The document discusses new learning options and a strategic plan for Plano ISD through 2020. It outlines compelling forces driving change in education, including a changing global world and federal initiatives like Race to the Top that emphasize college and career readiness. The strategic plan focuses on strengthening core skills while developing skills like global awareness, financial literacy, and health. New directions for Plano ISD include initiatives around personalized learning, teacher quality, and specialized academy schools to better prepare students for the future.

1. New Learning Options in Plano ISD
Future Focus 2020
"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn,
unlearn, and relearn." -- Alvin Toffler

2. Reaching Obsolescence 2000‐10
 Dial‐up Internet connections
 Paper maps
 Pay phones/long‐distance charges
 Phone landlines
 VCRs
 Fax machines
 Phone books/Dictionaries
 Movie rentals
 Calling “411”
 Losing touch

3. Reaching Obsolescence 2010‐20
 Desks
 Organization by grade level
 Lockers
 Parent‐Teacher conference night
 Attendance offices
 Differentiated instruction by only a few teachers
 Homework
 The role of college admission tests
 Paper
 Computers

4. Avoiding Obsolescence 2010‐20
 Understanding the current environment
 District and campus leadership
 Community involvement
“We must take change by the hand or rest
assuredly, change will take us by the throat.”
‐Winston Churchill

5. Vision
Plano ISD District Vision
Plano ISD graduates will be empowered to:
▪ Proactively adapt to new learning opportunities
throughout their lives
▪ Collaborate with and contribute to the global
community
▪ Be both creative and disciplined in their
thinking

6. What We Do
The primary business of the school district is
to foster the highest level of student learning.
Successful learning is created by developing and
maximizing each individual’s:
▪ Essential academic, creative, and critical thinking skills;
▪ Strong appreciation of arts and cultures with emphasis
on global awareness;
▪ Responsible citizenship and character traits of integrity
and ethics;
▪ Mental and physical well‐being with emphasis on
developing communication and relational skills.

7. Strategic Plan
Building on the “future focused”
2008‐12 strategic plan
 Strengthening the foundation of core
competencies (English, math, science, social
studies and foreign language)
 Building an understanding of issues critical to the
success in the community and workplace
▪ Global awareness
▪ Business, financial and civic literacy
▪ Health and wellness

8. Post‐secondary Readiness
 Basic knowledge and academic skills
 Professionalism and work ethic
 Oral and written communications
 Teamwork and collaboration
 Critical thinking and problem‐solving
“Are They Really Ready to Work?”; Conference Board, 2006

9. New Learning Options in Plano ISD
Compelling Forces
That Will Create Change
"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn,
unlearn, and relearn." -- Alvin Toffler

10. The Changed 21st Century World
 Simply repair what’s broken?
 Or prepare for a smarter future?

11. 20th Century Education Model

12. 21st Century Skills Framework

13. New Learning Options in Plano ISD
Federal Perspective
"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn,
unlearn, and relearn." -- Alvin Toffler

14. Race to the Top
Requires states and local districts to develop
strategies and data systems that:
 Inform the recruiting, selecting, hiring and
induction process and places teachers where they
are most needed
 Evaluate the effectiveness of teachers and
principals using multiple measures with growth in
student achievement as a significant factor

15. Race to the Top
Requires states and local districts to develop
strategies and data systems that:
 Adopt standards and assessments that prepare
students for college and career readiness (CCR)
 Supports decisions regarding teacher and
principal compensation, tenure and dismissal of
ineffective teachers and principals
 Faster turnaround for lowest performing schools

16. In Addition…
 The DOE is interested in:
 Promoting more charter schools by eliminating
existing state caps
 Turning schools into community centers
 National standards
 Improving teacher preparation programs
 Promoting “performance pay” compensation plans
 Flowing federal money via competitive grants
 Removing the 2014 date for universal proficiency

17. How Will This Happen?
 Through reauthorization of ESEA (or, NCLB as we
affectionately call it) using the “Race to the Top”
guidelines as the future template for change
 Investing in Innovation Fund (i3)
 Provide competitive grants that expand the
implementation of, and investment in, innovative and
evidence‐based practices, programs and strategies that
significantly:
▪ Improve K‐12 achievement and close achievement gaps;
▪ Decrease dropout rates;
▪ Increase high school graduation rates; and
▪ Improve teacher and school leader effectiveness.

18. New Learning Options in Plano ISD
Texas Perspective
"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn,
unlearn, and relearn." -- Alvin Toffler

19. House Bill 3
 New levels of accountability
 Graduation requirements
 TAKS to STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness)
 Post‐secondary readiness (beginning in 3rd grade)
 End‐of‐course exams
 Parent data portal including classroom
comparison data
 Project Share (http://tea.epsilen.com)
 Financial measures of competency

20. 2011 Texas Legislature
 Interim study committee on middle school
grades & high school readiness and retention
 Financial reality – estimated $12.7 billion
deficit
 Redistricting

21. New Learning Options in Plano ISD
Practitioner’s
Perspective
"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn,
unlearn, and relearn." -- Alvin Toffler

22. Visioning Institute

23. Values/Direction
 Where are we
headed?
 Do we like the
direction we are
taking?
 What beliefs are
compelling us?
 How would we
describe the future we
seek (vision)?

24. Resources
• Phil Schlechty • Michael Fullan
• Lauren Resnick/Judy Johnson • Marc Prensky
• Doug Reeves • Milton Chen
• Ian Jukes/Ted McCain • John Horn

25. Major Conceptual Themes
 A New Direction Now
 Engaging the Digital Generation
 New Learning Standards for a New Era
 Unleashing the Power of Assessment “For”
Learning
 Moving from Accountabalism to
Accountability that Inspires
 Transforming Schools into Learning
Organizations
 Communities Taking Back their Schools

26. Six Underlying Principles
 The New Digital Learning Environment
 The New Learning Standards
 Assessments for Learning
 Accountability for Learning
 Organizational Transformation
 A More Balanced and Re‐Invigorated
State/Local Partnership

27. The New Digital Learning
Environments
 Digitization‐miniaturization‐globalization
 New digital tools
 Social networking
 “Any place, any pace, any time”
now possible
 Access to information now open to all
 Creation of knowledge by students

28. The New Learning Standards
Profound
Learning Student
Engagement
Multiple
Intelligences
Learning for the
21st Century

29. Assessments for Learning
 Three levels:
 Classroom ‐ impact on student effort
 Program ‐ effectiveness
 Institutional ‐ accountability
 Less reliance on standardized tests
 More use of performances, portfolios,
exams, and demonstrations
 Sampling techniques ‐ external reviewers
for graduates

30. Accountability for Learning
 Comprehensive accountability systems are
essential for achieving improved
performance
 Accountability provisions should be based
on multiple measures
 Accountability systems should not be
based on the “lowest common
denominator” for a campus or district

31. Organizational Transformation
 Moving from bureaucracies to learning
organizations
 Schools are places where students want to
be and adults want to work
 Culture and structure that support a focus
on student engagement
 Less reliance on power and authority

32. A More Balanced & Reinvigorated
State/Local Partnership
 Public Education is:
 a local function,
 a state responsibility, and
 a federal concern
(Schools cannot be run from Austin
and Washington without standardization and the
debilitating bureaucracies remote control requires.)
 Schools & boards must build their
communities ‐ ownership & connectivity
 Community alliances ‐ essential for
serving all

33. New Learning Options in Plano ISD
New Directions
"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn,
unlearn, and relearn." -- Alvin Toffler

34. New Directions for Plano ISD
 Initiatives linked to six visioning principles
 9‐12 Academy
 Personalized learning – more options for
students
 Focus on teacher quality
 Instructional rounds process
 Matching teachers and students for
maximum learning growth
 Additional specialized academy schools

35. Call to Action
 Role of Leadership
 Future Focus
 Transition from strategic areas to underlying
principles
 Principal knowledge and use of Visioning
document with staff
 2010‐11 initiatives

36. New Learning Options in Plano ISD
Future Focus 2020
"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn,
unlearn, and relearn." -- Alvin Toffler