ASCD

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Instructional Rounds and Walkthroughs Informing
Collective Action

• ASCD
• March 26, 2012

Dr. Joan Daly-Lewis Ms. Gina Faust Dr. Phyllis
Harrington Dr. Laura Seinfeld
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Session Objectives

• Distinguish features of Instructional Rounds and
  Classroom Walkthroughs
• Describe how these protocols influence collective
  action around improving student learning
• Reflect upon approaches that best match district
  and/or building goals

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Why a sense of urgency?
It is clear that closed classroom doors will not
help us educate all students to high levels. Our
goal is to support a system of instructional
improvement at scale, not just isolated pockets
of good teaching in the midst of
mediocrity. City, et. Al


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• It is essential that all educators recognize that
  
• the work of professional learning never ends, it
  is a career-long endeavor.
  
  Danielson

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• Equity and opportunity matter. Spreading the best
  of what we know and are able to do across an
  entire institution, not just a few teams,
  schools, departments, or single practitioners
  matters.
• Every child deserves an expert teacher.
• Platt, et. al

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The power of rounds will only be realized when
and if they become embedded in the actual work of
the district. Rounds must develop a
collaborative, inquiry-based culture that
shatters the norms of isolation and autonomy.

Marzano
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• Essentials Structural Variables

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Essentials on Rounds Walkthroughs

• Short, focused classroom visits
• Paint a picture of reality, to inform individual
  or collective improvement efforts
• May offer feedback

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Some benefits of systematic walkthroughs

• CIA Diagnostics
• An aware learning community
• Everyone focused on student learning
• Students see multiple adults caring about their
  learning

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Essentials

• MUCH variation among models
• Focus Duration - Complexity
• Historically, not primarily evaluative
• All intended to enhance teaching and learning
• Most valuable when fostering collective analysis
  of practice

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TWO ESSENTIAL DESIGNQUESTIONS

• What do you want?

• What will you put into it?

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CWTs Two critical drivers (and opportunities)

• Increased data for summative and formative
  feedback
• and

• A structured resource to support professional
  student learning

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For your consideration

• Four models
• Two types

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Two Types
SOLO

• DOWNEY- 3 Min. Classroom Walkthroughs

• MARSHALL Mini observations

TEAM

• UCLA Team walkthroughs

• INSTRUCTIONAL ROUNDS

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ESSENCE Solo Models

• DOWNEY
• Frequent
• Short visits (3-6 min.)
• Administrator
• 5 steps
• To identify curriculum instruction patterns
• Invites change via reflective questions

• MARSHALL
• Monthly
• Mini observations (5-10 min.)
• Principal
• 6 domains/ 60 elements
• Feedback on rubric
• Linked to curriculum, and to student progress
  indicators (4-part model)

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ESSENCE TEAM Models

• UCLA (Breaking Through)
• Occasional, half-day teacher-driven walkthrough
  cycles
• 5- 7 min.
• Visits explore focus questions
• Leads to action planning for observers and the
  team

• INSTRUCTIONAL ROUNDS
• Monthly full-day administrator walks
• 15-20 min.
• Explores problems of practice in light of
  theories of action
• Observe, debrief, plan focusing on the
  instructional core systemic growth

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Look fors- Solo Models

• DOWNEY-5 STEPS
• Student orientation
• Curricular Decisions - 3 Cs
• Instructional Decisions
• Safety
• Artifacts

• MARSHALL SOTEL rubric
• Safety
• Objectives
• Teaching
• Engagement
• Learning

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Look fors- Team Models

• UCLA
• Teacher generated focus question re student
  learning or teaching
• Often linked to a current initiative
• Focus on evidence-based description

• ROUNDS
• Evidence of effective instruction vis a vis the
  problem of practice, and the theory of action
• Focused examination of the instructional core

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Data Recording Solo Models

• DOWNEY
• Personal notes
• Seeking patterns
• Identify possible growth areas

• MARSHALL
• Simple notes on roster
• Identify 1-3 areas for feedback

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DOWNEY SAMPLE WALKTHROUGH RECORD CARD
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Excel CWT Recording Form(Roman Numerals
Danielson Domains)
IV. Domain 4 Noticings
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Data Recording-Team Models

• UCLA
• Hall sharing debriefing sessions
• T-chart evidence with noticings and
  wonderings
• ID trends w/ action implications

• ROUNDS
• T-chart evidence with noticings and
  wonderings
• ID patterns make predictions
• Short, mid-range, and long term suggestions for
  host schools next work

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FOLLOW UP-Solo Models

• DOWNEY
• Reflective questions OR direct feedback
• 1-to-1 or group - not after each visit
• TEACHER leads re next steps

• MARSHALL
• Quick 1-to-1 direct feedback within 24 hours
• Opportunity for clarification

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FOLLOW UP Team Models

• UCLA
• TIGHT PROTOCOL norms to review data
• ID trends discuss action implications for self
  possibly for team
• School-wide sharing action research

• ROUNDS
• TIGHT PROTOCOLS to review data
• ID trends w/ action implications for school and
  network
• Action research / pd

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SUGGESTIONS re STRUCTURES

• Consider your goals and system resources, then
  design backward
• Solo? Group? Both?
• Systemic support? PLC status?
• Study, observe and discuss the models
• Recognize the complexity that each model demands
• Developing readiness for all
• Prerequisite skills
• Facilitator availability
• Time and organizational demands

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Designing Instructional Rounds

• Prior to the Rounds
• Select a problem of practice
• Develop a theory of action
• Create a list of indicators and look fors
• Prepare a schedule of visits and walking teams

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2 Sample Problems of Practice

• Our students are not getting enough opportunities
  to practice thinking or engage in problem solving
  tasks through a balanced and strategic system of
  higher level questioning or through well planned
  learning objectives.
• Our students are relying heavily on teacher
  evaluation of performance rather than
  demonstrating independence in applying prior and
  current learning to master learning objectives.

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Our Most Recent Theory of Action

• If students
• understand the shared learning target
• are provided with criteria for success
• receive effective feedback
• we can expect them to demonstrate an
• increase in applying prior and current
• learning independently to master learning
• objectives.

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Indicators and Look Fors
Instructional Rounds at Theodore Roosevelt School January 13, 2012 Instructional Rounds at Theodore Roosevelt School January 13, 2012 Instructional Rounds at Theodore Roosevelt School January 13, 2012
Learning Objectives Learning Objectives Learning Objectives
Look For Indicators Look For Indicators Data Collected
1 Charts and posters reflect the lesson objective(s).
2 The lesson objective is communicated. It is revisited clearly and consistently at different times of the lesson. At the start During transitions When releasing responsibility During closure
3 Children are able to verbalize the objective. 1. What are you learning today? 2. Whats the most important thing your teacher wants you to learn today? 3. What does your teacher want you to be able to do by the end of this lesson? (Learning Target)

• Sample Student
• Interview Questions
• What are you learning?
• Why are you working on this?
• How does this connect to what youve been
  working on?
• Is what you are working on interesting to you?
  
• What do you do in this class if you need extra
  help?
• How do you know if this is correct?
• What does your teacher want you to be able to do
  at the end of this lesson?

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Sample Rounds Day Itinerary

• 830-920 am Orientation
• 920-1100 am Visits and Data Collection
• 1100-1200 pm Individual Analysis
• 1200-1245 pm Lunch
• 1245-130 pm Pooling Data
• 130-230 pm Full Group Analysis
• 230-300 p m Recommendations and
  Reflections

Sample itinerary and guidance document is posted
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Orientation

• "Rounds puts everybody in the
• learning mode and says we all
• need to figure this out together."
• Elizabeth City, Director of Instructional
  Strategy for HGSE's Executive Leadership Program
  for Educators

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Collecting Data
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Individual Analysis
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Group Analysis
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Recommendations (sample)

• Increase our understanding of Shared Learning
  Targets and their relationship to Learning
  Objectives
• Peer coaching to increase our strategies for
  communicating Criteria for Success to students
• Studying the Common Core Learning Standards to
  help formulate a lessons purpose and design ways
  to communicate that purpose to students
• Collaborate to design methods for teaching
  students strategies for self assessment and self
  evaluation and/or student to student feedback

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FEEDBACK FACULTY MEETING
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Presenting Feedback to Faculty Framing Questions

• What is happening across our school to support
  and enhance student learning and achievement?
• What gaps between instruction and student
  learning were noted what were the missed
  opportunities for teaching and learning?

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Presenting Feedback to Faculty
Instructional Rounds at Theodore Roosevelt School January 13, 2012 Instructional Rounds at Theodore Roosevelt School January 13, 2012 Instructional Rounds at Theodore Roosevelt School January 13, 2012
Students Independent Practice Students Independent Practice Students Independent Practice
Look For Indicators Look For Indicators Feedback on Data Collected 2/07/2012
6 Students are resourceful and independent when they get stuck. They use Charts/Posters on walls Strategy rings/Cards/Personal charts in folders Books Number lines/Manipulative materials Turn and talk/Question with partner About 75 of the students used charts, personal charts, strategy cards, etc. independently. However, with prompts and with coaching, most students were able to use charts, personal charts, strategy cards, etc. with success.
7 Students are clear about expectations and the criteria for success. Charts/Posters/Models/Mentors 1. How do you know if you have done a good job? 2. How do you know if this is correct? Most students were clear about expectations and the criteria for success. Teachers consistently used charts, posters, mentors and models.
8 Teachers provide students with effective feedback. The feedback is Timely and frequent Specific Nonjudgmental Not in the form of advice Most teachers used effective feedback successfully. In most cases, feedback was specific in nature. In many cases, corrective feedback was used successfully.
9 Other feedback is offered that is Corrective in nature Cues and coaching Prompts to promote student thinking Teacher facilitates peer or small group accountable conversations About 50 of the teachers offered other feedback in the form of cues, coaching, general praise, and thinking prompts.
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What action steps could we take as a school in
the short term and the long term to address the
gaps?
This year (short term) Next year and beyond (long term)

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Action Steps (sample)
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Implementing Action Steps

• Professional development
• Goal setting and accountability
• Meeting agenda topics
• Focused walks
• Learning Teams

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Partner Walks

• Goal for administrative team increase classroom
  visits
• Each administrator doing walk-throughs alone
• Work with consultant assigned buddy walks
• Realization that partner walks help make it
  happen!
• Accountability to the work and to each other

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Tools for Partner Walks

• Partner Schedule
• See grid
• Collecting and recording data
• Sharing findings
• The wall

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Feedback issues

• teacher demand
• judging after single short visits
• time issues
• adult to adult discourse vs. telling

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Transition to a new setting

• Experiences in collaborative walk-throughs
  instructional rounds
• Transitioning causes a renewed focus on a
  districts mission
• Know the context
• Mission and Vision 21st Century skills
• (See Policy)
• History District Inter-visitation Group (DIG)
• Program evaluation/Tri-State Consortium

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Establishing instructional leadership in new
setting

• Introduction of Instructional Rounds
• Problem of Practice related to mission and
  vision
• Focus on students critical and creative thinking
• What instructional moves foster this thinking?
• Theory of Action
• Partner walks
• Means to establish relationships
• Focus on instructional leadership
• Appropriate feedback to teachers?

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CWT Design and Considerations

• Purpose focus?
• Frequency?
• Recording method?
• Type of feedback?
• How will you build readiness?
• Who should walk? Who else???

• DISTRICT MISSION AND VISION

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Reflections and Planning

• Turn and talk
• What is your context?
• Current state and desired state?
• Best protocols to meeting district and/or
  building goals?
• Next steps?

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Instructional Rounds and Walkthroughs Informing
Collective Action

• Dr. Joan Daly-Lewis Educational Consultant
• (jdalylew_at_optonline.net)
• Ms. Gina Faust Elementary Principal
• (gfaust_at_obenschools.org)
• Dr. Phyllis Harrington Superintendent
• (pharrington_at_obenschools.org)
• Dr. Laura Seinfeld Assistant Superintendent
• (lseinfeld_at_hewlett-woodmere.net)