New HODs session 2

1. New HODs session 2 Leading through effective use of evidence

2. WHAKATAUKIHe kapiti hono, he tātai hono That which is joined together becomes an unbroken line.

3. Review and Outcomes Last session we looked at: • What is leadership and what is management? • Does my job description fit with my role as a middle leader? • How do the RTCs and SATs relate to my role as leader and appraiser? • Supporting websites and the wiki Outcomes for today: • Practicing basic Coaching and Mentoring skills • Evidence – analysing and using data to inform practice • Managing change • Open to Learning conversations

4. Practicing leadership skills In cross –school pairs: • Person A reports back on their goal and plan from first session • Person B listens without interruption – then may ask 3 questions • Person B summarises • Person B summarises to the whole group and each other pair may (but don’t have to) ask one question

5. Do you ever feel like this?

6. What do we base raising student outcomes on? Evidence

7. Evidence • Any facts, circumstances or perceptions that can be used as an input for an analysis or decision. • How classes are compiled, how classes are allocated to teachers, test results, teachers’ observations, attendance data, portfolios of work, student options ... • Data is one form of evidence.

8. Data • Known facts or measurements, probably expressed in some systematic or symbolic way (eg as numbers). • Assessment results, gender, attendance, ethinicity ... Data is one form of evidence

9. What sort of evidence is needed? • Demographics • Achievement • Perception • School systems • Best practice/research

10. Demographic evidence Provides a profile of the school • School – decile, roll size, urban/rural, teaching spaces ... • Students – ethnicity, gender, age, year level, attendance, lateness, suspension and other disciplinary data, previous school... • Staff – gender, age, years of experience, qualifications, teaching areas, turnover rate ... • Parents/caregivers and community – socio-economic factors, breadth of school catchment, occupations ...

11. Student achievement evidence • What evidence do we have now about student achievement? • What other evidence could we collect?

12. Evidence about student achievement • National assessment results – NCEA • Standardised assessment results administered internally – PAT, STAR, asTTle • Other in-school assessments – most non-standardised • Student work – work completion rates, exercise books, notes, performance – these can provide useful supplementary evidence.

13. Perceptions • What evidence do we have now about what students, staff and others think about the school? • Are there other potential sources?

14. Perceptions Evidence about what students, staff, parents and the community think about the school. • Self appraisal – student and staff perceptions of their own abilities, potential, achievements, attitudes. • Formal and informal observations made by teachers – peer interactions, behaviour, attitudes, engagement, student-teacher relationships, learning styles, classroom dynamics. • Structured interactions – records from student interviews, parent interviews, SWOT analysis, staff conferences on students.

15. Perceptions continued • Externally generated reports – from ERO (these contain data but also perceptions), School Smart data, NZCER surveys. • Student voice – student surveys, focus group interviews. • Other informal sources – views about the school environment, staff and student morale, Board perceptions, conversations among teachers ...

16. School systems • What evidence do we have about how your school is organised and operates?

17. School systems Evidence about how our school is organised and operates. • School processes – evidence and data about how your school is organised and operates, including: • Timetable – structure, length, placement of breaks, subjects offered, student choices; • Classes – how they are compiled, their characteristics; • Resources – access to libraries, textbooks, ICT, special equipment, etc; • Finance – how the school budget is allocated, how funds are used, expenditure on professional development; and - Staffing – policies and procedures for employing staff, allocating responsibility, special roles, workload, classes.

18. Other practice How can we find out about what has worked in other schools? • Documented research – university and other publications, Ministry of Education’s Best Evidence Syntheses, NZCER, NZARE, overseas equivalents ... • Experiences of other schools – informal contacts, local clusters, advisory services, TKI, NZC online, Educational Leaders’ site.

19. The evidence-driven decision-making cycle SPECULATE A teacher has a hunch about a problem or a possible action TRIGGER Data indicates a possible issue that could impact on student achievement EXPLORE Check data and evidence to explore the issue QUESTION Clarify the issue and ask a question REFLECT on what has been learned, how practice will change ASSEMBLE Decide what data and evidence might be useful EVALUATE the impact on the intervention ACT Carry out the intervention ANALYSE data and evidence INTERVENE Plan action to improve student achievement INTERPRET Insights that answer your question

20. The evidence-driven decision-making cycle Trigger - Clues found in data, hunches Explore - Is there really an issue? Question - What do you want to know? Assemble - Get all useful evidence together Analyse - Process data and other evidence Interpret - What information do you have? Intervene - Design and carry out action Evaluate - What was the impact? Reflect - What will we change?