Planning and Oversight (Academics & Finances) “Diligent follow-up and follow-through will set you...
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Planning and Oversight (Academics & Finances) “Diligent follow-up and follow-through will set you apart from the crowd and communicate excellence.” John
Planning and Oversight (Academics & Finances) Diligent
follow-up and follow-through will set you apart from the crowd and
communicate excellence. John Maxwell
Slide 2
Session Goals Review our progress in the Governance
Strengthening Series. Provide four basic tenets of an effective
strategic plan. Provide the framework for an effective governance
oversight process (academics and finances). 2014 NC Office of
Charter Schools
Slide 3
Where have we been? Effective Governance (Roles &
Responsibilities) Make sure your program is successful Operational
programs are faithful to the terms of its charter. Financially
solvent and has a competent professional staff Strategic Goals
& Accountability: Measuring What Matters The Strategic Goal is
the endpoint that planners are ultimately trying to reach. Remember
S.M.A.R.T. Goals Accountability begins and ends with the governing
board. 2014 NC Office of Charter Schools
Slide 4
Our Theme Diligent follow-up and follow-through will set you
apart from the crowd and communicate excellence. John Maxwell 2014
NC Office of Charter Schools
Slide 5
Strategic planning contributes to overall school performance
by: Establishing an understanding of the big picture of a school's
current state, including student achievement, school environment,
teacher community, parent community, and administrative issues;
Reaching consensus across the school community on which needs
represent the highest priorities for action based upon the
potential to improve overall student and school performance; and
Identifying for implementation goals and strategies, that include
specific targets, indicators and milestones aligned to address the
school priorities (NCDPI, 2013). 2014 NC Office of Charter
Schools
Slide 6
Maintaining a connection between the mission, vision and
strategic plan halts the tendency of making radical changes based
on current fads but promotes continuity for the benefit of children
and families who selected the charter school. 2014 NC Office of
Charter Schools
Slide 7
Strategic planning is a valuable mechanism for creating
collaboration within the school and developing a sense of shared
purpose and collective reflection. creates an opportunity for
diverse ideas, perspectives and experiences to surface from team
members (Spillane & Diamond, 2007) 2014 NC Office of Charter
Schools
Slide 8
Effective Planning Process Follow a clear process for plan
development. Clarify a purpose for having a strategic plan.
Identify the leadership for the creation AND leadership for the
implementation of the plan. Include fidelity measures when planning
strategies to ensure measurement of the execution process. 2014 NC
Office of Charter Schools
Slide 9
Step #1: Follow a clear process for plan development No single
perfect way to conduct strategic planning. Limit to schools 3-5 top
priorities. Concise, easily accessible and simple to update. 2014
NC Office of Charter Schools
Slide 10
Top Priorities When defining the top priorities (strategic
areas of focus), a school community and individuals tasked with
developing the plan should always consider those defined qualities
and skills and identify those that merit the most attention. Those
initiatives that are going well and deserve more attention and
resources, as well as those initiatives that lag behind and require
different strategies and thoughts. 2014 NC Office of Charter
Schools
Slide 11
Step #2: Clarify a purpose for having a strategic plan To
properly instill a well-structured, educationally sound strategic
plan; the team must have a reliable system and organizational
buy-in to ensure the quality of the plan. Know your purpose. Act on
your purpose. Grow your purpose. 2014 NC Office of Charter
Schools
Slide 12
What does this look like? Reflect Identify the core outcomes of
previous work. Visualize If the key leaders and stakeholders do not
know where they are going, its time to pull the bus over.
Communicate Determine the crucial meaty, consequential, and
challenging tasks the team must interdependently tackle and
communicate and recruit key stakeholders to create and implement.
2014 NC Office of Charter Schools
Slide 13
Step 3: Identify Leadership Identify the leadership for the
creation AND leadership for the implementation of the plan. 2014 NC
Office of Charter Schools
Slide 14
Creation: What does this look like? Collect & Analyze Data
Strategic Stakeholder Surveys/Interviews Analyze all available data
(local and statewide data) Establish Priorities/Goals Healthy
discussions with diverse stakeholders to focus priorities (3-5 at
the most) Develop SMART goals (one for each priority) Communicate,
Communicate, Communicate To ALL levels of stakeholders.
Transparent, coherent, and inspiring. Town Meetings, forums, media,
follow-up correspondence 2014 NC Office of Charter Schools
Slide 15
Implementation A school improvement plan may be well-developed,
built on relevant data, loaded with research-based strategies to
improve learning, and focused on the schools critical needs but the
plan is only as good as its execution. 2014 NC Office of Charter
Schools
Slide 16
Implementation: What does this look like? Focus on Individual
Priorities Recruit and appoint focus committee(s) to plan the
training, tasks and deliverables to meet the set goal. Implement
Trainings Ensure all members of the staff, focus committees, and
members of the board receive ongoing training to implement the
strategies, tasks and deliverables, collect data, analyze data, and
make decisions based on data. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
To ALL levels of stakeholders. Transparent, coherent, and inspiring
(Flywheel Effect!!!) Town Meetings, forums, media, follow-up
correspondence 2014 NC Office of Charter Schools
Slide 17
Why communicate? Starts the Flywheel Effect Jim Collins in his
best-selling book, Good to Great, Shared how people desire to be
part of a winning team and contribute to produce results. When
[people] begin to see tangible results and can feel the flywheel
start to build speed- thats when they line up, throw their
shoulders to the wheel, and push (Collins, 2001, p. 14). 2014 NC
Office of Charter Schools
Slide 18
Questions or Comments? 2014 NC Office of Charter Schools
Slide 19
Step #4: Include fidelity measures to ensure measurement of the
execution process. These measures should include: specific targets
planned checkpoints concrete data indicators and milestones to
ensure board members, principals, teachers and the school
improvement teams receive feedback needed to determine how well
improvement strategies are working. This feedback must be utilized
to make decisions about changing ineffective strategies and
continuing those that work. 2014 NC Office of Charter Schools
Slide 20
Balanced Scorecard Balanced Scorecard Training Example Training
Example
Slide 21
Effective Oversight: What does this look like? Outcomes Based
Calendar Focused Agendas Strategic Questions & Discussion
Verification of the results See Leading Mission-Based Purposeful
Meetings Session 2014 NC Office of Charter Schools
Slide 22
In Governance, the definition of the boards role does not
include: fundraising (though a board may if it wants) being an
advocate for faculty and staff being controlled by a management
company or strong- willed founder advising management on the best
methods for achieving the schools outcomes (curriculum, dress code,
calendar, and staffing configuration). solving or resolving
everyday operating challenges helping the executive do his or her
job Carpenter, 2010 2014 NC Office of Charter Schools Therefore it
does NOT belong on the agenda or discussed during the board
meeting.
Slide 23
Administrivia Examples (NC board meeting examples) Uniform
colors Font use in handbooks Style of clothes (uniform vendors)
Purchasing Toilet Paper Classroom wall colors Chair styles for
offices Overflow parking Food in classrooms 2014 NC Office of
Charter Schools Boards Role is How well
Slide 24
Purposeful Meetings- Avoid Administrivia! The next board
meeting, fold a piece of paper in half. On one half keep track of
time spent on finances and student achievement. The other half,
track everything else. See what percentage of the meeting is spent
on Administrivia! 2014 NC Office of Charter Schools Minutes Spent
on: Student achievement, Fiscal viability Minutes spent on:
Everything Else
Slide 25
Board Meeting Content Dr. Brian Carpenter recommends a 30/30/30
model First 30 minutes, How Well are the students performing?
Curriculum, programs, professional development, performance data.
Second 30 minutes, Is everything occurring appropriately? Finances,
legal compliance, policies Third 30 minutes, Board assessment and
development. Evaluation, governance strengthening exercises 2014 NC
Office of Charter Schools
Slide 26
Board Meeting Content (Must pertain to board purpose, and
nothing else) Dr. Carpenter 80/20 principle Small percentage of
inputs generates or produces a large percentage of outcomes.
Addressing only one or two issues will produce extraordinary
results Challenge to the board Identify what those one or two
issues are for each board Every minute you spend engaged in the
trivial many is a minute you failed to spend discussing the vital
few (Carpenter, 2007). 2014 NC Office of Charter Schools
Slide 27
Committee Reports Provided (7 days ahead) Focused on Mission
Based Outcomes Information should directly align with the goals of
organization as a whole: School (i.e. Operations, Student
Performance, Personnel) Board (Governance, Policies, Finances,
Compliance) *If it doesnt inform the board on the Mission Based
Outcomes and support the board in achieving the organization
goalsIt should not be discussed in the board meeting. 2014 NC
Office of Charter Schools
Slide 28
Four Essential MONTHLY Financial Reports Should be timely,
accurate and comprehensible The balance sheet Demonstrates current
net worth of organization Assets, liabilities and equity Cash flow
statement Demonstrates all transactions for a period What comes
inand goes out Income and expense statement Makes a miniature
budget for the particular period The budget versus the actual
report Demonstrates whether the school is meeting goals, making a
profit (cumulative) 2014 NC Office of Charter Schools
Slide 29
Essential Academic Reports Quarterly Academic Progress Growth
and proficiency Grade levels and subgroups Alternative Assessment
Results (PBL, Portfolio, etc.) Progress new initiatives or programs
(implementation and effectiveness) Teacher training and Support
(Methods, practices, etc.) Student attendance, attrition,
suspension (monthly) **Just suggestionsreports should be results
based and align with the strategic goals of the organization. 2014
NC Office of Charter Schools
Slide 30
Governance Committee Presentation on Strategic Goals Balanced
Scorecard Example GoalMeasurableGreenYellowRed Expansion
(Governance) Expand by four members with identified prioritized
skillsets X Fundraising (Development) Raise $200,000 by June 30,
2015 X New Initiatives (Academic) 100% staff professional
development completion on 2014-2015 initiatives by June 30, 2015 X
Financial (Finance) Budget approved demonstrating annual 10% fund
balance by June 1, 2015 X 2014 NC Office of Charter Schools
Remember - Human attention focused for 3-5 minutes!
Slide 31
Lead Administrator Report on Strategic Goals Balance Scorecard
Example GoalMeasurableGreenYellowRed Student Enrollment Student
Enrollment of 400 at Month Nine X Student Waitlist of 400 by June
1, 2015 X Personnel Retention 95% of teachers invited to return
sign contracts for renewal X Financial VitalityFund balance of
$100,000 or more to close fiscal year X 2014 NC Office of Charter
Schools Remember, they have the full report!
Slide 32
Strategic Questions Academics What do these standardized test
results tell us about the effectiveness of our overall education
program (in terms of curriculum, teacher effectiveness and
preparation)? Looking at this performance report, where are we in
reaching our schools academic goals? What programs are working for
us, which need further evaluation? What trainings are we providing
our teachers to ensure instructional methods are meeting the needs
for ALL of our students? With our students with disabilities
population increasing, what adjustments do you recommend we as a
board discuss in terms of education plan, staffing, and overall
budget? What does the research say in regards to our curriculum,
does it align with our current population of students? 2014 NC
Office of Charter Schools
Slide 33
Strategic Questions Mission Based What percentage of our
students meet our targeted student population criteria laid out in
the charter? What is proficiency of our students on musical
instruments? What percentage of our families choose our school
based on our Marine Science partnerships and programs? Have we
surveyed the local businesses to see how we are preparing students
for the immediate work-force? 2014 NC Office of Charter
Schools
Slide 34
Strategic Questions Finances What is our breakdown of students
per LEA, and what is the revenue schedule for each LEA? What is the
historical data regarding our professional development budget line
item? Are we using these funds effectively? Do you project any
additional personnel to be added before the end of the school year?
What is our fund balance in comparison to our overall goal? When we
meet our fund balance goal, what will we be utilizing that
additional funding for? 2014 NC Office of Charter Schools
Slide 35
Questions or Comments? 2014 NC Office of Charter Schools
Slide 36
To review Develop an effective data management system that is
timely, comprehensive, coherent, and provides a level of continuity
to measure overtime. Ensure all members of data collection team,
and members of the board receive training to collect and utilize
data effectively. Communicate, communicate, communicate Effective
leaders are transparent, coherent, and inspiring about the short
and long term purposes and goals. 2014 NC Office of Charter
Schools
Slide 37
Lets Review our Goals Over the past three months we know:
Difference between governance and management. A goal without a plan
is a wish. Your time is valuable reports should be mission and
results and presented to the board 7 days in advance. Trust but
Verify!!! It is YOUR duty to ask the hard questions. The board
speaks with one voice or not at all. 2014 NC Office of Charter
Schools
Slide 38
Thank you for your time [email protected] A goal
without a plan is just a wish. ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900 -
1944) 2014 NC Office of Charter Schools