Start by articulating a clear vision through the development of contextually relevant portraits of a learner, teacher, and classroom. The 2024 National Educational Technology Plan’s Profile of a Learner/Graduate allows education leaders to align resources and priorities to support a common vision. Consider what competencies you want your students to develop, and how your teachers and classrooms might need to evolve to support these goals. By setting a clear vision up front, you’ll establish a foundation from which a cross-functional team can align all planning efforts toward collective goals. Digital Promise’s Portrait of a Digital Ready Student, Teacher, and Learning Environment planning tools can support you in starting your own portraits.
Duquesne City School District has showcased the importance of this work in their visionary Framework for the Future planning that was started to better support community learners and their families. “There’s a larger focus on innovation because these are skills that we know they need to be successful beyond school here, and that’s what we’re focused on—the students,” said Dr. Jamie Schmidt, chief academic officer and federal programs coordinator for Duquesne City Schools. This type of strategic, learner-centered planning exemplifies Leadership for Digital Transformation, one of the five domains of Digital Promise’s Digital Equity Framework.
Co-creating your community vision sets the stage for meaningful, context-based learning. In addition to school staff, students, and families, consider community partners such as city government officials, district personnel, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and other relevant community connections in designing and implementing your vision. With a core belief that “the school is the center of the community,” Duquesne City embraces the community’s role in visionary planning by explicitly naming the development of a collaboration plan as one of its six visionary, strategic, and operational goals.
Although policy development can be complicated, as U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona stated, the clear need for community buy-in to support effective implementation is not. Equitable community engagement requires intentional opportunities to hold open dialogue conversations and build relationships with the broader community, especially marginalized voices; setting shared goals; fostering understanding; gathering data; and driving change.
Building capacity within your teachers and students is crucial. Create systems that foster collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. By focusing on these priorities, schools can achieve deeper learning and long-term success. Use Digital Promise’s Portrait of a Graduate, which aims to support increased access to postsecondary learning and employment opportunities, or a similar model such as Duquesne City’s Framework for the Future, to support operationalizing your portraits. As Dr. Schmidt notes, “We continue to be innovative and create spaces and learning that are going to have our students authentically engage and create deeper learning for them.” This type of powerful learning demonstrates Powerful Learning Propelled by Technology, another domain in the Digital Equity Framework.
Visionary leaders know the importance of starting with a sound foundation. By defining your goals, leveraging strategic frameworks, and empowering your community, you’ll transform education for the better. Now is the time to plan boldly for the future!
Register for a LinkedIn Live featuring Duquesne City School District discussing career readiness and student agency through STEM on Jan. 29, and learn more about Digital Promise’s Digital Equity Framework and Portrait of a Graduate work.
