Partnerships with LEAs: a common language for meeting facilitation Delaware LEA Liaison Workshop Partnerships with LEAs: a common language for meeting facilitation November 30, 2010

Today’s Agenda Time Learning objective 1:00 – 1:10 Understand the context of today’s workshop 1:10 – 1:15 Outcomes, agenda, and agreements 1:15 – 1:40 Understand the basics of meeting facilitation 1:40 – 2:25 Practice facilitation skills 2:25 – 2:45 Understand how to prepare for a meeting 2:45 – 3:00 Prepare for next week’s meeting

Today’s Agenda Time Learning objective 1:00 – 1:10 Understand the context of today’s workshop 1:10 – 1:15 Outcomes, agenda, and agreements 1:15 – 1:40 Understand the basics of meeting facilitation 1:40 – 2:25 Practice facilitation skills 2:25 – 2:45 Understand how to prepare for a meeting 2:45 – 3:00 Prepare for next week’s meeting

DDOE has developed a program of support to help districts produce plans for carrying out their ambitious reform agendas Goals Provide LEAs with the time and resources that were not available during the 90 day planning period Help all LEAs further develop high impact, outcome-focused plans Help all LEAs build the skills and capacity to successfully implement their plans Components Chiefs’ meetings and county workshops Readings and follow-up work Visits to and from others who have done this work Dedicated LEA liaisons and facilitators Focus on critical “content” and “skill” areas End product LEAs’ complete Success Plans - with a clear description of which parts are funded by RTTT Improved understanding and capacity for LEAs and DDOE Funding DDOE will not play “gotcha” with the final Race to the Top funding decision, and will make expectations as explicit as possible However, the Support Program is about much more than funding - it’s about Delaware’s comprehensive approach to improving student achievement

Ongoing workshops focus on building skills and content expertise Re-purposed time Proposed new time Date Activity Focus & Follow-up work Chief meeting September 23 Content focus: Program overview Skill focus: Understand the “delivery” challenge Follow-up work: Conduct LEA needs assessment October 11, 12, or13 County workshop October 28 Chief meeting Content focus: Effective teachers and leaders Skill focus: Plan for delivery Follow-up work: Revise “teachers and leaders” part of plan; prioritize activities and link activities to targets Chief meeting November 16 December 6, 7, or 8 County workshop December 14 Chief meeting Content focus: Rigorous standards, curriculum, and assessments Skill focus: Drive delivery Follow-up work: Revise “standards, curriculum, and assessments” part of plan; establish routines to drive successful implementation January 27 Chief meeting February 7, 8, or 9 County workshop February 24 Chief meeting Content focus: Deep support for the lowest-achieving schools Skill focus: Create a delivery culture Follow-up work: Revise “support for the lowest-achieving schools” part of plan; develop communication strategies and sustainability plans March – 7, 8, or 9 County workshop March 24 Chief meeting April 1 Revised Success Plans Due Spring 2011 Plan refinement

The basis of the skill-building component of LEA workshops is the delivery framework 1 2 3 4 Develop a foundation for delivery Understand the delivery challenge Plan for delivery Drive delivery Define your aspiration Review the current state of delivery Build the delivery unit Establish a “guiding coalition” Evaluate past and present performance Understand drivers of performance and relevant activities Determine your reform strategy Establish routines to drive and monitor performance Solve problems early and rigorously Sustain and continually build momentum Set targets and establish trajectories Produce delivery plans 5 Create an irreversible delivery culture A. Build system capacity all the time B. Communicate the delivery message C. Develop high-quality relationships

The purpose of today’s workshop is to prepare you to partner with districts Your role You are a dedicated liaison to your assigned district You will serve as a thought-partner, facilitator, and link between the district and state as they develop and refine their plans You will be paired with a member of the leadership team to work with districts in producing strong plans Expectations You will be available to help districts lead team meetings, support one of their meetings, or just come to listen and to get to know your LEA better You will communicate key messages from the state to districts and also bring feedback from districts to the state Challenges Making the most of your limited time with districts Being a helpful, thoughtful partner and facilitator without knowing all the intricacies your district Establishing credibility with districts and their leadership teams Today’s training objectives Understand your role as liaison Understand the basics of meeting facilitation Practice facilitation skills Understand how to prepare for a meeting

Today’s Agenda Time Learning objective 1:00 – 1:10 Understand the context of today’s workshop 1:10 – 1:15 Outcomes, agenda, and agreements 1:15 – 1:40 Understand the basics of meeting facilitation 1:40 – 2:25 Practice facilitation skills 2:25 – 2:45 Understand how to prepare for a meeting 2:45 – 3:00 Prepare for next week’s meeting

A few fun facts about meetings… Managers will spend over one-half of their working lives attending, conducting, preparing for, and following up on meetings Over twenty million meetings take place every day in the United States alone Almost one third of all meetings are considered unnecessary by the people who attend them

Basic beliefs of the interaction method Basic facts: The interaction method is a set of tools and processes for running meetings It consists of a specific set of practices that are particularly useful in certain situations It is not necessarily appropriate for all situations, but various principles of the interaction method can be helpful at various times Basic beliefs: People support what they themselves create Decision-making is improved when based on group consensus Equal participation of all group members creates better outcomes for both individuals and the team

Key meeting roles and components (1/3) Facilitator “I will serve as a neutral facilitator, only contributing my ideas when given the group’s permission. My aim is to keep the group on track to achieve your desired results. This is your meeting and I want to help make it work for you” Helps group achieve their desired results and keeps them on track Stays neutral Creates a safe environment for open discussion Seeks maximum appropriate participation from all group members Guides the process of the meeting and make suggestions for alternatives Recorder Records what happens in the meeting on newsprint Stays neutral Uses only key words and phrases rather than whole sentences Captures distinct ideas by Writing in alternating dark colors Highlighting with bright colors Using bullets instead of numbers “I am here to keep a record of the meeting. I won’t contribute my ideas without asking. If I miss something important or write something incorrectly, please let me know. This is your written group memory”

Key meeting roles and components (2/3) Group leader (president or chair) Calls for the meeting Recruits the facilitator Contributes ideas Acts as a group member, allowing the objective facilitator to guide the meeting process Group member Contributes ideas Makes sure that the recorder writes ideas down correctly States concerns openly Helps to create and abide by group agreements Encourages participation of other members Maintains focus and stays on task Shares in decision making Group memory (flipchart or paper on wall) Makes sure that everyone’s ideas are heard and recorded Keeps group focused on ideas rather than each other Helps the group focused on task Prevents people from repeating ideas Makes it easier for latecomers to catch up Encourages participation Focuses attention on one area – helps to avoid distractions

Key meeting roles and components (2/3) Room arrange-ments The arrangement of a room can either contribute or detract from a group’s effectiveness during a meeting. A room set-up tends to be helpful when it allows for Wall space (or flip chart easel) Placement of chairs so all group members can focus Enough space so members are not crowded A semi-circle without tables is one way to do this Supplies Newsprint Flat wall Masking tape Watercolor markers

Tools for reaching agreement Facilitators lead a group discussion through 3 stages on the way to reaching agreement – opening, narrowing and closing. In opening, as many ideas as possible are generated. In narrowing, these ideas are organized. In closing, the group makes decisions and reaches agreement . The model below shows techniques or ‘tools’ that can be used effectively in each of the stages Opening To gather information and ideas Brainstorm Clarify Narrowing tools To organize the information Eliminate dupli- cates Prioritize (N/3) Natural cut Closing tools To reach agreement Negative poll Build up/ eliminate Both/and

Today’s Agenda Time Learning objective 1:00 – 1:10 Understand the context of today’s workshop 1:10 – 1:15 Outcomes, agenda, and agreements 1:15 – 1:40 Understand the basics of meeting facilitation 1:40 – 2:25 Practice facilitation skills 2:25 – 2:45 Understand how to prepare for a meeting 2:45 – 3:00 Prepare for next week’s meeting

Roles for role plays LEA Team Members Superintendent of Schools Deputy Superintendent, Teaching & Learning Director, Data and Accountability Director, Secondary Curriculum and Professional Development Director, Elementary Curriculum and Professional Development Supervisor, Accountability and Assessment Director, Early Childhood Education Services Director, Staff Development Associate Director, Testing Board of Education President Director, School Improvement Services

Exercise: Facilitation role play 1 You, the liaison, have been asked to help districts brainstorm a list of all the major actors at the district, school, and classroom level necessary to effectively implement one of the required activities: common core standards. This will likely involve a common set of actors across all districts, e.g. teachers, principals. The desired outcome: a list of actors at all levels that reflects the input of all LEA team members. What How Who Time Brainstorm a list of all relevant actors at the following levels: District School Classroom Brainstorm (4) Clarify (1) Facilitator Recorder Group 5

Exercise: Facilitation role play 2 Situation: You, the liaison, have now been asked to help districts think about how they will communicate common core standards adoption to their schools. You will facilitate a brainstorming session to capture all of the messages the LEA team deems important with regard to common core, but will need to help them pare this list down. The desired outcome: a list of no more than three key messages that reflect the LEA team’s top communications goals. What How Who Time Brainstorm a list of key messages to communicate to schools about common core adoption Brainstorm (3) Clarify (1) Facilitator Recorder Group 4 Narrow the list to the LEA’s top three messages Prioritize N/3 (3) Discuss and agree (3) Facilitator Recorder Group 6

Preventions are an important way to keep your meeting on track before things become difficult Expectations and agreements Brainstorm at the beginning of group interaction Refer back to lists posted on wall to keep group on track Assigned roles Common understanding of roles (e.g., facilitator is in charge of process) makes meeting run more smoothly Role modeling Demonstrate the behaviors that you want to see in the group, e.g., not interrupting the person who is speaking, starting on time Up front agreements At the beginning of the meeting, get agreement on the objectives, agenda, timing, ground rules, etc. Icebreaker A short activity at the beginning of an interaction can relax tension and help group members work together Validation Establish a practice of validating the contribution of each member of the group (e.g., “three claps on three”)

When things do become difficult, interventions are important tools for your toolkit (1/2) Ask or say what is going on If the group is encountering a difficulty, name it for them “It looks like we are getting stuck on this issue. Can we postpone discussion until later? Boomerang Return a question to the person who asked it or to the team so that the Facilitative Leader does not take responsibility for answering all questions Example: Team member: “How can we meet that schedule?” Facilitator: “What do you think will get in the way?” Focus using questions “That’s a good point – but how does it relate to what we’re discussing right now?” Parking lot Keep a piece of paper on the wall to put ideas that are important but not a part of today’s agenda Allows people to see that their ideas are being dealt with, even if it is not in this meeting Confronting difficult group members Accept: “OK, let’s build on that…” Legitimize: “Good point,” “Valid concern,” etc. – then choose: Deal with OR Defer: “Can we talk about that in a future meeting?”

When things do become difficult, interventions are important tools for your toolkit (2/2) Enforce process agreements Refer back to the agreements that the group has signed “We all agreed that we would not check our blackberries during sessions – I’d like to ask that we all honor that agreement” “I see what you’re saying, but it sounds like you’re talking about a problem. Since we agreed to talk about solutions, can we please focus there?” Pace the discussion Identify issues for further discussion and refer them to future meetings so that the group can move on now “Would anyone object if we moved on to the next point?” Build understanding Ask questions. Rephrase what has been said, and invite other interpretations Link comments back to the meeting objectives and agenda so that everyone understands where they are in the process Maintain participation Monitor airtime and invite suggestions from reluctant participants “Does anyone who hasn’t spoken want to comment? Al or Jo, what do you think about . . .?”

Today’s Agenda Time Learning objective 1:00 – 1:10 Understand the context of today’s workshop 1:10 – 1:15 Outcomes, agenda, and agreements 1:15 – 1:40 Understand the basics of meeting facilitation 1:40 – 2:25 Practice facilitation skills 2:25 – 2:45 Understand how to prepare for a meeting 2:45 – 3:00 Prepare for next week’s meeting

The most important tool for workshop design is an agenda Example: Partial agenda for today’s workshop

To design an agenda, lead with the learning objectives A learning objective is one of the following that you would like your audience to have at the end of the meeting: Knowledge about something (e.g., a lesson, a process relevant to their work) Improvement in a specific skill (e.g., using the LEA planning template) A changed attitude (e.g., support for the Race to the Top agenda) A decision (e.g., agreement on priority goals) Time Learning Objective Activities Person(s) responsible Materials 0900 – 0910 Understand the context for today’s workshop and roles as liaisons Present (5) Fac Fac, Grp Slides with expectations for program, overview of LEA support program, definition of delivery Flipchart Markers 0910 – 0915 Create shared expectations and agreements Welcome, introductions, review outcomes (3) Brainstorm expectations (3) Brainstorm agreements (4)   Slides 0915 – 0940 Understand the basics of meeting facilitation Brainstorm characteristics of good and bad meetings (2) Present Interaction Method (23) Slides: Introduction Key meeting roles Tools for reaching agreement Knowledge Decision Knowledge

Once you have determined your objectives, you can design the right activities to help you meet them Activities should be time-bound and can include: Presentation by the facilitator or by others An interactive process led by the facilitator, such as Q&A, a plenary discussion with one or more question prompts, or the various facilitative tools for reaching agreement (e.g., Brainstorm, Clarify, Prioritize N/3, etc.) An exercise that breaks the audience up into individuals or teams and prompts them to work on a hypothetical or real set of issues (e.g., “fill out section A of the template”) Time Learning Objective Activities Person(s) responsible Materials 0900 – 0910 Understand the context for today’s workshop and roles as liaisons Present (5) Fac Fac, Grp Slides with expectations for program, overview of LEA support program, definition of delivery Flipchart Markers 0910 – 0915 Create shared expectations and agreements Welcome, introductions, review outcomes (3) Brainstorm expectations (3) Brainstorm agreements (4)   Slides 0915 – 0940 Understand the basics of meeting facilitation Brainstorm characteristics of good and bad meetings (2) Present Interaction Method (23) Slides: Introduction Key meeting roles Tools for reaching agreement Activities should be designed to maximize interactivity, with only as much presentation as is absolutely necessary

Finally, fill in the remainder of the agenda Keep in mind: Feel free to revise learning objectives and activities if you discover that there is not sufficient time for everything Your materials list can be a helpful guide for preparing the rest of the meeting, including both presentations and logistics Time Learning Objective Activities Person(s) responsible Materials 0900 – 0910 Understand the context for today’s workshop and roles as liaisons Present (5) Fac Fac, Grp Slides with expectations for program, overview of LEA support program, definition of delivery Flipchart Markers 0910 – 0915 Create shared expectations and agreements Welcome, introductions, review outcomes (3) Brainstorm expectations (3) Brainstorm agreements (4)   Slides 0915 – 0940 Understand the basics of meeting facilitation Brainstorm characteristics of good and bad meetings (2) Present Interaction Method (23) Slides: Introduction Key meeting roles Tools for reaching agreement

Many agendas will share some common elements at the beginning and end Common elements of agendas Time Learning Objective Activities Person(s) responsible Materials Beginning Understand context Understand outcomes Create and/or affirm expectations and/or agreements Present/Q&A Brainstorm Clarify Agree Fac, Grp Slides Flipchart Markers Middle TBD End Evaluate the meeting Brainstorm positive elements Brainstorm what to do differently next time

Exercise: design an agenda for an LEA team meeting Situation: District X has asked you, the liaison, to help them create an agenda for an important meeting that the LEA team will be holding next week with the principals of all of the schools. A few key facts: The district has drafted 3 priority Race to the Top goals and a clear strategy for achieving them, but the principals have not yet signed on. The principals are skeptical of the Race to the Top agenda, so this might be an uphill climb The overarching goal of the meeting is for the principals to buy in to this agenda (possibly with their feedback incorporated) – but the team needs your help to flesh out the specific learning objectives and activities that will help them achieve this goal What How Who Time Create a list of learning objectives for the meeting, noting whether each is a knowledge, skill, attitude, or decision Brainstorm Clarify Groups of 2 5 Assign at least one activity to each learning objective Brainstorm Clarify Groups of 2 5

Today’s Agenda Time Learning objective 1:00 – 1:10 Understand the context of today’s workshop 1:10 – 1:15 Outcomes, agenda, and agreements 1:15 – 1:40 Understand the basics of meeting facilitation 1:40 – 2:25 Practice facilitation skills 2:25 – 2:45 Understand how to prepare for a meeting 2:45 – 3:00 Prepare for next week’s meeting

Next month’s workshops will be held on December 6, 7, and 8 Draft December workshop agenda 8:30-8:35 Welcome, update, agenda overview 8:35-8:45 Discuss potential “new” and existing activities based on LEAs’ needs, PLC time, and the TLEU human capital framework 8:45-9:45 Facilitated breakout: discuss potential “new” activities 9:45-10:10 Cross-LEA sharing 10:10-10:20 Break 10:20-10:25 Discuss selecting, prioritizing and removing activities 10:25-11:05 Facilitated breakout: select, prioritize, and remove activities 11:05-11:25 Cross-LEA sharing 11:25-11:30 Wrap-up