Cosl SagSession School Planning for Success – What works and Why ?

1. Cosl SagSessionSchool Planning for Success – What works and Why ? Nov 23,24

2. About Us • Scott Hill • Dave Swanson • Larry Budzinski About You

3. Welcome • Logistics- • Seminar Approach- Active – Participatory • For Credit – Attendance -Certificate • Bring your plan and apply • Advanced topic • Interactive and Informative • Reflective

4. Session Norms • R • E • M • Not an old rock band • Responibilty • Experietial • Misery - optional

5. COSL – SAG • Agenda • Developing Priorities – Larry 10:00- 11:00 • Profiles • Exercise • The Why of School Improvement Planning – Scott Hill - 11- 12 • Children of the Earth School – Lorne Belmore 1:00- 2:30 • First Nations Filters Debrief and Apply – Dave Swanson 2:30 – 3:30 • Sat am Killarney School – Terry Beazley Evidence at its best 9-10:15 • What works – Larry – 10:30 – 11:00 • Debrief and apply All – 11:00 – 1:00

6. Opener • School planning – 3 words • Pictures • Process or Product • Bring : School Plan report • Demographic Info , Bernhardt Books • Wiki

7. Priorities Activities • This is an self organizing group exercise • We will provide you with some information about schools, priorities , etc. • Scan and refer to infromation 10 min • Advocate for your choice of priorities and expound a rationale • Your task is within 30 minutes to establish three priorities for your school plan • Chart and Report Back

8. Steps • Break into groups • Read the profile information • Discuss and advocate for priority areas for the school • Decide upon 3 as a group • Present and defend your choices • There are correct answers!

9. Sub Role – Special Assignment Roles • Facilitator- Group • Reporter– Process – Meet with Scott • How did the group decide? • Was there an agreed upon process? • Who was influential and why? • What factors helped achieving the task

10. School Profile • 9- 12 Building in North Region • 280 Students • Graduation Rates • Attendance patterns • Course completion • Provincial exams • Student surveys • Mission • Essays to consider

11. Debrief the exercise • Process Observer • Leaders • When does a priority become a priority? • How is Vision and purpose linked to priority setting?

12. Organizational Commitment Planning Skills Good Planning and reporting involves Evidence Based Outcome Based Participatory Processes Broad Stakeholder Involvement Strong Leadership Supports

13. Children of the Earth • Stakeholder Involvement Lorne

14. Budzinski’s Continuum of Parent Involvement High Low Keeping Informed Supporting school Newsletters Student Based Helping Child with School Work Attending Events Volunteering ACSLs PTA School Programs Advisory Planning Decision Making Governance Selection of Staff Learning Environment Budget

15. Critique • Team Activity • Look at your plan again. • Who is actually involved? To what extend? • Are there areas where you wish to extend stakeholder involvement? • How can you strengthen this aspect?

16. Killarney School • Data and Evidence

17. What to do with the Data • Measure Progress • Identify Priority Areas • Clarify Issues • Hold Conversations • Inform Planning

18. Data Critique Another Team critique • Do the data tools listed align with the outcomes • Are there a mix of Quantitative- Perceptual Data • Are baselines established? • Does the data collected make sense?

19. Top 10 reasons • In your group discuss and identify the factors or supports which helped you or your team to develop the school plan. • Report back • Compare with a Provincial Report • Apply

20. Lessons Learned During the fall of 2006 MECY interviewed several exemplary school planning teams to identify elements that contribute to successful school improvement planning. Here is a sample of their ideas: Factors contributing to successful school planning • Providing time and resources for planning • Belief in and ownership of planning by the entire staff • Parent and student voices included in priority setting • Distributed and shared leadership for planning • Evidence (data) informed planning • School division support and emphasis on planning • Cyclical patterns of planning activities over 2- 3 year periods • Planning imbedded in school practices • Well developed planning framework and structures in place • Aligning budget resources and support to areas identified in school plan • Aligning staff development and professional learning to planning • Focusing on improved student learning with clear outcomes • Commitment to improving planning practices through staff development, leadership and dialogue • Networking, researching, and implementing effective strategies • Ongoing monitoring of progress, feedback, support, and mentoring

21. Invitations • Wiki • School Plan Database • School Plan Review • Adopt a school

22. Caveats • Planning is a process not an event • Planning is just a start • Research supports some features and refutes other features • Fullan, Hargreaves, Reeves, Schmoker, Marzano , et al have shown that schools and divisions who plan well tend to get better results for students than those plan poorly • If its worth doing ..then its worth doing well

23. Larry • In God we trust, everybody else bring data.”

24. Questions to consider as we work • Who is the plan for? ( Trustees, Division, Schools ) • What role will school plans play in setting division priorities? • What data do we have that can help set our priorities ? • Who will be involved and have input? ( Trustees, Administrators, Staff Groups, Students , Parents) • How will we monitor progress? • Who will do the work, when, how? • Will we plan to plan?

25. Good Practice • Top Down or Bottom up or alignment • Stake holder Involvement • Evidence Based • Clear Outcomes • Longer Cycles • Research based • Imbedded into Processes and Culture • Well Resourced • Planning for What ? Student Learning