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Rebuilding a Broken Team

Using a Team Dynamics Process to Improve the Health of a Special Education System

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[PLACE VIDEO HERE]

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How is Apollo 13 and a Special Education System the Same?

Think

Ink

Share

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WHY?

“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” ~ Aristotle

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Our Vision in Action

➔	Continue to build a positive, collaborative culture with our member districts through meaningful work and intentional communication Why? To enhance the effectiveness of the services we provide to our stakeholders
➔	Support the implementation of collaborative data-based decision making Why? To maximize academic and social emotional learning outcomes for all students
➔	Develop capacity within our member districts to implement an effective Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), including the use of evidence-based academic and social emotional learning instructional practices Why? To maximize outcomes while creating safe and supportive schools for all
➔	Provide high-quality professional learning informed by our stakeholder needs and reinforced through opportunities for supported application Why? To cultivate professional growth and equip educators to meet the needs of all students
➔	Enhance recruitment and development opportunities for SCRED employees and support similar efforts in member districts Why? To promote continuity in the services provided to our member districts, students, and families

OPEN 2020-25 STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN

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How? Team Dynamics

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How knowledgeable are you (on this topic)?

	Label	What I’m Thinking
5	I’m an expert.	I understand this topic well and I could teach it to someone else.
4	I’m a practitioner.	I can mostly do this by myself but I sometimes mess up or get stuck.
3	I’m an apprentice.	I’m starting to get it, but I still need some coaching.
2	I’m a novice.	I’m just starting to learn this and I don’t really understand it yet.
1	I’m a blank slate.	I read the title slide and have next-to-no idea what the topic is.

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How interested are you?

	How I Feel	What I’m Thinking	What My Body is Doing	What I Can Do
5	Exuberant	‘How long before I can ask a question?’	Eye contact, listening & comprehending	Stay engaged, hold onto questions
4	Enthusiastic	‘I’m ready to learn.’	Listening, occasionally distracted	Ignore distractions and try to focus
3	Intrigued	‘Let’s see what you’ve got.’	Hearing, but not always listening	Listen for any useful ideas and info.
2	Unsure	‘Maybe I’ll be surprised.’	Checking clock, checking phone	Don’t give up yet!
1	Apprehensive	‘Get me out of here.’	Scowling, foot tapping	Respect group, voice concerns later

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Learning Targets:

Identify the key attributes of an effective team
Define psychological safety and it’s importance
Understand how a structured process can move a team forward
Gain access to tools and resources to help support the work

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A Story of a Broken Team

Last year was a humdinger...the pandemic gets a lot of the credit for that, but it was a big year for us at SCRED and in the district as well. Not only was it a state compliance monitoring year, but we also had five special education complaints filed throughout our member districts: one of those complaints stemming from a case that was right here at NBAHS. Now, when we go through monitoring and when a complaint is filed, the ultimate goal is essentially the same: Determine if there is evidence of noncompliance/violation of state/federal special education law. Sure, along the way, they are looking for strengths and what we did well, but they are trying to ensure that our system is set in such a way that supports the implementation of a healthy special education program. And while the goal is to find out where, if anywhere we erred, the solutions are aimed at continuous improvement. Those events, monitoring and a complaint, serve as a temperature check of sorts for our system; and just like a fever is a sign for illness, violations can be a sign that the system is unwell and needs some support. Enter: Corrective Action. This is the remedy - the prescription, if you will, that is aimed at getting us back on track. And, as we design our CAPs, we as leaders take stock of the system as a whole and try and determine where to focus our energies to engage in continuous improvement. And we did just that. Over the summer, we developed our CAPs, and carried them out through a number of professional learning opportunities, in addition to other activities. In doing the work, we found some discrepancies between the system in place at the high school and those in place in other buildings. I say this without judgment and with loads of respect for each of the professionals in this room, but after meeting with each and every team, it became clear to me that this team wasn’t working in alignment, and this misalignment of the team was resulting in inefficiencies and inconsistencies in the services and supports being provided to students with disabilities at NBAHS. Without first addressing the needs of the team, it seemed as though efforts to remedy the cogs in the system would be futile.

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Symptoms of a Bigger Problem

High level of turnover year after year
North Star Accountability comprehensive support identification for four-year graduation rates for students with disabilities
MDE compliance monitoring citations & corrective action
Concerning themes in MDE stakeholder interviews, particularly from paraprofessionals
MDE complaint resulting in several violations
Etc.

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A Move to Change Course

Met with Superintendent, Building Principal, and Special Services Supervisor to illustrate the scope of the issue and get consensus for taking action
Collaborated with Principal and Special Services Supervisor to design a three-part workshop for the team
Allocated time, space, and monetary resources to the effort
Communicated an overview and expectations for participation with team members

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1st Meeting: Laying the foundation

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Step 1: Identify the Need

“Be brave enough to start a conversation that matters.”

~Margaret Wheatley

Be clear and honest
Prevent blame
Normalize struggle

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Step 2: Provide Professional Learning

“You must undertake something so great that you cannot accomplish it unaided.”

~Phillips Brooks

What makes a good team
Psychological Safety
Why it matters

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Start With Why

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The researchers found that what really mattered was less about who is on the team, and more about how the team worked together. In order of importance:

Psychological safety: Psychological safety refers to an individual’s perception of the consequences of taking an interpersonal risk or a belief that a team is safe for risk taking in the face of being seen as ignorant, incompetent, negative, or disruptive. In a team with high psychological safety, teammates feel safe to take risks around their team members. They feel confident that no one on the team will embarrass or punish anyone else for admitting a mistake, asking a question, or offering a new idea.
Dependability: On dependable teams, members reliably complete quality work on time (vs the opposite - shirking responsibilities).
Structure and clarity: An individual’s understanding of job expectations, the process for fulfilling these expectations, and the consequences of one’s performance are important for team effectiveness. Goals can be set at the individual or group level, and must be specific, challenging, and attainable. Google often uses Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) to help set and communicate short and long term goals.
Meaning: Finding a sense of purpose in either the work itself or the output is important for team effectiveness. The meaning of work is personal and can vary: financial security, supporting family, helping the team succeed, or self-expression for each individual, for example.
Impact: The results of one’s work, the subjective judgement that your work is making a difference, is important for teams. Seeing that one’s work is contributing to the organization’s goals can help reveal impact.

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[PLACE VIDEO HERE]

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Psychological Safety: Do We Need It?

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Our Work is a Learning Problem

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Where do you see uncertainty and interdependence in the work of being a special educator?

Uncertainty

Interdependence

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2.) We are all fallible

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I have been less than perfect on at least one occasion.

True

False

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3.) Model Curiosity

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Team Dynamics

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The researchers found that what really mattered was less about who is on the team, and more about how the team worked together. In order of importance:

Psychological safety: Psychological safety refers to an individual’s perception of the consequences of taking an interpersonal risk or a belief that a team is safe for risk taking in the face of being seen as ignorant, incompetent, negative, or disruptive. In a team with high psychological safety, teammates feel safe to take risks around their team members. They feel confident that no one on the team will embarrass or punish anyone else for admitting a mistake, asking a question, or offering a new idea.
Dependability: On dependable teams, members reliably complete quality work on time (vs the opposite - shirking responsibilities).
Structure and clarity: An individual’s understanding of job expectations, the process for fulfilling these expectations, and the consequences of one’s performance are important for team effectiveness. Goals can be set at the individual or group level, and must be specific, challenging, and attainable. Google often uses Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) to help set and communicate short and long term goals.
Meaning: Finding a sense of purpose in either the work itself or the output is important for team effectiveness. The meaning of work is personal and can vary: financial security, supporting family, helping the team succeed, or self-expression for each individual, for example.
Impact: The results of one’s work, the subjective judgement that your work is making a difference, is important for teams. Seeing that one’s work is contributing to the organization’s goals can help reveal impact.

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Step 3: Gather Data

The survey is anonymous. Please be honest in your responses.

Comments are optional, however, the more information you provide, the better equipped we will be to identify themes to inform our next steps. Be specific and thorough.

There is no judgment. We are where we are; no one person is to blame and no one person is solely responsible to make things better.

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Google Form: Team Dynamics Survey

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Facilitator Responsibilities

During the 1st Meeting:

Give ample time in the meeting for team members to complete the survey
Complete the survey yourself*
Excuse people once they complete the survey

Before the 2nd Meeting:

Review the results
Identify themes: strengths and areas in need of improvement
Compile data into a presentation format

*depending on your role in the team

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2nd Meeting: Dig Into the Data

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Optimistic Closure

Normalize struggle
Request grace be extended in all directions - overtly extend it to participants
Give homework: Imagine your preferred future for this team. What does it look like with enhanced psychological safety, dependability, structure & clarity, meaning, and impact? Jot down any ideas you want to bring forward.

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3rd Meeting: Build Something New Together

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Beyond the Meetings: Implement, Monitor, Adjust

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Live Out Team Norms

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Set the Team Up For Success

Critical role for promoting psychological safety!!!

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We are all Fallible

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Monitor & Adjust

Gather regular, anonymous feedback
Create transparency with how data will be shared/used
Review feedback through growth mindset
Bring it back to the group thematically
Follow-up with individuals as needed
Respond and adjust your practice accordingly

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Tips, Tricks, Lessons Learned

Gather feedback on your own performance, do it regularly, but not frequently
Own up to mistakes with humility...request grace from others
Create space and structure to hear all voices

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Grace.

Grit.

Growth.

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Questions

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Thank you for your time, attention, & trust today!