SFUSD details 'Beyond the Talk' version 2 and new project management for strategic priorities

Deputy Superintendent Richard Carranza told the board that Beyond the Talk version 2 moves from vision to implementation with concrete project plans, sponsors, managers, milestones and measurable goals. "Version 1 was the vision of the strategic plan; Version 2 is the implementation of the vision, in measurable and concrete terms," he said.

The district presented a 22‑page document covering 13 priority projects aligned to a pre‑K through postsecondary continuum and grouped under three areas: the instructional core, differentiated school and student supports, and systems and structures for engagement and accountability. Carranza said project charters are nearly complete, project managers meet monthly, and an internal monthly report for cabinet will be followed by an external bimonthly progress monitoring report for the board and public.

Project manager Laura Moran described a project management office approach: charters that define deliverables, budgets and success metrics, regular progress reports and a shared online workspace to increase transparency. Carranza noted an MOU with the San Francisco School Alliance to help recruit funding partners and that the district will complete financial and implementation analyses for prioritization in the 2011–13 budget cycle.

Board members asked for access to the project website and for later 'deep dives' on metrics and safety nets to ensure students who do not meet benchmarks have supports; staff said more detailed project plans with measurable objectives exist for each initiative and that the district will provide access and summaries to the board and public.

Next steps: staff will circulate access instructions for the project website, release a two‑page summary and begin bimonthly public progress reports.