District Strategic Plan 2025-2030

Support the growth of students and staff through evidence-based, inclusive practices while promoting a rigorous, horizontally, and vertically aligned curriculum.

Initiatives

• 1.1 - Establish clear expectations for teaching and learning by defining the instructional core and defining, developing, and integrating Dedham’s Portrait of a Learner.
• 1.2 - Strengthen and elevate educator expertise to evaluate and develop core instructional materials and tiered supports while restructuring systems to ensure equitable academic opportunities.
• 1.3 - Empower educators and instructional leaders through high-quality professional learning that drives evidence-based practices, fosters student growth, and cultivates a culture of continuous learning.
• 1.4 - Develop a vertical approach to review and align specially designed instructional programs and resources.

Outcomes

By June 30, 2030, Dedham Public Schools will have:

• Improved academic performance among students as measured through multiple measures of assessment (MCAS, DIBELS, AP participation/scores, attendance data, student survey data, and educator evaluation metrics). 
• Reduced identification of Special Education students by 4%, which will have DPS at 18% of students identified as Special Education students.
• Integrated Dedham’s Portrait of a Learner into curriculum, instruction, and assessment by aligning expectations for teaching and learning across all grade levels, ensuring at least 80% of educators demonstrate implementation as measured through student assessments, observations, and DPS curriculum maps.
• Developed expertise among educators to evaluate and implement high quality core instructional materials, researched interventions and tiered supports (MTSS) in the areas of English Language Arts & Literacy, Mathematics, Comprehensive Health & Physical Education, and Science as measured by student growth data and educator surveys.
• Sustained high-quality, goal-driven professional learning that leads to increased implementation of evidence-based practices in at least 90% of classrooms, as measured by instructional walkthroughs, student achievement outcomes, and educator satisfaction surveys.
   

Foster a learning environment and climate that ensures all students feel a sense of belonging and safety.

Initiatives

• 2.1 - Identify, create, and implement a tiered  PK-12 social-emotional learning curriculum, inclusive of systems for mental and behavioral health.
• 2.2 - Create and empower a District-wide team, representative of all DPS schools and roles, to review and revise policies, instructional materials, and practices and lead work around developing and implementing a plan that promotes inclusive, equitable, and culturally responsive practices.
• 2.3 - Align safety practices across the District to further enhance emergency response preparedness.
• 2.4 - Develop a vertical approach to review and align specially designed instructional programs and resources.
• 2.5 - Encourage and enhance the sense of pride in a school culture that embraces ONE DEDHAM. 

Outcomes

By June 30, 2030, Dedham Public Schools will have:

• Increased satisfaction scores in the annual community and staff surveys related to inclusivity and belonging by 20%, with at least 85% of staff reporting a positive experience of inclusivity and belonging in the workplace. Progress will be reviewed annually to ensure consistent improvement.
• At least 80% of students reporting that they feel their opinions are valued in school decision-making processes.
• Integrated student support plans into the curriculum and daily operations, ensuring that 100% of students in grades K-12 receive individualized support at each phase of their schooling, with regular progress reviews every semester.
• Hosted annual opportunities for cross-District engagement across schools, levels, responsibilities and roles, for both staff and students.
• Created consistent opportunities to reiterate and celebrate the District’s core values that embody our ONE DEDHAM vision.
   

Strengthen interactions and seek multiple ways to meaningfully engage all families and stakeholder groups as partners. 

Initiatives

• 3.1 - Assess current communication practices to identify areas in need of improvement and develop an updated district-wide communication plan to strengthen engagement and connection. 
• 3.2 - Expand opportunities for student and educator voice and visibility in District communication efforts.
• 3.3 - Define expectations and establish practices for effective school-home 2-way communication.
• 3.4 - Develop and align opportunities, programs, and partnerships with external institutions, organizations, corporations, etc. that serve to enhance the educational experiences of Dedham students.

Outcomes

By June 30, 2030, Dedham Public Schools will have:

• Identified and resolved barriers for families in connecting and communicating with schools, educators and resources, updated or adding new tools to make all district and school communications accessible on multiple platforms, in a timely, relevant manner.
• Implemented new communication distribution system that provides multichannel, multilingual formats with defined expectations and guidelines for consistent, aligned usage across the district. 
• Created a systemic framework that makes district, school and classroom stories, successes and news widely available to strengthen engagement and connection.
• Worked with educators at all levels to identify and implement new tools and best practices resulting in consistent, aligned and accessible classroom-to-home connections.
• Hosted a Town-wide leadership summit to bring together leaders from local organizations and partners that benefit students during and outside of the school day to improve connections and opportunities.
• Improved positive survey responses from families regarding school communications annually, demonstrating continuous improvement.

Enhance collaboration among schools, town government, and the community to create a shared vision for addressing school funding, school facility issues, and staff recruitment.

Initiatives

• 4.1 - Enhance learning environments in all Dedham Public Schools buildings to improve existing safety & security systems so that all students and staff thrive.
• 4.2 - Recruit, develop, and retain a workforce that reflects the diversity of the District’s student body.
• 4.3 - Develop a sustainable financial and facilities strategy that meets the needs of all DPS students and staff and ensures a proactive approach  to preventative maintenance, rehabilitation, and replacement of School Department facilities. 

Outcomes

By June 30, 2030, Dedham Public Schools will have:

• Established a comprehensive plan for ongoing implementation of safety and accessibility upgrades and practices in all seven buildings ensuring safe learning environments for students and staff. 
• Increased the percentage of employees from underrepresented racial and cultural groups.
• Increased retention rates among diverse staff as demonstrated by stronger alignment between staff demographics and student population diversity.
• Operating and capital budgets that meet the needs of all learners, provide robust professional learning for all faculty and staff, equip learning to support the District’s strategic priorities,  contain appropriated contingency for unexpected enrollment shifts, and are understood and supported by the community as measured by positive feedback on budget transparency and fiscal stability.