A successful strategic planning process is based on three primary principles: It is Future Oriented, Data Driven and People Focused. The ‘future orientation’ is particularly important to take account of rapidly emerging social and technological trends. The ‘data driven’ ensures the plan is built on solid research, public input and information, and is measurable. The ‘people focused’ is important to build support for the vision and goals for the school district, and to harness the best possible input into  action plan formulation.