To: ICCSD Board Members

From: Nicholas Johnson

Re: Board’s Measurable Standards:  An Example

References: (1) University of Iowa, Implementing the Strategic Plan: A third-year report on meeting targets (1998)* (2) Nicholas Johnson, "Board Functions," October 10, 1998 ("Assessment and Management Information Reporting Systems")  (3) Board Retreat, November 16, 1998
 

In my October 10 "Board Functions" memo I recommended "that the Board begin the task of developing measurable standards for tracking the District’s progress toward its mission/goals . . .."  (emphasis added)  At our "retreat" on November 16 we agreed to start this process with the measurable standards and goals the District/Board already has in place.

Since then the University of Iowa has prepared, and presented to its Board (the Board of Regents), an example of what another educational institution (albeit "higher education") is doing with standards.

Implementing the Strategic Plan (attached) sets forth seven "goals," each with a number of "targeted indicators."  The latter are very specific.  For example, "Target 1D," p. 3, includes "increase percentage of undergraduate credit hours taught by tenured/tenure-track faculty from 56.3% to 60.0% . . .."  This is followed with the candid concession that the target was not met, as the increase was only to 56.8%, not the targeted 60%.

Most of the targets, and textual reports of progress, are accompanied by bar graphs that display the information visually and rapidly.

I do not hold this report up as a model for us.  Our goals and targets are, of course, different from those of a major university.  Moreover, with some Board members’ and community input, I think we can do better than the University in coming up with standards, goals and targets for the ICCSD.  But it is a stimulating example.

[*Note added to this version of the memo only:  A prior report to the Board of Regents, entitled Achieving Distinction 2000:  The Use of Targets in Implementing the Strategic Plan of The University of Iowa (May 22, 1997), is available from the University of Iowa Web site.  The report referred to in this memo, issued in November 1998, will be, but is not yet (November 24, 1998) posted to the Web.  -- NJ]