Advertisement

Journal of Educational Change

, Volume 16, Issue 2, pp 217–242 | Cite as

Mission, vision, values, and goals: An exploration of key organizational statements and daily practice in schools

  • D. Keith Gurley
  • Gary B. Peters
  • Loucrecia Collins
  • Matthew Fifolt
Article
First Online:

Abstract

This article reports findings from a study of graduate level, educational leadership students’ familiarity with shared mission, vision, values, and goals statements and the perceived impact these concepts have on their practice as leaders and teachers in schools. The study is primarily qualitative and uses content analysis of responses to open-ended questions. Researchers adopted a limited quantitative analysis technique, however, in order to report frequency of responses to survey questions. We used the literature base regarding strategic planning and school improvement as conceptual frameworks to guide the analysis. Findings revealed that educational leadership students had limited ability to recall the content of key organizational statements. Further, respondents reported that these key organizational statements had only minimal impact on their daily practice. Implications are presented for university preparation programs designed to equip school leaders to effect meaningful school improvement and organizational change centered on development of shared mission and vision for improvement. This research confirms similar findings reported by Watkins and McCaw (Natl Forum Educ Adm Superv J 24(3):71–91, 2007) and adds to the research by exploring respondents’ reports of the impact of mission, vision, values, and goals statements on their daily practice. It further extends the discussion by presenting a content analysis of key organizational statements, comparing mission, vision, values, and goals statements to models of strategic planning and planning for continuous school improvement from the organizational improvement literature.

Keywords

Goal-setting Organizational change Organizational values School culture School improvement Shared mission Shared vision 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

References

  1. Bardwell, R. (2008). Transformational assessment: A simplified model of strategic planning. AASA Journal of Scholarship and Practice, 5(2), 30–37.Google Scholar
  2. Blanchard, K. (2007). Leading at a higher level: Blanchard on leadership and creating high performing organizations. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.Google Scholar
  3. Blanchard, K., & O’Connor, R. (1997). Managing by values. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.Google Scholar
  4. Boerema, A. J. (2006). An analysis of private school mission statements. Peabody Journal of Education, 81(1), 180–202.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  5. Bryson, J. M. (2004). Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: A guide to strengthening and sustaining organizational achievement (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Google Scholar
  6. Burnes, B. (2004). Kurt Lewin and the planned approach to change: A re-appraisal. Journal of Management Studies, 41(6), 977–1002.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. Calder, W. B. (2011). Institutional VVM statements on web sites. Community College Enterprise, 17(2), 19–27.Google Scholar
  8. Council of Chief State School Officers. (2008). Educational leadership policy standards: ISLLC 2008. Washington: Council of Chief State School Officers.Google Scholar
  9. Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Thousand Oak: Sage.Google Scholar
  10. Crittenden, W. F., & Crittenden, V. L. (1997). Strategic planning in third-sector organizations. Journal of Managerial Issues, 9(1), 86–103.Google Scholar
  11. Danielson, C. (2007). Enhancing professional practice: A framework for teaching (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.Google Scholar
  12. Dewey, J. (1938). Logic: The theory of inquiry. New York: Holt, Reinhart and Winston.Google Scholar
  13. DuFour, R., DuFour, R., & Eaker, R. (2008). Revisiting professional learning communities at work: New insights for improving schools. Bloomington: Solution Tree.Google Scholar
  14. DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & Many, T. (2010). Learning by doing: A handbook for professional learning communities at work (2nd ed.). Bloomington: Solution Tree.Google Scholar
  15. DuFour, R., & Eaker, R. (1998). Professional learning communities at work: Best practices for enhancing student achievement. Bloomington: National Education Service.Google Scholar
  16. Fried, R. L. (2003). The skeptical visionary: A Seymour Season education reader. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.Google Scholar
  17. Fullan, M. (1993). Change forces: Probing the depths of educational reform. Philadelphia: Falmer Press.Google Scholar
  18. Fullan, M. (1998). The meaning of educational change: A quarter century of learning. In A. Hargreaves, A. Lieberman, M. Fullan, & D. Hopkins (Eds.), International handbook of educational change. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.Google Scholar
  19. Fullan, M. (1999). Change forces: The sequel. Philadelphia, PA: Falmer Press. In A. Hargreaves, L. Earl, S. Moore, & S. Manning (eds.), (2001). Learning to change: Teaching beyond subjects and standards. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Google Scholar
  20. Hargreaves, A., Earl, L., Moore, S., & Manning, S. (2001). Learning to change: Teaching beyond subjects and standards. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Google Scholar
  21. Kaufman, R. (1992). Strategic planning plus: An organizational guide. Newbury Park: Sage.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  22. Kose, B. W. (2011). Developing a transformative school vision: Lessons from peer-nominated principals. Education and Urban Society, 43(2), 119–136.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  23. Kotter, J. (1996). Leading change. Boston: Harvard Business School.Google Scholar
  24. Kouzes, J., & Posner, B. (2006). A leader’s legacy. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Google Scholar
  25. Lewin, K. (1943). Defining the field at a given time. Psychological Review, 50, 292–310.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  26. Lunenberg, F. C. (2010). Creating a professional learning community. National Forum of Educational Administration and Supervision Journal, 27(4), 1–7.Google Scholar
  27. Marzano, R., Waters, T., & McNulty, B. (2005). School leadership that works: From research to results. Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.Google Scholar
  28. McHatton, P. A., Bradshaw, W., Gallagher, P. A., & Reeves, R. (2011). Results from a strategic planning process: Benefits for a nonprofit organization. Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 22(2), 233–249.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  29. Mintzberg, H. (1994). The rise and fall of strategic planning. New York: Free Press.Google Scholar
  30. Moeller, A. J., Theiler, J. M., & Wu, C. (2012). Goal setting and student achievement: A longitudinal study. The Modern Language Journal, 96(2), 1–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  31. Moore, M. H. (2000). Managing for value: Organizational strategy in for-profit, nonprofit, and governmental organizations. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 29(1), 183–204.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  32. Mulford, B. (2010). Recent developments in the field of educational leadership: The challenge of complexity. In A. Hargreaves, A. Lieberman, M. Fullan, & D. Hopkins (Eds.), Second international handbook of educational change. New York: Springer.Google Scholar
  33. O’Neill, J. (2000). SMART goals, SMART schools. Educational Leadership, 57(5), 46–50.Google Scholar
  34. Pekarsky, D. (2007). Vision and education: Arguments, counterarguments, rejoinders. American Journal of Education, 113(3), 423–450.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  35. Perkins, D. (1992). Smart schools: Better thinking and learning for every child. New York: Free Press.Google Scholar
  36. Pfeffer, J., & Sutton, R. (2000). The knowing-doing gap: How smart companies turn knowledge into action. Boston: Harvard Business School.Google Scholar
  37. Quong, T., Walker, A., & Stott, K. (1998). Values-based strategic planning: A dynamic approach for schools. Singapore: Prentice Hall.Google Scholar
  38. Reeves, D. (2000). Accountability in action: A blueprint for learning organizations. Denver: Advanced Learning Press.Google Scholar
  39. Renchler, R. (1991). Leadership with a vision: How principals develop and implement their visions for school success. OSSC Bulletin, 34(5), 1–29.Google Scholar
  40. Rosengren, K. E. (Ed.). (1981). Advances in content analysis. Beverly Hills: Sage.Google Scholar
  41. Sarason, S. B. (1971). The culture of the school and the problem of change. Boston: Alyn & Bacon.Google Scholar
  42. Schmoker, M. (2003). First things first: Demystifying data analysis. Educational Leadership, 60(5), 22–24.Google Scholar
  43. Schmoker, M. (2006). Results now: How we can achieve unprecedented improvements in teaching and learning. Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.Google Scholar
  44. Stemler, S. E., Bebell, D., & Sonnabend, L. A. (2011). Using school mission statements for reflection and research. Education Administration Quarterly, 47(2), 383–420.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  45. Talbert, J. E. (2010). Professional learning communities at the crossroads: How systems hinder or engender change. In A. Hargreaves, A. Lieberman, M. Fullan, & D. Hopkins (Eds.), Second international handbook of educational change. New York: Springer.Google Scholar
  46. Teddlie, C., & Reynolds, D. (Eds.). (2000). The international handbook on school effectiveness research. New York: Falmer Press.Google Scholar
  47. United States Department of Education (2002). No Child Left Behind Act. Accessed http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/index.html.
  48. Watkins, S. G., & McCaw, D. S. (2007). Analysis of graduate students’ knowledge of school district mission, vision, and core values. National Forum of Educational Administration and Supervision Journal, 24(3), 71–91.Google Scholar
  49. Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2007). Schooling by design: Mission, action, and achievement. Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014

Authors and Affiliations

  • D. Keith Gurley
    • 1
  • Gary B. Peters
    • 2
  • Loucrecia Collins
    • 3
  • Matthew Fifolt
    • 4
  1. 1.Department of Human StudiesUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamBirminghamUSA
  2. 2.Department of Human StudiesUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamBirminghamUSA
  3. 3.Department of Human StudiesUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamBirminghamUSA
  4. 4.Center for the Study of Community HealthUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamBirminghamUSA

Personalised recommendations

Cite article

Buy options