What is the biggest ongoing challenge in education?

1. Planning, Implementing, Monitoring, and Learning:2011 Research Guidance Global Implementation ConferenceWashington DCBrian A. McNulty, Ph.D.

2. What is the biggest ongoing challenge in education? Talk to your shoulder partner

3. What is the 2nd biggest challenge? Talk to your shoulder partner and

4. Where are we now? • 60% of teachers’ questions required factual recall, • 20% were procedural, and • only 20% required thought by the student. Hattie, J. 2009

5. Problems with Implementation

6. The Myth of Linearity “Greater implementation means better achievement, right?”

7. The Non-Linear Path of School Improvement

8. Note-Taking

9. Clearly posted Objectives for Every Lesson

10. Big Ideas and Essential Questions

11. “There’s only two things in life… But I forget what they are!” John Hiatt – Buffalo River Home

12. Really there are….. 3 things in life….

13. 3 Things • Focus your work on a few important things • Focus on instruction • Inquire, learn as a system, and develop leadership capacity

14. 3 Things 1. Focus your work on a few important things 2. Focus on instruction 3. Inquire, learn as a system, and develop leadership capacity

15. 1. Focus • Marzano, Waters, McNulty (2005) • Robinson (2007), and Robinson, Lloyd, & Rowe, (2008) • Reeves (2011) • Schmoker (2011) • McNulty and Besser (2011)

16. Marzano, Waters, McNulty (2005) • 21 principal responsibilities • Differential impacts of leadership • Focus and magnitude of change

17. Robinson (2007), and Robinson et al. (2008)

18. Robinson et al., 2008

19. Robinson et al., 2008

20. Multiple simultaneous initiatives reduce the coherence of the teaching program. Robinson, V., M., J. (2007).

21. Robinson et al. (2008) found that student performance was positively impacted when …the principal worked to reduce the number of other initiatives in the building.

22. Numerous researcherscaution against adopting too many initiatives that detract from the improvement focus and usually result in “initiative fatigue” (Reeves, 2006).[see Reeves (2006, 2011); Elmore (2006); Fullan (2010); Schmoker (2011) and McNulty and Besser (2011)]

23. The single variable that had the highest relationship with increased student performance was... FOCUS Reeves, 2011

24. Focus • Focus results in student achievement gains that are five times greater than schools and districts that score lower in focus. • “Weeding the Garden” (Reeves, 2011)

25. The compelling conclusionof the researchis that schoolswith higher levels of focusnot only have higher levels of student achievement… Reeves, 2011

26. …(they) are alsobetter ableto implementother essentialleadership andteaching strategies. Reeves, 2011

27. McNulty and Besser (2011) • A limited number of focused goals and strategies • “The vast majority of improvement plans have too many goals and strategies; consequently, the efforts of staff are spread across so many initiatives that they are rarely implemented effectively, nor do they then achieve the intended outcomes.”

28. Focus is the first obligationof leaders. Reeves, 2011

29. Focus Don’t do too many things: • Focus on implementing a few things well and deeply • Monitor and provide feedback and support • Learn as a system

30. 3 Things • Focus your work on a few important things • Focus on instruction • Inquire, learn as a system, and develop leadership capacity

31. 2. Focus on Instruction • Specific effective teaching practices • The school or district has agreed on everyone learning some specific effective practices that are learned, implemented, monitored, and provided feedback on. • Continuous learning of effective practices • Teacher-based teams use data to determine needs; develop shared lessons and units; develop, administer, and score shared assessments; and develop interventions.

32. 2. Focus on instruction • Develop shared knowledge, language, and framework of instruction • Learn shared powerful practices • Collaboratively learn about improving instruction

33. 2. Teacher-Based Teams

34. What do we know about teacher-based teams–TBTs?

35. Largest leadership study to date • Nine states; 43 school districts; and 180 elementary, middle, and secondary schools • Data from a total of 8,391 teachers and 471 school administrators Seashore Louis et. al, 2010

36. Findings • Collective leadership has a stronger influence on student learning than any individual source of leadership • Higher-performing schools award greater influence to teacher teams Seashore Louis et. al 2010

37. The principal’s ability to provide support through effective interaction may be more important than his or her specific content knowledge. Seashore Louis et al., 2010

38. A growing body of evidence suggests that when teachers collaborate to pose and answer questions informed by data from their own students, their knowledge grows and their practice changes. David (2008/2009).

39. In a comprehensive five-year study of over 1,500 schools, they found that when teachers formed professional learning communities,achievement increased inmath, reading, science, and historyandabsentee and dropout rates decreased. Darling-Hammond, L., et al. (2009)

40. With teachers operating in grade-level teams that meet regularly, the school creates structures for examining student progress, as well as for creating a more coherent curriculum and allowing teachers to learn from one another. Darling-Hammond, L., (2010).

41. “By using an inquiry-based team framework, achievement scores rose from the worst to the best in the district.” Gallimore et. al., 2009

42. Caveats

43. Collaborative inquiry is among the most promising strategies for strengthening teaching and learning. The biggest risk, however, is not providing the necessary leadership and support. David, J. L., 2008/2009.

44. “Time for collaboration by itself, even when administratively supported, was unlikely to improve achievement unlessadditional conditions were in place to structure its effectiveness.” Saunders, W. M., et al., (2010).

45. Provided theright conditions,leadership,and protocols,teachers will make use of collaborative time in ways that improve achievement. (p. 1,028) Saunders, W. M., et al., (2010).

46. Protocols that articulate specific inquiry functions are critical: • Jointly and recursively identifying appropriate and worthwhile goals for student learning • Finding or developing appropriate means to assess student progress towards the goals • Bringing to the table the expertise of colleagues • Planning, preparing, and delivering lessons • Using evidence from the classroom to evaluate instruction • Reflecting on the process to determine next steps Gallimore et al., 2009

47. “With a balance of administrative support and pressure, teacher groups are more likely to persist in addressing problems long enough to make a causal connection between instructional decisions and achievement gains.” Gallimore et. al., 2009

48. Gallimore et. al., 2009 Positive outcomes are unlikely in the absence of building leadership that supports and holds teacher teams accountable for sustaining the inquiry process until they see tangible results. p. 544

49. Critical Components Structures are essential: • Regular times • Active facilitation • Protocols • Leadership

50. 3 Things • Focus your work on a few important things • Focus on instruction • Inquire, learn as a system, and develop leadership capacity