The Principal’s Role in Leading College and Career Readiness September, 2013

The Principal’s Role in Leading College and Career ReadinessSeptember, 2013

Desired Outcomes • Greater understanding of the leader’s role in supporting implementation of CCRS • Awareness of tools that assist leaders in supporting teachers through observation, feedback and dialogue • Network with colleagues to share effective practices

Absolutes Teach to the standards for each of the required subjects (Alabama College- and Career-Ready Standards - Courses of Study) Through a clearly articulated and locally aligned K-12 curriculum (Sample curricula found on ALEX and Alabama Insight) Supported by aligned resources, support, and professional development (Sample lesson plans and supporting resources found on ALEX, differentiated support through ALSDE Regional Support Teams and ALSDE Initiatives, etc.) Monitored regularly through formative, interim/benchmark assessments to inform the effectiveness of the instruction and continued learning needs of individuals and groups of students (GlobalScholar, QualityCore Benchmarks, and other locally determined assessments) With a goal that each student graduates from high school with the knowledge and skills to succeed in post-high school education and the workforce without the need for remediation as evidenced by multiple measures achieved through multiple pathways to meet the graduation requirements set for students in Alabama. (Alabama High School Graduation Requirements/Diploma)

Reflecting on the morning… • Use the following questions to reflect on the morning: • What learning or take-aways do you have from the morning session? • How does this learning relate to the Absolutes? • What are your thoughts/ideas about how this professional learning may occur at your school/district? • What questions do you have?

Reflecting back and thinking forward… • What has gone well in implementation of the math (and ELA if applicable) CCRS in your school/district? • What do principals need to know in order to lead the change associated with implementation of CCRS?

KNOW the SHIFTS! • Shift in vision and goals for students • Shifts in content • Shifts in instructional practices • Shift in culture • Shift in leadership expectations • Shift from compliance to innovation • Shift in accountability

Our Vision Every Child a Graduate – Every Graduate Prepared for College/Work/Adulthood in the 21st Century

Prepared Graduate Defined Possesses the ability to apply core academic skills to real- world situations through collaboration with peers in problem solving, precision, and punctuality in delivery of a product, and has a desire to be a life-long learner. Possesses the knowledge and skills needed to enroll and succeed in credit-bearing, first-year courses at a two- or four-year college, trade school, technical school, without the need for remediation.

Why?

Shifts in Math • FOCUS – deep vs. broad • COHERENCE – standards within a grade level and progression across grades • RIGOR - Stronger BALANCE among procedure, application, and understanding – students need to know how to do math AND how and why to apply math to real-world situations

Shifts in ELA • Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction and informational texts. • Reading, writing, and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational. • Regular practice with complex text and the academic language.

Instructional Practices • Emphasis on real-world problem solving (Project Based Learning, internships) • Reading and writing in every classroom • Student collaboration and engagement in meaningful, productive classroom discussions centered on worthwhile content • “Bell to bell” teaching – maximizing instructional time • Extended learning opportunities – beyond the classroom • Formative assessment – frequent checks for understanding

“If you attempt to implement reforms but fail to engage the culture of a school, nothing will change.” Seymour Sarason

Culture that Supports the New Vision of College and Career Readiness School leaders focus on: • Building teacher capacity, not inspecting individual processes • Setting the tone for a climate of trust, honesty and transparency • Inspiring a culture of innovation, risk taking, and continual improvement • Ongoing use of data to inform instruction, programs, and services

How? • Engage in frequent conversations with teachers, teacher leaders, instructional coaches, and others to keep the focus on learning (Structures) • Build collaborative cultures that promote reflection, inquiry, shared ownership, and adult learning that is focused on student learning (Peer visits, videotaping). • Build trust through shared decision making, frequent classroom visits and consistency. • Forget the box……..

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” Alvin Toffler

Tools for Leading CCRS http://achievethecore.org/instructional-practice Choose one to explore: • ELA – K-2 • ELA – 3-5 • ELA – 6-12 • Literacy in History/Social Studies – 6-12 • Literacy in Science/Technical Subjects – 6-12 • Math – K- 8 • Math – High School

Exploring Tools http://achievethecore.org/instructional-practice • For each area, there are two resources: • Instructional Practice Guide • Supplement for Reflection Over the Course of the Year • Review the resourcesindividually. • Discuss how the guides might be used. • Create a t-chart of “Good Uses” and “Inappropriate Uses” of the tool

Personal Learning - Take it Home! • Develop specific actions you will take to practice using the tools. • Be prepared at the next CCRS IT meeting to share your experiences.

Team Planning – Take it Home! • With your district team, discuss what you have learned in this session. • What are the big take-aways? • What questions do you have? • What do you need to share with the rest of your team during your whole team planning time?

We Will Survive! • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eim5jLlEPYI

The Principal’s Role in Leading College and Career Readiness September, 2013