S.M.A.R.T. Tools Institute

The S.M.A.R.T. Tools Institute is designed to help participants acquire the skills and knowledge needed to successfully implement professional learning communities, whether the team is at the beginning of the process or has been working as a professional learning community for some time. Key to becoming a successful professional learning community is understanding the power of using collaborative processes for focused, data-driven learning and improvement.

The Institute can be designed for either a single day or two days. The design includes keynotes, breakout sessions and reflection time. Breakout sessions can be differentiated for novice and advanced levels of experience. The Institute format also lends itself to breakouts for those with academic responsibilities while their operational colleagues attend small-group training focused on the use of effective processes and data in their business units.

Novice and advanced breakout sessions include: 

• The S.M.A.R.T. Schools curriculum for building professional learning communities
• Collaboration - effective meetings and facilitation
• Data analysis and dialogue
• Greatest area of need and goal setting
• Improvement strategies
• Goal-driven professional development

Academic breakout sessions include:

• Greatest Area of Need (GAN)
• The S.M.A.R.T. Goal Tree
• The S.M.A.R.T. Goal Process
• Tools for Leading Change

Each participant receives Institute materials and a copy of QLD's acclaimed desktop companion, The Handbook for S.M.A.R.T. School Teams. 

When a faculty selects a goal it believes will make the most difference in the education of students, it is setting the parameters for collective study and action. (Emily Calhoun) 

Contact Kiett Takkunen at QLD to design a S.M.A.R.T. Tools Institute for your District, service agency or community.