SMART goals can help schools improve curriculum and instruction by setting clear, measurable objectives. SMART is an acronym that stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. When developing SMART goals, schools should work as a team to identify priority issues and draft goal statements addressing these issues. The goals should then be used to design strategies and assign tasks with deadlines. Research may be needed to establish a tailored curriculum to meet the goals. Using the SMART framework can result in well-defined, achievable goals that improve student performance.

1. How Smart Goals can be
Incorporated into Curriculum and
Instruction

2. Introduction
• setting goals can be a challenge
• We are too vague or we don’t
create accurate timeline.
• Schools need to be especially
conscious of setting goals
effectively

3. This is where SMART goals
come in!
• A simple yet reliable way to make sure
your objectives are defined
• Goals are met according to a realistic
and manageable timeline

4. SMART stands for:
• Specific (Use wording that makes your goal clear and tangible.)
• Measurable (What exact numbers will you use to state your goals
concretely?)
• Attainable (Is your school able to make these goals happen with
the resources at hand?)
• Realistic (Even if your goal is attainable, is it realistic given your
school’s population, finances, and willingness to commit?)
• Timely (Give your goals a clear timeline so that all parties can
see the light at the end of tunnel.)

5. SMART Can Help By
• Improving Instruction
• Ensuring that curriculum standards are
met.

6. Tips that can be used #1
• Work as a team to develop a goal statement
for your school’s or district’s most urgent
problem. Before you get started, review the
SMART goal guidelines and make sure everyone
is clear that this is the technique you will be
using for your goal setting. Now is the time to
address any questions or confusion about the
process.

7. Tips that can be used #2
• Once you’ve done this, move on to the next problem statement.
Continue to draft your goal statements until you have clearly
identified and articulated a focused set of goals (three to five
goals are a good number to work with). Don’t forget to ask
yourselves if the goals meet the SMART requirements. A good goal
might look this:
− “To improve students’ mathematic performance in grades 6-8 so that a
minimum of 65 percent of 8th graders are at the proficient level and 70
percent of 6th and 7th graders surpass the TerraNova median scale scores.”

8. Tips that can be used #3
• Design specific strategies to reach your goals. Assign appropriate
tasks and deadlines to the individuals best suited to complete
them. Goals without action backing up the commitment are
meaningless. This step in the process is critical because you are
moving forward with the hypotheses set by your team.

9. Tips that can be used #4
• When your SMART goals are developed and given top
priority, team members should determine what research or
information they need to successfully complete their objectives.

10. Tips that can be used #5
• Once the fact-finding is complete, a tailored curriculum is ready
to be established.

11. Summary
• Smart goal technique into curriculum and instruction
is one of the best practices teachers and principals
can use in the classroom
• SMART goals can help make any goal-setting process
more manageable.

12. More Information
• The University of SCRANTON
• List books, articles, electronic sources
• List consulting services, other sources