CONDUCTI NG A SCHOOL SWOT ANA LYSIS WHAT

CONDUCTI NG A SCHOOL SWOT ANA LYSIS

WHAT IS A SWOT ANALYSIS? 0 Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats 0 Important tool for administration, teachers and staff involved to identify effective and less effective elements in your school. 0 Best conducted when you have identified goals and objectives 0 Used to plan strategies for achieving your goals.

STRENGTHS 0 INTERNAL factors that are likely to have a positive effect on (or be an enabler to) achieving school objectives. 0 Characteristics of the school that give it an advantage over others. 0 Examples 0 0 0 Good reputation as an innovative organization Highly qualified and experienced staff Motivated students Rich technology resources Strong counseling for students for college/career planning.

WEAKNESSES 0 INTERNAL factors that are likely to have a negative effect on (or be a barrier to) achieving school objectives. 0 Characteristics that place the school at a disadvantage relative to others. 0 Examples 0 Poor communication between administrators, teachers, and staff 0 Lack of qualified staff 0 Weak administration that is not improvement-oriented 0 Poor resources of all kinds

OPPORTUNITIES 0 EXTERNAL factors that are likely to have a positive effect on achieving or exceeding school objectives. 0 Elements that could be exploited to the school’s advantage. 0 Examples 0 Availability of new federal funding for technology resources 0 High tech company is willing to sponsor a school coding program 0 Local business and community partnerships 0 Potential of parent involvement in promoting critical thinking 0 National education reform movement

THREATS 0 EXTERNAL factors and conditions that are likely to have a negative effect on achieving school objectives. 0 Elements that could compromise the school’s success. 0 Examples 0 0 Changes in college entrance examinations Lack of national commitment to education Parent demands on students’ time Student poverty limits their resources

WHEN COULD YOU USE SWOT? 0 A SWOT analysis can offer helpful perspectives at any stage of your reform efforts. You might use it to: 0 Explore possibilities for new efforts or solutions to problems. 0 Make decisions about the best path for school reform. 0 Identifying your opportunities for success in context of threats to success can clarify directions and choices. 0 Determine where change is possible. 0 If you are at a juncture or turning point, an inventory of your strengths and weaknesses can reveal priorities as well as possibilities. 0 Adjust and refine plans mid-course. 0 A new opportunity might open wider avenues, while a new threat could close a path that once existed.

SYNONYMS Positives strengths assets resources opportunities prospects Negatives weaknesses limitations restrictions threats challenges

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES 0 INTERNAL FACTORS include your resources and experiences. General areas to consider are: 0 Human resources - staff, volunteers, board members, target population 0 Physical resources - your location, building, equipment (Does your building have a prime location? Does it need renovations? ) 0 Financial - grants, funding agencies, other sources of income 0 Activities and processes - programs you run, systems you employ 0 Past experiences - building blocks for learning and success, your reputation in the community

OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS 0 Cast a wide net to identify EXTERNAL FACTORS. 0 Consider connectedness to your community. 0 Forces and facts that your group does not control include: Future trends - in school reform, technology use, national exams The economy - local, national, or international Funding sources - foundations, donors, legislatures Demographics - changes in the age, race, gender, culture of those you serve or in your area 0 The physical environment (Is your building in a growing part of town? Is the bus company cutting routes? ) 0 Legislation (Do new federal requirements make your job harder or easier? ) 0 Local, national or international events 0 0

STEPS FOR CONDUCTING SCHOOL-WIDE SWOT ANALYSIS 1. Identify the goals, outcomes, ESLRs for your school reform. 2. Create a safe and open environment so administrators, teachers, staff, and students can respond candidly. 3. Complete a collective SWOT analysis by involving administrators, teachers, staff, students, parents, etc… 0 0 0 Independently, in small groups, whole group As part of staff development As part of class activity 4. After collection of all responses, identify: 0 0 Strengths that could be maximized Opportunities that could be acted upon Weaknesses that can be minimized Threats that could be mitigated 5. Make time to reflect on results and plan for action.