Office of Early Childhood webinar explains how to craft SMART goals for Elevate program plans

The Office of Early Childhood hosted a Spanish-language webinar explaining how to write SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-limited) goals for Elevate program plans (EPP), stressing that “Un plan del programa Elevate debe tener al menos una meta Smart para ser considerado para su aprobación,” said Diana Reyes, service navigator for southern central Connecticut. The session offered concrete examples, timelines and contact information for regional service navigators.

The webinar clarified that a SMART goal differs from an action step: a SMART goal states the intended outcome and deadline, while action steps list the specific tasks that will achieve and track that goal. Reyes said action steps should be short, specific and trackable rather than long paragraphs.

Presenters recommended programs include at least one SMART goal to be eligible for approval and cautioned against including too many goals. The guidance said a plan may include up to three SMART goals “si satisfacen las necesidades del programa y siguen las normas de ser alcanzables.” Examples shown included:

- A family-connection example to “crear un panel de anuncios de recursos” within two months, updated monthly or quarterly to share development and community resources.

- A center-based example using the Sparkler app: within two months develop an organized communication system so teachers send at least one developmentally based resource per month to families, with monthly tracking.

- A marketing example for increasing enrollment: expand social-media postings and community outreach over two months with the objective of a sustained enrollment increase, including an illustrative target of a 10% rise within 6–12 months.

- A curriculum-alignment example using the Connecticut ELDS (Early Learning and Development Standards): monthly reviews and a six-month plan to identify classrooms adopting the standards.

- An environmental/learning-space example to create a garden within six months to introduce children and families to fresh vegetables.

The webinar emphasized measurability and ongoing monitoring: measurable goals should include indicators for final outcomes and interim milestones. It also noted that SMART goals must be aligned with one of the Elevate program’s six focus areas and that ALIGNED tools and resources appear on the program website (slides included a QR code and email link to OEC resources).

For one-on-one help, the webinar listed regional service navigators: Karen Bent (north and southwest Connecticut), Pamela Lavaser (north and southeast Connecticut), Dina Miranda (north central Connecticut) and Diana Reyes (south central Connecticut). Additional regional contacts named were Emily Peña, Ana Cartagena and Katy Hagen of Connecticut AEYC. Reyes closed by thanking attendees and encouraging providers to contact a navigator or consult the OEC website for tools and templates.

The webinar provided practical, template-style examples and timelines to help child-care providers convert program ideas into approvable, monitorable goals for the Elevate EPP. Attendees were directed to the Office of Early Childhood website and regional navigators for follow-up assistance.