Working Groups
I. WORKING GROUPS
Context: We have gathered data from our needs/assets assessments through surveys, focus groups, and one-on-ones. Now we need to start the work of organizing to formulate solutions to the areas of growth that have been identified through that data.
Purpose: The aim of the working groups is to use collaborative leadership models to identify workable measurable solutions for the different areas of growth that we have identified through our needs and assets assessments of the different stakeholder groups. The working groups are ideally constituted of multiple different educational partner groups to ensure multiple perspectives as well as groups are present in the formulation as well as the sustainable of the solutions.
Process:
Identify Working Groups:
The Community Schools Sub-Committee during our pullout day went through the data of all the different educational partners once our needs and assets assessment was over and identified the top four largest areas of concern for our community.
We identified those areas of concern as needing working groups for the following year to identify the underlying causes as well as potential solutions and be the body for the implementation of those solutions.
Piloting:
First after constructing the working group protocol (See below in folder), we piloted the working group protocol in our AP Government and American Politics class as a part of their civic engagment Project Based Learning (PBL) component for their class.
Ran through each of the four components and revised the protocol from one period to the next until the final version was previewed to the Community Schools Sub-Committee
Had the students engage in reciprocal teaching where the students taught the committee members about how to complete each of the different components in order for the sub-committee members to do two things:
(1) - Have some of the prep work already complete for our identified working groups that will begin at the start of the following school year.
(2) - Have CSSC members familiar with the working group protocol so they can then be leads in pushing out and implementing the process in the working groups that they join the following year.
Onboarding/Rollout:
Meeting with the different academies during their shared prep meetings to show them the results of the needs and assets assessment (NAA/Listening Project) and highlight the highests areas of concern and/or growth.
Purpose: Aim is to have the academies intentionally integrate the NAA into their project planning for the following year.
Scheduled an optional all-staff informational meeting where the Community Schools Coordinator and the Site Coach presented:
(1) - Highlighted already existing projects, work, and successes of Community Schools through out the year.
(2) - The final summaries of the needs and assets assessment (Listening Project) where the top issues/areas of growth are identified.
(3) - Preview the topics and expectations of the working groups.
(4) - Push out a google form for those in attendance to sign-up for the working groups for next year.
Component 1: Community Schools Sub-Committee Prework -
Recruit Members: Pre Have the Community Schools Sub-Committee complete "component one" of the working group protocol (see below in the folder) in order to intentionally recruit a diverse array of educational partners for the first meeting of the working group.
NOTE: Members should utilize the survey from the onboarding meeting as well as info from the needs and assets assessment to identify different educational partners to be a part of the working group.
Component 2: Working Group Initial Meeting - Identifying Root Cause and Measuring Baseline -
Role Selection: Each member identifies what role they want to take on in the working group ranging from solution implementation to data analysis and presentation.
Root Cause: Working group members identify the root cause of the issue they are addressing
Baseline Data: Working group members glean the baseline data from the needs and assets assessment and/or create a data gathering plan to identify the baseline data set that they want to try and change with their solution/intervention.
COMPONENT 3: Working Group Meeting - Solutions, Goal Setting, & Planning
Identify Solutions: Working group members identifying research based solution to implement as a group that clearly addresses the issue and is aimed at improving the baseline data set.
Solution Implementation Plan: Clearly idenfity who is doing what, when, and how when it comes to the implementation of the solution.
Tracking Data Collection Plan: A plan is created to collect data on the solution to see if the solution is working at improving the community and addressing the solution. This data will be used to evaluate the solution at the end of the implementation timeline.
Fidelity of Implementation/Transparency
Community Schools Sub-Committee Member Coaches: Ensure Community Schools Sub-Committee members take lead within the working groups to ensure: (1) the following of consensus decision making in the meetings, (2) completion of the steps of the working group protocol.
Maintanence of Working Group Websites: Designated member(s) within the working group will host their completed graphic organizers that host the collected data as well as soluntion implementation process. The sites will also highlight the meeting times/places so others can join in the work.
Evaluation:
COMPONENT 4: Solution Evaluation, Reflection, & Refinement
Evaluate Solution - Working group analyzed the tracking data and reflects upon the solution implementation to see if they want to continue the solution or attempt to adopt a different strategy to address the issue.
Resources: Below are helpful resources to structuring and planning the goal completion within your working groups.
