Focused Collaboration Training

Individual Reflection First

Before We Dive In

Take 3 minutes to reflect silently. You'll return to this at the end of the session.

✏️

Individual Reflection

3 minutes · Silent · Sticky note or notebook

Prompt 1

What does your current Focused Collaboration time look like? How often? Who leads? What do you actually discuss? Do you leave with clear actions?

Prompt 2

On a scale of 1–5, how much does your collaboration time directly improve student learning?

1 = Not at all · 3 = Sometimes · 5 = Consistently

The Foundation

Why It Matters

Theory of Action · DoDEA FC Guide 2.0

"If collaborative teams engage in collective inquiry through ongoing, short cycles of instructional improvement, then all students will receive excellent core instruction (T1)."

📘 Focus on Learning

Shift from "What did I teach?" to "What did students learn?" — results and interdependence replace coverage as the measure of success.

🤝 Work Collaboratively

Collective responsibility — not professional isolation — drives instructional improvement. Teams commit to shared goals and shared accountability.

📊 Orient Toward Results

Use data to set SMART goals, measure progress, and adjust instruction. Evidence, not intuition, drives the next cycle.

MTSS Connection

Where FC Fits

DoDEA's MTSS framework relies on three interconnected school teams. The FCT is yours.

Three MTSS Teams

School Leadership Team (SLT)

Sets school-wide MTSS direction and policy

✦ Focused Collaboration Teams (FCT)

YOUR team — collective inquiry on Tier 1 core instruction

Student Support Team (SST)

Tier 2 & 3 identification, planning, and monitoring

FCT's MTSS Practices

Standards-Based Excellent Instruction

Use DoDEA-adopted resources; support academic achievement, resilience & well-being of every student

Differentiated Responsiveness

Plan supports & extensions when students are outside proficiency expectations

Short Cycle Collective Inquiry

Reflective practice + sharing instructional expertise to continuously improve T1

Data-Informed Decision-Making

Collective responsibility for using data to improve T1 for all students

The Engine of Focused Collaboration

DuFour's 4 Critical Questions

Answered in short cycles throughout the year. Click each card to expand the full deep-dive.

What do we want our students to learn?

▾

Shift: From "what was independently taught" → to shared, standards-based learning outcomes every team member owns

Identify the priority CCRS standard using DoDEA pacing guides
Unpack the standard together: What must students KNOW? What must they DO?
Establish common learning outcomes — measurable and observable
Develop common success criteria: What does proficiency look like in student work?
Align outcomes with a common assessment for consistent evaluation

"How will WE teach this — and how will WE facilitate meaningful learning experiences for ALL students?"

How will we know if they have learned it?

▾

Shift: From each teacher grading independently → to common formative assessments with shared proficiency criteria used consistently by the whole team

1st priority: DoDEA Common Paced Assessments (CPA) — use these first
2nd: Team-developed Common Formative Assessments (CFA) aligned to the SMART goal
3rd: Classroom formative data — exit tickets, checks for understanding
Establish common proficiency criteria together: define "Meets," "Approaching," "Exceeds"
Ensure formative checks mirror the rigor of summative assessments

"How will WE assess it — together? Are we using the same rubric and scoring consistently?"

How will we respond when some students do not learn?

▾

Shift: From individual teacher decisions → to collective T1 core intervention strategies the whole team commits to

Analyze formative data to find students with gaps aligned to success criteria
Develop common RETEACHING strategies — these happen within T1, not instead of it
Core intervention (T1): differentiated and targeted within the general education classroom
Provide specific, timely feedback to students about their learning
Document evidence-based practices that worked — build collective efficacy
Analyze summative data: Did our T1 interventions close the gaps?

"How will WE support those who need additional support to achieve the level of proficiency?"

How will we extend learning for students who are already proficient?

▾

Shift: From individual enrichment → to collective extension opportunities at greater academic rigor, planned together

Analyze formative data to identify students who have already met proficiency
Develop common EXTENSION opportunities — not just "more of the same work"
Extensions interact with grade-level standards at GREATER RIGOR (not above grade level)
Use backwards planning: start with the standard, then design the extension task
Provide specific, timely feedback to support continued growth
Document effective extension strategies for future cycles

"How will WE support those who have met or exceeded proficiency?"

💬

Small Group Activity: Where Are We With the 4 Questions?

20 minutes · Grade-level or subject-area teams · Chart paper

Discuss each question honestly with your team. Your answers directly shape your next FC cycle.

CQ 1

What standard are you focused on right now? Do ALL team members have the same understanding of what mastery looks like?

CQ 2

What data do you currently use? Are you using it consistently as a team — with shared proficiency criteria?

CQ 3

When a student doesn't get it, what does your team do? Is this a collective response or each teacher deciding alone?

CQ 4

What happens for students who already have it? Is this intentionally planned — or does it happen informally?

📌 On chart paper: Identify which question is your team's biggest opportunity area. Be ready to share with the group.

Short Cycle Goals

Writing a FC SMART Goal

SMART goals are established by the team — not for the team. Teachers write them, not administrators.

Specific

Names the standard, skill, or concept; identifies the student group

Measurable

Includes a clear, quantifiable proficiency target (e.g., % at "Meets")

Attainable

Ambitious but realistic given the cycle timeframe and baseline data

Relevant

Aligned to school/district improvement plan; addresses a priority need

Time Bound

Specifies the end date — typically aligned to a pacing guide unit

Example SMART Goal

"By April 11, 80% of Grade 4 students will score 'Meets' on the Unit 3 CFA for CCRS ELA.RL.4.3 (character analysis using textual evidence), up from 52% at the start of this cycle."

✏️ SMART Goal Builder — Draft Your Team's Goal

Fill in the fields. Your goal statement updates automatically below.

Grade Level / Subject

CCRS Standard

Target % at "Meets"

Baseline % at Start

Common Assessment Used

End Date / Deadline

Start filling in the fields above — your SMART goal will appear here.

Continuous Improvement

The FC Cycle

Focused Collaboration is a type of PDSA — short cycles enable rapid instructional improvement all year long.

Plan

Establish / revisit SMART goal
Unpack the priority standard
Develop common assessment & success criteria
Plan instructional strategies together
→ Addresses CQ1 + CQ2

Implement agreed strategies
Collect formative assessment data
Deliver core instruction (T1)
Share what's working in real time
→ CQ1 + CQ2 (ongoing)

Study

Analyze formative data together
Compare to proficiency criteria
Identify students who didn't learn
Identify students who exceeded
→ Addresses CQ3 + CQ4

Act

Develop T1 core intervention strategies
Develop extension opportunities
Adjust instruction based on evidence
Document & archive what worked
→ Begin next short cycle

Your Living Document

The FC Minutes Running Record

One template covers an entire short cycle — not just one meeting. It belongs to your team.

🎯
Header
Grade/subject, cycle dates, attendees, norms your team commits to
📊
SMART Goal
One goal for the whole cycle; CCRS standard + SAP connection
❓
DuFour's Four
Track which CQs you've addressed — with completion dates
📅
PDSA Stages
Record your current stage each session: Plan / Do / Study / Act
📝
Per-Session Minutes
Agenda, roles, what happened, next steps — up to 9 sessions
🔍
End-of-Cycle Reflection
"What? Gut? So What? Now What?" — closes the loop on every cycle

How to Use It

One template covers the WHOLE cycle — not just one meeting
Rotate Facilitator, Recorder & Timekeeper each session
Fill in next session's agenda before you leave
Track PDSA stage and DuFour's Questions every week
Last 5–7 min: set next steps + next session's agenda
Today's practice IS your next cycle's Session 1 document. Keep it.

End-of-Cycle Reflection Protocol

What?

What did we accomplish?

What did we learn as a team? (teacher-learning focus)

In what ways did student learning improve? Align directly to your SMART goal.

Gut?

How do we feel?

Are we growing together? Did we collaborate authentically?

What can we celebrate? What felt hard?

So What?

What's the significance?

Connect your team's work to student outcomes and school improvement goals.

What does this mean for our students? For our school?

Now What?

What are next steps?

Name student-learning AND teacher-learning foci for the next cycle.

What SMART goal will anchor the next cycle?

Collective Responsibility

Loose & Tight Expectations

Knowing what's non-negotiable versus flexible helps teams work interdependently with confidence.

🔒 Tight — Non-Negotiable

Every team member commits to these consistently

Participate every week for at least 45 minutes

Use DoDEA-adopted curricular resources

Have a SMART goal based on CCRS data

Use common formative assessments

Address all four critical questions each cycle

Complete the FC Minutes Running Record

Share collective responsibility for student results

🔓 Loose — Team Flexible

Where teams use professional judgment

Which standard to prioritize each cycle

How to structure reteaching or extensions

The specific formative assessment format

How to group students within T1

Which instructional strategies to try

How to divide analysis tasks among members

Pacing within the cycle (weekly session focus)

Facilitator Reference

90-Minute Session Timing

For whoever is leading the session. Print or keep open on a second screen.

Time	Activity	Section	Facilitator Notes
0–5 min	Welcome & opener	Roadmap	Introductions; review session agenda and norms
5–10 min	Individual Reflection	Why FC	Silent sticky-note reflection; teachers hold responses until closure
10–20 min	Why FC Matters + FC in MTSS	MTSS	Facilitated input; invite 2–3 observations; connect C1/C2/C3/D2 to daily work
20–30 min	4 Critical Questions Overview	4 Qs	Walk through each Q; ask "Which feels most familiar? Least?" — brief share-out
30–50 min	CQ Deep Dives + Small Group Activity	4 Qs	Teams work on 4-question reflection (20 min); chart paper share-out (~5 min)
50–65 min	SMART Goal Writing	SMART	Input (5 min), then hands-on builder practice; each team shares goal aloud
65–75 min	PDSA Cycle + FC Template Walkthrough	PDSA	Walk through PDSA and template sections; connect to running record handout
75–82 min	Loose & Tight Discussion	Template	Brief whole-group processing of non-negotiables vs. flexibility
82–90 min	Team Commitment & Closure	Commit	Teams record commitments; revisit opening reflection; final share-out

💡 Tip: Print the FC Minutes Template as a physical handout. Participants should leave with a real, completed Session 1 drafted on paper.

Focused
Collaboration
for Teachers

Your 90-Minute Roadmap

Before We Dive In

Why It Matters

Where FC Fits

DuFour's 4 Critical Questions

Writing a FC SMART Goal

✏️ SMART Goal Builder — Draft Your Team's Goal

The FC Cycle

The FC Minutes Running Record

Loose & Tight Expectations

Team Commitment

90-Minute Session Timing

FocusedCollaborationfor Teachers

Your 90-Minute Roadmap

Before We Dive In

Why It Matters

Where FC Fits

DuFour's 4 Critical Questions

Writing a FC SMART Goal

✏️ SMART Goal Builder — Draft Your Team's Goal

The FC Cycle

The FC Minutes Running Record

Loose & Tight Expectations

Team Commitment

90-Minute Session Timing

Focused
Collaboration
for Teachers