Identifying Next Steps to Achieve Aligned School Goals

The principal of a 6-8 middle school held many conversations with teachers this past summer. They are looking for ways to uncover the reason for slow or flat-lined results last year. One thing she quickly noticed is that there is a similarity in those classrooms that did not achieve their goal. The common denominator was that they did not identify data at the student level. They could answer questions about students in general but nothing beyond that.

In Arizona, the state assessment has 4 levels: Minimally Proficient, Partially Proficient, Proficient, and Highly Proficient. Their school goals were aligned with students moving within these levels. However, the teachers were uncertain about the next steps for each level due to their inability to assess student performance within those levels.

The principal wanted to help teachers identify students’ strengths and weaknesses within each level.  Each of the four levels had its own set of challenges. The principal needed a simple, systematic process to assist teachers in pinpointing the next steps. She called me for help, and we began the process of student-level root cause analysis using their state assessment data. 

It’s normal for schools to have goals, but are you meeting your goals as evidenced by your student results? Setting realistic, timely SMART goals is the first step to achieving goals as a school organization. 

Mike Schmoker in his book Results, 2ndedition: The Key to Continuous School Improvement (1999, p. 27) tells us "I believe that specific goals are the most vital ingredient of purpose. Improvement cannot occur without them."  His advice is based on his comprehensive review of educational research. This comprehensive review allows him to provide evidence-based recommendations that can enhance educational strategies and improve student outcomes.

Streamline Your Data

Using student data is key to making instructional decisions that enable all students to be successful. Organizing these data and understanding how to analyze it can be overwhelming. However, streamlining your data is essential if you want to support your students. 

It is important to identify goals, and which data will be most useful in monitoring your goals. Once the goals are identified, evaluate them, and confirm the data needed to help teachers understand what students need to be successful. Goals and data should be aligned because if these are disconnected, you will not get results.

Here are some questions to help you evaluate your goals and which data are most important:

State Performance Goals & Assessments:

• Many states have a school label or letter grade for schools. Do you know exactly what students need to accomplish at each of your levels on the state assessments to achieve your goals?   
• Are your goals aligned with those expectations?
• Do you need to monitor student performance at different Proficiency or Benchmark levels? 
• What state data will help you to track proficiency within levels over time? 
• Do you need to monitor student growth? Many states’ formulas expect growth from all students whether they are performing at the bottom or top of the school.  Do you monitor the growth of your students within all levels of your data?

Identifying the data that will be used to monitor your state performance goals is crucial. If you are struggling in this area, feel free to contact me for assistance.

You can proceed to the next step once you have identified your school goals and which assessment data you will use to monitor those goals. The next level for Data Steps 2.0 is to conduct a root cause analysis (RCA) at the student level. 

You are ready to go to this level, when you have addressed instruction and curriculum issues. If teachers are still struggling with instruction and curriculum, they will not have enough tools to make decisions about students for the student-level RCA. 

We will dive deeper into student-level RCA when we reach Data Step 2: Analyze. For now, make sure everyone knows the goals and which data you will use to monitor those goals as you start a new school year. Start moving toward creating a culture where teachers know the strengths and weaknesses of their students at all levels. What classroom assessments are they using to gather that information? 

I have developed a new training for Student Level Root Cause Analysis using your state assessment data. If you are ready to advance to this level, contact me for more information. 

If you are looking for support in defining, aligning and analyzing your SMART goals as you start the school year, request a FREE consultation call with me. Fill in the Contact Form Link: https://debradurma.com/contact-us 

Type in “Yes” for “Are you Interested in STAR Leadership Data Solutions?” You will receive a follow-up email with the next step to schedule a phone call to discuss your needs and questions.

Are you unhappy with your results or feeling overwhelmed by data? If so, contact me for more information on STAR Leadership School-Student Data Solutions Training. This training will guide you through the 4 data steps and give you a blueprint for achieving results. This training is individualized and tailored to your data, your needs, your staff, your students, and your best route to achieve results.