In March, Visions In Education hosted Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) listening sessions for parents, guardians, and students. These sessions provided an important opportunity for our community to share what’s working well across our programs, as well as where we can grow. This feedback plays a key role in shaping next year’s LCAP and guiding our continuous improvement efforts.

This year, we gathered valuable insights from our Student Council and Student Advisory groups. This feedback, along with insights from our student and parent/guardian LCAP surveys, is helping inform and refine our priorities for the year ahead.

Our Student Council and Student Advisory groups highlighted several strengths across their Visions experience, including:

• Strong support networks through friendships, clubs, and study groups
• Access to academic help like tutoring, math lab, and online tools
• College and career readiness opportunities, including dual enrollment and counseling support
• Engaging programs and activities such as clubs, field trips, and student voice initiatives
• Diverse enrichment options like career speakers and CTE pathways
• Students feel heard and supported in smaller, more personal settings

Our Student Council and Student Advisory groups also identified opportunities for growth in the following areas:

• Expand academic offerings, including more course variety and practical life skills classes
• Increase access to events and connection opportunities beyond the Sacramento area
• Offer more diverse field trips, college tours, and student-centered experiences
• Improve event planning, including scheduling, venues, and inclusivity
• Strengthen communication on how student feedback is used
• Create more consistent opportunities for student voice and recognition
• Grow athletics and in-person engagement, including peer tutoring and CTE events

Board Member Sandra Morales also attended the listening sessions with our Student Council and Student Advisory groups, reinforcing the importance of student voice in guiding the work of Visions.

“At Visions In Education, we are intentional in our role as youth developers, ensuring students have meaningful opportunities to share their thoughts, opinions, beliefs, and passions. By elevating student voice, we affirm that young people are not just participants in their education, but partners in shaping it,” explained Associate Director of Equity & Student Engagement Ron Thomas. “Our student leaders care deeply about their school community and consistently show up as powerful change agents. When given authentic platforms to lead and contribute, they bring insight, creativity, and lived experience that strengthen our organization.”

Guided by Community

The feedback gathered from our LCAP survey is essential in shaping and refining our goals for the upcoming school year. Based on this input, we are focusing our discussions on:

• Expanded Leadership: Ensuring more coordinated and equitable student opportunities across regions.
• Student Support: Providing targeted support for students’ social, emotional, and civic growth.
• Expanded Career Pathways: Expanding career and technical education programming, ensuring more students have access to career preparation.
• Strengthened Curriculum Support: Enhancing curricular coherence, instructional support, and individualized learning plans.
• Enhanced Communication and Feedback: Focusing on creating centralized communication structures and inclusive feedback systems.

Please stay tuned for more information when we share our official LCAP findings this May.

Thank You, Educational Partners!

Engaging educational partners – such as parents/guardians, teachers/employees, students, and community members – is a vital aspect of creating an effective LCAP. This collaborative approach ensures that the plan reflects the diverse needs and priorities of the community it serves. We are grateful to our Student Council and Student Advisory members for sharing their voices and helping shape a stronger, better Visions for the years ahead.

“Hearing directly from our students allows us to move beyond assumptions and make informed decisions on what they really want to see from Visions. Their feedback plays a critical role in shaping our LCAP priorities and ensures that our goals and actions reflect the real needs and aspirations of the students we serve,” explained Jamee Block, Associate Director of State & Federal Programs. “While our Student Council and Student Advisory groups provided a strong and meaningful opportunity for engagement, we are committed to hearing from an even broader group of students in the future.”