A Refresher Course for School Executives Plymouth December 13, 2011 North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards Evaluation with Fidelity A Refresher Course for School Executives Plymouth December 13, 2011

Introductions Name Position/School Experience

Can We Agree? To be actively involved Value differences Agree to disagree Listen Don’t take it personally Be honest Stay focused on established purpose No sidebar conversations

Participants will: Describe how the elements of a 21st Century classroom relate to the NCPTS. Use data to distinguish among the ratings. Organize the evaluation process and/or assume their role in the process. Apply coaching strategies to help teachers grow in their effectiveness. Discuss here that this will not be a repeat of what they already know; it will help them to grow as instructional leaders and give them more guidance to coach teachers.

Purpose To provide school executives with a conceptual perspective of each of the NC Professional Teaching Standards. http://www.ncpublicschools.org/readysetgo/multimedia/

Table Talk Individually consider the challenges/issues in using the NC evaluation tool with fidelity Share one thought that comes to mind with your colleagues at the table Be prepared to share with the group Alpha/Beta to record ideas

State Board of Education Mission “Every public school student will graduate from high school, globally competitive for work and postsecondary education and prepared for life in the 21st Century.” -Adopted August 2006 FUTURE-READY STUDENTS for the 21st Century The guiding mission of the North Carolina State Board of Education is that every public school student will graduate from high school, globally competitive for work and postsecondary education and prepared for life in the 21st Century. Goal: NC public schools will produce globally competitive students. Every student excels in rigorous and relevant core curriculum that reflects what students need to know and demonstrate in a global 21st Century environment, including a mastery of languages, an appreciation of the arts, and competencies in the use of technology. Every student’s achievement is measured with an assessment system that informs instruction and evaluates knowledge, skills, performance, and dispositions needed in the 21st Century. Every student will be enrolled in a course of study designed to prepare them to stay ahead of international competition. Every student uses technology to access and demonstrate new knowledge and skills that will be needed as a life-long learner to be competitive in a constantly changing international environment. Every student has the opportunity to graduate from high school with an Associates Degree or college transfer credit.

Our goal is to have every student graduate ready for the challenges of the 21st Century. 21st Century Learners have: the actions, attitudes, concepts and skills that will allow students to effectively communicate, collaborate and create. These are the skills, knowledge and expertise students should master in order to succeed in work and life in the 21st century. Well developed 21st Century Learners have specific capacities in: Creativity and Innovation Communication and Collaboration Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making Digital Citizenship Research and Information Fluency Technology Operations and Concepts Effective 21st Century Educators offer authentic, relevant learning experiences that support the development of these skills. Toward the development of these outcomes – the Common Core movement began. Today we’ll be thinking about how skilled teachers create 21st Century classrooms.

North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards The NCPTS describe what teachers should know and be able to do in 21st Century classrooms. This is the basis for the teacher evaluation tool.

Groups to make posters.

Visual Concept of Standards Count off by six Locate your assigned group Use the standard assigned to your group to create a visual, a song, a poem, a rap, or any other “right brained” conceptualization Share with the whole group

Gallery Walk with the Standards Read each of the elements and descriptors Write behaviors that exemplify each element on a sticky note Read any feedback already written by others in the room Validate what someone else has written by placing a color dot on the sticky note Approximate Time: 1 hour Set-Up: Print off black line master provided that has approximately 1 page per standard/element. If you would like, place these in page protectors. Before the session, tape each of these papers to the walls around the room. Leave enough space for groups to maneuver between the papers. Give each pair a stack of sticky notes. Activity: The idea behind this is to give principals more examples of behaviors that go with each standard/element to help teachers. Participants will get with a partner and choose a standard/element. They will read all of the text on the page, as well as any comments already made by other participants. They will think of a behavior that exemplifies the element, write it on a sticky, and post it to the paper or wall surrounding the paper. They can also validate others’ work by putting a star, check mark, etc. on another sticky. They may also expand on someone else’s idea. When they are finished they will go to an open paper. Pairs move around the room until they have visited all (or almost all) of the elements. After they are finished, have a person stay at each of the standards and share a best practice listed from that standard/element. You don’t have to do this for all of the elements if you don’t want to. You will need: Blackline master with standards/elements. Print this off and put in page protectors if you want to. Blue tape to tape papers to the walls. LOTS of sticky notes.

Share your Thoughts Any ah ah moments? Was it difficult to see them in isolation? Were all comments based on evidence or opinion?

Assessing Inter-Rater Reliability You will need your cell phone for the following activities

Rubric for Evaluating North Carolina Teachers The rubric for evaluating teachers includes four ratings and one designation. This is a pass-through slide. 

“Not Demonstrated” is also included on the rubric to indicate the Developing Proficient Accomplished Distinguished Demonstrated adequate growth but did not demonstrate competence on standard(s) of performance Demonstrated basic competence on standard(s) of performance Exceeded basic competence on standard(s) of performance most of the time Consistently and significantly exceeded basic competence of standard(s) of performance “Not Demonstrated” is also included on the rubric to indicate the individual did not demonstrate competence, or adequate growth toward, achieving standard(s) of performance. If this rating is chosen, the evaluator must provide a reason.

Rate each teacher by choosing a #1 for distinguished #2 for accomplished #3 for proficient #4 for developing

Assessing Inter-Rater Reliability #1 Mr. Johnson has established effective classroom procedures that require everyone to treat each other with respect. He encourages all students to engage in classroom activities even if they are unsure of their responses. He attends school-related activities to support students. (Note to presenter – there are 3 scenarios and polls. You can use as many or as few as you would like, according to your time.) Now we’ll take a look at fidelity in this room. Based on this information, rate this teacher: 1 = distinguished 2 = accomplished 3 = proficient 4 = developing The info to respond is also on the agenda. If you are using a cell-phone provider that does not allow short codes, please use  (747) 444-3548 to record your response. You will not receive a reply message. (Mr. Johnson is proficient in Standard 2, Element A.)

Log-in Information: Username: dpi-polling@dpi.nc.gov Password: instructech

Assessing Inter-Rater Reliability #2 Ms. Ball consistently uses her questioning skills to promote higher-order thinking skills. Her questions help guide students toward developing their own understanding by encouraging them to think creatively, synthesize knowledge, and draw their own conclusions. She models problem solving within her classroom instruction. Now we’ll take a look at fidelity in this room. Based on this information, rate this teacher: 1 = distinguished 2 = accomplished 3 = proficient 4 = developing If you are using a cell-phone provider that does not allow short codes, please use  (747) 444-3548 to record your response. You will not receive a reply message. (Ms. Ball is accomplished in Standard 4, Element E.)

Assessing Inter-Rater Reliability #3 Ms. Parish knows the acronyms of most educational jargon. She has heard of many innovative practices and changes in the way teachers are teaching and students are learning. She reads a professional journal to keep informed. Now we’ll take a look at fidelity in this room. Based on this information, rate this teacher: 1 = distinguished 2 = accomplished 3 = proficient 4 = developing If you are using a cell-phone provider that does not allow short codes, please use  (747) 444-3548 to record your response. You will not receive a reply message. (Ms. Parish is developing in Standard 5.)

Processing our results At your table, discuss why you gave these ratings. What are some reasons for variations?

Return in 15 minutes. BREAK

School Executive Roles Know and understand the North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards Participate in training to understand and implement the Teacher Evaluation Process Supervise the Teacher Evaluation Process and ensure that all steps are conducted according to the approved process For the evaluation process to serve as an impetus for teacher growth, principals must implement the observation instrument with fidelity. This requires a deep understanding of the NC Professional Teaching Standards, the ability to identify skilled teaching behaviors for 21st Century classrooms, and thoughtful feedback on each teacher’s performance. Teachers deserve the kind of feedback that will help them grow as 21st Century professionals. Manage the process Know, understand the NCPTS Identify teacher’s strengths and areas for growth Ensure that the Teacher Summary Evaluation Report accurately reflects the teacher’s performance Develop and supervise implementation of action plans as appropriate

School Executive Roles Identify the teacher’s strengths and areas for improvement and make recommendations for improving performance Ensure that the contents of the Teacher Summary Evaluation Report accurately reflect the teacher’s performance Develop and supervise implementation of action plans as appropriate For the evaluation process to serve as an impetus for teacher growth, principals must implement the observation instrument with fidelity. This requires a deep understanding of the NC Professional Teaching Standards, the ability to identify skilled teaching behaviors for 21st Century classrooms, and thoughtful feedback on each teacher’s performance. Teachers deserve the kind of feedback that will help them grow as 21st Century professionals. Manage the process Know, understand the NCPTS Identify teacher’s strengths and areas for growth Ensure that the Teacher Summary Evaluation Report accurately reflects the teacher’s performance Develop and supervise implementation of action plans as appropriate

Let’s try it using Standard IV Watch the video Focus on Standard IV, Element a and b Using the rating scale, list examples of evidence that would the progression from Proficient to Distinguished Using the chart paper provided, record evidence of your observable ratings *Remember the levels are cumulative across the rows of the rubric Divide your chart paper into 4 quadrants Be prepared to share your examples.

Checking Evidence Use the “Checking Evidence Questions” handout to guide your discussion Have I recorded only facts? Is my evidence relevant to the criteria being examined? Whenever possible, have I quantified words such as few, some, most? Have I used quotation marks when quoting a teacher or student? Does my selection or documentation of evidence indicate any personal or professional biases? Have I included my opinion (in the guise of fact)?

Share your Work Have a few groups share their continuum of teacher behaviors.

Lunch Break

Coaching for Success “Coaching gives teachers the opportunity to work alongside another educator to plan, teach, and reflect on instructional processes.” Liz Hanson, Educational Leadership

What do you know about Cognitive Coaching? Discuss this question with your table buddies Identify three top ideas discussed Be prepare to share with the group Facilitators will record thoughts on chart paper.

The Mission and Goal of Cognitive Coaching “To produce self-directed persons with cognitive capacity for high performance both independently and as members of a community.” ~Costa and Garmston http://www.pd360.com/index.cfm?ContentId=1190

Research Jigsaw Time: 15 min (10 min. to read and 5 min. to generate and record 5 big ideas) Supplies: Book snip-its, 10 pieces of chart paper, markers Many of you have done some work with cognitive coaching in the past, and you will find that much of this information is the same. There is a clear preference for more programmatic coaching and building on the needs of the coachee. When do you find (time of day, day of week) that you can most effectively schedule time for coaching? Jigsaw the book from Donna. At the tables, number off from 1-10 (There will be 2 of each expert group). Then, go to a section of the room and read that piece as a group (Group 1, etc.). Record 5 key elements that they would like to share with their home group. Put this on chart paper that can be posted around the room for all to refer to. Then, they return to their home group and explain their piece to other “numbers” at their table. Each person will be an expert on a different piece. What makes effective coaching? Monologue vs. Dialogue Making sure your coachee is ready Strategies for Listening Questioning Techniques Adaptive Coaching: The Art and Practice of a Client-Centered Approach to Performance Improvement Terry R. Bacon and Karen I. Spear (2003) http://ps.edu/wp-content/themes/Phoenix%20Seminary/images/photos/mentor-and-protege.jpg

What Does the Research Say? Individually Read the assigned text Identify the five most important concepts and record them on the handout provided Share an overview of the text you read with your jigsaw group Go back to your table Discuss the important concepts and ideas How do the concepts and ideas in the text relate to teacher observation, evaluation, and professional growth?

Jigsaw Count off 1-5 at your table. 1’s-”What Makes Effective Coaching?” 2’s-”Monologue vs. Dialogue” 3’s-”Making Sure your Coachee is Ready” 4’s-”Strategies for Listening” 5’s”Questioning Techniques”

Effective Coaching Collect and analyze Self-assess Set goals Reflect Collect and analyze Self-assess Plan Set goals Develop growth plan Teach Implement growth plan Analyze new date Assess growth Begin new inquiry Time: 1 min. This applies to both the coach and the coachee. Reflect: Collect and analyze baseline data; self-assess against professional standards Plan: Set professional goals (aligned with standards) & develop a professional growth plan Teach: Implement professional growth plan; collect and analyze data Reflect: Assess growth and revise plan or begin new inquiry

Opening Explain HOW? Closure Plan Time: 8 min. (speakable slides) How do we address concerns? Opening -Analysis of your notes from the observation strategies – Let the teacher know that the meeting is to discuss a concern and to problem solve. – Reassure the teacher that the reason for the supervision process is to provide support. “What you have just described has raised a concern that I’d like to take - some time to discuss.” “The reason I asked you to meet with me is that I have a concern about . . “It’s my role to communicate openly with you and to support you as a professional.” 2) Explain the concern – State the concern and provide evidence. – Acknowledge the teacher’s feelings and provide the opportunity for questions or comments. - Identify some stems for Pre-Conference How does this lesson fit within the context of other lessons you have taught? Do you have any students with concerns? What have you planned to do to engage all students during the lesson? - Identifying some stems for Post-Conference How do you think the lesson went? What made it successful for your students? What would you do differently? “My concern is that . . . because . . .” “The following comments have been made by students, parents, colleagues . ..“ “Do you have any questions or comments”? ”How do you feel about what I’ve shared?” 3) Plan next steps – Summarize or clarify the area for growth. – Create a plan for next steps and write it down. “ So, your goal would be . . .” “ So if you could . . . then . . .” “ Let’s restate your goal . . .” “Let’s talk now about next steps. What steps might you take . . ? “How would it be if . . ?” “What do you think about . . ? 4) Closure – Close by asking for feedback about the conference – Suggest a follow-up meeting. “It’s not easy when concerns are raised . . . I really appreciated . . .” “What is some feedback you can give me about this conference and our future work together?” “Let’s meet in two weeks to discuss progress.” “I’d like to visit your classroom so I can support you.” “Please feel free to stop by and let me know how things are going.”

Opening Analysis of your notes from the observation strategies Let the teacher know that the meeting is to discuss a concern and to problem solve. Reassure the teacher that the reason for the supervision process is to provide support

Explain State the concern and provide evidence. Acknowledge the teacher’s feelings and provide the opportunity for questions or comments. How does this lesson fit within the context of other lessons you have taught? Do you have any students with concerns? What have you planned to do to engage all students during the lesson? How do you think the lesson went? What made it successful for your students? What would you do differently?

Plan Summarize or clarify the area for growth Create a plan for next steps and write it down

Closure Close by asking for feedback about the conference Suggest a follow-up meeting

Addressing Concerns Where? When? How? Time: 2 minutes Where: The best place is often in the context of ongoing conversations. May be during a post-observation conference. Decide on physical location – teacher’s classroom vs. principal’s office. (Try to go to the teacher first) When: A stand-alone conversation may be appropriate. Be careful not to start sharing a concern at the time you make an appointment. This can lead to an unplanned, poorly conducted conversation. How: Make sure you have enough data to support your concern (this may require informal drop-ins to the classroom to watch what’s going on) Set a collegial and supportive tone to the conversation. “We’re both here for the success of students and the school—and we can problem solve together.” The next slide addresses the “How” in more depth.

Things to Remember Body Language Trust Rapport Quickly discuss how important body language is – it can set the tone for a conversation. For example, if you are trying to be positive, your body language should represent the same thing.   “Your words and what you say must be congruent with your body language.“  ~Unknown   http://www.pd360.com/index.cfm?ContentId=1192

Let’s Talk About a Concern Think of a concern or coaching scenario Write 5-10 sentences to depict the scenario or concern on the card provided Share and discuss with your table Identify coaching strategies you used or could use Time: 10 min. Supplies: Index cards (1 per participant) Participants reflect on a difficult or complex coaching session where they had to address a specific concern observed. Using the index card, write 5-10 sentences to depict the scenario/concern you had to address. Each participant shares the scenario recorded at their table

Questions

Evaluation

Resources Online manual for principals http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/profdev/training/online-evaluation/principal-directions.pdf Online manual for teachers http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/profdev/training/online-evaluation/teacher.pdf Online manual for superintendents http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/profdev/training/online-evaluation/superintendent.pdf

Resources Directions for electronic signatures https://mxweb.media-x.com/home/ncval/help/EES_NC_ElectronicSignature.pdf Teacher Effectiveness Coordinator: Jennifer Preston, jennifer.preston@dpi.nc.gov

Contact Information Beth Edwards, PD Lead, Region 1 elizabeth.edwards@dpi.nc.gov (252) 916-6842 Dianne Meiggs, PD Lead, Region 1 dianne.meiggs@dpi.nc.gov (252) 340-0113 Change this to reflect your PD leads.