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Innovation and accountability–those words don’t seem like they belong together. But in schools, where resources are often limited and outcomes are scrutinized, accountability is essential.

During the edLeader Panel “Leveraging Innovation While Staying Accountable: Real Examples of Meeting the Challenge,” John Osborn, Principal of Jacksonville Charter Lighthouse Elementary School (AR), offered his strategies for making sure that innovation leads to measurable success.

Establish key metrics before implementing new programs

Once you identify an area of your school that you want to focus on, you need to understand how you will measure improvement. If you have great ideas but you’re not systematically checking if it’s working or not, you don’t know if you should invest resources in it.

Set your priorities

New school leaders often feel like they spend a lot of time putting out fires, but they need to figure out where their input is needed and where they can delegate. Moreover, they need to understand their own strengths and those of their staff. This helps leaders put their time where it needs to go and also empowers the staff.

Make it clear that there is no good or bad data

Typically, when schools are investing in new resources, it’s because they’ve noticed an issue with student learning that they need to address. But, sometimes, school leaders don’t want to check in too often, worried that the investment isn’t worth it. However, if the data shows it’s not working, it doesn’t mean to scrap it. Instead, you may need to revise the program.

For instance, after starting a new program to boost reading scores, Osborn and his team didn’t see much improvement. After analyzing the information, they found that there was wasted time in the schedule the teachers could be using.

Foster trust between school leadership and staff

Naturally, many teachers are also reluctant to report downtrending data because they worry it could reflect poorly on them or the program that they have championed. Be open about gains and losses with your staff, and talk to them about the importance of knowing the impact of new methodologies.

Let them know that you understand that implementing something new doesn’t always go exactly as planned and that you are open to suggestions for improvement. Show them that there are opportunities for microadjustments.

Gathering data is not all about formal assessments

You might look at student engagement in lessons, how they apply the knowledge to other tasks, or family feedback. And they don’t need to be new assessments, either. Look at what systems you already have for tracking data over time. The goal is to make sure that even if teachers are using different methodologies, you are collecting the same data to make sure all students are being served.

Partners can provide a valuable perspective

School leaders often try to see everything in the best light, so they might miss things. Bringing in partners to address an issue might also give school leaders unbiased views on what’s happening.

Focus on the variables you can control

Often, administrators get frustrated by the lack of funding available to propel innovations forward. Osborn’s advice was to look at what you can control, like the schedule, hiring, professional development, etc.

Finally, Osborn talked about not trying to force a specific innovation on teachers. If you have a strong, consistent hiring process, then you need to trust your teachers. They may use different methodologies to motivate and engage their students, but if they are achieving the desired results, then don’t worry that the classrooms don’t look the same. The key is to follow the metrics.

Learn more about this edWeb broadcast, Leveraging Innovation While Staying Accountable: Real Examples of Meeting the Challenge, sponsored by BookNook.

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Article by Stacey Pusey, based on this edLeader Panel