Leadership in Reading First: A principled team

1
Leadership in Reading First A principled team

• Sharon Walpole
• University of Delaware

2
Introductions and Some History

• 1997-98 Data for Beat the Odds study collected
• 1998-99 Beat the Odds study data analyzed
  dissertation data collected REA authorized
• 1999-00 Instructional coordinator with
  experienced principal REA federal reviewer REA
  staff visits REA work in Iowa and Georgia
• 2000-01 Instructional coordinator with
  inexperienced principal Reading Rockets
  documentary filmed
• 2001-02 REA coordinator at neighboring school
• 2002-03 Move to Delaware
• 2003-04 LC Handbook Reading First in Delaware
• 2004-05 Reading First in Georgia ERRFTAC
  consultant

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Whats Happening with Coaching?

• Several different models that vary as to their
  focus (school or classroom) and their content
  (reform or improvement)
• IRA is teaming with researchers interested in
  coaching (e.g., Rita Bean, Cathy Toll, Camille
  Blachowitz, Sharon Walpole) to survey coaches and
  produce a descriptive document
• General stance Coaches need ongoing support in
  a variety of areas
• IRA and NCTE are teaming to draft standards for
  coaching (Bean, Walpole, Farstrup)
• One sure thing coordination is essential

4
Whats Happened in DE?

• Year 1 Developed PD plan for coaches and
  beginning state-level monitoring
• Year 2 PD for coaches separated from monitoring
• Reapplication Individualized plans for each
  district
• Year 3 PD for coaches and principals together
  plus additional PD for coaches

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Literacy Coachs Focus In Data Analysis
First Priority
Second Priority
Regrouping
Program Evaluation
To what extent is my program keeping Benchmark
children at benchmark?
Form needs-based groups for classroom instruction
To what extent is small-group work moving
strategic children to benchmark?
Choose instructional emphasis
To what extent is my program moving Intensive
children to benchmark?
Assign children to interventions
To what extent are classroom effects apparent?
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Literacy Coachs Focus In Data Analysis
First Priority
Regrouping
Form needs-based groups for classroom instruction
Which DIBELS reports should I use?
Choose instructional emphasis
Do you have curriculum materials to accomplish
this?
Assign children to interventions
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Literacy Coachs Focus In Data Analysis
Second Priority
Program Evaluation
To what extent is my program keeping Benchmark
children at benchmark?
To what extent is small-group work moving
strategic children to benchmark?
To what extent is my program moving Intensive
children to benchmark?
To what extent are classroom effects apparent?
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State-Level Year-End Data, 2004-05
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General Impressions

• We are increasingly successful in
  prevention-based instruction in Kindergarten
• We need to continue to experiment in
  intervention, particularly for second and third
  grade
• Consider time, focus, and explicitness for
  needs-based work?
• Consider additional intervention programs?

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Cross-Sectional Analysis

• How well are the kindergarten children this year
  doing compared to last year?
• Did they start out stronger or weaker?
• Did they make more or less progress between fall
  and winter?
• And yes, these are different children, but the
  teachers are the same and the program is the same

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For Kindergarten

• Beginning of kindergarten status includes
  weighted combinations of measures
• Middle kindergarten directs attention to initial
  sound fluency
• End of kindergarten directs attention to phoneme
  segmentation fluency
• You have to look at your own data, considering
  all measures, to really evaluate your program

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State K Cross-Section
Fall 2003 Fall 2003 Fall 2003 Winter 2004 Winter 2004 Winter 2004 Spring 2004 Spring 2004 Spring 2004
I 31 S 43 B 26 I 30 S 40 B 30 I 24 S 34 B 42
Fall 2004 Fall 2004 Fall 2004 Winter 2005 (ISF) Winter 2005 (ISF) Winter 2005 (ISF) Spring 2005 (PSF) Spring 2005 (PSF) Spring 2005 (PSF)
I 30 S 42 B 27 I 15 S 46 B 38 I 8 S 18 B 74
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For first grade

• Beginning of first grade status includes weighted
  combinations of measures
• Middle first grade directs attention to nonsense
  word fluency
• End of first grade directs attention to oral
  reading fluency
• You have to look at your own data, considering
  all measures, to really evaluate your program

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State 1 Cross-Section
Fall 2003 Fall 2003 Fall 2003 Winter 2004 Winter 2004 Winter 2004 Spring 2004 Spring 2004 Spring 2004
I 33 S 32 B 36 I 32 S 30 B 39 I 25 S 30 B 45
Fall 2004 Fall 2004 Fall 2004 Winter 2005 (NWF) Winter 2005 (NWF) Winter 2005 (NWF) Spring 2005 (ORF) Spring 2005 (ORF) Spring 2005 (ORF)
I 19 S 29 B 53 I 13 S 40 B 48 I 16 S 26 B 58
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For Second Grade

• Beginning of second grade status includes
  weighted combinations of measures
• Middle second grade directs attention to oral
  reading fluency
• End of second grade directs attention to oral
  reading fluency
• You have to use the cognitive model of
  assessment to interpret these data

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State 2 Cross-Section
Fall 2003 Fall 2003 Fall 2003 Winter 2004 Winter 2004 Winter 2004 Spring 2004 Spring 2004 Spring 2004
I 27 S 32 B 42 I 32 S 18 B 50 I 38 S 22 B 40
Fall 2004 Fall 2004 Fall 2004 Winter 2005 Winter 2005 Winter 2005 Spring 2005 Spring 2005 Spring 2005
I 21 S 32 B 47 I 22 S 19 B 59 I 26 S 20 B 54
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For Third Grade

• Third grade data include only oral reading
  fluency
• You have to use the cognitive model of
  assessment to interpret these data

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State 3 Cross-Section
Fall 2003 Fall 2003 Fall 2003 Winter 2004 Winter 2004 Winter 2004 Spring 2004 Spring 2004 Spring 2004
I 25 S 31 B 44 I 33 S 34 B 33 I 28 S 40 B 33
Fall 2004 Fall 2004 Fall 2004 Winter 2005 Winter 2005 Winter 2005 Spring 2005 Spring 2005 Spring 2005
I 26 S 35 B 40 I 27 S 31 B 42 I 20 S 38 B 41
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Cohort Analysis

• Given childrens experience at your school over
  time, to what extent is your instructional
  program actually accelerating literacy growth
  over time?
• (and you are right when you say its not EXACTLY
  the same children if your population is highly
  transient)

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State Cohort K-1
Fall 2003 Fall 2003 Fall 2003 Winter 2004 Winter 2004 Winter 2004 Spring 2004 Spring 2004 Spring 2004
I 31 S 43 B 26 I 30 S 40 B 30 I 24 S 34 B 42
Fall 2004 Fall 2004 Fall 2004 Winter 2005 (NWF) Winter 2005 (NWF) Winter 2005 (NWF) Spring 2005 Spring 2005 Spring 2005
I 19 S 29 B 53 I 13 S 40 B 48 I 16 S 26 B 58
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State Cohort 1-2
Fall 2003 Fall 2003 Fall 2003 Winter 2004 Winter 2004 Winter 2004 Spring 2004 Spring 2004 Spring 2004
I 33 S 32 B 36 I 32 S 30 B 39 I 25 S 30 B 45
Fall 2004 Fall 2004 Fall 2004 Winter 2005 (ORF) Winter 2005 (ORF) Winter 2005 (ORF) Spring 2005 Spring 2005 Spring 2005
I 21 S 32 B 47 I 22 S 19 B 59 I 26 S 20 B 54
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State Cohort 2-3
Fall 2003 Fall 2003 Fall 2003 Winter 2004 Winter 2004 Winter 2004 Spring 2004 Spring 2004 Spring 2004
I 27 S 32 B 42 I 32 S 18 B 50 I 38 S 22 B 40
Fall 2004 Fall 2004 Fall 2004 Winter 2005 Winter 2005 Winter 2005 Spring 2005 Spring 2005 Spring 2005
I 26 S 35 B 39 I 27 S 31 B 42 I 20 S 38 B 41
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Questions for Leaders

• To what extent have you set and communicated the
  plan?
• To what extent are teachers understanding and
  implementing the curriculum?
• How are they using time?
• How are they monitoring progress and adjusting
  their instruction and groupings?
• How well are they using intervention options?

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For Coaches

• If youre not getting the results you want, you
  have to do something different.
• Start with yourself
• Work more closely with administration.
• Spend more time in classrooms.
• Focus your pd time on differentiation.

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• What leadership lessons have been learned at
  ERRFTAC?

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PD on PD a tall order

• Respectful of participants
• Combination of formal presentation and time for
  you to talk and plan
• Informed by the research on PD
• Content, process, context
• Teacher change, student achievement
• Evaluation
• Concrete example
• Time for reflection

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What do you bring to your team?What do you need
from your team?

• SBRR knowledge of development?
• SBRR knowledge of instruction?
• Research on adult learning?
• Research on professional development?
• Research on school change? Teacher change?
• Research on leadership?
• Experience in these areas?

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• Guskey, T. R., Sparks, D. (1996). Exploring the
  Relationship between Staff Development and
  Improvements in Student Learning. Journal of
  Staff Development, 17(4), 34-38.

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Administrator Knowledge/Practice
School Policies
Content
School Culture Supervision/Evaluation
Process
Teacher Knowledge/Practice
Context
Improved Achievement
Connections with Families
Quality of Staff Development
Parent Knowledge/Practice
Parent Education
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Planning for Quality
Content
Process
Quality of Staff Development
Context
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Impact of Quality
Administrator Knowledge/Practice
Quality of Staff Development
School Culture Supervision/Evaluation
Teacher Knowledge/Practice
Connections with Families
Parent Education
Parent Knowledge/Practice
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Road to Achievement
Administrator Knowledge/Practice
School Policies
Teacher Knowledge/Practice
Improved Achievement
Parent Knowledge/Practice
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From Staff Development to Student
Learning(Guskey Sparks, 1996)
Administrator Knowledge/Practice
School Policies
Content
School Culture Supervision/Evaluation
Process
Teacher Knowledge/Practice
Context
Improved Achievement
Connections with Families
Quality of Staff Development
Parent Knowledge/Practice
Parent Education
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Successful School Reform is

• Specific The program is sufficiently
  detailed.
• Powerful The program produces results.
• Authoritative Leadership is involved and
  informed.
• Consistent The program is uniformly
  implemented.
• Stable The program is not changed without
  reason.

Desimone, L. (2002). How can comprehensive school
reform models be successfully implemented?
Review of Educational Research, 72,433479.
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A teacher change process(Guskey, 1986)
PD Target Areas
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Ongoing Evaluation of PD efforts
Participant Reactions
Participant Learning
Organizational Support
Teacher Practice
Bottom Line Student Achievement
Thomas Guskey, Educational Leadership, March 2002.
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The Effective RF Principal
Joseph Murphy, in Leadership for Literacy
Research-Based Practice, PreK-3 (2003, Corwin
Press), summarizes key qualities possessed by
principals of schools where achievement is strong.
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An effective principal

• A Real School story . . .
• (how I got into the schoolwide business)

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The More-Effective Principal And in real
life . . .
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The More-Effective Principal The
Less-Effective Principal
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The More-Effective Principal The
Less-Effective Principal
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Setting Goals
The More-Effective Principal My principal
Has a more child-centered vision Knew every
child and every family Sets manageable,
realistic goals Targeted a specific
dimension Sees student performance as
central Collected, analyzed his own
data Expresses goals in measurable terms Talked
the numbers, questioned Uses goals for
planning Not the feds, not the district . .
. Asks parents staff to help set goals Had a
kitchen cabinet
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Communicating Goals
The More-Effective Principal My principal
Periodically reviews discusses Established the
concept of state of school Actively
clarifies goals Served as a sounding
board Has teachers who know goals Created
excitement and shared vocab Has
teachers who see themselves Believed in his
staff as good instructors
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Promoting Quality Instruction
The More-Effective Principal My
principal
Insists on certain teaching strategies Established
a schoolwide reading program Favors
interactive teaching Corrected my
modeling Assigns teachers on the basis
of Regularly switched grade levels improving
achievement
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Supervising Instruction
The More-Effective Principal My
principal
Relies little on formal observations MBWA Values
informal visits and meetings Every classroom
every day Often reads about instruction Sometime
s crazy things! Often provides specific
feedback Reading specialist himself Counsels
and assists poor teachers Including out of
teaching!
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Allocating Instructional Time
The More-Effective Principal My
principal
Carefully sets time allocations 90 minutes,
cross grade Coordinates time allocations Entire
school schedule reframed across
teachers Schedules more instructional and
fewer Reading instruction never
cancelled non-instructional activities Insists
on time for basics DIET of words, fluency,
comp Protects uninterrupted block Every day,
every classroom
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Coordinating the Curriculum
The More-Effective Principal My principal
Is highly involved in curriculum After reading,
writing, then science and alignment social
studies Is concerned with the continuity Empower
ed gifted education specialist of curriculum from
grade to grade
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Monitoring Student Progress
The More-Effective Principal My
principal
Supports testing programs Taught me about
progress monitoring Provides test results to
teachers Regrouping from the office In a timely
manner Discusses results with groups
and Constant evaluation of grouping individual
teachers Encourages teachers to use test Used
student achievement results to results to plan
instruction discuss instructional quality
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Setting Expectations
The More-Effective Principal My principal
Holds adults accountable for student Never blamed
families or children learning outcomes Requires
mastery of grade-level Retention in first
grade skills for promotion to next grade
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Being Visible
The More-Effective Principal My principal
Is often out of the office It can
wait Makes an effort to move about Eyes
everywhere the campus and in and out of classrooms
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Providing Incentives
The More-Effective Principal My principal

• Recognizes teachers with rewards Had favorites
• such as
• distributing leadership
• showing personal interest
• making public acknowledgements
• giving private praise
• Ensures that student rewards are Thought about
  other important areas
• frequent and they they go to a large
• percentage of students
• Focuses rewards on achievement Grades tied to
  status on grade level

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Promoting PD
The More-Effective Principal My principal
Is more likely to be directly involved Took 2
graduate classes with me! in PD
activities Follows up by ensuring that PD
Forced me to have outcomes methods are
implemented Cobbles temporary coalitions Had
realistic expectations knew of teachers to help
implement who would struggle Encourages
professional dialogue Set up grade-level PD
during the day Helps teachers attend
conferences Sent people as a reward
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Creating a Safe Orderly Learning Environment
The More-Effective Principal My principal
Works with teachers to develop If they needed
it classroom management skills Establishes a
clear and consistent Not perfect at
that disciplinary policy Enforces discipline
fairly and That either consistently Involves
teachers and students Sets rules
independently In setting rules
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Creating a Safe Orderly Learning Environment
The More-Effective Principal My principal
Confronts problems quickly and Very
personal forcefully Supports teachers with
discipline Is unsympathetic to teachers
with problems discipline problems
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Promoting Collaboration
The More-Effective Principal My principal
Encourages teamwork and Reading program forced
it collaborative efforts Gives faculty a
formal role in For those who wanted it decision
making Informally seeks teachers
ideas Kitchen cabinet and opinions
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Securing Outside Resources
The More-Effective Principal My principal
Is skilled at influencing district Renegade decis
ion making about resources Actively seeks
resources Magic of partnerships Assertively
recruits the best Renegade teachers (even from
other schools) Allocates money based on
goals Always saved some money
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Linking Home and School
The More-Effective Principal My principal
Communicates with parents on a Differentiated
strategies regular basis Involves parents in
school activities Differentiated
strategies Establishes programs that
promote Calls home home visits
African- parent-teacher interaction American
history night Promotes the school to Churches,
university, local sports community
groups Provides ways parents can
learn Families Learning Together about school
and help their children
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• In RF there are at least three of you . . .
• Principal
• Literacy Coach
• LEA Representative

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• What do you want to change in your school?
• How can you do it together?

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Reading First is aboutBuilding Capacity for
Leadership

• State Reading Team
• County Coordinators
• Coaches and Principals
• Teachers

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CIERAs Beat the Odds Study

• The most effective schools had
• Strong links to parents
• Systematic internal assessment systems
• Systems for communication and collaboration
• Small-group interventions across the grades
• Ongoing professional development
• None of these things is possible without strong
  leadership

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I review 3 sources of guidance for leaders
Session Plan
Principals help to plan for their Coach
You reflect with your team
You consider your own strengths and weaknesses
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Sources of Guidance
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What does the literature say about the role of
the principal in school improvement?
Instructional Leader Collaborative Leader Transformational Leader
Managing, guiding curriculum and instruction directly Creating a system for shared decision-making Both leading directly and sharing decision-making
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Or Maybe a Systems Thinker?

• Michael Fullan, 2005

• A person capable of participating in the reform
  of a system (a school nested in a district nested
  in a state) by interacting with and supporting
  the development of other leaders

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Or Maybe a Systems Thinker

• A person capable of participating in the reform
  of a system (a school nested in a district nested
  in a state) by interacting with and supporting
  the development of other leaders

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• Principals What is the leadership model that
  guides you?
• Please take 10 minutes to discuss your leadership
  training or philosophy with your LC.

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• The main mark of an effective principal
• is not just his or her impact on
• the bottom line of student achievement, but also
  on how many leaders he or she
• leaves behind who can go even
• further (Fullan, 2005, p. 31).

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In DERF

• We need RF principals to be systems thinkers,
  training and empowering their literacy coaches to
  be leaders. Not generic leaders, but leaders in
  that particular RF principals school doing work
  that is consistent with the principals vision
  for RF in the building.

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• Fullan argues that effective leaders
• create positive energy

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Energy Creators
Act enthusiastic, positive Think critically, creatively, and imaginatively Help others to think and do Are leaders at all levels Are reflective and honest about their own work Always strive to do better
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Energy Neutrals Energy Consumers
Are competent Are task-oriented Are good at keeping things working Dont like others to reflect on their work Can improve on their own Are negative Dont like change, block change Take up other peoples time Dont feel good about their work Wont, cant reflect on their own practice Dont seem to want to improve
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Think a minute

• In your own RF leadership role, whats one way
  you can move from either a neutral or a consumer
  to a producer of energy?

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• When it comes to sustainability, each level above
  you helps or hinders (it is rarely neutral)
  (Fullan, 2005, p.65).

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Think a minute

• Given your own place in our system, to what
  extent are you helping individuals in the level
  below you? What is one way that you can improve?

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• I have learned as a principal the importance of
  backing my LC up. Last year as a first year
  principal I was just trying to keep my head above
  water. To be perfectly honest, at the very
  beginning of this project I just thought, Thats
  your department. You handle that, and then I
  discovered that I couldnt do that.

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Task 1
LEA Reps Principals Literacy Coaches
How can you increase your support to principals? How can you increase your support to your Literacy Coach? How can you increase your support to your teachers?
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Sources of Guidance
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Georgia REA Experience

• Enter the Literacy Coach
• Perhaps an inexperienced leader?
• Perhaps leading a fairly complex set of
• changes in curriculum and assessment?
• Perhaps constantly negotiating his or her
  role at school?

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• I know what she has contributed to our language
  arts program just through the assistance she has
  provided teachers. I know that my assistant
  principal and I could not do that. We have 55
  teachers in our school and 35 classrooms, 750
  students. Theres no way that the two of us could
  provide the instructional support that the
  teachers need.

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Lets learn from that first cohort

• How did principals define the role of the
  literacy coach in building-level change?
• How did partnership with an LC influence these
  principals own role?

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What is a Literacy Coach?
Mentor (n6) Director (n8)
Classroom-level focus Relationships Modeling Observing Differentiated support School-level focus Vision Scheduling Managing Differentiated support Modeling Observing
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What should your LC be?

• In your building, are procedures for addressing
  these particular school-level RF issues already
  firmly in place?
• Support your Empower your
• LC as mentor LC as director

Yes?
No?
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How does partnership with an LC change a
principals role?

• Changes school schedule, for instruction and for
  professional development
• Provides a professional development loop from
  outside the classroom to inside
• Sharpens the focus of administrative observation
• Changes the school climate
• Allows the principal to focus on instruction

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• Getting the information, having the coach, being
  in the classrooms, doing the observations, doing
  the modeling, and then coming back and watching
  teachers and letting them share ideasthats the
  only way to perpetuate change.

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• I very much like the instructional part of my job
  and this has made me go back to what it was I
  wanted to do when I started being a principal.
  It has, really, it has. I mean its true. Im
  in the classrooms every day.

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Task 2
LEA Reps Principals Literacy Coaches
How can you provide additional support to your principals and coaches in defining their roles? Do you want your LC to be mentor or director? How can you help? To what extent have you been defining your role as mentor or director?
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Sources of Guidance
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• North Central
• Regional Educational Laboratory
• (NCREL)
• http//www.ncrel.org/rf/leadership/leaderguide.htm
  

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What can Principals do in RF?

• Build RF in your building!
• Provide a vision
• Set priorities
• Create ownership
• Remove barriers
• Foster peer support
• Model the behavior you want

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• Right now to me we have the best reading program
  that any school could have. And that comes from
  here, from my heart.

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• Set up the system for classroom instruction
• Continue to monitor and direct the use of
  commercial materials
• Set and protect your reading block
• Make sure that every teacher has what he/she
  needs to teach
• Make goals for the building
• Monitor through analyzing assessments and through
  observing instruction

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Task 3
What are the strengths and weaknesses of your system for classroom instruction? What is one thing that each of you can do to improve it?
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• Ive noticed that the dialogue, the interaction,
  the level of discussion is much more insightful
  and thats very promising to me because we keep
  pulling ourselves back to the researchwhats
  worked? whats going to work with our kids?

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• Set up the system for support
• Maintain an every classroom focus
• Walk through or observe every day
• Direct the coach to give extra support to
  teachers you notice are struggling
• Make time and provide resources for training in
  new programs
• Meet regularly with your Coach

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Task 4
What are the strengths and weaknesses of your system for support? What is one thing that each of you can do to improve it?
100

• Education is based on what you expect anyway, and
  if you expect children to do well, theyre going
  to do well for you. If you just say, well these
  kids cant do this, theyre never going to do it.
  So its all a matter of what you expect, and I
  expect my teachers to continue teaching our
  reading program. I will be in those rooms.
  Wheres your whole group? Where is your
  read-aloud? Where are these small groups?

101

• Be active in the professional development process
  in your building
• Keep non-aligned pd out!
• Participate in as many pd sessions as possible
• Help teachers network with one another and with
  teachers from other schools
• Be specific about expectations for implementation

102
Task 5
What are the strengths and weaknesses of your system for professional development? What is one thing that each of you can do to improve it?
103

• Even this week its really impressed me that we
  really cannot observe that which we dont
  understand. You really need to know what youre
  looking for and you need to have a deeper
  appreciation of it. So my role has changed in
  that I feel I need to be better educated in the
  research. My key role is to verify. Check on
  fidelity. You got a plan. You got some people
  to help you to implement that plan. I see my
  chief job as ensuring fidelity to whomever is
  working in the plan. Im doing what Im supposed
  to be doing, coach is doing what shes supposed
  to be doing, teachers are doing what theyre
  supposed to be doing. I call that fidelity.

104

• Be active in assessing progress
• Use school-level assessment data to identify
  problems in your curriculum
• Use classroom-level data to identify teachers who
  are struggling and to provide them extra support
• Use individual data to establish and reestablish
  your intervention groups

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Task 6
What are the strengths and weaknesses of your system for assessing progress? What is one thing that each of you can do to improve it?
106

• Its basically an informed school now, where they
  know what theyre doing.
• One of our parents said this school is a Reading
  School. I think thats what we want, if a parent
  can say our school is a Reading School.

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Think a minute

• You are the leader of this change effort. Do you
  want to survive it or sustain it?

108
After the funding . . .

• The way we teach reading will not change, and
  well continue. Weve learned that there is so
  much out there to learn, and so well continue to
  learn. I think that weve become -- youve heard
  the phrase -- life-long learners. And so well
  continue to search the research and not just go
  by what textbook companies tell us, which is what
  weve always done in the past. I think the
  reading program will continue to grow in the
  direction of SBRR.

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• You are a district representative, a principal,
  and a coach working together. What are your
  goals for next year?

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And how can I help you?

• Please write me a note about something specific
  that youd like me to address in next years
  professional development.