The deadline for completing the BIE One Plan is fast approaching. Yet for many Tribally Controlled and BIE-Operated Schools, completing a truly meaningful, manageable, and measurable One Plan remains a major challenge.

If your school simply “fills out the paperwork” without developing a strategic, data-driven, and culturally responsive plan, it risks failing to achieve the most critical goal: improving student outcomes and sustaining its long-term success.

This guide provides an empirical, practical, and sequential roadmap for preparing and completing the One Plan with integrity, urgency, and precision.

Begin with a Deep, Inclusive Needs Assessment

A One Plan must be rooted in reality — not assumptions.

Start with a comprehensive Needs Assessment that analyzes:

• Student achievement data (NAVVY, BIE Interim Assessments, Summative Assessments)
  
• Attendance and discipline trends
  
• Enrollment patterns (including transiency and drop-out rates)
  
• Infrastructure and resource gaps (technology, facilities, staffing)
  
• Community demographics and location challenges
  
• Staff turnover, training needs, and recruitment barriers

Stakeholder engagement is critical. Include voices from:

• Students
  
• Parents and caregivers
  
• Faculty and staff
  
• Tribal leaders and cultural experts
  
• School board and operational staff
  

This inclusive approach is supported by Darling-Hammond et al. (2017), who found that meaningful stakeholder engagement directly improves school planning and outcomes.

The goal: define what’s happening — not what you hope is happening.

Identify Clear, Focused Problem Statements

From your needs assessment, derive problem statements that are:

• Simple (avoid jargon)
  
• Focused (one major issue per statement)
  
• Rooted in evidence (data + stakeholder input)

Example of a strong problem statement:

“Only 2–3% of students demonstrate grade-level proficiency in ELA and Math, largely due to foundational skill deficits and inconsistent instructional practices.”

A weak problem statement would be vague (“students are struggling”) or blame-based (“teachers aren’t working hard enough”).

Conduct a Precise Root Cause Analysis

Next, connect each problem statement to root causes that can be addressed through action.

Ask repeatedly: “Why is this happening?” until you reach the underlying drivers — not just symptoms.

Research supports this model. McIntosh and Goodman (2016) emphasized that effective school improvement requires interventions targeted at validated root causes, not surface-level problems.

Example:

• Problem: Low student achievement
  
• Root Causes: High teacher turnover, lack of professional development, inadequate technology use, cultural disconnect, outdated infrastructure.

Solid root cause analysis makes your entire One Plan coherent and actionable.

Develop Strong, Data-Driven SMART Goals

SMART Goals must be:

• Specific (clear and precise)
  
• Measurable (quantifiable)
  
• Achievable (realistic given your capacity)
  
• Relevant (aligned to core problems and student needs)
  
• Time-bound (due dates tied to benchmarks)
  

Example SMART Goal:

“Increase the percentage of students achieving grade-level proficiency in Math by 5% by May 2026, as measured by NAVVY and BIE Summative Assessments.”

Strong SMART Goals guide instructional priorities, operational decisions, professional development, and budget allocations.

Avoid vague goals like “improve teaching” or “support students” — they don’t drive focused action.

Leverage Digital Transformation and Workforce Development

Today’s schools — especially BIE and Tribally Controlled Schools — must fully embrace:

• Technology integration (instruction, compliance, operations)
  
• Workforce digital competency (staff must master AI, Microsoft Office, NASIS, Infinite Campus, ERP Pro, Maximo, and more)
  
• 1:1 device access for all students and staff
  
• Automation of administrative tasks (e.g., procurement, attendance, compliance)
  

Without complete digital transformation, schools will fall behind in federal compliance and, most importantly, fail to prepare students for the demands of the global economy (World Economic Forum, 2023).

Resistant staff must be retrained or re-positioned: digital illiteracy is no longer an option in education or administration.

Build Capacity for Sustained Improvement

A One Plan is NOT a compliance document.
It must become your instructional guidebook, operations manual, and budget driver.

Without foundational systems — MTSS, data teams, technology use, and instructional leadership — your plan will sit on a shelf and students will continue to suffer.

Leadership must build a culture of urgency, accountability, and collaboration to translate the plan into daily practice (Bryk et al., 2015).

Other Key Considerations:

• Assess your infrastructure honestly: Can your facilities support your instructional goals?
  
• Audit your resources: Budget every initiative you include.
  
• Anticipate barriers: Identify risks early and plan for contingencies.
  
• Align with your tribal values: Cultural competency must be embedded, not an afterthought.
  
• Document stakeholder input: Meeting minutes, surveys, interviews — include evidence.
  

A Warning:

Incomplete, rushed, or disjointed One Plans result in:

• Loss of funding
  
• Increased federal oversight
  
• Academic stagnation
  
• Community distrust
  
• Decreased staff morale
  

The time to act with urgency is now — not next spring.

Final Thought

Schools that take the One Plan process seriously will meet compliance expectations and transform student outcomes, preserve cultural identity, and sustain operational success.

Building a strong BIE One Plan requires courage, honesty, discipline, and collaboration.
Anything less risks failing the next generation.