POMONA – The Pomona Unified School District has solidified the latest incarnation of its five-year strategic plan, laying down a foundation that aims to empower students, parents and community and guides the District’s vision to be an educational institution that goes above and beyond in preparing students for the rigors of college and career.

Prepared in partnership with the Claremont Evaluation Center, Pomona Unified’s “Strategic Plan 2020: Promise of Excellence” pledges to institute a distinguished culture of excellence that promotes student success, bolsters professional development and embraces community partnerships – four priority areas reflected in the District’s new mission and vision statements.

“Under this transformative plan, our goal is to provide each of our stakeholders with the tools and resources they need to ensure the success of our students, and ultimately, the community to which these minds belong,” said Board of Education President Adrienne Konigar-Macklin. “We are confident that this living document will foster an environment that will continue to be responsive to the needs of students, teachers and staff, and the Pomona Unified community.”

To help shape the document, the District enlisted the help of community stakeholders through a steering committee, focus groups, town hall community meetings and interviews. Input was also solicited from more than 900 students, parents, teachers, staff and administrators, who identified the District’s top bright spots and needs. Based on survey results, data collection and analysis, strategies were developed and goals were defined.

The plan calls for increasing student success in college and career through expanded academic opportunities such as career technical education, emotional support and family engagement; partnering with community groups for career development and for building a safe and supportive environment for students, staff and families; developing talent through quality professional development and performance evaluation; and cultivating a culture that distinguishes Pomona Unified as a launching pad for student excellence, driven by trust, pride, safety, well-being and positive communication.

The District’s vision and mission statements and core values were also refined to strengthen the District’s commitment to fostering partnerships and collaboration, producing a culture of operational excellence, and increasing students’ academic, social and professional achievement.

The new mission statement reads as follows: “The Pomona Unified School District, in partnership with parents and community, provides a well-rounded, challenging, and quality educational program that equips and empowers students with the academic opportunities, career and technical experience, and whole-student supports needed for college and career success. A culture of operational excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement empowers all to flourish with trust and pride.”

A new vision statement reads as follows: “As a world-class educational system, PUSD ensures that every student excels in academic and career pathways that sustain personal growth and contribute to society.”

The District’s core values – Respect, Relationships, Responsibility and Results – remain intact.

Opportunities for improvements are built into the document through ongoing monitoring and evaluation, implementation of process and outcome measures, data-driven dialogue and reflection, and constructive feedback.

“Each day, we dig deeper to strengthen programs, improve offerings and develop instructional strategies that will give our students every advantage over their global peers,” PUSD Superintendent Richard Martinez said. “Through it all, we have had the immense support of our parents and education advocates, as well as business community and higher education institutions, which provide our teachers with professional development, give our students ample opportunities to explore fields of interest and craft pathways for college entrance.”

The complete Strategic Plan is available at www.pusd.org.