EARCOS Spring 2010

Educational Program Improvement

Welcome Back

“Oh no” it is Chris again Walt wanted to be with all of you, but he is on a

well-deserved sabbatical this semester

Any news to share Family School

Schedule for the week

Educational Improvement Class Themes

Don’t forget the vision Data, data, data Professional Learning Communities Creating a school culture of “continuous

improvement” Data through the Four Frames

Structural Human resource Cultural Political

Vision for the Use of Data

Using data effectively to make decisions is a key any schools success

Data can tell us how well or not well we are accomplishing our goals

So: Why then does not every school leader use data or

use it effectively at their school? What is your vision for data use at your

school? Do you have one?

TED Video Clip

Benjamin Zander on his vision for Classical Music

What leadership ideas come up for you in the video?

Any connections to data for you?Any connections to professional

learning communities?

Data is not Inherently Sexy

When you start talking about data or data use with teachers One often gets:

Glazed eyes look We are already successful That is too much work It is a test driven model

This is why establishing a vision of continuous improvement around data takes time Unlearning our unfounded beliefs about data

Data at Your School?

At your tables brainstorm out the data you currently collect What data do you collect as a school?

What data matters to you?

What data matters to teachers?

What data matters to students?

What data is a waist of time?

TED Video Clip

Malcolm Gladwell talking about data and spaghetti sauce

What thoughts come to your mind about data after watching this video?

How are we thinking about student’s learning in relation to assessments?

What data are we not collecting?

Data----Diversity

Change in Paradigms

Assessment for learning as opposed to assessment of learning This This is very different way of doing business

Standardized Testing Video

Measure for measures: What do standardized tests really tell us about students and schools? HGSE Professor Daniel Koretz

HGSE Website: Usable Knowledge http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu

Using the Four Frames to Think about Data Political Frame (Table Discussion)

What are the politics involved around data at your school?

What has created this political dynamic? Who are the political “data players”?

• Parents• Superintendent• IB• Other Schools

What strategies can we use to change some of these political dynamics?

Who is focusing this political energy on student learning?

Managing Complex Change Diagram(Thousand & Villa, 1995)

Please see attachment I emailed you entitled Managing Complex Change

Simple but a good reminder of “the change steps”

Vision Crucial to any project or change working is a

clear vision of where you want to go and what you want to achieve. You need to know what the forces or drivers are that are pushing this change. Obviously, a shared vision is better that one persons ideals, however most changes do require a champion to lead and drive the process. In project management terms this is the scope of the project.

The scope of a project is one side of a triangle with Time and Cost. If you adjust the scope of your project then cost and time will also change. The bigger your goals (scope) the greater the cost or time. If you reduce the available funding then scope will have to change or the time to deliver the project product or change.

Vision Guiding Questions What is the guiding vision? What are the drivers for this change? Does it provide valid goals and objectives? What are these goals and objectives? Is it a shared vision? has everyone bought into

these? Are these goals achievable, measurable and

manageable? Are these "goal posts" shifting? Is the scope of

the project, your goals and objectives, changing?

Skills Most if not all changes will require a change or

adjustment in the skill set of the people involved. This may be a major change or a minor one. For the change to be successful these must be considered. Starting with a skills audit is is a useful place to benchmark the change process.

What skills are needed? What skills do the staff/community have? What skills will the staff/community be provided

with? How will you provide them? What support systems, processes etc are

staff/community provided with?

Incentives To drive a change people must want to change.

The incentives can be positive (tangible or intangible incentives) or negative (change or your fired).

What are the incentives for adoption of the project?

Are they negative or positive? Are they:

tangible - financial, temporal, classroom facilities or intangible - recognition, prestige, personal achievement

Resources

Resoursing change is often an issue, are the funds, resources, support etc available? Can I access them? What tools can we use?. Even if staff are trained on a resource and are keen with out easy access to the resource tool or technology, the skills will atrophy and motivation fade.

Questions to consider What are the resources we need? What are the resources that are available? Are they suitable and appropriate? Are they reusable, flexible, engaging, portable? How are they distributed or accessed? Do they through availability and distribution enhance

integration and adoption? What resources are you going to add? Is the distribution of resources equitable? Do the resources suit the needs of all aspects of the

community? What is the TCO (Total cost of ownership) for the resource? What level of support is available?

Action Plan What is the action plan? Has the staff/community been involved in developing this? Have

they bought into this? Who are the stakeholders and what is there level of buy in Is it valid given the rapidly changing nature of the ICT? Is it measurable and manageable? Who has access to the plan? is it transparent and available? Planning should ask:

1. What is happening? 2. When is it happening? 3. Who is doing it? 4. Where is it happening? 5. Why is it happening? (what are the drivers?) 6. How is it happening?

Answering the Questions that Count

Everyone read the introduction and “The Essential-Questions Approach” Table 1 -Data Quality Table 2 -Data Capacity Table 3 -Data Culture

Each group will share out your section Make connections to your school

Data Assessment Chart & Guiding QuestionsPlease open Data assessment and

Guiding Questions attachments Walk-through chartCreated this for principals in the States to

think about the data at their school

Guiding Questions

Person(s) responsible: Is there a person who is assigned these tasks or is this

assumed? Does the person have expertise in collecting and analyzing

the data? Are the data readily accessible?

Guiding Questions How are data shared/communicated/used/documented?

• Are the data collected relevant to improving instruction? • Are the data communicated in a comprehensible manner? • Are the data comprehensible to students, teachers, parents, and administrators? • How are data being documented for struggling learners? • Which data are emphasized, discussed, valued, or ignored?

Guiding Questions

Additional data/help required? • What additional data needs to be collected (e.g., attendance, tardy, disciplinary

actions, English learners)? • What are the data not telli ng us? • What data do we not understand (do we need a data buddy)? • What data are being collected that are not being used? Why not? • Should we stop collecting non-essential data?

Guiding QuestionsAdministrative Issues to Consider for Instruction

• What are your goals and objectives? • Are there buil t-in times for team of experts (e.g., leadership team, grade-level

team, student support team) to meet and discuss/interpret the data • Based on the school’s population and resources, which model would be a better

fi t: Standardized Treatment Protocol or Problem Solving model (consider costs, personnel, and expertise?

• Are there opportunities for on-going professional development and training? • What are the decision rules (e.g., cut scores, entrance/exit criteria) for movement

between tiers? • Are there buil t-in times/space/resources in the school for Tier 2 and Tier 3

interventions? • Examine schedules of all general, special education, & language teachers,

teaching assistants, specialists • Are there blocks of time where teachers can work with small intervention groups • How do you evaluate the eff ectiveness of the program (in relation to

goals/objectives?)

Data Assessment Activity

Break up into groups based on level Elementary, Middle, High Work to fill out document around Language

Arts/Math - might help to focus on one school

Common Themes

What were some common themes that came out for you watching our 4 presentations?

What are some take-aways from the presentations that you could take back and implement in your school? What will be the biggest obstacle? What is your implementation strategy?

Change Process Model (University of Kansas)

Establish a Sense of Urgency Create a Guiding Coalition Develop a Vision and Strategy Communicate the Change Vision Empower Broad-Based Action Generate Short-Term Wins Consolidate Gains Anchor New Approaches in the Culture

First Order Change vs. Second Order Change

“First-order” change is change that is consistent with prevailing values and norms, meets with general agreement, and can be implemented using people’s existing knowledge and skills.

First Order Change vs. Second Order Change

A change becomes “second-order” when it is not obvious how it will make things better, it requires people to learn new approaches, or it conflicts with prevailing values and norms. Second-order changes require leaders to work far more deeply with staff and the community. They can disrupt people’s sense of well-being and the co-operation and cohesion of the school community. They may confront and challenge expertise and competencies and throw people into states of “conscious incompetence”.

Using the Four Frames to Think about DataHuman Resource Frame

What issues around the HR frame are you going to need to address around data use at your school?

What part of the HR Frame can you build on at your school to help implement data use at your school?

Using the Four Frames to Think about DataCultural Frame

What are the cultural issues that you need to address at your school around data use?

What part of the current culture can you build on to move toward data use at your school?

Using the Four Frames to Think about DataPolitical Frame

What political issues must you address at your school to move toward data use?

What current political issues can you build on to to help implement data at your school?

Using the Four Frames to Think about DataStructural Frame

What are the structural issues that you need to address at your school around data use?

What current structures can you build on to help implement data use at your school?

Group Book Presentation

You will work in your assigned groups to design a presentation around the book that you read Your group should create a presentation that highlights

key points in the book More specifically your group should design an activity

that will help your colleagues have a helpful takeaway or skill from the reading

Something they could take back to their school with them Your presentation should be 1hour in length including

time for questions These presentations will begin on Thursday

Groups Data Wise

Heather Dale Duff Jason

Shaping School Culture Cynthia Rick Tony

Transformative Assessment Leah Josh Garth

On Common Ground Kathie Joseph Greg

SMART Goals

Books for Summer

Instructional Rounds

Enhancing Professional Practice

The Handbook for Enhancing Professional Practice

The USF Summer Course will focus on teacher evaluation as well as the hiring, firing, and retaining of faculty and staff