Asset Mapping

The Asset Map is designed to help a school staff assess their current strengths and set goals for student learning. It is administered in the fall and spring of each school year.

The map covers three distinct categories: School and Learning Community, Practice of Teaching, and Student Learning. To download a copy of this tool, click here .

The Process

1. Complete the map on your own

To be prepared for a full staff discussion, please review the map and rate yourself on each descriptor, using the descriptions in each level as a guide. Mark your map based on how you think you and the children with whom you work most closely at this time are doing—not your team, not the whole staff—just you.  Make sure you have your map with you for the large group discussion.

2. Small group meetings

When the staff convenes, break into small groups. The purpose of the small group meetings is to give you an opportunity to confer with your colleagues in groups of 3-5 and discuss how individual group members ranked each criterion. As a result of this discussion, you may decide to make some changes on your map. 

3. Large map frequency distribution

Once all assets have been discussed in the small groups, it’s time for each person to mark the large map with the same color round sticky dot.  Every person needs to mark each item with a sticky dote representing her/his own opinion, though that opinion might have changed as a result of the small group meetings. 

4. Frequency and concentration debrief

Identify the areas of concentration as strengths or areas for growth.  As the staff discusses the frequency distribution charts, consider the following:

• What do you notice?
• Where is there agreement?  Where is there disagreement? Why?
• What assets are emerging as potential goals, and why?
• How do the assets support standards?

The purpose of this discussion is to identify areas of strength and areas of growth that can be addressed by the leadership team and coaches.

5. Leadership team meeting

The Leadership team will analyze the data from the charts and develop goals that can be included in the SIP. 

6. Presentation to the faculty

The goals and action steps should be presented to the faculty for a final discussion and revision, if needed.  This plan will serve as a guide for staff development in the school.

7. Repeating the Process

The process should be repeated near the end of the school year (a post asset map assessment).