Best Practices: School Operational Effectiveness

When it comes to school operational effectiveness, we must remember that education

is a business. Therefore, we must strive to implement successful business models in

our school systems. There are several key components that all successful businesses

share.

First, and most importantly, every organization must have a clearly defined purpose,

which is usually set forth in the business’s mission statement. In the case of an

educational institution, the primary goal must always be creating a culture of

excellence and an environment conducive to students’ academic, social, and

emotional development. Ensuring parental involvement and securing community

support must therefore be integral components of every school’s organizational

structure.

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Everyone has heard the saying, “The customer is always right.” For educational

institutions, the “customer” is the student and, in the case of K–12 schools, the parents.

Obviously, schools can’t take this saying literally. However, the spirit behind this

business adage applies. Clearly, customers are not always right. However, successful

businesses train their employees to:

1. Value the customers.

2. Satisfy any customer demand that does not violate any laws or company policy.

3. Stress what can be done for the customer, rather than what can’t.

When a business creates a culture in which customers are valued, all representatives

of the business go out of their way to ensure that the customer has a pleasant

experience in order to secure the customer’s repeat business. Company management

and employees make every effort to provide customers with quality service and/or

products and to resolve any issues to the customers’ satisfaction.

Applying this business model to schools would mean that members of the governing

board, administration, faculty, and staff see students and parents as consumers

deserving of a quality product (education), excellent customer service

(professionalism), and resolution of any problems (continuous improvement).

When the business’s purpose has been determined, its customer base identified, and

its customer care policy established, the next order of business is to develop the

operational systems. This involves everything from finances to facilities to technology

and product development.

As with any business, schools must have well-developed operating and capital

budgets and detailed accounting recordkeeping for long-term financial success.

School layouts must be carefully designed in terms of space allocation in order to

ensure student safety and create the best possible classroom environments.

Curriculum should be based on standards, incorporating technology and focusing on

student achievement.

Policies must be established for board governance and leadership; professional

development of all members of the governing board, administration, faculty, and staff;

and codes of conduct for students and educators.

These systems and policies should be recorded, maintained, implemented, and

automated to optimize functional performance.

Once the systems are in place, a routine standardized school-wide assessment is

necessary to evaluate operational effectiveness and create a culture of continuous

improvement.

In summary, there are four steps to operating a school like a successful business:

1. Identify the Mission.

2. Establish and Implement Systems.

3. Assess Operational Effectiveness via Student Achievement.

4. Create a Culture of Continuous Improvement.