School Systems Cross Check

“Analyzing Over 100 Factors impacting Higher Performance”

The next time you take a flight, take a moment to observe the preflight process that is taking place on the plane prior to departing the gate. While passengers are busily being seated, the pilots are checking systems to ensure that everything is functioning properly.  On a plane, there are a variety of systems that must function properly for the plane to reach peak performance. Many of these complex systems are dependent on each other with a level of redundancy built into them to prevent any major malfunction. The gauges in the cockpit act as primary indicators of performance but as most pilots would argue, there are subtle features in handling the plane that can forewarn those in control that performance is being impeded in some way.

Much like in aviation, education has many moving and interrelated components. While attending exclusively to one component may contribute to better performance, the interrelationships of these components establish the connections which make higher performance possible. When the organization is “running on all eight cylinders,” a synergy of effort unleashes internal creativity and capacity. Organizational decision making, resource allocation, methodological application, and instruction are all laser focused on maximizing student potential. Our School Systems Cross Check Instrument provides the leadership with the data to identify the disconnections and obstacles to improving student achievement by examining four major components and over 100 additional factors that contribute to performance. The relationship of these components and factors are further examined in the context of a stakeholder’s perception of the strength of each component and factor within the organization. Data from the instrument further provides the leadership team with information necessary to link all school systems to each other in a manner that generates collaborative growth and higher performance while utilizing existing resources.

While pilots are “crosschecking” system performance during preflight to assure maximum performance, we encourage leadership teams to “Cross Check” a school system’s vital components so that maximum performance is reached. In the end, a district’s flight path is dependent on the ability of its pilots to manage its systems.