In education we frequently speak of SMART goals. SMART is an acronym for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-based. Since I feel certain that you are aware of what smart goals are and how to write them, I will spend time sharing with you how to set goals as a school leader. I set goals for the school as a whole, the teachers, the students, and myself. I also share my goals with staff.
Let’s start with the school goals. These are goals based on data, and typically focus on academics and behavior. For example, you may want to decrease discipline referrals by 15 percent for the next school year or 95 percent of students know their basic addition and subtraction facts by the end of the school year. Typically, I look at end of year diagnostic data, whether it be MAP, state testing, or this year I am looking forward to iReady’s data, as a starting point for the next school year. Usually, this is one of my summer projects, which is shared with teachers upon their return to work in August. Here in South Carolina, we often keep Read to Succeed goals (Act 284) in mind during goal setting since a key component of that legislation requires students to be proficient readers, as measured by state testing, at the end of third grade. My process is usually simple, start with what I know, what our data says about out school, and then create goals. Currently, my school is working toward 95% of our students meeting grade level proficiency in reading and math based on MAP data over a five year period. A yearly goal was also established, and we check our progress after each administration of MAP. While student achievement goals are a must, there also has to be a plan for how to reach those goals, which will be the topic of next week’s post.
Once teachers have their rosters and have had time to review data on their students, then it is time for teachers to set goals. This is a process that I give some guidance to my teachers on how to do it, so we met district, state, and federal requirements, but the bulk of this work lies with the teachers. They are welcome to consult with one another, the assistant principal or myself as they work on their goals for the year. A deadline is assigned for the information to be in our database, and they also meet with me to discuss their goals. I conference with each teacher about the goals set, why they set goals the way they did, how they plan to reach those goals, and how I can support them in meeting their goals. These conversations are informative, data driven, and have student achievement as the focus. I ask my teachers to set a goal for their class, then each individual student. I also like to ask the teachers what they would like to accomplish over the course of the year, and I try to plan either a professional development session or send them to a workshop to help continue their professional growth. I set a goal this year for my teachers to create a pacing guide for their English Language Arts standards, which was accomplished during grade level meetings. We also did parts in full faculty meetings so that each grade level could discuss their reasons for placement with the pacing guide.
The teachers also assist the students in setting goals for themselves. Many students want to read a certain book, or series, independently. Others may want to memorize all their math facts. Teachers conference with students about their MAP scores, and help the student set a growth goal for the year. Now that our school is using iReady, students have the opportunity to work toward their reading and math goals both online and with the teacher, either whole group or small group. I try to ask students from time to time about their goals, so that I encourage them too. Teachers do some informal data discussions with students currently, sharing where students are and where they are expected to be at the end of the grade level. Maybe next year, we can tackle data notebooks and discussions with the students with more consistency.
Finally, I set goals for myself, because that is what I think good leaders do. We have to have a vision for our schools. As a building leader, I plan to see growth from both students and teachers, so I must grow too. One yearly goal that I have is to read at least four professional books during the school year, which is an easy goal for me. Then, I also take something I learned from the book and apply it in my school. For example, I read Lead Like a Pirate then choose the R, rapport for my focus this school year. Since I was the new principal for the school, I felt building rapport with staff, students, parents, and the community should be my focus this year. I have applied bits and pieces of other books I have read as well. I usually also take at least graduate level course at least every other year. Both reading and coursework allow me to continue my growth and provides me with ways to help students and teachers meet their goals.
As goals are set for the school, the teachers, the students, and myself, I keep in mind that growth for all of us should be the focus. Yes, we all want to reach our goals. Through perseverance, hard work, and sometimes even luck, we meet those goals.
LEaD by Dr. B 