The Key to a Strong Internal Organization
Schools face numerous challenges, including ensuring quality education, dealing with staff shortages, and addressing inequality of opportunity. To effectively tackle these challenges, it is crucial to particularly strengthen the internal organization of the school. Traditionally, educational research has focused on improving the quality of education in schools. This page emphasizes the importance of enhancing the supporting organization as a foundation for good education. After all, without a solid foundation and environment, even the best teachers cannot function effectively. The aim of this page is to help schools evolve into a High Performance School (HPS) through a proven and scientifically validated HPO framework.
What is a High Performance School?
A High Performance School is one that performs significantly better than comparable schools over the long term, at least five years. This is not just about good grades, but also about a pleasant atmosphere at school, effective collaboration, and continuous improvements. The school consciously focuses on what is truly important for good results and a pleasant learning environment, ensuring that both the education and the entire surrounding organization are excellent.
At the HPO Center, experts in High Performance Organizations (HPO), we have developed a proven and scientifically validated framework that helps organizations quickly and effectively transform to a higher level of performance. This HPS transformation is extremely relevant for schools that want to grow towards excellence with limited time from management and staff. In practice, we see more and more schools with the ‘GOOD’ label wanting to work on further improvement and innovation. The ambition to grow from GOOD to HPS is then a logical step.
“It greatly assists in the direction of thought for the organization and also helps employees better understand where you want to go together.” — Tineke Tromp, Director HR Wageningen UR
What is the HPO Framework?
The HPO framework is a set of five pillars that form the basis for a High Performance School. These pillars are:
- Quality of Management
- Openness & Action Orientation
- Long-Term Orientation
- Continuous Improvement & Innovation
- Quality of Employees
How Does the HPO Framework Fit with Schools?
- Quality of Management: In a High Performance School, the school board promotes trust and honesty. The management focuses not only on administrative tasks but also on inspiring and motivating both teachers and students. The managers are integral, showing commitment, enthusiasm, and respect, and make decisions in a decisive, action-oriented manner.
- Openness & Action Orientation: Schools aiming for high performance have an open culture where management values the opinions of employees and involves them in important organizational processes. Mistakes are seen as learning opportunities. There is a strong focus on dialogue and knowledge exchange to continuously improve the school environment and education.
- Long-Term Orientation: A High Performance School focuses on long-term engagement with all stakeholders, including teachers and parents. The school looks beyond the next test week or the current school year, focusing on long-term goals such as improving the educational offering and preparing students for a successful future.
- Continuous Improvement & Innovation: High Performance Schools are never satisfied with the status quo. They constantly renew their strategies and improve, simplify, and align their internal processes. They continuously seek ways to enhance education and the learning environment, from implementing new teaching methods to improving and simplifying internal processes.
- Quality of Employees: In a High Performance School, there is significant attention to professional development. Employees are trained to be resilient and flexible. Teachers are given opportunities to enhance their skills, benefiting not only their careers but also the quality of education.
The HPS Transformation: A Proven and Time-Efficient Approach
The HPO Center offers a structured HPO diagnosis that evaluates the current state, performance, and environment of your school and identifies improvement themes for the supporting organization. This diagnosis is the first step in the HPS transformation and allows you to develop a feasible action plan. The benefits of this approach include:
- Targeted Improvement: The HPO diagnosis lets you know exactly where to start.
- Scientifically Substantiated: Our methods are based on extensive research and are scientifically validated.
- Sustainable Results: The HPS transformation leads to sustainable improvements that enhance long-term performance.
- Time Efficiency: Our approach is designed to achieve maximum results in a short time frame, saving valuable time.
Why Collaborate with the HPO Center?
The HPO Center has years of experience in guiding organizations to a higher level of performance. Our scientifically substantiated approach is flexible and can be tailored to meet the unique needs of your school. By collaborating with the HPO Center, your school gains access to proven strategies and practices that will improve performance at all levels.
Want to Know More?
Becoming a High Performance School is a journey that requires effort, dedication, and a proven approach. The HPO framework provides a solid foundation for schools embarking on this ambitious journey. Are you ready to elevate your school to the next level? Contact Marco Schreurs to discover how the HPO Center can assist you in achieving excellence in education and performance.