The Principalship Formula: Why Systems Matter More Than Data

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I hope that your weekend absolutely rocked! We are getting back in the back to school grind here in the Meechin household. This weekend had some soccer and cheerleading practice mixed in with some time at our favorite local theme park here in Central Florida.

Hope you and yours are getting back into (or getting ready for) a new year, new grind.

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Deep Dive 🤿

The Principalship Formula = Systems > Data.

In the most effective schools, the secret to success lies in this powerful formula: Systems > Data.

Pretty simple. Right?

So much of our work in education, particularly in educational leadership, is driven by data. Lots and lots of data.

As a school leader and a coach to other school leaders, I've experienced the empowerment that comes from a systemic approach. While data is essential, it's the systems that truly empower us to make a difference in our schools.

This equals The Principalship Formula: Systems > Data. Let me explain.

The systems move the data. Data does not move the systems.

In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear correctly states, “You don’t rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” This couldn’t be more true in the context of school leadership.

Leveraging data to move your school or district forward without having systems to move that work forward will lead you to a dead end. How are you leveraging systems to move your work forward?

Let’s look at a scenario.

As a school leader, I receive data that tells me my reading and math proficiency is below the state average. Okay, so now what? I could meet with my teachers, who are responsible for their data, delegate to my assistant principal to fix the problem, or do a number of other things to improve the data.

However, the first question I should ask is: What are the systems in place that impact our tier-one instruction in reading and mathematics?

I first need to apply the Principalship Formula = Systems > Data.

What does that look like?

I bring my leadership team together to discuss what, if any, systems we have in our school that impact our reading and mathematics teachers. We reflect, discuss, and ask questions (sometimes challenging) about these systems. Next, we talk with our teacher teams in reading and mathematics and do the same - reflect, discuss, and ask questions about the systems.

We use the data - yes. However, we are more interested in the systems that we have in place - or do not have in place - to support tier-one teaching and learning in reading and mathematics. It is about our systems: our systems of support for the teachers, our systems of coaching for the teachers, our systems of feedback for the teachers, and on and on… all of which will impact our reading and mathematics instruction.

Remember Deming’s insight: “94% of most problems in organizations are due to systems, not people.”

Reflect on your current practices: Do you place too much emphasis on the data without considering the systems that support it? Take the time to evaluate the structures in place at your school or district.

The systems move the data. Data does not move the systems.

The Principalship Formula = Systems > Data.

While both have a place, the order in which you tackle school and district improvement matters.

Consider scheduling a meeting with your leadership team to discuss how these systems can be refined or implemented to better support your goals. The most successful principals aren’t just data-driven - they’re systems-driven.

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Surfing the Web 🌊

Here is my favorite EDU content from the web this week.

• Systems Thinking to Transform Schools: Identifying Levers That Lift Educational Quality by Bruce Fuller and Hoyun Kim

• How to Build a Strong Leadership Team at School by Derrick Love

• Building Community in Middle School by Lindsay Kervan

Be sure to check these out…

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