SMART GOALS The First Step Toward Improvement

Dr. Anne Zeman, DirectorCurriculum and Professional Learning

September 22, 2011

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What’s a SMART Goal?A SMART goal is a goal that is:

SpecificMeasurableAttainableRelevant (Realistic)Time-bound

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Why Use SMART Goals?

The use of SMART goals greatly increases the

likelihood of improvement in the targeted area.

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SMART Goals:What’s the First Step?

Start with data:

Which data are imperative to consider?

Which data are illuminating, helpful?

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SMART Goals:What’s Your Focus?

Which numbers (data) would you like to see improved?

This is your focus area.

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SMART GoalsWhat’s Your Focus?

How much improvement in numbers (data) do you want to achieve:

Consider the current gap in performance.Can you close the gap entirely this year (or term/month/week), or is it more realistic to chunk the improvement?What’s the highest outcome that is rigorous yet realistic?

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SMART Goals

SpecificMeasurableAttainable (Achievable)Relevant Time-bound

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SMART GoalsSpecific

Which students, specifically?

What, specifically, will students do?

Under what specific conditions will students demonstrate success?

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SMART GoalsMeasurable

What will be the unit of measure?

What is the criterion for success?

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SMART GoalsAttainable

Rigorous, a stretch

But achievable

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SMART GoalsRelevant

Will achieving this SMART goal help us to achieve other, larger goals?

Does the SMART goal describe an improvement that is significant?

The goal is about students.

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SMART GoalsTime-Bound

Does the goal specify when or “by when?”

If an on-going improvement process, does the goal describe the frequency of measure?

Is the goal sufficiently aggressive in terms of timing?

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SMART Goals: Score this One!

Goal:By the end of term 2, 80% of students will achieve at least a “4” on our persuasive writing rubric after being blind-scored by a department team member.

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SMART Goals: Score this One!

Goal:

Now turn in your 2010-11 PTABG to a goal that your school created last year. Score your own! Was it “Smart?”

Please share your SMART goals at table groups.

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SMART Goals: Double-Check

After analyzing data and selecting your area of focus, consider:

Are the SMART goals you select high-leverage benchmarks that will help you

to achieve larger, overall goals?

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SMART Goals: Double-Check

After analyzing data and selecting your area of focus, consider:

Are the adult actions truly related to improvement in student performance?

E.g.: If we want to improve student writing, will adults commit to assigning, reading, and scoring student writing on a common

rubric?

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SMART Goals: Double-Check

After analyzing data and selecting your area of focus, consider: Is there research to support the notion that your actions are likely to lead to

goal-attainment?

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SMART Goals: Double-CheckResearch is widely known in some areas but consider delving into other areas:

Marzano’s (2001) Big NineRigor, Relevance, RelationshipsExpository WritingGrading PoliciesContent-Specific Pedagogy

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SMART Goals: Double-Check

The establishment of effective SMART goals requires objective analysis by a

team, not individual opinion or emotionalism.

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SMART Goals: Double-Check

Whole Group

Consensus

Individual Influence

Friendly

Autocracy

Emotionalism Objective/ Student Need

On a team, who decides the SMART Goal and Action?

Dysfunctional

Highly Functionin

g Team

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SMART Goals

SMART Goals.....Tools for Improvement