Team Leader Responsibilities and Resources

An effective team leader:

• Is able to support implementation of the STARTALK Principles by serving as a link between STARTALK Central and the program.
• Brings a positive disposition, sets a supportive tone, and comes across as a person who is there to help and support programs; responds to any communication from the program within 48 hours.

• Builds trust with programs and uses conferences and meetings to establish a relationship with the program directors.
• Uses positive language and remains professional at all times and represents STARTALK with no personal agenda.

Access the tools and resources shared during the team leader meeting.

• January 13
• February 17
• March 24
• April 7
• May 5

Team Leader Meetings

The emails provide updates and reminders for your work as a team leader. You may access an archive of all communication sent throughout the year.

TL communication archive

These emails are sent to the Program Director at regular intervals. The emails provide reminders and details of upcoming program requirements. You may access an archive of all communication sent throughout the year.

PD communication archive

A list of frequently asked questions that STARTALK updates regularly.

FAQ (Updated for 2021)

STARTALK provides online resources to support grant recipients as they implement their programs, collect evidence of learning, and reflect on program results.

Program Implementation Resources (Updated for 2021)

SOPHIE Tutorial Videos to review core functions of SOPHIE.

SOPHIE tutorial videos

Catalyst Tutorials have been created.

Catalyst tutorial videos

Participate actively at fall and spring conferences attending sessions and workshops.

• Spring: April 9 and 10
• Fall: TBD

Create a process for tracking the timelines for programs assigned to you.

Key dates form Program timeline tutorial

Establish clear expectations for the site visit day with site visit team members. Work with site visitors to coordinate travel schedule. Schedule a pre-site visit meeting. Remind site visit team members to review program documents.

The University of Maryland has specific requirements for payment and reimbursement. Follow carefully the directions for making travel arrangements and for reimbursement.

• Site visit travel logistics and consultant payments (coming soon)
• Travel policies (coming soon)
• Travel reimbursement form (coming soon)
• Direct deposit form (coming soon)

Initiate Contact with Program Director
Send an introductory email to program directors introducing yourself and sharing your contact information. Modify the sample email as necessary.

Sample email for new programs as team leader
Sample email for veteran programs as new team leader
Sample email for veteran programs as returning team leader

Get to Know the Program
Review program proposals, past site visit reports, proposal feedback from award letter, and program update form.

Schedule an Initial Meeting
Schedule and facilitate a virtual meeting within two weeks of being assigned as team leader. Discuss talking points provided by STARTALK at this meeting. Schedule additional meetings as needed.

Talking Points for initial meeting
(New for 2021)

Confirm site visit dates with program. Discuss site visit schedule. Verify details provided by the program for the site visit.

Site visit summary (coming soon)

Discuss the site visit (schedule, expectations, timeline) prior to program director posting in SOPHIE. The site visit schedule should allow enough time to observe student or teacher participants in instructional settings throughout the day. Virtual site visits should allow for both synchronous and asynchronous sessions.

Site visit logistics in SOPHIE (coming soon)

Discuss and provide feedback on the professional development plan and offer suggestions for STARTALK resources that support the plan. Make certain that the professional development plan addresses previous site visit feedback and any award requirements.

Professional Development Guiding Questions (coming soon)

• Confirm the individual program timelines for the curriculum development process.
• Verify that curriculum is being developed by those directly involved with the program.
• Agree on the number of curricula a student program needs to complete.
• Remind programs to address any curriculum-related feedback.
• Identify resources to support curriculum development work.
• Verify that a program understands the alignment between Stages 1, 2 and 3 before they complete Stage 1.
• Provide feedback to guide curriculum development.
• Submit curriculum for additional review if necessary.
• Ensure that curriculum aligns with the proposal and notify STARTALK if changes have been made.
• Publish curricula with or without approval to STARTALK website.

Curriculum resources for student programs
Curriculum resources for teacher programs

Review one learning plan for the first week of instruction at least one week prior to the start of the program. Verify that the learning plan aligns with the written curriculum. Use the learning plan checklist to provide feedback to the program.

Learning plan development resources

Join the Catalyst group for the teacher program. Verify that site visit team members have also joined the group.

https://catalyst.uoregon.edu/

Preparing for the Site Visit

• Review the site visit schedule uploaded by the program director. Confirm logistics, expectations, and site visit schedule. Suggest changes if necessary. Remind program directors that changes might occur the day of the site visit.
• Remind program directors to review Site Visit LookFors and narrative questions. Respond to any questions they may have.
• Establish clear expectations for the site visit day with site visit team members.
• Remind site visitors of the purpose of the site visit.

• SOPHIE site visit logistics (coming soon)
• Site visit report (coming soon)
• Site visit planning (coming soon)
• Online site visit considerations (coming soon)

During the Site Visit

• Conduct initial meeting with the program director using only the site visit interview questions.
• Observe classrooms using the site visit LookFors.
• Conduct interviews using only the site visit interview questions.
• Review learning plans for all days up to the site visit.
• Review and collect an electronic version of learning plans for the day before, the day of, and day after the site visit.
• Prepare draft of site visit report with site visit team focusing on recommendations for current year.
• Identify STARTALK resources that may be of benefit to the program for the current year.
• Debrief current year recommendations with program director and other program staff identified by program director.
• Remind program directors that they can respond to current site visit recommendations in SOPHIE.

• Site visit day resources (coming soon)
• Student site visit note taking tool (coming soon)
• Teacher visit note taking tool (coming soon)
• Site visit process (coming soon)
• Conducting site visit for online programs (coming soon)

Interviews for Student Programs
Conduct interviews with program director, lead instructor and instructors. Interview students in grades 6-16. Interviews may be conducted by survey in a virtual program.

Interviews for Teacher Programs
Conduct interviews with program director, lead instructor and instructors. Interview teacher participants. Share survey link for teacher participant interviews.

After the Site Visit

• Send a thank you email to the program director. Remind the program director that you will be preparing the final report after you have reviewed the participant surveys and evidence.
• Send links to any STARTALK resources that you may have suggested.
• Work with site visit team members to draft preliminary report.

Review Support Documentation

• Revisit the preliminary report and recommendations made for current year
• Review learning plans (student programs)
• Review evidence of student and teacher participant learning

• Site visit logistics (coming soon)
• Site visit report (coming soon)

Review Evidence Submitted by Students
Student programs will submit sample student evidence for two performance assessment tasks. Verify that the evidence aligns well with the requirements of the task.

Review Evidence Submitted by Teacher Participants
Teacher participants will post evidence and reflections in Catalyst. Review teacher work samples and reflections for the identified TELL Criteria.