Canastota Forward: Our Strategic Plan (2025-2030)
Canastota Forward is our shared roadmap for the next five years.
Created with input from students, families, staff, and community members, this plan focuses on what matters most: strong academics, meaningful opportunities, student well-being, and a school community that prepares every learner for the future.
More than a document, Canastota Forward reflects our commitment to grow, adapt, and improve together. The five goals below guide our work and shape the actions you will see in our schools over the next five years.
-Shawn Bissetta
Superintendent of Schools
Click here to take a closer look at our strategic plan.
Our Five Strategic Priorities.
Provide targeted district-wide professional development, data-driven goal setting, and cyclical curriculum review to improve instructional alignment and increase student achievement as measured by NYS assessments, Regents exams, and NWEA benchmarks.
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Increase student access to high-need trade certifications through expanded field experience, structured credentialing pathways, strengthened mentorship and career coaching, early community outreach and entrepreneurship programs beginning in grade 5, and sustained alumni engagement initiatives.
Impact will be evaluated by increased college credit and credential completion, growth in senior credit accumulation, a higher percentage of graduates earning certifications, and improved graduation rates and postsecondary placement outcomes.
Here's how this goal comes to life in our schools:
Weekly Spotlight Series
Week 1:
As part of our ongoing Strategic Plan series, this week we are highlighting the Micro-Credential and Digital Badge Program and how it supports student learning and instructional planning.
Through our Micro-Credential and Digital Badge Program, students can showcase skills beyond traditional coursework. Partnerships with local businesses and organizations provide hands-on learning experiences, internships, and applied learning opportunities — and in some cases, even local academic credit.
These experiences support individualized pathways and help ensure our students graduate with more than a diploma. They leave Canastota with real-world experience, recognized skills, and a strong foundation for the future.
Be sure to check out our feature on WSYR-TV’s Cool Schools segment to see this work in action!
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Canastota Forward: What Are Micro-Credentials?
Micro-credentials, or digital badges, are, simply put, proof that students have learned and demonstrated real-world skills.
Think of a micro-credential like a mini diploma for a specific skill.
In addition to earning credits toward graduation, students can earn micro-credentials by demonstrating skills such as leadership, communication, digital responsibility, and career-related abilities.
How students earn them
Students earn micro-credentials when they:
- Complete hands-on projects
- Participate in real-world learning experiences
- Work with community partners
- Demonstrate specific skills and meet clear competency standards
- These skills are verified and awarded as digital badges.
Why this matters
Micro-credentials help students graduate with more than a diploma. They provide documented proof of skills that colleges, employers, and scholarship organizations value.
Students store these credentials in a digital portfolio, sometimes called a “digital backpack,” that they can share when applying for college, jobs, internships, or scholarships.
Real-world partnerships make this possible.
Canastota students are already earning micro-credentials through partnerships with organizations such as:
- International Boxing Hall of Fame
- Greater Lenox Ambulance Service
- Junior Chamber of Commerce
- Municipal Government
- Rosamond Gifford Zoo
- Canastota New Visions Program
We are also expanding our partnerships with organizations such as Redhouse Arts Center and NewsChannel 9 WSYR-TV.
The goal is simple:
Canastota students graduate with both academic knowledge and real-world skills that prepare them for what comes next.
Canastota Forward: Micro-Credentials in Action
Last week, we introduced micro-credentials—think of them as “mini diplomas” that demonstrate students' real, usable skills in leadership, communication, and career readiness.
This week, we’re showing you what that actually looks like right here in Canastota. At this month’s Board of Education meeting, Liz Garofalo shared how micro-credentials are already happening across our district—not just as an idea, but in real, meaningful ways.
Want to see it in action? Jump right to her presentation from the Board of Education meeting (starting at 8:19): YouTube recorded BOE meeting. Prefer a quick overview? You can also explore the full presentation here: PDF presentation
What makes this work so impactful is how students are earning these credentials:
- Hands-on, real-world projects
- Experiences with local organizations
- Opportunities to demonstrate skills—not just learn about them
Through partnerships with the International Boxing Hall of Fame, Greater Lenox Ambulance Service, and the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, students are stepping beyond the classroom and into experiences that prepare them for what’s next.
And here’s the shift:
It’s not just about earning credits anymore. It’s about showing what you can do
Students are building a digital portfolio—a “digital backpack”—filled with verified skills they can share with colleges, employers, and scholarship programs.
So when a Canastota student says they’re a leader, a communicator, or career-ready…they have the proof to back it up.
This is Canastota Forward—where learning goes beyond the classroom.
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Implement annual reviews of Co-Curricular and staff-led opportunities, strengthen educational community partnerships, develop a Center for Innovative Learning Opportunities, launch a student- and family-accessible micro-credentialing platform, and continue collaboration through the Athletic Advisory Council.
Success will be measured by increased student participation in after-school programs, expanded access to Co-Curricular opportunities, and stronger local community involvement and partnerships.
Complete the current capital project, prioritize future capital improvements, conduct annual reviews of transportation and operations, and ensure fiscal responsibility through yearly budget planning.
Progress will be tracked through building and space effectiveness condition surveys, gathering student feedback on new facilities, and tracking engagement via budget votes, presentations, and staff meal participation surveys.
Students will experience more inclusive practices, supported by data-driven progress monitoring, and will work to increase participation with Connected Community Schools. The district will work to provide K-4 students access to mental health services to support their social-emotional growth. Special education services will be consistently reviewed and evaluated to ensure compliance with NYS standards. Academic performance and student engagement will be supported through AIS/MTSS interventions. K–12 behavioral interventions and supports will be strengthened based on findings from NYS reviews.
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