January 2007 (Revised August 2007)
Case
HBS Case Collection

Fulton County School System: Implementing the Balanced Scorecard

Format:Print
| Pages:20

Abstract

Illustrates the adaptation and implementation of a private sector management tool, the Balanced Scorecard, to a public school district. As part of a continuous improvement initiative, the Director of Planning and Policy facilitates the development of a strategy map and scorecard for the district. She then helps cascade the scoreboard down to individual school scorecards, and up to the school board, where it is used to monitor and guide the district's accomplishments. The implementation, however, hits some problems when the superintendent resigns, followed by high turnover among his replacements. Enables a discussion of the role of centralization versus decentralization in setting school objectives and accountability, issues that arise when introducing performance management into public school districts, and the role for leadership and governance in driving improvements in school achievement.

Keywords

Education; Governance; Leadership; Balanced Scorecard; Performance Improvement; Strategy; Education Industry

Citation

Kaplan, Robert S., and Monica Nah Lee. "Fulton County School System: Implementing the Balanced Scorecard." Harvard Business School Case 107-029, January 2007. (Revised August 2007.)