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May 31: Last day to save $75 on registration for 2012 Annual Conference in Boston More Info June 30: Board of Trustees nomination deadline More Info July 22-25: 2012 Summer Conference in Denver More Info |
Results spring from aligning effort with goals By Joellen Killion Alignment within a school or district exponentially increases results. In Thompson Valley School District in Colorado, new standards for students was followed quickly with standards for teachers. In Broward County Schools in Florida, curriculum benchmarks for students are aligned closely with staff development and soon the staff evaluation system will align with these standards. In Adams Twelve Five Star Schools in Colorado, the staff development programs are aligned closely with the district's curriculum frameworks and standards-based education program. Schools and districts resemble barges on a river being moved along by the current. Rather than being left to the mercy of the current, barges are guided by tugboats that pilot them on a safe course toward their destination. Tugs provide direction and even power to combat the forces of the current. Sometimes when a section of river or a harbor is particularly difficult to navigate, additional tugs are sent in to help pilot. The same occurs in schools and districts. When the political, economic, or educational current is treacherous or dangerous, a tug guides the school or district. These tugs usually come in the form of new programs, projects, mandates, or expectations. As with river barges, when times are particularly challenging, multiple programs may be needed to counteract the effects of the currents. In schools and districts, multiple programs often compete for limited personnel, time, or other resources. Schools are often "tugged" by multiple priorities that render them immobile or, under enough pressure, cause them to break apart. In schools, multiple priorities fragment school and district focus on increasing student achievement. People scramble to develop new systems, programs, or processes to address emerging needs without heeding how new efforts fit with strategic priorities. Schedules, instructional materials, assessment programs, technology, and other structures are not aligned to support the "main thing" of a school system. Each system is necessary, yet often each operates independently of district goals. In The Power of Alignment, George Labovitz and Victor Rosansky's concept of alignment is keeping the main thing as the main thing. They say successful businesses have aligned people, processes, customers, business strategies, and leadership to achieve their "main thing," the common, unifying concept to which every unit contributes. Misaligned organizations, like cars out of alignment, are hard to steer and unresponsive to changes in direction. In schools, for example, if reward and compensation systems do not align with the expectation of high achievement of students, results for students will be harder to achieve. If the district's budget does not ensure resources for the best instructional program, the district probably won't achieve its intended results. If teachers and administrators don't have staff development that helps them gain cutting edge knowledge and skills, students will suffer. To increase alignment, districts and schools need to:
Effective staff development is aligned with the school's and district's strategic plan.
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