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ILT Retreat

Mountain Ridge Middle School

MRMS: Where Everyone Belongs!

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Write a response to one of the following on a sticky note

I feel like I belong when…
One way I help others feel like they belong is…
A time I felt truly seen and supported at school was…

MRMS: Where Everyone Belongs!

This is how we build belonging

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WELCOME

Outcomes Today:

Establish a clear purpose and norms for the Instructional Leadership Team
Develop shared collective commitments that reflect our school values and goals
Clarify teacher leader roles and identify individual leadership strengths
Design a strategic plan for PLTs with clear systems for support and monitoring next year

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Mission, Vision & Goals

01

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Mission Statement

Mountain Ridge MIddle School is a learning community where everyone belongs, everyone learns and everyone succeeds. Through meaningful relationships and a culture of collaboration we ensure that every student has the skills necessary to achieve their full potential.

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Vision Statement

Everyone belongs. Everyone learns. Everyone succeeds.

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Goals

At Mountain Ridge Middle School,

Our school wide goals:

Every student will access grade level content and will show at least a years growth as measured by district and state assessments utilizing a guaranteed and viable curriculum and common formative assessments to guide collaborative learning
All students will demonstrate proficiency at or above grade level by the end of 2025/2026 school year

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Building the Guiding Coalition (ILT)

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Setting Norms

Individually write down 3-5 behaviors or expectations you believe are essential for the ILT’s success. (write each behavior on a separate sticky note).

What behaviors help a team function at its best?
What actions damage collaboration or trust?
What do I need from this group to feel safe and productive?

Building the ILT Continued

LINK

Solution Tree reminds us: “What we tolerate, we accept.”

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Setting Norms

As a small group

Share sticky notes aloud
Cluster similar behaviors into themes
Draft 3-4 sample norms that reflect the group’s thinking.

Use positive, present-tense language.

Start with: “We will…”

Write on Chart Paper

Building the ILT Continued

LINK

Solution Tree reminds us: “What we tolerate, we accept.”

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Setting Norms

Gallery Walk & Feedback:

Groups post their draft norms. Everyone walks around, reads each set, and places a check next to norms they agree with or feel are essential.

Whole Group Consensus

Review the most supported norms

Narrow to 5-7 norms that feel clear, essential, and actionable.

Agree

Building the ILT Continued

LINK

Solution Tree reminds us: “What we tolerate, we accept.”

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Compass Points

(Link)

Building the ILT Continued

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Just Do It

The Big Picture

Details

Heart and Voice

Building the ILT Continued

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Compass Points

Group Share:

Strengths of the style preference
Challenges of style preference

What might others need to know about you and your style preference?

Building the ILT Continued

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Developing Collective Commitments

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What are collective commitments?

Statements that clarify what each member will do to achieve the mission and vision of MRMS.

Way we can hold ALL accountable
Reflective Questions

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If We believe

Everyone belongs…

Everyone Learns…

Everyone Succeeds…

WE ENSURE… We STOP…

Living the Mission and Vision–Put it into action

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Setting Clear Expectations

04

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LOOSE

How to teach
Sequence and pacing of content
What assessments to use
How proficiency is measured
Norms for team
Goals for team

TIGHT–article

Professional Learning Teams collaborate weekly
PLT’s create unit plans based on essential standards collaboratively
PLT’s give common formative assessments
Data from CFA’s will be shared by whole team
Data informed discussions should focus on improving student outcomes

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Expectations for Departments/Department Chairs:

Unit Planning (Math, LA, SC, SS)

Unit 2 - September Department Planning Days
Unit 3 - September 22 full day PD
Unit 4 - November Department Planning Days
Unit 5 - Jan/Feb Department Planning Days
Unit 6 (if needed) - February 13 full day PD
April full day PD can be used to focus on 2026-2027

Defining Roles and Responsibilities continued.

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Expectations for Unit Planning

Defining Roles and Responsibilities continued.

Coaching/Accountability Connection #1 - Unit Planning	Admin/PLS	Department Chairs
What will DC, Admin, and PLS each do regarding Unit Planning?	Department Admin attends department planning days. PLS attends first planning day for each grade level department. PLS attends additional sessions as determined by Admin/DC/PLS Schedule SPED teacher to attend each planning day. James/Haley: Math 8/Math 7 Hilgers/Fiedler: ELA 8/ELA 7	After Unit 2 is developed, independently facilitate unit planning process using template. PLS and/or Admin can co-facilitate if needed.
How will Admin (and PLS) support/coach DCs to ensure unit plans are created & implemented?	Individualized support ILT (if large group need)	N/A

ELA needs to begin the process of identifying standards for focus within each StudySync unit.

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Expectations for Departments: Weekly PLT meetings

Each department continues …

Selecting/creating summative assessment
Maintaining aligned pacing
Developing/sharing lesson plans
Analyzing CFA data (protocol provided)

Create/select interventions and/or reteach

Creating “cumulative CFAs” if needed
Reflecting and revising unit

Defining Roles and Responsibilities continued.

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Defining Roles and Responsibilities

05

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Creating a Strategic Plan for your department

What is your team’s current reality? Areas of strength and potential areas of focus)
Based on current reality, we have identified the following area of focus to improve student learning…
We have collectively created the following SMART goals to address this area of focus:
Action steps: What steps or activities will be initiated to achieve this goal?
Designation: Who will be responsible?
Time frame: What is a realistic time frame for each step/activity?
Outcomes and evidence: What outcomes on student learning do we expect? What evidence will we have to show that we are making progress?

Smart goal worksheet

Example

Strategic Plan worksheet

Defining Roles and Responsibilities continued.

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iReady Data

Sharing AI data analysis

of MRMS iReady data

Narrative Summary

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Reflect and Review of the Day

What is circling in your mind?

Plus Delta

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Day 2

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Review of Day 1

Goal Setting Thinking Guide

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Expectations Continued

Monitoring the Work of Teams

Update spreadsheet as needed

Collaboration Outcomes

Send Calendar Invites

Defining Roles and Responsibilities continued.

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AGENDA

Template for PLT Mtgs.

Template for Dept. Mtgs

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The role of an ILT member in a PLT

Defining Roles and Responsibilities continued.

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Establishing Purpose

What do we want this ILT to be?

How do we want to behave?

How do we want to be treated?

What do we want to accomplish?

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Profile of a PLC teacher leader

Defining Roles and Responsibilities continued.

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First Turn/Last Turn

PROCESS Form groups of four. Chairs in a circle

Silently and simultaneously, members read a section of text and highlight three or four items that have particular meaning for them.

The facilitator names a person to start in each group.

In turn, members share one of their items but do not comment on it. They simply name

In round-robin fashion, group members comment about the identified item WITH NO CROSS TALK.

The initial person who named the item now shares his or her thinking about the item and therefore gets the last turn. Repeat the pattern around the table.

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Profile of a PLC teacher leader

Defining Roles and Responsibilities continued.

Leadership Skill:

Self Confidence

Read pgs. 50-52

Walk and Talk/Say something strategy

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Profile of a PLC teacher leader

Defining Roles and Responsibilities continued.

Leadership Skill:

Self Confidence

How having a strong sense of self confidence will help the colleague in the situation.

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Say Something Strategy

Choose a partner.
Read silently and simultaneously to designated stopping points.
When each partner is ready, stop and “say something.”
The something might be a question, a brief summary, a key point, an interesting idea, or a personal connection.

Continue the process until you have completed the selection

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Defining Roles and Responsibilities continued.

12:15–Game show

1:30-Lunch Together

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Defining Roles and Responsibilities continued.

Important Links

First Days of School schedule