E-mail to Send to Staff Explaining the Process

Greetings Dover Eyota Staff,

Congratulations you almost made it to the holiday break. While I know this time of year can
be quite stressful both personally and professionally, I hope you know that your work is valued
here at Dover Eyota Public Schools. I feel so blessed to work with individuals who give their all
each day and show the passion that you do for your students. My wish is that each of you will
find the time to relax, enjoy family and friends, and be proud of the work we have done so far.
We all deserve this break and I sure hope with the craziness that the season brings, you will be
able to recharge your batteries.

On another note, this past fall the Dover-Eyota Schools conducted a survey to learn the reasons
that some students and parents choose to complete their high school experience through the Post-
Secondary Education Option program (PSEO). The next step in the process is to dig deeper into
the survey results and unpack the themes that have emerged. A group of elementary and
secondary staff will be established to complete this task. The key learnings from the
committees work will then be shared with the school staff for future reflection and planning.

Have a wonderful break!

Prior to first meeting

1. Ask building administration to assist in selecting elementary and secondary staff to serve
on the PSEO committee
2. When preparing survey results to share at meeting, consider blocking out names of staff
that were mentioned in the surveys
3. Schedule the date, time and location of the first meeting
4. Send out an e-mail to the committee with details about the first meeting and clarifying the
task of the committee

Process to Unpack the Survey Results

1. Welcome
2. Introductions
3. Clarify the purpose of the work
Dover-Eyota Schools conducted a survey to learn the reasons that some students and
parents choose to complete their high school experience through the Post-Secondary
Education Option program (PSEO).
 Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) is a program that allows 10th, 11th and 12th
grade students to earn college credit while still in high school, through enrollment in and
successful completion of college-level courses.

4. Clarify the relationship between PSEO with other district initiatives

Our goal is to always provide the highest quality educational service, and to always meet
the needs of all Dover-Eyota students.

5. Explain the committees roles and responsibilities and future meeting dates

6.Establish collaboration norms

Sample Norms:
-Stay engaged
-Put all ideas on the table
-Pay attention to self and others
-Presume positive intentions
-Accept non-closure
*Share the the notes will be practiced and monitored through the work of the committee

7. Have the group participants make predictions about the data. Question to pose to the group:
What predictions do we have about what the data is going to tell us? Record their predictions on
chart paper.

8. Form two teams with each team comprised of elementary and middle/secondary staff.

9. Ask the teams to review both survey results and choose/create visuals that best represent the
information shared.

Ask the teams to sort the parent and student responses into themes.

If teams are struggling with themes/categories for interpreting the data, some possible
ideas are:
Themes/categories for parents: financial considerations (for family/district), educational benefits
for students (high school years/beyond high school), logistical considerations for the district
(available courses/partnership and contracts with post secondary schools organization
Themes for students: reasons for taking courses (benefits for now in HS, benefits for post
secondary time), considerations for school environment/culture (athletes, kids leaving school
campus during day, school pride/culture building)

10: Once the data is made visual, have teams walk around and review the charts.
11. Bring the group back together and have members report observations which are clear, short
statements about what the data is sharing. Record these observations. Use the following question
to make sure that the data is observable:

Do the statements shared focus on the direct and observable facts that are contained in the
data without interpretation or inference?
(Examples: Both the parent and student groups marked the Drama item as high. Only
20.2% of students who took the survey are currently taking PSEO courses, but 59.6% of
students who took the survey said they are interested in taking a PSEO course in the
future. 68% of students said that if DEHS offered college level courses at the school,
they would choose those over PSEO.)

12. Participants generate multiple possible explanations or implications of what they are seeing
in the data.

Coach the team to consider all aspects of the system: curriculum, instruction, assessment,
equity, teacher preparation, and so on - as possible explanations for results.

13. Provide time for reflection and processing.

14. Determine action plan with specific timelines and responsibilities.

15. Acknowledge the members of the committee with a thank you note, board recognition, etc.