Game Plan. Hector Garcia
such as Learning by Doing (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, 2010) and Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at Work (DuFour, DuFour, & Eaker, 2008); or visit http://allthingsplc.info to consult articles that Rick DuFour, Becky DuFour, and Bob Eaker have written over the years as ways to research the essential elements and practices of a PLC. Understanding the research behind the elements will assist leaders in having deep conversations with the staff about the importance of the chosen elements. This step is critical because it forces the leadership team and school members to establish which elements they consider essential, what they mean, and how they will help the organization become more effective.
Step 2
Next, work with the staff members to determine what artifacts will be used to show that the elements are established and are promoting progress within their team. For example, a school may want to remind staff members of the need for norms by ensuring that they are listed in every agenda. The agreed-upon artifacts should be written into the artifacts section of the purpose and clarity template. In order for a group to decide on what artifacts to include, leaders may want to think about using a consensus tool or process to allow dissenting voices an opportunity to share their perspective while still capturing the will of the group. There are many different techniques for building consensus. One example is known as “Fist to Five,” which allows team members to show their level of agreement on a scale using a fist to signify no agreement and five fingers to signify complete agreement. Members who signify a two or three need further discussion with the group before they can commit to the decision. Using consensus tools or processes will enable team members to feel heard and more comfortable in moving forward and establishing the key elements and artifacts.
Step 3
Once the artifacts have been established, it’s important for teams to gain clarity around the expectations for each key element. As a district or building team, discuss and come to consensus on the importance of each element and when and how each artifact will be used. Following is a sample of such a discussion.
Staff member #1: “Now that we have established the key elements and artifacts of what it means to have a focus on collaboration, we need to look for artifacts that should have a due date.”
Staff member #2: “While it is tough to establish your first SMART goal, I say every grade-level team should have one completed by the second week of school.”
Staff member #1: “Two weeks sounds reasonable for our first SMART goal, so let’s open this timeline for discussion. Any objections or clarifications to the SMART goal timeline before we move to another artifact? Great, let’s find another artifact that should have a timeline.”
These collaborative conversations will help team members feel a sense of ownership over the work and feel valued in the decision-making process. It also helps avoid any misconceptions or varying definitions of what is expected. In order to enhance clarity, some leadership teams may want to add specific dates or a timeline on the actual template, noting when things need to be completed.
Step 4
It is important for leaders to ensure that everyone has had an opportunity to discuss the process, elements, and artifacts and ask any questions they may have. Once the tool has been established, it can be revisited throughout the year to reinforce the elements and expectations. The review process is a great way to discuss and review the artifacts and expectations that have been established as well as monitor progress. Solely establishing schoolwide expectation does not ensure that every content- or grade-level team will follow the “play.” Therefore, it is crucial for the leadership team to widely communicate the new play, align professional development, and periodically meet with every team to discuss their progress. The periodic reviews of this tool throughout the year will serve as an opportunity to assist struggling teams who are not making progress as well as establish a level of accountability that will help a school make measurable progress focused on student learning. This approach will promote the good work being done throughout the school and provide positive models for those teams that may need assistance. It will also help new staff members assimilate to the culture of a new building in a shorter amount of time because the work for every team and its members is well defined. Also, giving teachers an opportunity to revisit and discuss the elements and artifacts is an invaluable way to continue to establish greater levels of implementation and clarity throughout the organization.
Coaching Point 1.2: Identifying and Evaluating Our Current Reality
Central to any improvement effort is the process of critically assessing what’s working and what’s not working. In education, we often refer to this practice as self-assessment or checking our current reality. Insights gained from any self-assessment or reality-check process become the building blocks to improve on both collaboratively and individually. Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky, coauthors of the best-selling book, Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive Through the Dangers of Leading (2002), describe sustained leadership as requiring the “capacity to see what is happening to you and your initiatives, as it is happening” (p. 73). Just like an athlete, a leadership team must be able to identify areas of strength and areas for improvement both during preparation time or the summer (the off-season) and throughout the year. Athletes and collaborative teams alike must be willing to reflect on both their individual contributions to the overall performance and to the contributions they provide to the whole organization.
Richard DuFour, Rebecca DuFour, and Robert Eaker (2008) remind us that the “two areas most essential for a group to review in a discussion of the future of the school or district are 1) the current reality and 2) evidence of best practice” (p. 124). They describe these as point A and point B, respectively. Without an honest assessment of where you might be starting from, it is difficult to reach wherever you are heading. Gathering the facts and information before deciding on next steps will ensure that the group makes informed and intelligent decisions that lead to the end goal. With points A and B clearly defined, achieving the goal and making adjustments along the way become far more manageable.
Successful teams discover that establishing a structured, evidence-based technique to identify and assess their own strengths and areas for improvement will create a culture of continuous effort and improvement from all members. Another benefit of a current reality check for a team is to build cohesiveness. Especially true for educators, all members of a team need to recognize how their individual actions impact the goal attainment of the collective whole. The awareness and insight team members might experience when reflecting on the brutal facts of their situation can shift their priorities from individual to collective.
The What
To work effectively, teams must regularly and objectively review the status of their work and current level of implementation. Winning teams focus not only on their strengths but on their challenges as well. An honest assessment of a team’s work will continue to ensure that they stay focused on the overall game plan. The form in figure 1.2 helps teams build a structured process to review how they are functioning and assists them in identifying their improvement opportunities and next steps.
The How
This tool can be utilized by leaders of individual teams or at the building or district level. It should be implemented at the beginning of each year so that all team members understand the current reality of the team and can come to consensus on future work. It can also be, as best practice would suggest, implemented throughout the year whenever a team feels like it needs to get a pulse on its current status and discuss the next steps for the collective and individual work.
Step 1
The first step in analyzing a team’s current reality is to have each team member take time to honestly reflect on the team’s progress using the Team Status Check form (figure 1.2). Individual team members rate the team’s progress toward each criterion on a scale of 1–4, including notes that provide evidence for what they feel has or has not been accomplished.
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