Your Back-to-School After Action Report

Refine Routine Processes

After-action reports aren’t just for managing crises – they’re powerful tools to help you continuously improve. Even for routine processes, taking the time to reflect can spark new ways to refine your approach.  It’s easy to fall into the habit of repeating the same steps each year because “it works.” But why not take this opportunity while your back-to-school procedures remain fresh to connect with your team or administrators?  Together, you can identify areas for improvement, ensuring that next year’s planning is even more effective. 

Celebrate What Worked

Start by identifying successes. Was orientation well received by students and parents? Did your online enrollment procedures streamline the process? Gather positive feedback and recognize the efforts of your team. Understanding what worked helps reinforce successful strategies and provides a benchmark for future initiatives.

Dig Into What Needs Improvement

Every process has room for improvement. Pinpoint areas where things didn’t go as well as planned. Ask staff to be as specific as possible – rather than saying “parent drop-off” as a pain point, detailed feedback like “kindergarten parents wanted to walk their children to the door on the first day of school and take pictures, which caused delays” is much more helpful.

With detailed feedback, you can brainstorm creative solutions. Maybe next year at orientation, you can offer a social media selfie wall for those first-day photos or preemptively create a fun video with your school mascot that is engaging and helps parents understand why quick morning drop-offs are important.

Assess Confusing Aspects

Reflect on areas that caused confusion for families. Remember, while back-to-school is routine for your school team—it’s not always the case for your families. Some families are new to the school system, and others may be adjusting to education in the U.S. for the first time. Families with children in multiple grade levels and schools have much more to figure out for the first day.

Were there common questions or complaints about school policies or schedules? Identifying these pain points can help you refine communication and processes, making transitions even smoother next year.

Identify Overwhelming Elements

Were there too many back-to-school events in a short period? Did the volume of information or paperwork leave families feeling stressed? When there is a lot of information all at once, even simple instructions can feel overwhelming to families. Identifying what “felt like too much” can help design a more streamlined experience for next year, making it easier for everyone involved. The best way to gather this data is to ask your families directly. 

“For me, it’s not necessarily the amount of information, but where that information lives,” shares Ashley Winter, content marketing coordinator at CEL (and first-time first-grade parent). “I need to remember where I saw the information. Was it an email from the district or the teacher? On the teacher’s website? In a flyer? Inside the parent portal? Linked in the app? There are so many places to look, and it can be overwhelming to remember. On top of back-to-school information, I receive information from community education, after-school programs, sports programs, school supply companies, school picture companies, and more.”

Collect Data for Future Planning

Anecdotal trends and common themes can help guide your improvements. To get a complete picture, consider incorporating simple surveys and feedback forms to gather a more comprehensive view. It doesn’t have to be complicated – a quick 2-3 question poll in a family email can provide useful information. Data-driven decisions will help you build on what’s working while addressing specific areas for growth. 

It’s easy to get caught up in day-to-day work, but taking time for your back-to-school after-action report is key to continuous improvement. By systematically reviewing what went well, identifying challenges, and gathering feedback, you can refine your strategies to create an even smoother start for families and staff. Embrace this opportunity with your team to learn and grow and make next year even better!