Goal Setting Session

Decatur ISD
July 10, 2009

William Nemir
This document is provided for educational purposes only and contains information to facilitate a general understanding of the law. It is not an exhaustive treatment of the
law on this subject nor is it intended to substitute for the advice of an attorney. It is important for you to consult with your own attorneys in order to apply these legal
principles to specific fact situations. © 2008 Texas Association of School Boards, Inc. All rights reserved.
GOAL SETTING SESSION
DECATUR ISD
JULY 10, 2009

Agenda

 Introductions and review of agenda

 Review of board roles, nature of corporate functioning; difficulty of corporate

functioning in a political environment, etc.

 Review of 2008-2009 District Goals and Operational Board Goals

 Discussion of current district situation; identification of critical issues, if any.

 Discussion and Drafting of District Goals and Board Operational Goals for 2009-
10

 Discussion of next steps

© 2008 TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

800-580-8272
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GOAL SETTING SESSION
DECATUR ISD
JULY 10, 2009

2008-2009 District Goals/Operational Board Goals

1. Improve student academic achievement

A. Develop and implement a plan to improve the A.P. Program
B. Create and implement a plan to lead all campuses toward achieving exemplary
status.
C. Documentation of improved performance.

2. Continue to improve the district’s ability to attract and retain quality employees
A. Increase the retention rate of quality employees.
B. Increase applications for vacancies
C. Maintain competitive employee salaries and benefits.

3. Foster a consistent positive educational environment (ALL – community, parents,

employees, students)
A. Retention of employees
B. Communication with ALL

4. Meet the current and long-term needs of the district*

A. Implement a plan for facilities, facility upgrades and technology.
B. Evaluate, develop and implement a staffing plan to best meet the needs of the
district.
C. Develop and implement a long-term maintenance and facility plan.
D. Continue to responsibly manage taxpayers’ money (this could be Goal #4)

* Goal #4 is designed for Central office only. All parties will contribute to the goal but it should
not require major planning and goal documentation at the campus level.

© 2008 TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

800-580-8272
FILE NAME AND PATH
GOAL SETTING SESSION
DECATUR ISD
JULY 10, 2009

Sample Definitions
Critical Issues
A critical issue is a situation, trend or condition that will have a significant impact, in the next one to
three years, on the district’s success in accomplishing its vision and mission. Critical issues are
conditions, trends, or situations, not actions or solutions.

Examples of critical issues are:

 Continued lack of progress in reading achievement at the middle school level
 Inability to raise additional revenue
 Compounding problems from deferred building maintenance
 Large number of teachers reaching retirement age in the coming five years
 Declining enrollment

Critical issues can arise within and/or have an impact on:

 Student achievement and well-being
 The learning environment (the campus, the classroom, the home)
 The supporting environment (the community, the district as a whole)

District Goals
District goals generally reflect a desired state that the district governance team would like the district
to have reached by a certain time. They arise from critical issues facing the district and/or from the
governance team’s vision for the district. Goals express desired outcomes, not the means of
achieving the outcomes.

Examples of district goals are:

 By the 2008-9 school year, the district will have developed an effective
counseling and career planning function.
 By the end of the 2008-9 school year, the district will have reduced the gap at all
levels in TAKS scores between Anglo students, on the one hand, and African
American and Hispanic students, on the other.

Goals generally address one of the following areas:

 Student achievement and well-being
 The learning environment (the campus, the classroom, the home)
 The supporting environment (the community, the district as a whole)

© 2008 TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

800-580-8272
FILE NAME AND PATH
GOAL SETTING SESSION
DECATUR ISD
JULY 10, 2009

© 2008 TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

800-580-8272
FILE NAME AND PATH
GOAL SETTING SESSION
DECATUR ISD
JULY 10, 2009

Sample Definitions
Expectations and Components
Expectations and components give additional definition to a goal and additional guidance to
administration. They are often “way stations” the board would like to look at as means of
assessing progress to a goal. Again, they are not “means” of attaining the goal but can function
as process steps or criteria for the administration in selecting and implementing a means to
achieve the goal.

Expectations and components can sometimes function as superintendent

performance goals.

Examples, with accompanying goals, are:

 Goal: By the 2008-09 school year, the district will have developed an effective
counseling and career planning function.

Expectations and Components: By December 30, the superintendent will present

to the board a proposal for focusing and revising the counseling and career
planning program of the district. The proposal will include a vision for the
program, specific goals the program is to meet, measures for determining the
effectiveness of the program on an ongoing basis, budgetary and organizational
implications, and a basic implementation schedule. The proposal will be based in
part on investigations of successful counseling and career planning programs
from around the state.

Before commencement of the work, the board and superintendent shall discuss
the counseling and career planning service to ensure that any consensus board
concerns about, and desires for, the program and any budgetary guidelines have
been articulated and written down.

 Goal: By the end of the 2008-09 school year, the district will have reduced the
gap at all levels in TAKS scores between Anglo students, on the one hand, and
African American and Hispanic students, on the other.

Expectations and components: In view of the special gap that exists in math and
science, special emphasis will be placed on math and science over the next two
years. By May 2007, the superintendent will develop, with staff, an action plan for
meeting science and math goals in the timeframe outlined above. The plan will
include an analysis of specific curricular improvements that need to be
addressed in math and science, based on analysis of test data; intervention
strategies proposed, and staff development and program resources needed. The
plan will also include budget implications and a proposed implementation
schedule.

© 2008 TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

800-580-8272
FILE NAME AND PATH
GOAL SETTING SESSION
DECATUR ISD
JULY 10, 2009

Sample Definitions

Parameters
Parameters are absolute restrictions the governance team places upon itself or the administration
in addressing the goal. Parameters, sometimes called “non-negotiables,” generally must have the
unanimous support of the board. Many goals will not have parameters.

Examples of parameters include:

 The district will not add net staff positions, district-wide, to implement a new
counseling and career planning program.
 Any proposed new programs for addressing the achievement gap that require
additional funding must be accompanied by evidence of success in at least two
similar districts.


© 2008 TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

800-580-8272
FILE NAME AND PATH
GOAL SETTING SESSION
DECATUR ISD
JULY 10, 2009

Sample District Goals with Related Performance Measures

Sample 1:
District Goal A: The academic achievement of all students will improve, and the
achievement gap among student groups will close.
OBJECTIVE 1:
The academic achievement of all student groups, as measured by passing rates on state
assessments, will improve.

Criteria for a proficient rating on the superintendent evaluation instrument:

Elementary Grades (K-5): Annually, the district will see an increase in the passing rate in
a majority of the TAKS measures reported by the state.

Secondary Grades (6-12):

 For the January 2009 evaluation: The district will see an increase in the passing
rate from 2007 to 2008 in a majority of the TAKS measures reported by the state.
 For the January 2010 evaluation: The district will see an increase in the passing
rate from 2008-2009 in 60 percent of the TAKS measures reported by the state.
OBJECTIVE 2:
The academic achievement gap in math and science between all subgroups compared with the
highest performing sub group will decrease as measured by passing rates on TAKS in grades 6-12.

Criteria for a proficient rating on the superintendent evaluation instrument:

 For the January 2009 evaluation: The district will see no decrease in the passing
rate on 60 percent of the TAKS measures in 6-12 math and science reported by
the state.
 For the January 2010 evaluation: The district will see an increase in the passing
rate from 2008-2009 in a majority of the TAKS measures in 6-12 math and
science reported by the state.
OBJECTIVE 3:
The number of commended TAKS scores among all students will increase.

Criteria for a proficient rating on the superintendent evaluation instrument:

Annually, the district will see an increase in the number of commended TAKS scores in
the district.

© 2008 TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

800-580-8272
FILE NAME AND PATH
GOAL SETTING SESSION
DECATUR ISD
JULY 10, 2009

Sample District Goals with Related Performance Measures

District Goal B: The district will provide a culture of high expectations for all students.

OBJECTIVE 1:
Annually, the percentage of students meeting the THECB Standard for Higher Education Readiness
on ELA and math TAKS exit level exams will increase.

OBJECTIVE 2:
Annually, the number of students taking the PSAT, ACT or SAT tests will increase.

OBJECTIVE 3:
Each year, the mean scores on ACT and SAT tests will increase from the previous year’s mean.

OBJECTIVE 4:
Each year, the number of students enrolled in Dual Credit/Early College Start Courses or AP courses
will increase.

OBJECTIVE 5:
Each year, the completion rate among students taking Dual Credit/Early College Start Courses will
increase and the number of students scoring 3 or higher on Advanced Placement (AP) tests will
increase.

OBJECTIVE 6:
Each year, the number of Distinguished Achievement Diplomas (DAP) will increase.

OBJECTIVE 7:
Each year, the district wide dropout rate will decrease.

Criteria for a proficient rating on the superintendent evaluation instrument:

Half of the above objectives will be met in a given year.

© 2008 TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

800-580-8272
FILE NAME AND PATH
GOAL SETTING SESSION
DECATUR ISD
JULY 10, 2009

Sample District Goals with Related Performance Measures

Sample 2:
District Goal: A consistent 80 percent passing rate across the board in the district,
leading to “Exemplary” status at all levels.
Superintendent Performance Goal: For 2005-06, increase the number of students passing
TAKS in all academic areas identified as deficient. Success in this is necessary to “meet
expectations” on the goal. A rating of “exceeds expectations” will be given if the above is
accomplished while passing rates in all other TAKS measures maintain 2005 levels.

In the process of accomplishing the above, the superintendent will:

 Identify the major deficiency areas in TAKS performance in the district and
provide the list to the board for review.
 Enumerate for the board the intervention programs that will be used to address
deficiency areas and set targets for increase passing rates for the future.
 Provide the board with data on participation in the intervention programs and
data on success.

Sample 3:
District Goal: A stable and high quality staff that encourages interest in the district.
Superintendent Performance Goal: By July 2007, the superintendent will provide the board
with an analysis of the cost of bringing district salaries to the level of surrounding districts with
which the district competes for teaching staff. Included will be an assessment of the impact on
the district budget for 2006-07 and 2007-08 of moving salaries at once or over several years to
competitive levels.

By August 2006, the superintendent will provide the board with a review of the strategies used in
the previous recruiting season to increase recruiting success and an assessment of the
effectiveness of these strategies in identifying, contacting, and securing applicants for open
district positions. The report will include a list of additional new strategies the district plans to
use in the 2007 recruiting season as well as the strategies from 2006 the district plans to
continue.

In January 2007, the superintendent will provide the board with a brief update report on the
implementation of new recruiting strategies.

10

© 2008 TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

800-580-8272
FILE NAME AND PATH
GOAL SETTING SESSION
DECATUR ISD
JULY 10, 2009

Sample District Goals with Related Performance Measures

Sample 4:

District Goal: Career and Technical Education programs in the district will prepare
students to excel in a changing workplace.

OBJECTIVE 1:
Each year, the number of students enrolled in a coherent sequence of courses and TAKS passing
rates among CTE students will increase.

OBJECTIVE 2:
Each year, the number of students enrolled in Tech Prep courses, receiving recommended credit,
and collecting college credit will increase.

OBJECTIVE 3:
Each year, the number of students receiving industry certifications will increase.

OBJECTIVE 4:
Each year, the Recommended High School Plan and Distinguished Achievement Program diploma
rate among CTE students participating in a coherent sequence of courses will increase.

Criteria for a proficient rating on the superintendent evaluation

instrument:
Two of the above objectives will be met in a given year.

Sample 5:

District Goal: Develop systematic management structures, including effectiveness

measures, for all major areas of district operations
Superintendent Performance Goal: By March 1, the superintendent will develop systematic
structures for an ongoing management assessment of the effectiveness of the transportation
and HR departments. Systematic structures will include: a clear definition of the desired results
of the department’s work; targets or expected standards of performance for measuring whether
the desired result is being achieved; an outline of monitoring procedures and a monitoring
schedule; and a recommended schedule for reporting to the board.

As an interim measure, the superintendent will provide, for board review and discussion, a
proposed statement of the desired results for each of the two departments by November 30.

11

© 2008 TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

800-580-8272
FILE NAME AND PATH