gecdsb lsa presentation may 11th 2012

Visible Learning:A System-Wide Approach to

Collaborative InquiryGECDSB

May 11th, 2012

System-Wide Approach to Collaborative Inquiry

This too shall pass?

But before I join the chorus of “this too shall pass”, I must turn the lens inward and ask the question every true professional must ask: “Is my present practice as effective as I think it is?” As teachers, we must be willing to confront this question every day of our professional lives if teacher leadership is to become a reality rather than a slogan”

~ Reeves, 2008.


History• Year 1: “Schools in the Middle”

16 of 60 Elementary Schools

Grade 3 and 6 Teachers, plus Principal and coach

Three Full Day Sessions

Content Focus – Components of Balanced Literacy

Led by Student Achievement Officers

ReflectionsSessions had positive impact on instruction

Correlation with participation and EQAO increases

Model should be expanded beyond Grade 3 and 6

Ownership needed to be with board to allow flexibility and responsiveness to current needs


History• Year 2: “Visible Learning”

All 60 Elementary Schools included

Three Full Day Sessions

Principal selects team from each school

Family of School Organization with S.O. participation

Content-based using LNS Resources and Assessment Framework)

ReflectionsSessions had positive impact on instruction

Work in session starting to link to SIPSA and work of coaches

How do we give schools ownership of their own learning to met individual needs?


Systemic Response – System Learning

External InternalPrescribed AutonomousMandated ChoiceIndependent Collaborative

System Supports:

OFIP 1, ‘Canned PD Days’, SIM, Visible Learning, Collaborative Inquiry

‘Some have to’, ‘all have to’, ‘some can choose’, ‘all can choose’



The Importance of a Learning Stance

How the World’s Most Improved School Systems Keep Getting Better

McKinsey and Company, 2010

“ …when teachers achieve a higher level of skill, as is the case in ‘good to great’ and ‘great to excellent’ improvement journey stages, such tight central control becomes counterproductive to system improvement. Rather, school-level flexibility and teacher collaboration become the drivers of improvement because they lead to innovations in teaching and learning.”


SIPSA

Empowering Schools

- McKinsey

Growing Success

Learning For All

SEF

BIPSA

K to 12

Instruction

Special Education

Plan


Our “Sandbox”

SIPSA

Empowering Schools

- McKinsey

Growing Success

Learning For All

SEF

BIPSA

K to 12

Instruction

Special Education Plan

Collaborative Inquiry

K to 12


Our “Sandbox”

Visible Learning 2011-2012• Year 3 – “Collaborative Inquiry”

60 elementary and 15 secondary schools

Principal selected school teams

“Family of Schools” organization with the S.O. involved in every session

Four full-day sessions

Process-based sessions, guiding schools through model of Collaborative Inquiry

Focus on schools owning learning based on current student learning needs

Intentional alignment of SIPSA to Collaborative Inquiry Focus


Big Picture of Collaborative Inquiry


Consider common student learning needs and classroom practice.

Develop an inquiry question.

VL Session One

Determine sources of evidence related to

your question.

Collect evidence.

VL Session Two

Examine your evidence to determine trends.

Reflect on possible next steps.

VL Session Three

Consider the impact of your inquiry on student learning.

Report your findings.

VL Learning Fair (Early May)

Professional

Learning

SyIT Collaborative Inquiry

• Engage school teams in collaborative inquiry linked to student needs identified in School Improvement Plans

• Implement selected improvement strategies with greater depth and precision

• Build a culture of collaborative inquiry• Improve student learning


Our Evidence Collection

• Exit tickets after each session• Anecdotal feedback throughout sessions

from multiple sources• Principals surveyed on implementation• School team reflections


Emerging Themes

1. The process resulted in an alignment between the work/learning that is happening in the schools and the system improvement efforts


Emerging Themes“we are starting to hear that senior administration honours our professionalism and trusts our knowledge and that they let us make decisions that suit our own needs and our students needs”

– Elementary School Principal

91% of the teacher actions articulated in the inquiry questions reflect a strategy in the BIPSA.


Emerging Themes

2. De-privatization of practice is occurring and teams are collaborating with colleagues within and across content-areas, grades, and divisions.


Emerging Themes“there have been more teacher-to-teacher conversations. We are trying to focus on cross-division. This is new collaboration – something we haven’t done before”

-Elementary School Teacher

“I am beginning the open-door policy – posting an email to invite teachers to come to my class…to get feedback”



Emerging Themes

3. Teams valued the process of collaborative inquiry, focused on student learning needs, the curriculum, engaged in the use of data, and reflected upon their practice as a result.


Emerging Themes“This has been the most inspiring, valuable workshops – before it was “here, try something new – do it” and now we are owning it! It is what we are saying with kids – give them ownership and they will soar”


“I can’t believe how my teaching has changed. I used to just go through the curriculum but now I seem to be really looking at whether the kids actually got it before I move on…I’m really thinking about the kids’ learning”



Supporting our Learning

• Please complete a feedback card including any thoughts, insights or reflections you have on our work to continue our learning.


Principal Reflections


Jan Fairall – Hetherington Public School

Dustin O’Neil – Prince Andrew Public School

Reflections and Plans for Next Year• All elementary and secondary included• Four full-day sessions• Principal selected school teams• Schools organized by identified student need with continued

S.O. involvement• Sessions support collaborative inquiry process and content

based on specific student learning need and the related professional learning need

• Continue to use model to inform SIPSA and system supports eg. coaches, PD sessions, PLC’s, hubs and networks


Question and Answer
