The hard work and the money spent by and for education in the last 50 years does not, it seems, to allow us to deliver required and ethical value for the money. We are charged with assisting all learners to be productive citizens of tomorrow, but, loaded down with non-core curriculum and social requirements, the educational ship is creaking and…

As a vital part of the educational enterprise, plans must be made to define the future we want to create for tomorrow's child and to enable educators to deliver on the promise. Planning is just a substitute for good luck. Not relying on luck, educators must identify valid and valuable measurable objectives for education and then enable educators…

Most organizational strategic plans are not strategic but rather tactical or operational plans masquerading as "strategic." This article identifies the basic elements required in a useful and practical strategic plan and explains why they are important.

Human competence is a vital element for any organization that expects to survive and then thrive. Developing individual performance ability is necessary but not sufficient because trained people alone will not make an organization successful. We must determine what people should deliver and why it should be delivered in order to add measurable…

In learning-centered community colleges, planning, like all processes, must measurably improve learning and learner performance. This article shares Valencia Community College's approach to revising its strategic planning process based on the Organizational Elements Model to: 1) focus strategic planning on learning results that add value for…

Most people understand the importance of objectives and the link between having objectives and accomplishing results. However, there is a difference between a well-defined objective and a poorly developed objective both in how they are constructed and in what they ultimately lead to. In this article, we explore three levels of objectives, provide…

This second article in a three-part series on strategic planning offers insight on the planning process itself. Discusses identifying long-term and short-term missions, and developing the strategic plan. (DGM)

For any strategic planning effort to succeed, administrators must choose carefully the size or scope of the proposed plan and who will benefit from it. This article outlines the major elements and assumptions of three planning dimensions--micro-, macro-, and mega-planning. Once scope is determined, the group is ready for 12 other steps that will…

Every organization needs a plan for achieving its objectives; however, strategic plans are often developed for the wrong reasons. This book presents self-help tools for school leaders interested in assessing the efficacy of their school's strategic plan. Chapter 1 explains why it is important to review educational strategic plans. Chapter 2…

Discusses the planning process as it relates to performance technology. Proactive and reactive planning perspectives are explained, opportunities for creativity are examined, strategic planning is discussed, three levels for strategic planning are described, and the question of control is raised. (nine references) (LRW)

Introduces a new, comprehensive planning and change concept for universities, "change creation," that encompasses both strategic planning and a transition process for the organization from "what is" to "what should be." After exploring change, why it often fails, and the tenets of change creation, presents its steps. A few are: leadership team…

In this article, the author discusses his researched framework that has been used in government organizations, the military (including international militaries), large corporations around the globe, and educational institutions such as the Sonora Institute for Technology in Sonora, Mexico. This framework is termed an "Ideal Vision" that expresses…

Discussion of educational planning defines three main planning modes and explains how to integrate them for educational systems planning with the organizational Elements Model (OEM). The Outcome Indicators Project (OIP) of Florida's Division of Vocational, Adult, and Community Education (DVACE) is described as an example of educational planning.…

Defines a basic framework for educational strategic planning that serves both learners and society. Discusses Mega Planning's critical success factors, common planning errors, and basic elements of scoping, planning, implementation, and continuous improvement/evaluation phases. Strategic objectives should drive curriculum objectives, and these in…

Total Quality Management Plus (TQM) goes beyond customer satisfaction to consider quality of life, environmental conditions, crime rates, and health and well-being. Steps to integrate such concerns into the TQM process include being ready for challenges, creating a quality system to collect performance data, defining the ideal school and world…