This document outlines a framework for ensuring strategic coherence in education. It emphasizes aligning goals, measures of success, and practices at the district, school, and teacher levels to support student learning. The district identifies high-leverage student skills and measures of success. Schools then set goals aligned with the district's, and teachers create student learning objectives and professional goals tied to the school's. Measures and practices at each level are also aligned upward from teachers to schools to the district to ensure coherence across the system.

1. Planning for Strategic Coherence
Focus, Measure, & Connect
Sacred Heart University
October 15th 2015
http://digitallearningforallnow.com
http://www.slideshare.net/jpcostasr
costa@educationconnection.org
Jonathan P. Costa

2. The Pareto
Leverage Principle
Vital
Few

3. Mission
To prepare
EVERY student
for learning, life,
and work
in the 21st century.

4. What do students need to be prepared
to succeed in a world that…
…is digital, flat, open and
pluralistic.
…is unpredictable and
volatile.
…is increasingly
unforgiving to those who
are unskilled.

5. Explicitly Connect Foundational Systems
Mission
Leadership
Focus
Goals
MeasuresPractices

6. The What: High Leverage Goals for Student Learning
Critical & Creative
Problem Solving
Common Core Venn Diagram – 21st Century Skills Crosswalk - Four Highest Leverage Student Skills
Analyze &
Construct
Arguments Based
on Evidence
Meaningful &
Purposeful
Communication &
Collaboration
Digital Literacy
& Information
Fluency

7. Coherence Is Supported
by Assessment
Value
Reliability

8. How do you teach for them?
How many of your priority skills would be included in this lesson?
American Revolution – Boston Massacre: Murder or Justifiable Homicide?
1. Team One find 5 historical narratives by different authors
2. Team Two find 5 primary source documents from the trial
3. Team Three find 5 British history references and opinions
4. Team Four find 5 contemporaneous editorials.
- Present your work to the other teams.
- Create a narrative outline of the event that includes data from all for teams.
- Create a work that defends your summary/conclusion with your facts and evidence.
- Be prepared to share your product with others if called upon.

9. Every
learner
needs
1:1
access.

10. It’s About Equity
A device gap
is less objectionable
than an access gap.

11. Align Your Systems With Your Goals for Learning
Type of
Assessment
Required
Subject Area
Responsibilities
Everyone’s
Responsibility
Content
(Declarative)
Facts
Content Skills
(Procedural)
Discrete Skills
4 High Leverage Goals
(Contextual)
CCSS/Digital Learning
Type of
Knowledge
Desired
Type of
Instruction
Required
Lecture, video,
films, assigned
readings and
memory activities.
Classroom or textbook
problems, experiments,
discussions, practice and
repetition.
Complex projects,
real time explorations,
authentic and relevant
skill applications.
Amount of
Time
Required
Discrete units,
spiraled and
predictable.
Ongoing, systemic and
without a finite
or predictable end.
Discrete units,
spiraled and
predictable.
Recall & recognition
based quizzes, tests,
and activities. Multiple
choice, matching, etc.
(SAT/AP/Exams)
Checklists,
analytic rubrics,
or other agreed upon
skill standards
(AP/SB/CAPT/Exams)
Holistic and,
analytic rubrics,
or other agreed upon
standards of rigor
(Portfolios, Exhibitions, SB)

12. Coherence Pathways
G = Goals P = Practices M= Measures Jonathan P. Costa S= Students A = Adults O = District/Building
Leadership
Focus
Engagement
Ownership
Rigor
Alignment
Mission
To prepare every
student for
learning, life, and
work in the 21st
century.

13. Student
Goals
- Common
Core/21st
Century Skills
& Content
Professional
Goals
Evaluation & support
goals, SLOs, focus
goals & other
Organizational
Goals
Improvement targets
related to DPI,
SPI or other goals
Instructional
Strategies
CC/21CS goal
aligned
teaching
methods
& strategies
Assessing
Learning
SB &
other valued
summative,
formative,
standardized and
non-
standardized
measures
Professional
Growth
Aligned with
high leverage
student goals
and
PL Standards
Professional
Measurement
45
40
Organizational
Plans
District or
building
level plans
or strategies
aligned with PL
Standards
Organizational
Measures
District and
Building level
data
Other…
What Goes Where? GoalsMeasuresPractices

14. Goals for
Learning
Assessment
& Measurement
Policy and
Regulation
Community
Engagement
Instructional
Practices
Resource
Deployment
Leadership
Focus
Supporting Systems

15. Essential Questions for Ensuring Alignment within the Coherence Framework
Goals Measures of Success Practices/Strategies
As a district, what do we believe are
the most important high leverage
skills students need to achieve
success in life learning and work
beyond school?
What are our most important critical
student success indicators and how
do we report them at the building
and district level to all our
stakeholders?
What district level professional
learning plans and strategies will
create the best opportunity for
building the capacity we need to help
our students meet our district goals
for learning?
What are the most important high
leverage skills students need to
achieve success in life learning and
work beyond school and which of
them will our school focus on
(Learning Targets)?
How will we measure the growth of
student progress toward mastery of
these skills /learning targets
(Success Criteria and performance
scales) in our school?
What are the most critical teaching
behaviors and practices that we need
to apply to support the growth of
these skills/learning targets for our
students?
What are the growth targets for my
students for our high leverage skills
(Learning Targets) and what is my
professional practice focus/goal
related to mastering high leverage
teaching behaviors?
What are the growth target
measurements for my students and
what are the professional practice
target measurements I will use to
gauge my success in reaching my
goals?
What professional learning strategies
would be most helpful to build my
own capacity to meet my students
goals and my professional practice
indicators?
1. District Level
(focus on student learning
outcomes for the long-term)
2. School Level
(focus on student learning
outcomes at the school level)
3. Professional Level
(focus on student learning
outcomes at the classroom level)

16. Ensuring Planning Alignment within the Coherence Framework (Model/Sample)
Goals Measures of Success Practices/Strategies
District Wide Community Expectation for Learning:
Every student will be proficient in meaningful
communication and collaboration.
Board Goal: Provide the support and resources required to
ensure that every student meets our community
expectations for learning.
A.E.B - Smarter Balance Data for these two standards:
M3 –Build a logical progression of statements to explore
the truth about conjectures.
E1 - Comprehend and evaluate complex texts across a
range of types and disciplines
…and collect rubric results for this standard:
E1 - Discern a speaker’s key points, request clarification and
ask relevant questions
Primary Focus - Domain- Indicator 2.2: Higher order
thinking and meaningful student engagement that leads to
ownership of learning. All students are actively engaged in
the learning experience.
8/25 – Opening/Convocation: Superintendent opening to
highlight district goals and the importance of the skill
focus. Building based collaborative learning teams then
meet to plan for PLCs for the year and the creation of
individual teacher level plans.
11/3 – Election Day – Indicator 2.2 EdCamp – teachers share
strategies in the morning – PLC meetings in the afternoon
on building level for direct classroom implications.
Building Goal: Focus on improving student performance on
the District Wide Community Expectation for Learning –
Every student will be proficient in meaningful
communication and collaboration.
District Smarter Balance Data for these two standards:
M3 –Build a logical progression of statements to explore
the truth about conjectures.
E1 - Comprehend and evaluate complex texts across a
range of types and disciplines
Building Rubric results for this standard:
E1 - Discern a speaker’s key points, request clarification and
ask relevant questions
In addition to the district professional learning strategies,
our school will provide opportunities for professionals to
pursue their personalized learning plans during faculty
meetings and early release days.
Additionally we will organize a building-based peer
coaching model to support improved performance in
Domain-Indicator 2.2 higher order thinking and meaningful
student engagement.
SLO #1 – Reporting on performance data on these test
items and interim assessments.
M3 –Build a logical progression of statements to explore
the truth about conjectures. E1 - Comprehend and evaluate
complex texts across a range of types and disciplines
SLO#2 Number of students on the proficient level in our
Critical Thinking Rubric - E1 - Discern a speaker’s key points,
request clarification and ask relevant questions
Focus Goal: Become consistently proficient in Domain-
Indicator 2.2 – Student Engagement
SLO #1 - IAGD – M3 –All students meet proficiency. E1 –
double the number of exemplary students SLO#2 IADG –
All students at the proficient level in our Critical Thinking
Rubric –
Focus Goal: Become consistently proficient across multiple
evidence points for practice in Domain-Indicator 2.2 –
Student Engagement
I am going to request a mentor who has demonstrated
high levels of proficiency in Domain 2.2 – meet with them
weekly for peer observation and coaching feedback.
Attend Collegial Collaborations training and implement
collaboration protocols to improve my own practice.
1. District Level
Plans
(focus on student
learning outcomes
for the long-term)
2. Building Level
Plans
(focus on student
learning outcomes
at the school level)
3. Professional
Level Plans
(focus on student
learning outcomes
at the classroom
level)

17. Ensuring Planning Alignment within the Coherence Framework (Order of Operation)
Goals
A. District/Community Identifies the Characteristics of a Successful Graduate – Skills and Attributes
B. District selects highest leverage student skills for the district-wide improvement focus goal
Measures District/Community Agrees on Metrics for Success – How will we now if a student has obtained these skills (standardized and non-standardized measures.
Practices District creates professional learning opportunities for instructional/leadership staff that are aligned with the highest leverage/needed instructional strategies .
Goals
Each school sets an appropriate improvement goal for their students that is aligned with the district’s high leverage student skill goal as the foundation for their School
Improvement Plan (SIP)
Schools may add an additional skill improvement goal (optional) that reflects a specific school based area of focus for inclusion in their SIP
Measures
Each school identifies metrics of success (standardized and non-standardized) for the district’s focus goal that align with the district measures and their own students performance
If an optional skill improvement goal was added, metrics of success (standardized and non-standardized) for this goal are added to the SIP
Practices
School creates professional learning opportunities for instructional/leadership staff that are aligned with the highest leverage/needed instructional strategies for their professional staff
and compliment the district offerings.
If an optional skill improvement goal was added, additional professional learning opportunities/resources for this goal can be integrated into the SIP
Goals
Each teacher sets an appropriate SLO for their students that is aligned with the school’s high leverage student skill goal . If and additional school goal has been added (optional)
than an SLO for this goal should be added as well (45%). Each teacher also sets a personal observational practice goal (40%) aligned with the identified highest leverage instructional
strategies or some other area identified through the conferencing/goal setting process.
If a teacher wants to add a personal, classroom level SLO for their classroom, they may do so (after district and school goals are addressed).
Measures
Each teacher identifies metrics of success/IAGDs (standardized and non-standardized) for the district’s/school’s focus goal that align with their own student’s performance
If an optional personal SLO was added by the teacher, metrics of success/IAGDs for that should be selected their students performance in that area should be added here.
Practices
A personalized professional learning plan is developed by the teacher that builds on the district and school based professional learning plans, is aligned with the teacher’s own individual
needs for meeting his/her own SLOs and instructional practice goals, and is aligned with Connecticut’s Standards for Professional Learning

18. Organizational Coherence for
Goals, Measures and Practices
Student Level
Professional Level
Building Level
District Level
Primary Hyde Park District Focus
Skills for Student Success
School 1
G, M, P
Teachers
G, M, P
Student
Learning
School 2
G, M, P
Teachers
G, M, P
Student
Learning
School 3
G, M, P
Teachers
G, M, P
Student
Learning
School 4
G, M, P
Teachers
G, M, P
Student
Learning
Informed by…
Not driven top-down…
… just from organized there.

19. We are trying to create a
shift in thinking…
Analog history
Defense of the past
Improving everything
Uncoupled autonomy
Measure what you have to
Compliance accountable
Just work harder
Digital foundations
Preparation for the future
Make high leverage choices
Connected systems
Measure what is valued
Mission accountable
Aligned coherent action

20. 1. The district has identified, defined and committed to supporting a focused
set of appropriate student learning goals that will ensure student success
in life, learning and work beyond school.
2. The district has committed to supporting instructional and adult learning
strategies that ensure rigorous, digitally supported pedagogical
experiences aligned with the district’s student goals.
3. The district uses and reports on appropriate measures of student and adult
success that are aligned with its student learning goals.
4. The district aligns its supporting organizational systems to support the
acquisition of its student learning goals.
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Costa - Strategic Coherence Planning Focus – Measure - Connect