• Calendar
  • News
  • Directory
  • Infinite Campus
    • About Us
    • Annual Notices
    • Data and Reports
    • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Enrollment and Registration
    • Forms
    • School Board
    • Strategic Planning
    • Title IX
    • Superintendent
    • Teaching and Learning
    • Business
    • Communications
    • Facilities
    • Human Resources
    • Student Services
    • Special Education
    • Technology Services
    • Ames High School
    • Ames Middle School
    • Edwards Elementary
    • Fellows Elementary
    • Meeker Elementary
    • Mitchell Elementary
    • Sawyer Elementary
    • Northwood Preschool Center
    • Anonymous Reporting: P3 Campus
    • Alerts, Safety, and Weather Procedures
    • Attendance – Every Day Counts
    • Digital Backpack
    • Handbooks
    • Mental Health Services
    • ParentSquare & StudentSquare
    • Request An Interpreter
    • School Fees
    • School Hours
    • School Nutrition
    • School Supply Lists
    • Transportation
    • AHS Alumni: Where are you now?
    • AHS Students Who Died in Military Service
    • Ames CSD Online Store
    • Get Involved
    • Gifts to the District
    • Research Request
    • Submit An Event To Digital Backpack
    • Employee Assistance Program
    • Employee Benefits Information Site
    • Facilities Scheduling for Staff
    • Frontline/Absence Management
    • Infinite Campus: Staff & Teacher Portal
    • K-5 Essential Standards
    • MSDS Online
    • Production Services
    • Simbli Meetings and Agendas
    • Teacher Quality Site
2005 24th St.
Ames, IA 50010
(515) 268-6600
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
District
  • About Us
  • Annual Notices
  • Data and Reports
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Employment Opportunities
  • Enrollment and Registration
  • Forms
    • Discrimination/Bullying/Harassment Complaint Form
    • First Amendment Violation Form
    • Health Forms
    • Student Identity Accommodation Request
  • School Board
    • Agendas and Minutes
    • Board Committees
      • Audit and Budget Oversight Committee
      • Equity Committee
      • Facilities Committee
      • Mental Health Committee
      • Policy Committee
      • School Improvement Advisory Committee
      • Teaching and Learning Committee
    • Board Members
    • Board Policies
      • Series 100 Policies: School District
      • Series 200 Policies: Board of Directors
      • Series 300 Policies: Administration
      • Series 400 Policies: Personnel
      • Series 500 Policies: Students
      • Series 600 Policies: Education Program
      • Series 700 Policies: Non-Instructional Operations and Business Services
      • Series 800 Policies: Buildings and Sites
      • Series 900 Policies: School District – Community Relations
    • Meeting Schedule
  • Strategic Planning
    • Strategic Plan Implementation
    • Strategic Planning Members
  • Title IX
All About Ames CSD

302

class of 2024 graduates.

  1. Home
  2. District
  3. Strategic Planning

Strategic Planning

Our Mission

The mission of the Ames Community School District, which aspires to be Iowa’s premier school district, is to inspire and empower all students and staff to pursue and maximize their personal and educational potential, grounded in strong community and family partnerships and guided by high quality educators who commit to innovative instruction getting every student what they need to be successful.

Our Beliefs

  • All students are capable of learning, growing, and succeeding.
  • Every student is unique and will be valued, supported, and affirmed.
  • All students can thrive academically when high expectations are set, and opportunities and tailored resources are provided.
  • A sense of belonging, being physically and mentally healthy, and possessing emotional wellbeing are essential to learning.
  • High-quality, well supported staff are key to student success.
  • Strong community, school, and family partnerships are essential to student academic success.
  • An evidence-based, data-driven decision making process is essential to achieve equitable educational outcomes.
  • Every member of the Ames Schools community, across individual characteristics, identities, and circumstances, is provided with intentional access to high-quality experiences and opportunities in our schools that contribute to proportionate outcomes for all students.
  • Schools are dynamic and require ongoing creativity and innovation.

Strategic Planning Document

View our one-page document that details our strategic plan.

Strategic Plan Document

Objectives

Each objective will be placed on an implementation schedule, prioritized, and carried out in the next 1-5 years.

Physical, Mental, and Emotional Health & Safety

Each student will benefit from a safe and vibrant environment that facilitates learning and promotes physical, mental, emotional, and social wellbeing.

Strategies:

  • Fully implementing RULER.
  • Mental Health First Aid.
  • ALICE / Active Intruder.
  • Self Care and Resiliency.
  • Use RULER for universal PK-12 SEL curriculum.
  • Specialty support positions.
  • Processes to ensure consistency across the district that include students.
  • Finalize and Implement the district mental health plan.
  • Create Sensory and Culturally Sensitive Spaces in each school building that enhance learning.

    Instructional Framework and Programs

    Each student will benefit from a consistent and viable curriculum, engaging instruction, and connected programs designed to ensure that everyone gets what they need to be successful.

    Strategies:

    • Fully implement the Danielson Framework for Teaching.
    • Ames CSD will improve alignment across Tier 1 instruction by using the Universal Tier 1 Building Blocks.
    • Ames CSD will design and develop a curriculum framework.
    • Ames CSD will implement a curriculum framework.
    • Implement standards-referenced grading and reporting practices PK-12.

    Meeting Diverse Needs

    Each student will benefit from a clear system in which academic, behavior, and social emotional needs are identified, skills are taught, and high expectations are met.

    Strategies:

    • Differentiate the learning of our students and staff.
    • Conduct evaluations of the specialized programs the district offers.
    • Develop a clearly-defined and consistent Multi Tiered System of Supports across all grade levels for academics and behavior.

    Organization Responsiveness and Communication

    Each student will benefit from effective communication and feedback with staff and the community.

    Strategies:

    • Establish communication standards that prioritize the needs of students to promote transparency, accessibility, and overall message effectiveness.
    • Develop and implement communication standards and expectations in job duties and training for staff.
    • Establish a comprehensive feedback process that aims to create a more collaborative, inclusive, and effective organization that is responsive to the needs and preferences of students, staff, and the community.

    Building Stakeholder Engagement and Support

    Each student will benefit from a variety of community partnerships that support their educational, career, and extracurricular pursuits.

    Strategies:

    • Deliver a comprehensive stakeholder engagement plan that integrates the community into decision-making processes to harness their collective expertise and resources so that students are supported in their overall educational, career, and extracurricular pursuits.
    • Identify and address the barriers that prevent families from fully participating in their student’s education to create a culture of partnership and collaboration between families and schools.

    Attracting, Retaining, and Developing High-Quality Staff

    Each student will benefit from a diverse staff who will engage in regular, high-quality professional learning and reflection.

    Strategies:

    • Data will be gathered on current teacher satisfaction with professional development within the Ames CSD as well as their desire to increase differentiated PD for teachers and EAs.
    • Use targeted strategies to recruit, hire, and retain a diverse staff that mirrors student demographics.
    • Enhance the existing survey process to identify trends and themes to reduce turnover of high quality staff.
    • Building leaders will do “walk-throughs” where every teacher’s classroom is informally visited on a regular basis.
    • Create and administer a culture survey to teachers, support staff, and administrators.
    • Building administration will take bi-annual action in response to data collected in the culture survey.
    • Each building will create a building leadership team that will meet regularly, address building goals, and improve the culture of support for all staff.
    • EAs within the Ames CSD will receive support in seeking additional professional learning opportunities.
    • All EAs will receive orientation that relates to their daily work either before or within their first of their hire.

    Guiding philosophies to accomplish our mission

    • We put the academic success of every student at the forefront of our decision making process.
    • Our environment is inclusive of all, and we affirm the value of each person Our system prioritizes and cultivates a culture of trust, safety, growth and collaboration.
    • We are effective, timely and transparent in our communication and decision making.
    • We are responsible stewards of district and community resources, facilities and environment.
    • We own, act on and are accountable to the strategic plan.
    District
    • About Us
    • Annual Notices
    • Data and Reports
    • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Enrollment and Registration
    • Forms
      • Discrimination/Bullying/Harassment Complaint Form
      • First Amendment Violation Form
      • Health Forms
      • Student Identity Accommodation Request
    • School Board
      • Agendas and Minutes
      • Board Committees
        • Audit and Budget Oversight Committee
        • Equity Committee
        • Facilities Committee
        • Mental Health Committee
        • Policy Committee
        • School Improvement Advisory Committee
        • Teaching and Learning Committee
      • Board Members
      • Board Policies
        • Series 100 Policies: School District
        • Series 200 Policies: Board of Directors
        • Series 300 Policies: Administration
        • Series 400 Policies: Personnel
        • Series 500 Policies: Students
        • Series 600 Policies: Education Program
        • Series 700 Policies: Non-Instructional Operations and Business Services
        • Series 800 Policies: Buildings and Sites
        • Series 900 Policies: School District – Community Relations
      • Meeting Schedule
    • Strategic Planning
      • Strategic Plan Implementation
      • Strategic Planning Members
    • Title IX
    All About Ames CSD

    95.52%

    4-year graduation rate (state average, 91.8%).

    Call Us

    515-268-6600

    Visit

    2005 24th St.
    Ames, Iowa 50010
    Get Directions

    Reach Out

    • Staff Directory
    • School Board

    Follow Us

    • Facebook
    • X
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • LinkedIn

    Website by Juicebox

    • Nondiscrimination Policy
    • Accessibility Statement
    Back to top