Vision vs. Action

I know a lot of great school leaders who have an incredible vision of how they want their school to run. However, I believe that the hard part is actually implementing an action plan that allows that vision to be reached. 

I was recently in a Leadership Team Meeting where we discussed upcoming district benchmark tests. My school did not perform well on the benchmarks, and staff agreed that it was because we did not do enough to ensure our students were invested in the test. We decided that the next benchmark will be structured like a mock EOC. That means all testing protocol will be followed including collecting cell-phones and taking the test on the computer.  Administration even made a classroom rubric for teachers to ensure that their room is "test-ready." 

Now, at first, this seems like a great idea. However, I began to ponder. My first thought was "We've been taking test and quizzes all year and now, in February, you want to change up the procedures?" Students (and teachers) are creatures of habit, and this deviation from the norm could potentially even LOWER scores.  Secondly, students know that the district benchmark test is NOT the Milestones so will pretending really make a difference in their motivation? Thirdly, what is the plan for students that choose to not comply with these new testing regulations? Will there be administrators on the hall? Lastly, did we consider that there are not enough laptops for every teacher to administer a benchmark every period in every class?

We have a multitude of issues going on within our building and this focus on a structured testing environment seems like a waste of energy at this point in the school year.  This, is a prime example of having a great vision but not properly devising a plan to get there. This seems to be commonplace within my district.....having the vision but not being clear about how to get there. I will do my best to establish action plans that teachers and students can follow to achieve my goals and vision for my future school.