Cognia Strategic Thinking and Planning Process Study

This report is a research study conducted by Cognia in collaboration with Instructure to evaluate the relationship between Cognia’s Strategic Thinking and Planning Process and student outcomes in Florida. The study, which spans from the 2021-2022 to the 2023-2024 school years, includes a sample of 10,579 K-12 students across 29 schools. Researchers employed various quantitative analytic methods to assess the implementation of critical initiatives outlined in the district's strategic plan and their correlation with student outcomes such as attendance, discipline, and academic performance. Key findings indicate that schools with higher implementation levels of these initiatives reported significantly lower office discipline referrals and higher scores in English Language Arts and math assessments for grade 8 students. The study meets the Level III evidence requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act, providing promising evidence of the effectiveness of the strategic planning process in improving educational outcomes.