A Continuous Cycle of Improvement

At the core of sustained school leadership lies a commitment to a continuous cycle of improvement. Effective leaders understand that the journey to excellence is ongoing and dynamic. The leader should place importance on fostering a culture where feedback is not only welcomed but actively sought, creating an environment where both leaders and educators engage in reflective practices to refine their strategies and methodologies continually.

At the most basic level, of course, is data. As a leader, it is crucial to collect data points that have meaning. Collecting data and developing reports take time away from other tasks. Therefore, thought should be put toward what type of data you want to see and be able to interpret. 

Data that was always important to me as a high school principal were attendance, discipline, and grade data (though this is very subjective). These are the Big 3 as I call them. If you are not looking at these, then you should. 

First, if kids are not in school, then achievement will drop. Look at chronic attendance rates. If they are high, then your school has a challenge. Begin parent meetings to make a plan for how to get the students to school. When students are in school they will achieve more. 

Next, look at your discipline reports. If certain students are having challenges, find out why. Get to the root of the problem and interrupt the cycle. 

Finally, look at grade data. Look deep into the progressions. Compare the grades to achievement on local benchmarks. What I have found many times is that grades do not align with achievement. 

Of course, there are plenty of data points that can be collected, but the Big 3 are the most important place to start. These should be regular reports that are reviewed by the site leadership team. 

Until next time...