Fort Wayne Community Schools – IN Career Collaborative

District Statistics

Demographic Large Urban

Total Students 28460

Primary Schools

Elementary Schools 30

Intermediate and Middle Schools 11

High Schools 5

High School Size(s)

Northrop – 2046
North Side – 1547
Snider – 1830
South Side – 1415
Wayne – 1395

Phase 1 - EXPLORE

During the Summer of 2022, Fort Wayne Community Schools (FWCS), with the support of Central Indiana Educational Service Center (CIESC) and the Indiana Department of Education, committed to embrace the Ford Next Generation Learning (NGL) framework and began navigating the phases of its RoadMap with the guidance of a dedicated Ford NGL coaching team. This work was distinctly aligned with the Indiana Graduates Prepared to Succeed (GPS) characteristics:

Academic mastery;
Career and postsecondary readiness (credentials);
Communication and collaboration;
Work ethic; and
Civic, financial, and digital literacy

Furthermore, the Ford NGL framework positioned Fort Wayne Community Schools to add value to existing pathways and create new opportunities that align with the regional workforce. The strategic master planning process invigorated students, staff, teachers, building administrators, district administrators, FWCS Board of Trustees, community partners, and parents to collaborate and prepare for scalable pathways that are equitable for all students.

By mobilizing stakeholders both internally and externally, stakeholders from diverse sectors identified career awareness and exploration experiences for all K-8 students to be established and implemented over the next several years. High school students will be exposed to career pathways that will afford them opportunities to participate in job shadowing, internships, and capstone classes, and be equipped to earn industry-recognized and/or certifications prior to graduation.

Study Visits

On September 27-29, 2023, ten Fort Wayne Community Schools sent administrators and one community partner engaged in the Akron in Action Study Visit, in Akron, Ohio. The visit provided the team with an opportunity to get a first-hand view of a district that has taken pockets of excellence and scaled them district-wide. This visit also afforded the participants a better understanding of increasing the value of every student’s high school diploma. Akron in Action was a transformative experience to undergird the understanding of how a “community-connected” approach can increase the value of a diploma and ensure that every student is prepared to enroll in a college, be employed in a viable career, or enlist in the military after high school.

Immediately following the Akron in Action Study Visit, 200+ businesses, community leaders, post-secondary institutions, parents, students, and educators across the Fort Wayne Community Schools district assembled to take the first steps of engaging in a transformative process that will not only educate all FWCS K-12 students to high standards but equip them with 21st Century skills needed for the workforce, community, and ever-changing world.

Led by three consultants from Ford Next Generation Learning, the initial phase of “Exploration” began in October 2022 and continued over several consecutive months as the stakeholder moved through the “Envision” and “Planning” phases of the Roadmap.

School Visit

In the Fall of 2022, Fort Wayne Community Schools petitioned Ford Next Generation Learning (Ford NGL) to explore how the Ford NGL Model for Community-Connected Learning could be woven into the fabric of the district’s work. Ford Next Generation Learning (Ford NGL) conducted an exploratory survey of Fort Wayne Community Schools and Allen County. The exploration visit and survey assessed the community and district’s readiness and willingness to transform 52 schools (K-12) utilizing Ford NGL’s three strands (Transforming Teaching & Learning, Transforming the Culture, Systems, & Structures of School, and Transforming Partnerships Between Schools and Community) to guide the district through the Ford NGL Roadmap that would lead to transformation.

Key findings and recommendations were published in the Ford NGL Phase I Explore Report in November 2022, which included:

STRENGTHS OF FORT WAYNE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS	CHALLENGES FACING FORT WAYNE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
Focused and innovative leadership team Passionate leadership team who desire to graduate students who are both academically and career prepared for a world that is changing quickly Opportunities for each school to be creative to meet the diverse needs of students School culture is positive, inclusive and welcoming Majority of teachers support a need for change District offers several options for advanced placement courses, dual credit, dual enrollment, and industry certifications Community business partners and organizations have a strong commitment and history of supporting the district	Inequities in student access to experiences and opportunities Lack of alignment between CTE and Pathway offering with workforce demands Unclear of how Naviance will assist students with career pathway selection Lack of evidence regarding a comprehensive plan to support all students with postsecondary plans (employment, enrollment and enlistment) Lack of course selection and career pathways information being shared with students Lack students completing a four-year CTE sequence Lack of business and civic engagement in schools Lack of resources to address social and emotional learning for students.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FORT WAYNE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
Assess systems and structures to ensure all students have the support to succeed Conduct a review of current pathway programs with high schools and community stakeholders to determine what should be offered in the high schools. Programs may need to end or merge into more innovative and creative career pathway programs Develop a K-12 plan to ensure all students are college and career ready Develop and implement a scaffolded approach for students to make post-secondary plans Develop a plan to ensure all 9th grade students complete Naviance lessons that are connected to future course selection and career planning Review each CTE program for alignment with NLPS Review business-partner engagement across the district (in each school) and compile an inventory of current business and organizations and determine level of engagement as it relates to a work-based learning continuum (low-intensity and high-intensity) Complete an asset map of current community partners who provide social and emotional serves across all K-12 schools and determine existing gaps

Full Explore Report

Phase 2 - ENVISION

Over 200+ stakeholders both internally and externally from diverse sectors, identified career awareness and exploration experiences for all K-8 students to be established and implemented over the next several years. High school students will be exposed to career pathways that will afford them opportunities to participate in job shadowing, internships, and capstone classes, and be equipped to earn industry-recognized and/or certifications prior to graduation.

During the Spring of 2022, Fort Wayne Community Schools contracted Ford NGL to oversee the “Ideal Graduate” process. This provided FWCS with an opportunity to collaborate with students, staff, teachers, building administrators, district administrators, the Board, community partners, and parents to explore the characteristics that each FWCS student should obtain at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels. 200+ individuals gathered to engage in critical conversations focused on these specific areas. Students collectively shared with the Superintendent, administrators, teachers, Board members, and community members they did not want to be referred to as “Ideal Graduates.” All stakeholders listened intently to students and reached consensus that the portraits would be identified as follows:

GRADE LEVEL	NAME
Elementary	Portrait of An Explorer
Middle School	Portrait of A Connector
High School	Portrait of A Graduate

All stakeholders collectively developed and revised documents that would ensure students are prepared for the 21st Century workforce and are equipped with the necessary keys for success. The Communications and Marketing team worked with an outside company to develop visuals that would reflect the following:

GRADE LEVEL	KEYS TO SUCCESS
Elementary Portrait of An Explorer	Learning Growing Connecting Exploring
Middle School Portrait of A Connector	Learning Developing Connecting Planning
High School Portrait of A Graduate	Prepared Skilled Connected Experienced

Portrait of an Explorer /Connector / Graduate

Phase 3 - PLAN

During two of the master planning sessions, 11 tactic teams collaborated to develop a written plan that would serve as a guide for implementing future work of their designated tactic. The team’s plan encompassed strategies, action steps, timelines, responsibilities, and deliverables.

This work culminated in developing the Schools of Success at Fort Wayne Community Schools and finalizing a Master Plan. The Master Plan will guide the district’s Action Initiative Plan to implement wall-to-wall Freshman Schools of Success in all five of the FWCS high schools and have themed schools within a school focused on careers that are in high demand.

These three themed schools will offer various pathways under three “schools within a school” umbrella:

Career and postsecondary readiness (credentials);
Health and Human Social Sciences
Manufacturing and Engineering
Business, Technology and Civic Arts

The “schools within a school” provides students with a small learning community focusing on their selected career pathway. Teachers, counselors, administrators, business partners, and post-secondary institutions will collaborate and provide college and career support for the small learning environments. Students will have grade-level experiences that better prepare them for post-secondary success.

The Schools of Success at Fort Wayne Community Schools will officially launch in August 2024 at all five high schools: North Side High School, Northrop High School, R. Nelson Snider High School, South Side High School, and Wayne High School. In August of 2025, each high school will have wall-to-wall, career-themed schools within a school. The Master Plan will guide the district to ensure consistent collaboration and implementation for each cohort and provide all stakeholders with the necessary professional learning to support students on their academic journey.

This district will continue to work with internal and external stakeholders to ensure a continuous cycle of improvement for each cohort. The Schools of Success will be a transformative experience for students, the district, and the wider community. This process will aid in supporting the talent pipeline and students learning from and contributing to the community. This work will be ongoing, and the Master Plan will serve as a living document to guide the work.

FWCS Schools of Success

Master Plan

Phase 4 - IMPLEMENT (2 YEARS)

Utilizing the Ford NGL Framework and Roadmap, the Fort Wayne Community Schools implementation team focused on the three critical strands of community-centered learning. Fort Wayne Community Schools implementation team was established to oversee Fort Wayne Community Schools’ developing, planning and executing its vision to and transforming learning. The “Implementation Team” consists of the following members:

NAME	TITLE
Dr. Mark Daniel	Superintendent
Shenita Bolton, Ed.S	Director of PreK-12 College and Career Readiness
Dr. Joe Brown	Assist Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
Jack Byrd	Chief Systems Officer
Tim Captain	Executive Director of Student, Family and Community Engagement
Ramona Coleman	Assistant Superintendent of Professional Learning
Kara Froning	Director of Secondary Schools
Matt Schiebel	Executive Director of Security and Community Partnerships
Mitch Sheppard	Director of Philanthropy
Krista Stockman	Director of Communications and Marketing
Jesse Webb	Director of Career and Technical Education
Dr. Faye Williams Robbins	Deputy Superintendent

On August 18, 2023, the team listed above presented the Fort Wayne Community Schools’ Master Plan to Ford NGL for consideration as an official Ford NGL Community.

On August 24, 2023, Ford NGL informed the superintendent and members of the Implementation team that Fort Wayne Community Schools had been approved as the newest Ford NGL Community. The picture below includes members of the implementation team, Dr. Melin, and the Ford NGL coaches.

NEW FORD NGL FAMILY MEMBER

Fort Wayne Community Schools (FWCS), became the newest addition to the Ford Next Generation Learning (Ford NGL) Family! On November 8th, 2023, at the Mirro Center in Fort Wayne, more than 300 community members, district representatives, and students gathered for a celebration and dinner honoring the Fort Wayne Schools of Success. The event began with a performance by a student jazz band, followed by the Presentation of Colors and a moving rendition of the National Anthem by a talented 6th-grade student. The performances were awe inspiring.

Dr. Mark Daniel, Superintendent, shared insights into the journey with Ford NGL, and the City of Fort Wayne made it official with a proclamation designating November 8th as the Schools of Success Day in Fort Wayne. Indiana Secretary of Education, Dr. Katie Jenner; Executive Director of Central Indiana Educational Service Center (CIESC), Dr. Andy Melin; President/CEO of Greater Fort Wayne Inc., John Urbahns; and CEO of Northeast Indiana Works, Edmond O’Neal, all addressed the audience with an emphasis on the importance of improving student outcomes and preparing students for the work of the future.

Ford NGL’s collaboration with Fort Wayne introduced a new process in which key stakeholders convened a Zoom meeting with the Ford NGL master plan review committee to share their “why” for this transformation and to review their master plan. The committee was thoroughly impressed and excited by the bold, passionate, and community-connected district leaders, community members, and students who came together to discuss their plan. Their commitment and energy were palpable, leaving a lasting impression on all of us.

Fort Wayne Community Schools is among several districts partnering with Ford NGL to develop K-12 master plans. FWCS is leading the way as the first district in the state to adopt a K-12 master plan. Dr. Andy Melin, former Superintendent at Greater Clark County Schools, now the Executive Director of CIESC, has been instrumental in bringing the Ford NGL Model to the district. He is actively engaged in bringing other high-potential communities to the table while securing support from the Indiana Department of Education.

Dr. Kimberly Fifer and Donna Gilley serve as the Ford NGL coaches for FWCS and have dedicated nearly 18 months in support of the plan development. Despite the fact that students who served on the master planning committee had not experienced the Schools of Success themselves, they passionately contributed to ensure the benefits for their siblings and future generations.

Cheryl Carrier, Executive Director of Ford NGL, stated in a recent blog post, “I have full confidence that Fort Wayne is a capable and inspired community, determined to make a meaningful difference in the future of its students. Fort Wayne is indeed a community to watch!”