Oxford School District Aligns for District-wide Excellence with Strategic Planning, Scorecards and Collaboration
A district known for its commitment to excellence transitioned from schools working independently to a unified system intentionally focused on continuous improvement. Through strategic planning, scorecards, and a collaborative culture, the Oxford School District tackles achievement gaps and strives for even greater student success. This collective effort ensures every voice—from students to teachers to community members—is heard, fostering powerful alignment across the district.
Aligning for Excellence
The Oxford School District in Mississippi has always been known for its commitment to excellence. However, in recent years, the district has taken significant steps to enhance its effectiveness by moving from schools operating independently to a unified system focused on continuous improvement. This transformation is largely driven by strategic planning, the use of scorecards, and a culture of collaboration.
LaJeremy Hughes, a Literacy Coach in the district, recalls when schools worked independently, each striving for excellence but without coordinating. “It felt like we were at different schools, all rolling in different directions,” Hughes shares. This lack of alignment led to each school and even individual classrooms charting separate courses.
Under the leadership of Superintendent Bradley Roberson, Oxford embraced a vision to be “bold and innovative and continually improving.” Roberson recognized the need for a more cohesive strategy. This led to the district’s partnership with Studer Education, which helped implement a more aligned and strategic approach, especially in addressing the district’s significant achievement gaps. “We needed a different lever to continually get better at what we were doing inside of our systems,” he says.
Chris Cutcliffe, Director of Improvement, highlights the importance of the scorecard process, which has evolved into a critical tool for district-wide alignment. “We were starting where we stand; we were jumping all in,” Cutcliffe recalls. The scorecards align with the district’s strategic plan, ensuring that every school and department works towards the same goals.
Principal Patches Calhoun appreciates the impact of this system on the day-to-day school operations: “This process has created systems to where we all know what the goals are and that’s what we’re all working toward.” The results have been impressive, with significant improvements in math and reading proficiency among students.
For second-grade teacher, Latonya Smith, the shift toward a district-wide focus has been transformative. “It’s connecting us into one force… one educational force coming together with one goal,” Smith explains. She notes the strategic planning process has brought alignment and empowered educators, parents, and even students by giving them a voice in shaping the district’s future. “It’s about the students that we teach, taking care of the parents, all the stakeholders involved… it’s about this whole community that we have the privilege to serve,” she adds.
The journey of Oxford School District illustrates how strategic planning, scorecards, and collaboration can drive meaningful improvements in education. By aligning efforts and focusing on continuous improvement, Oxford is ensuring that every student can succeed and that every district voice is heard and valued.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Think differently.
The Oxford School District recognized that their high performance could lead to complacency. Superintendent Bradley Roberson emphasized the need to push beyond the status quo, urging educators to continually strive for improvement.This shift in mindset helped the district focus on closing achievement gaps and ensuring that every student can succeed.
Plan differently.
The introduction of scorecards and strategic planning brought alignment across the district. As Chris Cutcliffe, Director of Improvement, pointed out, the scorecard process allowed each school and department to align their goals with the district’s strategic plan, creating a cohesive approach to achieving excellence.
Act differently.
The district’s collaborative culture, fostered by continuous improvement efforts, has transformed how educators work together. Literacy Coach LaJeremy Hughes noted that this intentional focus has everyone “speaking the same language” and “talking about the same experiences,” making the work more effective and deeply ingrained in the district’s culture.
