In the medical profession, vital signs characterize the body’s most basic functions; they are used to diagnose and monitor the patient’s health. Collectively, the chosen vital signs typically encompass:

• A select few, not the “trivial many”
• Both outcome and process indicators (what is produced as well as how it was accomplished)
• A mix of leading (formative or early) indicators and lagging (summative) indicators.
• Qualitative (affective or soft) indicators as well as quantitative (cognitive or hard) indicators

Medical practitioners always begin their work with a patient by taking the vital signs – and they base their response, or practice, on insights about the vital signs data as a collective. As health professionals grow in understanding of a condition and learn from data demonstrating how well the selected measures predict and support patient outcomes, the preferred collection of vital signs often evolves, too.

Similarly, in education, we can use a robust set of vital signs to track educational health. By paying consistent attention to the indicators that matter most, practitioners, teams, and leaders can focus on the highest‐leverage actions that can predict and explain the vital signs. That would be one indication of true cause and effect.

What gets measured and rewarded gets done! By using Performance Fact’s Vital Signs Scorecard™ to track their progress regarding student learning, teaching practices, leadership practices, and organizational practices, practitioners can:

• Monitor and communicate progress
• Continuously improve practices based on data, not opinion
• Promote accountability at all levels
• Celebrate their successes

The Vital Signs Scorecard™ offers timely, evidence-based feedback about adult practices (cause) and student progress (effect). It enables leaders to create excitement about their journey and to guide people in goal-aligned ways, while tuning out distractions.

▶ Recommended schedule for the Vital Signs Scorecard process: Anytime