230 likes | 317 Views
Increasing Student Ownership and Responsibility for Their Academic Learning (SOAR) South Hills Arlington Heights Diamond Hill Jarvis. Academic Year 2014. What is SOAR?. Increasing Student Ownership and Responsibility for Their Learning. Core Elements of SOAR.
E N D
Increasing Student Ownership and Responsibility for Their Academic Learning (SOAR) South Hills Arlington Heights Diamond Hill Jarvis Academic Year 2014
What is SOAR? Increasing Student Ownership and Responsibility for Their Learning
Core Elements of SOAR • Teachers and other school personnel have high academic expectations for students • Teachers and other school personnel provide instructional supports to help students meet high expectations • Teachers and other school personnel provide organizational supports to help students meet high expectations • Teachers and other school personnel use techniques to deeply engage students in academic work.
Research by the National Center on Scaling Up Effective Schools in Fort Worth found students who demonstrated SOAR did the following:
Indicators of SOAR 1 Students come to class prepared, complete assignments well and on time, make up missed work in a timely manner, and seek additional help when they are struggling.
Indicators of SOAR 2 Students are engaged in class, ask questions when they are confused, monitor their own learning, and attempt to master material with which they struggle.
Indicators of SOAR 3 Students believe they can achieve challenging tasks and that it is in their control to succeed in school.
Indicators of SOAR 4 Students are personally invested in academic success.
Indicators of SOAR 5 Students demonstrate life skills such as initiative, self-direction, productivity, and accountability.
Fort Worth Innovation School investigations highlight the following: • Students: Students have a low sense of self-efficacy in setting and meeting high academic goals even though they have high aspirations for college. • Professionals: Educators have a low sense of self-efficacy in preparing students for academic success. • District: There is a lack of shared understanding across high schools of rigor, high expectations and student engagement. • Need: A significant percentage of high school students do not attain the cognitive skills, life skills, and habits of mind that are necessary for academic success.
The SOAR Conceptual Prototype – Awhole school model to ensure a culture where all students develop skills and habits of mind that will lead to success; aligned with district strategic plan and priorities for college and career readiness.
DIDT and SIDT Present: SOAR Conceptual Prototype Increasing Student Ownership and Responsibility PD & Improvement Cycle Plan-Do-Review-Reflect Growth Mindset Problem- Solving SOAR
Explicit Teaching of Growth Mindset • Students will be able to approach challenges as learning opportunities. • Recognize that effort is essential for academic growth • Be open-minded when facing new situations that seem difficult or unfamiliar • Figure out how to adjust when you make mistakes • Recognize that some mistakes may lead to improvements and / or creative solutions
Meaningful work can also teach students to love challenges, to enjoy effort, to be resilient, and to value their own improvement.… We can design and present learning tasks in a way that helps students develop a growth mindset. Dr. Carol S. Dweck, Even Geniuses Work Hard
Explicit Teaching of Problem-Solving Skills Relevant to Life and Academics • Students will be able to use and apply general and content-appropriate processes to identify and respond to problems through the lens of a growth mindset. • Examples of Processes and Skills: • Identify the problem or question • Analyze and synthesize known information • Gather missing information • Develop possible solutions • Test and justify solution • Reflect on the process
Whole School: Shared responsibility in which everyone contributes to high expectations; department and school-wide instructional and organizational supports for sustainability.
What a SOAR Pilot Year Looks Like: • Introduction to SOAR: SIDT to conduct PD lesson with school staff • Introduction to Growth Mindsets: SIDT to conduct PD lesson with school staff • Research and Development: SIDT and DIDT develop other lessons during and in between NCSU meetings • Piloting at Innovation Sites: Teachers implement lessons in professional development settings and then translate to classrooms • Organizational Supports: SIDT and DIDT coordinate and pilot the PD/Continuous Improvement Cycle • Human Centered: Ongoing data collection and feedback from multiple stakeholders • Continuous Improvement: Iterative process to try out and refine the SOAR prototype in fall and spring semesters
SOAR Program Roadmap Phase 0 Learning from the District 2012 Phase 2 Research & Development, Testing, Piloting 07/2013 – 12/2013 Phase 3 Piloting and Implementation 01/2014 – 06/2014 Phase 4 In-School Scale-In / Plans for Scaling Up in District 07/2014 – 05/2015 Going to Scale 06/2015 - Onward Phase 1 Innovation Design 01/2013 – 06/2013 Identification of differentiating practices between HVA & LVA high schools Identification of design challenge Development & testing of prototype components Piloting of prototype during PD and in classrooms Formative evaluation & progress monitoring Capacity building of SIDT & DIDT In-depth and broader implementation at innovation sites District-level scale-up plans • Development of prototype concept • Capacity building of DIDT District leadership responsible for scale up in other schools Iterative cycle: refinement of prototype based on data/feedback Continued piloting of prototype in PD and in classrooms Development of implementation plan Capacity building of SIDT & DIDT
SOAR: Increasing Student Ownership and Responsibility for Their Learning • A philosophy that supports the whole student • A systematic school-wide approach • An opportunity to foster life-long learning experiences and build a culture of continuous improvement
“The beauty of Project SOAR is that it has its roots in the positive and successful work already happening in FWISD. Too often, solutions are foisted upon our schools. This is of our school, by our schools, and for our students. Project SOAR has the potential to entirely change the educational experience of our students and our teachers.” Mike SorumDeputy Superintendent, Leadership, Learning, Student Support Fort Worth Independent School District