Client: Alexandria Public Schools, Minnesota

Superintendent: Julie Critz

Partner: Orgametrics®

Background

Alexandria Public Schools is a district with a well-established mission, vision, and values framework, supported by a comprehensive strategic plan. Despite this clear foundation, Superintendent Julie Critz, who joined the district’s leadership team three years ago, noticed something critical was missing: a tool to measure how well the staff was aligned with those strategic goals.

“We had done an extensive amount of measurement of student achievement… but we didn’t have a measurement tool in place to assess staff alignment.”

While student performance was being closely monitored through various assessment tools, the district lacked meaningful data on how aligned its internal teams were with the larger vision. Julie knew that without that insight, decisions around culture, communication, and growth would be based more on assumptions than evidence.

Challenge: Turning Assumptions into Data

Julie encountered Orgametrics® while attending an educational leadership conference and speaking with a peer district that had used the tool to measure organizational alignment.

“Sometimes as administrators, we assume things are going well, or we rely on anecdotal stories. But when we got our first results back—we were surprised.”

One of the most revealing findings? Despite having multiple communication channels in place, communication scored as one of the district’s lowest-performing areas. This insight ran counter to leadership’s expectations.

Key Finding: Communication Was Missing the Mark

Although Alexandria was communicating often, the content and focus of those communications were misaligned with what mattered most—the mission, vision, values, and strategic goals of the district.

“We were communicating about lots of things we were doing… but it wasn’t necessarily around the key pieces of our organization.”

With Orgametrics®’ data in hand, the district began to evaluate its communication practices with greater intention. The leadership team asked hard questions about what they were communicating, why, and how it was being delivered—and then made strategic changes to better connect messages with the core identity and direction of the district.

Solution: Refocusing Communication with Purpose

Using Orgametrics®, Alexandria Public Schools:

• Identified blind spots in communication and organizational alignment

• Redesigned communication strategies to focus on mission and goals

• Ensured that every message—whether in emails, meetings, or newsletters—reinforced the district’s vision and strategic priorities

These changes not only improved internal alignment, but also empowered educators and staff to better understand how their work connected to the broader mission.

Value & ROI: A Smart Investment in Culture and Strategy

Julie acknowledges that in education, budgets are tight—and spending on something like an alignment survey might be seen as a luxury. But her perspective is clear:

“Why not? You don’t have to do it every single year, but getting a baseline and measuring the impact of your work occasionally is a reasonable—and valuable—expectation.”

She emphasizes that Orgametrics® is not just a measurement tool; it’s a strategic investment that delivers clarity, direction, and actionable insights.

Conclusion

For Alexandria Public Schools, Orgametrics® offered a critical reality check—and the spark needed to strengthen internal alignment. By shifting from assumption-based leadership to data-driven strategy, Superintendent Julie Critz and her team were able to focus communication, refine leadership practices, and ultimately create a more mission-driven and aligned school culture.

“Improving your organization takes more than just measuring student achievement—it means measuring how your team is aligned and equipped to deliver on the mission.”