In response to requests from two school superintendents, Prism is deploying a virtual decision-making service to support
- Critical decision-making, such as, deciding how to grade students in the 3rd and 4th marking period
- Updating the district’s strategic plan
Why virtual decision support now?
Despite the significant constraints of shelter in place and social distancing, school superintendents will need to collaborate with their leadership teams to make very consequential decisions.
Some of these decisions may resolve easily in virtual meetings or conference calls. However, others may require more structured, deliberate decision processes and tools.
How does it work?
Prism can partner with you to design and execute a virtual decision process that mimics the face-to-face experience you are used to. The concept is simple:
- Leverage the power of Google Meet for all necessary virtual meetings. (See note on Zoom below.) But keep those meetings as short as possible with tight, focused agendas limited to
- Sharing information
- Identifying options
- Weighing trade-offs
- Resolving issues
- Making decisions
- Complete the bulk of the work asynchronously in a series of timed, self-directed tasks using virtual collaboration tools and management best practices:
- Google Docs/Slides for information sharing and idea generation
- Google Forms for rating solutions and gathering feedback
- Amazon’s simple, disciplined Press Release/FAQ methodology for proposing solutions to complex issues
What about the keypads?
Google Forms surveys replace the clickers we use in face-to-face meetings. See examples below:
Illustration: how to grade students in the 3rd & 4th quarters
Here’s how the five-step process can work.
Objective
Resolve the dilemma for how to grade students in the 3rd and 4th marking periods by engaging in a structured, deliberate decision-making process using virtual tools and management best practices.
Method
Participants work asynchronously on individual tasks and synchronously using Google Meet. The approximately two-week schedule of tasks below assumes that a leadership team of about six members will lead this effort with an opportunity to engage all staff by inviting them to provide feedback and rate options, as appropriate.
Thumbnail two-week process & schedule
| Step | Participants | Duration & tools |
| #1 Define the problem or challenge | Leadership team | 60 minute Google Meet |
| #2 Research, generate and present options | Leadership team | Asynchronously over 3-4 days 90 minute Google Meet |
| #3 Assess options & provide feedback | District staff, as appropriate | Google Forms survey Individuals over 3-4 days @ 20 to 30 minutes per person |
| #4: Refine & improve options | Leadership team | Asynchronously over 2-3 days |
| #5 Review final options & make decision | Leadership team | 60 minute Google Meet |
Please feel free to contact Prism for a more detailed process & schedule or if you would like to explore client-specific applications.
Note: Due to the array of widely documented security risks with Zoom, Prism will not initiate any meeting using Zoom. However, if the client prefers to use Zoom and agrees to initiate each meeting, Prism is happy to do so.