In this tutorial, we'll analyze the alignment among team, school, and district level plans. After an overview of the relationship between autonomy and this alignment, we'll take a closer look at the process of reaching goals. And then I'll share with you a sample alignment. Let's get started.
We know that site-based management provides schools with a great deal of autonomy in their improvement efforts. But it still is a best practice to make sure that there is alignment among the plans at the district level, the school level, and the team level. So the district-level plan is going to be the one that includes the vision and the mission and the goals for the entire school system.
The district plan outlines the overarching goals that are going to drive the development of the school and team-level plans. So this is exactly where that autonomy comes in. Each of the individual schools and each of the individual teams gets to determine exactly how they are going to reach those larger overarching goals.
So at the site level, each school team is going to craft their own unique school improvement plans. And they're going to consider not only what goals they need to reach but also exactly what they are going to do to reach those goals. And likewise, the smaller PLC-level teams are going to determine how they are going to reach that larger, overarching goal by crafting their PLC plan and asking exactly what steps they are going to take.
So let's take a closer look at the process that might be involved in reaching those goals. As site-based teams consider how they're going to reach goals, they are going to need to choose and then implement site-based initiatives that are aligned with those goals. For example, if a district-level goal indicates that all students will grow in their mathematics skills through problem-based learning, a school-level goal might state that all students are going to demonstrate grade-level or higher proficiency in mathematics through educational opportunities rooted in problem-based learning.
And a site-based initiative aligned with making progress towards this goal might include teacher training and support in problem-based learning with an emphasis on mathematics skills. This initiative targets the specific pieces in the goal that the site-level team has identified as potentially areas that would be in need of training and support. And again, the site-level team has determined that this specific initiative will support both the school-level goal, and through alignment will also support the district-level goal. So with site-based management in place, schools are allowed this autonomy to choose and then implement those initiatives that are best suited to their unique needs while still being aligned to the overarching vision and mission and goals of the district.
And this alignment also carries down to PLCs. Each PLC can focus on its unique needs while still maintaining alignment to the vision and mission of the school. For example, referring to the school-level goal and site-based initiative focused on mathematics proficiency through problem-based learning might lead to this particular focus for a science PLC. That science PLC might request some additional support in creating and implementing problem-based learning opportunities in their content area that also emphasize mathematic skills as directed by the site-based initiative and the school goal.
It's important to note that this alignment process and the work towards a site-based initiative is exactly the same in a smaller PLC as it is within the larger site-based management team as we just saw. So let me show you a sample alignment. This grid shows you vision and mission statements at the district, school, and team level, along with one of three different goals at each level that I will be showing you.
This grid is a great way to display these elements because we can see the alignment among the pieces of the district level plan, among the pieces of the school level plan, and the pieces of the team level plan. But we can also see how the visions at all levels are aligned to one another, how the missions at all levels are aligned to one another, and likewise, how the goals are aligned.
We can clearly see here how each of these visions and missions and goals is carefully crafted for the level of the plan at which it was written. The district-level plan is more broad and more all encompassing. The school-level plan zeros in on the needs of the students and staff at that individual school.
And then the team-level plan is even narrower in focus and zeros in on just the unique needs that are present for that team. Here is at the bottom of this view a second goal for each of the plans. And here is a third goal for each of the plans.
In order for the district to meet the vision and the mission and the goals that are outlined in the district wide strategic plan, it is crucial that the school-level plans are aligned to the district plan. And likewise, in order for a school to be successful in its site-based initiatives, or school-based initiatives, this alignment also needs to be present from the team-level plans back to that school level plan. And it's also important to note that this alignment process would work in the same fashion for PLCs that are aligning to a school improvement plan.
So here's a chance for you to stop and reflect. If you have access to your district-strategic plan, to a site-based plan or site-based initiative, and to your team-level plan, take a few moments to analyze those plans for alignment to one another. As you reflect on how this new information can be applied, you may want to explore the additional resources section that accompanies this video presentation. This is where you'll find links to resources chosen to help you deepen your learning and explore ways to apply your newly acquired skillset. Thanks for watching. Have a great day.
(00:00 - 00:17) Introduction
(00:18 - 01:34) Autonomy and Alignment
(01:35 - 03:55) Reaching Goals
(03:56 - 05:48) Sample Alignment
(05:49 - 06:26) Stop and Reflect
Autonomy and School Improvement: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go From Here?
This articles review specific policy guidelines proven to be successful in promoting school autonomy and improvement.
http://epx.sagepub.com/content/26/3/465.abstract