Continuous School Improvement Plan (CSIP)

Educate, Empower and Equip Students to Excel

Fort Zumwalt is a place that provides a safe, supportive and collaborative environment with a highly qualified, engaged and committed staff.

Fort Zumwalt is committed to fostering relationships with students, families, staff and community.

Fort Zumwalt values purposeful and intentional adaptive instruction and focuses on the whole child.

Fort Zumwalt values student voice and provides supports and opportunities in order for our students to be future ready.

Fort Zumwalt School District Logo

Road Sign, Focus Area A - Academic Achievement

Priority: Academic Achievement

Goal 1: Fort Zumwalt School District will score a designation of “Target” across all core subjects as indicated on the 2025-2026 Annual Performance Report (APR).

  • Create Building Improvement Plans All Fort Zumwalt school leaders will create and implement yearly building improvement plans based on their academic data.

  • Implement Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) district wide Establish district wide multi-tiered systems of support that identify and respond to the academic, social and emotional needs of all students. MTSS will be fully developed and implemented by the 2026-2027 school year.

  • Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) Form a district Leadership Team to develop a plan to effectively implement and support PLC’s at the district and building levels.

Road Sign Focus Area R - Recruitment and Retention

Priority: Recruitment & Retention

Goal 1: The Fort Zumwalt School District will increase the percentage of employment applications per vacancy by 15% for all categories within the next three years.

  • Change the Narrative. The Fort Zumwalt School District will brand the district as a meaningful, positive place to work.

  • Ease the Process. Develop an application process that is streamlined and accessible.

  • Recruit More. The Fort Zumwalt School District will build on current recruitment practices to expand our reach and connections to candidates.

Goal 2: The Fort Zumwalt School District will reduce the number of resignations in all categories by 20% within the next three years.

  • Leaders Matter. The Fort Zumwalt School District will implement a structure of/for support, collaboration, and professional development for school administrators and directors in order to support them as team leaders.

  • Recognize Accomplishments. The District will strengthen the Employee Recognition program by creating a structure for more frequent formal and informal recognition.

  • Growth Opportunities. The District will support employees in their career development by providing a strong, methodical mentoring program, tuition assistance, and share pathways available to those seeking career advancement opportunities

  • Support Health & Wellness. The Fort Zumwalt School District will promote and support the wellness of staff members.

Road Sign Focus Area EO - Efficiency and Operations

Priority: Efficiency & Operations

Goal 1: The district will identify and audit three areas of district operations resulting in increased district resources in at least one of the three following areas: available funding (economy), time (efficiency), or quality outcomes (effectiveness) over the course of the next three years.

  • Build on Strengths. Use a continuous improvement model to build upon existing strengths while addressing areas that may result in increased resources in funding, available time, and/or enhanced outcomes

  • Streamline Procedures. Identify and audit targeted district procedures with yearly check-ins to ensure effective implementation and efficiency.

  • Free up Resources. Review existing resource allocations to ensure the most effective and efficient use of district funds towards educating students and providing a healthy, positive work environment.

Goal 2: Complete an audit of safety practices to use in the development of standardized monthly/quarterly safety checks tied directly to a uniform district safety plan.

  • Review and Refresh. The district will complete a comprehensive audit of safety procedures. Best practices in school safety highlight the need for systematic reviews and updates of safety and security protocols.

  • Maintain Stakeholder Trust. The district will work collaboratively with community stakeholders to communicate and address safety considerations. Overall, feedback from staff, student, and parent surveys indicated they feel very safe in Fort Zumwalt settings, but they have broad school safety concerns they want the district to continue to prioritize.

  • Promote Consistency. The district will provide standardized systems for safety procedures, periodic reviews/updates, and training to promote consistent models across the District.

Road sign Focus Area C - Climate, Culture and Communications

Priority: Climate, Culture and Communications

Goal 1: Favorable results from students, staff, and family surveys regarding community engagement will increase by 5% on an annual basis.

  • District Communication Plan. Research, Plan, Implement and Evaluate a district communication plan for all stakeholders.

  • Increase Family Engagement. Evaluate family engagement opportunities at all levels and create opportunities for families to be involved in groups focused on leadership, culture, and academics.

Goal 2: FZSD will increase a sense of belonging from the students, staff, and families by 5% annually over the next three years as indicated by survey data.

  • Leader in Me. Expand the Leader in Me program K-12.

  • Professional Development. Implement professional development with a focus on supporting all students.

  • Data Based Decision Making. Utilize a framework district wide to evaluate student survey data related to a sense of belonging in school.

Road sign Focus Area MH - Mental Health

Priority: Mental Health

Goal 1: Positive growth mindset ratings for students in grades 3-12 will increase from a district average of 59% to 70% by the end of the 2026-2027 school year.

  • Elementary objective: Ratings for students in grades 3-5 will increase from an average of 65% to 75% by the end of the 2026-2027 school year.

  • Secondary objective: Ratings for students in grades 6-12 will increase from an average of 53% to 64% by the end of the 2026-2027 school year.

  • Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). Implement a data informed system of prevention and intervention.

  • Leader in Me (LIM). The district will operate within the LIM continuous improvement framework to align beliefs, actions, and results with the District Mission

Goal 2: Teachers' positive ratings regarding their ability to teach all students will increase from an average of 66% to 76% by the end of the 2026-2027 school year.

  • Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). Implement a data informed system of prevention and intervention.

  • Leader in Me (LIM). The district will operate within the LIM continuous improvement framework to align beliefs, actions, and results with the District Mission.

  • Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Continuous job embedded learning for all educators, implemented in recurring cycles of collaborative inquiry and action research directed toward achieving better results for the students they serve.

What's Next

The Board of Education approved the Continuous School Improvement Plan at the July 17, 2023, meeting. The Department or Elementary and Secondary Education approved the plan in December, 2023. Along with achievement and other data, the CSIP and progress on the goals it puts forth will become a component of the state's Annual Performance Report for Fort Zumwalt School District.

District officials will report regularly to the Board of Education on progress in each of the five focus areas. Expand the "CSIP updates to the Board of Education" below to see those updates.

Get a PDF version of this information

Get at PDF version of the DESE approved document