Strategic Design: Taking Action

Total Number of Students: 52,399

With approximately 3,000 citizens participating in the e2L Design Process, Lewisville ISD (LISD) started its culture-shift from a top-down to a learner-focused organization.

Through this process, the community defined its shared culture by designing its beliefs, vision, mission, goals, and action steps. Based on LISD’s Strategic Design, Future Ready Skills were clearly articulated in the belief statements.

From this effort, LISD recognized this Strategic Design as its brand: a promise made to all LISD stakeholders. After the Board’s unanimous approval, a smaller version of the community Strategic Design team worked to rebrand the district to communicate the Strategic Design promise: Real Innovation, Limitless Opportunity. 

Additionally, one of the most important key results emphasized in the Strategic Design was the desire and need to be more inclusive of the community.

In Lewisville ISD’s seven Strategic Design goals, they prioritized building business relationships and partnerships. Because the Strategic Design is unique to LISD, the district recognized it could not adopt a cookie-cutter partnership program that would align with the intentions of the Strategic Design.

As each word was carefully developed and argued over for complete agreement, the district decided to bring back e2L to facilitate a larger community group to build the program framework, including principals, teachers, city mayors, business leaders, PTA representatives, Board members, retirees, mom and dads, and students.

This framework taps into the human capital of the community by valuing the stakeholder talent pool, and bringing this talent into schools to benefit learners. As a result of this framework, the district’s partnership program brought the business community into schools to provide meaningful and relevant learning experiences.

Due to e2L’s work, the district partnership program is authentic and models expectations of what the district wants for students. To date, some key community partnerships include CVS Pharmacy internships for LISD students with medical interests, local aeronautical companies providing camps on drone construction, and urban garden development for student learning and community use.

Since e2L’s work in LISD, Dr. Stephen F. Waddell retired from the district and recently partnered with e2L to assist school districts. Dr. Waddell says, “This Strategic Design process, is a realization of a 30-year dream for me. To see all of the community come together and agree on what we want for our students is unbelievable. e2L has not only met my expectations, but has exceeded them, which is very hard to do.”

District Demographic Profile:
African American 9.1%
Hispanic 26.8%
White 49.6%
American Indian 0.4%
Asian 11.1%
Pacific Islander 0.1%
Two or More Races 2.9%
Economically Disadvantaged 30.0%
Non-Educationally Disadvantaged 70.0%
Students w/Disciplinary Placements 1.3%
At-Risk 24.4%