The Comprehensive Walk Through Protocol

1. The Comprehensive Walk Through Protocol The Comprehensive Walkthrough Protocol

2. Goals of this Session • To learn the purposes of the Comprehensive Walkthrough • To learn the various types of components • To learn how to collect evidence • To learn to debrief the evidence • To learn to collate the evidence into findings for the Summary Report

3. What is a Comprehensive Walkthrough? What is a Comprehensive Walk Through A comprehensive visit of a school’s classrooms and other areas by a team of participants, either school-based, external, or both

4. Purposes of the Comprehensive Walkthrough Purpose of the Walk Through • To determine the school’s strengths and areas for concern in implementing curriculum, instruction and assessment, climate and safety • To assess implementation of the SIP Action Sequences and determine whether midcourse corrections are indicated • To use the data gathered to focus actions for the school to attain AYP

5. Walkthrough Components:General Team members can use the General Components of the protocol in any classroom to look at: • Classroom and Learning Environment • Classroom Instruction and Assessment • Students’ Learning and Behavior

6. Walkthrough Components: Focused The Walk through Formats: Supplementary Team members can use these components individually or together with the Focused Components: A. School Climate and Safety B. Literacy C. Math D. Science E. Special Education F. ESOL/Bilingual

7. Components: How and When • Choose components and team members based on the needs of the school. • Conduct any parts of the walkthrough simultaneously or at different times.

8. Before Conducting a Focused Walkthrough • Identify the focus of the walkthrough • Review the school’s SIP Action Sequences • Review school’s Roster/Schedule • Divide the SAT into pairs and assign each pair designated room(s) • Review Code of Conduct

9. During a Focused Walkthrough • Upon entering the room, the team members situate themselves in different areas of the room. • Make every attempt not to interrupt classroom activity.

10. Conducting the Walk Through Conducting the Walkthrough • Spend 10-15 minutes in each classroom. • Look at and listento what is occurring. • If indicator is present and implemented, as written, put “Y” (Yes). • If indicator is present, but notimplemented as written, put “N” (No). • Record all evidence while in the classroom.

11. Conducting the Walkthrough: Collecting Evidence Conducting the Walk Through: Collecting Evidence • Record the following types of evidence: • Quotes • Anecdotes • Comments • Evidence is crucial data that supports your decisions about indicators.

12. Evidence: Quotes Evidence: Quotes • Quotes reflect what you hear teachers, students or other staff say, either by themselves or in exchanges with each other. • Examples: • “Today, we are going to practice writing an opening sentence for a paragraph.” • “Miss Smith, how can I find the ‘percent’ key on this calculator?” • “Steven, refer to your notes from yesterday.”

13. Evidence: Anecdotes • Anecdotes reflect a short summary or retelling of an event that may include quotes or paraphrasing of exchanges. • Example: “ Teacher has students at board. They each have a problem to solve using the ‘T-chart’ strategy. Teacher asks each to explain ‘why’ for each step to the rest of the class”

14. Evidence: Comments Evidence: Comments • Comments reflect descriptive details about what the team member sees or hears. • Examples: “The teacher is using strategies today that were taught in last month’s Professional Development.” • “The objectives for this lesson are aligned with the Planning and Scheduling Timeline.”

15. Debriefing the Evidence Debriefing the Evidence • At the end of the walkthrough visits, partners meet to discuss findings. • All team members discuss findings collectively. • The facilitator leads a discussion about the evidence, looking for trends (strengths and areas for improvement), rather than isolated incidents.

16. Debriefing Examples Debriefing Examples • After visiting seven classrooms, a participant might summarize, for example: • “In five of the seven classrooms, there was evidence that the math curriculum was not being followed.” or “The teacher did not appear to have content knowledge.” • Findings from this evidence may prompt the school to seek more professional development for math teachers.

17. The Summary Report The Summary Report • The Summary Report is compiled by the facilitator of the walkthrough. • The report includes findings based on the accumulated evidence, listed under headings, as “Strengths” and “Areas for Improvement”. • Future supports for the school will be determined from the findings in this report.

18. Your Turn to Practice Your Turn to Practice • Attached is a sample lesson for your review. • Read through the sample dialogue and record evidence in the form of quotes, anecdotes or comments as though you were conducting a walkthrough in that room. • Turn to a partner and debrief your visit.

19. Questions • Concerns • “What if ?”