Leaders Roundtable Retreat Survey Results

1
Leaders Roundtable RetreatSurvey Results

• July 20, 2007

2
The Basics

• 23 respondents
• Organizations
• 43 Business (10)
• 39 Education (9)
• 17 Government/Non-profit (4)
• Length of Involvement
• 48 0-1 year (11)
• 2-3 years (2)
• 43 3 years (10)

3
The Basics

• Cross Tab Report
• Type of organization
• Length of involvement
• Depth of understanding (proxy question)
• Level of involvement (proxy question)

4
Success in Five Years

• Better Educational Performance (52)
• Better, more measurable Solutions (26)
• More collaborative relationships between business
  and education (22)

5
Mission of LRT

• In your own words.
• Collaborative Action (34)
• 100 Student Success (30)
• Forum for idea exchange (22)
• Appropriate and valid mission (82)

6
Measuring Progress

• Half unsure or dont think there are clearly
  defined goals objectives.
• 60 say LRT has not established indicators to
  measure progress.

7
Focusing the Work

• Opportunities in the community
• Collaborative action (35)
• Teen learning (grades 7-12), including graduation
  and transitions to college/career (35)
• Community education/advocacy for education (30)
• Closing achievement gap minority student
  achievement (13)
• Up to three choices were allowed. Percents do
  not equal 100.

8
Focusing the Work

• Most effective approach
• Targeted outcomes (43)
• Targeted populations (29)
• Delivery models policy issues (29)
• NO educator thought LRT should focus on
  outcomes. 
• 70 of business reps thought LRT should focus on
  outcomes.
• NO government/non-profit person thought LRT
  should focus on populations.

9
Effective Partnerships

• Strong partnerships with member organizations
  (70)
• Unsure or lack of partnership with other
  organizations (65)
• education and government/non-profit reps most
  unsure (67 ed 100 gov/non)
• LRT has an excellent reputation (70)
• LRT is a distinct forum for private sector and
  education to listen/collaborate with one another
  (61).

10
LRT Functioning

• Members understand mission, goals objectives
  (83)
• Members participate in meetings events (65)
• Government/non-profit and those who least
  understood the mission were the least likely to
  participate
• Only some members give time, expertise
  resources (52)
• Most members do NOT open the door for others to
  participate (68)
• Business reps most likely to do so

11
LRT Functioning

• Member organizations value and benefit from
  participation (69)
• Government/non-profit rated the value of LRT
  participation to their organization the highest
  (75).
• LRT has effective communication processes (74)
• Highest rating from business reps, most involved
  and those who understood the mission the best.

12
Suggestions for High Functioning

• Meetings
• Need for real dialog.
• Focus on major issue with data and discussion.
• Focused agenda that brings meeting to actionable
  conclusion.
• No cell phones.

13
Suggestions for High Functioning

• Information
• More information provided on specific goals.
• Short issue briefs in advance of meeting (5-7
  days).
• Information should be directly tied to specific
  goals and objectives.

14
Suggestions for High Functioning

• Structure
• Its about right.
• Too many observers for meaningful dialog.
• Need avenue for staff/deputies to participate.
• Rotate committee chairs.
• Need clearly defined tasks for committees.

15
Suggestions for High Functioning

• Leadership
• Its about right.
• Need a succession plan.
• Business/education co-chairs (but not a major
  stakeholder).
• Tighter facilitation needed.
• More business members.

16
Suggestions for High Functioning

• Staffing
• Maxine is fabulous!
• Additional staff help may be needed.
• Use consultants or subject matter experts.

17
Suggestions for High Functioning

• Follow Through
• Need to identify specific next steps and
  deadlines.
• Bring meetings to actionable conclusions.
• Improve member accountability.

18
LRT Effectiveness in Key Areas

• Creating a common understanding of student
  success (52)
• majority of business reps, BUT the minority of
  education, government/non-profit
• Identifying priority issues (70)
• Executing and organizing to make progress (44)
• Most involved rated the LRT the poorest in
  executing and organizing to make progress on
  priority issues.

19
Other Suggestions

• Tighter agendas at meetings.
• Keep members engaged and focused.
• Increase partnership with other organizations.
• Exercise individual and collective political
  clout.
• Find the next big leverage point.

20
Exit Entrance Interviews

• Three members each
• Six Questions
• Strengths of LRT
• Improvements
• Opportunities presented by LRT
• Barriers to effectiveness
• What How of the work
• Other

21
Strengths

• Opportunity for business/private sector,
  education and government to communicate about
  complex issues related to education
• 100 exiting members
• 100 of new members
• Level of membership (66 of new members)

22
Improvements

• Issues are discussed but not acted upon (100 of
  new exiting members)
• Right people?
• Involve other between meetings?
• Too many observers.
• Tighter, more focused agendas.
• Need more defined focus for the work.

23
Opportunities

• No other forum of this type
• 66 of exiting members
• 100 of new members

24
Barriers to Effectiveness

• Getting to Action (66 new 100 exiting)
• Lack of realistic understanding of student
  success.
• Dont evaluate hold ourselves accountable.
• No real plan for action.
• Too much focus on the past.
• Too many tangents at meetings.
• No one individual is driving the initiatives.
• Just do it!

25
How What

• Identify a small number of new priorities (1-3)
  and focus on concrete steps/actions (100 new and
  exiting).
• Identify the end goal and how LRT will be
  accountable along the way (including timelines )
  (100 exiting).
• 100 of new members suggested a priority (no
  consistent theme).

26
Exiting Perspectives

• LRT is a politically correct place to be, but we
  arent truly moving the agenda forward (66).
• Acknowledgement for Maxines great support (66).

27
Entering Perspectives

• Need to assess whether all the right
  organizations are at the table (66).
• LRT has the ability to leverage impact on the
  community the organizational decision makers
  are present (100).
• Dues may be too high for the impact currently
  leveraged (66).
• Need to determine how to complement partner
  with other groups with similar goals (66).

28
Overall Themes

• LRT is a great forum for communication
  collaboration.
• LRT is unique and has a great reputation in the
  community.
• LRT could leverage a large community impact.
• The actionable so what is missing.
• There is a need to focus on a few objectives and
  establish measures of successful progress.

29
Overall Themes

• There is a need to tighten up meetings to get the
  work done.
• Business is more sure about LRT than education or
  government.
• Better partnerships with other organizations may
  be needed.