AMITY REGION # 5 COMPLEMENTARY OBSERVERS Dr. E. Marie McPadden Ms. Helly Potter Ms. Jen Bshara February 25,

Walkthroughs a tool to “drive a cycle of continuous improvement by focusing on the effects of instruction.” Cervone and Martinez-Miller (2007) 2

STUDENT LEARNING EDUCATOR COMPLEMENTARY OBSERVERS DISTRICT 3

THE LOGISTICS OF COMPLEMENTARY OBSERVERS IN AMITY REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 5  HISTORY - Began in academic year as part of the development of the Amity Evaluation and Development Model  VISION - Create a culture of collaboration and to promote best teaching practices while providing teachers opportunities to demonstrate leadership 4

Amity Regional District # 5 Teacher Evaluation Plan TEACHER CATEGORY OBSERVATION REQUIREMENTS Non-Tenured Teachers (Years 1-4)  Minimum 3 formal observations-  2 of the 3 will be announced and include a pre-conference  1 of the 3 will be unannounced  all include post-conference (verbal and written feedback)  Minimum of 3 informal observations. Include post conference (verbal and written feedback)  non-classroom review of practice Tenured - Proficient and Exemplary Teachers Observation Cycle Flexibility Option Year One, Cycle A  Minimum 1 formal announced or unannounced observation per teacher decision. Formal announced will include a pre and post conference; Unannounced formal will include a post conference  Minimum 5 informal to include post conference (verbal and written feedback)  non-classroom review of practice Year One, Cycle B  Minimum of 5 informal to include post conference (verbal and written feedback)  non-classroom review of practice Year One, Cycle C  Minimum of 5 informal to include post conference (verbal and written feedback)  non-classroom review of practice Tenured – Below Standard or Developing Teachers  Minimum 3 formal observations –  2 of the 3 will be announced and include a pre-conference  1 of the 3 will be unannounced  all include post conference (verbal and written feedback)  Minimum 5 informal observations all include post conference (written and verbal feedback)  non-classroom review of practice 5

COMPLEMENTARY OBSERVERS LEARN THAT EFFECTIVE WALK-THROUGHS SHARE COMMON ELEMENTS: BREVITY FOCUS DIALOGUE 6

Complementary Observer Details Must be employed in Amity for five years Written application followed by an interview Total of 22 teachers trained for at the High School; 5-7 at each Middle School Walk-Throughs conducted October - April $31.00 per Walk-Through (Total payment in June) 7

CCT Rubric for Effective Teaching 8

Complementary Observer Walk-Throughs: Walk-throughs are minute brief visits Walk-throughs provide evidence for the teacher evaluation plan at the mid- and end-of-year conferences Walk-throughs can reveal school-wide patterns and instructional trends Walk-throughs can provide a structure for improvement 9

COMPLEMENTARY OBSERVER TRAINING INCLUDES: MODELED PRACTICE Review CCT rubric domains/indicators Review walk-through scripts Watch a video clip of a lesson Take objective notes Tag evidence to the appropriate domain/indicators Develop reflection question(s) Discuss/calibrate findings 10

COMPLEMENTARY OBSERVER WALK-THROUGH PROTOCOL Review Domains 1 – 4 of the 2014 CCT Rubric before conducting the walk-through Enter the classroom and record the course, time (B-M- E), teacher, classroom, and number of students Observe the teacher and students. Take objective notes. Note the end-time of the walk-through Upload notes into Bloom Board and tag the evidence to the appropriate domain/indicators (5-10 tags) Review your tags and develop a reflective question related to the lesson observation. Conduct a brief post-conference within three days of the observation 11

What Does a Complementary Observer Do? 12

Turn and Talk… What Reflection Questions would you ask during the post-conference? 13

COMPLEMENTARY OBSERVERS What is Explicit Meaningful Feedback? Non-evaluative feedback based on collected evidence Focus on instructional practice Open and rich discussion of effective teaching 14

Calibration 15

To maximize the instructional benefits of the complementary observations the COs must follow the same protocol and be calibrated. What constitutes a good setting? How much should be written? What are the most helpful tags for evaluators? How to capture great instruction and be objective at the same time? 16

Promoting reflection 17

“The best walk-throughs give teachers relevant, real-time data on their instruction... Feedback on the walk-throughs should be specific to observed behaviors, focused, and descriptive of the level of performance observed.” Skretta (2007) 18

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Things we have learned from Complementary Observers, Teachers, and Administrators… Complementary Observers have supported building a culture of trust as well as an appreciation of practice; Post conversations with specific feedback have provided an opportunity for reflection, collaboration, and growth. Teaching has become visible instead of isolated. Being able to observe a variety of content area teachers has opened the lens on teaching and learning. We are continually reflecting on and improving our process. There will always be a “time element.” 20

ANECDOTAL REFLECTIONS from TEACHERS I enjoy the conversations after the observation by teachers who are in various concentrations. For example, I had a social studies teacher observe me and she was amazed at the classroom management involved in physical education as well as the information that students retain from previous lessons. I don't mind complementary observers coming in my room at all. It's nice to have other teachers in the building aware of what I do, and they are merely there to observe, not judge, so it's comfortable. 21

ANECDOTAL REFLECTIONS from ADMINISTRATORS The benefit of the complementary observers is two-fold. First, having peers observe each other has created a culture of shared practice where teachers are more comfortable inviting other teachers in to their classrooms. Second, it allows for a culture of fostered leadership where teachers and administrators can work together to discuss effective classroom behaviors and best practice. High School Associate Principal I think it has helped enhanced opportunities for teacher leadership, with our goal to improve collegiality, and it has provided some administrative relief from the burdens of the new teacher evaluation process. Middle School Principal I have one teacher in my department that is a Complementary Observer. She has enjoyed the experience and stated that it has been a great professional experience to observe the teaching strategies of her colleagues. Several members of my department have stated that they have often felt that other staff members do not fully understand the scope of their positions as special educators. Having Complementary Observers has allowed for my staff to highlight their unique roles in the building. Special Education Supervisor 22

IN SUMMARY – Complementary Observers … Conduct purposeful and focused walk- throughs; Facilitate according to protocol with fidelity; Promote reflective dialogue related to teaching and learning; and Collaborate with teachers and administrators to increase student achievement. 23

LESSON VIDEOS Discipline in the 1950’s (Great for a faculty meeting) Eighth Grade Literature Study Lesson Close Reading in HS Science Ninth/Tenth Grade English Close Reading in Chemistry 24

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Please Feel Free to Contact Us: Dr. E. Marie McPadden Amity Regional School District No. 5 Central Office Ms. Helly Potter: Amity Regional High School Ms. Jen Bshara: Amity Middle School Orange Campus 26