Distance Learning Session 2

1. Academy of Pacesetting Districts Distance LearningSession 2 Teaching & Learning Decision Making

2. Sponsored by With assistance from New England Comprehensive Center Center on Innovation & Improvement Learning Network of Vermont 2

3. Meeting Agenda 9:00 – 9:15 Welcome and Introductions 9:15 – 9:45 Discussion of Readings 9:45 – 10:30 Indicators: Teaching and Learning Information for Decision Making 10:30 -- 10:45 Work on District Manual 10:45 – 11:00 Homework, Next Meeting 3

4. Welcome and Introductions • SEA facilitators • RCC staff • District Academy Team introductions

5. Discussion of Readings

6. Teaching and Learning ©King Features Syndicate

7. Indicator 10 The district regularly reallocates resources to support school, staff, and instructional improvement.

8. “High performing school districts allocate financial and human resources strategically to support their goals of improving instruction and so student achievement. This requires a conscious and highly intentional shift away from allowing year-to-year changes in resource levels to determine the program to having clearly articulated, goal-based needs govern the budgeting process…With finances in many districts already stretched, the process of allocating resources often will be difficult. There will be ‘costs’ in terms of programs receiving decreased emphasis. Districts will need to consider trade-offs and implications strategically.” Handbook on Restructuring and Substantial School Improvement Authors of Section 2, Module 2: Gordon Cawelti and Nancy Protheroe

9. Indicator 13 The district works with the school to provide early and intensive intervention for students not making progress.

10. Early Intervention for StudentsNot Making Progress What Schools Must Do: Intervention is an integral part of the instructional process Ensure students never get hopelessly behind by monitoring student progress Employ quick feedback from classroom tests to evaluate progress Use results of frequent formative and diagnostic mini-assessments to identify students who haven’t mastered content Assess and monitor student mastery - for each unit there should be a unit test involving both a pre-test and a post-test; unit tests should portray each student’s level of mastery of the unit’s objectives Use tests administered several times during the year to estimate the likelihood of meeting AYP targets Require students to master grade level skills prior to promotion to the next grade

11. How Districts Can Help • Invest in electronic rapid feedback assessment systems (and devices) to provide teachers with immediate data on student performance relative to instructional objectives • Provide financial support for assessment development • Provide training on use (and interpretation) of classroom and standardized assessment results

12. Intensive Intervention for Students Not Making Progress What Schools Must Do Maximize opportunities to learn for each student Provide special services to students who have fallen behind Coordinate bilingual education, special education, and other programs with the general education program to provide a seamless educational experience for students receiving special services Use technology to individualize instruction and allow students to progress at their own rate Re-teach topics and skills not initially mastered Extend learning time for students not making sufficient progress (after school, Saturdays, summer programs) tailored for each student’s needs Involve parents in their children’s academic activities - show parents how to work with their children on academic skills Seek parental support to reduce student tardiness and absenteeism

13. How Districts Can Help • Provide training on re-teaching techniques (direct teaching, mastery learning, reciprocal teaching) • Provide resources to support extended learning opportunities • Provide resources to support tutorial activities (computer-based and other) • Disseminate information to parents and support parent education programs • Enforce truancy policies to improve attendance

14. Discussion:Student Support What does your district do to help schools intervene with struggling students early enough to change their trajectories of performance? What does your district do to provide intensive, supplemental learning opportunities for struggling students? How is your district supporting schools’ efforts to engage parents in providing additional learning opportunities for struggling students?

15. Indicator 32 The district provides a cohesive district curriculum guide aligned with state standards or otherwise places curricular expectation on the school.

16. “Explicit focused efforts should be made to ensure alignment of the written, taught, and tested curricula. This process of curriculum alignment and mapping should be comprehensive and integrated across grades. The process will require a shift in some districts from site-based decision making to more centralized direction about what will be taught.” Handbook on Restructuring and Substantial School Improvement Authors of Section 2, Module 2: Gordon Cawelti and Nancy Protheroe

17. Ensuring Cohesive Curriculum & Instruction: Developing the Tools Alignment of written and taught curriculum with standards High degree of coordination Across schools Across subjects and within grades Across grade levels Among teachers within and across departments Resources such as sample lessons and pacing guides developed with teacher participation and used across schools and classrooms

18. Assuring Implementation • Provide clear expectations of what will be taught and when • Provide high quality staff development focused on what should be taught and how • Align resource use - money, staff, and time - with curricular goals • Make monitoring of classroom instruction by principals an expectation • Support schools’ periodic reviews of implementation • Structure roles of central office staff to provide support as well as monitoring

19. Discussion:Curriculum & Instructional Alignment How can school districts develop the curriculum & instructional “tools” needed within the constraints of money, staff, and time? How can districts support school and teacher efforts to stay consistently focused on the “right stuff” (i.e., curriculum, teaching, and assessment)? How can districts effectively monitor the implementation of a cohesive, aligned curriculum?

20. Indicator 34 Professional development is built into the school schedule by the district, but the school is allowed discretion in selecting training and consultation that fit the requirements of its improvement/restructuring plan and its evolving needs.

21. Indicator 35 Staff development is built into the schedule for support staff (e.g., aides, clerks, custodians, cooks) as well as classroom teachers.

22. “Studies of high-performing school districts highlight the key to raising student achievement: improvement must begin in the classroom. By working to get research-based teaching strategies shown to be effective into every classroom, districts make use of a powerful lever for improvement. Central office leaders can play a pivotal role in developing a strong staff development program that provides high quality training to expand the teachers’ instructional repertoires.” Handbook on Restructuring and Substantial School Improvement Authors of Section 2, Module 2: Gordon Cawelti and Nancy Protheroe

23. Getting the Most Bang for the Professional Development Buck • Strategically align staff development with district goals and initiatives. • Use student achievement results to inform direction of PD. • Provide teachers with high quality, research-based PD content as well as time to discuss and practice instructional strategies. • Involve entire school staff in PD (including planning). • Provide development opportunities for principals, particularly in the area of clinical supervision. • Extensive variety of topics is not always better in terms of PD offerings.

24. How is PD done?Let’s count the ways. Professional dialogue, sharing ideas and materials peer-to-peer Attending conferences In-class coaching Training sessions, workshops Group lesson planning Collaborative development of curriculum and related materials Collective analysis of student work

25. Discussion:Professional Development How do you ensure that district- and school-level PD reinforce each other? What support and resources can districts provide to schools to ensure the use of high quality PD? How can districts foster less-than-traditional forms of PD at the school level? How will districts evaluate the effectiveness of PD? How might evaluation findings inform future PD planning?

26. Information for Decision Making

27. Information for Decision Making Data is used to Guide Not Punish

28. Indicator 6 The district provides schools with technology, training, and support for integrated data collection, reporting, and analysis systems.

29. District Support for Data Management and Use Develop infrastructure to collect, analyze, and use data Provide access to data to all intended users, including providing appropriate technology at school sites Create user-friendly templates and report formats to present data Assign central office personnel to build school-level staff competence and confidence with data use Expand the “definition” of data past test scores and develop ways to collect and use such data

30. Data Management Training • Provide professional development for principals regarding data analysis and use of data to inform conversations with teachers • Train teachers to generate and use data to inform instruction, both in general and to support struggling students • Identify other types of data that should receive attention

31. Indicator 11 The district ensures that key pieces of user-friendly data are available in a timely fashion at the district, school, and classroom levels.

32. Use Data to Drive Decisions • Determine appropriate data to disseminate to parents, principals, teachers, school board, civic and community leaders • Use data to make decisions about programs and to allocate resources • Use data to monitor progress, keep attention on goals

33. Productive Data Use • Data should focus primarily on student learning, at least at first, then secondary data, for example: • Attendance • Discipline • Parent and teacher perceptions • Classroom observations of “patterns of practice” • Analysis of lesson plans (individually & in teams) • Staff members need training and time to analyze data and apply conclusions to instruction • School boards need training in understanding data and applying data to decision making

34. Discussion:Use of District Data System How does the district develop a comprehensive data information system that is user friendly, timely, and addresses user needs? What types of training and other supports do district staff, principals, teachers, and school board members need to effectively access and use district data systems? 3. How can data (including data generated at school and classroom levels) effectively inform instruction?

35. Indicator 28 The school reports and documents its progress monthly to the superintendent, and the superintendent reports the school’s progress to the school board.

36. Reporting of Progress bySchool to District Reporting requirements underscore District’s interest in results and in the effective implementation of a school’s improvement plan. Reporting needs to be on a regular and frequent basis. Agendas for discussions as well as the content and organization for written reports should be specified by District. District feedback to schools (and follow up action as needed) is important.

37. “School boards must play an active role, continuously and publicly providing support for the reform initiative through several key actions.” Including: “…engage in ongoing efforts to communicate and sell the vision for reform to the community…” “…act as a monitor to ensure student learning remains the top priority…” “…develop policies that support improvement efforts.” Handbook on Restructuring and Substantial School Improvement Authors of Section 2, Module 2: Gordon Cawelti and Nancy Protheroe 37

38. Keep the Board Informed & Involved • Getting regular updates on school progress facilitates the board’s oversight role. • Reporting at board meetings makes school improvement efforts visible to the public. • Reporting to the board holds the District accountable for the performance of each school and for achieving the goal of academic proficiency for all students.

39. Discussion:Communication and Monitoring Are district/school staff discussions about improvement plan implementation - as they operate currently - productive? Can you identify specific ways in which they need to change? How can related work prior to, during, and following these discussions strengthen the school’s improvement progress? What information regarding the progress of schools identified for improvement will be most relevant to the board in the performance of its governance responsibilities?

40. Team Reflection on Current Status of Implementation Each District Academy Team will now take 15 minutes to review each indicator covered in this session and assign an implementation rating Rating scale: 0 = No Development or Implementation 1 = Limited Development or Implementation 2 = Full Implementation 40

41. Reflection Worksheet * Rating scale: 0 = No Development or Implementation 1 = Limited Development or Implementation 2 = Full Implementation 41

42. Discussion:Status of Implementation Which Indicators are strengths in your current district operations? Which Indicators need improved performance in your current district operations? What are next steps in developing a District Operations Manual relative to the Indicators in DL 2?

43. Work on District Operations Manual for District System of Support • Regarding DL 2: Teaching & Learning and Decision Making • Read Wise Ways® for Indicators 6, 32, 34, and 35 • View on Doing What Works (http://dww.ed.gov) • Quality Teaching - How to Organize Your Teaching • Data-Driven Decision Making - Using Student Achievement Data to Support Instructional Decision Making • Data-Driven Culture • Districtwide Data System • Regarding DL 3: Rapid Improvement Support • Read School Turnarounds: Actions and Results • Read Exploring the Pathway to Rapid District Improvement Homework Assignment 43

44. Wrap Up • Reflections on DL 2 session • Evaluation Form on web site please • Reminder: DL 3 scheduled for • Mentor Interaction with Academy Mentor to be held before DL 3

45. Key Contact Information 45 ken.remsen@state.vt.us debora.price@state.vt.us lisa.mazzitelli@state.vt.us carol.duley@state.vt.us

46. Thanks for your participation Thanks to LNV and Sigrid Lumbra for LNV services and support 46