| The purpose of this study was to find out if school personnel and community stakeholders were using assessment data from the strategic plan to help meet the No Child Left Behind mandates for achieving Adequate Yearly Progress.; This study examined the perceptions of ten public school stakeholders. Information for this study was gathered by interviewing and analyzing qualitative data of ten purposely-selected subjects from the faculty, central office personnel, community leaders, and parents who were involved in the strategic planning process and helped with the development of various plans that had an influence on student learning outcomes. The constant comparative method was used for qualitative data analysis. The researcher served as the instrument for the qualitative study.; A qualitative data analysis revealed eight themes as related to strategic planning and assessment. The identified themes were (1) comprehensive good plan, (2) effective consultants, (3) input from stakeholders, (4) lack of understanding of stakeholders, (5) effective professional development, (6) effective communication, (7) identification of the SWOTs, and (8) achieving Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).; Conclusions drawn from the study were that (1) the strategic plan was a good comprehensive plan, (2) ownership for stakeholders is valuable, (3) the strategic plan is a reference point for baseline data, (4) professional development should be ongoing, and (5) effective communication is the key to having a successful strategic plan that links assessment to ensure that the district makes AYP. |
