vfel webinar series eight elements of high school improvement assessment and accountability...
TRANSCRIPT
VFEL Webinar Series
Eight Elements of High School ImprovementAssessment and Accountability
Organization and StructureNovember 2011
The ultimate goal in school improvement is for the people attached to the school to drive
its continuous improvement for the sake of their own children and students.
Dr. Sam Redding
Virginia Foundation of Educational Leadership (VFEL)
Webinar Faculty:
Dr. Roger E. Jones
Dr. Carol C. Robinson
Dr. John C. Walker
Today’s Agenda
1. Welcome (2 minutes)2. Introduction to the Process – 8 Elements and SIP
Planning (10 minutes)3. Team Reports - Self-assessment survey4. Research regarding Element 2 Organization and
Structure and Element 7 Assessment and Accountability (30 minutes)
5. Activity/Discussion (10 minutes)6. Reflection and Next Steps for Webinar 2 (8 minutes)
Introduction
The Eight Elements of High School Improvement Needs Assessment Indicators
The ABCs of School Dropout Attendance Behavior Course Performance
Developing the School Improvement Plan
Objectives
Participants will be able to identify the defined practices in their school relative to organization and structure and assessment and accountability.
Participants will be made aware of the pertinent indicators to consider for their school improvement plans.
Report Out
Schools were asked to complete “A Coherent Approach to High School Improvement: A District and School Self-Assessment Tool” prior to our first webinar.
Do you have any first reactions to share at this point?
Assessment and Accountability (Element 2)
Multiple assessment strategies, including formative assessment, are implemented across all content areas.
Instructional staff members regularly analyze assessment data of instructional planning.
An early warning system is used to identify students at risk for failure and dropping out; identified students are provided appropriate interventions.
Organization and Structure (Element 7) Organizational structures that foster
collaboration among instructional staff are in place.
Schoolwide structures that support effective classroom management across all content areas are implemented.
Organizational structures to support innovative opportunities to learn through nontraditional settings are in place.
Organization and Structure
All organizations have systems by which they define roles and responsibilities, manage operations and lead change. “How do we do business around here?”
To operate effectively, the systems themselves must be clearly defined and managed.
(Bolman and Deal, 1988)
Organization and Structure
An effective system has the right people doing the right things in the right way FOR THE RIGHT REASON. And that reason: We do what we do because it’s best for kids!
Students need to be engaged in learning. Instructional strategies should include those which maximize student engagement.
Organizational Structures that Support Increased Student Achievement
Common themes were found from a study of five Virginia school divisions showing significant improvement including:
Planning, meeting, and training time for teachers: revised master schedule; common planning time; horizontal and vertical curriculum discussions; time to create engaging instruction.
SOLs are the floor, not the ceiling(VFEL, 2011)
Organizational Structures that Support Increased Student Achievement
Professional development is provided for teachers to support instructional innovations.
Scheduling allows time for teachers to create engaging instruction.
School culture empowers teachers to control teaching and learning in the classroom. Do teachers have input into decisions that affect their practice, such as bell schedules, exam schedules, field trip approvals?
Principals develop trust by developing a formal role for gathering teacher feedback in those processes that affect instruction.
Organizational Structures that Support Increased Student Achievement
Collaboration occurs not only within content areas, but across them. Special education and general teachers share techniques and materials for engaging instruction.
Effective teaming is established and monitored in order to meet student needs.
Schools should have a fully articulated, shared, and understood set of defined practices. Practices are reviewed, monitored, and improved on a continual basis.
Defined practices
Defined practices = the way we do things in our school (school culture). Remember, every school has its own DNA.
So, what are your defined practices geared at keeping kids engaged and in school and motivated to stay in school? Are they effective?
Needs Assessment
Take a few minutes to review element 7 of your needs assessment
Select an indicator that is a strength and be prepared to explain why it is a strength
Questions to consider to stimulate team reflections
Practices related to scheduling? Practices related to instructional monitoring
and feedback? Practices related to improved teaching and
learning through professional development? Practices related to teaming and collaboration? Practices related to innovative instruction? Practices related to classroom management?
Organizational structures that are NOT based on student needs will NOT raise your graduation rate.
Administrative organizational structures
Department organizational
structures
Feeder school organizational structures
Central Office organizational structures
Organizational Structures
Assessment and Accountability (Element 2)
Multiple assessment strategies, including formative assessment, are implemented across all content areas
Instructional staff members regularly analyze assessment data of instructional planning
An early warning system is used to identify students at risk for failure and dropping out; identified students are provided appropriate interventions
EWS and VEWS
Early warning systems use readily available data housed at the school to:
Predict which students are at risk for dropping out of high school;
Target resources to support off-track students while they are still in school, before they drop out
Examine patterns and identify school climate issues
(VFEL, 2011)
EWS and VEWS
In Virginia, schools that have shown significant improvement provide a remediation program based on identified criteria.
Interventions are provided in addition to regular classroom instruction.
Participation in remediation instruction is not left to individual teacher decision. There is an intentional effort to ensure that all students who exhibit similar achievement, attendance, or behavior are identified for help.
(VFEL, 2011)
Formative Assessments
“When the cook tastes the soup, that’s formative. When the guests taste the soup, that’s summative.”
-Robert Stake
Assessment and Accountability
In your school, is there evidence of assessments being used to:
Identify learning needs? Modify instruction? Determine mastery?
Assessment and Accountability
Instructional staff members regularly analyze assessment data for instructional planning.
Needs Assessment Take a few minutes to review the
results of your needs assessment for Element 2
Select an indicator that is a strength and be prepared to explain why it is a strength
Questions to consider to stimulate team reflections
What changes in a student’s data are shown, and what are the causes?
What trends are shown in the same class and across classes?
What is your tiered approach to intervention? What opportunities to meet as a team to analyze data
and strategize instruction based on analysis are provided in your school?
What impact does teacher outlook have on student success?
Summary
All organizations have systems by which they define roles and responsibilities, manage operations and lead change. These systems must be clearly defined and managed.
We do what we do because it’s best for kids!
Summary
The engagement of students leads to learning. Instructional strategies should include those that maximize student engagement. During a study of five Virginia school divisions, common themes were identified that resulted in increased student achievement.
Summary
Defined practices are the way we do things in our school.
High achieving schools use multiple assessment strategies, including formative assessment, across all content areas. Instructional staff members analyze this data and use it for instructional planning.
Resources for Elements 2 and 7Bolman, L. G., and Deal, T. E. (1988). (Eds) Reframing the path to school
leadership: A guide for teachers and principals. National High School Center at the American Institutes for Research. (2011).
A coherent approach to high school improvement: A district and school self-assessment tool. Washington, DC: Author.
National High School Center at the American Institutes for Research. (2008). Eight elements of high school improvement: A mapping framework (Rev. ed.). Washington, DC: Author. (betterhighschools.com/pubs/documents/EightElementsMappingFramework.pdf)
Robert StakeVirginia Foundation of Educational Leadership (VFEL). (2011). The Virginia
model: Profiles and common themes. Available URL: http://www.edleader.org/Va_Model_Booklet_fini_05%2010%202011.pdf
What was one idea I learned during today’s webinar that I
plan to share with colleagues at
my school?
Next Steps
Be prepared to share one strategy/idea/technique that you have implemented or plan to implement as a result of today’s webinar.
Review the Teaching Framework in preparation for Webinar 2.
Your regional liaison will discuss your answers with you at least one week prior to the next webinar.
Regional Liaisons
Frank Ehrhart ([email protected])
Courtney Graves ([email protected])
Steve Sage ([email protected])
Greg Wheeler ([email protected])
Melanie Yules ([email protected])
Next Webinar
Regional Liaison Date Time
Steve Sage December 13 10:00
Frank Ehrhart December 13 1:00
Courtney Graves December 14 10:00
Melanie Yules December 14 1:00
Greg Wheeler December 15 10:00