Self-Study Tool for Alaska Schools

1. Self-Study Tool for Alaska Schools Winter Conference January 14, 2010 Jon Paden,EED Deborah Davis, Education Northwest/Alaska Comprehensive Center

2. Roadmap for This Session • Description of the Self-Study Tool, the connection to the Instructional Audit • Characteristics of the Self-StudyTool and small group exploration • Simulation of the Self-Study process • Next steps and ways to approach the Self-Study Tool in your district/school

3. What is the Self-Study Tool for Alaska Schools? • Based on Alaska’s Instructional Audit Tool • Is implemented under direction of districts and is guided by an EED Technical Assistance Coach • Is conducted by an internal team of the entire faculty or a smaller leadership group from within the school

4. What the SST is… • An evidence-based self-study • A way to build awareness, buy-in and support for improvement efforts The end product is not a score; instead it is the identification of current strengths and limitations

5. How the Self-Study Tool (SST) Complements the Instructional Audit • SST is based on Alaska’s Instructional Audit Tool • Incorporates changes made to Instructional Audit Tool based on considerable feedback from audited districts • To be implemented by districts and guided by a Technical Assistance Coach

6. What happens during the Instructional Audit? Audit team develops a snapshot of district/school practices by engaging in: • Document review • Focus groups & interviews with staff and students • Observation of instruction The team combines these data sources to triangulate evidence and assign the rating “Meets” or “Does Not Meet”

7. As a Result of the Instructional Audit: • The audit team produces a Report of Findings for the Commissioner’s review • This report complements other data (e.g., SBAs, district conversations) to develop a plan: • E.g., stay the course, give recommendations, direct instructional actions, redirect funds for student learning benefit, replace personnel

8. As a Result of the Self-Study Tool: • A school-level team investigates one domain at a time • Ratings from 1-4 are determined by the team • Strengths and weaknesses are identified and agreed upon • A decision is made about how to strengthen the domain

9. What are Similarities between the IAT and the SST? • Evidence-based • Provide diagnostic data to help with creation of improvement plans • Based on the six domains and 44 key elements within domains (including parent and community involvement key elements)

10. IAT conducted by external team IAT conducted over one week IAT uses a dichotomous rating …And The Differences? SST conducted by internal team SST may take several weeks or months SST uses a 4-point rubric

11. Who is involved in the SST? SST may be facilitated by: • EED-trained Technical Assistance Coach • In consultation with District-level staff SST is conducted by: • Entire site staff or • Smaller group of faculty/staff such as an instructional leadership team • May include parents/community members and older students

12. SST Materials • Overview & Step-by-Step • Introduction to Domain & Guiding Questions • Domain Rubric • Domain Summary • Glossary

13. What Are the Six Domains? • Curriculum • Assessment • Instruction • Supportive learning environment • Professional development • Leadership

14. Scavenger Hunt • Find a partner • Using the SST booklet, conduct the “scavenger hunt” by answering all the questions on the sheet • What did you learn?

15. Curriculum • Curriculum- includes five (5) elements focusing on the coordinated alignment of curriculum to Alaska’s State Standards & GLEs.

16. Is aligned, relevant curricula under-valued?

17. Curriculum Domain Guiding Questions What was the process for aligning curriculum with standards & GLEs at your school? How are new curricula & materials aligned to Standards & GLEs on an ongoing basis? What do we do to make sure new staff understand the Alaska Standards & GLEs, and how the curriculum is aligned to them?

18. Locate Curriculum Domain Evidence Examples of Evidence might include: Local Curriculum Documents/Units of Study Lesson Plans/Curriculum Maps Professional Development Records Curriculum Guides Scope & Sequence documents Professional Resource Materials Curriculum Committee Meeting Records

19. Assessment • Assessment--includes six (6)elements related to the use of formative and summative assessment and the ways in which this information is used at schoolwide and classroom levels.

21. Instruction • Instruction--includes eight (8)elements focusing on strategies and methods teachers use to help students, at varied levels, learn at and above grade level expectations.

23. SupportiveLearning Environment • Supportive Learning Environment- includes eight (8) elements for review focusing on a safe, supportive, and orderly environment conducive to learning.

24. Learning Environment is critical to a school’s success

25. Professional Development • Professional Development-- includes seven (7) elements focused on the ways in which staff is supported in their own growth and development with the intention of improving all students’ learning.

27. Leadership • Leadership--includes ten (10) elements focusing on the ways in which building-level administrative leadership assists and supports staff in improving student academic achievement.

29. In summary, what is the SST? • Internal review of strengths and limitations as part of school improvement process • An evidence-based self-study • A way to build staff awareness, buy-in and support for improvement efforts The end product is not a score; instead it is the identification of current strengths and limitations

30. Digging Deeper into the Domains • Review the rubric • Discuss the guiding questions • Locate the evidence necessary to make ratings for each domain • Reach consensus on ratings • Determine strengths and areas for improvement

31. Getting Started • Identify a team • Establish group norms & agreements: • How to work together (one voice • at a time, all opinions respected, • use of consensus, etc.) • Discuss how to reach consensus • Decide how often to meet

32. Examples of group norms one voice at a time all opinions respected start/end on time using consensus to make decisions no side conversations Establishing Group Norms

33. Review the rubrics for each of the elements in the domain considered. Discuss the guiding questions to create common understanding and acknowledge previous work previously accomplished. Locate and review evidence related to the domains. The Team Approach

34. 4. Review evidence needed to make ratings at each level. Write what the evidence is under the ratings on the rubric. 5. As a group, review all ratings and discuss strengths, weaknesses, and how the school can further develop this domain. 6. Share results of the self-study with other staff & greater school community. The Team Approach

35. Share Results Assist stakeholders in understanding issues associated with the domain Celebrate success through identified strengths Share what improvement areas were identified Talk about ways to strengthen domain area

36. Q & A • Can we do this self-study process on our own? • Does the self-study help with creation of improvement plans? • Is it best to do all the Domain areas at once?

37. “The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it is the same problem you had last year.” John Foster Dulles

38. “Difficulties are just things to overcome, after all.” Sir Earnest Shackelton