BALANCE SCORE CARD

AT
FULTON COUNTY SCHOOL
SYSTEM
Case Overview
The case revolves around Fulton County School System
situated in two districts, north and south oI the city oI Atlanta.
The school had a history oI excellent planning and
management. They aspired to be one oI the best school
systems in the country.
The case discusses the pre BSC situation in the school.
The school decides on a strategy to IulIill their aspirations.
BSC comes in the picture to IulIill gaps in the strategy.
Highlights the short term implications, impact oI the Balance
score card system as well as the gains FCSS continues to reap
Irom it.
Background & Business
The Fulton County School System incorporates 77
public schools in 2 sub-districts, north and south oI
the city oI Atlanta
The district has 70,000 students and an annual
budget oI $560 million
In 1998 Fulton launched a Model oI Excellence`
quality program which assigned up to 1000 points on
the perIormance oI the education sector.
volco Crootloo
W To be one oI the best school systems in
the country.
Aspiration
W Implement the Model oI Excellence`
program.
W EIIectively utilize the school budget.
Strategy/Game
plan
W Lack oI alignment between strategy,
perIormance measurement and
perIormance improvement.
Limitations in
Strategy
W To provide a strategic Iramework
within which the Model oI
Excellence` initiative could operate.
BSC
!re-BSC Methodology and Issues
Model oI Excellence quality program:
This program was guided by Malcolm Baldrige` educational criteria.
1000 points score system
-Leadership
-Strategic planning
-Student , stakeholder and Market Iocus
-InIormation and Analysis
-Faculty and staII Iocus
-!rocess Management
-Organizational !erIormance results
This model helped with local tactical activities and
implementation but lacked alignment between strategy,
perIormance measurement and perIormance improvement.
ho took initiative
Dr. Stephen Dolinger, FCSS superintendent, launched a
Model oI Excellence` quality program in 1998.
FCSS hired Martha Taylor-Greenway in November 1999 as
the Director oI Strategic !lanning.
She Ielt that Balanced Score Card would provide a strategic
Iramework within which the Model oI Excellence` initiative
could operate.
!rocess Adopted
FCSS`s adopted a Top Down` approach to BSC, where
the Board approved and implemented the BSC and
provided a Iramework to individual schools to set and
achieve their targets.
FCSS implemented a 5 stage strategy map. It consisted oI
the generic stages and one additional stage on Student
Achievement
Student Achievement
Customer and Stakeholder Involvement & SatisIaction
EIIicient and EIIective Instructional and Administrative !rocess
StaII Learning and Growth
Financial !erIormance
SLudenL MasLer Currlculum
SLudenLs are naLlonally
CompeLlLlve
School cllmaLe ls
Safe Lnrlchlng
arenLs are
lnvolved
SaLlsfled
CommunlLy ls
lnvolved has
oslLlve ercepLlon
lnsLrucLlon ls
LffecLlve
1ransporLaLlon ls
Safe LfflclenL
laclllLles are Safe
Well MalnLalned
8esources are ln
lace for Lhe 1
sL
day ln School
SLudenLs have
nuLrlLlous Meals
SLaff are CompeLenL
1eachers Lmployees are
SaLlsfled
Sound llscal
ManagemenL
Student
Achievement
Customer &
Stakeholder
Involvement &
SatisIaction
EIIicient &
EIIective
Instructional &
Administrative
!rocesses
StaII Learning
& Growth
Financial
!erIormance
!rocess Adopted. contd..
The project team ensured that valid data collection and reporting
processes existed Ior each measure
System wide perIormance target set Ior each measure based on
historical trends and by benchmarking with other schools.
Local schools developed initiative aimed at contributing to meeting
speciIic targets.
Categories Objectives Measurement Parameters Score
Student
Achievement
Students master
curriculum
O Scores on curriculum based tests 7
O High school completion and graduation
rates
6
Students are nationally
competitive
O National tests such as SAT and
Advanced !lacement tests
8
O Students perIormance in Iirst two years
aIter graduation
7
hat was implemented?
By the end oI 2001, all FCSS schools were using the BSC
to develop strategic plan and to guide resource allocation.
New incentive programs implemented which shiIted Iocus
Irom performance measurement to performance
rewards.
In 2001, FCSS implemented a perIormance based pay Ior
superintendent and school district cabinet members.
Individual schools set up own benchmarks and targets.
Financial incentive plan Ior teachers ($2000) who
contributed to achieving targets within the local schools.
Short Term Impact oI BSC
Student pass percentage in standard mathematics
test increased Irom 66 percent to 88 percent (22
percent improvement) in one year.
Round the year progress tracking tool Ior student
and teacher was developed.
Ambitious goals such as a 90 pass percentage
was set.
Strict goal-oriented working style was put into
practice.
!riority based working style was Iollowed.
Gains over a two year period
The number oI students meeting state-level reading and math perIormance
standard increased by 5 point.
New schools opened on time and within budget.
6 increase in high school students earning college credits.
A 39 increase in the number oI students scoring higher than 3 in the A! exams.
Number oI students successIully clearing SAT exam was almost double the
national average.
The saIety standards oI the schools improved remarkably.
The perIormance oI principals oI various schools improved because now they
could identiIy their priorities more clearly and conducted perIormance reviews
over the year.
Due to an increase in good will volunteer hours increased.
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