East Stroudsburg board adopts 2026''2029 comprehensive plan focused on instruction and SEL

The East Stroudsburg Area School District board on Feb. 23 approved a comprehensive plan that will guide district priorities from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029.

The plan focuses on two main priorities: strengthening instructional effectiveness and expanding consistent social-and-emotional learning across grades. Andy Snyder, who led the steering committee, said the district will partner with OGAP for mathematics instruction — a package the plan describes as "four intensive days of collegiate-level instruction" plus 56 coaching days — and with Resonance Education to embed CASEL standards into everyday teaching.

The document sets measurable targets. Snyder told the board the instructional goal is that "by June 2029, the district will demonstrate measurable improvement in instructional effectiveness as evidenced by professional evaluation data, classroom observation trends, and educator self assessments," and that SEL benchmarks would be measured through staff surveys and school climate indicators.

Superintendent Maggie Vitale stressed the plan grew from a committee that included administrators, teachers, parents and students and described the proposals as implementation-focused rather than aspirational. Board members praised the process and the specificity of proposed actions. One board member said the presentation was "by far the best plan presented" in recent years, citing clear next steps.

The board approved the plan by voice vote. District staff said next steps include follow-up reporting to the board (update scheduled for the March 16 meeting) and staged implementation tied to professional development, curriculum work, and survey data collection.

The vote concluded the agenda item; routine consent items and other committee reports followed.