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Big Goals
By Joe Keeney

February 24, 2011

I was just in a meeting where a leader from one charter organization asked another, “Do you have any Big Goals?” It turned out they each had a small number of Big Goals that they could recite instantly – goals that were posted in cubicles, corridors, and even bathroom doors. Simple, clear goals that any principal or lead teacher could also recite on demand.

One organization’s school goals were:
1.       Exemplary rating from state for academic achievement.

2.       98% of K-2 students read on grade level and 100% of high school graduates enter college.

3.       95% student persistence (re-enrollment) August to August.

4.       97.5% average daily attendance.

5.       90% of staff agree and 50% strongly agree this is a good place to work.

The other’s were:
1.       Meet AYP.

2.       Increase time on task:

a.       95% average daily attendance.

b.      Reduce truancy by 20%.

3.       Improve instructional quality:

a.       Every student grows at least one grade level.

b.      10% increase in number of students scoring Advanced on state test.

c.       5% decrease in number of students scoring Below Basic on state test.

d.      Be ranked in top 10 city schools based on state test.

With the multiple layers of accountability charter schools face – charter contracts, authorizer accountability plans, donor milestones, restricted grant compliance – it was powerful to see these charter leaders from different states immediately talk the same language about their Big Goals.

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