School administrators: Want to take your school and your career to the next level? Craft actionable professional development goals and see results!

<p><strong>Do you dream of changing the world? Most school administrators do!</strong>?</p>

<p>
 But whether you’re a green recruit or a seasoned veteran in school leadership, 
 you’re likely acutely aware of – well – budget constraints, resistance to change, 
 policy restrictions, staff turnover, resource limitations, time constraints, 
 communication gaps, capacity issues, inequities, burnout, 
 community resistance, technological challenges – shall we go on? Let’s not.
</p>

<p>
  The truth is, you chose this field <strong>DESPITE</strong> the 
  obstacles (or maybe this field chose you!). 
</p>

<p>
None of these problems (ahem! – opportunities) are new, and they’re not going anywhere 
soon. You grew up with them. You’ve been trained in how to deal with them. And deep down, 
you know you’re uniquely cut out to do it while many aren’t. That’s a 
profound responsibility. You carry a significant influence on 
the future in your hands, and your community is counting on you. 
</p>
<p>While it may seem to many that you and other school administrators can run 
  solely on passion and a deep will to bring about change, you know it’s not that 
  simple. You can’t just dash in each morning with a belly full of cereal and a 
  heart full of aspirations if you want to see the change you’ve envisioned. 
  Just as you need to start your day with a solid, balanced breakfast, you 
  also need to hash out the <strong>strategy, details and logistics of your vision.</strong> 
</p>
<p> <strong>Now’s the time to get those brilliant ideas out of your visionary head.</strong> 
So, grab a pen and paper or roll on up to your computer. Get those ideas out. 
  Organize your thoughts. Meld those thoughts into tangible goals. Decide how 
  you’ll measure your progress. Write down what you’ll need. Figure out the steps 
  to accomplish them. And identify who’ll help do it. 
</p>
<h2>Professional Development Strategy Tips for School Administrators</h2>
<p>Here are some ideas to help you get started. You can use this guide to tailor your own professional 
  development strategy.
</p>

<h3>1. Start with the problem. </h3>
<p>Sounds pessimistic, right? Actually, it can be helpful to start with a 
  problem-focused mindset and THEN flip to a solution-based perspective. 
  This can help you get all of your ideas out and turn them into actionable goals. 
  Think about your school’s most pressing issues. What’s not going well? For example, 
  how’s your school doing in the following areas:
</p>
<ul>
  <li> Academic performance </li>
  <li> Achievement gaps </li>
  <li> <a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/blog/navigating-perfectionism?" target="_blank">Accountability pressures</a></li>
  <li> <a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/blog/bullying-prevention-month" target="_blank">Bullying</a> </li>
  <li> Communication </li>
  <li> Community outreach </li>
  <li> Curriculum </li>
  <li> Diversity and inclusion </li>
  <li> Data-driven decision making </li>
  <li> Disciplinary actions </li>
  <li> Employee attendance and energy level </li>
  <li> Ethics </li>
  <li> Extracurricular program offerings and participation </li>
  <li> Financial management and resource allocation </li>
  <li> Food insecurity </li>
  <li> Funding inequities </li>
  <li> Housing insecurity </li>
  <li> <a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/blog/creating-inclusive-and-empowering-learning-environments-for-latinx-students?" target="_blank">Inclusivity</a> </li>
  <li> Leadership </li>
  <li> Lesson planning </li>
  <li> Parent involvement </li>
  <li> Preparation for post-secondary life </li>
  <li> Professional learning communities </li>
  <li> School culture and morale </li>
  <li> <a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/blog/school-safety" target="_blank">School safety</a> </li>
  <li> Special education program </li>
  <li> Standardized test scores </li>
  <li> Student attendance and engagement </li>
  <li> Sustainability </li>
  <li> Teacher training, preparation and professional development </li>
  <li> <a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/blog/school-safety" target="_blank">Teacher shortages</a></li>
  <li> Technology resources and tech integration </li>
  <li> Wellness and mental health </li>
</ul>

<h3>2. Reframe the problem, writing it as a solution-oriented SMART goal.</h3>
<p> Turn the issue into an actionable goal. For example, you’d rewrite one of the 
  problems you identified in the exercise above, “Our school has abysmal attendance,” 
  as “Improve attendance at our school.” Now, follow all that advice you’ve given 
  teachers to write SMART goals (those that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, 
  Relevant and Time-Limited) to beef up your goal. Our example would now read 
  something like, “With input from stakeholders to gain insight into the causes 
  of low attendance and by addressing those causes, I will lead the ABC Elementary 
  school community to improve our student attendance by 10% during the second nine 
  weeks of this school year.” Allow for incremental growth. These are your goals, 
  but be specific about who you will be leading, guiding or working alongside to 
  achieve these goals.
</p>

<h3>3. List the steps you will need to achieve the goal.</h3>
<p> Ask yourself a series of questions to get to your strategy for this particular goal: </p>
<ul>
    <li> What information do I need to know? </li>
    <li> Where do I need to look to find that information? </li>
    <li> Who can I ask? </li>
    <li> Who are all of the stakeholders? </li>
    <li> What are the possible causes I am already aware of? Perhaps unaware of? </li>
    <li> What would it take to make progress? </li>
    <li> Who will help? </li>
    <li> What is the timeline for this goal? </li>
    <li> Can I break the process into steps? </li>
    <li> Why is this important? </li>
    <li> What resources will we need to achieve this goal? </li>
    <li> What are the potential obstacles, and how can we avoid them? </li>
    <li> Do we have a plan for adapting to obstacles that may arise along the way? </li>
    <li> How will we measure progress? </li>
    <li> What does success look like? </li>
    <li> How can we apply what we learn in future projects? </li>
    <li> How will we celebrate our wins? </li>
</ul>

<h3>4. Gather your people and get started!</h3>
<p> Now for the fun part. This is where the passion, heart and drive educators are 
  known for really shine. This is where the change happens. It’s the big old brunch – 
  the giant feast that won’t only get you through the morning, it will get you through 
  the day! Get those students, teachers, special educators, nurses, parapros, parents, 
  front office administrators, vice and assistant principals, PE, art and music teachers, 
  coaches, media specialists, school counselors, cafeteria workers, custodians, 
  IT specialists, school resource officers together…whoever it takes. These are 
  the folks who care and can help you make a change at your school. 
</p>

<h2>What Can You Achieve as a School Leader by Setting Professional Development Goals?</h2>
<p>We’re excited to find out! While it’s true as a school administrator, you face countless 
  challenges across the educational landscape, from student engagement to budget constraints, 
  it’s also true that you’re a strong breed of leader with an ability to see that change is 
  possible – even amidst challenges. When you can harness your ideas, identify opportunities, 
  organize your thoughts, develop a plan, and connect with the right people to take action as one, 
  you’ll be successful in helping your school community prosper. 
</p>

<p>Want to find out where schools need you most?<strong> Explore <a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/education" target="_blank">school administrator 
  jobs</a> with Cross Country Education.</strong>
</p>


How to Set Stellar Professional Development Goals and Excel as a School Administrator