Building a PLC

“A Clear and Compelling Purpose”

December 15, 2008

Presented by Erin Sullivan, Title I School Improvement Coordinator

Agenda/Essential Questions

A. Overview

B. Essential Questions1. What is the fundamental purpose of our school?

2. What must we do to accomplish our purpose?

3. How will we behave to achieve our vision?

4. How will we know if our efforts are making a difference?

5. How will we involve our staff?

C. Wrap Up

The more things change the more they remain…

Insane

Over the Hedge

Change is inevitable –

except from a vending machine.

Robert C. Gallagher

The world hates change,

yet it is the only thing that

has brought progress.

Charles Kettering

Mission Vision Values Goals

WHY?

Why do we exist?

WHAT?

What must our school become to accomplish the purpose?

HOW?

How must we behave to

achieve our vision?

HOW WILL WE MARK

OUR PROGRESS?

FUNDAMENTAL PURPOSE

COMPELLING FUTURE

COLLECTIVE COMMITMENTS

TARGETS AND TIMELINES

Clarifies Priorities and Sharpens

Focus

Gives Directions Guides Behavior Establishes Priorities

Essential Question #1

What is the fundamental purpose of our school?

Truth in Advertising

• Learning for ALL

• Moving beyond the rhetoric

Why do we exist?

P3T (Paper Passing Purpose Tool)

Current Mission Statement

• Compare your school’s current mission to the statements listed.

• Are the main purposes embodied in the mission statement?

Debriefing

What are some ways that you have gotten your staff to think differently about the purpose of your school?

Essential Question #2

• What must we do to accomplish our purpose?

Vision

“Vision is a trite term these days, and at various times it refers to mission, purpose, goals, objectives, or a sheet of paper posted near the principal’s office.”

Isaacson, N. & Bamburg, J. (1992, November). Can schools become learning organizations? Educational Leadership, 50(3), 42-44.

Benefits of a Shared Vision

1. Motivation

2. Proactive

3. Direction

4. Standard of Excellence

5. Agenda for Action

Vision Quest

1. Where is our school currently?

2. What do we want to see our school become?

3. What would we want our reputation to be?

4. What contribution would we make to our students and our community?

5. What values would it embody?

6. How would people work together?

Sample Vision

Students at Los Penasquitos Elementary will be the most academically successful students in the Poway Unified School District, English Language Learners (ELL), Special Education students, and all other students who have been in the Poway Unified School District for at least 1 year and who receive neither ELL nor special education services will lead the district in academic when compared to other students in their group.

Guiding Principles

• Based on data• Based on best practices• Desirable – long term interest• Imaginable• Obtainable• Focused• Flexible• Communicable

Sample Vision

In order to fulfill the fundamental purpose of helping all our students learn at high level, we are dedicated to a school in which…

1.Every teacher, parent, and student is clear on the knowledge, skills, and dispositions students are expected to acquire in each course, grade level, and unit of instruction.

2.The learning of each student is monitored on a timely basis. When students experience difficulty, the school has structures in place to ensure they receive additional time and support for learning.

Vision Building Activity

Refer to Section Two on the handout.

Debriefing

• Close your eyes – picture your perfect school.

• The next section is designed to get us from the vision to the reality.

Essential Question #3

• How will we behave to achieve our vision?

Why Collective Commitments?

• System of accountability

• Changing the culture

DOs and DON’Ts

• Limited number• Specific actions• Not beliefs• Clear expectations about what each person

will do now

Team Commitments

What is this school team doing to make the vision a reality?

Collective Commitments Activity

1. Individually take five minutes to write down things the team might do to advance the vision on post-it notes.

2. Use a Quadrant chart to prioritize the idea of the group.

3. Use the high probability/high impact ideas to develop a list of collective commitments that the team members can agree upon.

4. Write the collective commitments on a piece of paper and have everyone sign and date it.

Debriefing

Share one “new” collective commitment that they made today to each other, their students and/or their school.

Essential Question #4

• How will we know if our efforts are making a difference?

What are SMART Goals?

Strategic and Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Results-Oriented

Timebound

Examples

• Students who have attended District 54 schools for one year will read at grade level upon entering third grade.

• At least 90% percent of all students will meet or exceed standards in reading and math as measured by both district and state assessments.

• During the 2008-09 school year, non-proficient students at Sample Primary will improve their vocabulary skills by 5% as measured by an increase in the percentage of students scoring in the “high” and “proficient” levels on the ITBS vocabulary assessment.

SMART Goals Activity

• Are school goals consistent with the mission, vision and collective commitments written today?

• If not – rewrite!• If yes – rewrite in SMART goal format!

• If yes and SMART goal format then look at:

SMART Goal Setting Plan

orSMART Goal Improvement Sheet

Debriefing

• How many of you already had SMART goals?

• How many of you have collaborative teams that have written SMART goals?

• How many will have your teams now write SMART goals?

Essential Question #5

• How will we involve our staff?

Action Plan

Action Steps

Responsibility Timeline Resources

Mission

Vision

Values/CCS

SMART Goals

Final Thoughts?

Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!

Theodor Geisel