This handbook is designed to help educators set the stage for collaboration and teamwork by teaching how to become a SMART School using focus, reflection, collaboration, and leadership to set strategic and specific, measurable, results-based, and time-bound goals. The progress made in reaching these goals can then be measured using the comprehensive collection of data-measurement and data-analysis tools presented in this research-based resource. Following the introduction, "SMART Thinking for Critical Times," there are 11 chapters: (1) "Setting the Stage for Collaboration and Teamwork"; (2) "Structures for Teamwork"; (3) "The Basics of Effective Teamwork"; (4) "Group Process and Planning Tools"; (5) "Tools for Understanding Perceptions and Opinions"; (6) "Tools for Understanding Problems and Improving Results"; (7) "Tools for Measuring Student Performance"; (8) "The Benefits of Thinking Like a System"; (9) "Improving Processes and Systems"; (10) "Becoming a SMART School"; and (11) "The Role of Professional Development in Learning Communities." The handbook includes a CD-ROM. Appendices contain tools for SMART schools, a description of the CD-ROM contents, and references and resources. (Contains 54 references.) (RT)