Making Sense of Goals Collectively

Research shows that students benefit when educators share a common understanding of what they are trying to do and why. Getting to a common understanding of a team’s equity goals does not just happen; it takes intentional moves from the facilitator or leader to help all colleagues not only feel bought into a goal but also understand how that goal shows up in their daily practice. This tool is a guide for a leader who wants to build that shared understanding on their team. The practice is not designed to help leaders choose the goal, but instead support leaders to build their team’s capacity to develop shared accountability to reach the chosen goal. The final page of this tool is an example educator response.