Transcript Slide 1

Shared Decision Making:
Moving Forward Together
Minneapolis Public Schools
Site Council Training
Presented by
Office of Student Support,
Family & Community Engagement
December 13, 17, 19, 2007
WELCOME!
Objectives for today:
• Provide an overview of the MPS shared
leadership model
• Clarify roles and responsibilities in the
decision-making process
• Provide time for teams to reflect on their
work together
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What is Shared
Leadership?
It is a process for members of the school
community to work together to:
• Improve student achievement
• Define school goals
• Solve problems
• Use the Theory of Action and Minneapolis
Way to move toward shared goals.
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Theory of Action:
If all adults of the Minneapolis Public
Schools community learn and work
together in a positive environment to meet
student learning needs, then student
achievement will increase.
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Strategy to Achieve the
Theory of Action:
Build capacity across the district in order to:
• establish high-quality, standards-based
instruction at every school;
• establish support systems that respond to
students’ needs; and
• engage parents and community to contribute to
student learning.
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Build
CAPACITY
…across the district.
Stakeholders
Systems
Staff
Students
Parents
Community
Decision Making
Accountability
Communications
Data use
Culture
Culture
Resources
Time
People
Money
Information
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Culture
The Minneapolis Way
• Focus first on learning and service.
• Honor individuals for what they bring to
the system.
• Create transparency.
• Build productive, collaborative
relationships.
• Be accountable.
• Act intentionally and strategically.
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“People whose lives are affected
by a decision must be a part of
the process of arriving at that
decision.”
–John Naisbitt, Megatrends
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What is a Site Council?
Team of teachers, staff,
parents, principals, and others
from a school community who
work together to help their
school be successful.
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Site Council Requirements
• Reflect the diversity of the school
community- must put energy into recruiting a
Site Council
• Be no more than 50% district employees
• Include the principal
• Include MFT steward (or an alternate)
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By-Laws
At the very least, by-laws should include:
• Size of Council
• Terms of Members
• Member-Selection Process
• Meeting Schedule
• Areas of Focus for the Council
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Everyone has a Role to
Play in the Site Council
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Power Shared is
Power Gained.
• Teachers, administrators and parents
are strengthened through the synergy
that results when they share power
with one another.
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Role & Responsibility of
Site Council:
▪ Improve Student Achievement
▪ Accountable for Results
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Characteristics of
Successful Site Councils
• The principal and site council direct adequate
resources (financial, time, human) toward family
involvement initiatives.
• The principal and site council set high expectations
of staff and families to work together to increase
student success and academic achievement.
• The principal and site council monitor the results of
the school’s initiatives to increase the level and
quality of family involvement.
• The principal and site council are approachable
and provide opportunities for dialogue with families
(for example, monthly breakfasts with the
principal).
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Discussion:
What are some things your site
council is doing to improve
student achievement?
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Remember…
• Federal, State and MPS Board of
Education policies on curriculum,
instruction, assessment and funding
restrictions must be followed.
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Role & Responsibility of
Site Council Members:
▪ Contribute to the Success of
the Site Council
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Characteristics of Site
Council Members
• Are active participants
• Share responsibility for collaboration
• Committed to increasing family &
community involvement
• Demonstrate desire to contribute to the
success of each child at the school
• Are respectful of others’ ideas and
perspectives
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Role & Responsibility of
Site Council Chair/Co-Chair:
▪ Provide Strong Leadership
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Characteristics of Site
Council Chairs
• Work as a partner with principal and others
• Ability to identify and prioritize issues and
set agendas with others
• Ability to create a welcoming atmosphere
• Good understanding of the budgeting
process
• Strong facilitator
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Role of Principal/Site
Administrator on Site Council:
▪ Focus for Accountability
Principals are held accountable through
•licensure
•formal hiring process
•principals’ contract
•principals’ job description
•principals’ evaluation process
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Characteristics of Principals
on the Site Council
• Works collaboratively with all members of
the council
• Provides information to inform decisions
• Acts as the final decision-making authority
• Facilitates effective solutions
• Leads the development of school direction &
vision
• Responds to stakeholders
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Role & Responsibility of
Teachers/Staff on Site
Councils
▪ Source of Expertise Essential for
Academic Achievement
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Characteristics of
Teachers/Staff on the Site
Council
• Offer their knowledge and skills to the team
• Review and interpret data
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Developing Group Norms
• How a group makes decisions, assigns
work, and holds people accountable
determines team success.
• Adopt group relationship guidelines or
group norms early to ensure group
success.
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Site Council
Decision-Making
• Review the handout.
• Which do you think describes your
Site Council now?
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When does each work
best?
Consensus
Voting
Subgroup
One Person
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Consensus works when…
• Issues are important, with large
ramifications that affect many stakeholders.
• Small groups work together in general.
• Rich dialogue is possible in real time.
• Group is informed and invested.
• Member support is critical to the decision.
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Voting works when…
• Consensus in unlikely in the given time.
• Members are all informed and understand
each others’ views.
• It has been determined that the majority can
implement without active involvement of
those who “lose” in the vote.
• There is a plan for how to engage those who
“lose” in the vote.
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Subgroups work when…
• They have necessary information or
expertise to make the decision or
recommendation.
• This is the only entity impacted by the
decision and can implement it without the
active involvement of the majority
• The whole group is truly comfortable
delegating the authority to its
representatives
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One person decision
making works when…
• It is an emergency.
• One person has all the relevant information.
• When one person is trusted to make a good
decision.
• When the outcome only impacts the
decision maker.
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Discussion:
• Each Site Council is assigned one type of
decision-making.
• Discuss: What are some examples of when
you have used this type of decision-making?
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Site Council
Tips and Ideas
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• “Coming together is a
beginning; keeping together is
progress; working together is
success.”
–Henry Ford
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Thanks for coming and
sharing with us today.
All of Central Services stand
by to help you.
•Academic Affairs Office
•Legal Counsel
•Student Support Services
•Office of Family & Community Engagement
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