Principals Conference

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• Principals Conference
• Becoming a World-Class System
• December 10, 2008

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Website Access
Principals Conference Website All reading
materials, video clips, and graphic organizers
will be available on the Principals Conference
website.
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Leadership and Assessment for Learning

• Leadership means influencing the community to
  face its problemsLeaders mobilize people to
  face problems, and communities make progress on
  problems because leaders challenge and help them
  to do so.
• Ronald Heifetz (1994, pp-14-15)

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Where are we now?

• Content StrandClear Targets and Rubrics
• Questions for Reflection
• How can knowing what good work looks like within
  each of the 5 district initiatives help leaders
  mobilize their communities to face problems of
  practice?
• How can measuring and celebrating progress
  increase effort optimism?

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Coherence
Strategic Plan Goal All students will succeed
at each grade level and graduate from high school
well prepared for a variety of post-secondary
pursuits in our democratic society.
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Coherence in the Systems Architecture
The Strategic Plan Goal orients the system to the
classroom
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Coherence in the Systems Architecture
Initiatives that Support the Instructional Core
Theory of Action
Culture
Stakeholders
Strategic Plan
Instructional Core
Student Engagement
Resources
Structure
Social Justice
Social Justice
Teacher Skills Knowledge
Rigorous Content
Systems
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Defining our workwhat does it look like?

• If We know where we are going
• We have clear targets for our work
• We know what good work looks like

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Our work

• Then we can use the following strategies to know
  where we are now
• 1. Self-Assessment, Formative assessment
• 2. Descriptive Feedback
• 3. Goal Setting

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Our work

• So that,
• We close the gap between where we are now and
  where we want to be in order to
• Eliminate the achievement gap
• Boost achievement for each student

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Our work

• Starts with defining the work
• 1. What is the clear target for principals around
  each of the 5 district initiatives
• 2. Define what good work looks like (rubric
  exemplars) collaboratively so that we share
  common language and understanding

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Leadership
Lorna starts here
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The Journey Began
A scoring rubric is a tool for evaluating a
product or a performance. A rubric consists of
evaluation criteria, a fixed scale (i.e. four or
six levels), and descriptive terms (indicators)
for differentiating among different degrees of
understanding, proficiency, or quality The
criteria in a rubric communicate the important
qualities in a product or performance.
Understanding by Design Handbook, page 161
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How will we know when we have an effective rubric?
There is no single correct way to develop and
use rubrics however, there are some wrong ways.
This chapter explores what we, and others, have
discovered should always be true of rubrics and
things that developers should avoid. Well
include common mistakes made by beginners.
Arter, J. McTighe, J. (2001) Scoring rubrics in
the classroom (pp. 45-72).
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How will we know when we have an effective rubric?

• The Final Word
• Read the excerpt Guiding Questions How will we
  know when we have an effective rubric? Highlight
  2-3 items in each section.
• Beginning with Trait 1, one person shares 1
  highlighted item
• Going around the table, group members comment
  briefly about the item
• Person who began shares their thinking and gets
  the final word
• Move around the table and do same for each Trait

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The Journey Continues

• The 5 Initiatives
• The districts written, taught and tested
  curriculum is the taught curriculum
• 2. Assessment for Learning (formative and
  summative assessment)
• 3. Social Justice embedded in our work
• 4. Social Support evidenced in school/classroom
  culture
• 5. Standards-based reporting

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The Journey Continues
The School What does it look/sound like when
the written, taught and tested curriculum is
fully implemented in a school? What does it
look like from a student perspective? What does
it look like from a teacher perspective? What
does it look like from a parent perspective? The
Principal What does a principal need to know and
be able to do to help his/her staff fully
implement the written, taught and tested
curriculum?
How does your understanding of social justice
influence this rubric?
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The Journey Continues Todays Task

• Sit with your assigned team
• Facilitator will divide team into subgroups and
  assign an initiative
• Individually record
• What needs to be clarified?
• What is missing?
• What might not fit?
• What questions do you have?
• Where is evidence of social justice initiative?
• Individuals share work with team
• Do each standard, each part systematically
• Listen to all ideas
• Team comes to consensus on revisions

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The Journey Continues Next Steps
The Journey Ahead Implementing the 5
Initiatives
Professional Learning facilitator will analyze,
organize, synthesize the work and examine the
research base Principal Advisory and planning
team will vet work and examine with an eye to
embedded social justice and examine the research
base Principal Conference revisit
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The Journey Continues Todays Task
The Journey Ahead Implementing the 5
Initiatives
Elementary Administrators Large Room Middle
School Administrators Room 214 High School
Administrators Room 215 Central Office
Staff Assigned group
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Elementary Schools
IRENE TAMMY BRIDGET Bemiss Adams Balboa F
ranklin Arlington Cooper Grant Audubon Jeff
erson Holmes Browne Lincoln
Hts Hutton Finch Madison Lidgerwood Garfiel
d Willard Logan Hamblen Moran
Prairie Mullan Road Indian Trail Regal Roosevel
t Linwood Longfellow Stevens Ridgeview Sheri
dan Westview Whitman Woodridge Wilson Libby
Bryant
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Middle Schools
Lorna Garry Chase Glover Sacajawea Salk S
haw Bancroft
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High Schools
Sharon Jon Karin Ferris Lewis Clark North
Central Havermale Shadle Park Skills
Center Rogers
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Break 15 Minutes
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Where are we now?

• Leadership Strand

• Reflective Questions
• How can revisiting the purpose of WTs help
  instructional leaders improve classroom
  instruction?
• How can being clear about what we see inside the
  instructional core offer opportunity for
  effective descriptive feedback?

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Our work

• Starts with defining the work
• 1. What is the clear target for principals around
  each of the 5 district initiatives
• 2. Define what good work looks like (rubric
  exemplars) collaboratively so that we share
  common language and understanding

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Our work

• Second Step Support the work
• Support the work with professional development
• Collaborate to create a better solution

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Coherence in the Systems Architecture
Theory of Action Principals impact the
instructional corethey are second only to
teachers in determining quality of instruction.
The system must collaboratively support the work
of principals

• Principals Advisory Committee
• Partners in coherence
• Please recognize the Principals Advisory Team

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New Partners in Leadership Development

• We have agreed to work with Center for
  Educational Leadership (CEL), University of
  Washington, College of Education
• That work is sponsored by a Stuart Foundation
  Grant that has been awarded to CEL

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Leading with Insight Activity

• As you watch the classroom video
• Write down the instructional practices you
  observe
• Be specific and cite examples
• Consider our prior walk-through work
• Content
• Context
• Cognitive rigor
• Engagement

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Leading with Insight Noticing and Wondering
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Leading with Insight Activity

• Discuss with a partner
• What instructional practices did you observe?
• Be specific and cite examples
• Consider our prior walk-through work
• What is the student doing?
• What is the teacher doing?
• What is the content?
• Is it rigorous?
• What is the level of engagement?

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The 5 Dimensions of Teaching and Leading Leading
with Insight

• Purpose
• Standards
• Teaching Point
• Student Engagement
• Intellectual work
• Engagement Strategies (structure)
• Talk (substance)
• Curriculum and Pedagogy
• Content
• Teaching Approach/Strategy
• Scaffold for Learning
• Assessment of Student Learning
• Assessment
• Adjustment
• Classroom Environment and Culture
• Environment
• Classroom Routines and Rituals
• Classroom Culture

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Leading with Insight 5 Dimensions and the SPS
coherence model
The Classroom our Instructional Core 1. Students
are engaged with content and their own learning
(Student Engagement) 2. Teachers believe all
students can learn, have deep content knowledge
and know how to teach that content to students
(Curriculum and Pedagogy, Classroom Environment
and Culture) 3. Curriculum content is rigorous
and relevant (Student Engagement) 4. Social
justice and cultural competency are embedded in
the culture of the classroom, the school and the
system. (Classroom Environment and Culture)
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Leading with Insight 5 Dimensions and the SPS
coherence model
District Initiatives 1. The districts
written, taught and tested curriculum is the
taught curriculum (Purpose, Curriculum and
Pedagogy) 2. Assessment for Learning (formative
and summative assessment) (Purpose, Student
Engagement, Assessment of Student Learning) 3.
Social Justice embedded in our work (Classroom
Environment and Culture) 4. Social Support
evidenced in school/classroom culture (Classroom
Environment and Culture) 5. Standards-based
reporting (Assessment of Student Learning)
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Leading with Insight Next Steps

• October- Principal Advisory presentation
• October- School Directors attend CEL
• December- School Directors walk-throughs
• January- Online assessment for all
• Use to determine mini-institutes
• January- Cadre selection (16)
• Principals only
• 2 cadres of 8
• Application process
• February- Overview for all (all day)
• Principal Conference
• February- Walk-throughs
• March- Walk-throughs
• May- Walk-thorughs

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Questions? Reflections?

• Summary document Improving Instruction
  Developing the Knowledge and Skill of School
  Leaders, CEL
• Provides general outline of CEL/SPS work this
  year
• Translators guide to language
• Reflection/Questions?

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Questions? Reflections?

• Summary document Improving Instruction
  Developing the Knowledge and Skill of School
  Leaders, CEL
• Provides general outline of CEL/SPS work this
  year
• Translators guide to language
• Reflection/Questions?