In December 2014, Virginia Beach City Public Schools adopted Compass to 2020, its strategic framework that sets the vision and guides our work for the next five years.

But how do we know that we’re making progress?

As part of the planning process, a cross-section of more than 70 stakeholders worked to identify key measures for each of the goals in the framework. These key measures were refined and translated into indicators designed to serve as “navigational markers’ for the entire school division.

“The navigational markers, which span kindergarten through graduation and beyond, reflect the school division’s commitment to continuous improvement and equity in education,” said Dr. Don Robertson, chief strategy and innovation officer. “They will be critical for keeping us on track as we continue our journey to 2020.”

Indicators specific to student performance are reported for all students across the division as well as by student subgroup. The subgroups include African American students, Asian students, Caucasian students, Hispanic students, multiracial students, students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged students, and African American male students. School-specific results will also be made available on the School Data Portfolio page on the VBCPS intranet site.

“I am really pleased with the navigational markers that have been identified because they honor the hard work of the design teams involved in their initial development and also reflect the priorities that the Superintendent put forth in his post-entry plan,” said Dr. Lisa Banicky, director for innovation and strategic planning.

The first Navigational Markers indicators report was presented to the School Board on March 15. Future reports will be presented two times per year, typically in February and September.