COLLABORATIVE LEARNING TEAMS

FOUNDATION

When BUILDING ANY STRUCTURE, NO WORK IS EVER DONE WITHOUT FIRST BUILDING A SOLID FOUNDATION.

DCT FOUNDATION MISSION VISION VALUES GOALS Clarifies Priorities and Sharpens Focus Gives Directions Guides Behavior Established Priorities FUNDAMENTAL PURPOSE COMPELLING FUTURE COLLECTIVE COMMITMENTS TARGETS AND TIMELINES WHY? Why do we exist? WHAT? What must our school become to accomplish our purpose? HOW? How must we behave to achieve our vision? How will we mark our progress? MISSION VISION VALUES GOALS DCT FOUNDATION The foundation of Davis collaborative Teams has 4 pillars.

missi0n The first pillar is the MISSION STATEMENT.

Foundation MISSION VISION VALUES GOALS Clarifies Priorities and Sharpens Focus Gives Directions Guides Behavior Established Priorities FUNDAMENTAL PURPOSE COMPELLING FUTURE COLLECTIVE COMMITMENTS TARGETS AND TIMELINES WHY? Why do we exist? WHAT? What must our school become to accomplish our purpose? HOW? How must we behave to achieve our vision? How will we mark our progress? MISSION VISION VALUES GOALS Foundation The mission pillar asks the question, “WHY?” “WHY DO WE EXIST?” The intent of this question is to HELP REACH AGREEMENT regarding the FUNDAMENTAL PURPOSE OF THE SCHOOL.

A successful journey does not begin with taking a first step, but with facing the right direction. TRANSFORMING A SCHOOL DOES NOT START WITH IMPLEMENTING NEW TASKS, BUT WITH CREATING CLARITY ON THE SCHOOL’S DIRECTION OR FUNDAMENTAL PURPOSE.

Do we have a mission statement? If so, WHAT IS IT? Turn to a partner and discuss…

LEARNING FIRST!

The words of a mission statement are not worth the paper they are written on unless people begin to DO differently. There is a huge DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WRITING A MISSION STATEMENT AND LIVING A MISSION STATEMENT. There is NO CORRELATION between the presence of a WRITTEN MISSION STATEMENT or the wording of a mission statement and the ability of a school to function as a Davis Collaborative Team. THE CORRELATION ISN’T BETWEEN WRITING A MISSION STATEMENT AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, IT IS ABOUT LIVING A MISSION STATEMENT AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. - Learning by Doing

Is it evident that learning first is your school’s core purpose? MISSION STATEMENT Is it evident that learning first is your school’s core purpose? Review the District Mission statement. Is that what is getting the most attention at your school?

What would your school look like if your fundamental purpose was truly Learning First?

visi0n

Foundation MISSION VISION VALUES GOALS Clarifies Priorities and Sharpens Focus Gives Directions Guides Behavior Established Priorities FUNDAMENTAL PURPOSE COMPELLING FUTURE COLLECTIVE COMMITMENTS TARGETS AND TIMELINES WHY? Why do we exist? WHAT? What must our school become to accomplish our purpose? HOW? How must we behave to achieve our vision? How will we mark our progress? MISSION VISION VALUES GOALS Foundation The vision pillar asks “WHAT?” “WHAT MUST WE BECOME IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH OUR FUNDAMENTAL PURPOSE?” Staff ATTEMPTS TO CREATE REALISTIC FUTURE THAT DESCRIBES WHAT THEY HOPE THEIR SCHOOL WILL BECOME. Creating a vision PROVIDES A SENSE OF DIRECTION and a BASIS FOR ASSESSING BOTH THE CURRENT REALITY OF THE SCHOOL AND POTENTIAL STRATEGIES, PROGRAMS, AND PROCEDURES TO IMPROVE UPON THAT REALITY. By describing the school you seek to become, you are essentially CREATING A GAP BETWEEN WHERE YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU WANT TO GO – WHAT YOU WANT TO BECOME.

MISSION VISION Addresses the question of WHY an organization exists by CLARIFYING ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE. Addresses the question of WHAT a school must become to FULFILL THEIR PURPOSE. What future do they hope to create? People often use the terms mission and vision interchangeably. In applying the terms to the foundation of a Davis Collaborative Team, they represent DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT issues. MISSION addresses the question of WHY AN ORGANIZATION EXISTS BY CLARIFYING ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE. VISION asks “WHAT MUST WE BECOME TO FULFILL OUR PURPOSE, WHAT FUTURE DO WE HOPE TO CREATE?”

Current reality

What gets the most attention in our school? TURN AND TALK for 3 minutes.

Does what’s most important get the most attention? Is everyone CLEAR ON WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT and DOES THAT GET THE MOST ATTENTION?

What is our Vision Statement? Ask if anyone can STATE THE SCHOOL’S VISION STATEMENT.

VISION STATEMENT Write your school’s Vision Statement on this slide for staff to read.

VISION STATEMENT Is there a SHARED UNDERSTANDING OF and COMMITMENT TO the school you are attempting to create? EVERYTHING YOU DO should DIRECTLY ALIGN TO OUR VISION AND MISSION STATEMENTS.

If you don’t know where you are going, you probably aren’t going to get there. UNTIL educators can DESCRIBE the ideal SCHOOL THEY ARE TRYING TO CREATE, it is IMPOSSIBLE TO DEVELOP POLICIES, PROCEDURES, OR PROGRAMS THAT WILL HELP MAKE THAT IDEAL A REALITY. - Yogi Berra

A vision should be straightforward, compelling, and drive everything the school does. A VISION SHOULD BE STRAIGHTFORWARD, COMPELLING AND DRIVE EVERYTHING THE SCHOOL DOES. It should be BASED ON A FEW NON-NEGOTIABLE PRINCIPLES THAT BECOME THE GUIDE FOR DECISION MAKING THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL.

EVALUATE THE VISION STATEMENT Does the vision result in people acting in ways that are ALIGNED WITH YOUR MISSION? Do people at all levels use the vision statement to guide their DAY-TO-DAY DECISIONS? Is the statement used to MODIFY STRUCTURES, PROCESSES, AND PROCEDURES to better align with the intended direction of the school?

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE? Identify SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS that need to be honored to become the school envisioned. Identify INDICATORS TO BE MONITORED to assess progress. Establish BENCHMARKS

Values/collective commitments

Foundation MISSION VISION VALUES GOALS Clarifies Priorities and Sharpens Focus Gives Directions Guides Behavior Established Priorities FUNDAMENTAL PURPOSE COMPELLING FUTURE COLLECTIVE COMMITMENTS TARGETS AND TIMELINES WHY? Why do we exist? WHAT? What must our school become to accomplish our purpose? HOW? How must we behave to achieve our vision? How will we mark our progress? MISSION VISION VALUES GOALS Foundation VALUES ADDRESS HOW WE WILL FULFILL OUR PURPOSE AND MAKE OUR DESIRED FUTURE A REALITY. Teachers are IDENTIFYING THE ACTIONS, BEHAVIORS, AND COMMITMENTS NECESSARY TO BRING MISSION AND VISION TO LIFE. Values, or Collective Commitments must be made and honored in order to achieve the shared vision for a school or district. The values pillar clarifies these collective commitments. It asks, “HOW MUST WE BEHAVE TO CREATE THE SCHOOL THAT WILL ACHIEVE OUR PURPOSE?’” Collective commitments help MOVE STAFF FROM “SOMEDAY WE WILL BECOME THE SCHOOL IN OUR VISION.” TO “HERE IS WHAT WE WILL DO TODAY TO MOVE OUR SCHOOL TOWARDS THE VISION.”

goals

Foundation MISSION VISION VALUES GOALS Clarifies Priorities and Sharpens Focus Gives Directions Guides Behavior Established Priorities FUNDAMENTAL PURPOSE COMPELLING FUTURE COLLECTIVE COMMITMENTS TARGETS AND TIMELINES WHY? Why do we exist? WHAT? What must our school become to accomplish our purpose? HOW? How must we behave to achieve our vision? How will we know if we are making a difference? MISSION VISION VALUES GOALS Foundation The goal pillar clarifies the SPECIFIC GOALS TO ACHIEVE AS A RESULT OF THE IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVE. It IDENTIFIES TARGETS AND TIMELINES that enable a staff to identify the question “HOW WILL WE KNOW IF WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE?”