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Our North Star in Action

A graphic displays %22NORTH STAR IN ACTION Student Learning and Achievement%22 with four pillars representing quarters, set against a light blue, wavy background.

Bringing our North Star to Life

Our North Star — Student Learning and Achievement — represents our shared commitment to ensuring every student has the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed. This year, we’re bringing the North Star to life by taking a closer look at the people, programs, and practices already advancing this work across Santa Clara Unified School District.

Each quarter, we will highlight one of our four strategic pillars, and we need your help to do it.

North Star in Action Submission Form

What kinds of North Star stories are we looking for?

Not sure what to submit? Think about the people, programs, partnerships, practices, and improvements happening across SCUSD that demonstrate our North Star in action. Below are some examples based on the different focus areas that fall under each pillar:

Pillar 1: Academic Excellence and Instructional Coherence

September and October

  • Focus 1: Equity, Access, Inclusion, and Justice
    • Example: A teacher or team using strategies that increase access for multilingual learners or students with different learning needs
  • Focus 2: Student Success
    • Example: College and career readiness programs, including CTE and A–G efforts
  • Focus 3: Engaging Curriculum and Effective Instruction
    • Example: A classroom bringing learning to life through hands-on, project-based, or real-world experiences

North Star in Action Submission Form

Pillar 2: Safe and Inclusive Environment

November and December 

  • Focus 1: Social and Emotional Learning
    • Example: MTSS, mental health, behavioral, or wellness supports making a difference
  • Focus 2: Family and Community Partnerships
    • Example: A community partnership expanding opportunities or support for students

North Star in Action Submission Form

Pillar 3: Organization Alignment and Fiscal Stewardship

January and February

  • Focus 1: Financial Management, Resource Efficiency, and Sustainability

    • Example: Resources being intentionally directed toward an identified student need

  • Focus 2: Workforce Capacity, Stability, and Professional Growth
    • Example: Professional learning that has resulted in meaningful changes in practice

North Star in Action Submission Form

Pillar 4: Systems, Communication, and Accountability

March and April

  • Focus 1: Transparent Systems and Two-way Communication
    • Example: A school or team using feedback from students, families, staff, or partners to improve its work
  • Focus 2: Data Literacy and Continuous Improvement
    • Example: Teachers using student data to adjust instruction
  • Focus 3: Accountability and Reporting
    • Example: Cross-department collaboration that has created greater consistency or accountability

North Star in Action Submission Form

Throughout the year, we will be looking for staff, students, classrooms, teams, programs, partnerships, and stories that demonstrate our North Star in action. Selected stories will be featured in our monthly communications with staff, families, and the broader SCUSD community as we celebrate the many ways our collective work supports student learning and achievement.

As we introduce each pillar, we will share more about its focus areas and invite you to help us identify examples from across the district. This could be an innovative classroom practice, a program making a difference for students, a successful partnership, a team improving how we work, or an individual whose efforts exemplify that pillar.

Our North Star isn't just a strategic plan — it reflects the collective work happening throughout SCUSD every day to ensure our students thrive. We look forward to sharing your stories and celebrating the people who bring it to life.

See the North Star in action? Tell us about it! You can nominate a staff member (even yourself), a student, a team, a program, a partnership, or even your own work using our North Star in Action submission form.