I.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Objective
To create a value-driven and satisfied body of traditional high school teachers that provide students with a World
Class Education.

Goals
In order to reach our objective, it is vital that we see an increase in the satisfaction numbers of our annual
Employee Engagement survey. We would like to see 80% of teachers satisfied - very satisfied in the 2016 results.
We would like teachers to feel valued and as though they have a voice; our 2016 survey results will give us this
data as well.

Solution
Based on the feedback received from the 2015 Employee Engagement survey, it has been concluded that visibility
of district level leadership is low and majority of teachers feel like DCSD needs to improve their pay system. To
enhance the employee engagement in Douglas County School District, three major components will be
implemented.
1. Twice-Yearly school visits from the Super Intendant and School Board
2. The T^2 (Thanks Teachers!) employee retention and recognition programs (5 years, 10 years, 15 years, etc.).
3. The bi-monthly Feedback Frenzy where teachers are given the opportunity to give input on new decisions
and alert the administration of concerns that they have with the district.

Proposed Action Plan

To begin the enhancement of Employee Engagement in DCSD, the solutions will have to be gradually incorporated
into the district.
MARCH 2016 : The first Feedback Frenzy will take place, using Legend High School as a pilot before moving
the initiative forward.
MAY 2016 : The first district-wide Feedback Frenzy will take place in preparation for the 2016-17 school year.
AUGUST 2016 : The Super Intendant, Dr. Elizabeth Fagen, and School Board will begin to make bi-weekly
school visits.
DECEMBER 2016 : The T^2 program will begin by awarding all teachers who are at the 5, 10, 15, etc. year
marks. The awards will correlate with the amount of time that they have been working in DCSD.

!1

II. INTRODUCTION

Image courtesy of: parkercolorado.net

A. Description of DCSD
DCSD is a school district located in Douglas County, CO. It is composed of more than 80 schools. Of those, nine
are traditional high schools. Douglas County is the eighth wealthiest county in the United States. DCSD has been
known for being a prominent school district in Colorado. Currently, according to Schooldigger.com, a website that
ranks districts/schools according to standardized test scores, it is ranked as the 17th best county in the state.
July 1, 2010, Dr. Elizabeth Fagen became the superintendent of DCSD. In 2011, major initiatives were launched
under her leadership. DCSD states, The strategic plan has four priorities:
Safety Maximizing physical, psychological and online safety for students, staff and community.
Choice Providing each child the maximum opportunity for success.
World-Class Education Achieving sustainable learning for the 21st century.
System Performance Defining and measuring what matters most.

!2

DCSD claims that, The district has been celebrated as a beacon of reform. Their goals are ambitious, but if
accomplished, they should make DCSD a leader in education.
However, In the 2014-2015 school year, Douglas County did not have any high schools listed in US News Best
High School Rankings. The Douglas County Federation states, We know how hard the students and employees
of DCSD are working each day. However, the bottom line is, the reforms being forced on the students of DCSD
are not working and these are the results.
The Douglas County School District has recently launched a campaign to advocate for choice in education. They
want to give students the opportunity to differentiate their education, whether that be in the classroom, specialized
secondary school or a home school system. In the nine traditional high schools, leadership is found in the building
as well as at the district level. In the buildings, a principal is the head along with a group of administrators. The
amount of administrators is dependent on the number of students in the school and the way in which the school
chooses to organize their budget. Each school is given an allotted budget and allowed to use it however they
please as long as they support the district mandated initiatives. In this budget, many items are left to the
discretion of the given schools principal. For instance, each school may delegate a Building Leadership Team
(BLT) and/or department chairs for academic areas that have five or more teachers it is based upon what the
principal feels is most needed. DCSD has been known to have hundreds or teachers apply for a single position,
however according to management sources, the number of applicants for teaching positions has declined. The
district has been in recent competition for teachers with Littleton and Cherry Creek school districts. Neither
Littleton nor Cherry Creek have implemented a Pay-for-Performance compensation system. It is possible that this
is why the teachers have been drawn to the other districts. It is also possible that they are attracted due to location
or other miscellaneous reasons. In 2015, three new members were elected to the DCSD School Board. Ultimately,
the traditional high schools of Douglas County School District are designed for students to receive a World Class
Education.

!3

DCSD embraces the motto of, Learn today. Lead tomorrow. They have stated that they want to give every
student a world class education. Douglas County is attempting to revolutionize education through the use of
World Class Outcomes, the 4 Cs, and 21st Century Skills. World Class Outcomes are detailed objectives
that illustrate what students should be taking away from the class and how it connects to the world. The 4 Cs
are comprised of creativity, communication, critical thinking, and collaboration. These are four of the major qualities
that DCSD has deemed to be the most important for emerging students into post-secondary education and/or the
workforce. 21st Century Skills work coincide with the 4Cs. 21st Century Skills are developed from the 4 Cs,
they are: global awareness, financial literacy, problem solving, health/wellness, resiliency/adaptability, civic
responsibility, system thinking, teamwork/collaboration, creativity, communication, and critical thinking.
In 2011, the Douglas County HR team enacted many new initiatives. These included market based pay and a pay
for performance system. The market based pay system is a formula for calculating the base salary for a teacher;
positions that are considered hard to fill receive a higher compensation than positions that are simpler to fill. For
example, a calculus teachers starting pay is higher than a physical education teachers pay. In preparation for the
pay for pay performance system, the district was placed on a pay freeze. When the system was enacted, teachers
were given the possibility to earn anywhere from a 0% - 6% raise. Their raise is determined based on evaluations
conducted by a direct supervisor, students growth, and written proof of a world class curriculum.
As found through the research conducted, some teachers have become upset with the recent changes. It is
apparent that they feel as though they do not have a voice that his heard by district leadership nor is the district
leadership visible to the staff. Leadership visibility is defined by courageousleaders.com as three major things. 1.
Aligning everyone to the purpose and the vision of the organization through real conversations so they receive
clarity on their level of significance to this; 2. Being present with people when you do engage in conversations
with them so people feel like you want to be there and that you are being real in your interactions with them; and
3. Engaging in honest and real ways with people so they feel you are with them, you are part of the same team
who share concerns and enthusiasm this kind of interaction inspires people into even greater performance.

!4

In order to be in compliance with the new Colorado legislation of Article 44, Title 22 of the revised Colorado
Statutes, The Public School Financial Transparency Act, DCSD posted a detailed outline of their budget on their
website. However, based on the findings of the 2015 Employee Engagement Survey, transparency through
personal relationships and leaderships will be just as important.

B. Overview of Douglas County

Douglas County is located south of Denver, CO. According to Forbes, it is the eighth wealthiest county in the
nation. The three major cities that make up Douglas County are Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch, and Parker.

Above is a picture of Castle Rock, CO

Image courtesy of: trulia.com
Castle Rock, Colorado: Castle Rock is home to the largest outlet mall in the state as well as acres of farm land. It
is located just south of Parker, CO and North of Colorado Springs. Most of the people in this city of just over
50,000 are under the age of 65. Castle Rock offers many different recreational activities, such as great hiking and
cycling trails. A large portion of the population capitalizes on these fun parts of the landscape. This recreation is
supported by the tax payers dollar. The median household income in Castle Rock is, $121,843 as opposed to
Colorados average household income of $58,823. In 2010, nearly 50% of citizens were registered as Republican
voters, while only 18% were registered as Democrats. The population is growing at approximately 4.58%, thus the

!5

demand for schools is also increasing. There are two traditional high schools in Castle Rock. As of the 2010
census, diversity in Castle Rock was very low (90% of the population was Caucasian).

Above is a picture of a main attraction in Parker, CO

Image courtesy of: perfecthouseforyou.com

Parker, CO: Parker is located north of Castle Rock, CO and south of Denver, CO. It is a relatively new community
that continues to be developed. Parker is also a self declared town. Like its neighbor, Castle Rock, Parker offers
many options for recreation. The town offers many paths that are great for running, biking, or any type of outdoor
activity. The young population in Parker seeks fitness, this is a common characteristic in Generations Y and Z. The
average household income is $120,347. Approximately 85% of the population is under the age of 54, thus majority
of the people in Parker are stakeholders in DCSD. As of the 2010 census, 45% of registered voters in Parker were
registered as republican, while 20% were registered as democrat. The town of Parker has nearly 50,000 people,
but it also lacks in diversity (As of a 2014 census of the town, 89.5% of people were Caucasian). There are 3
traditional high schools in Parker, CO.

!6

Above is a picture of a neighborhood in Highlands Ranch, CO

Image courtesy of: searchhighlandsranch.com

Highlands Ranch, CO: Highlands Ranch is north of both Parker and Castle Rock. It is 15 miles south of Denver. It
is the largest city in Douglas County with a population of nearly 100,000. Since 2000, the population has increased
by more than 36%. It is also home to 4 traditional DCSD high schools. As in the other two major cities of Douglas
County, Highlands Ranch also promotes an active lifestyle for its young population. The population of Highlands
Ranch also lacks diversity (88% of the population is white). The median household income is $108,218. 45% of
the registered voters are registered as republican, while 22% of voters are registered as democrat.
These three cities are traditionally very conservative, wealthy, low-crime, and lack diversity. Thanks to the high
average incomes, Douglas County Schools receive sufficient funding and thus make it possible for them to be
known for having a strong public school system. Due to this, most students and parents choose the traditional
school route even though DCSD advocates for a large amount of choice.

C. Overview of DCSDs Current Culture and Employee Engagement Strategies

Douglas County School District is a business with an innovative and ambitious culture. They are striving to make
education the best that it can possibly be. The district leadership in DCSD is confident that education must adapt
and work to support the new work force. In order to do this, the new initiatives are being enforced.

!7

As noted from the research, about half of teachers consider DCSD as a district that they're happy working in. The
district is constantly trying to progress by researching how to make their students successful. From traveling to
renowned institutions, to attending seminars, to having meetings specified on creativity, the leaders of DCSD are
putting forth utmost effort to innovate education.
According to Engage for Success, Employee engagement is a workplace approach designed to ensure that
employees are committed to their organizations goals and values, motivated to contribute to their organizations
goals and values, motivated to contribute to organizations success, and are able at the same time to enhance
their own sense of well-being. Thus, to engage employees, it is essential to have happy employees that believe in
their company and want to work for said company.
Currently, there is no yearly recognition program for the teachers. The Apple Awards are a way to recognize the
best teachers, support staff, and administrators in the district,. The Apple Awards were created in 2006 as
means to promote excellence and innovation. The event is for DCSD faculty, however it is organized by DCEF
(Douglas County Education Foundation). The events proceeds go to the DCEF innovation funds. All stakeholders
of DCSD are encouraged to nominate a teacher, member of the support staff, and/or administrator. It is a great
way to notice the extraordinary individuals that uphold the DCSD curriculum, values, and have a large impact on
those that they work with. However, the district does not have a set way of displaying to the other teachers that
continue to work long hours, build relationships with students, and provide a world class education. The Apple
Awards are a great way to inspire teachers to be the best that they can be, however teachers need to be awarded
for the work that they do even if they are not considered number one.
The leadership of Douglas County School District is confident that education should be different now than how it
was originally designed. They have stated that education must prepare students for their futures. Yet in order to do
so, it is critical to have the best teachers available. DCSD tries to emphasize that their teachers are important.

!8

Above is a picture of finalists from a previous Apple Awards banquet with the DCSD Superintendent, Dr. Elizabeth Fagen (far right).
Image courtesy of: dcsdk12.org
However, due to the decisions that Douglas County allows schools to make in their on-site budget, teacher
recognition is not mandatory and is a decision left to the schools.
Teachers in Douglas County School District have little interaction with members from district level management.
During interviews, multiple sources claimed that they had never seen nor met the district personnel. In most of the
DCSD traditional high schools there are friendly and professional relationships between the staff members
including the administration. A vast majority of people feel appreciated by their students and peers. Far fewer feel
appreciated by their supervisors.
As found from conducted interviews and read comment sections from the survey, many teachers were also
unaware of the changes in DCSD that were state mandated versus the changes that were district mandated. It is
essential that communication is throughout a business so that employees know why certain things are being
asked of them. They are more likely to agree and be happy with these tasks if they understand the reasoning
behind what is being asked of them.
Learn today. Lead tomorrow is DCSDs motto. It is something that ideally all students would exemplify. The
research team found that many teachers believe in this motto. Yet to further encourage it, DCSD invites teachers
to use projects that connect to todays society. The ultimate goal is for each lesson to connect to the real world.
To ensure this, it is intertwined in the curriculum through WCOs (World Class Outcomes), the 4 Cs
(Communication, Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Collaboration), and 21st Century Skills. By using these three

!9

components and combining them with the content of the course, DCSD can unite the teaching styles so that they
define the Douglas County culture.

Above is an image by DCSD that illustrates how the components combine to create their unique curriculum and thus, culture.
Image courtesy of: dcsdk12.org
DCSD is an innovative organization that wants to inspire the future. The engagement of teachers will be the key to
their success.

III. RESEARCH METHODS USED IN THE STUDY

A. Description and Rationale of the Research Methodologies Selected to Conduct the Study
The primary research gathered from this project was gained from two methods. To begin the process, a survey
was conducted, it was followed by voluntary interviews.
A survey allowed teachers to voice their thoughts in a confidential format. It was the only method of research
that gave them that luxury along with giving the research team quick and quantitative feedback. The survey also
helped teachers channel their thoughts and feelings into a specific decision so that the research team could
better analyze and create a solution.

!10

The following topics were addressed:

Which school the teacher is currently employed at
How long the teacher has worked in DCSD
Satisfaction
W/ Specific School Environment
W/ District
W/ Compensation
Which area in DCSD needed the most improvement
The survey was composed of twenty two questions that varied in format and took teachers approximately five
minutes to complete. There were scales, yes or no questions, written responses, and multiple choice questions.
It is important to mix the question types so that the research is the most accurate. By ranging the question
subjects and composition of the questions, you get the most honest response of the survey taker because their
thinking is not guided.
The last question of the survey gave teachers the opportunity to list their name and phone number if they were
interested in being contacted for a further interview. Fifteen interviews were conducted at Legend High School
to better understand the feedback that was received. In these interviews, some employees were extremely
disgruntled while others wanted to voice how satisfied they were with the district. These interviews gave the
research team the chance to discuss different solutions and see if the employees were surprised by the results
of the survey.

!11

 The following questions were asked:

So, over 50% of teacher say that they would not recommend DCSD as a place for a peer to work.
Why do you think that is?
Majority of DCSD teachers say that Pay for Performance is the area with the most room for
improvement. Do you agree?
25% of people say that safety is not of utmost concern in DCSD. Why is this?
If you have worked with DCSD for five or more years, do you think that it used to be a better
district?
Are you happy as a teacher in Douglas County?

While primary research is the most reliable, secondary research is also important. Secondary research is when the
study has already been conducted and it is being used as a reference. In this study of DCSD, the secondary
research was found through articles regarding school districts, videos by the DCSD district level management, and
statistics regarding DCSD and other districts. The articles about school districts provided insight to how teachers
across the country were feeling in their specific region. It gave the research team the opportunity to see if it
appeared that the pay system correlated with satisfaction levels as well as to see what satisfied high school
teachers were happy about in their areas. The videos by the DCSD district level management solidified the DCSD
mission and exhibited what the superintendent and school board desire in the district. It was found in the videos
that the district level management wants constant innovation to propel the future of education. Lastly, the statistics
regarding DCSD and other districts created more perspective. It was easy to see that DCSD had continuously
dropped for ten years in average state test scores of students. The statistics were informative and intriguing when

!12

they showed DCSD versus their competition who they are losing teachers to (Littleton School District and Cherry
Creek School District).

B. Process Used to Conduct the DCSD Research Study

DCSD is comprised of approximately 1,000 teachers across nine traditional high schools. The Employee
Engagement Survey was created to be a census for all DCSD traditional high school teachers. To increase the
response rate, the research team requested that each principal to send out the link to the survey in an email. As a
pilot, the survey was originally administered to the teachers by the principal, Jason Jacob, at Legend High School
of Parker, Colorado. The responses were then observed and presented to the principal of Legend High School.
After the discussion of the results, Jason Jacob agreed to pitch the survey to the board of DCSD principals. At this
point, none of the other DCSD principals wished to administer this survey (due to the fear of negative
repercussions). In the three weeks following, meetings were conducted with Andy Abner of Rock Canyon High
School, James Calhoun of Castle View High School, David Haggerty of Ponderosa High School, Greg Gotchey of
Chaparral High School, and Chris Page of Highlands Ranch High School. Anthony Kappas of Douglas County
High School, Chris Tabeling of ThunderRidge High School, and Michael Weaver of Mountain Vista High School
were unavailable for meetings and did not want to administer the survey. Of the conversations that took place, only
Castle View High Schools principal, James Calhoun, agreed to send the survey through his email address. Andy
Abner and Greg Gotchey both gave permission for the survey to be sent to their teachers through the email
addresses of Presley Batchelor and Emily Krough. Without the participation of every principal, a census was not
possible. However, results were gathered from a school in each major city of Douglas County Parker, Highlands
Ranch, and Castle Rock. This produced a final result of 245 survey responses which was approximately 25% of
the district and 50% of the schools surveyed.
The survey was sent out through the usage of email and was in the format of Google Docs. This made it so that
the survey was easy to access on all devices while it was also secure. To allow for the most honesty, a name was

!13

never requested and all information remained confidential. It was clear in the beginning of the survey that it was
being administered by two Legend DECA students. The research team believes that this also increased the
response rate because the teachers were more likely to trust students than to trust their superiors with critiquing
information.
It was only possible for the research team to conduct further interviews at Legend High School in Parker, CO.
More than 10% of the teachers at Legend High School left their name to be interviewed. An email was sent to
each of these teachers, requesting that an interview be scheduled. Presley Batchelor and Emily Krough met with
each of these teachers for 30 - 45 minutes. These interviews provided insight to the results in the survey. The
interviews also allowed an environment for ideas and solutions to be analyzed by a few of the stakeholders. The
secondary research became very important in the interviews. By showing the teachers that they were experts,
Emily and Presley gained the respect and trust of the interviewed teachers. The secondary research also allowed
for a fluid conversation with minimal explaining.
The secondary research was conducted in many ways. A significant amount of time was spent on the DCSD
website. The website contained many helpful articles and videos. The analysis of the articles and videos made it
clear that a comparison against other school districts was necessary. It was not only necessary to analyze the
competing districts, but it was important to analyze successful and failing districts too. The differences in the
districts singled out the two major outlying factors: teachers want to have a voice and teachers want to feel
trusted. Statistics were a helpful tool for the evaluation of DCSD. Schooldigger.com ranked the districts according
to state test scores. The Colorado Department of Education and the Douglas County Federation were also great
resources for gaining statistics that created an outline for DCSD.
Due to the fact that it was not possible to interview all of the traditional high school teachers, nor obtain survey
results from everyone, it was critical that they research team understand the trends in the data that was received.
The primary and secondary research worked coincide to best understand the feelings of the teachers.

!14

IV. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS OF THE STUDY

A. Findings of the Research Study
With a total of 245 responses from four schools, the data was significant. Since that is approximately 25% of the total
teachers within the district, the data was valuable in getting a glimpse of the true thoughts of the teachers as a whole.

!15

It was clear to see given the graph above that these teachers did enjoy specific things included in their job. The
most answered was being 88.9% said that they enjoyed the school that they worked at. Next, was 73.6% who
were fond of the relationships they have built with their coworkers. The two lowest bars showed that not many of
the teachers enjoyed the district level implements along with the curriculum mandated by the district. Given those
two lowest bars, the next finding was not surprising.

As this question was answered by the teachers, the majority frequently switched between yes and no. 46.9%
of teachers would be willing to pack up and start all over in a new school district. 48.2% of the teachers who took
the survey have only been working in the district for five or less years and nearly half of the 245 respondents would
leave with the opportunity. The question made the teachers consider the pros and cons of leaving, it made it clear
that many are unhappy.

!16

Multiple studies have confirmed that it is critical to recognize employees in the workplace at least once every seven
days. It has even lead to the development of companies, such as O.C. Tanner, that specialize in employee
recognition. Google, ranked as the number one place to work for, has mastered employee recognition. It is now
more crucial than ever to recognize teachers. Since the district continues to run education as a business, the
workload has increased for DCSD teachers. To retain the best teachers, it will prove to be important to tell them
what they are doing well. Yet only 28.9% of these teachers have had some note, within the last week of when they
took the survey, of their accomplishments. It translates to these teachers not being told that they are doing a good
job, which can lead to them not wanting to be there. Their sense of appreciation, raises the question on if they
would recommend the district for someone else looking for work. It was something that had to be asked in order
to see if these employees would want someone else in their shoes.

This question was also very polarized with 51.4% saying that they would not recommend a friend come teach in
the district. This was shocking. Based upon the collective research, the frustrations of the teachers were mainly
voiced towards the district instead of their specific school.

!17

It was proven through the research that the administration cares about their teachers. By setting goals, they show
a vested interest in the well being and preparedness of their teachers, this translates to them caring for their
students too.

B. Conclusions of the Research Study

There was a clear pattern noted when evaluating the results of the research study. Whenever questions of the
school were brought up, the answers were more positive. The teachers were mostly satisfied with their school and
their environment. Yet, whenever the district was the topic, it was more of a neutral or negative tone with the
results. The results have been
Only four out of the nine traditional high schools within the district chose to respond to the survey. One school
had a bad experience in the past with a survey that went wrong within the school, thus they did not want the
possibility to upset their teachers once again. However, the other four schools simply said no, or chose to ignore
the requests. It was apparent that there was not trust that this survey was created with no hidden agenda. This
translated to lack of trust in the district.
Overall, the teachers are fairly young and new to the district. Yet, these answers show that they are already
disgruntled. Since nearly half of the respondents have been working in the district for five years or less, it shows
they dont need that much time to notice the disconnect with their jobs. This can be concluded by multiple
explanations like the disagreement with the policies or the people.
69.5% of teachers are excited about getting up and going to work in the mornings. As well as 87% are still
satisfied with their choice in the career path of education. This is a great sign that these teachers love what they
do and want to be there. However, the survey made it clear that the teachers could be more engaged. The root
of those problems were: lack of trust in the district and teachers feeling as if they did not have a voice.

!18

 The recurring problems in which the survey found was the disagreement with the district-level management
along with the mandated policies. Those include the pay for performance system along with the mandated
teaching styles that were just enforced within the past couple years. Those three areas were where the teachers
felt had the most room for improvement going forward.
The above are the four main sections of the sections of focus when creating the plan for how to engage the
employees furthermore. The mandated policies that cant be changed, should be better explained in order for the
teachers to understand the benefits of the approaches. However, these teachers not feeling appreciated, trusted
or not feeling as though they have a voice is something that can be improved.

V. PROPOSED STRATEGIC PLAN

A. Objectives and Rationale of Proposed Plan
The research showed consistent issues across DCSD. Many teachers indicated that they were unhappy with the
Pay for Performance system and the mandated teaching styles. They were unhappy with those things because
they considered it a lack of trust by the district level management, yet the teachers made it clear that they do not
trust the district level management either. Based on the interviews and comments on the survey, it was found that
teachers did not feel like they have a voice. This was supported by the quantitative data that was received on the
survey.
Objective: To create a value-driven and satisfied body of traditional high school teachers that provide
students with a world class education.
The teachers are the largest asset in DCSD, without them, they do not have to ability to give anyone a world class
education. In January of 2017, the DCSD Employee Engagement Survey will be released again and followup
interviews will be conducted. This data will clearly illustrate if the plan had been successful. If not, necessary
changes will be implemented. However, the plan is expected to not only increase the engagement of high school

!19

teachers in DCSD, but it will also benefit the largest stakeholders in DCSD the students. It is expected that, with
teachers who want to be at the school and want to teach their curriculums, the test scores of students will also
increase. Thus making DCSD an overall better district.
This plan targets the specific wants of teachers because they are the targeted party of this study. These wants
also coincide with many employee engagement studies done by companies, such as Forbes and HBR. This plan
will create a better environment for administrators, classified staff, teachers, and students. It should be of top
priority in district management to keep these employees engaged as well as create more engagement. Thanks to
this plan, the teachers will know that the district listens to their wants and concerns and the relationship will have
the ability to become better.

B. Proposed Activities and Timelines

The objective can be met if the district agrees to implement the following three plans:
1. Twice-Yearly school visits from the Super Intendant and School Board and Quarterly Visits From the
School Specific Board Member
Through the implementation of this initiative, the leaders of the district will become more transparent one of
Douglas Countys largest goals at the moment. Each school is designated under the umbrella of a specific school
board member, it is important that a sense of relationship is built with that member. In order to do so, that
individual will visit their high school(s) once a quarter during a PLC (Professional Learning Community) Day.
Many teachers in DCSD have not met the super intendant nor any one on the school board, to have them make
an appearance is especially important for DCSD employee engagement. These leaders, together, share the vision
of the future of Douglas County School District. It is not possible for Employees to support, nor believe in the
mission, if it is unclear as to what it is. The super intendant and the school board will share the newest changes in
DCSD and how they are being implemented. This will also be a great time for the department chairs act as
representatives and ask questions on behalf of their departments. These visits will increase the visibility of the

!20

leaders in DCSD, increase the belief in the vision of DCSD, and create a greater sense of trust in the district level
leadership of DCSD. All of these factors will combine to enhance the employee engagement in high school
teachers of the Douglas County School District.

2.

The T (Thank You Teachers) Employee Retention and Recognition Program (5 years, 10 years, 15

years, etc.)
In this program, DCSD will have the opportunity to show their appreciation for all that teachers do on a daily basis.
This program allots $1,000 to each school to award their teachers. The school is given the freedom to choose
how they wish to award their staff. The goal of this is to retain the best teachers. DCSD is confident that they hire
wonderful teachers and it is critical that they keep them in the district. This program aims to increase the feeling of
appreciation from the teachers and to increase the satisfaction rates. Happier employees are more likely to be
engaged in their work place and thus, more productive.
Possible options of executing this initiative include:
1)

Staff breakfasts where names are called out

2)

A selection of an item from a magazine with various items (value of items dependent on years employed by
DCSD)

!21

Thank You Teachers

5 years

Above is an example of what the magazine might look like.

Featured Image Courtesy of: dcsdk12.org

3) A certificate along with a small banquet

Above is an example of what the certificate might look like.

Background Image Courtesy of: wpclipart.com
Social media could also be an option in this plan. Employees love to be recognized in front of their peers, so why
not take it to the next level? Social media allows for large sums of people to get information.

!22

DCSD has a very active Twitter page that can easily retweet the posts of specific schools. They can also easily
share posts on Facebook. This would allow the entire district to recognize employees and see the Thank You
Teacher program in action.
3.

The bi-monthly Feedback Frenzy where teachers are given the opportunity to give input on new

decisions and alert the administration of concerns that they have with the district
Principals act as representatives for the teachers when they go to district meetings such as their frequent high
school principal meeting where the director of secondary education is present. While principals may have an
idea as to what is going on and how their teachers are feeling, the cannot read minds. Thus, the Feedback
Frenzy is a new way for the teachers to voice their opinions. Every two weeks, the teachers will have the
opportunity to anonymously submit typed and printed questions, and/or comments, and/or concerns with the
district. Due to past issues with trusting the confidentiality of technology, these responses will not be submitted
online. They will all be submitted in Times New Romans font in a standard envelope, thus eliminating as lapses in
integrity that could occur. The Feedback Frenzy will allow the voices of high school teachers to be heard on the
district level all while they can be filtered through a principal to keep the professionalism intact. This initiative will
increase the voice in teachers one of their main requests and will thus create a more engaged body of
teachers.

Proposed Timeline:
MARCH 2016 : The first Feedback Frenzy will take place using Legend High School as a pilot
before moving the initiative forward.
It is important to test a new initiative in a smaller environment so that you can predict the outcome of
expanding the new proposition. Legend High School has been the pilot with the survey as well, thus they

!23

will be a great candidate for piloting the Feedback Frenzy. After the Feedback Frenzy is complete, any
needed adjustments will be made. A survey will be sent out following the survey to obtain the needed
revisions if they are present.

MAY 2016 : The first district-wide Feedback Frenzy will take place in preparation for the 2016-17
school year.
This Feedback Frenzy is placed at the ending of the year to help make the next school year the best one
yet. The teachers will have the opportunity to participate in the revised Feedback Frenzy, thus ensuring
the most helpful results. When school begins again in August, the bimonthly Feedback Frenzy will begin
again. The new teachers will be debriefed on the process of the Feedback Frenzy and will be able to
take part in it. This will allow for every teacher to have a voice in the processes of the district.

AUGUST 2016 : The Super Intendant, Dr. Elizabeth Fagen, and School Board will begin to make visits
to the schools (Entire School Board/ Super Intendant: 2x per year; Specific School Board Member: 4x
per year)
The super intendant and school board are large leadership figures in DCSD. However, it is essential that
they are seen as people and not just figures. This will allow for more trust to instilled in the leaders and
the goal is for it to allow the leaders to trust the teachers more. The school board member that oversees
the school must have a larger presence. It is necessary for them to appear more frequently in the
schools and meet more teachers. By increasing their face to face time in the schools, more trust will be
created and the teachers will be happier in the district. The teachers will also have a clearer idea as to
what the vision for DCSD is. No one can describe their idea of the districts future like the leadership
can. Ideally, teachers will agree with the visions and they can believe in them. If they do not believe in the
visions and values, it may be best for them to find a different district to work in. The employees are

!24

considered engaged when they believe in the vision, mission, and values of an organization. Thus,
making these items clear is a must for DCSD.

DECEMBER 2016 : The T program will begin by awarding all teachers who are at the 5, 10, 15, etc.
year marks. The awards will correlate with the amount of time that they have been working in DCSD.
The T program will incentivize teachers to continue being in DCSD as well as make them feel
appreciated. It is not as important to spend an extravagant amount of money as it is to make teachers
feel like their work is noticed. The T program will not be piloted at Legend High School because it is a
plan with a lot of options from the specific schools leadership. This new initiative will increase the
satisfaction of employees which directly correlates with their engagement.

JANUARY 2017 : Reevaluate by analyzing the performance indicators

Every plan may experience difficulty in the beginning of its implementation, thus it is important to
reevaluate after a set amount of time. This plan allows a second look to be taken after 10 months.
Changes should be made in this amount of time and it will allow for principals

C. Proposed Metrics or Key Performance Indicators to Measure Plan Eectiveness

In order to measure the overall success of the set plan, a system will be implemented to determine the increase of
engagement. Yearly, a survey, similar to the primary one, will be sent out to the teachers. It will be regarding some
of the main concepts and ideas as the issues that were found in the first survey. In the past, surveys havent been
as confidential as they need to be. Its critical to build back the trust with the teachers in order to get the most
honest results. The teachers will then feel confident to answer the questions as to how they truly are feeling which
will lead to benefiting themselves and the district as a whole.

!25

Once the plan is enacted, the next survey will be sent out January of 2017. It will give a chance for changes to
occur. This will be able to quantify how well the new policies are being of assistance to the teachers. As of the 245
responses received, only 53.7% stated that they felt they were either engaged or highly engaged.
These statistics have the potential to be much higher. The hope for this new plan is to slowly but surely increase
that percentage more and more every year. By January of 2016, the goal is to reach approximately 70%. This
would be a total increase of 16.3% which significantly shows the engagement has expanded. The plan aims for
100% of the teachers to feel engaged, yet as of right now approximately only half of them do.
In January 2017, another tactic to measure the effectiveness would be to interview the ones who must implement
the new policy-- the principals. This would give an insight on their feedback of the plan; including what they
struggled with and what worked well. Listed below are the questions that will be asked of the principals:
Have you noticed a change in your schools environment?
What were some of the challenges faced when making the change to this new system?
What did you notice that worked out well?
Do you believe there has been more trust created between you and your teachers?
Would you say that your teachers have been happier?
In your opinion, have your teachers developed a voice where their opinions are valued?
Has this new plan benefited your school?
What would you change about the plan after seeing it in tact?

!26

This would be helpful to see what is working and what can be altered moving forward with the process. The start
is one of the hardest parts, but the research team is hopeful that this plan can only get better. The input from the
principals would lead to be a better comprehension of how the leader of each school has observed the success of
the plan.

VI. PROPOSED BUDGET

Costs associated with proposed strategies
A benefit to the proposed plans to better increase employee engagement is the fact of low-budgeting and just
shifting money for more specific purposes.

Here is a snapshot of an example chart of the Site Based Budget that is underneath the transparency tab of the
districts website. There is approximately $35,000 worth of money that goes underneath the category for Strategic
Planning Grant. Scott Smith, DCSDs Budget Director, explained in a video on the same website, that this specific
category was used towards professional development. If each school was able to take $1,000 dollars out of the
allotted budgeting for this development, they can now newly use the money for a new subcategory- the Retention
Act.
Cost
Strategic Planning Grant

35,000

Retention Act

(1,000)

Strategic Planning Grant

34,000

!27

This new section of the budget can be used towards recognition. Since rewarding teachers can be a form of
professional development, the money still can fall under the grant of Strategic Planning. This forces the principals
to go out of the way to recognize the teachers whom are rewarding of it. For an example, the teachers can have a
breakfast once a year and reward the teachers who have worked in the district for 5, 10, 15, etc. years with a
certificate. This way they can be noticed and rewarded for an accomplishment in front of their coworkers. It would
give them a sense of achievement for all that they have done thus far and what they still want to accomplish. The
little things that make the teachers feel noticed and appreciated will make them feel like they are doing something
right and will continue to want to be there. It doesnt take much of a budget to make the teachers understand that
they are doing something right. Going back to that 71.1% of teachers who havent received a compliment of what
theyve been doing well can easily be changed without even shifting the budget. Yet, the teachers will want to
continue to do what they are doing, while continuing to work hard at what they can improve.

Another part of the plan, is more face time with the board members themselves. Each board member has a
specific list of schools that belongs to them. For an example, the board member of District F- Rich Robbins- is
who has Legend High School. Once a quarter, these board members can make an appearance at their list of
schools. Whether its in a faculty meeting or popping into the classrooms to observe the school, teachers, and
kids. This can be another part of the $35,000 that each school receives in order to develop professionally. Its hard
to budget for the money it takes for each of the seven directors to drive to each of their schools. Especially when
some board members have nine schools while others have thirteen. Giving an extra $!00 to each seven members
for gas as a total of $700 can also be assigned for visiting their schools four times in one school year. That would
be an estimated cost that could be divided between the amount of schools each director has that comes out of
the schools the Strategic Planning Grant. This is tricky due to the diverse lists that each director has of schools.
But if each school gave up $11 out of the budget to support their directors drive to their school, it would be worth

!28

it. The board member would be able to be more personal with the employees and discuss board mandated
policies better than the explanation that has been lost in translation.

Both of these newly allocated parts of the professional development category would be important in order to
better the relationships that the teachers have with members of their school and district workers. Therefore, these
teachers can feel that they have more of rewards and more of a voice.

Image courtesy of: dcsdk12.org

!29

BIBLIOGRAPHY
"Apple Awards." Douglas County School District. Douglas County School District, n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2015.
<https://www.dcsdk12.org/apple-awards>.
"Castle Rock, CO - Official Website | Official Website." Castle Rock, CO - Official Website | Official Website. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2015. <http://www.crgov.com/>.
"Colorado District Rankings." SchoolDigger. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2015. <http://www.schooldigger.com/go/
CO/districtrank.aspx>.
"Chaparral High School Faculty." Chaparral High School. Douglas County School District, n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2015.
<https://sites.google.com/a/dcsdk12.org/staff-directory/>.
"DCSD Board of Education." Douglas County School District. Douglas County School District, n.d. Web. 28 Dec.
2015. <https://www.dcsdk12.org/board-of-education>.
"Douglas County Federation Home." Douglas County Federation. Douglas County Federation, n.d. Web. 21 Dec.
2015. <http://douglascountyfederation.com/>.
"Legend High School." Legend High School. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2015. <https://www.dcsdk12.org/school/
legend-high-school/>.
Levy, Francesca. "America's 25 Richest Counties." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2015. <http://
www.forbes.com/2010/03/04/america-richest-counties-lifestyle-real-estate-wealthy-suburbs_slide.html>.
"Home." Douglas County School District. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2015. <https://www.dcsdk12.org/>.
"HR Initiatives." Douglas County School District. Douglas County School District, n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.
<https://www.dcsdk12.org/human-resources/cesares-list>.

!30

"Site Based Budget (SBB)." Douglas County School District. N.p., 12 Aug. 2009. Web. 30 Dec. 2015. <https://
www.dcsdk12.org/financial-services/site-based-budget#overlay-context=>.
"Staff - RCHS." Rock Canyon High School. Douglas County School District, n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2015. <https://
www.sites.google.com/a/dcsdk12.org/rchs/faculty>.
"Town of Parker - Official Website | Official Website." Town of Parker - Official Website | Official Website. N.p., n.d.
Web. 17 Nov. 2015. <http://www.parkeronline.org/>.
"Transparency - Douglas County Government." Douglas County Government. Douglas County Government, n.d.
Web. 20 Nov. 2015. <http://www.douglas.co.us/government/commissioners/transparency/>.
"Welcome to Highlands Ranch, Colorado!" Highlands Ranch Metro District RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.
<http://highlandsranch.org/>.
"What Is Employee Engagement - Engage for Success." Engage for Success. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.
<http://engageforsuccess.org/what-is-employee-engagement>.

!31

APPENDIX

!32