The Principal’s Role in Leading College and Career Readiness September, 2013

The Principal’s Role in Leading College and Career ReadinessSeptember, 2013

Desired Outcomes • Greater understanding of the leader’s role in supporting implementation of CCRS • Awareness of tools that assist leaders in supporting teachers through observation, feedback and dialogue • Network with colleagues to share effective practices

Absolutes Teach to the standards for each of the required subjects (Alabama College- and Career-Ready Standards - Courses of Study) Through a clearly articulated and locally aligned K-12 curriculum (Sample curricula found on ALEX and Alabama Insight) Supported by aligned resources, support, and professional development (Sample lesson plans and supporting resources found on ALEX, differentiated support through ALSDE Regional Support Teams and ALSDE Initiatives, etc.) Monitored regularly through formative, interim/benchmark assessments to inform the effectiveness of the instruction and continued learning needs of individuals and groups of students (GlobalScholar, QualityCore Benchmarks, and other locally determined assessments) With a goal that each student graduates from high school with the knowledge and skills to succeed in post-high school education and the workforce without the need for remediation as evidenced by multiple measures achieved through multiple pathways to meet the graduation requirements set for students in Alabama. (Alabama High School Graduation Requirements/Diploma)

Reflecting on the morning… • Use the following questions to reflect on the morning: • What learning or take-aways do you have from the morning session? • How does this learning relate to the Absolutes? • What are your thoughts/ideas about how this professional learning may occur at your school/district? • What questions do you have?

Reflecting back and thinking forward… • What has gone well in implementation of the math (and ELA if applicable) CCRS in your school/district? • What do principals need to know in order to lead the change associated with implementation of CCRS?

KNOW the SHIFTS! • Shift in vision and goals for students • Shifts in content • Shifts in instructional practices • Shift in culture • Shift in leadership expectations • Shift from compliance to innovation • Shift in accountability

Our Vision Every Child a Graduate – Every Graduate Prepared for College/Work/Adulthood in the 21st Century

Prepared Graduate Defined Possesses the ability to apply core academic skills to real- world situations through collaboration with peers in problem solving, precision, and punctuality in delivery of a product, and has a desire to be a life-long learner. Possesses the knowledge and skills needed to enroll and succeed in credit-bearing, first-year courses at a two- or four-year college, trade school, technical school, without the need for remediation.

Why?

Shifts in Math • FOCUS – deep vs. broad • COHERENCE – standards within a grade level and progression across grades • RIGOR - Stronger BALANCE among procedure, application, and understanding – students need to know how to do math AND how and why to apply math to real-world situations

Shifts in ELA • Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction and informational texts. • Reading, writing, and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational. • Regular practice with complex text and the academic language.

Instructional Practices • Emphasis on real-world problem solving (Project Based Learning, internships) • Reading and writing in every classroom • Student collaboration and engagement in meaningful, productive classroom discussions centered on worthwhile content • “Bell to bell” teaching – maximizing instructional time • Extended learning opportunities – beyond the classroom • Formative assessment – frequent checks for understanding

Tools for Leading CCRS http://achievethecore.org/instructional-practice Choose one to explore: • ELA – K-2 • ELA – 3-5 • ELA – 6-12 • Literacy in History/Social Studies – 6-12 • Literacy in Science/Technical Subjects – 6-12 • Math – K- 8 • Math – High School

Exploring Tools http://achievethecore.org/instructional-practice • For each area, there are two resources: • Instructional Practice Guide • Supplement for Reflection Over the Course of the Year • Review the resourcesindividually. • Discuss how the guides might be used. • Create a t-chart of “Good Uses” and “Inappropriate Uses” of the tool

The Principal’s Role in Leading College and Career ReadinessNovember, 2013

Desired Outcomes • Greater understanding of the leader’s role in supporting implementation of CCRS • Intentional use of tools that assist leaders in supporting teachers through observation, feedback and dialogue and assessing implementation of CCRS • Network with colleagues to share effective practices

Absolutes Teach to the standards for each of the required subjects (Alabama College- and Career-Ready Standards - Courses of Study) Through a clearly articulated and locally aligned K-12 curriculum (Sample curricula found on ALEX and Alabama Insight) Supported by aligned resources, support, and professional development (Sample lesson plans and supporting resources found on ALEX, differentiated support through ALSDE Regional Support Teams and ALSDE Initiatives, etc.) Monitored regularly through formative, interim/benchmark assessments to inform the effectiveness of the instruction and continued learning needs of individuals and groups of students (GlobalScholar, QualityCore Benchmarks, and other locally determined assessments) With a goal that each student graduates from high school with the knowledge and skills to succeed in post-high school education and the workforce without the need for remediation as evidenced by multiple measures achieved through multiple pathways to meet the graduation requirements set for students in Alabama. (Alabama High School Graduation Requirements/Diploma)

Reflecting on the morning… • Use the following questions to reflect on the morning: • What learning or take-aways do you have from the morning session? • How does this learning relate to the Absolutes? • What do principals need to know in order to lead the change associated with implementation of CCRS? • What questions do you have?

Reflecting on Instructional Practice Guides • ELA – K-2 • ELA – 3-5 • ELA – 6-12 • Literacy in History/Social Studies – 6-12 • Literacy in Science/Technical Subjects – 6-12 • Math – K- 8 • Math – High School

Instructional Practice Guides

From September Session:Personal Learning - Take it Home! • Develop specific actions you will take to practice using the tools. • Be prepared at the next CCRS IT meeting to share your experiences.

Resources for School Based Professional Learning www.alsde.edu

www.alsde.edu

NEXT STEPS: Personal Learning! • Develop specific actions you will take to share toolswith principals and other leaders. • Be prepared at the next CCRS IT meeting to share your experiences.

NEXT STEPS: Team Planning! • With your district team, discuss what you have learned in this session. • What are the big take-aways? • What questions do you have? • What do you need to share with the rest of your team during your whole team planning time?

“If you attempt to implement reforms but fail to engage the culture of a school, nothing will change.” Seymour Sarason

Culture that Supports the New Vision of College and Career Readiness School leaders focus on: • Building teacher capacity, not inspecting individual processes • Setting the tone for a climate of trust, honesty and transparency • Inspiring a culture of innovation, risk taking, and continual improvement • Ongoing use of data to inform instruction, programs, and services

How? • Engage in frequent conversations with teachers, teacher leaders, instructional coaches, and others to keep the focus on learning (Structures) • Build collaborative cultures that promote reflection, inquiry, shared ownership, and adult learning that is focused on student learning (Peer visits, videotaping). • Build trust through shared decision making, frequent classroom visits and consistency. • Forget the box……..

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate! www.alsde.edu • Click on “College and Career Ready Standards” • Click on “Communications” tab

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” Alvin Toffler

Leading CCRS Implementation Essential Actions for Leaders: • Know the shifts • Support aligned instructional practice • Focus professional development • Align materials • Align assessments • Involve the community Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) – www.ccsso.org/Resources/Publications

Permission to Think Differently! Alabama Accountability Act of 2013 encourages innovation and creativity: • “…maximum possible flexibility to meet the needs of students and communities…” • “…flexibility from state laws, regulations, and policies.” • “…critical need for innovative models…” • “Encourage innovation…by providing….greater control over decision including, but not limited to, budgetary matters, staffing, personnel, scheduling, and educational programming…”

Examples • Gulf Shores High School, Baldwin County • Winterboro and Childersburg High Schools, Talladega County • Calhoun County • Huntsville City • Florence City • Reynoldsburg High School, Ohio DREAM IT and DO IT!

New Favorite Books!

Intelligent Accountability • Lead with support, capacity building, and transparency • Follow with intervention “…accountability is what is left when… responsibility has been subtracted.” Hargreaves and Shirley

CCRS Implementation Rubric

Communicate the Shifts! Some examples: • Madison City - • Article/video • Classroom visits by legislators • Curriculum Fair • Mobile County and Baldwin County • Videos – www.alsde.edu • A+ website – www.aplusala.org

Communication Tips • Be honest, transparent, and authentic • Know your message and stick to it • Know your audience(s) and prepare the message so it is understandable to the intended audience(s) • Choose the best messenger for each audience • Use varied mediums and platforms • Plan for communication – be intentional

Big Rocks • http://youtu.be/RY7T22NcytQ

The Principal’s Role in Leading College and Career Readiness September, 2013