You feel good about the past several months. Your organization has identified its God-given mission, identified the goals it needs to achieve to carry out its mission, decided to use key performance indicators to monitor mission achievement, and is now field-testing its key performance indicators. Wow! Real progress.
 
You want to use the progress you’ve made to close the gap between the words of your mission statement and the reality of your situation. So, you talk about the mission, discuss the goals, tell success stories, and analyze survey results. Good. And you’re thinking about using key performance indicators.
 
Question: How can you use key performance indicators to close the gap?
 
I use key performance indicators to help me focus on what to do next. For example, to achieve my mission during this school year, I need to have 30 coaching clients who are making progress toward their goals. Right now, I have 26. So, I know I need to help 4 more clients make progress.
 
Here’s another example: To achieve my mission during this school year, I need to help 40 leaders build capacity and/or get better results from using resources I provided. So far, I have helped 55 leaders in this way.
 
By using my key performance indicators, I know I need to help 4 more coaching clients, and I know that I don’t need to focus on using resources to help leaders build capacity and/or get better results. Using key performance indicators helps me know what to do next.
 
Question: How could using key performance indicators help you close the gap?
 
Focus on using key performance indicators to close the gap. Today.
 

You want to monitor how well your organization is achieving its God-given mission. You’ve thought about collecting examples, doing surveys, and monitoring key performance indicators. You share your thinking with others, and then get a team to talk through what would help you monitor progress on your mission. The team decides to monitor key performance indicators and plans to take steps to identify key performance indicators.
 
Question: How can you identify your key performance indicators?
 
Here’s what I did:

1. I reflected on my mission statement and the 5 goals I need to achieve in order to carry out my mission (coaching, consulting, networking, resourcing, and training).
2. Then I asked myself, “What’s success look like?” I brainstormed things that would indicate success. For example, one key performance indicator I identified for coaching was the number of clients who took action on their goals.
3. After brainstorming indictors for each of my 5 goals, I selected 1 indicator for each goal and figured the best way to know if I had picked useful indicators was by field-testing them.
4. And that’s exactly what I did—I field-tested my key performance indicators.
5. Later, I reviewed the usefulness of each indicator, asking myself questions like the following: What did I learn from field-testing this indicator? How helpful is this indicator? How easy is this to monitor? Is there another indicator that would be more helpful?
6. I refined my key performance indicators.
7. Finally, I decided to repeat the process I had used.

Here’s the process: Reflect, Brainstorm, Select, Test, Review, Refine, Repeat.
 
Your turn:

1. What’s your mission? What goals do you need to achieve to carry out your mission?
2. What are some key performance indicators for each of your goals?
3. What 1 or more key performance indicators do you want to use for each goal?
4. How long do you want to field-test your indicators?
5. What did you learn from field-testing your key performance indicators?
6. How can you refine your indicators?
7. How often do you need to repeat the process?

Focus on identifying your key performance indicators. Today.

Use examples, surveys, and indicators to measure mission achievement.

By asking questions like:

1. What’s your mission statement?
2. What excites/concerns you about the mission?
3. How does your work help achieve the mission?
4. What helps you achieve the mission? What gets in your way?
5. On a scale of 1-5 (5 being high), how focused are you on your mission statement?
6. What can you do to increase your focus?
7. What will you do?

Lack of energy. I don’t like it. You don’t like it. And lately, you’ve noticed that you and your team have less energy for carrying out your team’s ministry. You take some time to pray and reflect, and you conclude that both you and your team have gotten involved in good activities that aren’t central to moving your ministry forward.
 
You, for example, serve on the board of a church ministry. You enjoy helping. You like talking with other board members. As a result of your participation, you have less energy for your primary ministry—this concerns you.
 
You should be concerned. Why? Because God called you to carry out your primary ministry. And because as a leader, your job is to focus your team’s energy on its primary ministry.
 
You want to lead more effectively, so you take more time to pray and reflect. You decide that you’ll focus more on your ministry’s God-given mission statement and that you’ll focus your team more on its mission. Sounds good.
 
What can you do? To achieve your first goal of being more focused, you can do what leaders I know do: They talk about their mission statement daily. They explain how their activities contribute to achieving their mission. And they use the mission to guide their decisions about what to invest energy in.
 
What can you do to achieve your second goal of helping your team focus more on its mission? You can ask your team what excites them about your team’s mission statement. You can have your team prioritize current activities in terms of achieving the team’s mission. And when a team member is considering whether or not to take on a task, you can ask, “How effectively will this ___ (meeting, project, task, proposed change) help us accomplish our team’s mission?”
 
Bottom line: Focus on the mission.
  

Learn more about getting focused:

• Watch videos
• Take a self-assessment
• Read “To learn more about achieving your mission, explore these 4 questions”

God has given your organization its mission. Maybe it’s to equip student to impact the world for Christ. Or maybe it’s to make Jesus known and to empower His disciples to build up His Church.
 
Now staff members are asking, “What’s it take to achieve our mission?” That’s a good question and one that deserves an answer. And knowing the answer can help staff focus on achieving the mission.
 
How can your organization define what it takes to carry out your mission? By identifying 3-7 areas in which your organization will be involved, for example, coaching, consulting, networking, and training (see below* for further examples).
 
Once you’ve identified 3-7 areas, transform each area into a goal for each area, for example: Coaching—Provide the support, encouragement, and accountability Christian leaders need to pursue God’s calling. These 3-7 goals are the answer to the question “What’s it take to achieve our mission?”
 
Here’s how this plays out in a Christian school with a mission to equip students to impact the world for Christ. The school has determined that to achieve its God-given mission, the school must:

1. Have students who are achieving the student objectives (schoolwide learner outcomes)
2. Have an exemplary, sustainable, replicable Christ-centered educational program
3. Have an organizational culture, sensitive and responsive to current and changing demographics, which reflects the board-approved values (faithfulness, caring, collaboration, diversity, excellence, and stewardship)
4. Have qualified Christian staff working to achieve board ends
5. Have a sound financial base
6. Have a safe physical plant facilitating student learning

Focus on what it takes to achieve your organization’s God-given mission. Today.
 
*Sample areas
Administration
Age-group ministry
Board
Camping
Church planting
Coaching
Communications
Community development
Consulting
Counseling
Curriculum
Discipling
Education
Evangelism
Facilities
Finance
Fine arts
Fundraising
Leadership development
Member care
Mentoring
Music
Networking
Pastoral care
Personnel
Program development
Public relations
Publishing
Research and development
Resource management
Sports
Strategic planning
Technology
Training
Worship

If you and your fellow staff want to further understand what God wants your organization to achieve, ask Him. Get together and ask Him. Relentlessly. Then, listen. And when God answers, reflect on what He’s saying.
 
Then as a group capture what God is saying in a short, memorable, easy-to-memorize statement. A statement that helps everyone remember what God is calling your organization to do—your organization’s God-given mission statement. Here’s an example: Christian Academy in Japan, a school for the children of evangelical missionaries in Japan, equips students to impact the world for Christ.
 
And when you’ve finalized your mission statement, keep the focus on what God is calling your organization to do by talking about the mission, asking people what excites them about the mission and how their work contributes to the mission, and maybe even encouraging everyone to memorize the mission.
 
Focus on your organization’s God-given mission. Today.

You want to serve God more effectively. So do I. God has done great things for me, and out of gratitude, I want serve even more effectively.
 
One thing that helps me increase my effectiveness is focusing. Focusing on God, on what He’s calling me to do, on what’s going on, and on action steps I need to take so I can serve effectively.
 
Questions help me focus. Questions like:

1. What’s your organization’s God-given mission?
2. What’s it take to achieve your organization’s God-given mission?
3. How can you measure mission achievement?
4. How can you identify key performance indicators?
5. How can you use key performance indicators to achieve your mission?

To get started, how about discussing the above questions at a team meeting?
 
Get focused. Reflect on some questions. Today.

You're in a meeting. You're listening to an intriguing proposal on staff training. But something is bothering you—the presenter has not connected the proposal to your organization's mission.

Question: What can you do?

Answer: You can ask questions, for example:

• How does your proposal support our mission?
• How will you help others understand how your proposal supports our mission?
• What revisions can you make to your proposal so is explicitly supports the achievement of our mission?

Encourage others to connect their proposals to the mission. Ask questions. Today.

Want to achieve your mission? If so, focus even more on your mission. Why? Because the more you focus on your mission, the more you will get it done.
 
3 questions:

1. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being high), how focused are you on your mission?
2. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being high), how focused on your mission do you want to be?
3. What will you do?

Focus on achieving your mission. Today.

Tomorrow, you’re presenting a proposal to the Leadership Team. The proposal is about how to orient new staff better. You feel good about the proposal.
 
But something is bothering you.
 
Then you realize what is bothering you. When developing your proposal, you didn’t think about your organization’s mission. You didn’t ask yourself, “In terms of the mission, what do new staff need to understand, be able to do, and value?”
 
As you consider this question, other questions come to mind:

• How can we help new staff understand the mission?
• How can we help new staff understand where we are in terms of achieving our mission?
• How can we help staff understand how they contribute to the mission?
• How can I help the Leadership Team see how this proposal supports the mission?

Good news! The presentation isn’t until tomorrow. So, you have time to revise it. You have time to make clear how the proposal supports the mission.
 
Consider 4 questions:

1. What proposal are you working on?
2. What do you hope to accomplish through your proposal?
3. How does your proposal support the mission?
4. How will you help others understand how your proposal supports the mission?

Connect your proposals to your mission. Today.

Your team is on a mission. First team to make the puzzle wins. Your team has found the edge pieces and has connected them to make a rectangle. And now your team is at a loss.
 
There’s a gaping hole inside the rectangle.
 
Unfortunately, this puzzle did not come with a picture. You wish it had. Everyone on your team wishes it had. Why? Because knowing what the picture looks like would help your team work more effectively and efficiently to finish the puzzle.
 
Point: In an organization, the mission statement is like the puzzle border. Daily activities are like the pieces that fill in the gaping hole. Knowing how the daily activities are connected to the mission and to each other can help you work more effectively and efficiently.
 
Consider 3 questions:

1. What do you do each day?
2. If you didn’t do your job, what would happen?
3. So, how does your job contribute to achieving the mission?

Find out how your daily activities contribute to the mission. Today.

Leaders who are focused on their mission do 5 things. To what extent do you do these 5 things?

Want to focus on your mission? If so, talk about it. Why? Because talking helps you focus. The more you talk about your mission, the more you’ll focus on it.
 
Want to find out how focused you are on your mission? If so, find out how often you talk about it. If you regularly talk about your mission each day, you’re focused on it. If you don’t talk about your mission each day, you’re not fully focused on it.
 
Consider 5 questions:

1. What do you talk about with others?
2. What priorities do your daily conversations reflect?
3. How does talking impact what you focus on?
4. If you talked more about your mission, what might happen?
5. What will you do?

Talk about your mission. Today.

You want to learn more about achieving your God-given mission. You want deepen your understanding of:

1. Your mission
2. What it takes to achieve your mission
3. How you’re doing on achieving your mission
4. How you can close the gap between the words of your mission and the reality of your situation

Question: How can you learn more about achieving your mission?

Answer: By exploring the following 4 questions:

(1) What’s your God-given mission?

1. What is a mission statement?
2. What makes a good mission statement good?
3. How important is your God-given mission?
4. How can you unleash the power of your mission statement?
5. How focused are you on your God-given mission?
6. How can you be a good steward of your God-given mission?

(2) What’s your definition of mission achievement?

1. If you don’t define the achievement of your God-given mission, how effectively can you work?
2. What does it take to achieve your mission?
3. To achieve your God-given mission, what has to be accomplished? To what degree?
4. How does defining the mission help?
5. What do you need to do to effectively define mission achievement?
6. How can you define what it takes to carry out your school's mission?

(3) To what extent are you achieving your mission?

1. What do you need to know?
2. If you don’t measure the achievement of your mission, how effectively can you lead?
3. How does measuring the mission help?
4. How can measurement help you increase your focus on your mission?
5. How can a scorecard help you increase your focus on your mission?

(4) What will you do to close the gap?

1. Are you a player or a spectator?
2. How focused are you on closing the gap?
3. What can you do to close the gap?
4. How can getting coaching help you close the gap?
5. How can you maintain and increase commitment, participation, and accountability?

Remember: The real question isn't "How can you learn more about achieving your mission?" The real question is "What will you do to achieve your mission?"

Resources:

1. Video: To achieve your God-given mission, make sure of 4 things
2. Self-assessment: How focused are you on your God-given mission?
3. Tutorial: Empower others to strategically pursue God’s calling
4. Define mission achievement in terms of measurable student learning
5. Know where you are and where you want to go
6. Measure mission achievement
7. Measure and report achievement of schoolwide objectives
8. Want to achieve your goals?

You’re considering developing student objectives (schoolwide learning outcomes). Before doing so, you’d like to get clear on the big picture. You’re wondering, “How are mission, student objectives, and curriculum connected? Is there a framework that connects these?”

Yes! The MOSAIC framework helps you connect mission, student objectives, and curriculum:

1. Mission 
2. Objectives 
3. Standards 
4. Assessments 
5. Instructional strategies 
6. Children  

 
Mission: A school mission statement is a 15- to 25-word statement that identifies the school, its purpose, and possibly its constituency. Here’s an example: Christian Academy in Japan, a school for the children of evangelical missionaries working in Japan, equips students to impact the world for Christ. 
 
Objectives (also known as student objectives, expected student outcomes, schoolwide goals, and expected student learning results): Student objectives define your school mission in terms of measurable student learning. An example of a student objective is, “Communicate through writing, speaking, reading, listening, graphs and charts, and the arts.” 
 
Standards define what students must achieve within a given subject in order to achieve the student objectives (and consequently the mission). If your student objective is, “Communicate through writing, speaking, reading, listening, graphs and charts, and the arts,” one of your English standards might be, “Create clear, purposeful texts.” 
 
Assessments are ways students show their achievement of the standards (and consequently the student objectives and mission). Assessments include writing, projects, presentations, labs, and discussion. An example of a unit assessment for 10th graders is, “Write a 750-word persuasive essay on the following: What is wrong with the world? Support your answer with references to the Bible and to stories we studied during this unit.”  
 
Instructional strategies are ways teachers prepare students for assessments. For example, when students are preparing to write their 750-word essays on “What’s wrong with the world?”, they could brainstorm their ideas in small groups before writing their rough drafts. 
 
Children: In class, teachers teach children (not course content). They help children prepare for assessments so they can demonstrate achievement of the standards, and, consequentlythe student objectives and mission. 


*This blog entry is part of a 7-part series:

1. How can you define what it takes to carry out your school's mission?
2. Are student objectives right for you and your school?
3. What's developing student objectives look like?
4. What questions should you consider before developing student objectives?
5. What makes good student objectives good?
6. What are some reasons for developing student objectives?
7. How are mission, student objectives, and curriculum connected?

You’re thinking about developing student objectives (schoolwide learning outcomes). It’s going to take time and energy. You have limited amounts of these—so, you know that developing student objectives means other things won’t get done. Now you’re wondering, “Is it worth it? What are some reasons for developing student objectives?”

Here are 5 reasons why you might want to invest time and energy into developing student objectives:

(1) Because you want to close the gap between your rhetoric and your reality. Your mission statement defines your school’s overall purpose, but it doesn’t define what a student must know, be able to do, and value. This results in a gap between the rhetoric of your mission statement and what your teachers and students are accountable to achieve in the reality of the classroom. Student objectives define your mission in terms of specific, measurable student learning. Consequently, they help you close the gap. 

(2) Because you want to know how well you’re achieving your mission. To do this, you need to define what achieving your mission involves—which is what student objectives can help you do. How? First, you align your student objectives with your academic standards. Then, when you assess your standards you can get data on your student objectives and, consequently, on how well you’re achieving your mission.

(3) Because you want to connect mission, student learning, curriculum, and school improvement planning: 

• To do this, you need to define your mission in terms of student learning—which is what student objectives do.
• Next, you need to develop a curriculum that is designed to help your students achieve your student objectives. Student objectives clarify what your students must learn in order to achieve the mission, which in turn clarifies what your teachers must teach—and must no longer teach because it does not result in mission achievement.
• Finally, you can use student objective assessment data as the basis of your school improvement planning. You can use it to increase student learning.

(4) Because your want your parents to better understand and support your mission. Mission statements are global. This results in parents not having a specific handle on what their children will learn nor on how that learning is connected to your mission.  Student objectives define the mission in terms of student learning—so, they give parents a specific handle on what their children will learn and how that learning is connected to your mission.

(5) Because you want your students to catch your vision of Christian education. A key reason your students don’t catch the vision of Christian education is because you haven’t defined in terms of what they have to learn. When you do, students will be better able to catch the vision.

Define the achievement of your school’s mission. Develop student objectives. Today.


*This blog entry is part of a 7-part series:

1. How can you define what it takes to carry out your school's mission?
2. Are student objectives right for you and your school?
3. What's developing student objectives look like?
4. What questions should you consider before developing student objectives?
5. What makes good student objectives good?
6. What are some reasons for developing student objectives?
7. How are mission, student objectives, and curriculum connected?

You want to define your school’s mission in terms of student learning. So, you’re working to develop student objectives (schoolwide learning outcomes).

Question: What makes good student objectives good?

Answer: Good student objectives...

1. Define the mission in terms of measurable student learning 
2. Are Christ-centered, promoting the development and application of a biblical worldview 
3. Are based on sound, current research and practice 
4. Are for all students 
5. Address the whole person 
6. Are interdisciplinary 
7. Are attainable 

Define the achievement of your mission. Develop good student objectives. Today.


*This blog entry is part of a 7-part series:

1. How can you define what it takes to carry out your school's mission?
2. Are student objectives right for you and your school?
3. What's developing student objectives look like?
4. What questions should you consider before developing student objectives?
5. What makes good student objectives good?
6. What are some reasons for developing student objectives?
7. How are mission, student objectives, and curriculum connected?

Before developing student objectives (schoolwide learning outcomes), do some reflection. I encourage you to reflect on the 8 questions below:
 
(1) Who initiates the development of student objectives?
The administration. Says David Wilcox, international director for the Association of Christian Schools International, “This is just the norm, rather than a philosophical issue. The educational leadership of an educational institution is usually more informed about…research issues including the importance of student outcomes.” 
 
The administration should research student objectives: 

• What they are. 
• How they help close the rhetoric/reality gap. 
• The criteria used for developing them 
• What student objectives other schools use.
• Suggested processes for developing them. 

(2) Aren’t student objectives the province of the board?
Yes and no. Student objectives define the mission in terms of measurable student learning. They resemble “ends” statements, and the development and approval of “ends” statements is generally the province of the board.  
 
However, student objectives are also overarching curriculum standards. Given this, and that curriculum standards are the province of the administration, and that curriculum training and experience are needed to develop effective student objectives, I recommend the board rely on the experts it has hired to carry out the mission—that is, the administration.  
 

(3) What is the board’s role in the development and approval of the student objectives? 
Policy. Rather than playing a direct, hands-on role, I recommend that the board develop a policy for student objectives and hold the administration accountable to this policy.  
 
Here’s a sample policy: 
A. The administration will develop and revise the student objectives. 
 
B. Student objectives must: 

• Define the mission in terms of measurable student learning 
• Be Christ-centered, promoting the development and application of a biblical worldview 
• Be based on sound, current research and practice 
• Be for all students 
• Address the whole person 
• Be interdisciplinary 
• Be attainable 

C. If the administration’s proposal: 

• Addresses the criteria, the board will approve the proposal as submitted. 
• Does not address one or more criteria, the board will indicate which criteria were not met and ask the administration to make revisions. 

(4) Who should the administration involve in the development of student objectives?
Students, parents, staff, and board members. This is what the Western Association of Schools and Colleges suggests. 
 
Wilcox explains, “The broader the involvement of the various segments of the school community, the more likely the outcomes will be comprehensive and representative of the community served. This response assumes a situation where the leadership of the school and the parent community are fundamentally unified as a believing community….The reality is that the administration (including curriculum coordinators) and the faculty are the primary developers of the outcome statements.” 
 

(5) What process can the administration use to develop student objectives?
Roundtable discussion. This is an effective way for students, parents, staff, and board members to collaborate on developing student objectives. Use these 5 steps: 

1. Use examples to explain what student objectives are, the role they play, and the criteria that will be used for developing them. Check out student objectives from other Christian schools 
2. Ask each group to brainstorm answers to the following question: “Given our mission, what do we want all students to know, be able to do, and value?”  
3. Pair up groups. Have each paired group collaborate to develop one set of student objectives. Post the results and have a whole group debriefing.  
4. Explain that an administration-appointed committee will use the results and criteria to develop a proposed set of student objectives. This set will be field-tested for at least a semester and then revised (using community input).  
5. Have the administration approve the student objectives and submit the student objectives to the board for approval. 

 
(6) Is it mandatory that we develop our own distinct set of student objectives?
No, nor is it necessarily wise to do so. Christian schools have finite resources and so rely on a variety of outside resources—ACSI, curriculum organizations, textbook publishers, state agencies, and consultants. Using an established set of student objectives from another school is an example of relying on an outside resource.  
 

(7) Doesn’t using another school’s student objectives diminish our distinctiveness?
No, I don’t think so, anymore than using denominational creeds, hymns, and procedures diminishes your church’s distinctiveness. Where and how you go about achieving the student objectives (your staff and students, facilities, location, standards, assessments, and instructional strategies) will continue to reflect your distinctiveness. 
 
For example, two Christian schools could both focus on helping their students be “productive collaborators who respect themselves and others as being created in God’s image.” Alpha Christian School might, for example, focus in social studies on helping students avoid the self- centeredness that marks cultures. Beta Christian School might focus in social studies on helping students consistently demonstrate a healthy self- respect based on an appreciation for Christian beliefs, Japanese culture, and homeland culture. Same student objective, distinctive local focus.  
 
Remember, the goal is to close the gap between rhetoric and reality—not to develop a set of student objectives. Given this, and that it took us 5 years to figure out how to use our student objectives to improve student learning, you may want to begin by field-testing an established set.


(8) If we start with another school’s student objectives, do we need to modify the process?
A little bit. If you do this, remember to: 

• Verify that this set meets your board’s criteria. 
• Train community members in the nature and function of student objectives. 
• Explain why you chose the set. 
• Use community feedback to revise the field-tested set as appropriate. 

You may invite an administrator from the school that developed your chosen set of student objectives to help you with the process.


*This blog entry is part of a 7-part series:

1. How can you define what it takes to carry out your school's mission?
2. Are student objectives right for you and your school?
3. What's developing student objectives look like?
4. What questions should you consider before developing student objectives?
5. What makes good student objectives good?
6. What are some reasons for developing student objectives?
7. How are mission, student objectives, and curriculum connected?

School Year 1: Panic—we started in a state of panic. And panic is not a good place to be. I sat in my office, looking Focus on Learning, the reaccreditation manual from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). I liked the title. I liked that the reaccreditation process had been boiled down to two questions: (1) “How are students doing with respect to the [student objectives]…?” and (2) “Is the school doing everything possible to support high achievement of these [student objectives] for all its students?” 
 
I didn’t like it that I couldn’t answer the questions. “Great!” I thought. “This reaccreditation process is predicated on student objectives. We don’t have them. What are they? I don’t get it.” At this point, I did an understandable thing—I panicked, got to work, and tried to unsettle everyone as little as possible. 

But where do you begin when you don’t understand what student objectives are? I knew what department objectives were, but our students were learning without student objectives—so why develop student objectives? One part of me answered, “Because the board says we have to be accreditated with WASC, and in order to be accredited with WASC, we have to have student objectives.” Another part of me answered, “This will be good for us. It’ll help us close the rhetoric/reality gap.” 
 
I moved from panicking to working. Then I noticed that Focus on Learning had a section on student objectives—a definition, a set of descriptors, a sample procedure for developing these, and sample student objectives. I learned that student objectives were schoolwide, interdisciplinary, measurable student learning outcomes that define what a student should know and be able to do.  

I read the words. I didn’t really understand them. They didn’t sound like department objectives. Department objectives were more like non- measurable ideals. I read the words again, but still couldn’t fully grasp the meaning. So I kept rereading while I collected samples from other schools.  
 
I felt better. I remembered that during a recent philosophy review committee meeting we had talked about focusing on implementing the philosophy (instead of revising—wordsmithing—it). I had an inkling that student objectives could help us implement our philosophy.  
 
Given that student objectives seemed related to the philosophy, student objectives sounded like the province of the board. However, the process outlined by Focus on Learning didn’t indicate this. Instead, the Focus on Learning process said students, parents, staff, and board should participate in developing student objectives.  
 
I thought, “Parents aren’t even involved in curriculum development. Neither are students. Why are they involved in developing student objectives?” 
 
Again, I did an understandable thing. I panicked, got to work, and tried to unsettle everyone as little as possible. Focus on Learning suggested roundtable discussions and brainstorming sessions involving students, parents, staff, and board members. A good process. But it was already early December, and I didn’t want to spring such a process on people just before Christmas vacation.  
 
Surveys seemed like a good alternative, so in December I asked secondary students, parents, and staff to select 5 student objectives from a list of 22 that I had compiled. 

In January of School Year 1, I published the results in student and school publications. Faculty used the student objective survey results to talk with student council representatives, reviewed the philosophy statement, and then developed an initial draft. “Things are moving!” I thought. 
 
The teaching staff adopted a set of student objectives for field-testing, with the understanding that during the spring, school community input would be sought and that revisions could be made in June. 
 
As a result of field-testing, we shortened the list of objectives, made them more readable, and mailed them to parents in June. I was feeling good. And I felt even better as we used our student objectives to successfully complete the reaccreditation process. 
 
We finished student objective development—then I learned we were just getting started. Documentation completion = start implementation. And implementation is at least 90% of the work. I was feeling too good to realize this—we had survived reaccreditation, received a 6-year term and were implementing our strategic plan. 

School Year 2 - School Year 5: Something was wrong. Maybe I should have clued in when a teacher said, “Student objectives describe what I do”—instead of saying, “Student objectives guide what I do.” 
 
Maybe I should have clued in when we continued asking, “How well do the student objectives reflect our departmental objectives?”— instead of asking, “How well do our student objectives determine our department objectives?  
 
Maybe I should have clued in when I couldn’t figure out the connection between our strategic plan and our student objectives. Certainly I should have clued in when wordsmithing these during the board approval process did not result in increased implementation. But I didn’t.  

School Year 6: Finally at the start of School Year 6, it clicked. We had a corporate “aha” experience. We understood what student objectives were, that they defined mission achievement. The result? A flurry of implementation. 

• First, we used the student objectives to revise department standards. We developed a chart that showed the alignment between the student objectives and each department standard. We used the chart to revise department standards and to require all departments to have standards on helping students understand a Christian worldview and on helping students use a biblical perspective. 
• Second, we developed assessments designed for students to demonstrate their achievement of the student objectives. We scored the assessments using rubrics that were explicitly based on standards (and consequently on the student objectives). We used student assessment data to monitor student achievement of the student objectives (and consequently the achievement of the mission).  
• Third, we required secondary students to use the student objectives to assess their learning and to use their findings to develop a growth plan. They presented their plans to their parents during student-led conferences. 
• Fourth, we developed a SMART goal for student learning: 90% of high school students will score above standard on all student objectives, scores being taking from rubric-scored assessments. We used this goal to drive school improvement. 
• Fifth, we used publications to describe how, for example, chapel and writing help students achieve the student objectives and, consequently, the mission. 

In January of School Year 6, we started the reaccreditation process, which stipulated that we review our student objectives. So, students, parents, and staff contributed to the effective revision of our student objectives. How?  

• First graders, for example, voted 20 to 2 to keep the category “caretakers” instead of changing it to “stewards.” Students in grades 4, 6, 7, and 11 confirmed that suggested changes reduced difficult vocabulary; for example, in the original draft, 6th graders identified 6.53 difficult words and in the proposed draft, they identified 2.2 difficult words.  
• Parents said they preferred placing the distinctively Christian statements at the top of each category instead of at the end, as this emphasized that we are a Christian school; for example, “Discerning Thinker” category now lists “Use a biblical perspective” first. 
• Staff offered suggestions to make the document shorter and more user-friendly; for example, we changed “Generate creative ideas, products, or performances” to “Make creative projects and presentations.” 

Year 7: It’s fall, and we continue to use student objectives to close the rhetoric/reality gap. In response to student assessment data from last school year, we are using questions (e.g., What is true?) to help 90% of high school students score at or above standard on the following student objective: understanding a Christian worldview. 
 
We are also implementing the following schoolwide improvement plan: By June 16, use a complete set of student objective baseline data to make decisions for getting 90% of high school students to score at or above standard on a given student objective. 


*This blog entry is part of a 7-part series:

1. How can you define what it takes to carry out your school's mission?
2. Are student objectives right for you and your school?
3. What's developing student objectives look like?
4. What questions should you consider before developing student objectives?
5. What makes good student objectives good?
6. What are some reasons for developing student objectives?
7. How are mission, student objectives, and curriculum connected?

“There’s a gap.” Helen sits in her office, mulling over the gap between her school’s mission statement and the reality of her program. “This is a Christian school—Christian teachers, devotions, Bible class, chapel, a positive environment. These are good, but only take us so far in achieving our mission. We need more. I need more. I need an additional way to close the gap.” 
 
Helen leaves her office and heads for the staff room, wondering if defining the mission in terms of student learning would help. “We need to move from activities to goals, goals that help us increasingly do the mission in the classroom.” On the bulletin board she sees an announcement about a workshop on student objectives. She reads, “Use student objectives to close the rhetoric/reality gap.” 
 
Helen thinks, “Student objectives. That sounds familiar. Something like schoolwide outcomes. Wasn’t that what Henry called expected schoolwide learning results?” She keeps reading: “Student objectives define your mission in terms of measurable student learning. They are overarching curriculum standards that are attainable.” 
 
“That’s what I need,” thinks Helen. “Something attainable. Something measurable. Something connected to student learning—that’s what school is about.” 
 
Ever feel like Helen? 
 
Are student objectives right for you and your school? Find out by answering 6 questions: 

1. Yes/No: I want to close the gap between 
2. our rhetoric (our mission) and our reality. 
3. Yes/No: I want to know how well we’re achieving our mission. 
4. Yes/No: I want to connect mission, student learning, curriculum, and school improvement planning. 
5. Yes/No: Using student objectives would help our parents better understand and support our mission. 
6. Yes/No: My students would catch our vision for Christian education better if they understood what it meant in terms of student learning. 
7. Yes/No: Collaborating with other ACSI schools would help urhetoric/reality gap. developed our student objectives, outline a process and a set of criteria that you can use to develop yours, explain how student objectives have helped us, and close with a vision for the future. 

If you answered “Yes” to any of the 6 items above, read on! I’ll start with the story of how we developed our student objectives, outline a 
process and a set of criteria that you can use to develop yours, explain how student objectives have helped us, and close with a vision for the future. 

Are you ready? At Christian Academy in Japan, we weren’t. Read more...


*This blog entry is part of a 7-part series:

1. How can you define what it takes to carry out your school's mission?
2. Are student objectives right for you and your school?
3. What's developing student objectives look like?
4. What questions should you consider before developing student objectives?
5. What makes good student objectives good?
6. What are some reasons for developing student objectives?
7. How are mission, student objectives, and curriculum connected?

You’re working at a Christian school. Your school’s mission is to equip students to impact the world for Christ.

Question: How can you define what it takes to carry out your mission? How can you define what it takes to equip your students to impact the world for Christ?

Answer: By defining the “equipment” students will receive. In other words, by defining student objectives (schoolwide learning outcomes). Here’s a sample set:

1. Understand Bible stories, the plan of salvation, and a Christian worldview
2. Understand subject content and skills
3. Integrate content and skills from different subjects
4. Value learning
5. Use appropriate learning strategies
6. Use a Biblical perspective
7. Solve problems
8. Organize and use information to support conclusions
9. Make creative products and presentations
10. Respect themselves and others as being created in God's image
11. Work with others
12. Communicate through writing, speaking, reading, listening, graphs and charts, and the arts
13. Integrate different forms of communication
14. Serve God and others, and care for God's creation
15. Value and maintain physical, social, emotional, moral, and spiritual health

Define what it takes to achieve your mission. Today.


*This blog entry is part of a 7-part series:

1. How can you define what it takes to carry out your school's mission?
2. Are student objectives right for you and your school?
3. What's developing student objectives look like?
4. What questions should you consider before developing student objectives?
5. What makes good student objectives good?
6. What are some reasons for developing student objectives?
7. How are mission, student objectives, and curriculum connected?

You want your school to achieve its mission. You know you need to define what it takes to achieve your school’s mission. You’ve hear that developing student objectives (schoolwide learning outcomes) might help. So, you want to learn more. Good.

Question: How can you learn more about developing student objectives?

Answer: By exploring the following 7 questions:

1. How can you define what it takes to carry out your school's mission?
2. Are student objectives right for you and your school?
3. What's developing student objectives look like?
4. What questions should you consider before developing student objectives?
5. What makes good student objectives good?
6. What are some reasons for developing student objectives?
7. How are mission, student objectives, and curriculum connected?

Focus on your mission. Use student objectives to define the achievement of your mission. Today.

To close the gap between the words of your mission statement and the reality of your current situation, do 4 things: focus on your mission, empower others, work smart, and pursue excellence.

Imagine asking 3 Christian leaders what their God-given organizational mission is. Imagine you got the following 3 responses:

1. To look busy.
2. To be busy.
3. To be productive.

How would you feel? I'd be stunned. And I'd feel discouraged and sad. Why? In part, because these Christian leaders have confused indicators of carrying out the mission with the mission itself. That's dangerous.
 
It's true that carrying out your God-given mission involves action:

• This means you might be busy. But being busy isn't the mission. God's ultimate goal for your organization is not to look busy or to be busy. If you fall into the trap of wanting to look busy or thinking that busyness equals your God-given mission, you can end up being overloaded.
• This means you will need to be productive. But God's mission for your Christian organization is not simply about being productive. What your productivity targets matters a great deal. If you fall into the trip of striving for productivity (instead mission), you might be doing a lot of good things that don't target your God-given mission.

Remember, your God-given mission is not:

1. To look busy.
2. To be busy.
3. To be productive.

Bottom line: Don't equate your God-given mission with busyness or productivity.