Jacques Nacson, senior policy analyst for the NEA, leads a discussion at the KEYS Convocation in Sheboygan.

Imagine a roomful of school board members, superintendents and teacher union representatives – and everyone is getting along and focused on school improvement.

That is the power of KEYS 2.0, an innovative school improvement initiative implemented by the NEA that is being supported and promoted in Wisconsin by WEAC.

About 45 educators representing 18 school districts came together in Sheboygan Monday and Tuesday (August 8-9, 2005) to learn about KEYS and how it is engaging school officials, teachers, education support professionals, parents and citizens in a research-based approach to student achievement.

"We need more gatherings with us as teachers and administrators and leaders talking together," said Char Gearing, WEAC's director of teaching and learning, who organized the meeting.

Two of the districts represented – Green Bay and Rice Lake – already have implemented KEYS, which stands for Keys to Excellence in Your Schools. The others attended to gather more information before deciding whether to make the commitment to KEYS.

A team from Green Bay Public Schools discusses the district's experience with the KEYS initiative. They are (left to right) retired GBEA Executive Director Dick Feldhausen, current GBEA Executive Director Keith Patt, district Business Manager John Wilson and Superintendent Dan Nerad.

The KEYS initiative begins with the use of a comprehensive research-based survey of school staff and, in some cases, parents and other citizens. The survey – which is conducted anonymously on paper or online – focuses on 42 indicators of school quality that correlate with high student achievement. The KEYS staff at NEA compiles results. NEA and WEAC provide resources and a framework and support system for districts to follow up on survey results and turn them into actions that lead to results.

Green Bay Schools Superintendent Dan Nerad said that support system makes KEYS special because it goes beyond merely "taking a picture in time."

"KEYS provides a process and resources that help school districts respond to the data and build improved schools," he said.

KEYS not only provides a research-based survey to identify strengths and weaknesses, it "builds a dialogue and relationships" within the school community that can lead to concrete school improvement, said Green Bay Schools Business Manager John Wilson.

"KEYS provides the tools that allow staff to have that critical conversation about how they teach and how kids learn," added Dick Feldhausen, retired executive director of the Green Bay Education Association.

GBEA Executive Director Keith Patt said the GBEA and district developed a memorandum of understanding detailing how KEYS relates to the district's Strategic Plan and listing expectations.

Jacques Nacson, NEA senior policy analyst who heads the KEYS training nationwide, said we know what makes a successful school. "The question is whether we have the will to do something about it and have a process for going about it," he said. "If we do nothing with the data, then nothing will happen."

The goals of KEYS, Nacson said, are to make all schools high-quality schools, to increase achievement for all students, and to close the achievement gap. It is a deliberative process that is research-based, data-driven and focused on collaboration, dialogue and relationships, he said. It provides an objective baseline and targets, sets the stage for further analysis, and is supported with NEA resources. It costs a school district nothing to participate.

It takes 30 to 40 minutes for someone to complete the online KEYS survey, which measures opinions related to 42 indicators of school quality. The 42 indicators are broken down into six sections or "keys" that research has found predict higher student achievement. They are:

1. Shared Understanding and Commitment to High Goals.
2. Open Communication and Collaborative Problem-Solving.
3. Continuous Assessment for Teaching and Learning.
4. Personal and Professional Learning.
5. Resources to Support Teaching and Learning.
6. Curriculum and Instruction.

An example of a question under KEY 1 is "My school has clear goals that provide a sense of direction and purpose for our daily efforts." Options for responses are true, more true than false, more false than true, or false.

Once the survey is completed, KEYS provides a framework for the district and staff to analyze the data on a school-by-school or districtwide basis and decide what changes could improve education in the community.

Although all 42 indicators are measured, districts typically will address two or three specific items at a time, Nacson said.

Implementing KEYS is a collaborative effort of NEA, WEAC, a local education association and a school district. NEA provides the online survey, and WEAC and NEA provide extensive support in the form of staff assistance, training, materials and follow-through.

"We are not leaving you alone," Nacson said.

Nacson said KEYS' unique strengths are that it provides opportunities to:

• Create partnerships.
• Address members' needs and improve their professional quality of life.
• Improve labor-management relations.
• Help students achieve and increase the quality of education.

KEYS 2.0 reflects improvements to the original KEYS initiative, which has been in use nationwide for more than 10 years.

The districts represented at the KEYS Convocation were Adams-Friendship, Baraboo, Elmbrook, Fond du Lac, Green Bay, Highland, Kaukauna, Mauston, Menomonee Falls, Menomonie, Milwaukee, Portage, Rice Lake, Sheboygan, Wauwatosa, West Bend, Wilmot, and Wisconsin Dells.

For more information, go to: www.keysonline.org. If you are interested in bringing KEYS to your school district, e-mail Char Gearing at gearingc@weac.org.

'KEYS' helps schools unlock excellence