The Conway Public School District (CPSD) Board of Education has unanimously approved a Strategic Readiness Plan for the 2025–2026 academic year, setting the stage for immediate progress in student achievement, a culture of excellence, and stronger community engagement.
The plan—developed over the past 30+ days—reflects intense work and collaboration of CPSD’s Leadership Team and Strategic Consultant Dr. Jeff Standridge, incorporating feedback from the School Board, results from the district’s recent Employee Engagement and Parent Satisfaction surveys, observations from campus and department leaders, and valuable community input.
Built around a core intention for CPSD to prepare itself for national distinction, the Strategic Readiness Plan focuses on four major priorities:
Academic Achievement and Student Services – Targeted improvement in reading, math, graduation rates, and student support.
Culture of Excellence – Strengthening leadership, communication, accountability, and engagement across the district.
Transparency and Trustworthiness – Increasing public trust through clear reporting and open dialogue.
Stakeholder-Driven Strategic Planning – Laying the foundation for a comprehensive, multi-year strategic plan.
Underlying these priorities are 15 goals with specific achievement targets and/or accomplishment dates.
“This plan represents a clear, focused approach to the work ahead of us,” said Jason Black, Interim Superintendent of Conway Public Schools. “It’s grounded in feedback from our parents, teachers and staff, and the Conway community, and it positions us to make meaningful, measurable progress this year. You can depend on this team to execute this plan with excellence.”
Looking Beyond This Year: The Long-Range Strategic Plan
In addition to adopting the Strategic Readiness Plan, CPSD announced the formation of a Strategic Planning Steering Committee to guide the development of a long-range, stakeholder-driven strategic plan to be completed by June 30, 2026.
The committee will include broad representation from parents, students, teachers, staff, local employers, higher education partners, and community leaders. In partnership with the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute (WRI), the Steering Committee will lead a multi-phase engagement process—districtwide surveys followed by focus groups—to identify aspirations, priorities, and expectations for the future of Conway Schools. The Committee will also review and provide feedback on the draft strategic plan before it is finalized and adopted by the Board.
“This is an important moment for our district,” said Sheila Franklin, CPSD Board President. “The Strategic Readiness Plan ensures we are taking immediate steps toward improvement, while the Steering Committee will engage our entire community in building a bold, long-term vision for Conway Public Schools.”
For more information about the Strategic Readiness Plan visit CPSD District Priorities 2025-2026 or visit conwayschools.org
CPSD District Priorities 2025 - 2026
District Priority # 1
Academic Achievement and Student Services: Improve targeted learning outcomes and student services by establishing clarity, focus, and district-wide accountability.
Goal #1
By the end of CY 2026, CPSD will increase student reading achievement from 44% to 51%.
Goal #2
By June 30, 2027, CPSD will increase the proportion of students graduating “with distinction” from 41% to 51% according to State accountability measures.
Goal #3
By the end of CY 2026, CPSD will increase student math achievement from 38% to 43%.
Goal #4
In 2025, CPSD will develop and implement a comprehensive discipline improvement plan aimed at reducing total student suspensions by 10% by the end of calendar year 2026, focusing on proactive strategies, restorative practices, and consistent implementation across all schools.
District Priority # 2
Culture of Excellence: Cultivate and sustain a culture of Communication, Accountability, and Transparency (CAT) where students, staff, and parents feel valued, inspired, and engaged.
Goal #1
In 2025, CPSD will adopt and train District Leadership on the key elements of the Culture of Excellence, to include Leadership, Clarity and Focus, Empowering Communication, Engaged and Committed Teammates, 100% Accountability, and Organizational Agility.
Goal #2
By July 1, 2026, CPSD will increase the average employee engagement score from 68.9% to 75%.
Goal #3
By July 1, 2026, CPSD will increase the average parent satisfaction score from 68.9% to 75%.
Goal #4
In 2025, CPSD will gather baseline Secondary Student engagement data and by July 1, 2026, we will increase the average student engagement score from XX% to XX% (Survey/targets TBD in Fall of 2025).
District Priority #3
Transparency and trustworthiness: Demonstrate transparency and trustworthiness regarding academic achievement and district management.
Goal #1
In 2025, CPSD will develop, implement, and publicly publish a continuous improvement scorecard of widely accepted educational and operational metrics leading to increased transparency and accountability to all stakeholders.
Goal #2
Beginning in Fall 2025, CPSD will conduct bi-annual stakeholder engagement sessions (e.g. Town Halls) to share updates, and receive feedback on academic performance, budget priorities, and resource alignment.
Goal #3
During the 2025/2026 academic year, the Board and Administration will significantly increase public trust in District Leadership from 37.2% (Employees) and 45.4% (Parents) to at least 60% as measured by the survey question: “I trust the decisions made by District Leadership.”
District Priority #4
Stakeholder-driven Strategic Plan: Develop a stakeholder-driven, multi-year Strategic Plan that positions Conway Public Schools as a nationally competitive school district.
Goal #1
In 2025, CPSD will populate and launch a Strategic Plan Steering Committee in partnership with the Conway Chamber and Conway Development Corporation.
Goal #2
By June 30, 2026, CPSD will develop and approve a high-quality, stakeholder-driven strategic plan that reflects the needs and aspirations of the community. The Plan will be widely and easily accessible to all stakeholders.
Goal #3
By June 30, 2026 CPSD will develop and implement a process to establish continual dialogue and build strong local employer relationships, ultimately ensuring that the CTE programs are aligned with high-wage, high-growth, military, and high-demand Conway-area jobs.
Goal #4
By June 30, 2026, CPSD will establish an ongoing process to strengthen collaboration and partnerships with area colleges, universities, and military.
