Administrators Kick Off 2014 The Science of Implementation Practice: SIG Transformation/Reform Model Implementation Name: Tom Hiltz/Monica Cesarello School: T.S. MacQuiddy Elementary

Stage & Scope of implementation Exploration/Installation – (pre 2010) – Best structure for teacher collaboration (Data Teams) – Persistently Low Achieving School (PLAS) identified – Received School Improvement Grant (SIG) Initial Implementation – (2010 – 2013) – First 3 years with SIG Grant Full Implementation - ongoing – Preparing for the Common Core – Visible Learning

History & Context Why was this THE idea to push to full implementation? District initiated Data Team process previous year ( ) PLAS identified school provided opportunity for SIG and extra $$ for 3 years Key components of SIG – Build shared leadership capacity – Continue Data Team implementation – Response to Instruction implementation – Technology upgrades

Shared Leadership Grade Level stipends to help establish importance and develop leadership qualities Monthly leadership meetings with focus on instruction and school culture

Data Teams Support from outside consultant – Paul Bloomberg (beginning year 2) Extra pay for weekly collaboration for all teachers to help establish importance of the process Grade level half day collaborations every 6-8 weeks to plan and review instruction with admin using DT process Effective structure for teacher collaboration Strategic use of ongoing formative assessments as one of the most critical components of the process Ongoing data collection and use of comprehensive spreadsheets Show Data samples

RTI - It Takes a Village Support from outside consultant – Cara Bergen Assessing and leveling of students during part of ELA block Additional support staff added/identified to provide extra support to students assessing at the lower levels Weekly grade level ELA curriculum planning where all teachers planned and provided input for each level of the grade level (Intervention, Strategic, Benchmark, Enrichment) Established an expectation that all grade level teachers were responsible for all grade level students

The Skill and Will of it All The Skill – First 3 years Data Teams RTI Targeted and differentiated instruction Transition to the common core using more authentic assessments The Will – Focus for year 4 Anthony Muhammad – The Will to Lead the Skill to Teach Leadership Team book study Revisited Principal commitments to staff Developed a school wide vision

Next Steps: The Science of Learning Support from outside consultant - Paul Bloomberg John Hattie – Visible Learning book study with staff Response to Students vs. Response to Instruction (RTS vs. RTI) Continue refinement of most effective learning strategies for students Teachers share learning intentions, continuums and scoring rubrics with students New forms of data collection – student interviews throughout the year Transition from transformational leadership to instructional leadership

Transformational – inspirational motivation – individualized support – sets direction – vision, group goals, high expectations – instructional support – monitoring school activity – buffering staff from external demands – fair and equitable staffing – easily accessible Instructional – classroom observations – interpreting test scores with teachers – focusing on instructional issues – ensuring a coordinated instructional program – highly visible – communicating high academic standards – ensuring class atmospheres are conducive to lea rning

3 key obstacles and how they were overcome 1.Recruiting union support for all identified SIG implementation practices 2.Changing teachers’ perceptions of their students’ learning capabilities and their own teaching abilities 3.Identifying and getting the right people on the leadership bus

Which DRIVERS do you have in place? Organization Drivers – Systematic data team process that uses pre, interim and post assessments (concentration on constructed response) with re- teaching opportunities offered throughout each unit/cycle – Improved implementation of SST process Competency Drivers – Support from outside consultants – Continued developing district support/collaboration to provide more trainings for new CCSS implementation

Non-negotiables The new CCSS are the curriculum, not the textbooks The need to follow the district developed pacing guide/calendars for ELA and math Weekly grade level collaboration time to analyze student data and plan common curriculum lessons for each unit of study

Impact on students and staff API data Kinder BPST K-2 Rigby data Data Cycle data New CCSS pacing guides and units of study Teacher reflections

How will you sustain or grow the practice? Continue to develop strong supportive relationships with district office to ensure the work continues Continue to identify and obtain expert support from outside the district to help identify best practices and build capacity and expertise at site and district levels Be strategic and careful about hiring new staff/positions that may disappear when time sensitive/specific categorical funding ends

Reflections/Recommendations With the coming of the new CCSS, all schools have a sense of urgency to reform. This should be looked at as an opportunity for school leaders to implement change for the better Full implementation doesn’t exist, continuous improvement does Always be on the lookout for potential future school leaders that may be present and working at your site