framework – keep it focused. - sharpsville area school ... tomorrow's lead… · web...

SHARPSVILLE AREA HIGH SCHOOLPreparing Tomorrow’s Leaders – Education for the Head,

Heart, and Hand

A proposal for excellence in education, innovation, inquiry, and service

Table of ContentsContentsFRAMEWORK – Keep it Focused.............................................1

Guiding Principles of OUR Work......................................................1Shared Values of the Sharpsville Area School District..............2

RIGOR AND RELEVANCE – Curriculum & Instruction..............3RESILIENCE AND REFLECTION – Assessment & Feedback..4

Importance of Developing Resilience in Students and Staff............4Reflection – Consistent Practice to Reflect on Progress Vital to Continued Success.........................................................................................................5

RELATIONSHIPS – It takes a community!................................6THE BIG FOUR.........................................................................8

Curriculum.......................................................................................8Instruction........................................................................................8Assessment.....................................................................................9Feedback.........................................................................................9

GUIDING PRINCIPLES/CONDITIONS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR STUDENTS................................................................................9

Guiding Principle 1: Self-Worth........................................................9Guiding Principle 2: Engagement..................................................10Guiding Principle 3: Purpose.........................................................10

A V I S I O N O F E X C E L L E N C E I N E D U C A T I O N

FRAMEWORK – Keep it Focused.e must maintain a laser focus on our mission. The framework below is a visual representation that I have developed to guide my practice and the practices of the staff as we strive to meet the needs of our students. The

success of every student should be our one and only mission. The vision of what that looks like in the students we graduate, the principles that we hold dear, and the combined effort of all stakeholders will determine our success. This framework is guided by what I refer to as the 5R’s of Education: Relationships, Resilience, Rigor, Relevance, and Reflection. These will become the foundation for our decision making and daily practice as educators.

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FIGURE 1. The focus of our work needs to be on the support systems for our mission. The framework is simple in concept, but not simple in practice. Total commitment at all levels of the school community is required.

Guiding Principles of OUR Work While the 5R’s provide a simple framework to guide our practice as a school, I believe every organization should also have a set of personal principles all staff members should strive to work toward. The following principles are those I currently expect of myself and would expect all members of my staff to adhere to.

The Principle of Purpose: Each of us has an important role to fulfill. The collective efforts of the roles we fulfill contribute to the success of the district as a whole. Make it a point each day to recognize and believe in the power you have to make a difference in the lives of your colleagues, students, and the school community.

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The Principle of Passion: There are days when you are tired and may not easily see the fruits of your labor. Push forward and approach your job with the same passion that brought you to it in the first place. Find the joy within the frustration and wait for it – that moment when you see the difference your effort has made. It will happen. You will see it. You should be proud.

The Principle of Planning: Approach each day with a plan. It is hard to get to where you need to be if you don’t know where you are going. We are a team. If one of us is lost then all of us are lost. If one of us does not make his/her goals then we all fall short of our destination. Know the purpose. Have a plan to get there. Pursue it with passion.

Principle of People: It is our responsibility to be supportive of each other so we can all support the children who we are trying to prepare for the future. Extend grace, kindness, and a helping hand when you can.

Principle of Persistence: Maintain a steadfast effort toward the pursuit of success for our students and of each other. Pursue all you do with resilience. Do your very best with every task simply because you know it will contribute to OUR success.

Shared Values of the Sharpsville Area School District

The vision of the Sharpsville Area School District is to provide our students with equal learning opportunities and a stimulating educational environment. Through the use of challenging instructional strategies, state-of-the-art resources and extra-curricular activities designed to meet individual needs, this environment will foster self-esteem and will enable students to maximize their academic potential. As we are now in the changing world of the 21st Century, our students will be critical thinkers, quality performers, effective communicators and informed decision makers who will demonstrate social responsibility, ethical behavior and adaptability in a global society

We believeLearning is a life-long process.

In a quality school.

Education is a shared responsibility

Everybody has a right to an education.

All people can learn and want to succeed.

The 5R’s have become a foundation of who I am as a leader and for the expectations I have for staff. Educational jargon and fads come and go; however, maintaining rigor and relevance in the art

of teaching, developing a reflective and resilient staff and student body, and

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The 5R’s and The Big 4


fostering positive relationships will always result in a successful school and successful students.

RIGOR AND RELEVANCE – Curriculum & InstructionThe rigor of the curriculum is the strongest predictor of the achievement gap (Barton, 2003). The curriculum should act as a road map, include the integration of technology, encourage collaboration and relevant measures of attainment, and be focused on providing more depth to concepts in all subject areas. Countries that appear on the top of international comparisons of math achievement maintain a curriculum very different

from that in the United States. Teachers in high-achieving nations focus on depth, not breadth. Several months of school are use to help students learn a concept so the knowledge and skill becomes second nature to the student. The depth provided in instruction enables students to transfer the knowledge to other settings (Darling-Hammond, 2010). It is our responsibility as educators to systematically evaluate the amount of access all students have to challenging courses, AP classes, and learning

experiences that fall within our vision for what the world expects our students to know and be able to do. The field of gifted education prides itself on excellence and rigor, seeking to provide students with the highest quality curriculum and instruction. The field of special education prides itself on making the necessary adaptations to the curriculum to allow students with disabilities to experience the same curriculum as their peers. These two fields should be approached in tandem, to create a system of education where all students receive the very best of what we have to offer. I believe the achievement gap is more about a gap in opportunity and support than it is ability. We are not permitted to determine who is worthy of higher level learning, who can go to college, who can join what profession, and who is deserving of our very best. All students deserve our very best.

Relevance of the curriculum must be preserved. The time of standing in front of the classroom delivering information is behind us. Educators are no longer the keepers of knowledge. The Internet and additional technology available to our students have provided them with the ability to find general information whenever they need it. This does not mean teachers are no longer important. If anything, this has made the role of the teacher more important than it has ever been in the history of education. Students in school today will inherit a world much different than the one their parents inherited. Most jobs will need additional training and will require critical thinking and problem solving skills. If we are to improve education so our students are prepared for the world they will inherit we must first find ways to make education relevant. There are several ways to improve the relevance of learning. One is to capitalize on the technological skills most children posses. Technology has become a wonderful resource for both teachers and students and in some cases, has resulted in the democratization of knowledge (Lemke and Coughlin, 2009). Technology provides students the opportunity to learn in ways their parents did not. Cyber learning, hybrid

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learning, distance learning, STEAM/STEM programs and community partners for quality education are just some of the possibilities available because of the improved technology at our disposal. The other way to improve relevance is to integrate service-learning into the common curriculum. Service-learning is a powerful approach to delivering the program of studies. This approach combines knowledge and service through authentic learning opportunities that encourage civic responsibility (Kaye, 2009). Students learn valuable lessons while learning one of the greatest lessons of all – kindness. Using research based on Garnder’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, Dr. Willard Dagget’s Rigor/Relevance Framework, and community partnerships, we will create opportunities for students to see the importance and immediate application of what they are learning in the classroom.

RESILIENCE AND REFLECTION – Assessment & FeedbackImportance of Developing Resilience in Students and StaffIt has become increasingly more important for schools to focus on the personal development of students. I recommend that we pay special attention to helping students develop a sense of resilience. Resilience, sometimes referred to as self-efficacy, is the belief that one has the power to produce a desired effect and an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change. What makes a capable student give up in the face of failure, where other students may be motivated by it? Students in school have one of two views on intelligence: that it is something you are born with and is fixed for life or that intelligence incremental in nature and can improve with effort (Henderson, 2007). Schools need to focus on developing

resiliency once a child enters school. This can be accomplished through the use of goal setting (advisory) and through instructional practices that promote the concept of mastery (hybrid approach to schooling with adaptive curriculum and differentiated instruction). Research has shown that students with an incremental view of learning (intelligence is not innate) show more resiliency in the face of failure and are more successful in school (Dweck 2004; Henderson 2007). Resiliency is not just confined to the students, it is also important for teachers and administration to practice and believe in the power of resiliency. Recent research points to teacher expectations, teacher quality, and teacher belief in having the ability to impact students. Research has continuously documented the higher achievement levels for students with highly efficacious teachers. This is particularly true for students of low economic status (Hines and Kritsonis 2010). A study on the effect of teacher self-efficacy found that elementary teachers with a high level of resilience/self-efficacy also had students who were more resilient than their peers and experienced more success in school (Logerfo, 2006).

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Reflection – Consistent Practice to Reflect on Progress Vital to Continued SuccessSchools need to do a better job at reflecting on the past and present in order to provide a better future for students. Many schools currently undergo a process of strategic planning, but the process barely scratches the surface and rarely places a focus on how to make changes a part of the larger culture of the school. John P. Kotter, author of Leading Change, provides a systematic approach to reform based on the concept of constant reflection. I recommend utilizing this system because of the attention it places on ensuring any reform leads to a sustained effort and lasting change. The eight stage process incorporates Deming’s Plan, Do, Check, Adjust approach to continuous improvement while addressing eight common mistakes made by most organizations in the process: (a) allowing too much complacency, (b) failing to create a leadership team, (c) not providing a solid vision, (d) not communicating the vision, (e) allowing old obstacles to get in the way, (f) failing to celebrate short term wins, (g) declaring victory too soon, and (h) neglecting to anchor the change into the culture of the organization. Two pieces of data I recommend we pay close attention to is the rigor/relevance of the curriculum and the level of equity in the daily operations of school policies and programs. The use of curriculum and equity audits can assist school personnel with monitoring these two elements of education.

A curriculum audit is a comprehensive investigation of relevant documents and other data including: curriculum guides, lesson plans, classroom observations, and assessment scores. The audit also includes interviews with key personnel within the district including the administration, instructional staff, and support staff in order to provide a comprehensive report on the rigor and relevance of the curriculum. The audit can also inform staff on the usefulness of the curriculum. In other words, is the curriculum reflected in daily practice or merely a hollow symbol of what the school would like to

claim as its mission (English, 2000)?

Equity in schools can be measured on two different levels: education and systemic. Education equity refers to “policies, practices and programs necessary to eliminate educational barriers based on gender, race/ethnicity, national origin, color, disability, age, or other protected group status” (Skrla, Mckenzie, & Scheurich, 2009. p. 3-4). Systemic equity refers to the ways in which systems and individuals habitually operate to ensure that every learner – in whatever learning environment that learner is found

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“has the greatest opportunity to learn enhanced by the resources and supports necessary to achieve competence, excellence, independence, responsibility, and self-sufficiency for school and life” (Skrla, Mckenzie, & Scheurich, 2009. p. 6). The audit process focuses on three areas: teacher quality, programming, and achievement.

RELATIONSHIPS – It takes a community!The potential for improving learning/resources for all students is increased through collaboration and combing resources. A few years ago I read an intriguing book on this concept, Hargreaves and Shirley’s The Fourth Way (2009). The authors describe four relational catalysts that contribute to a successful coherent systems: (1) Sustainable Leadership, (2) Integrating Networks, (3) Responsibility before Accountability, and (4) Differentiation and Diversity. I recommend these catalysts become a focus on the development of the relationships we establish with each other, with our parents, and with community business partners.The first catalyst of coherence, Sustainable Leadership, is essential for building the capacity to align a system wide push for excellence. School leaders, especially in a system of collaboration, cannot act as simple managers of paperwork and policies. Leaders also cannot act alone. To make the collaboration work, school leaders would need to move beyond traditional line-management of accountability and toward distributive leadership. The development of positive and constructive relationships with the school board, local universities, vocational centers and professions, business partners, families, administrators, instructional staff, and support staff is crucial to the success of the school. A district leader must be visible and communicate openly with staff if the district is going to be successful.

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The second catalyst of coherence, Integrating Networks, is based on the concept of collaboration. The benefit of schools sharing resources through a network of services is that stronger schools that help neighboring colleagues in similar demographic circumstances. A partnership such as this makes sense, but it is nearly impossible under the current system that has been established by politicians. The pressure associated with competition does not encourage schools to share successful strategies. Remember, competition is about survival and is focused on the success of an individual (or company). The educational environment for last ten to twenty years has been focused on accountability and punitive actions against schools not able to meet achievement targets. The improvement in technology has provided an opportunity for school districts to develop their own cyber programs and opened up opportunities for school building within a district to share resources. Serving as

the lead administrator for Freedom’s Cyber School, I have seen the power a cyber-platform can provide. I recommend developing our very own cyber courses to coincide with the courses we offer in the traditional format. This will help us provide additional support to our current students, allow us to increase course offerings if needed, and provide alternative learning options for students out of school due to illness or injury.

The third catalyst of coherence, Responsibility before Ability, suggests that schools must focus first on responsibility. Accountability often results in finger pointing and questionable practices in order to meet high-stakes testing targets. Responsibility requires collaboration and a shared vision focused on success for all students, not just those in a particular classrooms or schools. Central office administrators have the responsibility to support the building level principals in their effort to improve the learning that takes place in their schools and support teachers as they work tirelessly to deliver the curriculum with integrity. Principals have the responsibility to provide the feedback and support of their teachers and students as they continue to work at the ground level to achieve the academic, personal, and interpersonal goals established by the district. Teachers have the responsibility to share progress and recommendations for improvement with students and parents as well as to support their colleagues through the sharing of ideas and recourses.

The final catalyst of coherence, Differentiation and Diversity, is based on the fact that no two students or organizations are the same. The standardization of curriculum and assessment of low level cognitive processes “ignore the knowledge and interests of many cultural groups” (p.104). Furthermore, it leaves very little room to meet the diverse learning styles of students. It sets the stage for children to believe, and teachers to accept, that if it cannot be learned this one way then this child must not be able to learn. The lesson we offer our students under a system based on competition is that some students are

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valued more than others depending on the color of your skin or the amount of money your parents make. How can this system result in anything other than scorn and resentment? The lesson offered under a system of collaboration is much different in both delivery and tone. When families and children see the school working together to do everything they can to provide them with the best educational programming possible they see a message that screams: “We care about you and will work together in order to provide the best education possible regardless of your religious beliefs, skin color, or economic status.”

THE BIG FOURCurriculumA classroom curriculum document needs to be useful and must contain robust concepts, generalizations, procedures and resources. This can be accomplished by:

Identifying “just right” targets Understanding the difference between content and lifelong learning benchmarks Discriminating between declarative and procedural knowledge meeting and

exceeding state standards Ensuring the utility of the curriculum format Taking a systematic approach to the curriculum process

In creating learning targets, it’s important to keep in mind that… The specificity of the benchmarks and objectives affects the results of student

learning. A distinction should be made between content benchmarks and “life-long learning”

benchmarks. For instructional purposes, it is important to distinguish between declarative and

procedural knowledge in benchmarks. It is prudent to align the documents to state assessments

InstructionPlan instruction that’s focused on helping students become master learners who can apply information and skills, not just do schoolwork. Students must have the opportunity to engage in metacognitive processing. If most of the students in a class are just responding to questions related to details around content instead of sharing their thinking of how they are making meaning, you may want to rethink your planning process. As you plan, ask yourself: Are my questions about the process of thinking and learning, OR are they only content-specific questions?

Learning must be authentic in nature. Authentic learning tasks ask students to:

1. Organize, synthesize, interpret, explain, or evaluate complex information.2. Consider alternative solutions, strategies, perspectives, or points of view as they

address a concept, a problem, or an issue.3. Use ideas, theories, or perspectives considered central to an academic or

professional discipline.4. Use methods of inquiry, research, or communication characteristic of an academic

or professional discipline.5. Elaborate on their understanding, explanations, or conclusions through extended

writing, using analysis, theory, or argument.

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6. Address a concept, problem, or issue they are likely to encounter or have encountered in life beyond the classroom.

7. Communicate their knowledge, present a product or performance, or take some action for an audience beyond the classroom.

AssessmentAssessment should be designed with variation in mind. Design varied classroom assessments that yield evidence of mastery and pinpoint where further instruction is required. The KCAASE Assessment Method tests a student’s level of thinking and a specific thinking skill.

Knowledge (ex. recall by selected responses or cues; label, list, repeat, define) Comprehension (ex. form a concept or convention, classify) Apply (ex. compare, make an analogy) Analyze (ex. examine points of view, explore a system or structure) Synthesize (ex. Form and test hypotheses, persuade or argue) Evaluate (ex. Make a judgment or critique, make a decision)

Application of the KCAASE Assessment Model – 5 Simple Steps Specify the benchmark(s) for the topic. Select possible KCAASE thinking-skill levels and choose the preferred strategy

for the task. Refine the task with a situation or scenario. Assign a communication device. Make a scoring device, such as an analytic rubric, to give feedback on the

procedure of thinking, the content or results of the thinking, and communication.

FeedbackUse criterion-based feedback to improve individual student achievement and refine instruction. Teachers should look at:

Considering improvement vs. assessment Examining the “space” between the lesson plan and the recorded grade Refocusing assessment and record keeping on benchmarks instead of activities Giving timely verbal and written feedback Using external measures.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES/CONDITIONS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR STUDENTSGuiding Principle 1: Self-Worth

BELONGING: Feeling like you are part of a group, while knowing you are special for who you are. Belonging increases intrinsic motivation, for it fosters self-confidence and investment in the community.

HEROES: Having others who believe in you and who are there when you need them. Heroes build trust in others and belief in oneself. Teachers can be heroes to

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their students. Students can look up to teachers as people to learn from and communicate with about many things. Building relationships with students through support, guidance, and encouragement enables them to become more confident in their academic, personal, and social growth.

SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT: Being recognized for many different types of success, including hard work and being a good person. The Condition of Sense of Accomplishment recognizes effort, perseverance, and citizenship – along with academic achievement – as signs of student success.

Guiding Principle 2: Engagement FUN & EXCITEMENT: Enjoying what you are doing, whether at work, school, or

play. Students who exhibit Fun & Excitement are usually self-confident, curious, and prepared; they are willing to meet the challenges of the day. Teachers who foster Fun & Excitement provide new opportunities, initiate challenges, and respect individual interests.

CURIOSITY & CREATIVITY: Asking “Why?” and “Why not?” about the world around you. Curiosity triggers students to ask “Why?” while creativity gives them the initiative to ask “Why not?” The intensity of Curiosity & Creativity tends to diminish over time due to the habituating effects of the environment. Teachers can devote extra attention to creating a classroom environment that promotes questioning and creative exploration in order to maintain student motivation.

SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE: Being excited to try new things, even when you are not sure if you will be good at them. Teachers can encourage and support students' Spirit of Adventure by urging them to explore new things. When teachers create an atmosphere that allows for healthy decision making and risk taking, students can become more confident and resilient.

Guiding Principle 3: Purpose LEADERSHIP & RESPONSIBILITY: Making your own decisions and accepting

responsibility for those choices. Fostering leadership empowers students to make just and appropriate decisions and to take pride in their actions. Teachers can support this by providing legitimate decision-making opportunities, seeking student input, and expecting students to be accountable for their actions and words.

CONFIDENCE TO TAKE ACTION: Setting goals and taking the steps you need to reach them. This Condition is what educators strive for: instilling in their students a confidence in and expectation of success. Confidence to Take Action is characterized by a positive and healthy outlook on life and by looking inward rather than outward for approval. Teachers have the ability to help build their students' Confidence to Take Action by providing support, celebrating diversity, and encouraging independent thinking.

AUTHENTIC LEARNING EXPERIENCES: Authentic learning typically focuses on real-world, complex problems and their solutions, using role-playing exercises, problem-based activities, case studies, and participation in virtual communities of practice. Educational researchers have found that students involved in authentic

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learning are motivated to persevere despite initial disorientation or frustration, as long as the exercise simulates what really counts—the social structure and culture that gives the discipline its meaning and relevance.

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framework – keep it focused. - sharpsville area school ... tomorrow's lead… · web...

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