The Vicksburg Warren School District has a new five-year plan that addresses one goal: how to give all VWSD students a “high-quality experience,” no matter where they go to school.

The purpose of the strategic framework is to outline a five-year plan for improving education in Warren County, as required by the Mississippi Department of Education. It was released at the district’s regular monthly meeting on April 24 and was developed with community input.

VWSD Superintendent Dr. Tori Holloway commented on the new plan.

“I’m excited about the potential impact the plan has on the district in the future,” he said. “The process was great, and we appreciate the involvement of our community, the teachers, the students, everybody who was involved in the process. We’re excited about sharing it and putting it into action. We’re expecting great outcomes from this framework.”

Usually, Holloway said, surveys are used to get feedback on school performance, but with this plan, students and community members were asked to interview with district personnel in a process that was referred to as “empathy interviews.” The participants were chosen based on gender, race and ethnicity to mirror the population of the schools and included students as well as community members.

Specifically, the plan seeks to address the following problem statement: “Our students deserve a high-quality experience no matter where they go to school, but the community has never truly embraced the consolidation of our district, which gets in the way of collective action to address real and harmful differences in experiences.”

The plan lists three reasons for the problem: lack of a common purpose and clear unifying district vision, lack of common expectations and processes grounded in a clear “why,” and the impact of opinions of reputation, race, and resources on the perceptions of school quality and experience.

The plan focuses on three priority areas in addressing the problem statement:

• Elevate a Shared Purpose and Vision – Establish a unifying district-wide vision and ensure consistency in expectations, processes, and instructional quality across all schools.
  • Refine and communicate a unifying vision and core values.
  • Ensure alignment across curriculum, instruction, and expectations.
  • Strengthen district-wide identity.
• Develop a Culture of Collaboration and Support – Strengthen a sense of belonging among all stakeholders.
  • Develop systems for professional collaboration, learning, and cross-district partnerships.
  • Foster a supportive and inclusive work environment.
  • Empower students as leaders and change agents.
• Strengthen Community Engagement and Ownership – Foster authentic relationships and increase community participation in decision-making.
  • Deepen community involvement in decision-making.
  • Increase partnerships with local organizations and businesses.
  • Enhance communication and promote a shared identity.

The plan also highlights “North Stars,” that should be used to guide decision making for all schools, students, and staff over the course of the next five years, including: Portrait of a Graduate, Leader in Me Program, Vicksburg Warren College and Career Academies, Career & Technical Education, District of Innovation, and the Four Exit Strategies – Employment, Enlistment, Enrollment or Entrepreneurship.

The Strategic Framework Plan will be implemented on July 1. Dr. Holloway said that activities are planned for students throughout the year to help meet the goals of the plan. He said that progress will be monitored by a team of principals, teachers and students that will convene several times a year to give status updates on how the program is working.