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Suzanne WestUniversity of South Florida ECW 6205Task 1: Mission/Vision Statement ReportBackground ContextVision and mission statements are essential components for success in most types of organizations. Vision statements provide guidance for organizations to remain focused on a goal that it wants to achieve in the future. It is the dream of the organization. Mission statements answer what the purpose of the organization is and the steps needed to get to the vision. It answers the “what” and the “why” organizations do what they do. Although both are similar in purpose, they are each different in their roles. Both share equal importance to the vitality of an organization or program. According to Evans (2010), the “absence or poorly written mission and vision statements,” can impact the building of organizational culture as well as cause conflict with implementing strategic plans.Who is responsible for creating the vision and mission statements for organizations? Primarily, the major stakeholders will play a part in creating the purpose for a program. This varies per organization, but in general should include the public as well as the leaders of an organization. For a school, it involves the school leaders, as well as the staff, students, and parents involved in the program. CITATION Gab \l 1033 (Gabriel & Farmer)Summary of Selected ResourcesTraditions to transformations: The forced evolution of higher education. This article goes into detail regarding the push to add technology into classrooms. It begins by questioning why there is this push when there is no significant change in learning outcomes whether technology is present in the course or not. It also implies that even though no one questions the validity of using technology in a classroom, it is questionable if using technology as the only source of delivery is necessary.Perhaps, one of the issues with the push for technology driven courses is that there is no real purpose presented in some of the programs for its use. As the article mentions, some administration are hesitant to even purchase more technology when it can’t be proven that it is more effective for the learner to learn in such a way. Without a significant learning gain between traditional methods and technology driven courses, it is difficult to argue for the additional technology costs.A vision and mission statement for such programs could create a plan and a purpose for such issues in programs who struggle in this area. Many programs spend lots of money for newer technology just to have it. The problem is that many times they also don’t have a plan for its use and these items sit to collect dust. Thousands of dollars collecting dust is not conducive to adding additional technologies in the classroom.Developing effective mission and vision statementsThis article does a great job of breaking down a mission statement with three essential questions for reflection:What do we do?How do we do it?For whom do we do it?Many times organizations are not clear in the differences in a vision versus a mission statement and in essence only create a more expanded version of the original vision statement. In reality, they create two vision statements. The mission statement lacks a plan and is too general. It is easy to see how many organizations lack the ability to move forward in its goals, or spend money irresponsibly when it doesn’t actually know how or why it is trying to get to its original vision.I appreciate how the article mentions how “watered down” or meaningless many of these statements have become. I can attest that the vision and mission statement at my school holds very little if no meaning to me as an employee at all. Imagine how empowered employees would feel if they felt there was meaning to the work they were doing. Well written and meaningful vision and missions statements could very well do this for its employees if done correctly.Vision and Mission - What's the difference and why does it matter? This article breaks down some of the confusions there are about the differences in vision and mission statements and why it is important that people understand the value and importance of these statements. The article begins by breaking down successful strategic plans into six core elements: vision, mission, core values, strategic areas of focus, strategic goals, and action plans. An interesting fact that the article briefly brings up is a study that was done by Bain and Company. According to Evans (2010), “organizations that have clearly defined Vision and Mission statements that are aligned with a strategic plan, outperform those who do not.” Evans (2010) also goes on to further mention that these companies will also have less work conflict when employees better understand the organization is trying to establish through these vision and mission statements.This article does a very thorough job of describing as well as give examples on the differences between vision and mission statements. It also explains at length the reasons why they are so important for the culture of an organization. Most effective is the statement, “If an organization cannot define it's "reason for existing (Mission) or "where it is going" (Vision), how can it align people, processes, products or services towards a successful future?”Organizational ContextThe organizational context I choose to analyze is Tarpon Springs High School. It is the school in which I currently work in and have first-hand knowledge on how it is organized, as wells its goals for student success. Tarpon Springs High School is a public school that houses several CTE programs. Included certifications students may acquire are child care, veterinary assisting, culinary arts, adobe including Photoshop, Microsoft word and Microsoft excel. With the exception of child care and business certifications, students must apply and be accepted into the programs in order to attend. All other students at the school are in regular high school courses and attend based on their home address.Results and AnalysisThe vision and mission statements for Tarpon Springs High School are as follows:“Our Vision is 100% of students will attain the skills necessary for success in college, career or the job of their choice.” CITATION Fat16 \l 1033 (Fatolitis, 2016)“Our Mission is to prepare every student to be a productive citizen and provide them the skills necessary to be successful in life.” CITATION Fat16 \l 1033 (Fatolitis, 2016)Mrs. Fatolitis, is the current Principal of Tarpon Springs High School. She was hired to take over in November 2015 after the unexpected elimination of its prior Principal, Mr. James Joyer. When asked regarding the origin of both the vision and missions statements for the high school she responded that she wasn’t entirely sure. As far as any administrators are aware, Mr. Joyer came up with a small committee of 3-5 staff who came up with both the vision and mission statements while completing the school improvement plan in the 2014-2015 school year. The statements were then brought up in a school advisory committee meeting and approved for school-wide use. It is not clear, nor has it been confirmed, what members of the staff were a part of this process, nor is documented when the school advisory committee approved these.Currently, you will find the vision and mission statements posted in approximately half of the classrooms on campus. It was suggested school-wide that staff use both statements in the signature line of emails, however, less than a third of the staff actually follow that advice. In an informal poll including 2 dozen staff (a couple of which are administrators), not one staff member was able to tell me off the top of their head what the exact vision or mission statement is for the school, although many were sure it had to do with student success as well as college and career readiness. Many staff members scoffed when asked about the vision and mission statements, advising that the prior principal came up with them and they lacked respect for him and therefore it didn’t matter to them. I asked two parents if they knew there was a mission or vision statement for the school. Both parents advised they were positive there were, but not sure what it was. Both confirmed they cannot find them on the school website. I also asked 100% of my students about the vision and mission statements for the school. Although many reported seeing them around school, it was vague and unclear to them what they were. They were positive it had to do with students graduating and going to college.Based on my current research of the differences between vision and mission statements, it appears that Tarpon is actually missing a true mission statement. The mission statement is written like a vision, and lacks the steps necessary to put a vision statement in place. Therefore, Tarpon High School has two vision statements. The school would benefit by revising both the vision and mission statements in order to set a true purpose and goals for its programs.ConclusionsTarpon Springs High School would benefit by creating another committee made up of staff and administration that includes student input to create a more meaningful vision and mission statement. My analysis is that the staff did not buy into the current statements because the majority did not have input, nor respect for the leadership that put it into place. Students also did not have input and therefore they also don’t have buy-in for the current vision and mission statements. A plan of action for the school would be to ask for volunteers from each program, as well as subject area, to look at revising the current statements. That committee will then create a poll or contest for the high school students to have input on what they feel would be an important goal for the school. A poll could also be added to the school web-site for parent involvement. Once the major ideas are put forth to the committee, they can together brain storm the proper wording to include the main ideas the students and parents have come up with. The staff as a whole can vote first on the newly created vision and mission statements. Once a staff consensus has been made, the school advisory committee (which is made up of staff, parents, and students) can then also vote to add these to the school improvement plan. A plan must also be put in place on how to disseminate the newly revised vision and mission statements as to whether they will be added to classrooms, emails, etc.References BIBLIOGRAPHY Ebben, J. (2005). Developing effective mission and vision statements. Retrieved from Inc.: , J. (2010, April 24). Retrieved from Psychology Today: , L. (2016, January). (S. West, Interviewer)Gabriel, J. G., & Farmer, P. C. (n.d.). Chapter 2. Developing a Vision and a Mission. In J. G. Gabriel, & P. C. Farmer, How to Help Your School Thrive Without Breaking the Bank. Retrieved from ASCD: , R. (n.d.). Retrieved from Tarpon Springs High Home of the Spongers: Rogers, P. (2001). Traditions to transformations: The forced evolution of higher education. Educational Technology Review. Retrieved from ................
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