DOCUMENT RESUME EA 030 340 ED 440 432 The Building Leadership Team. The SILC Road. TITLE Colorado State Dept. of Education, Denver.; Colorado Univ., INSTITUTION Denver. Center for Collaborative Educational Leadership.; PEAK Parent Center, Inc., Colorado Springs, CO. Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services SPONS AGENCY (ED), Washington, DC. 1998-00-00 PUB DATE 21p.; SILC stands for Supporting Inclusive Learning NOTE Communities. H086J50003 CONTRACT Non-Classroom (055) Guides PUB TYPE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. EDRS PRICE *Educational Change; Educational Improvement; Elementary DESCRIPTORS Secondary Education; *Instructional Leadership; *Leaders Guides; Leadership Training; Team Training *Comprehensive School Improvement Program IDENTIFIERS ABSTxACT This booklet was designed to help families, school professionals, and students understand the function and purpose of comprehensive school improvement. It is part of the SILC Road initiative, which was founded by several education groups in Colorado for the purpose of helping schools educate all students. The volume focuses on the elements of the Building Leadership Team (BLT) process. It contains ideas and suggestions across a broad range of topics, from gathering and using information to guide may establishc,d teams, working on specific chance strategicr2. serve as a tool for critiquing current processes.'Recently established teams will find helpful information to guide the organization and development of their work. The text describes the function of BLTs and their role in the school community. It suggests who should be a member of a BLT, each member's duties, the purpose of BLTs, and what members can expect. The volume 'discusses ways to make meetings productive, such as setting an agenda, establishing norms, encouraging productive dialogue, and handling the minutes. Tips are offered on collaborative decision making, reaching consensus, honoring dissent, voting, creating a plan for the first 6 months of work, staying on track, and remembering constituencies. A list of 15 additional readings is provided. (RJM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. EA building U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 01/This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality 0 Points of view or opinions stated in this ( document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy -.I IA ,$ i s al Al 116 - . II 41 41 11 I 3 uide You'll find ideas and The Silk Road was an The SILC Road is a suggestions across a broad ancient trade route that collaborative initiative of range of topics, from the Colorado Department served as a bridge to transport gathering and using infor- of Education, the Center for political, social, cultural and mation to working on Collaborative Educational linguistic traditions from specific change strategies. Leadership at the University one culture to another, of Colorado at Denver and creating rich, pluralistic PEAK Parent Center, For established teams, the milieus that enriched and Colorado's Parent Training guide may serve as a tool for nurtured learning and inno- and Information Center. critiquing your current vation. The SILC Road Designed to help schools processes. Teams that have continues the tradition of and their communities only recently been established the Silk Road. In our journey renew their efforts to will find helpful information toward Supporting Inclusive educate ALL students, the and ideas to guide the Learning Communities, initiative is funded in part organization and development SILC Road schools use a from the Office of Special of their work. We hope that variety of whole school Education Programs in the you will find this guide, like change strategies to ensure U.S. Department of our others, practical and that curriculum and instruc- Education. This booklet is tion are designed to include useful. one in a series designed to traditionally marginalized help families, school profes- Robin Brewer students. sionals and students under- Terri Connolly This guide focuses on the stand the function and Janet Filbin elements of the Building purpose of comprehensive Elizabeth Kozleski Leadership Team process. Beth Schaffner school improvement. 4 Aga, -t o 111° sZ :.4 c;) 'ZCZ,Ift The we of Temm - Ieade :ship to helps fad' rapid and r:a`ize sustained change. Sharflpn leadership What is a Building Leadership teams, then, can the focus on a few specific targets Leadership Team? and work with the building provide a context for decision principal to assure that making. The use of BLTs A Building Leadership Team administrative structures support emphasizes the need for clear (BLT) is a school-based group the instructional program. sanction and participation of individuals who work to from other school staff, provide a strong organizational Do BLTs replace reasonable delegation of process for school renewal and principals? responsibility and authority improvement. BLTs orchestrate Principals are like conductors. from the district office and the work of school professionals, They can't make music without board, and resources for the administrators, families, and their musicians but they lead team's work. students through the school the process of performing. improvement process. This Principals are responsible to The BLT meets regularly process includes the examina- the central administration and throughout the school year to tion of current, successful ultimately to the School Board ensure that both planning for practices and also those areas to ensure that the policies and school improvement and the that are of concern to the school processes established for the implementation of those plans community. In addition, BLTs district as a whole are imple- is on course. When necessary, plan for progress, achievement, mented in their buildings. the BLT works to develop or and risk. They must assure that the safety change building policies so and security of students and that policies, procedures, and Team leadership helps to staff alike are maintained. activities work together to facilitate rapid and sustained Principals are accountable for support the work of educators change. Often, circumstances the overall academic achieve- and students. BLTs are respon- such as high turnover, classroom ment of all learners in their sible for collecting data in isolation, and limited executive building. Evaluation and men- order to identify topics and authority make it difficult for toring of school professionals processes for professional schools to make the decisions in the building is a vital and development. They help keep needed for improvement. ' time-consuming part of each of about an hour and a half per establish a working plan. Teams principal's role. Because of these week of meeting time. may also choose to meet at the responsibilities, the principal Meetings may occur weekly, end of the year to assess and plays a critical role in shaping every other week, or when a complete an annual review of the agendas for each building team is well-established, progress. BLT members will leadership team. monthly. BLT members are have the opportunity to also committing themselves to network with other school What's the complete work between meetings. BLTs via electronic mail and commitment? In addition, the BLT should face-to-face at conferences and BLT members are committing have at least one retreat at the meetings. themselves to the equivalent beginning of each year to team the Doorkeeper: Sits near the Who should be Do parents represent the a member? door and fills in latecomers diversity present in the school with the current status of the community (i.e., second Membership on the team meeting and what has been language learners)? should be diverse. You'll want Will students directly partici- discussed so far. to consider students, practi- Temperature taker: Monitors pate or will there be a process tioners, family and community how the group is responding to include their voices in members, and administrative to each other. decision making? staff. Because a leadership team must be sustainable over What is the Who does what? time, consider staggering the purpose of a BLT? Part of "building the team" is terms for members, thus ensuring Part of building the team is sharing the responsibilities that a smoother transition for new helping people focus on outcomes. accompany the running of any members and less disruption to Revisiting these purposes and meeting. The following are the team's work. Ensure that as outcomes periodically provides process roles that the team many people as possible engage the opportunity to reassess might find helpful to the overall in the process of selecting team processes. Each team efficiency of a meeting (these members for the team. establishes its purpose. Some jobs are often rotated): possibilities are listed below: Decide on a process for how Facilitator: Guides the meeting members are selected or Provides leadership for process and remains objective. nominated for the team. These setting school targets and Timekeeper: Keeps track of questions should be considered: how much time has been accomplishments and presents evidence to central adminis- spent on an issue. Advises At the elementary level, is tration of the plan for school group when time allotted for each grade level represented? an agenda item is up. Helps improvement each year. How are specials included? to ensure equitable floor time Organizes workgroups that At the secondary level, should will accomplish tasks related for speakers. members represent teams? Scribe: Takes notes. to school improvement. Content area? Grade level? 8 What can members expect? As a team member, you can expect to: Own solutions and not just problems. Challenge the way things are. Reach out to unexpected constituencies. Be willing to learn, change, take another's perspective. See your role and the role of your team as a part of a larger ecosystem. Understand that change will bring unexpected side effectstry to anticipate the ripple effects of change. Insures that the building leadership for professional Understand the system that engages in a variety of evalu- development within the you work in. ation tasksthose that help building, takes leadership for Understand the strengths determine the goals, those ensuring that the entire that you and your team that help to inform progress building (staff, parents, members bring to the work. and change, and those that community members, and Assume a role of collaborative benchmark success (i.e., students) become a learning leadership. student achievement, school community. Avoid negativitythis is not climate, etc.). Understands and works an event but a new way of Based on data, determines within the policies and working with others. the areas of need and provides guidelines of the district. Empower yourself. 9 rod oknn productive meetm s sample agenda can be found in' meeting. Another item to discuss Why set an agenda? might be how to offer solutions the appendix. Remember that people have rather than critique the worth limited amounts of time. At What are the norms? of others' contributions. the beginning of the meeting, People who work together set time limits for each item. It How should a meeting need to be explicit about a set will be important for BLTs to be facilitated? of norms for their work, since have time to make decisions as people have differing sets of Adhering to formalized meeting well as dialogue. Some members expectations and skills for procedures builds a strong, of your team will disengage meetings. Not everyone feels productive team. Teams will unless the team accomplishes comfortable in these formalized need to decide on several factors, its agenda. Remember to create structures, so new groups often one of which is designating a agendas together. Make sure lean towards informality to facilitator or chairperson. This that everyone gets an opportu- ease the comfort level of the position can be delegated to nity to place items on the participants. As a result, meetings one person, shared by two agenda and that these items may not be as productive as team members, or shared are legitimized through discus- they need to be to sustain the among the group. The respon- sion and action. Rotate the group over time. It is important sibilities of a facilitator might responsibility for convening to have a conversation among include the following: guiding meetings and the role each your team members early on to the team through the agenda, member plays at the meeting. establish a way of working keeping the agenda rolling, Post the agenda at least a day together. Some norms might recognizing obstacles and before the meeting as a include using written and assisting the team in working reminder to your team members. verbal input, keeping minutes, through them, relaying Label items on the agenda as sharing the limited time to talk information back to the team, informational, discussion, by creating time limits for con- and assisting with the decision- and/or action. Ensure that the tributions, being on time, and making process. Finally, be sure principal has a time slot on the having a process to inform team to end your meetings on time! agenda for announcements. A members who must miss a 10