RAPID CITY AREA SCHOOLS MARCH 7, 2011 Collaborative Goal Setting Task Force Meeting
Feb 24, 2016
RAPID CITY AREA SCHOOLS
MARCH 7 , 2011
Collaborative Goal Setting
Task Force Meeting
Why Leadership Focus Matters
There once was a splendid school leader……
“Finding Your Leadership Focus” (2011)-Doug Reeves
Introductions
Find the person at your table with the next birthday
That person will start the introductions and then move to his/her right
Please state the following: First and Last Name Current Position How long have you been a part of the Rapid City
CommunityWhen all introductions are complete please
hold up your GREEN Flag at your table
Agenda
Orientation Learning Target/Criteria for Success Our Story Shared understanding: Whole System Reform
Group decision-making: Sufficient consensusEstablish priority areas
Consensus Building Strategy: The Focusing SixNext stepsMeeting closure
Today’s Learning Target (The Task)
Today’s Learning Target/The Task:
The work of the task force today is to establish district priorities in the areas of student achievement and instruction.
Today’s Criteria for Success: The district’s priorities are established. The task force members reach consensus.
Long-term Learning Target/The Task:
The long-term work of the task force is to develop an aligned district-wide strategic plan that articulates measurable, prioritized goals and focuses on student achievement and instruction.
Long-term Criteria for Success: All stakeholders can see where their work fits and connects.
The task force members reach consensus.
The district’s stakeholders have a tool that will provide decision-making guidance regarding programmatic priorities, future direction, and budgetary issues.
Organizational Background: Our Story
Where Have We Been?
Where Are We Now?
Balanced Leadership-Six Areas of Superintendent Responsibilities
1. Collaborative goal-setting process2. Non-negotiable goals for achievement and
instruction3. Board alignment with and support of
district goals4. Use of resources to support the goals for
achievement and instruction5. Monitoring goals for achievement and
instruction6. Defined autonomy: Superintendent
relationship with schools
Collaborative Goal Setting
Researchers found that effective superintendents
include all relevant stakeholders, including central
office staff, building level administrators and board
members, in establishing goals for their districts
Non-Negotiable Goals
Effective superintendents ensure that the
collaborative goal setting process results in non-negotiable goals in the
areas of student achievement and classroom
instruction
Board Alignment and Support
The board of education must act in alignment with and supportive of the non-
negotiable goals for achievement and
instruction
Monitoring Goals
Effective superintendents continually monitor district
progress towards achievement of goals to ensure that these goals remain the driving force
behind the district’s actions
Use of Resources
Effective superintendents ensure that the necessary resources are allocated to accomplish district
goals. This does mean cutting back on and dropping
initiatives that are not aligned with district goals for
achievement and instruction
Whole System Reform-Michael Fullan (2009)
Develop the entire teaching professionEstablish a two-way street between instruction
and assessmentFocus on a small number of ambitious prioritiesDistributive coordinated leadership at all levels
of the systemEstablish a focused, comprehensive, relentless
intervention strategyUse resources to drive reform only in the
service of the previous five fundamentals
Whole System Reform-Michael Schmoker (2011)
Reform efforts have failed because we have not focused on essential elements
Determine priorities, expend all organizational energy on clarifying, reinforcing, and rewarding their implementation
Whole System Reform-Doug Reeves (2011)
Three essential clusters of leadership practices:
Focus-identify and monitor a few priority instructional initiatives
Monitoring-systematic monitoring of adult actions
Efficacy-the believe that our actions will influence the success of our students
Group Decision-Making
There are many ways a group can go about making decisions.
For most groups sufficient consensus is enough
What is and what are the guidelines for sufficient consensus?
Establishing Priority Areas
Consensus Building Strategy—The Focusing Six
Focusing Six is a process for building consensus and determining priorities
Please refer to the handout in your packet!!
Key Questions:In the areas of student achievement and instruction,
what should the district’s priority areas be?
Please be mindful of: These are areas, not goals. Goals will come next.
In the area of student achievement, visualize students walking across the stage at graduation. What will they need for their future success?
In the area of instruction, what do our educators need in order to prepare students for this success?
Focus on “big ideas,” rather than specific programs.
The Question:
In the areas of student achievement and instruction, what should the district’s priority areas be?
The Group Data: District Priorities
WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THE DATA?
WHAT INTERESTS YOU?
WHAT DO THE DATA SAY ABOUT THIS GROUP’S THINKING REGARDING PRIORITIES IN THE AREAS OF STUDENT
ACHIEVEMENT AND INSTRUCTION?
The Group Data: District Priorities
What do you see in the data?
The Group Data: District Priorities
What interests you?
The Group Data: District Priorities
What do the data say about this group’s thinking regarding priorities in the areas of
student achievement and instruction?
Today’s Learning Target (The Task)
Today’s Learning Target/The Task:
The work of the task force today is to establish district priorities in the areas of student achievement and instruction.
Today’s Criteria for Success: The district’s priorities are established. The task force members reach consensus.
In Closing…
Next Steps:Post the results of today for more input from
additional stakeholdersShare that information back with this groupPlanning Task Force will take priority
statements and develop SMART GoalsThese Goals will be shared back with this
group as well as posted for stakeholder feedback
RCAS School Board will approve Goals
Weeding The Garden
Focus is easy to talk about but difficult to implement!!
“One person’s dandelion is another person’s rose. It is time to start picking some roses and it is dangerous for our system if we
fail”