District Strategic Plan
Future Driven 2030 Overview
A strategic plan is a road map which describes where OKCPS is headed as a school system, the values and priorities that guide our decisions, and how each part of the organization contributes to our shared destination. A strong strategic plan keeps the entire system aligned and focused, even as individual schools take different paths to meet the needs of their students.
Over the past decade, OKCPS has moved through two major strategic planning cycles that helped stabilize the district and lay the groundwork for stronger student results. The 2015–2020 Great Commitment set the stage by establishing clear priorities for the district. During that five-year period, the OKCPS Board of Education led work that stabilized district leadership, restructured the system to ensure every student had access to the foundations of a quality educational program, and strengthened our commitment to educational equity.
The district built on that progress with the 2020–2025 Great Commitment, which focused on key performance indicators and cultures of empowerment, responsibility, and caring. This period included work with the University of Virginia’s Partnership for Leadership in Education and OKCPS’ Innovative Transformation Schools, long-range planning that led to the historic $955 million 2022 School Bond, and a strengthened districtwide focus on mental health through our Embrace OKC partnerships which proved priceless in the wake of COVID-19.
In November 2023, the OKCPS Board of Education took the next major step forward by adopting a Student Outcomes Focused Governance (SOFG) model with support from the Council of Great City Schools. This model is rooted in a simple idea: school systems exist to improve what students know and are able to do. By centering its work on student results and committing to transparent progress review, the Board affirmed its responsibility to uphold the vision and values of the community and to support a more aligned and coherent school system.
SOFG offers a clear framework for leadership, calling on the Board to identify the student outcomes that matter most, establish guardrails that protect community values, and ensure the district stays focused on work that makes the greatest difference for students. These principles shaped every step of the development of the current OKCPS Future Driven 2030 Strategic Plan.
To begin this process, the Board launched the Voices for the Future campaign, a districtwide listening effort in Fall 2024 that gathered more than 16,000 pieces of input from students, families, staff, and community members. This feedback ensured that the goals, values, and commitments at the center of this strategic plan reflect the priorities of Oklahoma City.
In June 2025, the Board adopted three student outcome goals that define the academic results OKCPS must improve over the next five years: 1) increasing early literacy proficiency, 2) increasing middle school math proficiency, and 3) increasing early college and career experiences while in high school. In addition, the Board adopted four guardrails that define what must be protected as we pursue student outcome goals. These guardrails reflect community values such as life skills development, strong literacy instruction, access to advanced learning opportunities, and fair access to enriching learning experiences across all schools.
Together, the goals define what we aim to achieve for students, and the guardrails define what community values must be upheld along the way. They form the backbone of the OKCPS Future Driven 2030 Strategic Plan and reinforce our shared vision: that every OKCPS student graduates fully prepared to pursue one of the 3 Es: gainful employment, enlistment in the military, or enrollment in higher education—all of those while equipped with the skills and attributes to thrive in a healthy, vibrant community.
See below for additional details about our current strategic plan.
Future Driven 2030 Strategic Plan
The OKCPS Future Driven 2030 Strategic Plan Strategy Map is a single visual document that shows how the district moves from today’s work to tomorrow’s aspirations. It reads from left to right, beginning with the foundational elements that define who we are and how we operate, moving through the goals and values that guide our priorities, and ending with the long-term aspirations we hold for our students and community. The map helps all staff understand how their daily actions connect to district priorities and support progress for students.
Our Core reflects the beliefs and commitments that shape the identity of Oklahoma City Public Schools. This section includes our vision statement, mission statement, district motto, and the four cornerstones that anchor our work. These elements define what we believe about students and learning and set the tone for how we serve families, support educators, and pursue continuous improvement. They are the foundation for every strategy and decision captured in this plan.
Our Drivers describe the conditions that must be present across the district for improvement to take root. These conditions are belonging, safety, and well-being, educator efficacy, an aligned theory of action, targeted professional development, and strong student-teacher relationships. Belonging, safety, and well-being ensure that students and staff experience physical, emotional, and psychological security. Educator efficacy represents the confidence and collective belief that staff can help students achieve at high levels. An aligned theory of action creates a clear connection between the work we are doing and the outcomes we expect. Targeted professional learning strengthens educator practice in areas that directly support our priorities. Strong student-teacher relationships foster trust, engagement, and the willingness to work through challenging academic content.
These drivers shape the environment needed for consistent and sustained improvement.
Our Focus represents the three student outcome goals adopted by the OKCPS Board of Education in June 2025. These goals were developed after reviewing over 16,000 pieces of community feedback gathered through the Voices for the Future listening sessions that were hosted by the Board in the Fall of 2024.
Each goal outlines a long-term commitment to improving specific student outcomes over the next five years. To support a clear and transparent process, the Board of Education has adopted a five-year monitoring calendar that outlines when Goal and Guardrail monitoring will occur in public sessions throughout the school year. To create alignment across the system and support progress toward the long-term goals, the superintendent and district team identified aligned output measures that serve as the district’s interim goals. These SMART goal statements provide clear mid-cycle indicators that are both informative and predictive, helping the district understand whether it is on track and where adjustments may be needed.
Alongside these measures, the superintendent and team also identified aligned inputs. These inputs are strategic priority areas that must be strengthened in order to influence student learning. Each input connects to a set of high-leverage initiatives, not shown on the map but central to district action.
Together, the outcome goals, output measures, and inputs provide a line of sight from the district’s aspirations to the day-to-day work taking place in our schools. They keep the district centered on what is essential for improving literacy, mathematics, and postsecondary opportunities where students have early access to college and career experiences.
Appendix items:
Voices for the Future
Goals and Guardrails
Five-Year Goals and Guardrails Monitoring Calendar
Monitoring Reports (by date)
Our Values represent the priorities voiced by students, families, educators, and community members during the Voices for the Future listening sessions. These were used by the Board of Education to establish four guardrail statements that define what must be protected, upheld, and strengthened as we pursue the student outcome goals. These guardrails ensure that the district improves in ways that honor life skills development, literacy instruction and engagement, advanced learning access, and fair access to enriching opportunities.
The Values section of the strategy map reflects these commitments. It reminds the district that success is not only measured by achievement outcomes, but also by how students experience school, the relationships they form, and the opportunities they receive.
Appendix items:
Voices for the Future
Goals and Guardrails
Our Commitment describes what OKCPS pledges to deliver for every student as the district works toward its long-term goals. At the core of this commitment is the belief that all students must graduate prepared to successfully pursue one of the Three Es: gainful employment, enlistment in the armed services, or enrollment in higher education.
This section also includes the competencies that make up the OKCPS Profile of a Graduate. These seven competencies were informed by the Voices for the Future community feedback, and refined through a Profile of a Graduate analysis process. They represent the knowledge, skills, and mindsets our community expects students to develop through their Pre-K through 12 journey.
Together, the Three Es and the Profile of a Graduate define the attributes students should develop as a result of a coherent, aligned, and supportive school system. They represent the district’s commitment to take the actions needed to help all students grow, thrive, and graduate ready for their chosen futures.
Appendix items:
Voices for the Future
Profile of a Graduate
Our Objective expresses the district’s long-term aspiration for OKCPS and its community. The objective is clear: for OKCPS to become the First Choice school district for Oklahoma City families.
This aspiration reflects the district’s commitment to offering high-quality school options, outstanding teaching and learning, and educational experiences that families value and trust. Becoming a First Choice district means that families see OKCPS as the best place for their children to learn, grow, and succeed. It signals a school system that delivers world-class opportunities and encourages families not only to choose OKCPS, but to stay.
