OVERVIEW OF STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

Districts and charter schools (Local Education Agencies or LEAs) must review, update, and post their Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP) to their website no later than October 1 each year, and must submit their plan by the deadline to the State Board of Education by sending it to plans@edu.idaho.gov.

Section 33-320, Idaho Code, addresses Continuous Improvement Plans.  This section of statute was amended during the 2021 legislative session; no changes were made during the 2022, 2023, or 2024 sessions.  The section of code states, in part:

“CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PLANS AND TRAINING. (1) Each school district and public charter school in Idaho shall develop an annual plan that is part of a continuous focus on improving the student performance of the district or public charter school. A public charter school may use its performance certificate in lieu of a separate continuous improvement plan.

(2)  (a) The board of trustees and the superintendent shall collaborate on the plan and engage students, parents, educators and the community as appropriate. The board of directors and the administrator of a public charter school shall collaborate on the plan and engage students, parents, educators, and the community as appropriate. All continuous improvement plans must be approved by the local governing board.

(b)        The annual continuous improvement plan shall:

1. Be data driven, specifically in student outcomes, and shall include, but not be limited to, analyses of demographic data, student achievement and growth data, graduation rates, and college and career readiness;
2. Set clear and measurable targets based on student outcomes;
3. Include a clearly developed and articulated vision and mission;
4. Include key indicators for monitoring performance;
5. Include student literacy proficiency goals and targets and how progress towards those outcomes will be measured;
6. Include, as applicable to the grade ranges served, trajectory growth targets toward literacy proficiency;  
7. Include, as applicable to the grade ranges served, college and career advising and mentoring goals and how progress towards those outcomes will be measured;
8. Include the individual staff performance on each of the performance criteria as defined in Section 33-1001, Idaho Code, including measurable student achievement and student success indicator targets and the percentage of students meeting those targets. Data will be aggregated at the grade range, subject, or performance indicator, as determined by the commission and allowed pursuant to section 33-133, Idaho Code;
9. Include, at a minimum, the student achievement and growth metrics for the state accountability framework. Student achievement and growth will be reported on each school and district’s report card as required by the state board of education and published by the state department of education; and
10. Include a report of progress toward the previous year’s improvement goals.”

Section 33-320, Idaho Code also requires all school district boards of trustees / charter school boards of directors to continuously monitor progress toward the goals identified in the plan and to include consideration of the progress in the district superintendent’s or charter administrator’s evaluation.

POSTING / SUBMITTING YOUR PLAN

• State law requires all LEAs to post your Continuous Improvement Plan to your website and submit it to the Office of the State Board of Education via e-mail by October 1.  Plans should be submitted to plans@edu.idaho.gov in PDF, Word or Excel. Please also provide a hyperlink to the section of your website where the plan is posted.

GENERAL GUIDANCE FOR USING THE CIP TEMPLATES

Please Note:  Charter schools with performance certificates that meet all of the CIP requirements outlined in the law, including a link to the charter school’s report card (on idahoschools.org) and annual Performance Targets for all required metrics, may submit their performance certificate in lieu of part or all of the Continuous Improvement Plan.  If you are interested in this option, please contact our staff in advance to discuss your performance certificate and its alignment to the Continuous Improvement Plan requirements.

2024-2025 Templates for the Continuous Improvement Plan

LEAs are not required to submit your Continuous Improvement Plan in one of our provided templates. You may provide your plan in any format you choose. If you are submitting your plan in a locally-developed format, we encourage you to use our template(s) and review checklist(s) as guides to identify the required plan elements and data that should be included in your plan.

The Continuous Improvement Plan Template is split into two (2) pieces. To complete your plan using this format, you need both a Narrative (Part 1) and Metrics (Part 2).  The following templates are available to help you meet the requirements:

• 2024-25 Continuous Improvement Plan Narrative – Template Part 1
• 2024-25 Continuous Improvement Plan Metrics – Template Part 2

LEAs may post and submit your Continuous Improvement Plan as two separate documents (Word and Excel or PDF) or combine them into a single PDF.

Substantial Revisions vs. Plan Update (when to submit a new Narrative)

The Continuous Improvement Plan is an ongoing plan that needs to be updated annually. The metrics and report of progress must be updated annually, but some LEAs may qualify to forego submission of a new CIP Narrative.

If you have made changes to your mission, vision, or community involvement processes, you must submit a new Narrative.  However, if you meet both of the following qualifications, you do not need to submit a new Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP) Narrative for 2024-25:

• Your LEA has not made changes to your mission, vision, or community involvement practices described in your previous CIP Narrative or Combined District Plan Narrative; and
• Your LEA had a fully compliant CIP Narrative or Combined District Plan Narrative in 2023-24, or you are continuing a previously granted narrative exemption.

If you are unsure if your LEA meets the qualifications listed above, please contact Nick Wagner (nwagner@edu.idaho.gov; 208-488-7586) prior to the October 1 plans submission deadline.  

If your LEA has met the qualifications and is not submitting a new narrative, when you submit your web link and/or plan documents, please indicate in the body of your e-mail that you believe you meet the qualifications and have no changes to your CIP Narrative.  

Please note:  The Metrics spreadsheet (Template Part 2) includes Benchmarks and the Progress Report (required by law) that must be updated and submitted annually.

FUNDS FOR TRAINING

Up to $6,600 is available for each LEA, on a reimbursement basis, for LEA superintendents/administrators and boards of trustees/directors for training in continuous improvement processes and planning, strategic planning, finance, administrator evaluations, ethics and governance. A list of Approved Trainers is available on the State Board of Education website at https://boardofed.idaho.gov/k-12-education/school-district-charter-school-planning-training/.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Additional templates, recorded webinars, and the Review Checklists are available on our website at https://boardofed.idaho.gov/k-12-education/school-district-charter-school-planning-training/

Instructions: Your Continuous Improvement Plan must include a mission statement and vision statement. Please provide them in this section.

Mission:  To provide a safe and exceptional learning environment. To prepare and inspire each student to reach his/her full potential.

Vision:  The school district will become a model of innovation, initiative, and learning; leading the state in excellence.

Motto:  Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Purpose Statement: Preparing the Next Generation to Thrive

Instructions: Per statute, please describe how your school district or charter school considered input from the community in developing or revising your Continuous Improvement Plan.

The district includes the community in the development of the continuous improvement plan through

communication of student deficits, identifying areas of improvement through data, and discussing with

community to develop a needs plan.  Each year the district hosts a work session board meeting soliciting

community input in the development of the continuous improvement plan goals.  In addition, each building has

received stakeholder input on building goals based on identified needs in the district.  These building goals align

with the district continuous improvement plan.

Community Involvement in Plan Development - REQUIRED

Performance Metrics Instructions:

Provide your report card link, Progress Report, and set Benchmarks (performance targets) using the 2024-25 Continuous Improvement Plan Metrics – Template Part 2. The template includes two (2) tabs: Instructions and Examples and Metrics. Please review the Instructions and Examples tab before entering your data into the Metrics tab.