Spring Branch ISD Strategy Fellowship Application Project Matthew W. Martin May 6, 2015

Premise  The applicant has been charged with designing a process to help a team rethink a district’s strategic approach to student Assessment.  The applicant has been charged with facilitating a team in the initial rethinking/modifying of current assessment approaches so that they better align with the districts unified commitment to T- 2-4  The district began the innovative shift to this comprehensive commitment with the establishment of cross-functional teams (CFTs), from which many initiatives have already been comprehensively put in place.  The full strategic execution requires an alignment of the results these streams produced, identifying indicators, and assessment data with the longitudinal goals specified in the T-2-4 commitment.

Facilitating Strategic Collaboration in the Initial Stages Objective: To aligning assessment and a P-20 continuum to district T-2-4 goals ensuring educational equity outcome for all students.

Stages of Team Development  “A team develops in stages, over time, before it becomes really productive” (Managing Cross-Functional Teams, 1994)  When bring the collective products of multi cross-functional teams (CFTs), i.e., streams, together the same developmental stages may apply.  Let’s review.  Forming, Storming, Norm, Perform  Our concentration for this presentation will focus on the initial stages.

Initial Reconfiguring Stage The focus of this section is on facilitation of CFTs in the initial stages of calibrating streams as they rethink student assessment.

Initial Questions  “What is the group’s purpose?” How can these be aligned with other CFTs product?  “What methods and procedures will we use?”  What data, data collection, and measurement instruments should be utilized?  What task-oriented tool best fits our purposes?  In realistic terms, “what is expected from the group” and “how will [our work] be judged? (Managing Cross-Functional Teams, 1994)

S.M.A.R.T. framework (for goal writing)  Specific  Measurable  Attainable  Relevant  Time-bound

Initial Activities  “Review team charter” as well as the charters of other teams.  “Write a [unifying] mission statement” which includes a clear definition of measurable outcomes.  “Set realistic and attainable goals.”  “Clarify tasks and relationships.” Create a task log.  “Set standards and limits”  Agree upon a collective schedule for meetings and due dates. Each meeting follows a firm agenda.  Activities that allow for constructive giving and receiving of feedback in a non-judgmental, professional environment. (Managing Cross-Functional Teams, 1994)

Protocols  Group Agenda Planning (also used for task assignment and creating a collaborative working schedule with due dates.)  df df

Protocols  Selecting the type of student assessment and data to be taking under consideration.  s_0.pdf s_0.pdf

Protocols  Analyzing and Rethinking DATA and ASSESSMENT  _data_0.pdf ( ATLAS—Looking at Data ) _data_0.pdf  dialogue_0.pdf ( Data Driven Dialogue ) dialogue_0.pdf  sessments.pdf (Also useful for norm-reference assessments) sessments.pdf

Thank you for your gracious consideration. Sources  source/thought_leadership/developing_organizational_leadership /managing-cross-functional-teams.pdf?sfvrsn=2 source/thought_leadership/developing_organizational_leadership /managing-cross-functional-teams.pdf?sfvrsn=2    /26227/Default.aspx /26227/Default.aspx