Thompson School District Organizational Systems Alignment

December 2, 2008Thompson Leadership Team

Today’s Purpose

• Understand the Big Picture about Systems Alignment

• Learn of the timelines for next steps

• Answer your questions

True to our Mission

The mission of the Thompson School District is to:

• Empower to learn

• Challenge to achieve

• Inspire to excel

Doing our best. Being the best.

To reach our mission, how do we make sure:

We work together well?

Our work is effective?

Our work adds value to our district?

Taking advantage of systems alignment. . .

Systems Alignment

Purpose of Organizational Diagnosis

+ Determine whether the organization’s work is aligned with strategic goals

+ Improve workflows

+ Improve organizational alignment & clarify roles and responsibilities

+ Understand current staff levels relative to alignment

Desired System Alignment Outcomes• Increase constancy and

purpose• Identify and utilize leverage

points• Improve workflows• Identify and measure

against key performance indicators

• Lead to and develop structures and processes: establish continuous improvement cycles

• Increase effectiveness and efficiencies

• Improve overall district outcomes

An aligned system—in balance & coordinated

Coordinated Alignment Helps Improve Achievement

Continuous improvement cycles will help bring the organization into alignment

Need

Need

Need

Independently Selected Improvement Efforts:

Focus & Linked Improvement Efforts:

Task: design and manage an efficient, effective and sustainable system

• A system is a network of interdependent components which work together to achieve common aims.

• The whole system can be constrained by one component

• Benefits include increases in:

• Repeatability

• Reliability

• Consistency

• Sustainability

• Performance

• RESULTS ! ! !

Model is adapted information from the 2007 Criteria for Performance Excellence by the National Institute of Standards and Technology

Possible Public Education Management System

Results

Support Infrastructure

Process

Workforce

Data Analysis,

Monitoring & Evaluation

Students, Parents &

Community

Lead

ers

hip S

trate

gy

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It is Leadership’s responsibility to design and manage efficient, effective and sustainable systems.

Plan: Develop key goals and related strategies, actions, and tactics. Also, establish clear metrics, ie, how one measures progress.Do: Implementation of the plan. Progress is monitored via benchmarks. Check: After a suitable time, data is gathered to determine progress.Adjust: Possible changes or modifications are made to the plan—not to the goal—in order to keep making progress toward the desired goals.

Adjust Plan

Check Do

Increasing improvement and complexity

Continuous Improvement Cycles

Organizational High-level Findings

Many Things are Going Well

• Great place to work• People feel valued• Installing new IFAS

system• Instructional coaches• Strong academic results• Evidence of skilled and

competent employees• Stabilizing HR and

Finance department staffing

Top Areas for Improvement

• Establish clear direction and priorities for the District.

• Reduce the activity and number of initiatives

• Improve staffing models • Improve SAS organizational structure

and make numerous other organizational alignment adjustments

• Update shared decision making• Improve critical processes, especially

workforce processes• Improve coordination of technology

management in terms of role and planning

Summary Findings and Recommendations

Summary of Major Opportunities by System ComponentLeadership

+ Establish clear direction and priorities

+ Streamline, consolidate or eliminate initiatives, programs and operations

+ Clarify the role of the Board

+ Recognize and elevate recognition for achieving increased levels of excellence

Students, Parents and Community

+ Identify stakeholder groups. Continue to systematically understand needs and expectations, develop positive relationships, measure satisfaction and plan improvements

Strategy

+ Clarify strategic direction, improve alignment and increase focus. Include intervention programs. Communicate direction and rationale.

+ Consider increasing ISTS role in the District to better select, utilize and manage technology

Workforce

+Update staffing models based upon best practices and apply to the District

+ Evaluate and make organizational structure adjustments in possible misaligned areas (especially in SAS)

+ Clarify roles and responsibilities and authority levels

+ Hire, train and reinforce service attitude within District

+ Continue creating a collaborative partnership between teachers, buildings and the District

Summary Findings and Recommendations

Workforce (cont.)+ Develop a target culture (e.g., values, operating principles, symbols, rituals)+ Clarify position on open information sharing+ Perform a review of prof. dev. and orientation practices to meet the needs of

varying groups+ Consider utilizing Mountain States Employers Council (MSEC) for mgnt dev

Process+ Prioritize processes. Establish process owners and systematically improve+ Update the District Communication Plan to improve internal and external

communications+ Challenge standing meeting objectives and agendas and train personnel on

meeting management skills.+ Clarify points-of-contact with the District as-well-as a deadline calendar (and

keep them updated)+ Update shared decision making model. Retrain and provide support for

application. + Data Analysis, Monitoring and Evaluation

+ Create a TSD Information PlanSupport Infrastructure

+ See: Process Improvements aboveResults

+ Include the concept of formative benchmarks and a balanced scorecard

Process Component / GeneralRecommendations – Prioritize and Improve:

Interdepartmental processes

– Processes between HR and Finance (e.g., benefits management, risk management, budgeting);

– Processes between HR and SAS (e.g., timeliness of hiring and contracts)

– Request process for HR and Finance services (consider Service Level Agreements (SLAs))

Workforce Management

– New employee orientation

– Job description update process (from workforce / job descriptions)

– Recruiting process (from workforce / hiring and firing as-well-as PS)

– Orientation processes

– Compensation adjustment process (from workforce / hiring and firing)

– Professional development (PS)

– Performance management / evaluation process (from interviews as-well-as PS)

Detail Findings and Recommendations

Note: (PS) = priorities from process session

Workforce Management (Cont)Mentoring process (from workforce / hiring and firing)Removing personnel process (from workforce / hiring and firing)

Building processesBuilding specialist schedulingBuilding master scheduling processClassroom material replenishment (PS)

OthersBest practices usage in curriculum development (PS)Proactive and standard emergency communication processDistrict Wellness Program processesGrant management processesBoard policy change process (e.g., student confidentiality policy)Equipment replacement cycle – especially for technology and Nutritional

Services (PS)Budgeting processes (PS)

Findings & Items to Prioritize Continued

Next Steps• Develop implementation plans and determine staffing

needs• Communicate results to those involved• Work on improvement projects – January through May• Update assessments and plan the next round of

improvements in the April – May timeframe

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Prioritize Ideas(need to determine group to perform

exercise)

Objective 1 – 100 Homes 100 Days

Action Items

Objective 2 - Organizational

Review Action Items

Consolidated Ideas for Action Items

Top Priority Action Items

Develop Implementation Plans for Top Priority Action

Items and Discuss Improvement Staffing

Work on Improvement

Projects

Perform Assessments and

Plan Next Round of Improvements

- Project Plans- Timeframes- Improvement Project Leads- Staffing Levels

- January - May - April - May- Week of 12/15- Week of 11/17 - Week of 12/8

- Reassess- Update Improvement Ideas- Reprioritize Ideas- Develop Implementation Plans- Determine Improvement Project Staffing

Present big picture of findings and

recommendations to various groups

- Week of 11/24 & 12/1

Thanks for your attention

Questions?

Comments?

Thoughts?

Empower to learn – Challenge to achieve – Inspire to excel