Making Decisions…The Right Way

1. Making Decisions…The Right Way North Dakota Council of Educational Leaders (NDCEL) Dr. Cory J. Steiner Thursday, October 17th, 2013

2. Objectives • Engage in collaboration with peers around key concepts and themes in education. • Self-Reflection • Guiding Principles • Understand triggers and/or conversation starters as they relate to gathering, understanding, and analyzing key data. • Understand how to utilize student data for purposeful planning. • Identify yellow and red light students. • Develop seating charts for at-risk students. • Differentiate a lesson in 10 minutes. • Understand the State Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) in terms of what it can do to help an organization continuously improve.

3. Norms • Listen • Learn • Share

4. The SEED Project • 19 schools participating • Maddock, Underwood, Carrington, Fessenden-Bowdon, Watford City, Ray, Dunseith, Mohall, Kulm, Devils Lake, Grafton, Park River, Leeds, Billings County, South Heart, Mott-Regent, Richardton-Taylor, New Town, Northern Cass, • Training districts on: • Building data teams • Utilizing the SLDS to make decisions • Practical strategies for teachers to utilize data • Best-practices from schools for students • Collaborate across district lines • Looking for our second phase of schools for the 2014-15 school year • Must partner with another district in their region • No charge to participating schools

5. The ‘Data’ Movement • Data is not new…the focus on data is new • We have been using data to inform practice throughout educational history: • Student discipline • Grades

6. Why the ‘Data’ Movement Can Fail • Change is not coming…it is here…and it is continuous • Failing to create short-term wins • WIN (What’s Important Now)

7. Purpose • The focus must be on moving from good to great • Get a little better every day • It is about correction…and then…continuous improvement • Stockdale Paradox • ‘Retain faith that you will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties and at the same time confront the most brutal facts of your current reality whatever they might be’ Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't (Collins, 2001)

8. Guiding Principles -What educators are saying… • Utilize common formative assessments • Value a careful and ethical approach to using and sharing data • Create a culture that values self-reflection • Never assign lazy as a diagnosis • Don’t rush to judgment • Collaboration time built into the existing schedule • Value quality data

9. Access to the SLDS • https://slds.ndcloud.gov • Enter log and password (right side of screen) as K-12 user. • To gain access, your Superintendent of Schools must e-mail EduTech to grant permission. • E-mail me to facilitate this process. • costeiner@nd.gov

10. Strategy #1: Identifying Green, Yellow, and Red Light Students

11. Student Directory Report • Purpose: Displays student proficiency details selectable by school year, grade, school, proficiency level, and student demographics

12. Student Directory: Triggers and/or Conversation Starters • The report contains: • Class schedule • Grades • Assessment scores • Program information • Attendance • College and career readiness • Transcripts

14. The Student Dashboard

22. Triggers and/or Conversation Starters Activity

23. Triggers and/or Conversation Starters Activity

24. Strategy #2: At-Risk Seating

25. Teacher Roster Report

29. The Fundamental Five • Frame the lesson • Teach in the power zone • Praise and encouragement • Critical writing • Small group purposeful talk

30. What is the Power Zone? • Teach or monitor in close proximity to: • One student • Small group of students • Entire classroom full of students • Increases effectiveness of other teaching practices • Classroom space is about learning and not about teaching Cain, S. & Laird, M. (2011). The Fundamental Five: The Formula for Quality Instruction

31. Why the Power Zone? • Improve Teaching and Maximize Student Learning • Monitor understanding • Answer questions • Differentiate as needed • Immediate feedback Cain, S. & Laird, M. (2011). The Fundamental Five: The Formula for Quality Instruction

32. Why the Power Zone (continued)? • Classroom Management • Increase proximity • Address problem behavior immediately • Manage transitions • Two Minute Problem

33. Why the Power Zone (continued)? • Build Relationships • Build rapport faster • Communicate with all students • Show genuine interest in students • Personal connection with student Cain, S. & Laird, M. (2011). The Fundamental Five: The Formula for Quality Instruction

37. Strategy #3: Differentiation…in 10 Minutes or Less

38. Power Zone Activity • Draw what a classroom set up might look like when it is design • Things to Consider: • Can you get anywhere at any time without interrupting teaching and learning? • Get ‘there’ without verbal interaction • Stand next to any student (front, side, and behind) • Engage in non-teaching tasks without interruptingstudent learning

40. Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) • NWEA Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tests present students with engaging, age-appropriate content. As a student responds to questions, the test responds to the student, adjusting up or down in difficulty.

42. What Does a Number Mean? • Look at the data for end of year mean (right side of each individual table) • What does a 223 RIT mean (in terms of grade level) for reading, math, & language usage? • Reading—10th grade • Math—5th/6th grade • Language Usage—11thgrade

44. Activity: Breaking Down the Numbers • Divide the student list into three equal parts based on RIT score (achievement) • Categorize (color code the categories) • Top group—Above (blue) • Middle Group—At (yellow) • Below Group—Below (pink)

45. Activity: Designing the Lesson • Objective: Students will read through chapter five and complete a summary sheet detailing key concepts from the reading. • Should assignments be the same for all students? • Is having the same assignment fair and/or equal? • What do students in each category know? Need to know?

46. Activity: Designing the Lesson • Objective: Students will read through chapter five and complete a summary sheet detailing key concepts from the reading. • Above—Read Chapter Five and complete the ‘summary’ sheet. • Summary sheet simply identifies: • Number of key concepts • Accompanying pages • Required number of details for each concept

47. Activity: Designing the Lesson • Objective: Students will read through chapter five and complete a summary sheet detailing key concepts from the reading. • At—Read Chapter Five and complete the ‘summary’ sheet. • Summary sheet specifically identifies: • Five of the key concepts • Accompanying pages • Required number of details for each concept • One exemplar provided

48. Activity: Designing the Lesson • Objective: Students will read through chapter five and complete a summary sheet detailing key concepts from the reading. • Below—Read Chapter Five and complete the ‘summary’ sheet. • Summary sheet specifically identifies: • All key concepts • Specific pages (linked to each concept) • Required number of details for each concept • Multiple exemplars provided • A sentence starter for each concept

49. Final Thoughts • Have a genuine appreciation for the effort and commitment that everyone makes because together, we shall succeed. • Casey Bradley, Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach

50. Questions?? Dr. Cory J Steiner E-mail: costeiner@nd.gov Twitter: @nddatasteward Blog: http://blogs.edutech.nodak.edu/corysteiner/ Phone: 701-893-5087