District Vision and Comprehensive Goals

The 80^th Texas legislature in 2007 passed HB 2563, which added section 11.1511 to the Education Code. This section describes duties and responsibilities of the board of trustees and the superintendent. Many of these responsibilities had already been addressed in law; others, although practiced by effective boards and superintendents previously, were specified in law for the first time. One of the additions is a requirement that the board adopt a statement of the vision for education in the district as well as comprehensive district goals.

Many districts already have written vision statements and comprehensive long-range goals, often established as part of a strategic plan. Other districts review and revise district goals on a range of district priorities annually as part of an ongoing improvement cycle.

Vision statements

Although the requirement to adopt a vision statement has been around for a while, the Framework for School Board Development, adopted by the State Board of Education in 1996 and most recently updated in 2020, emphasizes the importance of a vision statement throughout its indicators of board effectiveness. Check the Read More box for tools to help districts in establishing or reviewing their district vision statements.

Comprehensive district goals

For many years districts have been required to establish district and campus improvement plans that include annual student performance objectives. The requirement that a board adopt “comprehensive” goals suggests that a district’s goals should consider not only student performance indicators but priorities for other areas that support student learning. Check the More Options box above for some tools that can assist districts in meeting this requirement.

We can help

Experienced consultants in Board Development Services are available to answer questions or work with you in your district to facilitate development of a shared district vision to guide education. For more information, contact us at board.dev@tasb.org or by calling 512.580.8272 ext. 2453.