Instructional Rounds Mill Park Heights Primary School

1. Instructional RoundsMill Park Heights Primary School Melissa Corps PL Coordinator 2010 “You don’t change performance without changing the instructional core. The relationship of the teacher and the student in the presence of content must be at the centre of all effects to improve performance.” (Elmore 2007) e5 Instructional Model DEECD page 7.

2. Embracing Instructional Rounds in a Professional Learning Community ‘The definition of professional learning has been redefined in the school context to embrace the way teachers go about their work and the manner in which they view themselves as professionals. It is within this context of ongoing inquiry and reflection on practice that the e5 Instructional Model and Instructional Rounds reside. Professions have a practice. One in which there is a defined knowledge base and a belief that working with expert colleagues can actually inform and improve practice. School principals endorsed the development of the e5 instructional model, as there was an identified need to build a greater understanding of high quality teacher practice and to confidently lead those conversations within their school communities.

3. The Instructional Rounds process complements and strengthens this work by engaging teachers, school leaders and regional leaders in the development of a practice that makes public their commitment to improving the quality of teaching and learning in all classrooms. Working alongside colleagues and reaching agreement about the nature of the work to be undertaken and the protocols that will inform interactions is evidence of a professional culture. At the same time, learning to describe what one sees happening in the classroom is influenced by beliefs about how students learn and how teachers teach effectively. The e5 instructional model provides the reference point for those conversations. Engaging in deliberate practise through Instructional Rounds builds a knowledge base that informs practice and a culture that embraces continuous improvement.

4. This is the culture that will replace: • myclassroomwith our classrooms, • my students with our students and • my definition of effective teaching with our shared view of high quality instruction.’ Judy Petch General Manager, School Improvement Division

5. Developing Powerful Learning • ‘Powerful learning relies on great teaching practice. The professional challenge for teachers and school leaders is to strive for great practice in great schools. By supporting each other, by observing each other’s teaching, by sharing our reflections about what works and why, we can put good teaching in the grasp of every teacher, and put it to work for every student.’ Wayne Craig - Regional Director

6. INSTRUCTIONAL ROUNDS AT MPHPS

7. Participants • Regional Network Leaders – Robert Brookes, Kerrie Simpson • Principal – Deborah Patterson • Assistant Principal – Val Brittain • Assistant Principal – Margaret Hart • Leading Teachers • TPL Team – Sarah Brittain, Julie Armstrong, Melissa Corps • Invitation to neighbouring Principals,

8. Context • Mill Park Heights Primary School is in an ongoing developed area in Melbourne’s northern suburbs and located in the City of Whittlesea. The school, originally designed for a long-term enrolment of 430 students, had its peak enrolment of 1,115 students in 2002. In 2010, the enrolment is 1024. • The school is a multicultural community with some 51 different cultures and has a number of economically disadvantaged students. The school is student and curriculum focussed. It strives for and encourages maximum achievement in all areas of teaching and learning, student wellbeing and administration. The total staff is 85. • Professional development is considered vital for growth and development for the future. It is a team oriented and friendly organisation where people are welcomed and valued. Parents are encouraged to participate as much as they can in their children’s educational development. The school aims for its students to develop as responsible, self-motivated and resilient learners and citizens. It pursues this objective through presenting carefully planned and targeted programs that are designed to meet the needs of all students. • A genuine commitment has been made to the Blueprint for Victorian Government Schools with a current emphasis on Flagship Strategy 1 – Student Learning. The school team works toward achieving learning outcomes based on the Victorian Essential Learning Standards and the Principles of Learning and Teaching.

9. A Change in Culture Moving away from Moving towards

10. How will Instructional Rounds work at Mill Park Heights Primary School? • The MPH School Directions Team together with RNLs, Local Principals and the experience of the Teacher Professional Leave Team will form the Instructional Rounds Action team. • Each team of 3 or 4 members will complete four 20 – 25 minute visitations across the school to gather data using the e5 Instructional Model template • The Cheryl Doig model for the organisation of Instructional Rounds will be used.

11. Instructional Rounds?

12. The Mill Park Heights Model (adapted from Cheryl Doig, 2009)

13. FORM Are we ready for Instructional Rounds? • 2010 has seen MPHPS emerge into a successful professional learning community. A culture of sharing and trust has been established with the introduction of Professional Learning Walks throughout the school. How will we develop these in our school? • This document together with further collaboration from the SDT will enable MPHPS to have a shared vision for Instructional Rounds. What are our protocols? • Visitors must adhere to the focus of the walk • Visitors must refrain from making any judgemental comments • Visitors should not speak to one another whilst in the classroom • Individual observation templates must be shredded on completion of the Post Walk Discussion • Information is not to be used for staff Performance and Development Reviews

14. Guidelines • Each classroom visit will be 20 -25 minutes • To gain a snapshot of common practices at the school the team will observe and record using the e5 prompts and the following questions - What teachers are doing and saying - What students are doing and saying - What is the nature of the task • The team may talk to and ask questions of students, using the e5 prompts or questions below, but should not disrupt the class - What are you doing? - What do you do if you get stuck? - How do you know if what you are doing is of a high quality? - What will you know after doing the task that you may not have known before?

15. Focus What will we focus on? • The Instructional Rounds will use the 2010 AIP focus ‘Provide a high quality teaching and learning program targeted to student needs and create learning environments that encompass high expectations of student learning’ . Teacher practice will be analysed and discussed through the use of the common language provided by the e5 Instructional Model. Why is it so important to us at this time? • If we increase teacher knowledge abouthigh quality instruction and generate a shared view of effective practice, then we will improve teacher capacity to translate that knowledge into effective practice for every student in every classroom. How will we collect the data? Use of the e5 Instructional Rounds template What are the constraints?

16. Why use e5? Principle 4: Standards for teaching practice matter. • Standards for teaching practice provide benchmarks that support insightful, constructive and productive conversations between all members of a school community. • The e5 Instructional Model provides both standards for teaching practice and a common language for teachers. A common language supports professional learning, makes it easier to share excellent practice, and underpins productive collaboration and disciplined, evidence-based innovation across schools. • The e5 Instructional Model implies that teachers, in keeping with their professional ethics, are bound to adopt evidence-based teaching practice.

17. What common language can we use to examine teacher practice?Let’s use the available research on learning and teaching to impact on student achievement • Studying classroom practice increases the focus on student learning • Make space and time for ‘deep learning’ and teacher enquiry 12 Theories of Action Principles Guiding Principles for all literacy lessons - AIZ PoLT

19. “The challenge for most people is staying in the descriptive mode… The best remedy for this is practice, practice, practice…” Instructional Rounds in Education. City, Elmore, Firaman & Teitel, 2009, p97. Footwork • Gather data - look, ask and listen Utilise the e5 Instructional Rounds template as a tool to gather data. • Are we maintaining the agreed focus? Continue to stay in the descriptive mode and use the tools and question prompts provided.

20. The Data Gathering Process Once the focus is determined the data collection tools will need to be agreed to. It is important to remember that the data can be collected in a number of broad ways. What can you see in the Learning Environment? ie wall displays, artefacts, learning examples etc What the teacher is doing and saying What the students are doing and saying What is the nature of the task?

23. Remember . . .

24. FOLLOW UP • Have we collated the information needed? • What themes, questions and reflections emerge? • What does this mean?

25. FUTURE • So what? • How will we use this information? • How does this challenge us to move our learning forward?

26. MOVING FORWARD AS A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY • The SDT share their expertise and experience to plan strategies for further development of Teacher Practice. They structure the strategies to provide guidance for implementation for next week, next month and next year. • These strategies form part of the new AIP and are clearly outlined and articulated to all staff. • PLTs articulate supportive goals to scaffold the learning required at each team level.

27. Instructional Rounds the final word • Instructional Rounds are not a one off fix to solve a Problem of Practice within a school • They need to be embedded into the culture of Professional Learning of the school and must occur regularly to revisit and refine the school focus. • I recommend Instructional Rounds occur once a term starting from Term 4, 2010 (to allow the SDT to plan strategy for 2011) and then once per term throughout 2011 to continually reflect upon teacher practice.

28. Collaboration Matters • It is important that all levels of the education system – classrooms, schools, networks, regions and central agencies – collaborate to improve student achievement. Evidence-based teaching practice is best implemented through collaborating with other teachers. Good schools balance collaboration, teacher autonomy and accountability.

29. What we want for our children, we should also want for their teachers – that schools be places of learning for both of them and that such learning be suffused with excitement, passion, challenge, creativity and joy. Professor Andy Hargreaves, Lynch School of Education, Boston College.

30. References • e5 Manual • Instructional Rounds • Loddon Mallee Region – Learning Walks • Mill Park PS - Instructional Rounds • Instructional Rounds in Education, Elizabeth A. City, Richard F. Elmore, Sarah E. Fiarman, and Lee Teitel, foreword by Andrew Lachman • Instructional Rounds – Barwon,South Western Approach • Powerful Learning • Powerful Learning and Teaching. Professor David Hopkins • http://thinkbeyond.co.nz • Talking the Walk: Walking the Talk - Introducing Learning Walks, Cheryl Doing, 2009 • Guiding Principles of all Literacy Lessons - AIZ