Skills for Routines Breakout Sessions

Breakout session 2:Setting the agenda and running the

routine meeting

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Our objectives for this session

▪Understand best practices and approach for setting an agenda for a routine

▪Practice preparing an agenda for a routine

▪Understand ideal roles and responsibilities while running a routine meeting

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After the calibration, the next step is developing the agenda for the routine

Purpose of developing an agenda:

▪Clarify what you hope to achieve at the stocktake

▪Identify the most important things on which to focus

▪Scope out how to spend the time so you’re sure to get through everything

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Routines should follow a T-shaped agenda with three common objectives

Arrive at a shared view of progress

Div

e d

eep

on sp

ecifi

c issu

es

Identify and

commit to clear

next steps

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The “specific issues” objective, however, should be targeted for each routine based on the challenges surfaced in the self-assessment and calibration

Challenges

Next steps we can take and

inform the chief about

Usually “understand”

objectives

Specific asks of the chief

Usually “agree” objectives

Areas for deeper

discussion at the stocktake

Usually “discuss,”

“decide,” or “identify” objectives

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Finally, identify any supporting materials or data that will help drive the conversation

Supporting materials to consider:

▪What data analyses will support the points you are trying to make?

▪What key facts or points will best support the points you are trying to make?

▪What discussion questions will you need to tee up to get to the decisions you need?

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Exercise: Preparing an agenda for a routine

What How Time

▪Review sample output of self-assessment and calibration session and identify what are the challenges on which you’d focus the majority of your routine discussion

▪For each, classify it as – Something you can

develop next steps to act upon

– Something you need to make a specific ask to the chief about

– A topic for further discussion

▪Based on the classifications, develop objectives for the routine

▪Based on the objectives, fill in the rest of the agenda template

▪Group ▪25 minutes▪Brown paper

▪Cards▪Flipchart▪Sample

output of self-assessment

▪Markers

Materials

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While running a routine, it is important that the roles are clear to everyone

Holding others accountable

Being held accountable

Commissioner“Prime Minister”▪Holds others accountable for results▪Asks tough questions that challenge and

support▪Actively engages in problem-solving

Delivery Unit LeaderBroker▪Prepares Prime Minister for meeting▪Designs agenda, keeps meeting on track

Delivery Unit MemberAnalyst▪Prepares data and evaluations▪Works with accountable leaders to prepare

Assistant CommissionerAccountable leader▪Holds overall accountability for the plan’s

success▪Answers the Prime Minister’s questions and

actively solves problems

College and Career Readiness DirectorAccountable leader▪Holds day-to-day accountability for the plan’s

success▪Manages the team to implement the plan▪Works with delivery unit and provides evidence

to arrive at current assessment of progress, in consultation with sponsor

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We offer this advice to the “delivery leader” to keep the routine running smoothly

▪Ensure the “accountable leaders” and “prime minister” are briefed ahead of time so that no one is surprised by the conversation

▪Record next steps throughout the meeting in a public space (flipchart paper or projected on screen) – this is also an opportunity to push for clear next steps if the conversation has gotten off-track

▪Allow the accountable leader to present on progress and next steps, but be heavily engaged in the facilitation of the conversation; push it forward when it is off-track

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You can also set the “prime minister” up with particular questions or probe which will help show they are prepared

Type of Inquiry ExamplesEncourage prioritization and focus on root causes

■ “What are the top three barriers that you face to making this work?”

■ “What are the top three messages that you’d want to send to the “prime minister?”

■ “Where in the graduation pipeline is the biggest issue, and why?”

Put them in the shoes of the front-line or end user

■ “If you had a group of teachers or students here right now, what would they say are the biggest reasons for dropout?”

■ “That’s a really great articulation of the issue. If I spoke to teachers or students, would they give a similar message?”

Use “what-if” questions to test the possibilities

■ “How much would we improve if we got the bottom quartile to perform at the level of the current average?”

■ “How much would we improve if every teacher in every classroom just got one more student to score ‘proficient’ this year?”

Use comparisons to find solutions

■ “Are there other states that have the same issue as us but aren’t struggling in the same way? What do they do about it?”

Suspend disbelief ■ “What would it take to increase graduation rate by 10% next year? If there were no constraints, what would it take?”

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You can also set the “prime minister” up with particular questions or probe which will help show they are prepared

Type of Inquiry ExamplesHold others to their own standards

■ “How do you know that what you’re focusing on will improve student performance?”

■ “Your commitment to narrowing gaps is inspiring; how do you intend to address the special education student gap?”

Test assertions ■ You mentioned that you thought your team was strong. How do you know that?

Follow premises to the logical conclusion

■ “If you have a goal, why wouldn’t you have a plan that shows how you intend to deliver on that goal?”

■ “If you are trying to focus on performance, wouldn’t it be important to collect this information?”

Use comparisons to provide challenge and to take excuses off the table

■ 1: “I don’t see how 75% proficiency is possible, given our level of disadvantage.” 2: “Well, the district down the road is getting 90% and they have the same level of disadvantage as us – so what’s stopping our district?”

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We encourage you to view video of a stocktake in Massachusetts which is a good example of how to run a routine

Clip 1: System Leader Introduces the Purpose and Sets the Tonehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUVHXq7PU1Y Clip 2: Literacy Team Discusses their Delivery Goalhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A1o1CntUWE Clip 3: Literacy Team is Challenged about their Ambition, Goal-Setting, and Trajectorieshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjf6duB-M-0 Clip 4: Math Team Discusses their Delivery Goalhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqFZZd-sorc Clip 5: Goal Leader Presents Ideas for Next Stepshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOvnlXcAYQg Clip 6 & 7: Team Discusses What Success Would Look Like for the Next Stocktake and System Leader Closes the Meetinghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHBEBmr2FyQ