Stage Four – Prioritize & Set Goals
Stage Five – Research & Identify Effective Practices, Strategies, Programs, Interventions continued

What are the tasks for the second part of the meeting?  

• Review goals and make minor revisions as necessary.
• Begin researching how the goals will be achieved.
• Decide which methods will be used for studying and selecting Scientifically Based Researched strategies, interventions, and/or programs. Determine whether the team will visit other districts/schools using effective practices.

Options for involving the planning team include:

1. Engage the team in studying and selecting effective practices.  With this option, it helps to have the core leadership team track down several resources for each goal. Planning team members can sign up for a group that studies the resources and continues researching action steps for each SMART Goal. The advantage of this approach is that it increases the planning team’s awareness and helps build buy-in. A disadvantage is that it requires a large time commitment. Team members can use the Study Process Planning Grid and the Study Teams form to guide the process and the District visitation question guide for investigating other school districts.
2. The core leadership team documents the research and brings it back to the larger team to reflect upon. This takes less time commitment on behalf of planning team members but makes “buy-in” more difficult. If your district or school is tackling persistently low gains, this strategy may not be the best way to build support for change.
3. Districts may choose to join with school study teams in researching common goals.
4. District teams may wish to join other districts that are researching the same topics.
5. School teams may wish to join other schools that are researching the same topics.

  In all cases, the planning team is heavily involved.