Setting Classroom Goals with Teachers

Planning Scenario

Strengths and Opportunities Strength Items- plotting higher scored items “Each staff member, list strengths of the team” “Additional strengths provided by the ECS” Modifiable Items- plotting lower scored items what is “short-term”? what is “long-term?” ALSO . . . listening to the teacher voice (not just about highs and lows) This plotting is your menu

Let’s Try Plotting . . . Let’s try plotting using the PQA summary and some of the anecdotal evidence that was collected. Working in PAIRS What about classrooms that are scoring with very high quality across the PQA?

Goal Setting What has been working well? What have you experienced as challenges?

Goal Setting Tips ECS facilitated, Teacher decided Based on Strengths and Modifiable Items Based on PQA and COR data Could be a GSRP Implementation Area Start with “teachers will . . .” (for a classroom quality goal) “children will . . .” (for an early learning goal) Goals are not actions —not how the teachers will get there Move from “goal areas” to “goal statements”

Goal Statement Tips Classroom Quality Goal Early Learning Goal Use the PQA item descriptor or row for language EXAMPLE PQA Item III-E: “Teachers will use many strategies to support communication with children whose primary language is not English” Early Learning Goal Use COR item level descriptors for language COR Item V: “Children will begin to create unique simple patterns with at least three repeats”

Let’s Try Goal Setting Let’s try goal setting using one of the LEARNING ENVIRONMENT modifiable items that you identified in the previous example.

S.M.A.R.T. Goals Specific Measurable Achievable/Attainable Results-focused/Realistic Timely Use the S.M.A.R.T. Questionnaire to Revise Goals

Road Tripping GOALS PLANS

Words of Wisdom “If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.” —Yogi Berra “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” —Beverly Sills “Although goals are important, having a plan of action is vital to the success of those goals. Having a goal with no plan of action is like wanting to travel to a new destination without having a map.” —Steve Maraboli

Tips for Developing Action Plans Start each action with a VERB Most common verbs for GSRP classroom action planning Brainstorm The action planning is where your ECS expertise is especially valuable prompts teacher reflection- checklist explore root causes (what is going to create change?) keep actions realistic anticipate any barriers use HighScope resources (i.e. textbook, training participant guides)

Goals and Actions Together Using the example provided, develop a goal statement and action plan. How can the teaching team’s strengths be used to help facilitate this process?