Objective: Implement processes and tools to develop an environment where every student and every adult, both teachers and those responsible for the non-instructional activities in the district, are using data to measure and improve performance.
What we do
ViKiwi recognizes that accountability / performance management is much more than assessments and complying with federal mandates like No Child Left Behind. It is giving the students and adults in the district the information and tools they need to keep improving their work; it is giving families in the district the information they need to take some responsibility for their children’s education; and it is giving the businesses and residents in the district the information they need to support the schools financially through grants and tax levies.
ViKiwi helps districts implement systems that provide teachers, administrators and the adults responsible for non-instructional activities, the information they need to monitor their performance and make timely course corrections. These systems disseminate information to the other district stakeholders and borrow from good management practices that ViKiwi’s founders have proven in business.
Recognizing that creating an environment where accountability for meeting measurable targets is driving everyday behaviors often requires changes to the culture of the organization, ViKiwi provides professional development in practices such as project management, planning, and data-driven decision-making that can significantly increase the probability that goals will be met.
How we do it
ViKiwi helps the district establish a comprehensive accountability / performance management system.
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Develop meaningful plans |
Develop a district strategic plan, departmental plans and school improvement plans that reflect the leadership’s vision for improving student achievement, and that integrate the expectations of all stakeholders. Select indicators and metrics, both quantitative and qualitative, at a level of granularity that can provide early warning signals to both students and adults when things are not working. |
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Make it easy to collect and analyze data |
Design and implement systems and processes to collect, archive and analyze the data needed to evaluate performance. Select and implement technologies that may include assessment tools, a data warehouse, and communications platforms such as SchoolMeasures™ that can streamline data collection and analysis. Identify the data needs of each stakeholder group and use technology to provide convenient access to those data (for example, through regular “scorecards”). |
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Embed processes that constantly force the discussion: “can we do better?” |
Develop teachers and administrators to adopt continuous improvement frameworks that foster collaboration and open discussion of issues, and processes that help identify problems early enough for effective corrective actions to be taken. |
Links to interesting news articles and case studies:
- Making cuts in K-12 budgets less painful for students
- An organizational structure for accountability
- Technology for data driven decision-making
- Establishing metrics for adult performance
- Program evaluation
Links to interesting white papers:
