Performance Improvement Mapping

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Performance Improvement Mapping

• Findings from the 2008-09 RLS
• ELA and Math Teams

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Menu

• Overview of the PIM Process
• Math Team Findings
• Improvement Objectives
• Evaluation of Current and New Strategies
• ELA Team Findings
• Improvement Objectives
• Evaluation of Current and New Strategies
• Summary

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What Is PIM?

• Performance Improvement Mapping (PIM)
• An intensive, data-driven, results-oriented
  school planning model
• Focused on raising student MCAS performance in
  ELA and math
• PIM process can be broken down into three major
  parts
• Evidence (What are we doing?)
• Causes (Why are we not doing better?)
• Solutions (How can we do this better?)

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PIM Success

• Staff must be involved in data analysis and
  decision making
• Main focus must be on continuous improvement
• Energy should be primarily directed toward
  changing that which is in the schools control
• Any other planning should be integrated with PIM
  process and findings
• Planning should both inform and respond to the
  districts improvement plan

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PIM Process

• Evidence/Data Collection
• MCAS Analysis
• Identify where students are underperforming
• Skills and knowledge students have not mastered
• Development of specific student learning
  objectives to focus PIM group meetings
• Staff Survey
• Strengths and weaknesses as perceived by all
  staff
• Focused on curriculum, instruction, student
  assessment and academic support services

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PIM Process

• Causes
• Success of the entire PIM process hinges on
  getting to the root causes
• Causal analysis
• Self-reflection on how teaching and learning can
  be improved
• Participants have to wrestle with why what we are
  doing is not working better

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PIM Process

• Solutions
• Mapping teams were involved with
• Selecting specific instructional strategies
• Prioritizing needs and programs
• Asked to look beyond easy answers
• Focused on customizing accepted practices to meet
  individual needs of the student, classroom, and
  school
• Examined new practices as well as existing ones

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Methods for Group Decision Making

• Worked to reach consensus
• Consensus promotes growth of a professional
  community
• Teams worked through differences to reach a
  mutually satisfactory position
• In the best interest of students
• Supported by data
• All points of view were considered

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PIM Outcomes

• Evidence from data will be used as the
• basis for all decision making
• Teachers will find new ways to interpret data
• Staff will look for root causes before attempting
  to solve problems
• Administrators will involve staff in informed
  decision making regarding program development
• Communication about teaching and learning will
  increase at grade, subject, and school level

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Solutions Areas of Focus

• Curriculum
• Instruction
• Vocabulary
• Assessment
• Writing
• Leadership
• Collaboration
• Professional Development

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Overview of Findings

• Findings based on priorities developed by our ELA
  and math focus groups
• For each improvement objective, current
  strategies and new strategies were examined
• Looked at what we needed to do less of or
  eliminate as well as what we needed to do more
  of, modify or add
• Findings to be included in the new School
  Improvement Plan

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Math Improvement Objectives

• Students will receive instruction based on a
  district-wide K-6 curriculum guide that includes
  learning objectives, pacing, standards-based
  units, scope and sequence and vertical alignment.
• Students in grades K-6 will consistently use math
  terminology and math definitions from a
  district-wide vocabulary list.
• Students will be assessed using district-wide
  assessment tools that measure grade-level
  proficiencies and help teachers identify student
  learning needs. Students will learn to
  self-assess.

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Math Improvement Objectives

• Student learning will be driven by administrative
  leadership that understands effective math
  instruction and holds teachers accountable for
  following the curriculum.
• Students will be taught by teachers who have been
  provided opportunities to observe, collaborate
  and communicate with colleagues regarding best
  practices used across the district.
• Students will benefit from teachers who have had
  professional development in math including
  content knowledge, use of manipulatives, flexible
  grouping, formative and summative assessments and
  effective use of essential instructional
  activities during the math block.

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PIM Findings-Math

• Curriculum-Current Strategies
• Power Standards
• Work has input from staff a collaborative
  process
• Need to finish with grades K-3 need to develop
  quality units and assessments around power
  standards
• Curriculum Guides
• Discontinue use of old guides/previous work
• Multiple Math Programs Across District
• Evaluate new math programs adopt new district
  program
• Supplemental Materials
• Provide MCAS Practice

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PIM Findings-Math

• Curriculum- New Strategies
• Develop Curriculum Guides
• Collaborative effort by all district staff
• Standards-based
• Vertical alignment
• Scope sequence
• Learning objectives
• Quality assessments of and for learning
• Training/time to support effort

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PIM Findings-Math

• Vocabulary-Current Strategies
• Use of Textbook
• Not aligned to frameworks lacking MCAS
  vocabulary
• Need to supplement
• Curriculum Frameworks
• Standards need to be implemented by all and
  incorporated into lessons across district
  standards need to be shared with students in
  language they can understand
• Discontinue reliance on individual teacher biases
  and areas of expertise

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PIM Findings-Math

• Vocabulary-New Strategies
• Develop District-wide Vocabulary List
• Input from all grades across district (K-6)
• Focus on content and MCAS specific vocabulary
• Develop Assessments
• Assess understanding of vocabulary
• Formal and Informal
• Grade appropriate

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PIM Findings-Math

• Assessment-Current Strategies
• Math Inventories
• Done by all assessment of basic knowledge of
  skills
• Strictly multiple choice limited diagnostic
  information
• Need collaborative approach to modifying the test
• Power Standards
• Used to identify and define areas of importance
• Unit Tests
• Tests need to be aligned with standards need
  examples of quality student work to share with
  students
• MCAS

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PIM Findings-Math

• Assessment-New Strategies
• Common Assessments
• Teacher designed based on power standards
• Not completed for all grades need to share with
  all staff
• Need to develop common approach to scoring
  student work
• Increased Communication of Assessment Results
• Among grade levels between grades and schools
• Student Self-Assessment
• Time to reflect and analyze journal writing

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PIM Findings-Math

• Leadership-Current Strategies
• Teacher Evaluations
• Do hold all teachers accountable
• Modify with more constructive feedback
• Power Standards
• Administration was part of process help to unify
  process
• Need follow-through at Principal meetings
• PIM Process
• Helped administration to understand subject
  specific concerns

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PIM Findings-Math

• Leadership-New Strategies
• Training For Administrators
• Keep current with core instructional practices
  and approaches
• Grade Level Meetings
• Administration sit-in stay without interruption
• Establish ground rules (procedural and
  interpersonal norms)
• Keep up with curriculum and grade/subject
  concerns

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PIM Findings-Math

• Collaboration-Current Strategies
• P. D. Days/Release Time
• Time for staff from all grades to participate in
  math work
• Expand opportunities to share/collaborate
• Common Planning Time
• By grade levels no access to other staff or
  other grades
• Need direction input from staff hold people
  accountable
• Faculty Meetings
• Provide more opportunities to collaborate and
  share best practices more work on grade/building
  initiatives
• Address housekeeping issues in another way

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PIM Findings-Math

• Collaboration-New Strategies
• New Evaluation Opportunities
• Opportunities to self-reflect work
  collaboratively with administration
• Team Teaching
• Need time to prepare/communicate P.D. to develop
  techniques and strategies limited by number of
  staff
• Peer Coaching
• Opportunity define and develop teacher-leaders
• Monthly Release Day not in current calendar
• Teacher input into direction/focus

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PIM Findings-Math

• Professional Development-Current Strategies
• Manipulative Training
• Happened in the past little follow-through
• Update materials and re-train
• Differentiated Instruction Training
• Not all trained unclear expectations
• Need follow-up in classroom use staff as
  trainers
• Training on Flexible Small Groups
• Have had training specific to reading Need
  training applicable to math and classroom level
  follow-up

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PIM Findings-Math

• Professional Development-New Strategies
• Use of Formative Assessments
• Develop assessments effective use of formative
  assessment tools
• Use of New Software
• STAR Reading and STAR Math SuccessMaker Lexia
• Content Specific Training
• Led by math teachers enhance math skills of
  teachers as well as develop instructional tools

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ELA Improvement Objectives

• Students will receive instruction based upon
  coordinated curriculum in all subjects that is
  followed by every teacher.
• Students will receive instruction consisting of
  engaging activities that utilize a variety of
  teaching strategies, clearly differentiated
  instruction, small group instruction and
  intervention.
• Students will receive instruction informed by
  ongoing analysis of assessment results.
• Students will apply common writing strategies.
• Students will be taught by teachers who
  collaborate within and across grade levels within
  their school and district-wide.

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PIM Findings-ELA

• Curriculum Current Strategies
• Alignment to State Curriculum Frameworks
• Finish power standards work in math
• Begin work in science and social studies
• Curriculum Guides in ELA Math
• Focus on scope and sequence/curriculum mapping
• Available to all district focus involve all
  teachers
• Posting Standards
• Student friendly language focus of lesson
• Tracking Sheets
• Discontinue use

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PIM Findings-ELA

• Curriculum New Strategies
• Consistent District-Wide Curriculum
• Math adopt unified program develop quality
  assessments provide more small group
  opportunities
• Sci./S.S. begin curriculum work
• More hands-on activities
• Enough Curriculum Materials
• Supplementary materials in math
• Basic materials in science and social studies
• More Enrichment Opportunities for Students
• Cross-grading

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PIM Findings-ELA

• Instruction-Current Strategies
• Differentiated Instruction
• Inconsistent training and follow-up
• Classroom level support needed opportunities to
  observe
• Guided Reading
• Discontinue whole-class use still use to meet
  certain learning needs
• My Sidewalks
• Builds content area knowledge but not meeting the
  needs of all students with current use expand
  intervention opportunities
• Wilson Strategies
• Discontinue whole group for use with some
  students

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PIM Findings-ELA

• Instruction-New Strategies
• Develop Engaging Activities/New Ideas
• Increase enthusiasm for reading
• Share ideas/resources
• Provide more small group instruction
• Purchase Support Materials
• Math manipulatives
• Science kits
• P. D. for Staff on Teaching Strategies
• All schools
• Provide Opportunities to Share Best Practices
• Use staff as resources/observation of peers

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PIM Findings-ELA

• Assessment-Current Strategies
• Reading Street Assessments
• Given to all students prepares students for MCAS
• They are difficult selection tests not valid
  indicator of progress
• Need to work collaboratively to modify selection
  tests
• MCAS
• Can not influence here for now
• Too much time spent teaching to the test
  integrate MCAS prep into regular classroom
  instruction
• AIMSweb
• Used to monitor progress not diagnostic helps
  with regrouping
• Need more consistent use by staff
• Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA)
• Use with specific student cases

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PIM Findings-ELA

• Assessment-New Strategies
• STAR Reading and STAR Math Software
• Training needs to occur
• Need more computers
• Lexia Reading Software
• Need more licenses immediate feedback to
  students
• SuccessMaker Courseware
• Need training
• Need more computers network needs to be upgraded

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PIM Findings-ELA

• Writing-Current Strategies
• John Collins
• Not everyone trained no follow-up unclear
  expectations
• Implement must-haves for all grade levels
• LINKS
• Not everyone trained (new staff)
• Great graphic organizer tools
• Integrate with Reading Street
• Sitton Spelling
• Discontinue Use

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PIM Findings-ELA

• Writing-New Strategies
• Reading Street Six Traits Writing Program
• Fully integrated into the reading program
• Training needed
• Effective use of the writing program
• Need to clarify district priorities
• Time
• Share what works with colleagues get input from
  peers

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PIM Findings-ELA

• Collaboration-Current Strategies
• Grade Level Common Planning Time
• Teachers in grades have common time but lack of
  opportunities across grades and with specials
• Meetings take away available time
• More structure provided by administration
• Professional Development Days
• Gather input from staff
• Increase content specific opportunities provide
  follow-up
• Curriculum Accommodation Team (CAT) Meetings
• Less paperwork include all grades in process
• More follow through revisit cases include new
  students
• Mentor Program
• Continue

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PIM Findings-ELA

• Collaboration-New Strategies
• Collaboration Sharing Best Practices
• Within the district
• Get to know colleagues better
• Opportunities to Visit Districts
• Other schools
• Programs
• Co-Teaching Opportunities
• Break down barriers between staff
• Time to effectively plan and implement lessons

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Summary of PIM Process

• We have a focused direction for change based on
  input from all staff
• First cycle of looking at our school
• Results driven focused on improving achievement
• Ongoing process evaluate and revise initiatives
• Next cycle could occur next year
• Focus will be narrowed work at more detailed
  level
• Process may expand into other grades/schools