Changing School Cultures; Changing Student Fortunes

1. Changing School Cultures; Changing Student Fortunes Julie Stolze Cindy Misenheimer Carolyn Brown-Bayer David Miller

2. Microlab Discussions • 3-person groups/4-minute structured conversations • Begin with a 30-second silent reflection on the question prompt for participants to write notes, comments. • Then, each participant will have one minute to talk about his responses to the question prompt. While that person speaks, the other two participants must remain silent. • When time is called, participant must stop speaking. Conversely, if a person finishes speaking before the time is up, the group sits silently reflecting until time is called. • 30-second writing/reflection on discussion per question prompt

3. Ready for College • How does a school go about creating an atmosphere with a “pervasive, transparent, and consistent understanding that the school exists for the purpose of preparing all students for college and work”?

4. Powerful Teaching and Learning • What challenges exist to establishing “commonly held standards for high quality instructional practice” and how might those challenges be addressed?

5. Personalization • How should schools be structured so as to ensure that staff know students well and will “leverage knowledge of students in order to improve student learning”?

6. Redefined Professionalism • What are the potential effects in a school where there is a “collaborative work orientation of the staff”?

7. Leadership • What practices will be evident in a school where staff have “a shared mission for their school and work actively as agents of change, sharing leadership for improved student outcomes” that would be missing in one without those elements in place?

8. Purposeful Design • How might the stakeholders in a program encourage an environment where “the organization of time, space, and the allocation of resources ensure that these best practices [design principles] become common practice”?