We know from the statewide data that time presents the greatest opportunity for growth across schools and districts. It is likely that time is also a challenge for teachers in your school or district. The process outlined in this section can be used by schools and/or districts to identify all of the different efforts, initiatives, and responsibilities to which teachers must attend. Once everything is identified, teams can engage in an analysis to strategically determine which items must stay, which could be consolidated or integrated with something else, and which can be eliminated or reimagined to increase efficiency and effectiveness and decrease the demands on teachers’ time.

Step 1: Identify all requirements
District and school teams

• As a team, identify all of the different efforts, initiatives, and responsibilities teachers have that are required by the state.
• Add each item from the bullet above on a separate sticky note of the same color.
• Place all of the state-level efforts, initiatives, and responsibilities on a chart paper in one column.
• Identify all of the different efforts, initiatives, and responsibilities teachers have required by your district. These may include smaller segments of items identified as state requirements.
• Using a different color sticky note, create a separate sticky note for each item required by your district.
• Place all of the district-level sticky notes on the chart paper in a second column.
• School teams: Continue through the steps below. District teams: Go to step 2.
• Identify all of the different efforts, initiatives, and responsibilities teachers have required by your school. These may include smaller segments of items identified as district requirements.
• Using a different color sticky note, create a separate sticky note for each item required by your school.
• Place all of the school-level sticky notes on the chart paper in a third column.

Step 2: Sort teacher requirements

• Count the total number of requirements and capture that number at the top of the chart paper.
• Review all of the items on the chart paper and discuss your thoughts about the number of items to which teachers must attend.
• Sort all of the requirements into the following three groups: 
  • Must keep as is, 
  • Could be consolidated or integrated with something else, and 
  • Could be eliminated or reimagined.

Step 3: Identify requirements to consolidate or eliminate

• As a team, identify at least two items from the consolidate or eliminate sections on which to take action.
• Capture those items in Worksheet 4.