Reading: The Starting Point

In the last lesson (step 1), I posed the question:

It would make sense to start with the foundation right?

The answer is, no.

The foundation is not the starting point for building a custom designed house. Nor does it represent the starting point for build a powerful school culture.

It's because the foundation sits on the property. Before you make any plans or designs or any hopes of having a successful build with all the intricacies involved, you must begin with the property.

I'm afraid that may sound dogmatic, so humor me with a little more explanation.

Before we plan the foundation, we must understand the property. Before we do an inspection of the soil, water lines, and all the utilities, we must begin with a survey.

The survey gives a the specific dimensions within which your house can be built. The survey follows codes and policies local ordinances that describe how close to the boundaries you can build. The survey gives you the exact dimensions, the box so to speak, within which you can create.

Without a survey of the land, no work can begin.

Yet all too often when planning...

school Improvement,
designing goals and results,
or strategic planning about which direction the school needs to go in...

...it is easy forget to start with a survey of the land.

Sketch: Foundation Factors

What foundation factors are most critical for your school, at this time? You can't survey everything, just "the land" where you will build.

Click to Enlarge

Audio: What is the Starting Point?

This 6m audio podcast covers a major pitfall associated with seeking buy-in and using the "Grand Opening" strategy.

Assignment: What are your foundation factors?

Write down 6 specific foundational factors. Keep it specific.

What critical areas are important for you as a leader?

For an engineer, the survey needs to cover the dimensions, the soil type, the gradation...among other things.

As a principal and school leader, which aspects of your school do you need to survey? What critical cultural factors does your gut tell you to look at?

Here are 42 ideas of foundational factors in school culture:

Communication

Frequency
Type
Mode
Direction
By whom?
How Often?
Why? and What?

Best Practices

Defined
Shared
Developing
Innovating
Coaching
Discover
Research-based

Teamwork

Protocol
Why meet?
What work gets done?
What discussion gets done?
Results of?
Frustrations with?
Goal-setting

Instructional Climate

Classroom Visits
Feedback for teachers
Feedback from teachers
Shared learning
Digital learning
Personalized learning for kiddos
Personalized learning for professionals

Campus Vision

Where are we heading?
What's our time frame?
Why does it matter?
Development of
Communicating
Belief in
Alignment with

Impact

What does it mean?
How do we measure?
How do we adjust?
When?
How do we celebrate?
Who owns it?
Student involvement with

If you choose, you can record your 6 foundational factors here.

Internal Survey

The internal survey is a preliminary audit to provide the data needed to determine foundation factors. Compare the data from this audit with the answers you wrote down in the previous assignment.

Step 2: Determine Foundation Factors