Scaling up the Standards Based Change Process

1. Scaling up the Standards Based Change Process Taffy E. Raphael, University of Illinois at Chicago Kathryn H. Au, University of Hawaii Susan R. Goldman, University of Illinois at Chicago with Sharon Hirata, Standards Network of Hawaii Kathleen Mooney, Hongmei Dong, Cathleen M. Weber, Ji Yon Kim, Andrea Brown, Kristi Madda, Nance Wilson, and Sana Ansari, UIC Partnership READ Contributing to the paper: Kathryn H. Au, University of Hawaii Sharyn Hirata, Standards Network of Hawaii Taffy E. Raphael, Susan Goldman, Andrea Brown, Kathleen Mooney, Catherine M. Weber, Hongmei Dong, Ji Yon Kim, Nance Wilson, &Samantha Bower Partnership READ, University of Illinois at Chicago Contributing to the paper: Kathryn H. Au, University of Hawaii Sharyn Hirata, Standards Network of Hawaii Taffy E. Raphael, Susan Goldman, Andrea Brown, Kathleen Mooney, Catherine M. Weber, Hongmei Dong, Ji Yon Kim, Nance Wilson, &Samantha Bower Partnership READ, University of Illinois at Chicago

2. Today�s Presentation Context of school change approach Research and our site demographics Four factors that contribute to scaling up Progress to date in Hawaii and Chicago What we�ve learned across the two sites

3. The Context Research Base Successful schools and school reform efforts Problematizing the question of �scale� and �success� There is a long history of research on effective schools, school reform, and school change that we drew on, but our main focus for today is the thorny question about scaling up. Going to scale can be highly ambiguous. Is it about numbers alone? Is it about fidelity to a treatment? Is it about deep understanding of central principals? We take the latter view in the work I�m sharing today from our collaborative project.There is a long history of research on effective schools, school reform, and school change that we drew on, but our main focus for today is the thorny question about scaling up. Going to scale can be highly ambiguous. Is it about numbers alone? Is it about fidelity to a treatment? Is it about deep understanding of central principals? We take the latter view in the work I�m sharing today from our collaborative project.

4. Demographic Information Size and related administrative issues Hawaii: 10th largest district in nation (state-wide district: 184,546 total students) Chicago: 3rd largest district in nation (city-wide district: 434,419 K-8 students) Large private school presence Performance Concerns about #s of low-performing schools in both districts Student Characteristics Linguistic diversity High poverty (Chicago: 85%; Hawaii, 41% poverty) Ethnic diversity Chicago: 50% African American; 37.2% Latino Hawaii: 26% Native Hawaiian, 20% Filipino, 14% Caucasian, 11% Japanese Americans

5. What are we scaling up? Standards-Based Change Process, aka �The To Do List� Schools follow a nine-step process to put in place a system for improving student achievement through standards. The process leads to an ongoing, school-wide conversation about what everyone in the school is doing to improve student achievement.

6. The To Do List Philosophy Vision statement Grade level benchmarks I Can statements Evidence Procedures for collecting evidence Rubrics Bar graphs Instructional improvements The To Do List guides those in a school to get on the same page about what they want to accomplish, make visible how, at each grade level, they will help move the students along toward the goals that they all share, identify the evidence they will need to collect, score, and analyze, to make instructional improvements so they are teaching what is needed to those who need it.The To Do List guides those in a school to get on the same page about what they want to accomplish, make visible how, at each grade level, they will help move the students along toward the goals that they all share, identify the evidence they will need to collect, score, and analyze, to make instructional improvements so they are teaching what is needed to those who need it.

7. Key Factors for Scaling Up Emphasis on student outcomes Focus on development of a staircase curriculum Flexibility of the Standards Based Change Process (re ideology) Attention to sustainability (building capacity)

8. Factor #1. Emphasis on Student Outcomes End-of-year targets (grade level benchmarks) are central. Know the targets before you can reach them Draft your benchmarks and identify assessments -- for clarity and buy-in. Create/modify/adapt classroom-based measures so you teach what is needed to those who need it Why draft own benchmarks? Clarity about what the state standards mean Buy-in because teaching is tied to students� performance on important areas Why have classroom measures? Feedback to teachers early on the effect of their work Addresses accountability concerns which allows for spread in the context of NCLB Why draft own benchmarks? Clarity about what the state standards mean Buy-in because teaching is tied to students� performance on important areas Why have classroom measures? Feedback to teachers early on the effect of their work Addresses accountability concerns which allows for spread in the context of NCLB

9. Factor #2.Creating a Coherent Curriculum Hawaii moves to �complex� with clusters of 6 - 10 schools to develop a K-12 continuum of curriculum. SBC Process becomes good match to 80+ schools. Chicago concern for coherence Move from district to state standards Visibility of problems of �Christmas Tree Schools� SBC Process emphasizes developing a staircase curriculum. Coherence was a big concern in both Hawaii and Chicago, though from different sources of pressure.Coherence was a big concern in both Hawaii and Chicago, though from different sources of pressure.

10. Staircase Curriculum vs.Fragmented Curriculum

11. Factor #3.Flexibility of the SBC Process Hawaii and Chicago Decisions at school level are supposed to be linked to state standards. Schools are using are using a broad range, including some programs that don�t support state standards. SBC Process encourages schools to stay with their strengths, analyze and correct weaknesses. What steps on the To Do List do you already have in place? Which need revision? Which need to be developed?

12. Factor #4.Attention to Sustainability Learning from the KEEP Experience Teachers, not the external partner, need to construct the curriculum. Change process must be rooted in the system itself. Curriculum leader, with detailed knowledge of the school, to direct the change process Schools must invest Chicago connection Revolving door of external partners and mandates so teachers must construct the curriculum Process must be owned by the schools (�yes, we will be leaving�): build capacity within the school

13. A Look at the Sites Hawaii and Chicago

14. Hawaii Introduction: 100 Schools, 4 or more PD sessions for leadership teams Phase 1: Full Implementation of To Do List 25/50 schools Phase 2: 3X a year reporting of student results 20/50 schools Phase 3: Curriculum Guides 4/50 schools Phase 4: Student Portfolios 1/50 schools (8th year)

15. Chicago Introduction: 10 schools, Yr 1; 2 addition, Yr 3 End of Year 2 Bright Spots Schools made progress in creating workable vision statements Schools made progress in creating an infrastructure to support their work School displays began to show greater coherence School displays began to illustrate teachers� contributions as well as LLTs work Some schools began to extend from literacy to other school subjects Schools began to create useful assessment systems for key benchmarks related to the Chicago Reading Initiative

16. School Progress Toward Becoming Demonstration Sites Fall, Year 3 Well on their way: 5 schools 4 with full process and potential for being in Phase 2 at year end 1 with strong progress for a beginning school Reintroducing READ: 2 schools Facing challenging barriers: 2 schools Facing major barriers: 2 schools Withdraw from project: 1 school

17. A Window into the Schools Working on the To Do List

18. Phase 1. Evidence of Full Process The display on the top left was prepared by kindergarten teachers in Hawaii. The top right display is from a middle school social studies department. The bottom left shows kindergarten teachers in Chicago just getting started. They have their goals defined, but are still working on their evidence sections. The bottom right shows 1st grade teachers a little further along, but without their bar graphs yet.The display on the top left was prepared by kindergarten teachers in Hawaii. The top right display is from a middle school social studies department. The bottom left shows kindergarten teachers in Chicago just getting started. They have their goals defined, but are still working on their evidence sections. The bottom right shows 1st grade teachers a little further along, but without their bar graphs yet.

19. Phase 2: 3 Times a Year Reporting

20. Phase 3 - Teacher-developed curriculum guides This slide shows the writing curriculum guides of two teachers at the same grade level. The veteran teacher�s guide is jam-packed with resources she�s collected over the years. The second-year teacher will undoubtedly add many materials to her guide as the years go on. This slide shows the writing curriculum guides of two teachers at the same grade level. The veteran teacher�s guide is jam-packed with resources she�s collected over the years. The second-year teacher will undoubtedly add many materials to her guide as the years go on.

21. Phase 4: Teacher with student portfolio showing I Cans, rubrics, self-assessment

22. What We�ve Learned Across the Two Sites A change process centered on teachers� professional development, rather than programs, can be effective in schools with students of diverse backgrounds. Schools becoming communities of practice Teachers� growth Students� growth School leaders state that university (external) facilitators help to move the process along more quickly and smoothly. Change is likely to proceed more slowly in a large urban district. Due to the complexity of the system and its demands Not a problem with the teachers and students Schools need to stay the course for more than three years to achieve lasting change.

23. Typical Teacher Comments It was interesting to see the consistency and trends throughout the grades/school with the I Cans. It was awesome how everyone is working together Many times I felt this was such a lot of work � is it worth it? I see how great what we�re doing is going to be! It makes me excited about some of the assessment opportunities for my classroom. Great to see what is happening in the classrooms across the school. Link to article in Hawaii paper and difference in morale among SBC Process schools in HawaiiLink to article in Hawaii paper and difference in morale among SBC Process schools in Hawaii