OCPS presents midyear update to OCPS 2030 strategic plan with five KPIs, targets for literacy, attendance and postsecondary planning

Orange County Public Schools leaders presented a midyear update to the OCPS 2030 strategic plan at the school board meeting on Jan. 28, 2025, detailing five key performance indicators and proposed multi‑year targets that staff will refine after full‑year data is available.

The plan centers on a new “portrait of a graduate” and five KPIs: 12th‑grade students meeting portrait attributes, grade‑level performance on state assessments, remaining the top choice for families, reducing preventable employee turnover and increasing student instructional attendance. Doctor James Border, who led the strategic‑plan presentation, said the portrait “expects our graduates to possess essential skills in communication, critical thinking and problem solving, personal and social responsibility, professionalism and collaboration, academic foundations in literacy and mathematics, and includes workplace readiness relative to career preparedness, technology skills, and bilingual abilities.”

Why it matters: the plan converts broad goals into measurable strategies and 12‑month initiatives (e.g., expanding advanced coursework, using Xello for postsecondary planning, scaling science‑of‑reading training, and interventions to reduce chronic absenteeism). Superintendent Dr. Monica Vasquez told the board staff will return this summer to revise targets using end‑of‑year data.

Key details and targets: the presentation listed specific measures and proposed trajectories, including an initial target for the portrait KPI (23% in 2025–26 increasing to 35% over five years for students meeting at least five portrait attributes), a proposed baseline and annual increases for state‑assessment measures (a 56% starting target moving toward 64% in five years), and a student attendance target that starts at 80% and rises to 88% of students attending at least 90% of scheduled instructional time in five years. Leadership said those numeric targets will be revisited after this school year’s final data.

Board members pressed staff on operational details. Member Gallo asked how the district will collect postsecondary plans; staff said the district will use Xello and that 8th graders are required to complete a postsecondary plan in the platform. Doctor Border and other chiefs said the district will expand communication and counselor support so students are aware of available tools. Dr. Vasquez said the district will “use social media more so that we can advertise” and make tools familiar earlier in middle school.

Several board members asked about the science‑of‑reading rollout and teacher training. District staff reported 2,391 instructors had attended Science of Reading training as of Jan. 16 and that elementary teachers continue monthly school‑based coaching. Member Douglas and others asked how dual‑language and elementary second‑language opportunities could expand; staff said they are auditing which elementary schools already offer second language or academy models and noted constraints such as certified bilingual teachers and required instructional minutes.

Enrollment, outreach and staffing were also discussed. The plan calls for targeted enrollment marketing in high‑need zones and strategies to shorten time‑to‑fill vacancies and support retention; staff said facility‑utilization and resides‑versus‑attends measures will be used to identify outreach needs. For employee retention, district leaders included proposals on affordable housing options for staff and development programs for school leaders.

Next steps: staff said they will cascade the portrait and KPIs across divisions, create teams for each KPI, build interactive dashboards for public reporting and bring finalized targets and measures to the board in July for activation. Board members asked for a communication plan that includes community and industry leaders used during the portrait‑creation process; Doctor Border agreed to incorporate those voices into public messaging.

Speakers quoted in this article appear in the board transcript and were identified during the meeting.