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AJUSD leaders roll out 'Wildly Important Goals' and accountability scorecards to boost student growth
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Papalardo and school principals presented a districtwide implementation of "Wildly Important Goals" (WIGs) and accountability measures focused on weekly PLCs, data walls and measurable lead and lag indicators to drive student achievement and cultural change.
Superintendent Dr. Sunny Papalardo and district administrators presented the district’s WIG (Wildly Important Goal) framework during the board’s information portion, explaining a system of measurable lead and lag indicators, weekly accountability check‑ins and visible scoreboards intended to increase student achievement and strengthen school culture.
"We're trying to build a framework... where we're setting goals that are so important that if we don't accomplish them, that means we're at risk," Dr. Papalardo told the board. He described the approach as the "4 disciplines of execution," pairing a lag measure (for example, end‑of‑year benchmarks or state tests) with lead measures that staff can act on weekly.
Nut graf: District leaders across school levels outlined school‑specific WIGs aimed at measurable student growth and cultural improvements: high school administrators set a target that every student show measurable benchmark growth during the year; junior high leaders described expanded MathLab supports and restorative practices to reduce discipline referrals while accelerating learning; elementary principals described weekly PLC (professional learning community) meetings, data walls and the use of IXL and FastBridge for progress monitoring.
What administrators presented - District framework and accountability: Dr. Papalardo and other leaders emphasized a cadence of accountability — weekly or biweekly signoffs — and a public scoreboard so principals and directors can track whether they met weekly commitments. "What gets measured gets done," Papalardo said, noting the need for clear lead measures and an "accountability buddy" system.
- High school (AJHS): School administrators said their WIG is for 100% of students to show some growth on interim benchmarks (math and ELA) from pre‑ to post‑assessments, measured by weekly participation in PLCs and end‑of‑year benchmarks as the lag measure. The AJHS presenter described the lead measure as admin engagement in every PLC each week and a shared sign‑off process for administrators.
- Junior high: The junior high reported three WIGs: growth in math, reading and writing on state/benchmark measures; a reduction in major discipline referrals through restorative practices and positive behavior interventions; and the use of MathLab to accelerate students from below grade level to grade level. The junior high said it has "pushed out" more than 50 students this year from intervention into grade‑level placement after MathLab support.
- Elementary schools and preschool: Principals from 4 Peaks, Peralta Trail and Desert Vista described WIGs focused on percent of students in targeted grades making measurable growth (examples: K–2 using IXL, grades 3–5 using pre/post benchmarks and FastBridge where available). Early childhood leaders added a focus on preschool outcomes and weekly positive communications with families via ParentSquare.
- Data walls and scoreboards: Several principals described a physical data wall in their PLC conference rooms with anonymized magnets representing students and movement between performance bands (minimally proficient, partially proficient, proficient, highly proficient). One presenter said the visual reminder in the PLC room keeps the data conversation active and helps staff make decisions about reteach, tiered interventions and resources.
- Curriculum mapping and pacing guides: Educational Services reported a timeline for completing curriculum maps and pacing guides (ELA and math) by July 1 so teachers return to a common starting point and resources can be linked into a living document.
Quotes and concrete examples - "Everyone who is an administrator has a goal that they can't not meet," Papalardo said, emphasizing measurement and accountability. - The junior high presenter described using restorative practices such as having students repair harm (e.g., cleaning up trash) in addition to other interventions to reduce referrals. - Principals described weekly PLC scorecards and coaches who join grade‑level teams and special education teachers rotating into PLCs to collaboratively address student needs.
Why it matters: The WIGs program aims to convert district goals into weekly, observable actions that administrators and teachers can measure and adjust — an approach the superintendent and several board members said is central to sustaining recent gains in school letter grades and building community trust.
Outstanding details and next steps - Curriculum maps: Educational Services set a July 1 target for ELA and math maps to be completed and in teachers’ hands for the next school year. - Accountability training: District leaders indicated training on the 13 behaviors of trust and the WIG accountability process will continue; boards and principals will be trained so the approach is consistent across sites.
Ending: Board members expressed support for the plan and said they expect to review outcomes at future work sessions and in the superintendent’s reports, tying the WIGs to measurable student growth and an anticipated January board retreat for goal setting.
