The Entry Plan top right contains a series of performance indicators which served as my goals for my annual evaluation, conducted by my school board (in addition to district and board-directed goals). It was important for my team and the entire organization to learn what I value and how critical I believe performance indicators are in the process of evaluating leadership/management efficacy. Below right is the process I use to evaluate my team (read about the principles behind the system in five parts below). It's a 360˚ evaluation instrument designed to serve as a reflective tool for practitioners to compare how they view their efficacy with how their peers view it. Learn about the system and contact me if you want to learn more about it. View the entire pdf here or by clicking on the image.

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For more information on Performance Management read a series of essays on the topic:

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Part 1 of 5: The Halo Effect & the-Problem with Performance Management

Part 2 of 5: The Performance Paradox

Part 3 of 5: Creating Fertile Ground for Performance Management

Part 4 of 5: Designing a Performance Management System

Part 5 of 5: An Afterword on the Performance Management Series

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MORE ON THE ENTRY PLAN:
When I began my work as the Superintendent of Schools for the William Alvord Unified School District in 2018,  I crafted an entry plan that served a variety of purposes. First, I wanted it to serve as a blueprint for my first few months on the job to ensure I stayed on track and completed a series of tasks that I believed were important to a good start, such as building a relationship with my board and board members, building my team, meeting a variety of key stakeholders, studying certain aspects of the district, and building social capacity in the community.

 

I also wanted it to serve as a document I can publish so that members of my new community can learn about me and my goals for Alvord Unified. To accomplish that I steered away from too much jargon and eduspeak and focused on big ideas and concepts that spoke to my leadership style and approach to management.

 

I also wanted it to serve as an example of the quality, thoughtfulness, and thoroughness I expect from my team. I spent many days brainstorming with colleagues before crafting the plan's first draft. Then I re-crafted it based on feedback and input from the many superintendents, teachers, staff members, and academic friends and colleagues I vetted it through. 

 

Finally, and most importantly, I wanted it to introduce me as a person, separate from my position. To serve that purpose I personalized it and included quotes and other value-based content that provides a window into my heart, if not my soul.

 

Here is my plan. Click on the image to view it as a pdf or download it. As with all of my documents, you are free to use it as a template or example or just to get some ideas as you design an entry for your next position. Whether you're becoming a principal, assistant principal, district-level leader or anything above it, an entry plan is a great way to kick off your tenure.