The document provides an agenda and materials for a district-wide training on School-Based Decision-Making Committees (SDMCs). The training covers the purpose and functions of SDMCs, how they relate to the district's vision and initiatives, the roles and responsibilities of members, common issues addressed, and tools for effective collaboration. The goal is to ensure all campus SDMC teams are properly aligned and able to support student achievement through inclusive decision-making.

1. District-Wide SDMC Training
Dave Wheat, Assistant Superintendent of Leadership Development
2012-2013
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2. SDMC Training Agenda
• Welcome
• Agenda Review
• SDMC Training Agreements
• Expected Outcomes
• HISD Vision
• HISD Core Initiatives
• Understanding Campus Vision
• Shared Decision Making Defined
• Shared Decision Making Overview
• SDMC Statistics
• Who are the SDMC members?
• Actions of SDMC members
• Common SDMC Issues
• 5 W’s of SDMC
• SDMC Technology Module
• Bringing it all Together
• Contact Information
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3. SDMC Training Agreements
• Stay actively engaged.
• Maintain confidentiality.
• Assume goodwill.
• Control airtime.
• Speak your truth as you know it.
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4. SDMC Training Expected Outcomes
1) Create an awareness of the SDMC Committee’s
function and why it is encouraged at each HISD
campus.
2) Align all campus based SDMC teams with HISD’s
vision, strategic direction and core initiatives.
3) Ensure that each HISD campus has an effective
SDMC committee that is inclusive of parents, staff,
business partners and community representatives.
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5. SDMC Training Essential Questions
1) What should the campus SDMC consist of and what are its functions?
2) How can we align our campus vision to that of HISD as a whole, and how do we include all
stakeholders?
3) What are some current campus, district, and state challenges for the 2011-2012 school year and
how are we preparing for these obstacles at our campus?
4) How can I as a SDMC committee member assure that my HISD campus has adequate
opportunities to be culturally diverse, productive and continuously motivated?
5) What are some effective strategies or actions that I can employ as a committee member to
ensure that my campus committee is addressing the needs of students, stakeholders and
staff members?
6) What actions can be implemented to ensure that the processes on my campus align the district
and campus visions seamlessly?
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6. HISD Vision
PURPOSE: The Houston Independent School
District exists to strengthen the social and economic
foundation of Houston by assuring its youth the
highest-quality elementary and secondary education
available anywhere.
STRATEGIC INTENT: To earn so much respect
from the citizens of Houston that HISD becomes
their prekindergarten through grade 12 educational
system of choice.
GOALS
• Increase student achievement.
• Improve human capital.
• Provide a safe environment.
• Increase management effectiveness and efficiency.
• Improve public support and confidence in schools.
• Create a positive district culture.
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7. Campus Vision Activity
Along with matriculating towards HISD’s vision, it is important for
every campus to have it’s own vision.
What is the vision of your campus and how does it
align with the vision of HISD?
1) Take 10 minutes to read the handout entitled “A Declaration
of Beliefs and Visions.” Using a sticky, write down your campus
vision and how it aligns with the vision of HISD.
2) Take 10 minutes to discuss your responses with others
around you in your group.
3) When done, proceed to find your campus level on the large
post-its listed as elementary, middle and high school and post
your response.
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8. HISD Core Initiatives
1. Effective teacher in every classroom.
2. Effective principal in every school.
3. Rigorous instructional standards and support.
4. Data-driven accountability.
5. Culture of trust through action.
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9. What is shared decision making?
Members of the school community collaborate to:
• Identify problems
• Define goals
• Formulate campus policy
• Shape direction
• Ensure the implementation of decisions
• Build Consensus
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10. Shared Decision Making Overview
Shared Decision-Making Committee
Description: This campus-level planning and decision-making
process was established in 1992 by the Board of Education to
involve professional and non-professional staff members, parents,
community members, and business representatives in public
education. Participants at each school review the district’s
educational goals, objectives, and major district-wide classroom
instructional programs to ensure they meet the standards set forth
in the Texas Education Code.
How to Participate: The school principal determines the size
of the committee and nominates members from the public
sphere. School-based committee members are selected by
secret ballot at the campus level. Contact your school’s
principal for details on how to be considered as a candidate or
nominee. A list of schools, principals, and telephone numbers
can be found in the HISD School Locator.
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11. Shared Decision Making District Key
Findings
• When describing the SDMC, 44.5 % of respondents indicated that it
operated as a decision-making entity for the campus and 30.1%
indicated that it operated as an advisory committee.
•Responses to all questions relating to the overall planning of the SDMC
were rated good and all questions received a majority of excellent and
good responses.
•58% of SDMC respondents rated their involvement in the development
of the new teacher appraisal system as excellent or good and 36% rated
their involvement as fair or poor.
•Over half the District Advisory Committee respondents judged the
“overall quality” of the DAC’s involvement in providing input for curriculum
issues as excellent or good.
•47% or (1,234 members) of the estimated 2,628 SDMC committee
members in the district responded to the SDMC survey and nine DAC
members responded to the survey for a 17.6% response rate.
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12. Who are the SDMC members?
Non- Professional
Instructional Staff
elected by
Staff the campus
Two (2) Person staff and faculty
Parents elected by NIS
• 2/3
selected by
Classroom
the PTA/PTO The
Teachers
SDMC • 1/3 Campus-
level Staff
Two (2) Principal Business
Community Representative
Representatives chairperson selected by Principal
appointed by the Principal
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13. Actions of SDMC members
•Attend meetings
•Analyze data and monitor implementation of the School
Improvement Plan. (SIP)
•Address and present issues for discussion.
•Recommend resolutions.
•Create ad hoc committees.
•Chair standing and ad hoc committees.
•Submit minutes.
•Report recommendations.
•Approve all professional development plans.
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14. Common SDMC Issues
SDMC’s mostly make recommendations!
• Student Safety
• Student Activities
• Community & family projects
• Building a positive school culture
• Resource allocation
• Budget
• School Uniforms
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15. 5 W’s of SDMC
Who:
•The SDMC Secretary (not the school secretary) takes the minutes for the
meeting and within 48 hours, they should be typed and put in the teacher’s
boxes and posted on the school’s website for public access.
What:
•Consensus is the overall goal of the SDMC.
•The setup-formula of a school’s SDMC depends upon the number of teachers
currently in the school and is also at the principals’ discretion.
•The length of the SDMC meeting is contingent upon how many and what types
of issues are on the agenda.
When:
•SDMC Meetings should take place once a month.
•The first meeting should take place by mid September.
•SDMC Committee member’s term is 2 years.
•Timeline for Fall 2012
Where:
•SDMC Meetings generally occur on the school premises.
Why:
•State and District-Mandated
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16. SDMC Technology Modules & Group
Collaboration
PD 360 Video Series: What’s Worth Fighting For
1) Understanding the Change Process (6:07)
2) Principals’: Guidelines for Individual Action: Strategies for Principals’ as Leaders
of Change (10:48) (Link will be provided)
3) The Nature and Impact of Collaborative Cultures (11:26)(Link will be provided)
4) Going Wider: Engaging External Forces (16:24) (Link will be provided)
Group Discussion Questions:
After each video, the training groups will answer the questions and will be
assigned 1 question to popcorn out to the whole. Pick 1 representative who will
respond with the group’s response.
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17. Bringing it all Together
HISD Vision & Goals:
• Increase student achievement.
• Improve human capital.
• Provide a safe environment.
• Increase management effectiveness and efficiency.
• Improve public support and confidence in schools.
• Create a positive district culture.
Campus Vision: Clear, Concise, and actively includes all stakeholders in matriculating towards
common goals.
HISD Core Initiatives: Effective teacher in every classroom, Effective principal in every school,
Rigorous instructional standards and support, Data-driven accountability, Culture of trust through
action.
Texas Principal Standards
Domain I: School Community Leadership Domain II: Instructional Leadership Domain III: Administrative Leadership
001: Vision 004: Instructional Planning 007: Organizational Decision-Making
002: Culture 005: Environment 008: Budget & Finance
003: Climate 006: Staff Development 009: Safety
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18. Contact Information
David Colter: (713) 696-0600
dcolter@houstonisd.org
Victor Taylor: (713) 696-0600
vtaylor2@houstonisd.org
Leadership Development: (713) 696-0600
LeadershipDevelopment@houstonisd.org
http://twitter.com/LeadershipDev1
Leadership Development (David Colter) © 2011
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