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Critical Issues Process

Critical Issues Process. Assessment of SSAC Program Effectiveness Cynthia Kuck, Concordia University Chicago October 2006. Recommendation 2:

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Critical Issues Process

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  1. Critical Issues Process • Assessment of SSAC Program Effectiveness • Cynthia Kuck, Concordia University Chicago • October 2006

  2. Recommendation 2: If the purpose of SSAC is to help a school in crisis (emergent problems or issues), then only those recommendations that are critical to a school’s survival should be noted. Recommendation 3: Diagnostic reports should focus tightly on the critical issues facing a school. Other less critical issues should be left to the NLSA process. Recommendation 9: Diagnostic reports for schools in crisis should be tightly focused on a limited number of issues that may or may not be related to each of the areas typically found in SSAC diagnostic reports …consideration should be given to a different report format.

  3. Identify critical issues • targets … not “shotgun approach” • From SSAC Study • … the most often cited “critical issues” … • financial difficulties • declining enrollment • interpersonal conflicts in church and school • unclear mission or vision • ineffective (or no) strategic planning • ineffective (or no) marketing plan • unqualified and/or ineffective leadership • declining church support for school

  4. Critical Issues Process • Requires changes in … • pre-visit • during the visit • report writing • Team D1 and D2 has tried this in four visits, modifying the process in each visit to be more effective. • Other teams have tried different aspects of the CI process. • Team D Model …

  5. Pre-Visit • Try to identify “critical issues” • SSAC Narrative • Critical Issues Survey (7-13) • SSAC contact and “leaders” (application) • email address, phone • 5 most important (or critical) issues • return within 3-4 weeks of visit • District Executive Survey (7-14) • same “issues” • rating, comments (7-15) • return within 3-4 weeks of visit

  6. Pre-Visit: Identifying CI • School Board survey • Teachers and staff survey • get pre-visit input • provides more discussion time during focus groups • Online survey • Scope of critical issues may dictate some schedule changes • personal interviews • focus groups • Team consensus on “critical issues” • send CI survey results to team prior to visit • Saturday: identify 2 or 3 targets … less is more • be flexible to change focus

  7. Identifying Critical Issues

  8. During the Visit • Personal interviews • share “critical issues” for input • how you determined “critical issues” • stay on topic • ask for other “issues” at end of discussion

  9. During the Visit: Focus Groups • Share “critical issues” for input • how you determined “critical issues” • give summary overview of each issue • stay on topic • ask for other “issues” at end of discussion

  10. During the Visit: Focus Groups • Gathering input • one issue at a time vs. 2-3 issues • put up all charts • list some items in multiple charts • be flexible to change focus • Ask leading question for input … • Declining Enrollment: What factors contribute to declining enrollment? • Finances: What is causing some financial stress or tension? • Consensus (group) vote on concerns … not critical issue

  11. Writing the SSAC Report • Less is more … quality vs quantity • Team members write per “critical issue” • may have overlap of relationships, governance, or programs and personnel • focused writing

  12. Writing the SSAC Report • Monday evening • work on one set of charts (critical issue) at a time • team consensus on concerns … limit to 3-4 per CI • determine who is most comfortable writing the respective CI concerns and recommendations • If there are 3 critical issues … • each team member writes on one CI • group consensus on commendations • If there are 2 critical issues … • two team members write on the critical issues • team member #3 writes commendations and serves as “editor”

  13. Writing the SSAC Report

  14. Writing the SSAC Report • Report format: • one section for commendations • one section for each critical issue • + overview paragraphs state case for CI • Report summary: • major commendations • list each critical issue • + summary paragraph (condensed overview)

  15. Critical Issues ProcessSummary • Helps keep critical issues focus for school • Gives manageable number of recommendations … not too overwhelming • More beneficial to school improvement

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