NZCER Report: He Kaponga Arotake - Evaluation of the Balanced Scorecard approaches by Springboard Trust

Evaluation and the desire for continuous improvement are part of Springboard Trust’s DNA. We are excited to share He Kaponga Arotake, an independent evaluation of our use of the Balanced Scorecard to support strategic measurement in schools by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research | Rangahau Mātauranga o Aotearoa (NZCER). Download the full report below.

The report gives us greater clarity on the value the Balanced Scorecard adds to schools, clear recommendations for improving the Strategic Measurement for Schools programme and some fantastic next steps for us to consider building on the mahi to date.

“The strategic plan that we came up with [was] through the Strategic Leadership for Principals Programme through Springboard. But what [the balanced scorecard programme] does, which I haven’t had before, is to bring in a longer-term view and measurement of how we’re going as a school over a 5- to 10-year period as opposed to how we’re going this year … Taking what was our previous strategic plan and annual planning, working alongside those and taking it to the next level.” (Principal B)

A huge thank you to the school leaders who were interviewed for the report and to the team at NZCER:

Davina Hunt, Kairangahau | Researcher

Kiri Fortune, Kairangahau Māori

Rachel Bolstad, Kaihautū Rangahau | Chief Researcher

An additional thank you to all past and current participants and volunteers of the Strategic Measurement for Schools programme for generously providing feedback allowing us to continuously improve this programme for future participants.

Whakapapa of Springboard Trust’s approach to strategic measurement in schools

Over the last 17 years of running the Strategic Leadership for Principals Programme, we have learned that measuring strategically can be one of the most challenging elements of effective strategic leadership for school leaders.

To support school leaders with determining which measures will provide a holistic view of how their school is performing over the long term, we looked to the Balanced Scorecard - a tool commonly used in business, as a possible solution.

Our journey to improve schools’ strategic measurement using a Balanced Scorecard began back in 2021, supported by a grant from the Aotearoa Foundation. The initial trial of the concept involved 5 schools across the motu. We then developed a scalable online programme, piloted with 40 schools in 2022, building on our learning and evaluation from each cohort of schools who participated.

In 2023, the Strategic Measurement for Schools programme became part of our core portfolio of services, and through 2023 and 2024, another 117 school leaders from 42 schools have participated (or are participating currently) in the programme. Express your interest here.