Continuous improvement

Based on my readings and understanding that continuous improvement is thinking about what we do and seeking ways to do it even better. I attended our school board meeting last Monday looking for evidence of continuous improvement.  I noticed the following at the board meeting:

1.     The superintendent asked for input from administrators during meetings when the information pertaining to something they were involved in or produced. 

2.     Building reports were used to celebrate successes

3.     Reports from committees on ways to improve. 

4.     Data was presented by the director of instruction on assessment scores.

Things that were not noticed or could be different:

1.     Further discussion on the assessment data presented could have been beneficial. As superintendent, I would have led further discussion with the board, focused on what we have in place and what we are planning to continue to affect the scores that were presented. This would give us a chance to get feedback from the board.

2.     There was no feedback on initiatives. With us currently going through so many initiatives from RTI, PBIS, educator effectiveness, etc. I think there needs to be some open dialogue with the school board about where we are with initiatives. This would provide transparent evidence of what work is being done by administration and what work were asking our staffs to do. This also will give viable information to help them make decisions.

3.     There is very little input or participation from the community. As superintendent, I would implement "listening" sessions.  These would be 30 to 45 minute discussions held prior to the formal board meeting. The agenda would have a particular topic of budget, staffing, facilities, or anything that is part of the district strategic plan. However, the sessions could branch out into anything that the community would like to discuss with the board. These discussions would help to connect to the community and inform the board of education what the communities interests are when making decisions.

I'm a firm believer that good decisions depend on good information. It is the superintendent’s job as the leader of the school board to make sure they have the best information. A superintendent may need to ask school board what data they need and in what format to hope them the more efficient and effective.