School Administrators of Iowa 2014 Fall Conference

Today’s Conversation Iowa Department of Education Context Content Courage

Context Why did the “reform” conversations begin in earnest 3-4 years ago? Iowa Department of Education Context

Stagnant Performance Iowa was “passed” from first in the nation status to the middle of the pack Iowa was slow to take on improvement efforts such as rigorous standards and aligned assessments Iowa Nice Iowa Department of Education Context

Iowa’s Rank among the States 4th Grade NAEP Reading Iowa Department of Education Context

Changing World Global economy increasingly driven by knowledge and innovation Jobs require a higher skill level than in the past Globalization and technological change eliminating many pathways for unskilled workers to enter the middle class Demand for skilled workers outstrips supply hampering economic growth Closing education and skills gap is necessary for Iowans to maintain standard of living Iowa Department of Education Context

Iowa Department of Education Context

Results The context provided evidence that we are not where we want to be. Our students have dreams and we have a responsibility to provide an education that supports those dreams. The future of our local communities, state, and nation rest on the education our students are provided. Iowa Department of Education Context

The Content Big-picture ideas of the Department Human capital pipeline Aligned system with students and their learning at the center Iowa Department of Education Content

The Human Capital Pipeline “How do we design a system that can meet the learning needs of all students by ensuring teaching competence, recognizing and rewarding talent, making employment in the system dynamic and fulfilling, and building the system’s capacity?“ - Rachel Curtis Iowa Department of Education Content Recruitment Pre-service Preparation Mentoring & Induction Job- embedded Development Leadership Opportunities

Aligned System Content Assessment Instruction Leadership Schools Community Iowa Department of Education Content

Unpack the Iowa Core Engage in conversations with teachers about how to best put the standards into practice Emphasize both content and process expectations found in the standards Iowa Department of Education Content Standards set the expectations Local schools and districts determine the tools and resources needed for students to reach and even exceed the standards

Assessments Design and implement a balanced assessment framework Formative classroom assessment is central Large-scale summative assessments are a part of the framework Iowa Department of Education Content

Iowa Department of Education A Comprehensive Balanced Assessment System Aligned to State Content Standards Statewide Assessments (Summative) Interim/Benchmark Assessments (Summative) Classroom Assessments (Formative and Summative)

Four key questions inform the construction of quality assessments: Why assess? (What's the purpose and who will use the results?) Assess what? (What are the learning targets? Are they clear? Are they good?) Assess how? (What method? Sampled how? Avoid bias how? Written well?) Communicate/provide feedback how? (How do we manage the information? How do we report?) Iowa Department of Education Content

Instruction Emphasis on student learning What do we want students to learn vs. what do we want students to do Guided by student interest/students at the center Supported by MTSS thinking Based on high-quality lesson plans Content and process objectives Innovation and technology are considered and used when likelihood of student learning increases Research-based practices in tandem with promising practices Iowa Department of Education Content

Leadership Collaboratively design a mission, vision, and theory of action Distributed leadership - Empower teachers as partners in the learning Teacher Leadership and Compensation System Discuss your authority/autonomy or loose/tight framework Iowa Department of Education Content

Schools and Community Iowa Department of Education Content Schools Focus on continuous improvement Guided by data and the loose/tight conversation Community Engage your stakeholders School boards Parents/guardians Local non-profits Businesses Legislators

Relationships All of what I have just said works best when guided by authentic, powerful relationships People will move mountains when they know they are cared for and heard Iowa Department of Education Content

Courage – this is the most important work The Instructional Core Iowa Department of Education Courage

Courage to Lead Change… for Improvement What is your framework for change? Iowa Department of Education Courage First-Order Change Consistent with prevailing values and norms Meets with general agreement Implemented using people’s existing knowledge and skills Second-Order Change Not obvious how it will make things better Requires people to learn new approaches, or It conflicts with prevailing norms and values From Waters, Marzano, and McNulty “First-Order versus Second-Order Change”

How is Your Improvement (Change) Work Going? The Differential Impact of Leadership Recognize that change, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder Distributed leadership is the most effective kind How have you prepared to/are you implementing your improvement (change) framework? How is it going? Iowa Department of Education Courage

Lots of Exciting Work Underway! Teacher Leadership and Compensation Early Literacy Initiative Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Competency-Based Education Wonderful school year! Iowa Department of Education Courage

The [Man] in the Arena It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. Iowa Department of Education Courage