Topgrading

This article is a case study that shows how Topgrading applied to our schools can produce excellent results.  I might be a bit biased, but I really believe Topgrading is the most powerful solution to our nation’s lousy, terrible, secondary education.

The teachers’ unions are dead set against Topgrading schools; for 10 years I tried, unsuccessfully, to persuade them.  My failed pitch was:  use Topgrading methods to hire A player principals, who in turn will Topgrade their schools with A player teachers, who will teach students a heck of a lot more than what they’re learning today.  “Fergettit,” they said.

I’d never heard of National Heritage Academies until they … Topgraded their schools!  Their short case study is encouraging and inspiring!

CASE STUDY:  NATIONAL HERITAGE ACADEMIES

National Heritage Academies (NHA) has dramatically increased the percentage of A players in their organization which is noteworthy given they work in the public sector.  NHA currently operates 61 K-8 public charter schools in six states, serving nearly 40,000 students.  As a rapidly growing organization, the NHA’s leadership team participated in Verne Harnish’s Rockefeller Habits training where they first learned about Topgrading.

As a system of charter schools serving tens of thousands of students across multiple sites, NHA recognized that as a people-intensive business, their success would rely, in large part, on the quality of the people at each site. The selection of school principals was vital as they are responsible for hiring A player teachers, building culture, managing people and leading instruction - all critical to producing schools where students measurably improve their learning.

A more systematic and effective hiring process seemed to make sense, but the motivating factor to implement Topgrading was the initial Talent Review, which revealed that only 19% of the school principals hired throughout the company’s existence qualified as A players.  The leadership team made talent a top priority and proved it by taking action.

The team, led by COO Jeff Clark (now President/CEO) and the new Vice President of People Development, Aric Dershem, were trained and began putting all school principal candidates through the full Topgrading process.  Clark and Dershem dedicated two half-days each week strictly to principal hiring and conducted tandem Topgrading interviews and reference checks for all finalist candidates. The results soon followed. The number of A player principals increased from 19% to 53% in 2006, 63% in 2007, and to 76% in 2008.

A curious and disappointing thing happened in 2009; the percentage of A player and A potential principals decreased from 76% to 66%.  Many Topgrading companies have experienced a similar phenomenon.  People who qualified as A players pre-Topgrading or in the early stages of implementation do not necessarily qualify as A players as talent management practices mature…because the performance bar has actually steadily increased.  2009 has been a recalibration year for NHA.

How refreshing is that? They more than triple hiring success and then raise the bar - to hire even better.  Having talked with Jeff Clark and Aric Dershem, I suspect they will continue raising the performance bar for their educators until NHA schools are not only tops in the US, but tops in the world.

Dershem said, “Using the tandem Topgrading interview approach has been hugely beneficial for us not only because it has allowed us to hire better, but because it allows us to go back when we make hiring mistakes to see what we missed and adjust our process to ensure that we do not make that mistake again.  Going back after a hiring mistake has also helped us realize which characteristics are coachable and which are not.  We have found that principal candidates need to genuinely care about the teachers and other people they manage, have a strong achievement drive, and be highly resourceful; those qualities are not very coachable.  If they exhibit those qualities and have a willingness to learn, we can typically help them develop into a highly successful principal.”

Business results have followed.  Dershem said, “From a financial perspective, we are primarily a capacity utilization business; every seat we fill in a school generates revenue. From a quality perspective, we are focused on delivering outstanding student learning results across all our schools. Our capacity utilization has set records over the past three years while academic achievement metrics have increased steadily.  As we have increased the percentage of A players in our organization, employee satisfaction ratings have also consistently improved as we ensure we have more of the right leaders in place.”

EPILOG: Years ago the public schools in my town declined, and son Geoff and daughter Kate attended a broken down private school with a new head master couple (retired Booz Allen executive and community leader wife), who sold us with the notion of hiring nothing but A player teachers.  Lake Forest Academy became a superb institution in all respects, but the key was talent.  As Jim Collins says, “Get the Who right, and the What takes care of itself.”

NHA is succeeding in the public sector, with Topgrading central to their mission.  Now if only more of us ordinary citizens could get our elected representatives to embrace charter schools like NHA …

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE: Are you interested in learning the latest Topgrading methods and tools?  Consider attending our two day Topgrading Workshop, December 8 - 9 in the Chicago area.  For information, click here.