Environmental Scan

The planning participants reviewed the organizational strengths and weaknesses in the areas of resources, processes and performance. The external environment was reviewed for social, political, economic and educational trends that have potential to act as opportunities or threats.

The following are major strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats identified by participants that formed the context for developing strategic directions (goals) and strategies.

Internal Review

STRENGTHS perceived were:

  • · Talented, motivated student body
  • · Highly qualified, motivated, committed faculty and staff
  • · Strong community support that advocates for excellence in education and school support
  • · Diverse student body, parents and community
  • · Administrative leadership and Board of Education
  • · Strong, challenging curriculum
  • · High expectations among internal and external stakeholders
  • · School community values its cultural, economic and educational diversity
  • · Reputation and tradition of excellence
  • · Academics, fine arts, athletic programs
  • · Outstanding high school and middle school facilities
  • · Commitment to strategic planning and continuous improvement
  • · Many successful graduates
  • · East Lansing Educational Foundation

WEAKNESSES perceived were:

  • · Financial limitations: unpredictable, limited and in cycle of reductions
  • · Increasing mandates from state and federal government
  • · Technology seriously lagging in elementary schools
  • · Aging and poorly equipped elementary (K-4) facilities
  • · Lack of trust and communication between key stakeholder groups
  • · Some poorly performing faculty with lack of a process for improvement
  • · Lack of effective, strategically determined external collaborations
  • · Lack of K-12 vision and alignment
  • · Funding decline in fine arts, athletic programs
  • · Limited foreign language programming in elementary schools
  • · Lack of programming for gifted and talented students prior to high school
  • · Lack of focused attention to achievement gap issues
  • · Lack differentiated instruction for every student
  • · Lack long term focus and evaluative outcomes
  • · Environment of dwindling resources and pressure to do more with less
  • · At times lack of defined, clear processes, policies and procedures
  • · Enrollment trends

External Review

OPPORTUNITIES perceived were:

  • · Strong community support for education and the ELPS system
  • · Reputation of the ELPS for excellence
  • · Funded government mandates
  • · Educational competition offers ELPS challenge to differentiate itself
  • · Community demographics with diverse, international presence
  • · Collaboration with other school districts
  • · Potential strategic collaborative endeavors with Michigan State University, Lansing Community College, City and businesses
  • · Parents as resources at every level
  • · East Lansing Educational Foundation offers possibility for growing relationships and funding support from graduates and community
  • · High school reform calls for innovation and future thinking
  • · Schools of Choice Program
  • · Technology explosion and impact on education
  • · State and federal mandates

THREATS perceived were:

  • · Budgetary realities: increasingly unpredictable, inadequate funding
  • · Uncontrollable external expenses such as health care, retirement
  • · Political, social, economic trends that require more resources than can be provided
  • · State of Michigan economic challenges
  • · Educational competition from other districts, private and charter schools
  • · Declining enrollments
  • · Unfunded government mandates
  • · Proposal II
  • · Diverse student learners' needs/abilities (ELL, autism and more) challenge the capacity to respond appropriately
  • · Retirements among teachers and administrators
  • · Rapidity of technological development and change
  • · Competition for children's minds and energies via television, computers, video games
  • · Taxes in East Lansing and taxpayer fatigue
  • · External policy-making at the federal and state levels
  • · Real estate market: land-locked; lack of affordable housing and ability to grow; MSU student housing challenges
  • · Schools of Choice Program
  • Rapid pace of change and proclivity to foster reactive environments