The School Administrator

February 2010 Number 2, Vol. 67The Balanced ScorecardA strategic tool from business for performance management

Features

The Balanced Scorecard
by ROBERT S. KAPLAN AND DYLAN N. MIYAKE
Through the experiences of the Atlanta Public Schools, a Harvard Business School professor sees an excellent route for driving systemwide performance measurements.

Similar Reading: Five lessons about organizational behavior
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Driving Improvement With a Balanced Scorecard
by SCOTT K. COWART
The author was looking for a way to push improvement in his 4,000-student school system when he discovered the balanced scorecard, a strategic tool for performance management. He details how it helped him to show the school board and public whether district operations aligned with the larger-scale goals.

Similar Reading: Maggie Glennon: School plans backing a balanced scorecard
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Beyond Test Scores: Adding Value to Assessment
by ROBERT ROTHMAN
Value-added assessment represents an improvement over existing forms of measurement, but practitioners find challenges in how it’s being implemented, especially when tied to teacher incentive bonuses.

Similar Reading: Value added in a federal teacher incentive fund
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Value-Added Analysis in Instruction
by MICHAEL R. NICHOLSON AND JEFFREY R. BROWN
A story about the experiences of the Olentangy Local Schools in Ohio in using its data to gauge the effectiveness of schools and teachers in promoting growth in student learning.

Similar Reading: Joe T. Wood on value-added in his Tennessee district
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Incomplete Measures
by JOHN R. TANNER
The problem with standardized testing in schools, according to the author? The tests feed an accountability system that answers the wrong questions well and the right ones poorly.

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Profile

An Authentic Model for the Next Generation by Jay P. Goldman

Deborah Jewell-Sherman braved a lot to succeed as Richmond, Va., superintendent. Now she’s guiding the next wave of leaders as a Harvard professor.

Departments

Punchback: Answering Critics

‘Don’t Confuse Me With the Facts’ by RICHARD G. BOZZA

The author tackles the six myths perpetuated by legislators, bloggers and editorial writers about the costs of administration in school districts. He does so by pointing to the data available to counter the off-base claims.

Guest Columns

Loss of a Voice by FREDERICK JOHNSON

A Pennsylvania superintendent’s tribute to the late Gerald Bracey, the most vigorous defender of America’s public schools.

Maddening Mandates on the Playing Fields by JOHN E. ROBERTS

The head of Michigan’s governing body for interscholastic athletics asks what he might do to lessen the financial burden on schools stemming from sports regulations and expansionist practices.

My Undercover Job: Truant Officer by JOHNNY G. CORDELL

A Tennessee superintendent believes the 10 years he worked as a truant officer for the schools serves him well today, but one encounter with a recalcitrant 4th-grader threw him for a loop.

Six Misperceptions About Safety in Your Schools by JAMES MONK AND GARY J. STEBBINS

Simple solutions do not exist, yet some common myths cloud decision making about creating safe school environments, sometimes obscuring the realities.

People

People

Our monthly listings of who is moving up, who’s calling it quits and who has passed on. Also, the Sidelight spotlights a superintendent who makes great music in a bluegrass band in North Dakota.

Tech Leadership

Lifting the Limits on Social Networking Sites by KEVIN P. BRADY

Social networking sites, notably Facebook and MySpace, have a small fan base among education leaders, who are inclined to limit their in-school use. Overlooked may be newly emerging education networking sites, developed specifically for the education community to address safety concerns.

Focus

Using a ‘Brainstretch’ To Address Learners Individually by JEFFREY B. BEARDEN

A Maine school district made a significant change in service delivery to children identified as gifted and talented, broadening the definition and promoting differentiated instructional practices.

President's Corner

Tin Man Leaders by MARK T. BIELANG

Courageous leadership means thinking about the great possibilities and then taking action to make them a reality.

Executive Perspective

A Change in Perspective on Public Schools by DANIEL A. DOMENECH

Diane Ravitch, well known for her conservative positions as an advocate for choice and merit pay, has begun to re-evaluate her stances about the provisions of No Child Left Behind. Ravitch, says AASA’s executive director, now believes NCLB is leading U.S. schools in the wrong direction.

AASA School Solutions

Online Tutoring: Just in Time Support by GEORGE CIGALE

The founder of Tutor.com says the Internet is an ideal vehicle for connecting a student to a tutor for real-time, one-to-one help anytime, from anywhere.

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