How Two Teachers Engaged a School in Systematic Change

1. How Two Teachers Engaged a School in Systematic Change Kathy Corder nbct Jennifer Womble, nbct National Staff Development Conference 2008 Session C04

2. Welcome Restrooms-Cell Phones-Materials • Sharing time is 1:45-3:45 p.m. • Table Talk with your learning partner • Questions

3. Share our Journey & Findings • Organizing PD activities and structuring PLCs by utilizing teacher leaders. • Building a collaborative learning environment for educators by using technological tools • Continuous search for research-based strategies to improve teacher practice and student learning. • Digging into student data in many formats and from various assessments helps teachers design curriculum • Continuous cycle of reflection & feedback is necessary for improved student performance

4. Where were you? • What did you do over summer vacation in 1988? • Please share with your learning partner.

7. Now, how we spend our summers How we spend our summers NOW!

8. In the beginning….. • Digital Story --our journey to redesign professional development at our school and utilize professional learning communities beginning in 2002.

9. Looking at the data MULTIPLE FORMS OF DATA: • College Remediation Data (TCC) • FCAT student data-viewed with Snapshot (train teachers to utilize and disaggregate their own data) • Teacher surveys and feedback • Current research

10. Take the Journey with Us • Please fill in the first question on your reflection journal: • What data do you collect on your students to make decisions in your classroom, school, district, state?

11. TCC Remediation Data  Enrolled at TCC during the Fall 2005-06 term are 388 students who graduated - at some time in the past - from Chiles High School.  Of these 388 students, 157 (40%) required some kind of college preparatory classes when they entered TCC. By remediation area:  62 students (16%) required English CP. 94 student (24%) required Reading CP. 117 students (30%) required Math CP.

12. Why Study the FCAT? Develop an awareness of: • how benchmarks are assessed (Question Stems) • content area focus of reading passages • cognitive levels • length of passages • Build skills tested into current program

13. Why Snapshot? • Snapshot provides an assessment history for each student that assists teachers in their efforts to meet the individual needs of students. • Snapshot provides whole class curriculum profiles, allowing a teacher an opportunity to target specific skill areas in reading and math. • Snapshot data provides teachers with insight into each student and his or her history of academic successes and/or failures.

14. What we learned from FCAT Ninth Graders 32% maintained level 3,4, or 5 35% decreased 1 or more levels 19.6% increased 1 or more levels Tenth Graders 29% maintained level 3,4, or 5 28% decreased 1 or more levels 24.8% increased 1 or more levels Not all of our students performed at a satisfactory level in the “Reference and Research” or “Author’s Purpose/Main Idea” content area clusters. Need to study test specs……

15. The “Reference and Research” content area cluster does NOT focus on research directly. Instead, the items in this section assess critical reading and thinking skills, such as application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation (Blooms).

18. Take the Journey with Us • Please fill in the first question on your reflection journal: • Who at your school, district, state is researching the standardized test (FCAT, SAT 10, CPT, etc.) your students are given?

19. Looking at Data in Research • Building Effective Literacy Instruction by Judith Langer • Judith Langer, professor at the University at Albany, and director of the National Research Center on English Learning and Achievement (CELA) conducted a study of twenty-five schools and forty-four teachers. • Of the twenty-five participating schools, fourteen were places where students were beating the odds (effective schools). • The other eleven schools were places where student engagement and development of high literacy was significantly lower ((typical schools). • The twenty-five schools represented a wide range of economic and cultural communities.

20. Effective Schools (Langer) • Teachers based instruction on separated, simulated, and integrated learning activities. • Teachers and administrators improved test scores by focusing on the curriculum. • Administrators and teachers took and analyzed standardized tests themselves. • Educators reviewed curriculum and integrated skills/strategies into learning.

21. Effective Schools • Teachers overtly taught their students strategies for completing learning tasks. • Teachers helped students engage in thoughtful dialogue termed “shared cognition.” • Administrators encouraged and nurtured teacher participation in learning communities.

22. Implications for Instruction • Incorporate thematic instruction into English classes. • Focus on Systematic Vocabulary Instruction. • Emphasize student inquiry of content area texts utilizing Bloom’s taxonomy. • Focus on analysis, synthesis, and evaluation in questioning. • Utilize Socratic seminars in all classes. • Suspend traditional high school curriculum to include expository texts. • Utilize FCAT question stems in class assessments. • Familiarize students with FCAT formatting by analysis of test construction. • Utilize assessments that emphasize higher level tasks, i.e. analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.

23. Implications for Instruction • Focus on written responses to text. • Increase the rigor of reading instruction so that tenth graders can meet the increased demands of the 10th grade FCAT and our seniors are prepared for entry into college or post secondary work • Encourage all teachers to address strategies specific to reading texts in their content areas. • Familiarize students with the rubrics and sample responses. • Provide students with information about test construction to ensure success with test-taking. • Build personal relationships with students and use motivating texts and strategies. • Continue to use assessments that measure skills in the high complexity domain. • Continue the use of Systematic Vocabulary Instruction.

24. How do we make so many needed changes in classrooms? • Needed to shift our delivery methods for professional development for teachers school-wide. We Tried Several New Collaborative Structures: • Designed Alpha Team (A-Team) PLC meetings embedded in school day with specific participants • Develop lunch discussion groups • Redesign whole group Faculty meetings

25. Teacher Participation PLC structures: • A-Team • Lunch Motivation Discussion Groups • Tech Tuesdays at Jenny’s Lunchbox trainings OUTCOMES: • Building ownership • Creating conversations & relationships • Developing Purpose Drive Classrooms

26. Teach Planning Cycle through Faculty Meetings

27. Take the Journey with Us • Please fill in the first question on your reflection journal: • How do you currently utilize study groups or professional learning communities at your school, district, state?

28. Conferences/Research • Marzano-Florida Professional Development Conference • Diane Paynter-Systematic Vocabulary Instruction • Daggett-World Class Schools Conference • Terri Sessoms-Effective Reading Strategies • Stephen Barkley-National Board Teaching Conference on conversations • John Maxwell-Relationships 101 Influence of current research and curriculum strategies

29. Take the Journey with Us • Please fill in the first question on your reflection journal: • What significant research is driving your Professional Development activities??

30. Electronically share resources • Utilized technological tools for collaboration: • Sharepoint reading portal: LCSB • Email • Snapshot • Electronic Share folders • PD 360 (online professional development delivery) • Online Surveys

31. Take the Journey with Us • Please fill in the first question on your reflection journal: • What technological tools can you use to enhance professional development and increase collaboration?

32. Our Recipe for school improvement • Impact District-wide change! • We have shared our methods with: • Teachers • Principals • Assistant Principals • School Improvement Teams Shared reflections on need for relationship building, administrative support, data to inform instruction and the effort needed to communicate high expectations (rigor) to everyone.

33. True or False • Increasing student achievement (improving learning for all students) requires effort and leaving your comfort zone? • As Mrs. Frizzle says on Magic School Bus, you have to “get dirty and experiment”.

34. Our Journey so far…. • Organizing PD activities and structuring PLCs by utilizing teacher leaders. • Building a collaborative learning environment for educators by using technological tools • Continuous search for research-based strategies to improve teacher practice and student learning. • Digging into student data in many formats and from various assessments helps teachers design curriculum • Continuous cycle of reflection & feedback is necessary for improved student performance

35. Looking ahead! • Grab a sheet of paper--- (retinal disparity)

36. Your feedback • Session evaluation • Thank you!!!! Enjoy the conference! • Follow Up: contact us via email-we love to share! • Kathy Corder corderk@mail.leon.k12.fl.us • Jennifer Womble womblej@mail.leon.k12.fl.us Sharepoint sites: Leon County Schools Reading Portal