Creating a Better School Day – Focused Priorities and Enhanced School Culture

1. Creating a Better School Day – Focused Priorities and Enhanced School Culture • United Providence - January 28, 2014

2. Today’s Objectives • Focus on High Quality Instruction – Use your data to finalize your school-wide Instructional Focus Statement • Develop redesign features that put your students at the center of your schedules • Assess your school culture and develop improvement action steps 2

3. High Quality Instruction Time People Technology Focused Priorities Enhanced School Culture Frequent Data Cycles 3

4. School Schedule Redesign Process Idea Generation (Dec – Jan) Decision Making (Jan – April) Redesign Schedule (Jan – April) Implement September 2014 4

5. Next Steps from Session 1 What kind of progress have you made with the Next Steps from Session 1? Discuss and reflect with your team and be prepared to share progress and challenges. Share Statement with Staff, Students, & Parents • Draft adult and student friendly statements Complete Activity and Write Focus Statement • Ensure focus targets one skill, impacts students and adults, and has multiple measures Schedule Time for Staff to Analyze Data for Focus • Identify approximately 90 to 120 minutes for data exercise Gather Student Data to Create Instructional Focus • Compile achievement data from multiple sources over multiple years, drilling down to standards/skill level data Identify Resources and Activities to Share with Staff • Today’s resources include: IDEO Redesign video; Hiatt instructional focus video ; and Maplewood instructional focus activity. Focus packet and Student Profiles activity 5

6. Putting Students at the Center 6

7. Reconnection Activity: Student Profiles Which Students Did Your Team Choose? • Share profiles with team members • What are the implications for your redesign ? 7

8. Tulsa’s Best Kept Secret Instructional Focus 8

9. Instructional Focus Reminders……. Instructional Focus… Cuts across all content areas Impacts every student AND every adult Becomes a central topic for collaboration/PD Comes to life through a set of common instructional strategies Provides a foundation for long-term academic success Is measurable . . . and drives your use of time 9

10. Sample Instructional Focus Statements 10

11. Activity: Establishing Your Instructional Focus Objective: Create your school’s instructional focus statement Team Work Time • Work Independently: Examine the data available for your school. Make note of strengths, weaknesses and questions on the graphic organizer. (15 min.) • Come Together as a Team: Synthesize your observations. Record them on chart paper. (25 min.) 11

12. Establishing Your Instructional Focus Team Work Time (continued) 3. As a team, discuss: • Which problems cut across multiple subject areas and grade levels? • Which of these problems would you classify as highest-importance? (Identify 2 – 3 issues.) • Which of these, if addressed by every teacher every day, could prove transformational for your school? (30min.) 4. Based on your discussion, as a team articulate a school-wide Instructional Focus. See if it meets the criteria in the “Would This Focus…” box on the graphic organizer .(50 min.) 12

13. Instructional Focus: Discussion Now that we have reached consensus on an Instructional Focus for our school what are our next steps to introduce and implement this focus? How do we engage all of our stakeholders in this work – Teachers? Other staff? Students? Partners? Parents ? 13

14. Lunch Break 14

15. High-Performing Schools Focus on Eight Powerful Practices Optimize Time for Student Learning Use Time to help Students Thrive in School and Beyond Dedicate Time to Improve Teacher Effectiveness 1 2 12 12 12 11 11 11 1 1 1 3 10 10 10 2 2 2 8 4 9 9 9 3 3 3 5 7 6 8 8 8 4 4 4 7 7 7 5 5 5 6 6 6 1 Make Every Minute Count 4 Build a School Culture of High Expectations and Mutual Accountability 7 Continuously Strengthen Instruction Prioritize Time to Focus on Small Set of School-wide Goals 2 5 Provide a Well-Rounded Education 8 Relentlessly Analyze and Respond to Data Individualize Learning Time and Instruction based on Student Needs 3 Prepare Students for College and Career 6 15

16. The Role of Culture in Your Redesigned Schedule Today’s Objectives and Process 1 Understand guiding principles: Purpose, Values, and Behaviors 2 Apply principles to learning about culture at high performing schools 3 Identify the connections between purpose, values and behaviors at your school 4 Begin to plan next steps towards your improvement efforts 16

17. Why Enhance School Culture? Makes Adults’ Work More Meaningful and Fulfilling What the Research Says: Decreases Teacher Burnout and Increases Teacher Retention (Grayson and Alvarez, 2008) Improves Student Learning of Academic Skills What the Research Says: Improves Student Engagement and Achievement (Hamre and Pianta, 2001) Prepares Students for Long Term Success What the Research Says: Creates a Foundation to Effectively Respond to Challenges and Conflict (Duckworth, 2007; Dweck, 2007) 17

18. Why Don’t Plans to Enhance Culture Always Work? “We don’t have buy-in from everyone” This Doesn’t Align with How We Work and/or Why We Do Our Work “We haven’t gotten the proper training” “There’s no accountability and follow through” “Our parents need to be more involved” “That won’t work for our kids” “We do things differently” “That won’t work for our teachers” “We don’t have support from the leadership” 18

19. Start with Why Simon Sinek Start with Why 19

20. Key Principles: Enhanced School Culture Supported by Staff Values How Behaviors, language, rituals, etc. to reinforce values Commonly Shared Purpose Consistent implementation across the school Why What What Supported by Student Values How 20

21. Orchard Gardens K8 Pilot School Orchard Gardens (Roxbury, MA) Grades: K-8 # of Students: 800 % Low Income: 90 21

22. Orchard Gardens K8 Pilot School Turning Around Orchard Gardens 22

23. Read & Talk About Orchard Gardens Read pages 14-15 from the Orchard Gardens Case Study handout or online. Highlight how OG meets the principles for Enhanced School Culture. (5 min.) After reading, turn and talk at your table about what you’ve read and seen about the culture at Orchard Gardens that you want to remember as you consider your own school culture/climate.(10 min.) OG Case Study 23

24. Manual High School (2006) Manual High School (CO) Grades: 9 - 12 % Low Income: 95 # of Students: 600 Manual in 2006 • Highest student attrition rate in the district (Denver Public Schools): 33% in one year • Highest drop-out rate in the district • Highest drop-out risk factors among incoming 9th grade classes in the district % of 9th Grade Class Passing All or Failing All Drop-Out Risk Factors (2006) 32 27 24 13 11 4 5 5 DSST Denver Venture Bruce Randolph Manual Closed in 2006 for being the ‘failingest High School in Colorado’ 24

25. Manual Re-Opens and Defines Its Why Manual Re-opened One Year Later, with a Renewed Emphasis on Culture Why Principle # 1: Commonly Shared Purpose students are prepared for We will create a school where for success in college, careers, and life by improving attendance, graduation rates, test scores and grades, student engagement, and professionalism. 25

26. How Manual Achieved Its Purpose How Principle #2: Staff Values Assume nothing, teach everything: habits of learning, habits of professionalism, habits of community Keep it simple and personal: minimize transitions, keep classes small, keep preps few, keep student load reasonable, longer blocks of time for learning core academics, provide socio-emotional supports Anticipate failure: build in lots of opportunities to catch up and succeed Principle #3: Student (and Staff) Values Build a safe and caring community: high structure, high love, high discipline, consistent school-wide expectations Beat the odds: respond to failure productively, go to college, sweat the small stuff 26

27. What Manual Did What Principle #4: Behaviors, Rituals, Stories, etc. to Reinforce Values Community Meeting: Twice a week whole school meeting to build school-wide community Advisory: Daily period to build student-staff and student-student relationships College Prep: Supplemental academic and socio-emotional supports to prepare students for college and career Principle #5: Consistent Implementation across the School Hiring with Values in Mind: School looks for generalists instead of content experts; emphasis on teamwork and collaboration Scheduling Collaboration Time: Daily common planning periods and early release time for collaboration to ensure teachers are on same page 27

28. What Manual Did: A Closer Look What Community Meeting Build Whole School Community – Twice a Week, 20 Minutes Advisory Build a Sense of Connection and Safety – Every Day, 40 Minutes College Prep Supplement Academic and Socio-Emotional Skills Needed for College Readiness Every Day, 60 Minutes (supports are differentiated for each student) 28

29. Community Meetings at Manual Community Meeting 2x/week; 20 minutes What It Looks Like at Manual Build community and share common goals • Keep the vision present • College prep • Beat the odds • Sweat the small stuff Celebrate success • Academic achievement • Athletic achievement • Other tracked goals (e.g. attendance) Conduct business • School-wide announcements • Introduce new school-wide initiatives 29

30. Advisory at Manual Advisory Daily; 40 minutes What It Looks Like at Manual Building School Culture & Community:Create an advisory group where students feel a sense of safety and connection. Develop and strengthen cooperation, group building, and leadership skills. Academic Support: Tracks and monitor the students’ academic and behavioral progress and participation in school life. Closely monitor attendance. Regular goal setting, reflection, and self-assessments. Parent conferences 2-3x per year. Habits of Learning: Developing and acquiring key academic skills that support studying, taking tests, time management, organization. Life Skills: Strengthening skills in conflict resolution, self-management, appropriate ways to communicate, decision-making, and healthy relationships. Post Secondary Planning: Preparing and planning for college and careers following high school. 30

31. Advisory at Manual (Continued) Advisory Student Surveys Advisory Content by Grades My Advisor Supports Me in Doing Better at School Culture & Community Academic Support Learning Habits Post Sec Planning Life Skills 31

32. College Prep at Manual College Prep Daily; 60 minutes What It Looks Like at Manual Placement based on Student’s Most Pressing Need: • Social-emotional • Students with low scores in reading, writing and math (“can’t do”) • Students with more than 1 F but proficient in reading and math (“won’t do”) • Students in good standing may choose electives Faculty Responsibilities: teach 2 trimesters of intervention and one elective/enrichment (or 3rd intervention if they prefer) Support from Outside Organizations: partners and community colleges also offer electives 32

33. Schedule Implications 8:00-3:45 Academic Day (M,T,R, and F) • 80 minute core academic blocks every day • No off-campus or free periods • Multiple supports built into the day • 3 Trimesters of English required • If you pass math, science or social studies in 2 trimesters, take an elective or move up to the next level (catch up or accelerate) • Early dismissal Wednesday (no Advisory or College Prep) for faculty Team Meetings, PD • Athletics and activities take place after 3:45 33

34. Did it Work? Increases Decreases • Standardized Test Scores • Drop-out Rates • ACT Scores • Graduation Rates • School Performance Rating • Attendance and Engagement By 2011, Manual had outperformed peer CO schools in ALL OF THESE INDICATORS. That year, 90% of Manual students enrolled in college 34

35. Manual: Why, How, and What Manual’s Culture Staff Values: Teach Everything; Keep It Simple Purpose: Prepare Students for College, Career, and Life Community Meetings Advisory Student Values: Beat the Odds College Prep 35

36. Manual in Action Manual High School Turning Around Manual 36

37. Work Time 1. Read through the guiding principles in the Enhanced School Culture Framework (5 min.) Culture Framework 2. Assess where your school is in each of the five principles (20 min.) Self Assessment 3. Use the Idea Generator on to consider how the ideas from examples in this section could help your school improve in 2-3 areas you identified(30 min.) Idea Generator 37

38. Sharing What You Learn Consider how Videos Activities PowerPoint Slides School Examples can be shared in your broader school community to build support and buy-in and continue the redesign work 38

39. Keep Communicating! • Keep Communicating with Your Faculty • Use this session’s key messages to provide an update to your full faculty on what you’ve learned today • Begin to solicit input from your faculty • Engage Partners • Communicate with both existing and potential partners about your plans for a new school year Watch out for the rumor mill…be proactive! 39

40. Building Support Within Your School School Planning Team School Leadership Team Faculty & Colleagues • Imperative for your School Planning Teamto communicate to your School Leadership Team after every planning session • What did our team learn today? • What are our key next steps to build support in our school? • How can our staff participate? • Communicate regularly with your Faculty & Colleagues throughout the redesign process • Smaller team meetings • Full faculty meetings • Email updates 40

41. Building Support For Your Better School Day Communicate often to: • Build support and enthusiasm for the effort • Create a common sense of purpose • Convey a sense of urgency • Reduce anxiety and misconceptions by providing concrete information • Building support for your new school day by engaging key stakeholders will be an ongoing theme of the redesign process 41

42. Final Thoughts….… Take a moment to jot down an “aha!” moment or a shout out that stood out for you today. Share out. 42

43. NCTL ELT Online Resources Additional school profiles, case studies, communication tools and planning resources are available at: www.timeandlearning.org. Materials from the previous United Providence! sessions are available at: www.timeandlearning.org/unitedprovidence For more information: Joe Rull jrull@timeandlearning.org Joe McKown jmckown@timeandlearning.org 43

44. Thank You and Evaluations! Please fill out and return your evaluations THANK YOU!! 44