1. Children First Intensive
A Focus on Goal Setting
Inquiry Team Meeting for ESO Network 19
October, 2008
Deena Abu-Lughod, SAF
Network Leader: Vera Barone
Karen Ames, Randy Soderman, Sonya Brown, Linda Tom
Many thanks to SAFs Anita Skop and Rosemary Stewart and Richardson’s Work Smarter, Not Harder for their material.

2. Objectives for the Day
Identify our learning styles to enhance team work productivity.
Understand the implications of the new Quality Review
Formulate SMART goals at the school, grade and classroom level based on performance and progress data
Understand a process of goal setting and interim benchmarks as applied to student achievement
Familiarize ourselves with a variety of goal-setting tools and resources.
Identify which periodic assessment to use for measuring target population progress from September to June.

3. Problems can not be solved at the same level of awareness that created them.
Albert Einstein

4. The Inquiry Process from www.inquiryprocess.com
Albert Einstein has given the world a multitude of gifts. It was not until he learned to step out of his sphere of comfort, though, that he made his most fundamental discoveries.
The inquiry process is based upon the same reasoning. Until we step out of our sphere of comfort, we cannot solve the most basic problems of our lives, our relationships, and our organizations.

5. The Inquiry Process (from www.inquiryprocess.com)
The inquiry process provides a tool to step out of the level of awareness where our problems are created, and look at them from a fresh and unique perspective.
It allows us the opportunity to confront our barriers to accomplishing those undertakings which are vital to our personal growth, as well as the growth of our institutions.
The goal of Inquiry Process is to produce human freedom, equanimity, and the acquisition of skills which lead to profound communication and development.

6. Agenda 8:30-8:45 Focus on Goal Setting: Rationale
8:50-9:00 The Big Picture: Network Data and Progress Report Modeler
9:00-9:10 SMART Goals Introduction
9:10–10:00 Work Smarter, Not Harder (article)
Break
10:15–11:15 Goal Setting Activity – Practice Revision; Tree Diagram
11:15-11:40 True Colors
11:40-11:50 Debrief and Evaluation

7. 'Cheshire Puss,' she began, ……
'Cheshire Puss,' she began, ……. `Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'
'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.
`I don't much care where--' said Alice.
`Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.
`--so long as I get SOMEWHERE,' Alice added as an explanation.
`Oh, you're sure to do that,' said the Cat, `if you only walk long enough.‘
--Lewis Carroll in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

8. Why Goal Setting?
Quality Review Statements 2 and 5 refer explicitly to the importance of the alignment of goals at all levels in a school and in all core areas, and to the importance of establishing short-term interim benchmarks.

9. Quality Statement 2: Plan and Set Goals:
School leaders and faculty consistently use data to understand each student’s next learning steps and to set suitably high goals for accelerating each student’s learning. To what extent do school leaders and faculty…
2.1 use collaborative and data-informed processes to set measurable, actionable and differentiated learning goals in core subjects for individual students and groupings of students and develop differentiated plans and timeframes for reaching these goals?
2.3 ensure that the achievement of learning goals, and the implementation of plans and timeframes for reaching these goals, is the central focus of school leaders, faculty, students and families?

10. QS 2: Some Criteria for Well Developed
School leaders and faculty use procedures to regularly set measurable and rigorous learning goals for individual and groups of students in all core subjects that build on what they know and can do, and identify a series of next steps to achieve these goals in the designated period.
• School leaders and faculty set interim goals/benchmarks that are checked periodically (at the end of each unit) throughout the year in order to target effective differentiated instruction in all core subjects that meets the needs of groups of students and individual students’.
School leaders and faculty meet regularly (at least monthly) to discuss, review and adjust the timeframes to reach the goals of all students in all core subjects.
• School leaders and faculty meet regularly with students (at least weekly) and periodically with their families to ensure that there is a clear understanding of the goals in all core subjects and timeframes set to increase student achievement

11. Quality Statement 5: Monitor and Revise
The school has structures for monitoring and evaluating each student’s progress throughout the year and for flexibly adapting plans and practices to meet its goals for accelerating learning. To what extent do…
5.1 the school’s plans for improving student outcomes and its strategies for improving each teacher’s instructional practices include measurable interim goals and suitable time frames for evaluating success and making adjustments during the year?

12. QS 5: Some Criteria for Well Developed
• Teachers across core subjects demonstrate how they consistently assess and monitor the progress of all students and set and revise measurable goals to accelerate student learning.
• School leaders and faculty have established rigorous and measurable interim goals for all of the school’s plans and instructional practices, consistently evaluate success (at least once per month or after each unit), and make adjustments as needed throughout the year.

13. The Big Picture Goals
Use the Progress Report to identify a school area of focus. (ELA or Math). Schoolwide efforts must be focused on improvement in this area, and the goal should be reflected in the CEP, the PPR, and at the level of each grade, teacher and student.
If your school has been identified as in need of improvement for underperformance of a particular subgroup, or if a subgroup did not make its AMO in 2008, a more challenging goal should be established for that subgroup, and it should receive more support.
This alignment of goals is essential, and it will be looked for in a number of ways during the Quality Reviews.

14. What does this mean for your school?
Level 1+2 students: ___% in ELA (__ students) and
___% in Math (__ students)
Students who lost proficiency as
compared to their 2006 scores.
Students who made one year of progress:
___% in ELA
___% in Math
___ % in ELA
___ % in Math
What does this mean for your school?

15. Closing the Gap in ESO Network 19 (Vera Barone)
Elementary Schools
DBN
% Level 3 or 4 ELA
So that means, this percent are outside the sphere of success
School Goal for ?
1-Year Progress ELA
So that means, this percent did not make 1 year Progress
School 1
43.8%
56.2%
62.1%
37.9%
School 2
36.0%
64.0%
56.0%
44.0%
School 3
44.2%
55.8%
61.1%
38.9%
School 4
50.2%
49.8%
73.2%
26.8%
School 5
54.5%
45.5%
73.8%
26.2%
School 6
48.2%
51.8%
68.8%
31.2%
School 7
47.6%
52.4%
63.9%
36.1%
School 8
56.1%
43.9%
School 9
45.7%
54.3%
64.7%
35.3%
School 10
51.1%
48.9%
66.7%
33.3%
School 11
57.3%
42.7%
63.8%
36.2%
School 12
60.8%
39.2%

16. Closing the Gap in ESO Network 19 (Vera Barone)
K-8 and Middle Schools
DBN
% Level 3 or 4 ELA
So that means, this percent are outside the sphere of success
School Goal for ?
1-Year Progress ELA
So that means, this percent did not make 1 year Progress
School 13
44.0%
56.0%
64.5%
35.5%
School 14
31.5%
68.5%
65.4%
34.6%
School 15
41.2%
58.8%
62.4%
37.6%
School 16
42.7%
57.3%
School 17
68.1%
31.9%
56.3%
43.7%
School 18
37.2%
62.8%
52.4%
47.6%
School 19
32.9%
67.1%
59.9%
40.1%
School 20
69.4%
30.6%
66.0%
34.0%
School 21
22.9%
77.1%
70.1%
29.9%
Average.*
46.5%
53.5%
63.4%
36.6%
Citywide, the percent of students at Levels 3+4 in ELA increased by 6.5 percentage points in
In Network 19, the percent of students at proficiency in ELA increased by 9 percentage points in
Reasoning backwards from the percent of students making 1 year progress, what percent of students would
have to make 1 year progress in order to maintain those high levels of growth and close the gap?
* Note: This average is an average of every school, not the overall students in the network.

17. Progress Report Modeler
The Progress Report Modeler can be used as a tool for setting schoolwide performance and progress goals.
One way of setting goals with the modeler is to create a goal- setting “principle”.
For example: you might want to reduce the gap between your school and the best school in your peer group by one- third in ELA since you had only 4 months to work and one- half in Math, because you had 6 months to work.
Then, simply compute the difference between your score and the score of the highest school, divide that by 2 or 3, and add that amount to your score. A 5-minute video is available on my Wikispace.

18. SMART Goals Strategic and Specific Measurable Attainable Results Based
Time-bound
SMART goals help us determine which of our efforts is making a difference, encourage us to set benchmarks to monitor progress, and identify specific evaluation measures.

19. Strategic and Specific
A strategic goal focuses on a high priority issue. When Specific, itl has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. To set a specific goal you must answer the six "W" questions:
Who:
Who is involved?
What: 
What do I want to accomplish?
Where:
Identify a location.
When:
Establish a time frame.
Which:
Identify requirements and constraints.
Why:
Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal.
EXAMPLE: A general goal would be, “Improve comprehension." But a specific goal would say, “Improve the target population students’ reading comprehension scaled scores in Performance Series by 300 points between now and June."

20. Measurable
Measurable goals show how a change will be calculated (eg, the assessment(s) you will use to know if you have obtained the desired results).
Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set.
To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as:
How much?
How many?
How will I know when it is accomplished?
Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set. (When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to continued effort required to reach your goal.)
To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as......How much? How many? How will I know when it is accomplished?

21. Attainable Redefined priorities, changing perspectives.
Attainable goals include actions that the school can control or influence that can be accomplished with existing resources. Goal setting requires setting a baseline or starting point and looking at past performance trends when determining whether a goal is attainable. It must be compelling and energizing, but realistic.
Redefined priorities, changing perspectives.
Plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame.
Use small successes along the way for encouragement.
(When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. You begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals.)
You can attain most any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Goals that may have seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable, not because your goals shrink, but because you grow and expand to match them. When you list your goals you build your self-image. You see yourself as worthy of these goals, and develop the traits and personality that allow you to possess them.

22. Results-Based Don’t confuse “activity” with results.
Results-based goals identify specific outcomes that are measurable or observable. Results can be expressed as attaining a certain level of achievement in a content area, improvement in a certain area, or improved performance as defined and measured on a rubric.
Don’t confuse “activity” with results.
The means you use to accomplish the goal (eg, implementing a new program) is part of the action plan.
The results are a clear and specific description of the expected outcome of the activity.
To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. A goal can be both high and realistic; you are the only one who can decide just how high your goal should be. But be sure that every goal represents substantial progress. A high goal is frequently easier to reach than a low one because a low goal exerts low motivational force. Some of the hardest jobs you ever accomplished actually seem easy simply because they were a labor of love.
Your goal is probably realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished. Additional ways to know if your goal is realistic is to determine if you have accomplished anything similar in the past or ask yourself what conditions would have to exist to accomplish this goal.
This example references the NYS ELA core curriculum:

23. Time-bound and tangible
Time-bound goals identify the amount of time required. Goals can be more compelling when there is a sense of urgency.
A goal should be grounded within a time frame.
A goal is tangible when you can experience it with one of the senses, that is, taste, touch, smell, sight, or hearing.
A goal should be grounded within a time frame. With no time frame tied to it there's no sense of urgency. If you want to lose 10 lbs, when do you want to lose it by? "Someday" won't work. But if you anchor it within a timeframe, "by May 1st", then you've set your unconscious mind into motion to begin working on the goal.
T can also stand for Tangible - A goal is tangible when you can experience it with one of the senses, that is, taste, touch, smell, sight or hearing. When your goal is tangible you have a better chance of making it specific and measurable and thus attainable.

24. Work Smarter, Not Harder
Using the goals you brought and the article, consider the following:
Pp. 1-2: What are the “breakthrough” areas for your school?
Pp. 1-2: What does the goal setting process look like in your school at the leadership level, the grade level, and the classroom level? Does it start at the top? If not, how does that affect the alignment?
Pp. 6: The plan calls for 3 ½ hours of meetings to develop SMART goals. How does this plan compare with your own school’s process?

25. Report Out
Discuss the goal setting process you used at your school with your table mates and what changes you might make in that process based on the article.
Identify the elements that would be necessary for a successful goal setting process. Consider the following categories or add your own: Baseline data for identifying goal; assessment to set June goal and measure outcome; organization of goal setting meetings; necessary professional development.
Assign a recorder to write 1 or 2 big ideas on the category charts posted around the room. If someone has already written a similar big idea, just add a checkmark.
Chart facilitators will circle the top 3 big ideas on each chart.

26. Report Out – Big Ideas
In our QR, we had schoolwide goals, but not individual goals. A teacher developed a template with biographical and test data, and on the 2nd page, had a place for student goals.
Our school had too many goals which prevented us from focusing. We must pick one goal and break it down into targets. We must figure out how to limit it to one at a time (hint: the “tree diagram” will help).
The assessment must be picked carefully so that it can be used to monitor progress. Consider using Performance Series for Mid-Level 2 students and below instead of Acuity because the Acuity passages are too difficult for students who are below grade level.

27. Report Out – Big Ideas, continued
Goals are set at the top but teachers should be more involved through grade level conferences or PD. Teachers should look at their student level data (eg, Item Response) and set goals from there that connect to the schoolwide goal. If teachers use their own data, we will create a more data- informed culture and the teachers would be more engaged. Build the grade level goals up from the student data.
Teachers will need multiple PDs to be walked through the entire process. If we don’t follow up, they won’t see the value. (Hint: build in the goal evaluation into your system, perhaps every six weeks.)

28. Report Out, Big Ideas continued
You need the right person to do the PD. They must have experience and be available on a continual basis.
You must incorporate teacher feedback and assess their needs.
Goal setting is not a one shot deal. We must revisit the goals and build in the review of goals as part of the schedule for common preps.

29. Big concepts for each phase of Inquiry
Phase I
Identify target population students and one specific area of academic weakness.
Phase II
Bring more students into the school’s sphere of success by improving outcomes for target population students in the identified area.
Phase III
Ensure that the school continually brings more students into the sphere of success by improving decision-making processes.

30. A detailed look at the inquiry process
Define a school-wide focus group
Define a target population:
skill, sub-skill, students
Define a long-term goal
Define learning targets and short-term goals
Analyze systems that produced conditions of learning
Analyze target population conditions of learning
The intention here is to review our Theory of Change:
by studying a small manageable group of students outside a school’s sphere of success and using this information to accelerate their learning, Inquiry Teams in every school:
experience what is possible
illuminate the characteristics of their school’s decision-making systems that have resulted in the current sphere of success
Can make small improvements in those systems that make a big difference, expanding each school’s sphere of success systematically over time
The Process we have employed has been to:
Identify a small group of people to lead the work
Identify a small manageable group of students outside of our sphere of success on which to focus the work
Identify specific knowledge gaps and misconceptions that are interfering with these student’s making academic progress through analysis of granular assessment data
Analyzing the current conditions under which the students are expected to learn it including:
What we teach and when we teach it – the curriculum in use
Who teaches it – the teacher assignment and student scheduling practices in use
How it is taught – the pedagogic methods (structures, forms and formats) in use
How well it is taught – the practices in use
Identifying and implementing a small change in one or more of these learning conditions that will make a big difference
Measuring the effectiveness of that change on the target student’s learning
Analyzing the decision-making system (curriculum, teacher and student scheduling, pedagogy, and quality of practice) that resulted in the learning condition
Identifying and implementing a small change in the decision-making system that would make a big difference in student learning across the school
Measuring the effectiveness of that change on student learning and making adjustments where appropriate
Evaluate and revise based on interim progress measures
System-level
Instructional
Design and implement change strategy

31. Defining a long-term goal within the Inquiry Process
School-Wide Focus Group
Example: ELA, 7th grade, bottom third
Skill
Example: Reading
Long-term goal: Move from level N to level V in Fountas and Pinnell levels by June.
Sub-Skill
Example: Comprehension
Target Population
15-30 students struggling in comprehension
Learning Targets
Character analysis
Retelling
Sequencing

32. Defining short-term goals within the Inquiry Process
School-Wide Focus Group
Example: ELA, 7th grade, bottom third
Skill
Example: Reading
Long-term goal: Move from level N to level V in Fountas and Pinnell levels by June.
Short-term goal: Students correctly answer 90% of character analysis questions by February.
Sub-Skill
Example: Comprehension
Target Population
15-30 students struggling in comprehension
Learning Targets
Retelling
Character analysis
Short-term goal: Students retell 90% of story elements by October.
Sequencing
Short-term goal: Students sequence with 90% accuracy by December.

33. How do we know if we have achieved the goal?
Periodic Assessments
Acuity and Performance Series (Scantron)
Teacher-Made Assessments
Low-Inference Transcripts
Portfolios
Student Writing Samples

34. Setting long-term goals: General assessment recommendations
For measuring June goals, one cannot use the State ELA or Math, which are given in January and March. Consider the models in your packet.
Use an assessment that measures the sub-skill selected.
Use the same assessment for a baseline and final measurement.
Use the assessment that gives you the best information about your students’ learning:
A DOE Periodic Assessment
A teacher-designed assessment
Another vendor assessment
Use an assessment from the end of the school year (i.e. not the 3rd-8th grade NYS math and ELA tests).
Use an assessment that measures the sub-skill selected. An assessment that is too broad can not measure the effect of the instructional change strategy the team implemented.
Use the same assessment you will use at the end of the year to take a baseline measurement of student performance in the beginning of the school year, so you can compare performance more accurately.

35. Setting long-term goals: Using Performance Series
Recommendation: Use the scaled score to set long-term goals.
Example: In September, our 7th grade target population students had an average reading scaled score of (considered “at risk” for 4th graders). By June, we hope to raise each student’s score 300 points (into the interquartile range for 6th graders).
Don’t use GLE (grade-level equivalent). (This is an imprecise measurement. It is nationally-normed, not focused on NYS standards.)
More information is forthcoming on the use of SIP scores.

36. Setting long-term goals: Using Acuity
Recommendation: Use the item bank to create a customized pre- and post-assessment around the sub-skill you are focusing on. This may include a number of questions from several grade levels if a student is performing significantly below grade level.
Example: In September, our 7th grade target population students scored an average of <35% correct on a grade level Acuity assessment. By June, the students will score at least 85% correct on an assessment of 6th grade reading comprehension.

37. Setting short-term goals: General recommendations
Do not use the Item Analysis Report from the Acuity Predictive assessment to identify learning targets.
Use Acuity item bank assessments to measure your progress towards short-term goals.
Use Performance Series only every weeks.
Do not use Performance Series to measure your progress towards short-term goals of mastering particular learning targets.
Particularly for short-term goals, it is likely that teacher-created assessments will be most effective.
Do not use the item skills analysis from the Acuity predictive assessment to identify learning targets. There are not enough questions for each skill to determine a pattern.
Do use Acuity item bank assessments to measure your progress towards short-term goals.
While you may want to use Performance Series as an interim measure to see if the students are making progress towards the long-term goal, it should not be administered more frequently than every weeks.
Do not use Performance Series to measure your progress towards short-term goals of mastering particular learning targets—it is not a finely-grained enough assessment for this purpose.
ITAs *do* measure subskills—but they do not measure consistent subskills over the whole year. (They are not cumulative—it’s more like a unit test).

38. Sample Goals from the June Reflections
Our June goal for our target population is to a score of 4 on the writing part of the ELA state test. Evidence: teacher's work folders, Acuity, ECLAS-2, DRA, Running Record, on going – June.
Students will show a 5% increase in the percent of questions answered correctly on standard 3, specifically in the performance indicator of making, confirming and revising predictions. Evidence: Acuity, Acuity, DRA, Running Record
We expect that the target students make literacy gains of one year by placing emphasis on the skills which were flagged in the NYC DOE Acuity and NYS ELA assessments. Evidence: Acuity Assessments, Acuity, QRI, Three (3)
The targeted students will make at least one year's progress in number sense and operations specifically simplify expressions using order of operations and add, subtract, multiply and divide integers. Evidence: Acuity ITA Assessment , Custom made test from Acuity and Scantron.

39. Goal Setting Activity
With your team, re-examine the June goal your school set for your target population.
Evaluate that goal against the SMART criteria.
Re-write the goal, if necessary, so that it would meet the SMART criteria. Consider the sample goals in your packet as models. If you are satisfied with the goal, select one from the samples to work with. Identify 3 possible and appropriate learning targets.
Share your rewritten goal with the other schools at your table and solicit feedback. Continue redrafting until you are satisfied.

40. Strategic and Specific
Is it a SMART Goal?
Notes
Strategic and Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Results-Based
Time-Bound

41. Rewritten June Goal
Learning Targets

42. Using the Tree Diagram
Examine the Tree diagram for middle school students: How could this model be adapted to one of your current target populations (or school or grade)?
Using either the blank Tree Diagram or the following worksheets, formulate a SMART June goal for one of your target populations. (If you haven’t identified it yet, use a hypothetical situation for practice.)

44. June 2009 Goal
Baseline assessment:
June assessment:
Learning Targets
Cycle 1:
Cycle 2:
Cycle 3:
Cycle 4:

45. How will the first learning target be taught, when, how and by whom?
What assessment would you use to determine whether the students had mastered the first learning target?

46. True Colors What kind of learner am I?
What kind of learner are my colleagues on the Inquiry Team?
What should my colleagues know about me in order to communicate better with me?
What do I need to know about my colleagues so I can communicate better with them.
(Note: The “True Colors” activity packet will be converted to a pdf and posted soon on the wikispace.)

47. Time Line
NETWORK TEAM
SCHOOLS

48. Where we are so far:
Reflected on our accomplishments and challenges
Considered what 90% teacher participation in inquiry means
Examined the philosophy of Inquiry Team work (handbook)
Constructed a learning agenda
Reviewed Network-level achievement and progress gaps
Unpacked the Progress Report Metrics
Worked with the Progress Report Back Up Data in Excel
Worked with the Item Response files in Excel
Introduced some QR criteria related to goals
Examined goal setting vis a vis the Inquiry Team Handbook
Identified elements of good goal setting processes
Practiced writing SMART goals
Reviewed Inquiry Team Timeline

49. What’s Next?
Nov. 3: Data Triangulation: Multiple Choice, Verbal, Performance assessment (Rm. 76, 1230 Zerega Avenue, paper-based, 8:20- 11:50)
Nov. 10: Electronic Tracking Systems using RESI (Rm. 76, Zerega Avenue, laptop based, 8:20-11:50)
Nov. 18: Monthly Inquiry Team Representatives meeting with focus on AIR Scaffolded Inquiry training (8:20-11:25) and Conditions of Learning (12:15-2:15) at PS 224, 345 Brook Avenue, BX (close to #6 train; alt. side at 11:30)
Dec. 8: Teacher Data Initiative (Rm 76, 1230 Zerega Avenue, paper based, 8:20-11:50)
Dec. 16: Monthly Inquiry Team Representatives meeting (8:20- 11:50, location TBD – host wanted)

50. Feedback and debrief