01/07/2025
The Fort Worth ISD Trustees will soon be adopting 5-year Student Outcome Goals and a strategic plan informed by those goals. We (Ken, Twyla and many of our alumni and fellows) have been advocating for prioritizing new goals for over a year now; since the expiration of the previous goals, in May of 2024, was on the horizon. And when the administration presented incomplete goals to the board in July, we expressed our dissatisfaction and asked for better. So now seems like an ideal time to review why these goals are so critically important to our students and community. The more of us that are conversant in the governance processes that produce and monitor these goals the better. (So share this post!) This is accountability. This is staying focused on what our kids (our future) know and are able to do.
Why are comprehensive and smart student outcome goals so important to us and our kids?
The goals set are what we watch. They are the canary in the coal mine. Once set, the trustees must expect regular reporting on the metrics set as progress measures for grade levels and student groups. They allow the board to align resources with specific gaps in progress. They allow the board to support the administration with what they need to meet the goals. And, yes, ultimately, they hold the Superintendent accountable (the Superintendent’s evaluation must be tied to these goals).
Where do the goals come from?
The goals are a collaborative effort between the administration and the school board that are ultimately approved by the board. The administration uses the metrics of Texas state accountability and their education expertise. The trustees ensure that the goals reflect the educational vision conveyed to them by the communities they serve and that our collective obligation to educate our kids are included in the goals and progress metrics.
What should we be looking for in the goals?
Texas requires 3 specific goals (early literacy, early math, and CCMR), so we need to see those, plus some more that capture other grade levels and collective improvement. It is crucial that each goal have detailed "progress measures" underneath them that give Trustees, parents, and the community eyes on student progress that ladder up to each goal. For example, a 3rd grade literacy goal should have progress measures for grades PK through 2nd that inform progress to the 3rd grade goal along the way. Measuring 3rd grade outcomes in 3rd grade alone is too late to make course corrections. The goals and progress measures also need to be disaggregated by student populations to ensure all student groups are progressing. As with any good goals, they should include baselines, targets, deadlines, and populations.
Where is the accountability?
Progress towards the goals should be reported to the board and public on a regular basis (established as part of the goals adoption). Additionally, these goals should be integrated into the Superintendent's evaluation; this is a best practice, but also especially useful now, at a time when our district is looking for a new Superintendent. Superintendent candidates deserve to know what the Trustees and community expect from them and there’s no better way to formalize that than with quality student outcome goals and goal progress measures. And importantly, as we cannot be certain who will be at the helm or on the board over the next 5 years, these goals codify our educational vision regardless of leadership.
What can I do?
Please join us in continuing with our advocacy for all our Fort Worth ISD students by reminding your trustee how important these goals are and using this information to evaluate and provide feedback to trustees on what is presented to the board at an upcoming meeting.
-----------------------------
Interested in learning more? Interested in running for school board? Let us know! We’re always happy to speak to you, your group, your organization, your co-workers (or just you!) about the importance of high functioning school governance.
