0 Collaborative Decisions in Schools?

Posted by Atsumori. Category: Collaboration

There is an effort to build team in schools through the use of PLCs and RTI.

This team building involves collaborative decision making with multiple, diverse voices.

The learning community which represents multiple, varying years of experience brings many ideas to the table.

How can decisions be made with so many diverse voices and perspectives in efficient, targeted, positive ways?

• First, leaders research and determine a collective focus and rationale, create a process and time line, and advertise the focus, rationale, process and time line to the learning community in an organized, concise way with lead time. Then, establish a small, diverse and dynamic leadership team to forward the goal and focus.   Example:  We are creating a "loose-tight" scope and sequence related to the new science standards.  We are adopting the standards since this work represents worthy research and design, and serves the needs of our students well. We want to create a local scope and sequence that represents the standards and responds to our students and community well. 

• Next, the leadership team creates a proposal, and the proposal and request for comments is shared online with the learning community (students, families, educators, leaders and community members) in an organized fashion.  The learning community crowdshares comments in a live document. Example: With attention to timely research, past efforts, new standards, and system goals, a scope and sequence draft has been created.  Please make the time as collegial teams or individual educators to comment in the space provided.  Add your name to your comments.

• After that, the leadership team carefully reviews the comments and thoughts then redrafts, and sends that draft out online for crowdshare comment and response.  Then once again the draft is edited and refined to reflect educator voices and perspectives.  Example: The initiative has been redrafted, please review and comment. 

• A face-to-face meeting occurs prior to the final revision. Interested members of the learning community are invited to this debate.  Redraft once again.

• Finally, a "loose-tight" protocol, action, or result is determined and published with a guiding letter from the leadership team in charge. The protocol or plan is "loose-tight" leaving room for student response and need as well as the natural way that learning evolves. 

Backwards design works well for initiatives.  Making the time first to visualize the process from start to finish, then embarking on the process is integral. Research, time, voice, rationale, and focus are important factors when it comes to making positive decisions for the learning community.  

As schools move forward, there is a need to move our decision making protocols and actions forward too, and it's important to relay information about changed protocols, expectations, processes, and time lines to the learning community with lead time, transparency, intent, and effect. It is equally important that initiatives are timely, efficient, and publicized regularly. Often when an an initiative is shared in advance of its start, much of the thought and work can be done with ease ahead of the actual decision process.

Most members of learning communities today want choice and voice so that they can do a job well.  Most educators also welcome efficient, targeted collaborative work to grow their skill and craft with a focus on student success. To integrate educator choice and voice well we need to continue to look at the way we communicate and create decisions--decisions that impact the work we do each day for children's gain. 

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