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How many of us are still committed to making 2024 a year that matters? I was reading a Forbes December article that surveyed Americans and found some interesting statistics. I was surprised to find about 37% (a little over a third) of Americans set a New Year’s resolution. I was also surprised to find those with children in the home are more likely (54%) to set a New Year’s resolution than those without children (33%). With having four children at home, I feel this drive to teach my children the importance of setting goals, writing them down, and tracking them for their own growth. As a school superintendent, I feel an even stronger urge to set and track our district’s goals each year.
It’s February, this is the time when only 22% of all resolution setters stick with their goals with each subsequent month decreasing in the number of people who remain committed to their New Year’s resolutions.
In Ponca City Public Schools, we are a goal-driven district. We set learning goals, construction goals, service goals. We set these goals each year, typically in August, and then again some in January. Our teachers and administrators revisit these goals throughout the school year and evaluate how well we’re progressing in meeting these goals. In our education field, we refer to our goals as SMART goals. As with many things in education, this is an acronym that serves us well.
The S (Specific) refers to a goal that is not broad, but very narrow. For example, this could be the goal that we want every 4th grader to be reading at or above a certain score by May. During this step, we ask ourselves a series of questions. What needs to be accomplished? Who’s responsible for it? What steps do we take to achieve it? It’s important we recognize any constraints that are out of our power to influence or assist.
The M (Measurable) gives us the tool by which we may measure our success. This can be an assessment like the ACT or a teacher-designed assessment. It could even be related to attendance in our student information system. We set benchmarks that can be tracked throughout the year to help us determine if we’re progressing in the right direction or if we need to try new approaches.
The A (Achievable) gives us a realistic goal. If we set our goal, we want it to be achievable for our students, staff, and families we serve to feel like the goal is possible. We would love to boast 100% perfect attendance among our staff and students, but that’s setting us up for failure when you think about every illness, emergency or appointment our students and staff have. It’s important to set goals that you can achieve!
The R (Relevant) is where we look at the big picture of what we’re trying to do in Ponca City. We want to provide a world-class, top-notch education where every student feels safe, cared for, and set up for success when they leave our district. Setting a goal that does not relate to the bigger picture and mission of our district would not be in the best interest of our students or the public we’re serving.
Lastly the T (Timely) we set goals that have a time horizon. When will our goals begin and when is the due date? When we set our timelines, it gives every member of the team a designated time frame in which we can work backward in planning instruction, intervention, and assessment.
Our school district sets a variety of goals each year. Academic, attendance, and performance, are a few of the top areas. Our district is committed to seeing these goals through each school year, and while February can be a difficult month in keeping with goals, rest easy in knowing the professionals of PCPS are committed to student success and tracking our goal progression throughout the year. I wish you well in your personal and professional goals. Every one of us who sets and achieves his/her goals only betters Ponca City. Keep at it and do not get discouraged if you fail to reach a goal; the journey is more important than the destination!
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