STEPS: 1. Building a Foundation Using Data Professional Development Communicating Student Performance Outcomes
  SMART Goals

Set Specific and Measurable Goals

After data patterns have been analyzed and problem areas prioritized, your team is ready to develop goals for improvement.  Well written goals are “SMART” goals; that is, they are

  • Specific
  • Measureable
  • Achievable
  • Research Based
  • Time Sensitive

           

Guide to Using Data in School Improvement Efforts: A Compilation of Knowledge From Data Retreats and Data Use at Learning Point Associates. Learning Point Associates, 2004. http://www.learningpt.org/pdfs/datause/guidebook.pdf

 

Examples of SMART Goals

Elementary

  • By May 2008, the percent of students in grade one who meets grade level indicators for decoding will increase from 65% to 90% as measured by the district-developed common assessment for reading.
  • By the end of the 2007-2008 school year, the percent of disadvantaged students in grade six who score proficient of above on the Grade 6 Math Achievement Test will increase from 45% to 60%.

Secondary

  • By May 2008, the percent of students in grades 9-11 that are proficient on the district-developed writing rubric (3 or higher) will increase from 60% to 80%.
  • By the end of the 2007-2008 school year, the gap between the percent of LEP and non-LEP scoring proficient or above in the Grade 6 Reading Achievement Test  will decrease by seven percentage points (from the current 25% difference) while both groups increase their overall performance.

Adapted from Writing Student Achievement Goals, adapted from the Data-Driven Decision Making Toolkit, WestEd. 2002. Accessed through the SchoolsMovingUp Web site at http://www.aacompcenter.org/cs/wested/view/rs/72

 

Make Decisions About the Improvement of Student Performance in the context of Ohio’s Standards-Based Education System

Standards-based instruction is a process for delivering, monitoring and improving education in which all educational planning and implementation begins with the Academic Content Standards. Student performance on assessments, both formative and summative, is used to revise and refine the curriculum, instruction and assessment activities.  Data is used to make decisions in Ohio’s standards-based education system.       

 

   

 

NEXT

 

Guidelines for Developing Goals

Well-written goals have the following characteristics:

  • Clear- Goals should be focused and clearly stated.

  • Data based- The goals should be directly based on the observed patterns seen through the data and their connection to the evaluation criteria.

  • Few- Goals should be few in number: they should be substantive and focus on the primary purpose of improving student achievement.

  • Measurable- Goals should be measurable.  They should articulate the desired outcome, not the specific strategies.

  • Sustainable- Goals should be systemic and sustainable.  The goals should lead to system changes and adjustments that can be sustained into the future.

  • Community driven- Goals should be developed with the outcomes that will meet the needs of the district’s community.

  • Developed by consensus- All team members should agree on all of the district goals.

  • Attainable- The goal should be one that can be achieved.  Avoid unrealistic goals and aim for tangible, realistic goals that cause stretching but are attainable.