Learning is at the heart of everything a district does. Therefore, while there may be one person responsible for curriculum & instruction, the team that will come together to deliver change must be much broader. It should include representatives for teachers, students, principals, parents, as well as specialists in curriculum and instruction. Students are especially important as they understand the learning experience in your schools, and are who you are designing change for.

Review your overall vision for transforming your schools, and if you haven't set this vision yet, go to the planning section of the vision pillar. In planning for transforming the learning in your schools, your team should make the learning outcomes described in your vision more concrete. In addition to the knowledge you hope learners will master, pay particular attention to outlining the skills and mindsets you hope they will develop since these may benefit students most in the long run. Rather than considering specific content as the primary goal, it can be helpful to think of the content as merely a means to help learners build useful skills and productive mindsets.

You should now have a good understanding of where your schools are, and where you want them to be. In order to move between the two you need to do something— make decisions, take actions, and start new programs. This will include making decisions that prioritize content, tools, technology, and the design of physical spaces depending on how well they support your desired learning outcomes. The design thinking process can be a helpful way to leverage your entire team in generating fresh, effective solutions.

Transforming the learning in your schools requires a holistic approach, so you will want to have teams simultaneously make plans in each of the other pillars: Professional Development, Community Engagement, Culture, Technology, and Funding and Sustainability. Check out the planning tab on each of these pillars.

Now that you have measureable goals and have identified actions to meet those goals, organize this information into a project plan to keep everyone on track. A project plan can help you visualize the entire process from beginning to end, work more effectively, and avoid unnecessary obstacles.

You can put together a project plan in six steps.

1. Write a project charter

2. Identify your project requirements

3. Break your project into key milestones

4. Brainstorm all tasks and assign deadlines

5. Assign a team member to each task

6. Assess your risks

Equipped with a solid project plan, your team is ready to get to work transforming the learning at your schools! Encourage each team member to frequently reference the project plan and to keep it up to date as they accomplish tasks or run into obstacles. Monitor your progress using the project plan and through effective meetings. Don't forget to stay in touch with your stakeholders along the way.

Transforming the learning in your schools is an ongoing process. Repeat this planning process periodically to make sure that your schools are continually improving. Don't forget to celebrate success along the way after key milestones!