Colonial School District previews Future Ready Comprehensive Plan for 2025–28, seeks board approval March 20

Colonial School District staff on March 10 presented a preview of the district’s Future Ready Comprehensive Plan for 2025–2028 to the Curriculum Committee and said the full board will be asked to approve the plan at its March 20 meeting before submission to the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

The plan, required of Pennsylvania school districts on a three-year cycle, updates the district’s mission, vision and stakeholder value statements and sets measurable priority statements and action plans intended to guide work from July 1, 2025, through the 2027–28 school year. "We will utilize comprehensive and consistent data protocols with fidelity," the district summarized as one priority; another commits to targeted supports so students meet Pennsylvania Department of Education interim growth targets.

The preview was presented by Doctor Gregaitis and other curriculum staff members, who said the steering committee that developed the plan included the superintendent, school board members, administrators, staff, students, family members, community members and representatives from the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit. Doctor Michael Webb of the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit led the initial steering meeting, staff said. Maria (curriculum staff member) and Joe (curriculum staff member) described the plan’s priority statements and the action steps to meet them. Doctor Figueroa Douglas outlined actions related to student belonging.

Why it matters: Pennsylvania requires districts to use a consistent framework for multi-year strategic planning; the Future Ready portal and the Future Ready Index were used to identify strengths, challenges and measurable goals, staff said. The priorities staff highlighted were: consistent data protocols to support decision-making; targeted supports, interventions and evidence-based professional learning to close performance gaps and meet interim targets; and actions to increase belonging and engagement for students.

Staff described concrete and district-level actions tied to those priorities. For student-centered supports, the district plans to leverage school improvement teams and outside personnel to assess and refine district and building protocols, and to establish professional learning that emphasizes data protocols, research-based interventions and enrichment strategies. For systemic professional learning, staff said they will build leadership capacity through a three-year plan that involves principals and leadership teams, applying professional learning standards and the Danielson evaluation framework. On belonging, staff cited the district’s use of the book Belonging Through Dignity and a set of districtwide competencies (formerly CRC, now "Colonial connections") to guide trainings, student leadership teams and partnerships with external programs.

The district pointed to partnerships and programs that support belonging and student leadership, including MCIU initiatives such as Voices for Education (which includes a trip to Harrisburg) and Dreaming Forward, and a student leadership collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania. Staff also noted that the Future Ready portal guided the creation of SMARTIE-style goals and linked the comprehensive plan to supplemental plans: a three-year induction plan, the professional development plan and the gifted education plan.

On data and assessment, presenters said they reviewed the Future Ready Index, local assessments and subgroup performance and that school improvement plans at each building are intended to align with district priorities. The induction plan, staff said, extends mentorship to three years for staff new to the district and includes required state trainings and district-provided sessions delivered by master teachers and department staff.

Timing and next steps: The draft plan and supplemental assurances were posted online and on BoardDocs for at least 30 days, staff said. The Curriculum Committee previewed the plan March 10; the board will be asked to approve it March 20. Staff must submit the plan to the Pennsylvania Department of Education by March 24 for state review. If approved by PDE, the plan would take effect July 1, 2025.

Public comment during the meeting included support for the district’s emphasis on belonging and equity. A Plymouth Meeting resident who identified as a parent said, "I love the comprehensive plan. Sounds great." Nina Sabins, a parent, told the committee she supported the board and praised efforts to increase representation in programs including gifted services: "I just want to voice my support to the school board... I am so inspired by the discussion of asking do we have the right representation in all of our programs including our gifted IEPs."

Staff did not request votes at the March 10 committee meeting; formal approval is scheduled for the March 20 board meeting. If approved by the school board and PDE, staff said the district will revisit the plan with administrators in summer retreats, launch professional development at the start of the school year, and align building-level school improvement plans to the district priorities.

Provenance: Committee presentation materials and remarks introduced the plan at the March 10 Curriculum Committee meeting and were discussed through the end of the committee’s review of supplemental plans.