The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS Making a Difference Through Scientifically Proven Instructional Practices & Professional Development Kansas University Center for Research on Learning Jim Knight

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Pathways to Success  Primarily funded by GEAR-UP  Co-exists with O.S.E.P. funded Strategic Advantage Project  Takes place in Topeka, Kansas  Our goal is to help more students graduate and be succesful in college

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Three Questions Shaping Our Discussion Today 1.What do we do about instruction? 2.How do we make it happen? 3.Is it working?

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning But first …  A little background information…

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning How did I get into this? Effective, Proven Instruction + Effective Professional Development = Student Success

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Topeka Public Schools Home of Brown v. Board of Education 34% do not graduate from high school 61% receive free/reduced lunch 19 % qualify for special services Topeka has #1 crime rate in U.S. cities under 200,000 population

Half a century after the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision outlawed deliberately segregated schools, more than 60 percent of black fourth-graders can't read. Washington Post, 17 May 2004, on the 50th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning What is the CRL? Founded in 1978 Mission: Dramatically improve the performance of at-risk students in grades through research-based interventions $70+ million dollars of contracted R&D International Professional Development Network 275,000 teachers in 3,500 school districts

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning The Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) …is an integrated model of research- validated practices to address many of the needs of diverse learners. It has been under development for 25 years at the University of Kansas- Center for Research on Learning. CRL

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Why focus on instruction? Stuck Schools Student Failure Eroding Expectations Stuck Instruction

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Why focus on instruction? Moving Schools Student Success High Expectations Improved Instruction

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning What do we do about instruction?

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Developing a Foundation for Instructional Excellence BEHAVIOR KNOWLEDGE & TARGETS INSTRUCTIONAL BASICS ASSESSMENT

Ebb and Flow

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Building Blocks for Instructional Excellence BEHAVIOR

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning START On Time  School wide  To reduce tardies

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Results: START On Time (Robinson Middle School, Topeka, Kansas)

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Developing a Foundation for Instructional Excellence BEHAVIOR KNOWLEDGE & TARGETS

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning When we asked 77 teachers if they knew the standards for their courses… 37 of 77 said they had “no knowledge” of their course standards (fall semester, 2003)

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Knowledge and targets  We primarily use Learning Strategies Content Enhancement

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Ed Ellis’ LINCS Vocabulary Strategy Chief of his land Land given by king for fighting in army fief chief

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Learning Strategies Curriculum Acquisition Word Identification Paraphrasing Self-Questioning Visual Imagery Interpreting Visuals Multipass Storage First-Letter Mnemonic Paired Associates Listening/Notetaking LINCS Vocabulary Expression of Competence Sentences Paragraphs Error Monitoring Themes Assignment Completion Test-Taking

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning. All students learn critical content required in the core curriculum regardless of literacy levels. Teachers compensate for limited literacy levels by using targeted planning, explicit teaching routines, and visual devices to promote content mastery. all most some Content Enhancement

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Content Enhancement Teaching Routines Planning and Leading Learning Course Organizer Unit Organizer Lesson Organizer Explaining Text, Topics, and Details Framing Routine Survey Routine Clarifying Routine Teaching Concepts Concept Mastery Routine Concept Anchoring Routine Concept Comparison Routine Increasing Performance Quality Assignment Routine Question Exploration Routine Recall Enhancement Routine Vocabulary Routine

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning What does it look like in school?  Amy Schroeder’s 7th-grade mathematics class

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Results  Topeka reported this year that it had the greatest gains in the history of the district, and the greatest gains in the state of Kansas

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Developing a Foundation for Instructional Excellence BEHAVIOR KNOWLEDGE & TARGETS INSTRUCTIONAL BASICS

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Knowledge Creation

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Strategic Instruction  Scaffolded  Intensive  Explicit  Involves multiple models  Extensive practice & feedback  Requires mastery  Multi-modal (eyes, ears, movement)

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Strategic tutoring Teaching strategies while tutoring Assessing Constructing Teaching Transferring One-to-one or small group 2 or 4 times/week

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning What does it look like in school?  Steve Slough’s 9th- grade algebra class

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Developing a Foundation for Instructional Excellence BEHAVIOR KNOWLEDGE & TARGETS INSTRUCTIONAL BASICS ASSESSMENT

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Your chance to talk  What have you been thinking about as you’ve heard about the “instructional hierarchy”  Where do you think your project should start if you wish to build a foundation for instructional excellence?

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning So how do we make it happen?

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning …to turning knowledge into action is the tendency to treat talking about something as equivalent to actually doing something about it.” Jeffrey Pfeffer & Robert I. Sutton The knowing-doing gap “One of the main barriers…

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning If you don’t plan for execution, nothing significant will happen!  “Execution is the great unaddressed issue in the business world today. Its absence is the single biggest obstacle to success and the cause of many of the disappointments that are mistakenly attributed to other causes” Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan, Execution

Reinforce Content and Standards Knowledge Act at the Moment of Greatest Need Nourish Relationships Provide Intensive Support Provide Powerful Interventions Partner with Principals Instructional Coaches

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Effective change is paradoxical

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Paradox # 1 Change needs to be “top- down” and “bottom-up”

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Top down, by itself, doesn’t work “the direct approach of naming the goal and mobilizing to achieve it does not, and cannot work in something as complex as change agentry” Michael Fullan

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning We take a partnership approach  Our work embodies the principles of equality, choice, voice, reflection, dialogue, praxis, and reciprocity “We want to be just like any other teacher in the school”

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning The Principal …  Identifies teachers who should work with the coach  Applies pressure respectfully  Evaluates teachers’ use of interventions  Enables school-wide implementation  Champions the project publicly  Removes barriers to implementation  Celebrates successes

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Paradox # 2 Interventions needs to be “easy” and “powerful”

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Interventions that are embraced are powerful & easy ideas, values, technologies that do the job with the least demand on psychic energy will survive. An appliance that does more work with less effort will be preferred Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi -this also applies to knowledge transfer in schools; interventions that are powerful and easy to use are the going to be adopted by teachers

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning How do we ensure they’re powerful?  Scientifically based  Socially significant results  Targeting standards  Targeting teachers’ most pressing needs  Use demonstration lessons, checklists, video models, feedback and other tactics to ensure that teachers learn research-based practices

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning How do we make it easy?  Prepare materials  Coach prior to lessons  Simplify (translate) instructional materials  Model in the classroom  Observe teachers  Use simple, powerful instructional frameworks  Provide constructive feedback

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Paradox # 3 Effective change needs to self-organizing & tightly organized

Ideas Spread Like a Virus ( )

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Our Goal is Highly Structured Professional Learning Communities  Get the right people on board  Target standards  Develop positive cultural norms  Be tightly organized  Employ coaches to lead small groups  Develop powerful tools  Keep learning from each other

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Paradox # 4 Demanding commitment ensures you won’t get it!

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Our goal:internal commitment  Anyone with power can demand commitment  But, external commitment is temporary leads to poor practices engenders resentment  Internal commitment can be permanent leads to high-quality practices engenders positive attitudes

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Your time for dialogue and reflection  What do think about the 4 paradoxes Top-down & bottom-up Easy & powerful Self-organizing & highly structured Inviting, not demanding commitment  Do any of these paradoxes apply to the change initiatives you’re leading?

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Does it work?

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Figure one: Implementation Rates

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Some Research Results  Over 100 mini studies show significant improvement on curriculum-based measures  Topeka has shown dramatic improvements in measures of student achievement  Behavior management interventions have cut discipline referrals in half in some schools

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning To sum up! Effective, Proven Instruction + Effective Professional Development = Student Success

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Where can I get more information?     

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning To carry on the conversation… (or get the PowerPoint…)