Horace Mann Elementary

1. Horace Mann Elementary Collaborative Work Groups-BLT-Building Leadership Teams

2. Horace Mann ElementaryBuilding Leadership Team- BLT Amy Zens – Kindergarten-Primary/Emergent Brenda Czmowski – 2nd Grade -Primary Jessica Campbell – 5th Grade -Intermediate Emily Tideman – Special Services Tim Cleland – Literacy Kris Warwick – Math Teacher Leader Kelly Gorman - Intervention Strategist Danny Janklow – Principal Please save all questions for the end.

3. Our Learning Targets Provide an example of research based practices transforming a school’s achievement. Identify the critical elements necessary for successful school transformation. Share the exponential benefits our approach has had on children and teachers at Horace Mann Elementary.

4. Criteria for Success Conference participants will gain a greater understanding of the foundational principles of Professional Learning Communities and how effectively applying research based strategies can impact student success.

5. What is a PLC? We are closer than ever in knowing what must be done to engage all classrooms and schools in continuous reform. Knowing what must be done…..is not the same as getting it done. Michael Fullan

6. What is a PLC? The fundamental purpose of the school is to ensure that all students learn rather than to see to it that all students are taught—an enormous distinction!

7. What is a PLC? • What is it we want all students to learn? • How will we know when each student has acquired the skills and knowledge that is necessary for their success?

8. What is a PLC? • How will we respond when students experience difficulty? • How will we enrich and extend the learning for students who are already proficient?

9. What is a PLC? A school should provide a multilayered collective response that guarantees all students who struggle will receive additional time and support for learning. A school should actually have a plan for monitoring that learning and a comprehensive pyramid of interventions.

10. Steps for change • School Audit, AYP, AMO, Attendance • Transitional staff and student population • Circle of concerns vs. influence • Blame or Confront the facts? • Develop a common belief, purpose! • Observations of the functions, talents and needs of the current identity. • Develop strategies to mesh research based practices into the identified needs based on priority of student impact. • All about students, not the staff, except to use the talent available to impact the children in a positive and productive way.

11. A New Arrival • A common vocabulary and purpose with direct vision and steps for the development of protocols and authentic discussions about student achievement. • What’s your philosophy?

12. Every Child, Every Minute, Every day! • Professional Development! • Expect and inspect! People, not programs! All about relationships. • Academic /Assessment /Intervention Model- effective? • Use of Data (3 forms) Summative, Formative, Diagnostic • Data Driven Instruction and honest conversations between co-responsible educators. All about relationships. • Negotiable vs. non-negotiable! Loose – Tight Leadership. • Learning targets, workshop model, lesson plans • Effective classroom management. All about relationships. • Complete and total respect for self and others • Negative comments and behaviors are confronted and not tolerated. • Schedules must be examined and maximized based on student needs rather than the yield of existing practices.

13. No system of interventions can compensate for weak or ineffective teaching! Marzano’s Research Students come in at ….. Leave at the end of the year… Average School 50% 50% Average Teacher Highly Ineffective School 50% 3% Highly Ineffective Teacher Highly Effective School 50% 37% Ineffective Teacher Ineffective School 50% 63% Highly Effective Teacher Highly Effective School 50% 96% Highly Effective Teacher Highly Effective School 50% 78% Average Teacher

14. Effective teaching means effective results Do great teachers have an impact on learning? Effective teachers help all levels of students. How long? 4 years, regardless of the effectiveness of subsequent teachers More important than? Class Size, racial composition, rural, urban Who benefits? Lower achieving students first then all levels.

15. Set direction, develop people and redesign the organization. Leethwood • The Learning Leader Douglas Reeves • What are the 5 trends in schools with the greatest gains in achievement and equity? They embrace holistic accountability. • (Accountability includes the actions of adults, not merely the test scores of students.) These schools include consistent nonfiction writing assessments in every subject. (Thinking through the end of a pen.) Writing includes: * Editing * Collaborative scoring * Constructive teacher feedback (immediate) * Rewriting When students write, they are engaged in thinking, reasoning and analysis.

16. Test or Assessment These schools use frequent common assessments. Assessments, in contrast to tests: • Are formative • Are provided throughout the school year • Are designed to improve teaching and learning • Accompanied by immediate, relevant feedback

17. 5 Trends - The Learning Leader Douglas Reeves Effective schools and their staffs use immediate and decisive interventions. The final characteristic is the constructive use of data.

18. Our Horace Mann Elementary School Targeted Guided Instructional Model - TGI

19. Professional Action Plans Professional Research- Staff (ALL Staff Expectation) • Participating in master’s programs (Reading Specialists, Math Specialists, and Elementary Administration) • Collaboratively reading, discussing, and implementing strategies from: Debbie Miller, Ellen Keene, Patrick Allen, Kathie Richardson, Marilyn Burns, DuFourDuFour, Dr. Many, and Eaker, Marzano, Guskey, Lezotte, Pink, Fullan, Stiggins, Reason, and several other leading education researchers and practitioners.

20. Group Norms If teachers are to work collaboratively to clarify the essential learning for their grade levels, write common assessment, and jointly analyze the results, they must overcome the fear that they may be exposed to their colleagues and principals as ineffective. (Learning By Doing, 2006)

21. Collaboration and Team Meetings Regularly scheduled Team Meetings: • Targeted Guided Instructional (TGI) Meetings • Every other week (Alternating Math and Literacy Focuses) • Built into school day schedule-all dates outlined and scheduled prior to the start of the school year

22. Collaboration and Team Meetings • Meeting Protocol • RTI – Tier I student data reviewed and next steps determined (every 6 to 8 weeks per student) • Data driven and highly focused-detailed notes and responsibilities • All members of the team attend and actively contribute (no exceptions)

23. Collaboration and Team Meetings • Facilitation: Math Leader, Literacy Leader, & Intervention Strategist • Specialists (Speech, Nurse, Counselor etc) attend upon invitation • Special Educator and Intervention Strategist participate in ALL TGI team meetings • School Administrator attends and actively participates in ALL meetings

24. Collaboration and Team Meetings Response to Intervention (RTI) • Problem Solving Team (PST) Meetings • Twice per month (Academics & Behavior) • Team Members: School Principal, Parent/Guardian, Intervention Strategist, Counselor, Grade Level team, Literacy and Math Leader (dependent on established goals), Speech Therapist (when on an IEP or concerns centering around speech/language), Special Educator, Nurse (upon request) • Data Driven and focused • Next steps in the multi-tier process determined • New or additional goals and/or interventions added • Notes and records kept and added to student RTI File (see attached file)

25. Interventions • Small Group Instruction based on Individual Student need • Standards-based Instruction • Research-based Strategies and Materials and Assessments • All TGI and RTI instructional goals are developed and adjusted determined, based on data (diagnostic, formative and summative)

26. Data and Results DACS – District Provided DSTEP – State Provided District Benchmark Assessments(trimester) Additional formative assessments: Kathie Richardson, Fontus and Pinnell, Marilyn Burns, …..Horace Mann Elementary Staff 3 types of Data collected – impact on teaching Data Rich/Information Poor Clear Learning Targets with Criteria for Success.

27. Reading Data - DSTEP

28. Reading DSTEP

29. Reading DSTEP

30. Math Data - DSTEP

31. Math Data - DSTEP

32. Math Data - DSTEP

33. PEOPLE Not programs! The right kind of people breathe life into the bricks and the books. They work together to create the synergy that is present in a successful school.

34. People, NOT Programs! The principal is a strong instructional leader The teachers are well trained, motivated and know their subject matter. They respect their students and have high expectations for their achievement, and they use teaching methods that produce results.

35. People, NOT Programs! Students are motivated, disciplined, eager to learn, self directed, and respectful of their peers, their teachers and their parents. Parents are involved in real and important ways.

36. Climate and Culture The culture is the way that things are done in the school, and the climate is the way that people feel about the culture. These include the feelings, beliefs, and values of the school. The school’s mission is academically focused.

37. Climate and Culture A network of communication channels keeps information flowing back and forth between and among principals, teachers, students and parents. There is agreement about what constitutes acceptable behavior by staff, students, and parents.

38. Our Learning Target Provide an example of research based practices transforming a school’s achievement. Identify the critical elements necessary for successful school transformation. Share the exponential benefits our approach has had on children and teachers at Horace Mann Elementary.

39. What does your school offer? Support or distrust? Collaboration? Individualized? Honest and open? Closed and secretive? Based upon what’s best for the child or … Conversations with children about learning targets? Graphing/Tracking student scores for children (families) to see? Are parents welcomed? Do they know you only care about what is best for their child?

40. Questions for the panel… Classroom teachers Support - Mentoring Intervention and Coaching Scheduling Communication Data Effective teams vs. dysfunctional teams Negativity has no place in education