1. Valley View School District SMART School Improvement Process
November 16, 2017
Session IV
Time: Up to ½ hour before the start of the session
Purpose: Defines the session.
Resources Required: Not in Participant Binder.
FACILITATOR NOTE: Today’s participants are the principals along with representatives from each school’s BIT.
Lecture Notes:
Activity Notes: Use this slide as an opportunity to meet and greet the participants before the session starts. A district person will begin to introduce the day and share their commitment to the SMART School Improvement Process. Introduce yourself and co-facilitators. In your introduction share why this work in important to you.
FACILITATOR TIP: Play music as audience members enter the room.

2. Session IV Overview
Purpose: Understand the impact of our actions on student results
Concept: Reflection
Bridge: Results
Time: 15 minutes (2/4 slides)
Resources Required: Participant Manual, Pre-Process tab, page 3
Purpose: Introduction to Session II
Lecture Notes: Quickly review the purpose, concept and bridges for this session with particular emphasis on the link between goals and actions.
Activity Notes:

3. Session IV Overview
Essential Question: How does reflection on results support ongoing improvement?
Outcomes
Agenda Overview
Time: 15 minutes (3/4 slides)
Resources Required: Participant Manual, Pre-Process tab, pages 3 and 4
Purpose: Introduction to Session II
Lecture Notes: Have them read through the outcomes individually and then review the Agenda, pointing out when lunch and breaks are scheduled.
Activity Notes:

4. Connecting Sessions III and IV
What opportunities for development were identified?
What actions can the team commit to in order to further develop your action plan and share with your staff?

5. Discussion ~ Implementation
Refer to the Session III example of a Blueprint for Implementation on page 106 of your participant materials.
Also refer to the district template for implementation found in your SMART Action Planning Tree Diagram (Action Plan—SMART Professional Learning Plan Template).
What parts of your action plan have you begun to implement? How are you using a tool to plan professional learning? What are your next steps for moving forward?

6. Step #5: Analyze and Refocus
Time: 45 min. (1/15 slides – 1 minute transition)
Resources Required: N/A
Purpose: Transition to Step #5
Lecture Notes: This step is all about progress monitoring and adjustments – the study and act portion of the PDSA cycle.
Activity Notes:

7. SMART School Improvement Process
Step #5
Analyze and refocus
Begin again!
Step #4
Develop action plans
Between Steps
Implement plans
Step #3
Select strategies
Between Steps
Explore professional learning options
Step #2
Create school
SMART goal
Between Steps
Investigate effective practices
Time: 45 min. (2/15 slides – 5 minutes)
Resources Required: Participant Manual, Process Tab, pages 104 and 105
Purpose: Orientation to where we are in the process
Lecture Notes:
Activity Notes: Read through the Planning Guide for Step #5 on page 104 and discuss the questions on page 105. Document your conversation.
Step #1
Isolate need
Between Steps
Gather and analyze data

8. SMART Goal Tree Template
School
Results Goal
School
Indicators
School
Measures
School
Targets
“R” Plug your
Results Goal
in here
“S”
Specific Area
of Concern
“M”
“A” and “T”
“M”
“A” and “T”
“S”
Specific Area
of Concern
“M”
“A” and “T”
“M”
“A” and “T”
Purpose: Introduce the SMART Tree Diagram Template
Lecture Notes: Define each element of the SMART Tree in a general way… Just enough to capture their interest.
Results Goal: This is where you write your RESULTS goal statement, the “R” part of SMART
Indicators: These are SPECIFIC skills, knowledge, or behaviors that you will monitor so you that you know your results are being achieved. Indicators help you go from a broad or comprehensive intended RESULT (point to yellow box) to a set of manageable skills or standards that, when achieved, lead to goal attainment. This is the “S” part of SMART.
Measures: MEASURES, the “M” part of SMART, are the tools you will use to monitor each indicator. Multiple measurement tools (or ways of knowing) are wise.
Targets: Targets specify how much progress you want to make within a given timeframe. How much TIME will it take to ATTAIN these results? Targets are where we build in the “T” and the “A” parts of SMART
Activity Notes:
Resources Required: Not in participant manual and The Power of SMART Goals, pages 17-24
Audience Reaction:
“S”
Specific Area
of Concern
“M”
“A” and “T”
“M”
“A” and “T”

9. Small, incremental steps toward the results goal.
Targets
Small, incremental steps toward the results goal.
Time: 45 min. (3/15 slides)
Resources Required: Participant Manual, pages 98.
Purpose: Anticipatory set for conversations on targets
Lecture Notes: The statements that appear on page 98 define what targets do for us from both a practical and a motivational perspective. We’d like to give you a little time to talk about why targets are an important part of the school improvement process.
Activity: Take a quick moment to read through the bullets. (CLICK to next slide for activity)

10. Discussion ~ Target Monitoring
Why are targets important?
What is the purpose and use of different types of assessment targets?
How can targets be used to:
Monitor progress toward the goal
Evaluate interventions
Differentiate instruction
Time: 45 min. (4/15 slides – 20 minutes)
Resources Required: Participant Manual, Process Tab, page 99; Chart paper and Marker
Purpose: Affirm the role and multiple uses of targets
Lecture Notes:
Activity Notes: Discuss and document on chart paper your team’s responses to the questions on page 99.
Clarification of Question 2b: Question 2b is asking for the when and why you would use certain types of assessments and certain types of target templates. For example, under what circumstances would you look at targets for all students in the school? When might you monitor cohort data instead or in addition to all students? Why might you look at the data in terms of grade level targets? What is the purpose for monitoring student performance by zones?

11. Setting Good Targets
A target expresses where we want to be within a given time frame; our assessments tell us how quickly we are getting there (or not).
A good target is a stretch. It sets a challenge. It is something that those setting the target feel is attainable.
Give yourself about an 80% chance of achieving your target within the time frame you specify.
Targets should add up to goal attainment.
Time: 45 min. (5/15 slides –1 minutes)
Resources Required: N/A
Purpose: Understand the qualities of a good target.
Lecture Notes: These four items provide additional clarity for what a good target includes. In just a moment, we’re going to ask you to assess your goal targets against these criteria and give yourself a grade. (Review the four bullets in preparation for the next activity)

12. Annual Assessment – Targets by Year
Grade:
Department:
Subject:
Sub-group:
Base-line Data
Current Data
Targets
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
End of Year %
Writing - State Assessment
Time:
Purpose: Target by Year
Lecture Notes: This slide introduces a basic target template. First note the target is matched with a state assessment (click) by grade level, department and sub-group (three clicks). The template provides space to document the baseline data for each group (click). Current data provides space for you to keep track of the actual data over time (click). The target column is space where you determine what target you want to reach over a specific time period (click).
Activity Notes:
Resources Required: Participant Manual, Process tab, page 46
Audience Reaction: 13

13. Annual Assessment – Targets by Year
Gr. Level
Baseline Data
Current Data
Targets
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
End of Year % 1 75
Writing - State Assessment 6 60 72 85 91 2 85 3 90
Time:
Purpose: Tell a target story
Lecture Notes: The state writing assessment (click) helped a team of sixth grade teachers (click) document the baseline data (click) % of students who meet or exceed writing standards. After discussion they determined that by the end of the 1st year they could move from 60% to 75% (click). When the data arrived after the first year the 6th grade students reached 72% (click), not quite the 75% the team had targeted. They discussed why they may not have met their goal, set action for changes in their instruction, curriculum and assessments. They also determined that by the end of year 2 they would reach a target of 85% (click).
Year 2 data arrived and the 6th grade team reached the target of 85% (click). They discussed why they reached this target, determined what they would keep doing and added new methods help them reach their new target for year 3 of 90% (click). Note when the data arrived in year 3 they exceeded the target reaching 91% (click).
What did the team skip when their data came in? [Celebrating their accomplishments] How might you celebrate those accomplishment. How would you celebrate them with the students?
Activity Notes: Provide time for the participants to write a state year by year target for their School SMART Goal.
Resources Required: Not in participant manual
Audience Reaction: 14

14. Spring 2015
Results
Focus:
Subgroups
All Grades
Spring 2016
Results
Percent Expected
To Meet or Exceed
Standard
Measure:
District Annual
Writing Prompt
Time frame for Target Monitoring
Subgroups:
Base-line Data
Current Data
Targets
Year1
Year 2
Year 3
End of Year %
ELL
40% 1 50 2 65 3 75
Spec. Ed.
25% 30 40
FRL
32% 60
Writing
Grade: B+
Time: 45 min. (6/15 slides – 5 min. of 30 min. for complete exercise)
Resources Required: Chart paper and markers
Purpose: Illustrate the product for this activity – Dissecting the target template
Lecture Notes: This is a picture of what we’re going to ask you to do with one of your target templates in just a few minutes. You’ll post it on a piece of chart paper and then identify all the important pieces of your template.
Activity Notes: Show this slide while they are working. Walk through the example so they can see how the “anatomy” is based on their decisions about how they put their target templates together. They should be able to explain their target template decisions. This exercise pushes them to not just review but to justify why they decided to complete the template the way they did. And, if they can’t, what they need to do to improve or refine it. Read the summary box – rationale for their grade.
Facilitator Note: The teams will remain at their own tables but the charts should be posted at the end of the activity so others can see what they have done.
Summary:
We believe these targets are challenging but attainable because we have already begun to focus on these subgroups and have writing interventions in place. They leave us short of our goal and
we can only measure annually. The whole target needs to be supplemented with formative results. 15

15. Monitoring Progress Using Targets
BUILDING IMPACT TEAMS
Have a regularly scheduled time and place for reviewing target attainment with identified tool. Make it visual!
Use common formative assessments to monitor progress connected to evidence of formative indicators of success (action plan) to adjust professional learning plan.
Monitor progress toward targets for grade levels/departments.
Share your building targets and progress with your staff. Celebrate!
GRADE LEVEL/DEPARTMENT TEAMS
Have a regularly scheduled time and place for reviewing target attainment with identified tool. Make it visual!
Use common formative assessments to gather valuable information frequently enough to adjust practice and/or introduce interventions.
Know exactly which children are meeting the targets and which are not. Differentiate accordingly.
Share your team and classroom targets and progress with your students. Celebrate!
SUGGESTED REVISIONS
Time: 45 min. (10/15 slides – 5 minutes)
Resources Required: N/A
Purpose: Understand how targets are used to monitor progress ongoing
Lecture Notes: These are suggestions for how you will use your targets to monitor progress and share results on an ongoing basis. If you think back to your SMART Action Plans, we asked you to identify a schedule for reviewing your targets. Typically that coincides with the assessment schedule, but it might also include some perceptual, observational or other event-driven reason for looking at your progress such as the end of a unit, trimester, quarter or semester, parent-teacher conferences, etc.
The more you can build formative assessments into your plan, the better but be sure not to over-burden teachers and students with too much testing. Assessments for learning (a la Chappuis and Stiggens) provide valuable feedback informally and do not require testing events per se. This should become a systematic practice for PLCs at the unit level.
Matching up student names and faces with performance data (especially in zone analyses) will lead to informed differentiation and intervention. Even a good target is improved when the numbers are taken to the individual student level for analysis.
Finally, the targets should not be a mystery to your students. As entire classrooms demonstrate growth, there is reason for celebration. When students know they have been part of contributing to a larger classroom success, they are reinforced in their efforts.
Activity:

16. Time: 45 min. (11/15 slides –minutes)
Resources Required: N/A
Purpose: Show examples of visual progress monitoring
Lecture Notes: These charts are outside a principal’s office in a middle school. They illustrate movement up through the zones for every child in the middle school (column at the right) and for all students by name in four core academic areas by section (i.e. English Language Arts 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th period). The data are not accessible to the public and are used by the principal to talk with PLCs about flexible grouping strategies, RtI needs, additional support resources for the teacher(s) (e.g., reading resource teacher or instructional coach).

17. Time: 45 min. (12/15 slides –minutes)
Resources Required: N/A
Purpose: Show examples of visual progress monitoring
Lecture Notes: This is a teachers’ work room where the 3rd grade teachers are moving index cards with students’ names and the specific indicators the students are working on in a particular unit of study. They place a colored dot on the index cards to illustrate where the students began on the baseline assessment. As they improve, they move the index cards up to the next higher level(s). Not the distribution in this photo.

18. Time: 45 min. (13/15 slides –minutes)
Resources Required: N/A
Purpose: Show examples of visual progress monitoring
Lecture Notes: This is toward the end of the unit. Note the number of index cards left in the red zone compared to the baseline on the previous slide. Note the number of blue and green cards now.

19. CELEBRATE!! Time: 45 min. (14/15 slides – 1 minute)
Resources Required: N/A
Purpose: Show examples of visual monitoring
Lecture Notes: This was actually at the the midpoint of the unit where the movement from red zone to yellow and higher was being celebrated by these teachers.

20. INSERT VIDEO HERE – Baby’s first steps Time: 2 minutes (15/15 slides)
Resources Required: N/A
Purpose: Illustrate the value of celebration, small steps and encouragement from one’s leader. Link learning to targets (we don’t always get it right the first time) with next segment on coaching.
Lecture Notes: We have talked about the power of small steps and celebrations as an important reminder to leaders that this is a growth process. Each step leads to greater confidence and efficacy on the part of the learner which then leads to greater gains in the long term.

21. Time for a BREAK Time: 15 minutes (1/1 slide) Purpose: Break
Resources Required: Not in Participant Manual
Lecture Notes:
Activity Notes:

22. Team Planning Time Time: 45 minutes (1/1 Slide)
Resources Required: Participant Manual - Page 21
Purpose: Apply new learning to the SIP Cycle
Lecture Notes:
Activity Notes:
Team Planning Time (45 minutes)

23. Building capacity for student-focused, goal directed learning
Thank you
SMART People!
Purpose: Show as the participants leave the room
Lecture Notes:
Activity Notes:
Resources Required: Not in Participant Manual
Audience Reaction:
smartlearningsystems.com
Building capacity for student-focused, goal directed learning