Project 2020 9.17.13 Meeting Highlights Project 2020 Vision: By the year 2020, 80% of all fourth grade students in Waterville can read at or above proficiency levels. Note: The facilitator determined that following the agenda as designed was not going to serve the group’s interest. Therefore, the items included here are the ones discussed and do not follow the agenda format. Thank You Thank you to Kim, who hosted us at the Chamber’s office. Scheduling • Feedback from the public schools is that our scheduled meeting times – and the length of the meetings ‐ will prevent ongoing participation because it doesn’t factor in the realities of time limitations of public school employees. While it was acknowledged that we identified the agreed‐upon meeting dates by factoring in the schedules of those who responded to the doodle scheduling tool, this concern is one we will work together on in order to find a solution. Problem Statement Clarity and Project Focus • Better understanding the focus of the three work groups – needs, assets and best practices – is sought, in particular to how it relates to the Literacy for Me statewide initiative – and the two years invested in creating that plan. It is believed that if everyone involved in Project 2020 has this as a shared starting point, we can build upon the work that has been completed, to date. Results Based Accountability (RBA) • The JTG Foundation introduced a mandate that all grantees working on collective impact‐related work utilize the Results Based Accountability approach to developing indicators of success. • Results Based Accountability has a particular approach. Training will be provided on October 3rd to support participants in better understanding it. All are invited. In essence, RBA identifies a few indicators that we know need to be addressed to have true impact in improving reading proficiency. These must encompass the facets of our work: The child, the family, the school, the community at large. • By working together to identify the indicators, we deepen our shared understanding of what needs to be accomplished – and are better able to focus our work. The Literacy for Me Initiative •
All agreed that getting a better understanding of the Literacy for Me ‐ the state's literacy plan ‐ is critical in order to maximize all of the work that has already been done to address this issue. Here is the link to the report. http://www.maine.gov/doe/index.html It is long ‐ so we are asking you to pay special attention to the following: 1) The literacy toolkit http://maine.gov/doe/literacy‐for‐me/toolkit/index.html 1 2) The community literacy section http://maine.gov/doe/literacy‐for‐me/kickoff.html 3) The executive summary http://maine.gov/doe/literacy‐for‐
me/documents/Literacy_for_ME‐Summary.pdf As you read these materials, please keep in mind the following two questions: • How do we maximize what is in the literacy report to accomplish our vision? • Given that community involvement and ownership is critical to our success, what do we need to keep in mind when factoring the report into our planning? Next Steps • We are cancelling the scheduled September 24th and October 11th sessions and asking as many people as possible to attend the October 3rd Results Based Accountability training. October 11th is an in‐service day for public school staff; since it is so important that they continue to participate in our work, we are seeking an alternate date. Please respond to the doodle so that we can identify one: http://doodle.com/8m3t77wvw97afge2 • At our next meeting (the date for which will be identified by the doodle), we are going to combine our new knowledge of Results Based Accountability and our understanding of the Literacy for Me plan ‐ and factor them into how to shape our work and focus our time. • Kathy Colfer will order copies of the Mark Friedman book for the following people: o Cindy o Tina o Carole o Linda o Tim o Lauren o Mary o Rose o Susan o Michele If your name is not on the list and you would like a copy, please let Kathy know. • Jennifer Allen will get in contact with LeeAnn Larsen before our next meeting and ask her about which communities are actively engaged in implementation of the Literacy for Me plan – and their lessons learned – with special focus on community engagement. 2