Influence of Strategic Planning on Academic Performance: A Case of Public Secondary Schools in Kimilili-Bungoma District

Many schools have introduced strategic planning aspects to achieve their goals. However, an evaluation of these strategic planning processes suggest that after the plan was developed it was either not followed as written or implemented at all. Often stakeholders lacked the necessary resources and commitment to implement and evaluate plans and/or assumed a closed system using timelines with fixed years of planning. The purpose of this study was to examine influence of strategic planning on students’ academic performance in the secondary school by establishing how the school vision influence students’ academic performance; determining the extent to which school mission influence students’ academic performance; establishing how the school core values influence students’ academic performance and examine how school academic strategies influence students’ academic performance in Kimilili-Bungoma district. The target population consisted of 23 public secondary schools, 138 Heads of Departments (HODs) and 23 principals of public secondary school and one Education Officer (DEO) in the district. The researcher employed simple random sampling technique to select 7 public secondary schools, 42 HODs, 7 principals and one DEO. The research instruments were the questionnaires and interview schedules. The study was guided by the descriptive survey design. The data collected was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistical tool like regression. Results of the study revealed that there was a positive and significant (p<0.05) relationship established between school vision and academic performance in public secondary schools in Kimilili-Bungoma district. Regression analysis conducted on the influence of school mission and academic performance revealed there was a positive and significant (p<0.05) relationship established between school mission and academic performance in public secondary schools in Kimilili-Bungoma district. Study findings show that there was a positive and significant (p<0.05) relationship between school core values and students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Kimilili-Bungoma district .Results indicated that academic strategy had a positive and significant (p<0.05) influence on academic performance in public secondary schools in Kimilili-Bungoma district to varying degrees. It was therefore recommended that the Ministry of Education (MoE) together with education office to have a long-term plan that includes a vision of effective schools, the intervening steps that schools need to take and the support schools need from the sub-county. Schools should have a vision for highly engaging and high-performing schools. Schools should create the right vision and support system for school improvement. Schools should have a clear vision of a high-performing school and a long-term plan for reaching it and that the school principals and teachers need to take ownership of school improvement. The school management should put strongest emphasis on high expectations and have a succinct and powerful mission statement that is attainable. The MoE should provide a clear focus and a strategic framework and effective strategies for improving student academic performance. The element of trust, coupled with support, and a collaborative working relationship is necessary in achieving students’ academic performance.