LASER Sentinel Site Visitor Orientation

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LASER Sentinel Site Visitor Orientation

• Dave Weaver (dweaver_at_rmccorp.com)Laura Krebs
  (lkrebs_at_rmccorp.com)
• RMC Research Corp.
• 111 SW Columbia, Suite 1200
• Portland, Oregon 97201
• [phone]

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Site Selection

• Approximately 35 Schools identified
• Schools whose staff have participated in a
  significant amount of LASER professional
  development
• Half demonstrated increasing student achievement
  on the science WASL between 2005 and 2008
• Half demonstrated no increase or decreased
  student achievement on the science WASL

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Site Visits

• 6 sites per observer
• 1 ½ days at each school
• Interview with principal
• Teacher surveys
• Teacher interviews
• Classroom observations
• Collect as many surveys and interviews as you
  can try to conduct 3 observations.

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Compensation

• 300 for participating in
• initial training via Internet
• 2 follow-up meetings via Internet,
• Phone time to arrange the site visits with the
  schools
• (payable after completion of all site visits and
  final follow-up meeting)
• 600 for each site visit conducted
• Consultant agreements expense forms will be
  mailedHas your address changed?
• Include on expense forms postage fees for
  mailing in documentation

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Travel expenses

• Miles at 58.5 cents per mile
• Long distance phone charges
• Meals if travel is more than 50 miles one way
• Hotels upon approval (email Laura) Request
  government rate using RMC letter
  http//www.ofm.wa.gov/resources/travel/colormap.pd
  f
• General rule submit travel expenses by the 18th
  of each month for payment on 5th of following
  month

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The Website

• LASER Site Visit Reporting Website
• http//www.rmccorp.com/LASERSiteVisits/
• Contains
• Masters of all documents used during the site
  visit
• Access to the online reporting database for
  entering classroom observation and site scoring
  results
• Enter start date of site visit to notify RMC
• Schedule of site visitor assignments

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Site Assignments

• If possible - Sites close to your home
• You will be notified via e-mail of your site
  assignments
• E-Mail message will provide
• Name of the assigned school and district
• Name of the principal
• Address and phone number of the school
• A username and password for reporting the results
  of the site visit for the assigned school

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Scheduling

• Principals of each school will receive a
  notification letter
• Schedule site visits during 20082009 school year
  (avoid WASL testing, other conflicts)
• Site visitors determine your own schedule
• Schools may refuse to participate
• Let Laura know and we may be able to identify an
  alternate school
• Due date for submitting results May 29, 2009

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Start With TheEnd In Mind

• Ultimate goal is to rate each school according to
  the LASER Site Scoring Rubrics
• BE HONEST! The purpose is NOT to try to make
  LASER look good!
• The purpose IS to understand what implementation
  factors influence student achievement
• This is only possible IF ratings are an honest
  reflection of the status of science teaching and
  learning in each school

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Please Look At

• Sentinel Site Visit Scoring Rubrics
• And
• Sentinel Site Scoring Worksheet

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Data Collection Tools

• In order to gather data to inform your rating a
  number of tools have been developed
• Principal Interview Protocol
• Teacher Survey
• Teacher Interview Protocol
• RMC Research Science Classroom Observation Rubric
• RMC Research Science Classroom Observation
  Worksheet
• Informed Consent Letter

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Principal Interview

• Interview the principal first
• Get informed consent (I agree should be
  checked)
• Documenting interview results
• Your own notes
• Top School, principal name, interview date
• Reference notes using rubric code and question
  number
• In the MS Word document
• Tape recording optional but not recommended
• Principal interview notes do not need to be
  formally written up
• Principal interview notes should be mailed to
  Laura after the site visit
• Principals will not receive a gift certificate
  for their time but may be mailed a LASER
  thank-you card (RMC will provide)

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Please Look At

• Principal Interview Protocol

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Teacher Survey

• Follow the guidelines provided by the principal
• As many core science teachers as possible
• Number each survey No teacher identifiers
  (match to interview)
• Collect surveys and mail to Laura after the site
  visit

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Please Look At

• Sentinel Site Teacher Survey

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Teacher Interview

• As many teachers as possible Minimum 3
• Get informed consent
• Interview refers to Teacher Survey
• Documenting interview results
• Your own notes
• Top School, teacher number, interview date
• Reference notes using rubric code and question
  number
• In the MS Word document
• Tape recording optional but not recommended
• Teacher interview notes do not need to be
  formally written up
• Teacher interview notes should be mailed to Laura
  after the site visit

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Please Look At

• Teacher Interview Protocol

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Classroom Observations

• Follow the guidelines provided by the principal
• Lessons to Observe
• Teachers with a significant amount of LASER
  professional development
• Refer to PD log emailed to you confirm teacher
  status with principal
• A typical science lesson
• Using the modules (kits)
• Focus on WASL grades at elementary level
  (4th/5th)
• Talk to teacher directly
• Offer teachers a 15 gift certificate to either
  Starbuck or Borders Books for each observation
  conducted
• Send Laura an e-Mail containing the name of the
  teacher, the school, and whether they chose a
  Starbuck or Borders card
• Laura will see that the gift certificate is
  mailed within 1-2 weeks of notification

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Please Look At

• RMC Research Science Classroom Observation
  Rubric RMC Research Science Classroom
  Observation Worksheet

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Learning Objectives

• Clear Learning Objectives
• What students will learn?
• Well stated big ideas of science
• Activities Address Learning Objectives
• Will lesson activities achieve learning
  objectives?
• Lesson Purpose
• Do students know why they are doing an activity?

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Developing Understanding

• Eliciting Students Prior Understanding
• Do students reveal prior conceptions and
  misconception?
• Intellectual Engagement
• Are students doing the thinking?
• Use of Evidence
• Do students make claims/conjectures and critique
  claims/conjectures based on evidence?
• Application of Science
• Are concepts applied to new situation?
• Formative Assessment
• Does teacher assess depth of student
  understanding and adjust accordingly?

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Sense-Making

• Lesson Closure
• Does lesson closure help students draw the
  appropriate conclusion?
• Reflection and Meta-cognition
• Can students identify how their thinking has
  changed as a result of the lesson?
• Does it refer back to initial understanding?

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Classroom Culture

• Classroom Discourse
• Is there a positive, motivating, safe, and
  challenging learning environment?
• Motivation
• Are students motivated to learn through intrinsic
  factors?
• Extrinsic factors
• Tests, quizzes, grades, deadlines, competition
• Can be detrimental to learning
• Intrinsic factors
• Personal interest, relevant topics, desire to
  resolve discrepancies or cognitive dissonance

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Reporting Results

• What gets reported online
• Classroom observation results from 3 lessons
• Data submitted corresponds to the notes and
  ratings on the Observation Worksheet
• Sentinel Site Visit Scoring Rubrics rating and
  rationale
• Data submitted corresponds to the rating and
  rationale on the Sentinel Site Scoring Worksheet
• Each school has its own log-on information
• Make sure you use the correct one!

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Mailing in Documentation

• Mail the following to Laura upon completion
• Sequence of modules used by grade level
• Principal interview notes
• All teacher surveys collected
• Teacher interview notes
• Classroom observation worksheets
• Any other relevant backup information
• Signed informed consents (principal and teachers)
• E-mail Laura with gift certificate selections
• Identify school, teacher name, and Borders or
  Starbucks selection
• Certificates will be mailed to school within 1-2
  weeks

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Discussion of School Assignments
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(No Transcript)
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Questions?

• Dave Weaver (dweaver_at_rmccorp.com)Laura Krebs
  (lkrebs_at_rmccorp.com)
• RMC Research Corp.
• 111 SW Columbia, Suite 1200
• Portland, Oregon 97201
• [phone]