More Than a SMART Goal: Staying Focused on Student Learning (Classroom Strategies)

Setting data-informed, high-priority SMART goals is a critical step in school improvement that is widely acknowledged. However, goals themselves don't drive improvement; they must be aligned to the school improvement process, curriculum, instruction, assessment practices, mandates, and professional development. Understand how to properly use the SMART goal process to effect change and achieve real school improvement.

Benefits:

• Learn multiple strategies and processes designed to bring coherence and measurement to instructional planning.
• Discover five effective guidelines for total system improvement.
• Acquire a SMART process for professional learning.
• Gain practical tools for sustained focus throughout professional development.

Contents:
Chapter 1: The Nature of Systems Improvement
Chapter 2: Less Is More
Chapter 3: Putting SMART Goals to Work
Chapter 4: Professional Learning by Design
Chapter 5: Impact and Implementation
Chapter 6: Engaging the Mind, Body, and Spirit

Anne E. Conzemius is cofounder and president of QLD Learning, a school improvement company headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. Before QLD, Anne served as the assistant to Wisconsin s superintendent of public instruction; in that capacity, she worked on educational policy and led the department s strategic planning and restructuring initiative.

Earlier in her career, Anne worked as a senior associate with Howick and Associates, applying her expertise in strategic planning and quality improvement to benefit government, education, manufacturing, finance, health care, and not-for-profit organizations. From 1988 to 1990, Anne served as director of employee development and training for the state of Wisconsin. Anne has also served as a school psychologist and as a consultant with the Department of Public Instruction.

Anne is coauthor of Building Shared Responsibility for Student Learning, The Handbook for SMART School Teams, and The Power of SMART Goals. She has also been published in local, state, and national education newsletters and journals, and is a contributing author to a graduate textbook on staff development.

Anne earned two master's degrees (educational psychology and industrial relations) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Anne and her husband, Bill, live on a farm near Madison, where they operate a horse stable and entertain their two grandsons, Quinn and Edilfanta.

Terry Morganti-Fisher repurposed herself through retirement after twenty-five years of service to the Austin (Texas) Independent School District to pursue continuous school improvement work on a broader scale. She has led systemic educational reform initiatives since 1989.

As director of professional development (PD) in Austin, Terry led the creation of a comprehensive PD plan and developed support systems for teacher quality. She served as district liaison to external partners including the Institute for Learning. Terry also served the district as a special education teacher and instructional technology facilitator.

Terry is vice president of client services for QLD Learning. She is also a senior consultant for Learning Forward (formerly NSDC) and facilitator for the organization's Learning School Alliance. Terry is the former president of Learning Forward Texas.

Terry earned her BS in special education and elementary education at Westfield (Massachusetts) State University and her MEd in curriculum and instruction and instructional technology at the University of Texas in Austin. She is a graduate of NSDC's Academy VIII and is a certified coach. Her work has appeared in the Journal of Staff Development.

Terry's mission is to make the world a better place for children through public education. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband, Steven, and their blended family.