Program Overview Schools & Centers Publications Staff Profiles Keyword Search:   Comer Site Med center Site Yale Site     Comer School Development Program 55 College Street New Haven CT, 06510 (203) 737-1020 Tel. (203) 737-1023 Fax			About Comer SDP Program Overview     • Strategic Alliances • Schools & Centers The School Planning and Management Team (SPMT) The School Planning and Management Team is the central organizing body of the school. It is usually led by the building principal and includes teachers, parents, and support staff as representatives. Its major function is to develop and monitor a Comprehensive School Plan for the academic, social climate an staff development goals of students and adults in the school. Specific programs are developed and/or selected by the SPMT to accomplish these goals. All school activities are coordinated by the SPMT. The presence of parents and teachers on this decision-making body balances representation and input. The decision-making process that characterizes an effective SPMT is one of collaboration and consensus. School Planning and Management Team Meetings and Activities The SPMT coordinates the major program activities in the school and carries out three important operations of the SDP. Writing the Comprehensive School Plan gives direction and specific focus to the school improvement process. This document provides a structured set of activities in academics, social climate, staff development, and public relations that enables the SPMT to establish priorities and to approach school improvement in a well-coordinated and systematic fashion. Staff Development requires the continuous examination of skills and their effectiveness. Staff development activities are based on training needs that stem from the Comprehensive School Plan. Monitoring and Assessment generates useful data on program processes and outcomes, feeds back information to inform program modification where necessary, and establishes new goals and objectives. The SPMT's responsibilities also include: Planning the annual school calendar that integrates social, academic, and staff development functions as well as all PTO/PTA dates and major system events and activities Establishing policy guidelines for school programs Responding to school issues directly, or delegating concerns to a subcommittee Promoting effective resource utilization, coordination, and program implementation School Planning and Management Team Composition The optimal number of members of an SPMT is twelve to fifteen. Although it is difficult to work effectively with more than fifteen, certain situations may warrant the creation of a larger SPMT. The following is a list of categories from which the SPMT membership is drawn, with suggested numbers for each category in parentheses: Parent representatives may be selected by the school's parent organizations (e.g., PTA/PTO, Chapter I Parent Advisory Council), however, parents chosen this way may not fully represent the parent population of the school. The SPMT can also select parents from any unrepresented groups to be part of the SPMT. This ensures that a diversity of interest and opinions are brought to SPMT discussions and decision making. In addition, this policy makes it clear to all groups that they have a voice. (4 to 6) Teachers from each grade level and subject area are selected to represent their peers. (4 to 6) One representative from the school's Student and Staff Support Team. (1) One representative of the building support staff is selected. (e.g., secretaries, cafeteria workers, maintenance staff). (1) Two middle school or high school students are selected by their peers. (One child can feel uncomfortable among so many adults). (2) The principal and an assistant principal if there is one. (1-2) The SPMT is led by the principal in most schools. There are some situations where a teacher or another member of the staff is selected as the leader. No matter who leads the SPMT, however, the team cannot paralyze the principal. Equally important, the leader cannot ignore input from the team members or use them as a "rubber stamp." SPMT Subcommittees Participation by the broader school community occurs through the work of the SPMT subcommittees. An SPMT member chairs each of the subcommittees and reports to the SPMT. Schools may, for example, have staff members serve on at least one subcommittee for at least one year. The key is to create a positive climate so that people want to participate. Suggested committees are: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Committee: develops relevant performance-based curriculum; works with the Staff Development Committee on instructional issues; monitors assessment reports and classroom grades; develops a prescription for academic improvement Social Committee: addresses school climate through classroom climate, staff morale, student social development, the school calendar Public Relations Committee: coordinates the school's public relations campaign; handles requests for information about the school; oversees the school newsletter and general communications Staff Development/Parent Training Committee: identifies staff and parent training needs based on the Comprehensive School Plan, handles requests from the staff and parents, defines changing needs of the school SPMT Guiding Principles In order to sustain a learning and caring community in which all adults feel respected and all children feel valued and motivated to learn and achieve, the work of the teams is driven by three guiding principles that nurture a positive climate. Consensus allows for brainstorming, in-depth discussion, cross-fertilization of ideas, and a plan for trying different solutions. Decision by consensus discourages voting on issues because voting results in losers who may feel that they have no stake in the decision that is made. Collaboration, without paralyzing the principal or any other individual, requires respect for other points of view and a willingness to work cooperatively as part of a team. In the no-fault approach to problem solving, "fingers of blame" are not pointed at others, but everyone accepts equal responsibility for change. These guiding principles permit the development and implementation of creative ways of dealing with problems, using the collective good judgement of school staff and parents. Operational Expectations of the School Planning and Management Team: The School Planning and Management Team (SPMT) meets at least biweekly. The meeting is convened and led by the chairperson, who is usually the principal. Meetings begin and end on time. Planning and decision making for all activities in the school are funneled through the SPMT process. The SPMT is not an "add on." Instead it coordinates and integrates all activities of the school. The SPMT consists of representatives of every constituent group within the school community selected by their peers. The SPMT agenda is developed by the chairperson, with input from the members of the SPMT and various subcommittees. The general faculty, staff, SPMT members, and the PTA/PTO Executive Board receive an agenda and the previous minutes before each meeting. The SPMT has a clearly established set of standard operating procedures -- a structured problem-solving approach used to address school problems. An SPMT meeting is characterized by straight, descriptive talk that is nonjudgmental. Participants do not hedge in identifying problems, but work creatively to solve them. SPMT members do not miss meetings unless they are absent from school. When absent, the member is responsible for finding an alternate. SPMT representatives bring their constituents' input to the table and report back to them following meetings. There is time within the school week appropriated for this. The SPMT establishes standing subcommittees on curriculum and instruction, social climate, public relations, and staff development, and creates others as needed. The SPMT develops a Comprehensive School Plan (CSP) in May for the following school year. The SPMT monitors the CSP on a monthly basis. Each building employee has a copy of the CSP. An abbreviated version is sent home to parents. The Comprehensive School Plan addresses climate, academic, and staff development goals. The SPMT determines the ethos and the tone of relationships within the school.
			Copyright © 2001 School Development Program, Yale Child Study Center. All rights reserved. Comments or suggestions to the site editor. Photos from the book "Child by Child: The Comer Process for Change in Education," are by Michael Jacobson-Hardy and Laura Brooks. Used by permission of Teachers College Press. Home URL: http://www.schooldevelopmentprogram.org/ Last modified: July 2004 (GM)