Moratorium

1. Moratorium • Sustaining our goals and keeping the momentum moving by re-focusing our work • Strengthening instructional strategies • Focus on individual • Sustaining professional learning

2. Making Meaning of the Moratorium • Legislation – one year pause in assessments related to certification of Learning Results • Opportunity to re-balance the system and to focus on all components • Major focus must be on instruction, using data to reach personalization for each child

3. Making Meaning of the Moratorium • All school administrative units will report their status on the annual school approval form • DOE will follow up with districts who proceed to understand what is happening in the district (compromise to legislation)

4. What is not included • Assessments used to inform instruction • Assessments for determining student progress for report card • Pre-post testing • Assessments that are part of adopted school board policies

5. Key questions • Do the assessments being used at value to instruction? • Do they motivate students? • Are they seen as valuable by teachers? • Are they reasonable in number? • What is the impact on learning time?

6. Moratorium Questions

7. Breakthrough a sudden, dramatic and important discovery or development…[and/or] a significant … overcoming of a perceived obstacle, allowing the completion of a process.

8. Richard Elmore introduction: • “My work has led me to an increasing appreciation of the power and resilience of the default culture of public schools – the deeply rooted beliefs, structures, artifacts and symbols of an increasingly dysfunctional and obsolete set of institutions. • Default culture stretches, seemingly to a breaking point (tipping) point, and then snaps back to where it was.

9. Breakthrough • Where to focus our attention • focused, ongoing learning for each and every teacher • Both individually and collectively • People change behavior before they change their beliefs – how to engage teachers and administrators in new practices • Shared vision and ownership are less a precondition for success than they are an outcome.

10. Breakthrough • Learning in context is key • Professional learning communities at the school level are crucial in establishing cultures in which teachers learn from one another • Professional learning communities must be supported by administrators and district

11. Breakthrough • Districts and states must integrate pressure and support so that everyone engages in capacity building with a focus on results. • Capacity building is often neglected. • Leadership is the turnkey to system transformation. Means working with a breakthrough focus and doing it through the development of other leaders.

12. Breakthrough Framework – Figure 6.1BreakthroughBy: Michael Fullan, Peter Hill, Carmel Crevola

13. Fullan’s work • Returning to Maine the week of Sept 11 • Report due by November • His initial observations: • Significantly over built the LAS • Too much focus on assessment • Precision Instruction has a greater impact on student achievement • Need a greater focus on Literacy and mathematics

14. Advancing and Sustaining the work • Supporting Professional Learning • How might DOE help you to build capacity • Professional Teacher Development Centers? • Focus on Induction • Pedagogy • Content • RFP Regional Support • PPD • Statewide Calendar