teambuilding, problem solving, and social skills
Manages and resolves conflicts
Cultivates an awareness and appreciation for others’ opinions, feelings, needs, and concerns
Embraces diversity among people, cultures, events, and issues
Adapts to changing times and changing relationships
The relationship sphere describes qualities necessary to produce a caring, compassionate person.

25. The Civic Sphere A Civic-Minded Person
Identifies and analyzes local, national, and global issues
Serves and participates in the community to affect positive change
Develops creative solutions to complex challenges
Obeys the laws and, when necessary, works constructively for its change
Understands the historical aspects of civil life…what has happened in the past that has brought us to where we are today
Celebrates our American heritage
Understands the differences among forms of government and economic systems
The civic sphere describes a civic minded person.

26. The Global Sphere A Responsible, Global Citizen
Analyzes global environmental issues and acts locally on those issues
Interprets the role of democracy in protecting human rights worldwide
Understands how personal economic and environmental decisions effect long-term global viability
Communicates with others to understand differing points of view regarding issues, policies, and positions
Embraces technology and change
Uses high level critical and creative thinking to solve complex problems
The global sphere describes what it takes to be a responsible, global citizen.

27. The Cultural Sphere A Culturally Aware Person
Seeks personal enrichment through the arts
Celebrates personal heritage and participates in its evolution
Appreciates the traditions of other cultures and the heritage of diverse people
Develops teamwork and cooperation among culturally diverse people
Demonstrates individual responsibility with an emphasis on empathy, nurturing, and cooperation
Identifies, recognizes, and rejects cultural stereotyping, prejudice, and bias
The cultural sphere shows what is needed to become a culturally aware person.

28. The Economic Sphere A Quality Producer/Resource Manager
Adapts to rapidly changing work environments
Adapts to new technologies by embracing life-long learning
Applies problem solving techniques and manages resources
Sets, applies, and measures quality standards for work
Displays a positive attitude
Demonstrates a “can-do”, continuous improvement work ethic
The economic sphere describes qualities of a quality producer or resource manager.

29. Vision
If Lindsay Unified is to accomplish our vision, what should our learning sites:
Look Like?
Feel Like?
Be Like?
How do we collectively go about accomplishing our vision? What should our learning sites look like, feel like, and be like? Take a moment to reflect.

30. SOURCE: Peter Senge, The Fifth Discipline
Mission
Vision
Guiding Principles
Standards
SOURCE: Peter Senge, The Fifth Discipline
Lindsay Unified School District is the “big arrow” in this graphic, while the school sites, programs and departments are the smaller arrows. When all of the smaller arrows are aligned, the mission, vision, guiding principles, and standards become aligned for a very powerful result. This graphic represents in part where we have come from, where we have been. Read further to learn more about our next steps in this journey.
L.U.S.D. = the “big arrow”

31. Where We Are Going… Alignment of award system
Alignment of all instructional
delivery systems
Alignment of personnel
systems
We have made significant progress and continue to work on the alignment of our award systems, instructional delivery systems, and personnel systems.

32. SOURCE: Peter Senge, The Fifth Discipline
Mission
Vision
Guiding Principles
Standards
SOURCE: Peter Senge, The Fifth Discipline
Working together, all “rowing the same direction” is a sure way to align our schools, programs and departments for a very powerful combination. Read more about what is possible when we are all “rowing the same direction”.

33. The Possibility Of Greatness
Read the passage, and then read it again. Pay special attention to the ultimate competitive advantage of teamwork.
“Not finance. Not strategy. Not technology. It is teamwork that remains the ultimate competitive advantage, both because it is so powerful and so rare.
If you could get all the people in an organization rowing in the same direction, you could dominate any industry, in any market, against any competition, at any time.”
Patrick Lencione, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

34. What Will The…
Given all that we have learned, what will our learning environments look like, feel like, and be like?

35. Looks Like…
Student grouping by knowledge level for small group instruction
Balance of time spent in small groups, whole group, and with technology
Core academic instruction given in language arts, math, social studies, science, art, and music
Learners helping to facilitate learning and track their progress
Individualized instruction based on what student needs as determined by outcomes of ongoing assessment
Using data to inform instruction, planning, and to re-teach when needed
Read above to learn what you might see if you visit one of our learning environments.

36. Feels Like… A safe place A happy place
A place where everyone knows their purpose
A fun place to be
Bright and shiny
Everything is “just right”
Read above to learn what our learning environments might feel like.

37. Learning is centered around the child and what each of them need
Assessments are used as an ongoing tool to inform planning and instruction and re-teach when necessary
Standards based Measurement Topics are used as a guide for what to teach and the child is used as the guide for when and how
Backwards mapping tells us how long mastery will take
Instruction is differentiated based on what the learner needs
Will Be Like…
Read above to learn what our learning environments might be like.

38. What Is My Part In This?
If Lindsay Unified is to carry the vision forward, what should our learning environments:
Look like?
Feel like?
Be like?
If I am to help accomplish the vision, what must I:
Think like?
Act like?
You have learned what the Lindsay Unified School District has done, and the path we have taken to get there. You may be wondering how you fit into the strategic design. What is your part in this? If you are to help accomplish the vision, what must you think like, act like, and be like? Reflect on these questions.

39. OUR Vision
The vision of L.U.S.D. belongs to each and every one of us, it is not the vision of the District alone, but of the people working together as a team to achieve excellence for every student.
The vision doesn’t belong to any one person, school site, department or program. It belongs to each and every one of us. It is a team effort at all times, working together to move forward.

40. What Is Your Vision? I will...
How will you embrace the strategic design? How will you use what you have learned in this component to make this your own? Reflect on this, and come back to it periodically as your knowledge increases.

41. Lindsay Unified School District
Empowering And Motivating For Today And Tomorrow