The Weekly Tactical
An example of a strong weekly tactical that takes place each week in every IDEA Public School
Weekly Tactical Components
• Happens every week for about 90 minutes
• The purpose is to focus on tactical issues of immediate concern
• Each week a different member can facilitate the tactical
• One member should be the timer to ensure that time is used effectively
• Includes the Lightening Round which is a quick, around the table reporting session in which everyone shares their
priorities for the week in no more than 1 minute
• Contains the Progress Review which is a routine reporting of critical metrics; should take no more than 5 minutes
• Each member needs to be prepared with their data to share during the meeting
• Progress Review should be documented on a data board that records the weekly data update
• Must involve a Real-Time Agenda which should be based on what everyone is actually working on and how the
campus is performing against the goals; can help with communication of issues/activities on campus
• Agenda items should begin with data
• Facilitator should ask each person for the amount of time needed for each agenda item
• Facilitator should ask if the agenda item is a tactical or strategic issue when needing to ensure that the appropriate
topics are discussed
• The facilitator is responsible to mine for conflict to ensure a healthy discussion
• Includes every lead team member and the administrative assistant
Cast of CharactersDebbie (AP) - Principal Academy
Tim (AC) - Academic Counselor
Joe (APO) - Assistant Principal of Operations
Alice (API) - Assistant Principal of Instruction
Lenora (API) - Assistant Principal of Instruction
Anne (ATP) - Assistant to the Principal
SETTING:
South Side Academy supporting grades K-2. The conference room on Tuesday at 9:00 am. Every member of the team is sitting down around
the table. Two members of the team have their iPad with their calendar open ready to share their priorities for the week in the Lightening
Round. Four have a paper copy of their calendars. Members have come prepared to share their data for the Progress Review. Anne has the
data board ready to be able to document everyone’s data.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Debbie (AP): Hi team. It’s great to have everyone here on time. Let’s see, who’s the timer and note taker this week?
Alice (API): I’m the timer; I have it ready on my phone.
Joe (APO): I’m the note taker; I’m ready to write.
Debbie (AP): Super, well now that we have that settled, let’s get started with the meeting. I’m the facilitator for this
week’s meeting, so I’ll get us started. Our Lightening Round is first. Tim why don’t you get it started for us today.
Tim (AC): Sure. This week, I’m working on getting all new students to the campus NWEA tested. I have 12. I also am
going through the Mission List and checking on all students. I’m calling each of them one-on-one to just find out how
they are doing and to see if I hear anything that gives me any red flags. I also am working on our Winter Festival. I’m
LT 0.26.13
1
The Weekly Tactical
An example of a strong weekly tactical that takes place each week in every IDEA Public School
working with the committee to continue planning it so we can make it a great success and bring in as many families as
possible. (Timer goes off.)
Debbie (AP): Joe, you’re next.
Joe (APO): Yes. I’m also working with Tim on the Winter Festival. We have our RASI ready and plan on having a
meeting with all involved to ensure we are on track. I’m also working on finalizing the plan for our End-of-Quarter
Attendance Celebration. It’s scheduled for January 22nd. Finally, I’m having training with the Ops team on effective
customer service.
Alice (API): I guess it’s my turn. I’m working with the Kindergarten teachers this week to assist them with their first
check-outs. I’m going to observe them to make sure they are administering them effectively. I’m also going to do some
joint walk-throughs with Debbie to identify what is holding back Mrs. Salas with her Florida State group. Lastly, I’m
going to have a meeting with the Kinder teachers to train them on how to effectively conduct paired readings in their
classrooms. (Timer goes off.)
Lenora (API): I’ll be prioritizing the Stanford College House as they transition into RMSE 2. I want to be sure that they
are focused and that the teacher is able to manage a large group. I’m also conducting training on how to incorporate open
response questions during their Humanities block as they read their first chapter book in 2nd grade. Finally, I’m doing
some joint walk-throughs with Debbie also to look for effective use of correction procedure.
Anne (ATP): It’s my turn. I’m working on the Teacher Weekly. I’m securing subs for next week’s A coaches that have
training for B coach. I’m also working on making Independent Work copies for the teachers.
Debbie (AP): And last is me. I’m working on developing my PTG for the 2nd quarter. I’ll be presenting it to my manager
next week. I am conducting those joint walk-throughs with Alice and Lenora. I’m also prioritizing 8 data conversations
this week with the Language co-teachers because I’m concerned about the language mastery that was reported last week.
All right, next is sharing data to show progress towards our goals. Anne has the data board up and she will record the
data. Let’s begin with Alice and Lenora. Kinder mastery check.
Alice (API): For Reading, 92%; Language 67%; Math 86%
Debbie (AP): Lenora, what about 1st and 2nd grade.
Lenora (API): Yes, 1st grade Reading is 94%; Language is 75%; Math is 88%. For 2nd grade, Reading is at 80%; Language
is at 89% and Math is at 77%
Debbie (AP): Tim, what’s our percentage for persistence?
Tim (API): We lost 2 students this past week, so we are at 97.4%
Debbie (AP): Joe, what was our weekly ADA and cumulative ADA?
Joe (APO): We had 97.65% for the week; Kinder was at 96.4%, 1st was at 99.7% and 2nd was at 97.7%. Our cumulative
percentage up to this past week is 97.85%.
Debbie (AP): Great! Let’s get started with setting our agenda. I’ll go around the table and take agenda items. Please
make sure and tell me how many minutes you think you will need. Alice, please keep track of how much time we will be
LT 0.26.13
2
The Weekly Tactical
An example of a strong weekly tactical that takes place each week in every IDEA Public School
using. We have 40 minutes total for this time. All right, I’ll begin. I want to bring up the Kinder attendance rate for last
week. I want to know what we are doing differently this week to bring up the percentage. I’ll need 10 minutes. Tim, any
agenda items from you?
Tim (AC): Yes, I’d like to provide an update on the Winter Festival. It’s a persistence activity that we want to ensure goes
off well. Please give me 10 minutes.
Debbie (AP): Joe, do you have an agenda item?
Joe (APO): No, I’ll just join you on the Kinder attendance.
Alice (API): I have one. I’d like to discuss the beginning of check-outs in Kinder and how I need everyone’s help with
this. I need 5 minutes.
Debbie (AP): How are we on time, Alice?
Alice (API): We still have 15 minutes
Debbie (AP): Ok. Lenora, what agenda item do you have?
Lenora (API): I’d like to discuss how we could begin to develop appropriate homework for the students.
Debbie (AP): That’s definitely important to discuss; however, that’s more of a strategic topic. Joe, go ahead and write it
down and we can add it to our next Strategy Meeting. Do you have anything else you’d like to discuss?
Lenora (API): Yes. I’d like to discuss the 2nd grade Math mastery results. I need about 8 minutes.
Debbie (AP): Anne, do you have anything to add?
Anne (ATP): No, I don’t have any items.
Debbie (AP): So we have about 15 minutes left. I’d like to discuss the 2 students that we lost this past week. Go ahead
and put me down for 5 minutes. I’d also like an update from Alice and Lenora on how your meeting went with the
language co-teachers and what was determined as the cause for the low mastery. Put me down for the last 10 minutes.
Great, we have our agenda set. Let’s begin with the 2nd grade Math Mastery results. Alice put the timer for 8 minutes.
Lenora?
Lenora (API): Yes. Well several of our 2nd grade students continue to struggle with their multiplication facts. This is what
is holding them back from mastering their material the first time. These students need additional practice time with their
facts. I was thinking that we could get help from the PE coaches.
Debbie (AP): Sure, what were you thinking they could do?
Lenora (API): Well, I know that they do exercises at the beginning of each period. My thoughts are to have the PE coach
have the students repeat their multiplication facts while they exercise. Maybe this extra practice might help them
memorize their facts.
Debbie (AP): That’s a great idea. It can definitely be done. Who will communicate this with Coach Salazar and set up a
meeting with the Ms. Ramos, the 2nd grade Math teacher?
Lenora (API): I will.
LT 0.26.13
3
The Weekly Tactical
An example of a strong weekly tactical that takes place each week in every IDEA Public School
Debbie (AP): By when will you get this communicated and set up the meeting? By when do you plan having Coach
Salazar get started on incorporated using the facts?
Lenora (API): Let’s see, today is Tuesday so I’ll make sure and talk to both teachers by tomorrow and hopefully get the
coach started by Thursday.
Alice (API): How about having some type of challenge or competition to encourage the students to practice their facts at
home?
Debbie (AP): That’s a good idea also. Why don’t you work with the math teachers and see if you and them can come up
with something for all grade levels with the facts for all grades-addition, subtraction and multiplication. When can you set
that up by?
Alice (API): I will set up a meeting for Thursday from 3:45 -4:15 to discuss this. I’ll send an email to the math teachers
today.
Debbie (AP): All right. How much time do we have left?
Alice (API): 45 seconds
Debbie (AP): Anything else on this topic? (no one says anything) Great. Let’s move on to the next topic. Let’s do
Kinder attendance. Alice, please put 10 minutes on the timer. Joe, we continue to have lower attendance with the Kinder
students. What are you doing to address this and what can be done differently to get better attendance?
Joe (API): Well, the main reason we are having absences is due to illness. I have had the office staff calling the parents
every time the students are absent. The one thing that I wanted to do differently is have the nurse call the Kinder
students. It’s not usually more than 3 each day. I want her to speak to parents and try to convince them that they can still
send their children to school and she would monitor them closely to ensure that they were ok.
Tim (AC): That sounds like a good plan. Is there anything else that we can do to encourage these students to come?
Joe (APO): I was thinking about having a special field trip for all students in which they can only attend if they come to
school every day during the 3rd quarter.
Debbie (AP): Where are you thinking about taking the students?
Joe (APO): I was thinking about taking them to the zoo. The students would enjoy that and a Science project could be
tied to it.
Alice (API): I think that the teachers would like it. Why don’t we discuss this with the Math teachers on Thursday? We
could begin to brainstorm some ideas on how to link the trip to their Science curriculum.
Joe (APO): Tim and I will meet to come up with a communication plan so that we can make sure to invest all parties
involved: teachers, students and parents.
Debbie (AP): Bring the plan to our next tactical to discuss.
The team continues with the rest of the topics on the agenda. They have just finished all of them and are ready to discuss. They will recap the
decisions/actions decided and then determine what needs to be communicated out.
LT 0.26.13
4
The Weekly Tactical
An example of a strong weekly tactical that takes place each week in every IDEA Public School
Debbie (AP): Ok, let’s recap what next steps each person has. Alice, put the timer on for 10 minutes. Let’s start off with
Lenora.
Lenora (API): I am going to talk to both Ms. Ramos and Coach Salazar tomorrow about having coach begin to
incorporate the math facts each day in PE while the students are doing their daily exercises.
Alice (API): I am going to talk to the math teachers about setting up some type of challenge that we can get students to
participate in. I will email them today and set up a meeting with them on Thursday from 3:45-4:15 to begin brainstorming
ideas. I’m also going to discuss with them how they can incorporate a trip to the zoo into their science curriculum.
Debbie (AP): Lenora and Alice, make sure and bring an update to our next tactical. Joe, what are your next steps?
Joe (APO): I’m going to work with Tim on a communication plan for the trip to the zoo. We’ll bring an update next
week. Also, I’m going to talk to the nurse and have her begin making the daily phone calls to the Kinder students that are
out each day. I’ll make sure that she lets parents know that if they send them to school, she’ll check on them throughout
the day.
The team shares the next steps on the rest of the topics discussed in the meeting.
Debbie (AP): We’ve just concluded our meeting. Thank you to all for participating. Joe will send the notes with
everyone’s next steps. Please be prepared to share updates on everything next week. Tim you will be the facilitator;
Lenora will be the timer and I will be the note taker. Let’s get out there and be visible. Have a great day!
Questions to Consider?
1. How does the facilitator ensure that the meeting stays on task and focused?
2. Why do they rotate the different roles?
3. How did the facilitator make sure that everyone knows what his or her action steps are?
4. What does the facilitator do so that members have a timeline to get their tasks done?
LT 0.26.13
5