Maintaining the Quality of the Management Plan: TN SIG to SPDG

1. Maintaining the Quality of the Management Plan: TN SIG to SPDG How Tennessee dealt with changes without losing focus Donna Parker and ChithraPerumal, Tennessee SPDG

2. TN SIG/SPDG • Tennessee’s State Improvement Grant took a couple of years to really get off the ground. Submitted Spring 2002; start up began in 2003. A slow start and a start from scratch. • During the first three years, the Directors of the grant changed three times. • Tennessee’s new SPDG has a new director: that’s the 4th leadership change.

3. How We Kept Our Focus • The grant partners remained unchanged during SIG leadership changes. Many of the partners never “missed a beat” during these changes and many stepped up to share more of the leadership duty. • One partner, the UT Center for Literacy Studies, evolved into a “hub” of activity for the grant. With their agreement, they have the ability to trouble-shoot and serve as a center of activity. • The various partners have taken full ownership of their activities, so a staff change in Nashville doesn’t have too much of a negative impact.

4. SIG/SPDG Partners • Center for Literacy Studies, UT • Dept. of Theory and Practice, Teacher Ed, UT • The IRIS Center, Peabody/Vanderbilt • Early Childhood Center for Excellence, ETSU • STEP (Support and Training for Exceptional Parents), TN’s Parent Training and Information Center • Hardeman County, LEA demonstration site • University of Kentucky, Human Development Institute- Evaluator • Of course, TN State Department of Education

5. SIG to SPDG Transition • Tennessee’s SPDG grant was written to hinge off of the successes of the SIG. • As few changes in partners as possible. • As much continuation of activity as possible, with improvements as lessons are learned. • Some retention of State staff which provides consistency and a historical perspective. • Promotion of shared leadership among partners. • Maximized use of available resources.

6. Transition Recommendations • Communicate any upcoming changes to established clients to reassure them. • Identify all activities that can be continued and make sure they continue without a gap in service. Don’t lose ground. Maintain credibility. • Train everyone about the new grant: what’s going to be the same, what’s different, what to expect, as well as what’s new. • Explain why any changes are being made. • Carefully maintain relationships with existing resources- you’ll be needing them soon.

7. SIG--Evaluation Perspective • Management, leadership, collaboration—Objective 1 of the grant • Collaborative logic model development • System of feedback—monthly calls, bimonthly reports on progress measures, frequent conversations with the leadership team

8. SPDG—Evaluation Perspective • Family and technology threads are woven to most initiatives • Sustainability and scaling up provide opportunities for agencies to work together • Frequent communication with partners and leadership

9. Transition Recommendations—Evaluation Perspective • Emphasize collaboration formally—as an activity that is going to be evaluated, an output in the logic model etc. • Provide opportunities for collaboration. • Have a system of feedback