"Organizational Reflection and Review"

Last week I commented on how close we are to breaking through the tyranny of low expectations.  It is fitting therefore as we begin our forth (4th) comprehensive organizational assessment (OA) to take a few moments to comment on “why” and “how” important the OA is to our work of continuous improvement and how close we truly are to breakthrough.

Creating and sustaining high expectations for performance albeit student learning, teachers teaching, or administrators leading is transformation work - not turnaround, reform, restructuring, or etc. - transformational.

It requires changing what we know before changing what we do to get the results we desire and expect.  This has been easier said than done.

As we live, schools and school systems have been defined, judged by a single metric – a test score.  Teachers and their effect as well as principals and their effect include student performance as measured by end of grade or end of course tests.  It is argued and rightfully so that student learning is the effect resultant from teaching.  Yet, student learning is but one outcome of effective teaching.  In fact, student learning as measured by a test score is a lagging or trailing or after the fact indicator of effective teaching.

To address the dependency on measuring teacher effect by a test score, the teacher evaluation system now includes several other indices that combine to provide a more comprehensive measure of effectiveness.  In a like manner, the OA does just that.  Rather than depend on trailing or lagging indicators of improvement or effect, the OA examines leading indicators of a continuous system improvement.

The OA process requires an examination of evidence from five major components of organizational performance.  These areas are:   

1) Organizing Principles, 

2) Powerful Teaching and Learning System, 

3) Core Organizational Functions, 

4) Aspirations and Beliefs, and 

5) District Cycle of Improvement.

Each of these components has elements or key success factors that are examined and collectively yield a comprehensive picture of improvement including strengths and opportunities for improvement. The OA also includes unpacking and defining threats to achieving our mission.  These threats go deeper than the opportunities for improvement; they illuminate what our strategic priorities must be so that improvement is, in fact, continuous.

The OA has provided invaluable feedback and insight to the work of becoming a high performing school system.  Though our test scores are trending in the right way, we still have not experienced significant results just yet. However, the data behind the data reveals very encouraging, hopeful, and promising results are close.

The key as we know with any plan is to stay the course. In concert with our continuous improvement cycle, the OA is our organizational time for comprehensive reflection and review.

Reflection takes time, courage, and a commitment to authentically and with transparency look at our work, our programs, practices, processes, and results.  In this case, we look not only at ourselves but ask a third party to look in the mirror with us.

Similarly, review must be thorough.  It must include not only what we perceive is working well or not as expected but the actual evidence or proof.  Review cannot be wishful thinking or what we would like to be or become.  It must be what we are, right now, right here.

The output from reflection and review is planning for the future.  I am quite confident that we presently have not placed the level of importance on planning.  Rather, we tend to emphasize implementation.  This is not unique or limited to Anson County.  One of the most pressing deficiencies in schools and school systems across America is under appreciation for planning – effective planning.

Our Annual Planning Tables (APTs) now reflect our individual and collective understanding and commitment to implementation as well as monitoring of programs, processes and practices.

Lastly, the OA compels us to make adjustments or corrections to ensure that the results we expect and desire are realized. 

Suffice it to say, the OA is important for our organization now and in the future.