Planning Process

The Kirkwood School District Strategic Plan reflects the ideas and voices of hundreds of people from all across the KSD community.


  • Our planning process began in March 2016, when 70 instructional leaders from all PK-12 campuses gathered in the Cortex Innovation District of St. Louis for a Summit on Student Learning. Teachers, principals, central office administrators, and Board members engaged in deep conversations about the future of schooling and the types of experiences we want for all children.
  • Numerous follow-up conversations with our administrative team focused on “dreams for the District,” with intentional efforts to find shared language, understandings, and priorities.
  • Listening tours were held on each campus, offering dedicated time and space for teachers for dialogue with district administrators and the Board of Education. Additional listening sessions were held with parents, community members, and students at Kirkwood High School.
  • Data from numerous parent, student, and teacher surveys were utilized in crafting the strategic plan, including information gathered specifically around technology, Future-Ready Skills, and risk behaviors among middle and high school students.
  • Ideas from the 2015-2016 Task Force were merged into the Strategic Plan, ensuring that educational equity and efforts to eliminate racial disparities remain a focus for the District.
  • Multiple feedback and planning sessions were held, with all staff invited to react to in-progress work and provide suggestions for implementation. Roughly thirty teachers, administrators, and support staff personnel participated.
  • As the planning process wrapped up, community input was being gathered to support the superintendent search process. Feedback from our KSD community was incredibly useful in confirming and/or adding to the planning process.