HIGH PERFORMANCE INDICATORS MINI-COURSE
Based upon the answers to your 10 Indicators of High Performing Schools Assessment you may have some areas you would like to work on.
My teammate Lauren and I have created a short training video for each indicator. In the video we will share some simple tips that you can use today to begin improving your high performing school outcome. Simply click on any of the videos below to begin increasing your school’s performance.
INDICATOR #1
CLEAR AND SUSTAINED MISSION AND VISION
- Mission that is inspiring, easy to understand, and easily communicated to all stakeholders and partners
- Mission and vision are documented and communicated thoroughly to ensure consistency amongst teacher practices, curriculum, and academic focus
- Mission and vision are the driving points of all decisions (evidenced by education programming, employee development, and budget)
INDICATOR #2
FOCUSING ON QUALITY WORK OF THE SCHOOL
- School wide goals and performance indicators for student learning are adopted and measured regularly
- Principles and key tenets of the education plan, including high performing systems of teaching and learning are defined, trained, and inspected regularly
- Clearly identified and commonly owned education plan for success
INDICATOR #3
FOCUSING ON QUALITY WORK OF THE STUDENT
- Highly active instructional leadership team
- Introductory and ongoing professional development
- Implementation calendar
- Ongoing professional development (PD)
- Build by borrowing
INDICATOR #4
SUSTAINED HIGH QUALITY STAFF
- Employee development
- Teacher recruitment and hiring process
- Internal process for expansion of professional opportunities for current employees
- Internal and external school climate feedback processes
INDICATOR #5
HEALTHY SCHOOL CULTURE CONDUCIVE FOR LEARNING
- Healthy school culture is clearly defined and communicated
- Training Programs (adults and students) to develop leaders of culture
- Measurements to effective culture identified and assessed
- Character and social development program
INDICATOR #6
PARENT AND STAKEHOLDER PARTNERSHIPS
- Parents are well educated on the school’s mission, vision, goals, and plans
- The definition of parent engagement is agreed upon and communicated regularly
- Ongoing opportunities for parents to learn about the school’s mission, vision, and values are annually scheduled
- Parents, as strategic partners, are an integral part of the school’s improvement planning
- Student attendance agreements and expectations have been adopted, communicated, and implemented
INDICATOR #7
FISCAL VITALITY
- Budget processes and oversight to ensure annual reserve goal met (3% to 5%)
- Strong internal controls to mitigate risk and ensure no audit findings
- Student annual attrition rate (<5% PMR 1-PMR9)
- School leaders control the overall budget based on set fiscal policies
- School budget aligned with school’s vision and academic goals
- Process for highly competitive salaries and benefits
- Annual review of all third party agreements
INDICATOR #8
CLEAN, SAFE, SECURE, AND ADEQUATE FACILITIES
- Maintained facility inspection checklist (Annually reviewed and revamped where needed)
- Processes and systems for safety and cleanliness
- Emergency plans and risk management protocols
INDICATOR #9
EFFECTIVE OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
- Policies and procedures that meet all legal requirements and result in a desired culture of collaboration, not rigid rules)
- Standing operating systems and procedures that result in smooth student transitions and healthy effective and healthy work environment
- Training manuals and programs for all standing operating systems
- Marketing plan to clearly communicate and brand the learning organization’s mission and purpose so that all stakeholders are aware of the expectations
- School calendar and master schedules that align to the school’s mission, purpose, and values
- Internal and external auditing calendars for all key compliance areas
- Annual review of internal controls and procedures
INDICATOR #10
EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE
- Clearly defined roles and expectations for board members
- Systems and procedures are evident for developing the board meeting agenda and packet
- Set organization goals with agreed upon metrics and reporting schedules
- System to capture the the organization's history and key decision strategies
- Structure to recruit and develop board members with diverse skill sets
- Clarity in expectations
- Creator of the school's long term vision
- Timely and accurate monthly reporting provided to inform the board on the schools progress toward the goals
- Focus on building a strong and healthy relationship with the head of the school
