Goal monitoring: A crucial lever to achieve school improvement

School goal setting is often described as a key leadership practice for school improvement. Important for the effectiveness of goal setting is the close monitoring of progress. This article examines goal-monitoring practices in three schools that were seen as being effective and contributing to improvement. The findings highlight the importance of choosing fit-for-purpose tools, such as embedding monitoring in roles, routines, and structures, and strengthening the focus on supporting teachers in developing practice. While teachers and middle leaders initially seemed to experience a push towards accountability, the improvement in results and the focus on developing practice appeared to create a sense of collective responsibility in the longer term.