Program Monitoring: The Role of Leadership in Planning, Assessment, and Communication. REL 2014-034

As educators are increasingly called on to use data to inform improvement initiatives (and are being held accountable for doing so), there is a corresponding need for program leaders to monitor progress. Program monitoring--the systematic and continual observation and recording of key program aspects--can provide leaders with realistic assessments of progress and inform communications with staff and supporters. This reference guide examines three key components of program monitoring--planning, assessment, and communication--within the context of effective and efficient leadership. This guide is one piece of a four-part Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Pacific series on logic models and program monitoring. These guides provide a straightforward introduction to logic models for educators who are new to these concepts, and they may also serve as a refresher for educators who are already familiar with logic models and program monitoring. This guide serves as a supplemental resource to the Education Logic Model and the Program Outcomes, Measures, and Targets computer-based applications developed by REL Pacific, administered by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning, and available at http://relpacific.mcrel.org. The applications are interactive tools designed to lead educators through the process of developing logic models and using program monitoring tools.