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Purpose

2008 Quality Learning and Teaching Environments/Teacher Quality Project For Georgia Association of Educational Leaders Winter Conference February 4, 2008. Purpose To reduce teacher attrition in Georgia’s public schools and improve the conditions of learning and teaching.

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Purpose

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  1. 2008Quality Learning and Teaching Environments/Teacher Quality ProjectFor Georgia Association of Educational Leaders Winter ConferenceFebruary 4, 2008

  2. Purpose • To reduce teacher attrition in Georgia’s public schools and improve the conditions of learning and teaching. • To raise student achievement

  3. QLTE/Teacher Quality Project Advisory Committee • University System of Georgia • Georgia Department of Education • State Board of Education • Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education • Partnership for Reform in Science and Mathematics • Georgia’s Leadership Institute for School Improvement

  4. Supporting Partners • Sonny Perdue, Governor, State of Georgia • Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools • Erroll Davis, Chancellor, University System of Georgia • Georgia Committee on Quality Teaching

  5. University System of Georgia (P-16) State Board of Education Georgia Department of Education Georgia Professional Standards Commission Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget Governor’s Office of Student Achievement Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education Regional Education Service Agencies Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning Georgia Public Policy Foundation BellSouth Washington Mutual Georgia Committee on Quality Teaching A broad-based group of educational agencies and organizations formed to communicate and promote cross-agency work on teaching quality

  6. Bibb County Schools—Sharon Patterson, Superintendent Dougherty County Schools—Sally Whatley, Superintendent Floyd County Schools—Kelly Henson, Superintendent Hall County Schools – Will Schofield, Superintendent Lowndes County Schools—Steve Smith, Superintendent Valdosta City Schools – Sam Allen, Superintendent Vidalia City Schools – Tim Smith, Superintendent QLTE Pilot Communities

  7. Strategies • The administration of a working conditions survey for diagnostic purposes • Provide school and district-specific data to identify system strengths and weaknesses • Work with teachers to formulate a plan of action to address identified needs • Mobilize community-school partnerships to improve conditions of learning and teaching.

  8. Survey 1-January 2005 7,357 Respondents 10 Districts 83% Response Rate Survey 2—December 2006 7,032 Respondents 7 Districts 84% Response Rate

  9. . “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking newlandscapes but in having new eyes.” – Marcel Proust • Ask questions • Solicit feedback • Confront the brutal facts

  10. Domains of the Working Conditions Survey • Time • Facilities and Resources • Leadership • Empowerment • Professional Learning

  11. Rating Scale • 1= Strongly Disagree • 2= Somewhat Disagree • 3= Neither Disagree or Agree • 4= Somewhat Agree • 5= Strongly Agree

  12. What did educators tell us?

  13. Teachers and Administrators See Things Differently Average Domain Rating by Position: 2006 5 4.6 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.3 4.1 4.1 4.0 3.9 4 3.5 Administrators Average Rating 3 Teachers 2 1 Professional Time Facilities & Leadership Empowerment Learning Resources

  14. Leadership Inspires and Retains Teachers Which aspect of your work environment most affects your willingness to keep teaching at your school? Professional Learning, 9.4 Time, 18.0 Empowerment, 14.5 Resources, 16.4 Facilities and Leadership, 41.7

  15. Which aspect of your work environment is most important to you in promoting student learning? Professional Learning, 17.0 Time, 27.3 Empowerment, 16.5 Facilities and Leadership, 12.8 Resources, 26.4

  16. SO……………… What Changed?

  17. Educators report improved working conditions. Six in ten educators believed that conditions had improved.

  18. Educators Report Improved Working Conditions. Educators' Ratings of QLTE Domains 2005 - 2006 5 4.1 4.1 4.0 4.0 4.0 3.9 3.9 3.8 4 3.6 3.2 Percent Increase 3 2 1 Facilities Leadership Empower- ment Time Professional & Resources Learning

  19. Teachers Report More Planning Time 3 Hours or More Per Week

  20. The Stories Behind the Story: District and School Results SEE OUR WEBSITE! – WWW.QLTE.ORG 5 4 2005 3 2006 2 1 Time Fac&Res Leadership Empowerment ProfLearning Domain

  21. BellSouth QLTE Quality Learning & Teaching Environments Initiative Floyd County Schools “Building premier learning and teaching environmentsfor every student and teacher in Georgia's public schools"

  22. Time Student learning time is protected by leaders Adequate time for professional learning Reduced duties and paper work so teachers focus on instruction Time to collaborate with colleagues Class sizes meets needs of students Student loads meet needs of students Leaders address teacher concerns about use of time

  23. BellSouth QLTE Action Plan • Teacher CollaborationRuth Pinson, teacher at Armuchee Elementary, chaired a committee to explore increasing teacher collaboration. • Plan of Action:School principals should work with teachers to provide, in addition to individual daily planning, an opportunity to meet for an extended time with other teachers to plan collaboratively at least once a month.

  24. Facilities and Resources Adequate space to work productively Sufficient access to office equipment Convenient access to phones and email Enough supplies to support student learning Current technology is sufficiently available for teachers and students Work environment is clean and well maintained Provides a safe environment for teaching and learning Leadership address teacher’s concerns about school facilities and resources

  25. BellSouth QLTE Action Plan • Actual Problem Most school computer labs do not have a person who is responsible for staffing the lab. Teachers must teach the lesson and act as a technology person to get the computers up and running and also to trouble shoot computer problems • Plan of Action:The system entered into an agreement with Berry College to pilot a program using Berry students to staff computer labs in schools. The pilot began with Berry staffing one school Monday through Friday during school hours. The program was successful and has been expanded to add an additional school this year.

  26. Teacher Provided Solutions • The process is the key • Ask opinions • Involve teachers in solutions • Show results • Continue the dialogue

  27. QLTE Teacher Advisory Group Survey results of participants. • How satisfied are you that teacher questions are answered?Very Dissatisfied Somewhat Dissatisfied Somewhat Satisfied Satisfied Very Satisfied 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 55.0% (11) 45.0% (9) • The Q&A email and website recap of the meeting was helpful in providing information about the meetings to teachers at my school. Strongly Disagree Somewhat Disagree Unsure AgreeStrongly Agree0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 5.0% (1) 30.0% (6)65.0% (13)

  28. Lowndes County Schools • Good to Great and Beyond • Working Together for Excellence Every Day • A focus on student needs • Data Driven Decision Making

  29. Positive Results – An Example: How creativity, commitment, and team work produced great results for the Lowndes County School District. • January, 2005- November, 2006 Working Conditions Improvement For Lowndes County Educators:

  30. Student Achievement Data for Lowndes High School:

  31. What made the difference? • Initiated a system wide theme of Good to Great and Beyond stressing teamwork and excellence every day. It all began with getting the right people in the right seat and on the right bus. • Making academic achievement the top priority as well as meeting the needs of all students. • Using data and research to drive all decisions.

  32. What made the difference? • Introduced more accountability through the use of a Balanced Scorecard, System Report Card and annual surveys of the staff, parents, and community to monitor progress. • Designed and approved a progressive 5 Year Facilities Plan that involved building four schools in a five year period.

  33. What made the difference? • Conducted a system-wide needs assessment to determine Professional Learning needs. Provided school specific Professional Learning with activities during planning time. • Restructured the school day to allow elementary and middle school teachers 90 minutes of common planning time. And Finally…

  34. What made the difference? • Empowered teachers through the use of High Performance Leadership Teams at every school. The entire staff faced the reality of confronting the brutal facts. Vertical teaming and horizontal teaming led to more focus and greater communication.

  35. Cost: $12 per participant for entire project Sponsorships: For every $3 a local chamber of commerce provides, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce will match $3

  36. Want to Participate? Please contact Nancy Reeves Community Relations Manager for Teacher Quality Project Nancy.Reeves@usg.edu (404) 463-2949

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