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Many studies have led to the conclusion that the most successful organizations and individuals are those guided by clear mission statements. Richard O’Hallaron, author of THE MISSION PRIMER: FOUR STEPS TO AN EFFECTIVE MISSION STATEMENT (Mission Incorporated, 2000), points out that companies winning the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and outperforming the Standard & Poors 500 stock index by a margin of 3 to 1 since 1994 are companies that show high compliance with Gast’s laws for good mission statements. Gast’s laws are standards defined in the mid 1950s by the late Professor Walter Gast of St. Louis University . O’Hallaron’s book provides simple directions that can easily be adapted to the construction of school mission statements.
The purpose of this brief paper is not to substitute for use of a good guide such as the book by Richard O’Hallaron. Rather it is to:
- Endorse the value and even the need for defining and using mission statements in education and
- Offer some suggestions based on many years of experience and observations in schools.
First, let us consider value.
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Do you know what your school district or school or class is trying to accomplish with students? For example, are you attempting to help youngsters learn how to learn? Are you working to equip students to use the power of using data to guide their improvement efforts? There are districts and schools with mission statements that give clear guidance in these areas. There are schools that offer teachers and students no guidance in this area. If a mission statement provides clear guidance on purposes, everyone can work in the same direction  . If clear direction does not exist, different teachers and classes go in different directions  . In the latter case, the lack of clear, unified direction leads to a lack of effectiveness in learning. That is inexcusable.
Here are some simple and practical suggestions on mission statements in schools:
- Every school district should use group processes to define its clear mission statement. The statements should be brief. Refer to the book THE MISSION STATEMENT BOOK: 301 CORPORATE MISSION STATEMENTS FROM AMERICA’S TOP COMPANIES by Jeffrey Abrahams (Ten Speed Press, 1999) to gain an understanding that powerful statements are direct and relatively brief. Seek examples from successful districts and schools; just go to www.google.com and search the term “mission statements for schools.”
- Every school should define its clear mission statement in coordination with any district statement. The statement should give clear direction on curriculum frameworks, attention to learning differences, and pursuit of quality or continuous improvement standards. It should then be used to define both job descriptions and evaluation standards.
- Every class should define an annual mission statement coordinated with the school mission statement. What is the purpose of a physics class? What does the teacher expect? What attention will be given to added student interests? A teacher-student discussion at the beginning of the year can make the purposes of a class (giving power to students) and even the standards for behavior (courtesy, safety, etc.) clear to everyone. This can be effective even on the elementary level where 3 or 4 sentences are permanently displayed in a classroom for the remainder of the year.
- On the school level, the district and school mission statements should be reviewed annually. Two good times for review are:
- Highlighting major points in the first staff meeting of the year with reference to an annual improvement plan.
- Providing an opportunity for anyone to suggest changes in mission or emphasis as a school year ends.
- Annual school evaluation and improvement plans should be defined and pursued in relation to the defined mission. Data should be accumulated, analyzed, and used annually to guide improvement efforts under the defined mission.
Taking mission statements seriously can lead to growth of team spirit and effectiveness in any school.
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