The Importance of Collaboration in Achieving School Goals
Aug 19, 2024Recently, I began analyzing data for a school that wanted to improve its results and get out-of-school improvement. After they completed their plan for the state requirements, I talked to the principal. I asked him, what are your school goals in your plan? His reply was, “I have them, but I am not sure where they are right now. I will send them to you.”
Last time, I talked about how to identify your goals in relation to state accountability requirements and evaluate any existing goals for that alignment. Most schools start the school year writing goals in required plans for their state and/or district plans. For many schools that aren't seeing positive results, there are typically two key issues at play.
The first is a lack of alignment with state and/or district accountability requirements (discussed last week). The second issue, much like the principal mentioned earlier, is that while they may provide me with their goals from a plan, the real challenge occurs when no one else in the school knows the goals.
In successful schools, you can expect everyone to know and understand the goal. Unfortunately, this is not the case in other schools. As school leaders, it is important to reflect on the goals and the culture surrounding goals at your school.
Here are some questions to help you with that.
- What are you hearing teachers say about goals?
- Do the teachers understand the goals?
- Are they excited about the results of their students?
- Are they frustrated with the performance of their students?
- Are they venting this frustration in the form of excuses or blame?
When a teacher is focused and working towards an achievable goal, they know that every instructional minute matters. Reflect on the strongest teachers achieving results at your school. Here are some questions to help you with that:
- What are they doing differently in the classroom?
- How are they maximizing instruction and meeting student needs?
- How do they use student data (formal and informal) as part of the ongoing cycle of instructional improvement?
- What do they know about their students?
Leading for Data Ownership
Many of the most effective teachers I've encountered set specific instructional goals for their students. They can clearly articulate where their students stand in relation to these goals. Even in the absence of a school-wide focus on goals, they take full responsibility for their students' performance. Consequently, their classes consistently meet achievement targets year after year.
The challenge arises when only a small fraction of teachers understand their goals and take ownership of the data. When just a few educators are consistently achieving positive outcomes, it becomes challenging to reach school-wide achievement targets. This can be a leadership challenge, but there is hope – you can turn this around if this is happening at your school.
Leading directs and inspires. It involves letting your teachers know that they can do anything, but they can’t do everything. With your direction, you and your staff can keep a laser-like focus on the big goals and prioritize everything else in relation to those goals. This vision keeps your teachers aligned with the school's goal. The targets define what success will look like at each step. (Data Step 1) But the thing that will guide you on what to do is still data. (Data Steps 2-4)
The next level for Data Steps 2.0 is to ensure that everyone knows and takes ownership of the goals.
How do you establish the atmosphere regarding your goals and outcomes for the year? Your words and actions as a leader play a crucial role in shaping the environment and greatly impact the effectiveness of what comes next. When presenting your data, is it merely a "sit and get" style faculty meeting, or do you start the year with an uplifting theme that engages and inspires your teachers?
Do you have a school theme to motivate students and staff toward a higher goal? Some of you may be saying, “I’ve tried that, and it didn’t make a difference.” If so, school climate may be impacting your results and something to consider when identifying root causes at step 2. Some of you may be saying, “I’m not a theme person.”
Regardless of the approach you choose, it’s essential to consider the meeting structures, procedures, and activities that encourage people to think differently than they have in the past. Continuing with the same actions that yield little to no results does not benefit anyone involved. Take a moment to identify your next steps and answer the question: “How can I effectively lead and motivate the staff?”
Working together is essential for reaching our school goals. When everyone commits to the goal, they bring different perspectives and strengths to the table. By sharing ideas and resources, we create a stronger community that is better equipped to provide the best possible education for our students. Let’s continue to support each other and work together to achieve our shared goals.
If you are looking for support analyzing your data and identifying your next leadership steps in this new school year, request a FREE consultation call with me. Fill in the Contact Form Link: https://debradurma.com/contact-us
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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.
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