Academic plans are the backbone of any school’s success. But having a great academic plan is not enough. It is the execution of that plan that can potentially separate a good school from a great school. We know that school owners and management spend valuable time and energy in creating meticulous plans to achieve their desired academic outcomes. However, even the best-laid plans can get lost in the absence of proper execution. And as has been repeatedly flagged in our conversations with various school owners and management, adherence to the academic plans remains a real issue faced by many school management.
What Is The Core Problem?
For any school management, it is crucial to ensure that the academic plans created with such hard work and dedication are followed properly and that the teachers teach as planned. The trouble is that adherence to an academic plan depends on multiple details that may be something straightforward like whether the chapters and topics are being taught in the same way as planned or something more nuanced like whether the academic resources are being shared with the students as intended. Irrespective of the nature of these details, the fact is it is not always easy to keep track of them at all times.
At the first glance, the solution to this problem may seem something as simple as having video surveillance through CCTV cameras or monitoring the teachers through biometric machines in every class. However, it is not that easy. Keeping an eye on the teachers and ensuring that they fulfil the required number of teaching hours alone cannot ensure that the teaching plan is properly followed. Extensive surveillance is an intrusive and ultimately not very effective solution to a problem that requires a much deeper and nuanced approach.
The answer to this concern lies in a more granular level of monitoring, something that is effective but not necessarily intrusive. Based on our many conversations with school management and our own on-ground experience, we believe that the best way to address this concern is through a parallel feedback mechanism.
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What is Parallel Feedback Mechanism?
A parallel feedback mechanism operates by indirectly tracking the outcomes that were supposed to be achieved as per the plan. After every topic, chapter, or certain duration, feedback can be sought from the parents with 1-3 questions that gauge and measure the extent to which the teaching plan has been followed. For instance, the feedback form can include questions like :
1. Has the chapter been completed today?
2. Did you receive the chapter notes and four assignments on alternate days starting from a specified day/date?
3. How well did the teacher explain the concepts taught today?
The feedback can specifically include questions that can help management check the quality of a teacher’s teaching. While it is true that a lot of parents may not be willing or able to give regular feedback, the beauty of this mechanism is that we don’t need all the parents to give feedback all the time for this system to work. Even a 40-60% response rate can still help us identify a general trend to understand whether the plans are being followed and whether they require further tweaking.
As opposed to CCTV cameras or biometric machines, a parallel feedback mechanism is an excellent way that allows the top management to directly get a much more holistic picture covering both the execution and quality of the execution. With this mechanism, management can ensure that academic plans are duly followed by tracking every detail, monitoring the execution, and making necessary changes.
This seemingly straightforward way is highly effective when it comes to maintaining the quality of education in schools. It eliminates the need for extensive surveillance measures and helps improve the outcomes through a granular, nuanced, and solution-oriented approach. Ultimately every mechanism must aim to improve the outcomes and prevent any compromise on quality. A parallel feedback mechanism is effective on both counts as it ensures proper monitoring while giving teachers the space and scope to flourish in their teaching endeavours and make the best of their academic plans.
Want to understand how Schoolpad can help you set up your parallel feedback mechanism? Want to know how we can fuel your school’s growth story and maximise your desired outcomes? Please feel free to get in touch with us at connect@schoolpad.in . You can also click on the request a demo link and one of our coaches will get in touch with you
