Goal-Setting Script

Co-Construct Goals and Expectations Step 1: Learn from families about long-term goals Questions to ask: What are your hopes and dreams for your child? What do you want your child to be when she grows up? What does it mean for you for your child to be successful in school? Example: I want Toni to graduate college and be a doctor. I want Tina to behave in class and stop getting detentions..

Co-Construct Goals and Expectations Step 2: Set high expectations and annual goals for the year and connect them to families’ long term goals Example 1: If Toni wants to go to college and become a doctor, she needs to graduate 4 th grade reading on or above a 4 th grade level. Right now, Toni is reading on a 3 rd grade level. Improving 1.5 grade levels in reading will ensure Toni leaves 4 th grade on track to enter college ahead of her peers. Example 2: Tina’s behavior is really important, and improving it is key to her success. If Tina behaves better in class, she will be able to focus on learning reading strategies. This will help her become a better reader and be more interested in school.

Co-Construct Goals and Expectations Step 3: Break the big goal into manageable parts and share data In order to grow 1.5 years in reading, Toni needs to increase her DRA score from a 34 to a 44. That means, by our conference next quarter, her DRA score should be a 37 if she is on track to meet her goal. This is an “S-level book”. This is the kind of book Toni would be reading if she was ready to get a 37.

Co-Construct Goals and Expectations Step 4: Agree on how everyone will support learning What will you do as the teacher? To get her to a 37, I will model reading strategies for her that will improve comprehension. I will also meet with her once a week to hear her read aloud and help her with her fluency. What will the student do? Toni will practice these comprehension strategies with her guided reading group. What can the parent do? Ask parents to set a goal for themselves to help support learning. Research shows if your child reads for 45 minutes a night, she can increase her reading level by one every two weeks. One thing you could do is set a goal for yourself to make sure she does this. Or read with her twice a week. How does that sound to you? What do you need from me to help you with that?

Co-Construct Goals and Expectations Step 5: Set expectations for monitoring progress and revise goals over time. Explain how you measure progress toward the goal: I use the DRA, which shows me how much students understand what they are reading, to see if they are reaching their big goal of growing 1.5 grade levels in reading and getting college ready. I will also check if Tina is doing a better job staying seated. I will monitor how often she leaves her seat without permission. Explain how you will share data on this progress with families and revise goals: Students will take a short reading comprehension quiz weekly to assess their reading level and knowledge of strategies. I will send this information home to you in their Tuesday folder. I use the full DRA to assess students each quarter. I would like to have a quarterly phone or in- person conference with you to discuss the results and see if we need to adjust Toni’s goals. I will put a note in Tina’s Tuesday folder to let you know how many times she left her seat. When she is only leaving her seat once or twice a week without permission, maybe we can celebrate together and revise her goal to make it even more ambitious.