A Framework for Educational Key Performance Indicators
Developing and delivering a vision for transformational educational change carries with it an imperative to measure the ‘success’ of changed practices in transforming outcomes over time.
With the massive investment of public funding, time and creative energy in programmes that aspire to transform educational performance – such as BSF, Academies and PCP - it is obvious that we should expect tangible improvement in performance. We should expect to evidence this both in those parameters we already measure and some that we don’t.
What are EKPIs?
They are measures that relate to educational outcomes. They enable us to check performance against the targets we have set (or have set for us); measuring current achievement against past performance and against others in similar circumstances (benchmarking). Those that relate to transformational change will reflect our views of what ‘success’ might look and feel like once new structures, content and practices are embedded in our schools and authorities.
EKPIs enable us to measure ‘success’ as well as identify areas of performance that require further improvement. They are in effect our ‘descriptors’ of the success we expect on the path to a better educational future; evidence that the changes we make are truly beneficial.
What should be the scope of any EKPIs we set?
The scope should comprehensively represent the needs of all bodies with responsibility for transforming educational outcomes. Therefore, we should design and embed EKPIs for local authorities, school clusters, individual schools, learner groups and individual learners. They will be broader in scope than merely academic attainment and may require the definition of new ways of measuring performance over time and against relevant benchmarks.
What should be our starting point for building EKPIs?
EKPIs are too often defined quite late in any programme of development - sometimes as an after-thought. By using a ‘framework’ or ‘proxy tree’ an initial EKPIset should be established concurrently with the development of the vision, aims and objectives of the programme; the primary purpose of EKPIs will be, after all, to measure the achievement of these.
How might we build a framework for EKPIs?
Complex programmes such as BSF, require that the plethora of measurement demands are clearly organised and categorised to enable us to make sense of the complexity and provide a structure that relates our EKPIs to national and local initiatives.
It is useful to start the process of building a framework by identifying the three or four critical, strategic themes in a vision. In the current context, ‘clients’ often identify themes such as ‘Achieving a Step Change in Educational Performance’, ‘Meeting Every Learner’s Needs’ (Access and inclusion issues), ‘Meeting the Needs of All Children’ (ECM agenda), and ‘Building Collaboration and Partnerships/The Community’.
Within each of these themes, stakeholders will expect certain improvements or benefits, and for each of these benefits we can begin to identify those key indicators that will evidence successful performance/ achievement; KPIs. At this point in development we have a structured range of KPIs that reflect a range of benefits associated with the strategic level themes. Every KPI should be supported by measurable data and information, so might have up to 4/5 Performance Indicators.
These PIs each contribute to the achievement of KPIs. At each level in the framework we are trying to identify (principally) qualitative measures of the success we aspire to. At this point that we will be able to identify which PIs are currently measured and those for which we will need to develop new measurement methodologies and tools. The emphasis should be on measuring the right things.
The framework from Theme to KPI to PI requires careful cross-checking against the programme’s vision, aims and objectives to ensure comprehensive coverage. Such a framework can also be used to ‘map’ critical educational performance indicators (EKPIs) against KPIs from related initiatives and programmes.
In all programmes the KPI framework should remain a ‘living’ document that measures progress and improvement, changing as and when required. Place is already using this framework with a number of local authorities and look forward to updated guidance from Partnerships for Schools in the near future.
Author: Roland Meredith is a Senior Consultant at Place Group with over 30 years’ experience in education. He is currently supporting local authorities and schools on their BSF journey, with his work focusing primarily on exploring developments in the curriculum and the implications of this for learning and teaching.
