LEARNING FROM THE EQUITY LEADER ACCELERATOR PROGRAM
We are excited to share learning and resources from our innovative USDOE-funded program, Equity Leader Accelerator Program (ELAP), currently underway in Massachusetts.
CLEE is supporting early career principals to enact MA DESE’s Anti-racist Leadership Competencies while concurrently supporting experienced leaders to serve as mentors in our 12 partner districts.
As I think about setting my New Year’s resolutions and goals, I am struck by the similarities between generating a resolution and the Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) cycle CLEE uses with schools to implement improvements. Many of us set goals – whether to exercise more, lose weight, volunteer, etc. We generate plans to reach our aspirations, take action, and evaluate if our plans work. Yet, when we endeavor to do the same in our professional work by using an intentional process – goal setting, plan development, and monitoring – it can appear overwhelming, leaving us wondering where to begin, or worse, causing our initiatives to stall.
Breaking down your goal into bite-sized action steps can make the process more manageable. Taking that first step toward progress feels good. Using the PDSA to process data to set goals, take small action steps, and measuring results helps us feel empowered because we are taking action. That is important, because we are channeling our leadership energy to effect change for the benefit of our students.
Think about your own goals for the rest of the school year – what is it that you would like to accomplish? What will your bite-sized action steps be to get there by June?
Denise Milburn, Continuous Improvement Facilitator and Coach