Looking for Mission/Vision Statement Examples

[Lucy Gray]

Hi All -

 

I'm preparing for a slew of workshops I'm conducting over the course of the next few months with independent and charter schools on the topic of best practices in 21st century teaching and learning. One of my recommendations is that schools use their mission statements to drive decisions around technology, and I'm wondering if any of you would care to share your mission statements as exemplars. If this is not applicable to your particular situation, I'd also be interested in looking at vision statements around the use of technology in your schools. 

 

One example I've been citing in recent discussions with others on this topic include Arlington Heights School District 25 which published this vision statement a number of years ago and it's constantly referred to within the districts as plans emerge. It's really not about the technology, but about mindsets that they want their students to develop.

 

The other example I cite often is a story from ISED-L where someone from a school in Maryland (the name escapes me at the moment; I could dig through the archives and find the reference) where the entire faculty read and discussed Roland Barth's Learning By Heart and following this conversation, brainstormed a list of essential habits of mind and skills that they valued in their school. This list was whittled down by crowdsourcing as each faculty member had 6 votes. The 6 top skills/habits of mind were then the focus of all planning for that school going forward. I thought this was a great process for building consensus and focus on what's important within a school culture. While this is not an example of a vision statement and again, probably not focused on technology itself, I'm interested in these kinds of stories/processes/activities that helped schools be thoughtful in general, and in turn, helped them to be thoughtful about technology usage within their buildings. 

 

Please share any thoughts or ideas on this topic, and I'll be sure to post a link to the presentation and workshop materials I'm developing.

 

Thanks,

 

Lucy Gray

 

 

 

 

 

[Megan Howard]

Not sure if this helps, but at Trinity School (elementary school in Atlanta), we are working on two major initiatives directly related to our Strategic Vision...both of which have direct connections to technology and 21st CL things. The first is a World Languages Program utilizing Rosetta Stone to create a blended learning environment (and offer 23 languages vs the previous offering of only Spanish taught traditionally) and the second is the creation of a Personal Learning Profile/Portfolio that will ultimately replace the traditional progress report and follow the child through their career at our school. Happy to talk in greater depth if you'd like. I've copied and pasted key pieces of our vision below in addition to our mission statement.

IN our mission, the piece about a child being able to achieve his or her unique potential and become a responsible, productive, and compassionate member of the expanding global community is what drives our push to more personalized instruction (which involves shifts in technology, assessment/curriculum, pedagogy, etc)...

 

The Child at the Center:
A Vision for the Future

Of Trinity School

Mission of Trinity School 

Both mission and vision are necessary for a school’s success.  In envisioning a dynamic future, we also honor the success of our present and past.  Rooted in traditions cultivated since its founding in 1951, Trinity School affirms its current Mission as relevant and vital for the present and the future:

The Mission of Trinity School is to create a community of learners in which each child can acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to achieve his or her unique potential and become a responsible, productive, and compassionate member of the expanding global community

Statement of Vision

Trinity School strives to prepare students to be responsible, productive, and compassionate members of a global community by placing the child at the center of the learning process. “The Child at the Center” is a vision that embraces the next decade of Trinity’s future.

 

Outline of Three Strategic Concepts

With Strategic Initiatives

Strategic Concept I:

 Personalize the Learning Process for Our Students 

Strategic Initiatives

1)      Create a Personal Learning Profile/Portfolio for Each Student

2)      Redesign the Student Placement and Advisory Process

3)      Create a Teacher-Parent-Child Model for Understanding Student Progress

**Personal Learning Profile/Portfolio

Strategic Concept II:

Deepen and Broaden the Impact of Our Educational Program

 

Strategic Initiatives:

 

1)      Conduct a Programmatic Review of Curriculum, Instruction, and Student Evaluation

** World Languages Program

Strategic Concept III:

 Enhance the Development of Our Dynamic Faculty

 

[Lucy Gray]

This is definitely helpful! I like how your school has integrated technology-related goals into its strategic plan. The emphasis is on leveraging technology in the context of improving various aspects. Will definitely pass this on!

 

Thanks,

 

Lucy