REALITY OF LONG-TERM PLANNING: ANALYZING SCHOOL STRATEGY SURVIVAL IN CHANGING POLICY LANDSCAPES

This study examined the long-term survival of School Improvement Plans (SIPs) amid disruptive, top-down policy shifts in the Philippine public school system. Anchored in Institutional Theory, the research explored how school leaders adapt strategic plans in response to evolving Department of Education mandates, particularly the MATATAG Curriculum. A qualitative multiple-case study design was employed, involving purposively selected public schools within the Schools Division Office of Angeles City. Data were gathered through in-depth semi-structured interviews with school heads and planning team members, document analysis of SIPs spanning a five-year period, and researcher field notes. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to identify patterns of strategy preservation, modification, or abandonment. Findings revealed that strategic instability disproportionately affects mandate-specific and externally driven targets, while internally focused and principle-based goals demonstrate greater resilience. Participants reported experiencing policy fatigue due to compliance-driven planning demands, yet identified key design features that enable strategic survival, including principle-based goal framing, internal capacity building, deep community ownership, and the adoption of the SIP as a living document. The study concludes that long-term strategic resilience depends less on fixed plans and more on adaptive design and local ownership. Recommendations emphasize restructuring SIP goals toward enduring principles and institutionalizing regular review mechanisms to mitigate policy fatigue.