Title: Ware County
1Promising Practices
- Ware County
- Leadership WFSG
2Essential Question
What are the next steps for the Ware County
school district to become a great school
district?
38-Step Process
- The 8-Step Process
- Test Score Disaggregation
- Time Line Development
- Instructional Focus
- Assessment
- Tutorials
- Enrichment
- Maintenance
- Monitoring
Ware County School System 8-Step Process
4Step 1 Disaggregating Test Data
- Use all sources of data (formative and
summative). - Analyze test data for weaknesses, strengths, and
gaps in student learning and, for trends in
teachers instruction. - Determine what the data says about how students
in your school are learning. - Weaker objectives should be established as
priorities. This includes the order in which they
are taught as well as the amount of time spent on
teaching them. - Our priority is to teach the essential curriculum
to mastery.
5Step 2 Instructional Timeline
- Instructional Coaches lead their schools in the
collaborative development/revision of a uniform
pacing guide for each subject/course. - Teachers align their unit and lesson plans to the
pacing guides, ensuring that all instruction is
based on standards. - Administrators inspect what is expected by
reviewing unit/lesson plans and observing in
classrooms on a regular basis. - Student work is assessed against the
standard(s)/element(s) to help both students and
teachers hit the target. -
6Step 3 Instructional Focus
- The instructional focus should be shared among
teachers, carefully explained to students, and
communicated to parents in an effort to promote a
cohesive learning environment. -
7Weekly Curriculum Calendar Grade
____5___ Subject __Math_______
8Shared Practice
- Teachers meet to discuss teaching strategies and
activities, share ideas, and to review student
work by comparing it to the standard/element. - The prioritized curriculum drives planning and
instructional practice. - Teachers use their collective expertise to
address the learning needs of their students by
focusing on effective strategies and solutions.
9Step 4 Assessment
10(No Transcript)
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12Steps 5, 6, and 7 Tutorial, Enrichment,
Maintenance
- Tutorial, Enrichment, and Maintenance
- time is scheduled during the instructional day.
- 5. Tutorials are devoted to the re-teaching
and/or corrective teaching of non-mastered
objectives. - 6. Enrichment is planned for students to expand
and enrich their knowledge of mastered objectives
as demonstrated through formative assessment. - 7. Maintenance provides students with
opportunities for ongoing review of essential
skills so they are not forgotten over time.
13 TEAM Planning Log Members Present DATE
Teacher A Teacher B Grade/Subject 5th grade
math Instructional Focus/Essential
Question Area, perimeter, volume, multiplication,
problem solving. How would you plan and create
garden plots with a team that will combine into
an allocated 11X 15 area? Mastery Performance
Standard (Briefly describe what students must
know and/or be able to do) Students must be able
to multiply 2 and 3 digit numbers, calculate
area/perimeter/volume, use problem solving
strategies. Assessment Chapter test, garden
drawing Outcome (Results of Assessment) Chapter
test 90 of students could calculate
area/perimeter/volume. Still having problems
with multiplication due to not knowing facts, 86
of students answered 4 out of 5 word problems
correctly. On garden activity students were
problem solving the length and not always the
width. Adjustments to Instruction (If results
are not satisfactory) More practice on math facts
and multiplication computation. More direct
instruction on two step problem solving and two
question problem solving so students do not stop
after one step or one question. In writing,
students need more work on how to explain their
thoughts and how to solve or work a problem.
14Step 8 Monitoring
- According to Educational Consultant, Larry
Lezotte - Effective principals are not just leaders, but
instructional leaders, in order that the purpose
of the school, that of teaching and learning, can
be achieved. - The principal must assume the chief
responsibility for monitoring program success,
and must spend a significant amount of time in
classrooms monitoring the learning process.
15Promising Practices Closing the Achievement Gap
- We could, of course, simply drag our heels and
blame the underachievement problem on the kids or
their families, as some of our colleagues do.
But before you join that chorus, think about its
devastating message to communities, that schools
really dont matter to teachers, that they dont
have to try to parents, that their kids dont
count. And the most devastating message of all
to poor and minority students, that you dont
believe they can learn. - Consider, instead, accepting the challenge and
joining the ranks of more than 4,500 high-poverty
and high-minority schools that are performing in
the top third of their states in at least one
subject/grade level combination. These are
public schools that are proving that poor and
minority kids can achieve.
Source Haycock, Kati, Closing the Gap,
Principal, November/December 2002. www.naesp.org
16Promising Practices Closing the Achievement
GapA Tale of Two Schools
- The New School
- Attendance is good
- Academic performance thrives
- Disciplinary referrals are down by more than 70
- Student failure rate is zero
- Rusty fence and graffiti are gone replaced by
displays of student work - Faculty members care for students
- Professional development supports staffs
practices - Students feel connected to peers, staff, and
the school - Parent volunteers
- Identified as one of Missouris Top Ten Most
Improved Schools for four of the past five years
- Proverbial Failing School
- High absenteeism
- Low academic achievement
- Constant stream of discipline problems
- Located in poor community
- Inadequate housing meth labs
- Graffiti on the walls rusty chain link fence
- Profanity in the halls
- Students dont feel anyone cares for them or the
school - Angry parents, may request transfers
- Dispirited staff
Source What Can Schools Do? by C. Haynes and
M. Berkowitz, USA Today, February 20, 2007.
17Promising Practices Closing the Achievement Gap
18Promising Practices Closing the Achievement Gap
Leadership Responsibilities, Practices,
Priorities, Actions
School Culture
Classroom Variables
Student Learning
19Promising Practices Closing the Achievement
GapTheaters of the Mind The Brains Natural
Learning Systems
Source Barbara K. Given, 2002, Teaching to the
Brains Natural Learning Systems, ASCD.
20Promising Practice The Teacher Effect
1200
- The single greatest effect on student achievement
is not race, not povertyit is the effectiveness
of the school and its teachers. - The concept of school is simple. Teachers
teach and students learn. Improve the quality of
instruction and you improve the achievement of
students. - --Harry Wong
21Promising Practices Closing the Achievement
Gap Powerful Instructional Strategies
- Of the 20 or so most powerful teaching
strategies that cross subject areas and have a
historical track record of high payoff in terms
of student effects, we speculate that fewer than
10 percent of us kindergarten through
university level regularly employ more than one
of these strategies. Source Joyce Wolf,
and Calhoun, 1993.
One of the primary goals of the McREL study was
to identify those instructional strategies that
have a high probability of enhancing student
achievement for all students in all subject areas
at all grade levels. Source Marzano, R.,
Pickering, D., Pollock, J., Classroom Instruction
That Works. Published by ASCD, Alexandria, VA
2001.
- The list below lists nine categories of
strategies that have a strong effect on student
achievement - Identifying similarities and differences
- Summarizing and note taking
- Reinforcing effort and providing recognition
- Homework and practice
- Nonlinguistic representations
- Cooperative learning
- Setting objectives and providing feedback
- Generating and testing hypotheses
- Questions, cues, and advance organizers
22Promising Practices Closing the Achievement
GapIncrease in Learning Between Practice Sessions
Source Marzano, R., Pickering, D., and Pollock,
J., Classroom Instruction That Works, ASCD, 2001.
23Promising Practices Closing the Achievement
GapTeacher Factors
School
- Questions to Ponder
- Are the strongest teachers assigned to the
students who need them the most? - What expectations do teachers possess for helping
all students to learn at high levels? - Do teachers assign standards-based, challenging
assignments to all students? - Are regular opportunities provided for teachers
to examine performance data of all students and
collaboratively plan appropriate lessons based on
that data? - Do teachers form powerful relationships with
students and encourage an increased focus on
academics so that all students develop a vision
of what they can become? - Does the schedule provide extra time that
teachers can spend tutoring students? - Are frequent opportunities provided for teachers
to - Share successful practices?
- Problem solve?
- Learn about best practice?
- Celebrate success?
24Promising Practices Closing the Achievement
GapImpact on Learning
50
3
37
63
96
78
Marzano, R., 2003, What Works in Schools, ASCD,
Alexandria, VA, (800) 933-2373
25Promising Practices Closing the Achievement Gap
- A Professional Learning Community is
- Made up of members of a school faculty who are
dedicated to the goal of helping every student
succeed. They envision themselves as life long
learners. - A group of professionals who regularly engage in
collective inquiry, problem solving and
reflection about teaching and learning. - Focused on studying data and working together to
grow professionally, build a collaborative,
student focused culture and improve outcomes for
all students.
Pam Robbins, 2005
26Promising Practices Closing the Achievement Gap
School
- In a Professional Learning Community
- All members engage in the study of learning.
- Practitioners and members of the extended
community genuinely are devoted to do whatever it
takes to assure that student learning thrives. - Strategic activities are in place so that data
can be studied, decisions made, plans developed
and monitored to attain desired results. - The analysis of teaching and learning is a
routine act collective inquiry and reflection
are viewed as learning tools. - A spectrum of structures are in place to provide
learning options to students who demonstrate that
conventional learning experiences are not
producing desired results. - Resources are targeted at bringing about desired
results for student learning. - Success is celebrated in conjunction with
documenting what contributed to that success. - Problems are regarded as opportunities to
learn. - Trust and camaraderie exist among organizational
members that allows them to take risks and share
successful practices. - A data driven focus influences all activity
within the schoolhouse. - There is a collaboratively developed mission
statement and a vision that emphasize creating
and structuring success for all learners. - Leadership is shared among principals, assistant
principals, deans and teachers. - The principal models being a learning leader.
- Learning is embedded in meetings, professional
development, supervisory visits and casual
conversations. - Teamwork is a common practice the focus in on
learning. - There are norms that govern meetings and place
learning as the centerpiece of all activity. - The school culture is collaborative, student
focused and results oriented. - Students are viewed as valuable sources of
qualitative, informal data regarding the quality
of the work and the workplace environment.
27Promising Practices Closing the Achievement
GapPyramids of Intervention
- When it becomes evident that a student is not
learning, what are some interventions that are
put into action?
When it becomes evident that a teacher is
struggling, what are some interventions or
support mechanisms that are put into place?
281-5
5-10
80-90
29Tiers 1 and 2 Promising Practices -
Differentiated Instruction
- Definition Differentiated instruction is doing
whats fair for students. Its a collection of
best practices strategically employed to maximize
students learning at every turn, including
giving them the tools to handle anything that is
undifferentiated. It requires us to do different
things for different students some, or a lot, of
the time. It is far better to teach kids three
ways to do one thing than one way to do three
things. Rick Wormeli
30What exactly do we differentiate?
- Teachers can differentiate
- Content
- Process
- Product
- Affect
- Learning environment
- According to
- Readiness
- Interest
- Learning profile
- What is fair for students, isnt always equal.
31Promising Practices Closing the Achievement Gap
- To increase the achievement levels of minority
and low income students, we need to focus on what
really matters high standards, a challenging
curriculum, and good teachers. - Kati Haycock
- Lessons Learned
- Standards are key.
- All students must have a challenging curriculum.
- Some students require more time and more
instruction. - Teachers matter a lot.
Source Haycock, K. (2001). Closing the
Achievement Gap, Educational Leadership, ASCD.
32Its All About the Standards
33In a Standards-Based School
- Standards and elements are posted in hallways,
classrooms, and/or common areas, along with
student work that exemplifies the
standards/elements - Students can explain each standard and how their
work reflects mastery of the standard - Students frequently self-assess their work with
an understanding of the standards
34Characteristics of a Standards-Based Classroom
- High Expectations
- Collaboration
- Planning based on the results of frequent
assessment - Clear alignment of standards, instruction, and
assessment - Instruction matched to the needs of the learner
- Flexible grouping and regrouping for instruction
based on the frequent assessment of skills - Additional instructional support and time for
learning - Rigorous, meaningful assignments
- Students have multiple opportunities to revise
and improve their work - Comparison of performance (student work) to the
language of the standardwhat does it look like
when it is mastered?
35--Anne Davies, Making Classroom Assessment Work,
2000
36The Role of the Principal in a Standards-Based
School
- How can I walk the talk?
- Be prepared to lead the change process!
- Schools have that help the status quo
survive. Schools also have
properties - They appear to change,
- then they revert back to old ways,
- if there is no accountability.
antibodies
chameleon
37ACCOUNTABILITY
Hows your stress level? Hows your sanity? If
we wait long enough, will it all just go away?
Feeling overwhelmed? How heavy is the
load? Cant find enough time?
38AYP will get tougher for all sub-groups
100 80 60 40 20
More Students on Grade Level
Fewer Students Below Grade Level
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2010 2011 2012 2014
39Leadership Teams Must Share Accountability
ACCOUNTABILITY
40 WHY DO WE NEED A TEAM?
None of us is as smart as all of us. -
Blanchard Thomas Edison, when asked why he had a
team of twenty-one assistants If I could solve
all the problems myself, I would. A demanding
challenge tends to create a team. -
Katzenback Smith
41Understanding Performance Standards
- In Standards-Based Practice, Teachers
- Select standards/elements from among those
students need to know - Design an assessment through which students will
have an opportunity to demonstrate the
standards/elements - Decide what learning opportunities students will
need to learn those things and plan appropriate
instruction - Use data from assessment to provide feedback,
reteach, allow students to revise their work, or
move on to the next level
42Promising Practices - Assessing Against the
Standard to Determine if Students Need More Time
and/or Instruction
- How much time is needed to learn something new?
- How will we know if students are learning?
- What will we do when students do not learn?
- When should we evaluate learning?
43Providing Feedback for Learning and of Learning
- DESCRIPTIVE FEEDBACK
- Comes during as well as after the learning
- Is easily understood and relates directly to the
learning - Is specific so performance can improve
- Is part of an ongoing conversation about the
learning - Is in comparison to models, exemplars, samples or
descriptions - Is about the performance or work, not the person
- EVALUATIVE FEEDBACK
- Often comes at the end of learning
- Tells the learner how he or she has performed
compared to others or what was to be learned - Is communicated using numbers, letters, checks or
other symbols - Students usually understand whether or not they
need to improve. - Students do not have enough information to
understand what they need to do differently to
improve.
44Group Activity Paper Airplanes
School
What is important in making a paper airplane fly?
- Brainstorm
- Sort ideas by bigger categories
- Make T- Chart with criteria on the left and
details on the right - Fly your product and assess against criteria
- Revise criteria
45THE MAGIC OF SEEING THE TARGET
Feedback Revise
Feedback
First Attempt
LEARNING TARGET
Reflect Revise
46Assessment
Instruction
Curriculum
Standards
Learning
47Promising Practices Closing the Achievement
GapFourteen Factors that Correlate with Student
Achievement
Source Barton, P., Why does the gap exist?
Educational Leadership, November 2004, ASCD.
48Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
Four areas of Strategic Schooling
49Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
- Targets
- Teachers know what concepts and skills are tested
on all assessments for their particular grade
levels.
50Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
- Targets
- Teachers know the district/state standards for
their grade levels.
51Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
- Targets
- Teachers have studied a side-by-side content
analysis of the district/State standards, the
assessed curriculum, and their textbooks.
52Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
- Targets
- Teachers work in groups to calendar what they are
going to teach each month based on the state
assessments and standards.
53Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
- Targets
- Teachers have selected target students by name to
whom they give extra attention and help (e.g.,
those scoring ten points below or ten points
above the cut score). Students close to the
CRCT, EOCT, GHSGT cut lines.
54Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
- Formal interventions during the school day!
- Re-cycle tests
- Extra work on math facts
- Reciprocal teaching for comprehension
- Cross-age tutoring, push in substitute teachers
- Peer tutoring
- Writing to publication
- Double dose of literacy
- Extra time with the teacher
- Call the parents!
55Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
- Targets
- The principal has selected target teachers to
help improve their effectiveness with students,
staff, parents, etc.
56Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
- Targets
- The school has adopted grade-level, subject area
and school-wide achievement targets.
57Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
- Feedback
- Teachers have identified all gainers,
stickers, and sliders. - Teachers know the strengths and weaknesses of
students they have this year based on last years
test data.
58Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
- Feedback
- Teachers have a system of daily, weekly, and
monthly assessments aligned with benchmarks
aligned with the annual assessments.
59Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
- Feedback
- The principal knows at least monthly which
students have recently reached grade level. - The principal gives each teacher feedback at
least monthly on their teaching, parent
involvement, collegiality, and professional
development.
60Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
- Feedback
- Teachers have a test chat in the fall with each
student on his/her assessments results for at
least the last year and help the student set new
achievement and content targets for this year.
61Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
300
- Students can answer the following questions?
- What are you learning?
- Why is it important to know this information?
- Is your work good?
- How do you know your work is good?
62Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
- Know-How
- Teachers are implementing at least one new
strategy, activity, or classroom feature a month
that generates intense student interaction with
complex knowledge. - In addition to learning facts and right answers,
teachers promote student thinking at least
hourly? Teachers ask a why question every 20
minutes. - Teachers make learning fun and interesting as
well as informative.
63Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
- Know-How
- Teachers use identifiable teaching strategies,
grouping strategies, and materials that make
instruction maximally comprehensible to English
language learners and other disadvantaged
students.
64Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
- These are posted in all classrooms
65Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
- Know-How
- Teachers meet in teams at least twice a month for
sacred talk time to discuss target students and
test data, best strategies and content targets.
66Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
- Know-How
- The teachers and principal discuss in a group
format at least one topic of new learning per
month, e.g., an article, a book, a workshop, a
class or school visitation, etc.
67Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
- Know-How
- The principal attends all professional
development activities along with the teachers.
68Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
- Know-How
- The school provides supplementary learning
opportunities for its neediest students beyond
the classroom. - The school provides supplementary health and
social services for students in need to remove
obstacles to learning.
69Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
- Context
- The principal and teachers spend more than 75 of
their time engaged in mission critical work,
conversations and decision-making.
70Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
- Context
- There are correct, high quality examples of
student work on classroom and other school walls. - Achievement data is posted on school walls.
71Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
- Context
- There are 18-20 titles per child in the school
library.
72Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
- Context
- Classrooms are rich with commercial and student
published reading materials. - Classrooms are rich in tables, charts, and graphs.
73Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
- Context
- A code of mutual respect is enforced at the
school, e.g., thank-you, please, no
put-downs, be helpful to others, praise others,
etc.
74Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
- Context
- There are regular, formal celebrations of success
in classrooms and school wide.
75Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
600
- Context
- The school as a whole is an organization in
control of itself.
76Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
- Context
- Parents are involved regularly on their terms
first.
77Leadership Development Strategies for Strategic
Schooling
- Context
- There is evidence that the staff are relentless
and obsessive in their belief that every child
by name can achieve grade-level standards.
78Personal Thoughts to You
School
- Dont do the same things and expect different
results! - Dont tell teachers to do more unless you are
willing to tell them what they can stop doing! - Cancel something! Listen and Collaborate!Resolve
to agree on what is proficient! - REMEMBER! No matter what your problems are IT
AINT THE KIDS!!!
79Shared/Distributed Leadership
80- No man will make a great leader who wants to do
it all himself, or to get all the credit for
doing it. - Andrew Carnegie
81- It is really about being humble enough to know
that maybe someone else has a better idea. - Paul Houston, AASA Exec. Dir.
82- Level 5 leaders blend personal humility with
intense professional will. Level 5 leaders
channel their ego away from themselves and into
the larger goal of building a great company. - Jim Collins, Good to Great
83- You can accomplish anything, provided that you
do not mind who gets the credit. - Harry S. Truman
84- The evaluation of leaders should be predicated
on, more than any other single item, the behavior
of their followers. - Kelly Henson
85What is shared/distributed leadership?
- According to J. P. Spillane and R. Halverson
(Distributed Leadership Toward a Theory of
School Leadership Practice), the most effective
leadership is shared or distributed in a manner
that crafts a common culture where all believe
they are responsible and accountable for
improving teaching and learning.
86What is shared/distributed leadership?
- Where all members of the school community work
together to improve teaching and learning. - Shared/distributed leading is about teaching and
learning it is not about management.
87Why should we use shared/distributed leadership?
- Research
- To move away from the status quo
- To have decisions grounded in knowledge and
practical experience
88Why should we use shared/distributed leadership?
- To achieve a commitment on the part of those that
will implement decisions - To sustain positive change
89- How do we create a culture that fosters shared
leadership? - How do we practice shared leadership?
- How do we move from a highly centralized system
with some aspects of autocratic management, to a
decentralized, participatory system?
900
90You do it by building capacity.
91How do we build capacity in Ware County Schools?
- Who we employ builds capacity
- How we employ builds capacity
- How we train and develop leadership candidates
builds capacity - How we train and develop teachers as leaders
builds capacity
92How do we build capacity in Ware County Schools?
- Sharing information builds capacity
- Visibility and accessibility builds capacity
- Trust builds capacity
- Establishing parameters builds capacity
93How do we build capacity in Ware County Schools?
- Sharing recognition builds capacity
- Sharing accountability builds capacity
- How we move or remove builds capacity
- Success builds capacity
94Shared/Distributed Leadership
- What is the impact on a school level leader?
95Shared/Distributed Leadership
- What is the impact on
- school level faculty and staff?
96- There are two kinds of employees in our district
teachers and those of us who support our
teachers in doing what they do in the classroom. - Kelly Henson
97Shared/Distributed Leadership
- What are the possible benefits to children?
98Revisiting Situational Leadership
- What are the conditions whereby you can
distribute and share leadership effectively and
successfully?
99Mutual Trust Formula
100When there is mutual trust, you can
- Risk more than others think is safe
- Trust more than others think is wise
101How do we build capacity for Distributed/Shared
Leadership at _____
- Honesty
- Communication
- Opportunity
- Structure
- Leadership development
- Common values
- Build the right team
102References
- Anderson, Aaron
- Collins, J. (2001). Good to Great. New York
Harper Collins. - Converse, J., Despair, J. (2003). And Dignity
for All. Upper Saddle River, NJ Prentice Hall. - Cottrell, D. (2002). Monday Morning Leadership.
Dallas, TX Cornerstone, Leadership Institute. - Davies, A. (2000). Making Classroom Assessment
Work. Canada Classroom Connections International - Edison, Thomas
- Georgia Department of Education
- Georgias Leadership Institute for School
Improvement (2006) - Hanson, Kelly
- Hersey, P., Blanchard, K. H. (1988).
Management of Organizational Behavior. Inglewood
Cliffs, NJ Prentice Hall. - Lezotte, Larry
- Maxwell, J.C. (2002). The 17 Essential Qualities
of a Team Player. Nashville, TN. Thomas Nelson,
Inc. - Maxwell, J. C. (2003). Theres No Such Thing as
Business Ethics. Warner Books. - Miller, J.G. (2001). QBQ! The Question Behind
the Question. New York G.P. Putnams Sons. - Ruiz, D. M. (1997). The Four Agreements. San
Rafael, CA Amber-Allen Publishing, Inc. - Wong, Harry
- Wormeli, Rick