VT School Improvement Coaches Meeting: Sharing Coaching Strategies November 17, :00 pm – 4:30 pm *Please log on to the WebEx site first, then follow the onscreen instructions to dial in by phone. CAUTION: If using your computer for the audio portion of our meeting, PLEASE use a headset. Built-in microphones on computers pick up rustling papers, keyboard taps and coffee sips quite well, but do not isolate voices so your comments cannot be heard clearly. If you do not have a headset or you are meeting with a group, please use your telephone to dial-in. For additional help, dial Joe Trunk: November 17, 20111

2 WebEx Pointers  Confirm you can mute your own microphone/ phone – to enable discussion during today’s meeting without undue background noise, take a minute to locate the mute control on your computer/ telephone.  If using your computer for the audio portion of our meeting, PLEASE use a headset or dial in using a speakerphone.  You will be muted during the session unless otherwise indicated. If you have a question or a request, type it into the CHAT box in the lower right hand corner of your screen.  If you encounter a problem, call Joe Trunk at ( ) to talk with someone who may be able to help get you reconnected.

November 17, Meeting Purpose Meeting Objectives:  Learn about some coaching strategies for curriculum alignment  Share ideas on the benefits to districts or schools of consolidating multiple plans  Offer suggestions for observable measures for coaching standards 1 and 2  Volunteer to present a strategy or dilemma on a future meeting

November 17, Today’s Agenda 3:00 – 3:20 Welcome, Introductions and Updates 3:20 – 3:40 Coaching to Promote Curriculum Alignment 3:40 – 4:00 Consolidating Plans 4: :20 Coaching Behaviors 4:20 – 4:30 Homework, Next Meeting

November 17, Welcome and Introductions Organizers: VT School Improvement Coordinators: Ken Remsen, Lisa Mazzitelli, Carol Duley, Debi Price Host: Joe Trunk, New England Comprehensive Center Featured Presenters: Maura Hart, Dana Jacobsen- Goodhue, Lisa Lovelette, and Wendy Cohen Facilitator: Karen Laba Participants: Please introduce yourself, tell your role and your school/ SU/ District affiliation, and complete the sentence “My team and I are documenting our work by...”

November 17, Aligning Curriculum: Description Presenters: Maura Hart, Dana Jacobsen-Goodhue School: Riverside Middle School, Springfield, VT What is the project? What is the project’s purpose(s)? Who was involved? When, where does it take place?

9/26/11 Notes from Dana and Maura’s Coaching Meeting November 17, Decision: We will ask teachers to keep a diary and write it at the beginning of each meeting on Mondays highlighting what they tried that was different and what they will “Keep, tweak or toss.” They will share these and a scribe will write on newsprint those things they are keeping. On Tuesday the 27 th Dana reviewed our goals with every department. Goals: Common Core and LA mapped, Scope and Sequence for all grades with alignment to the matrices, UBD Integrated units for anything with gaps. Assessment Tools Measuring Dana and Maura’s Work for DOE VT: List of high student engagement teaching tools Student survey using a Likert Scale evaluating their experience with new tools UBD integrated units

November 17, Monday 10/17/11 1.Agenda, connect and energize 2.Review Goals and Roles 3.Questions 4.Individual teacher strengths, challenges and needs (3 each), Affirmations 5.Close (review, connect, energize) 6.HW Try something new or something that is highly engaging for students in class be ready to reflect and share Monday 10/31/11 Dana only (Maura is in Fla.) Dana will review Matrices Please see attached UBD Unit for our work. Outlines of Team Meetings with Maura and Dana:

November 17, Understandings: Teachers will understand that… Knowledge: Teachers will know… Skills: Students will be able to… Essential Questions: What is the relationship between curriculum design and student performance? What makes an effective unit? What makes high quality teaching and learning? Understanding by Design Outline Stage 1: Desired Results

November 17, Performance Tasks: Write curriculum diaries Share through professional discourse Map curriculum Scope and sequence curriculum Evaluate gaps Write integrated UBD units to fill gaps Other Evidence: List of effective tools, practices and strategies for the classroom Student surveys of effectiveness of tools, practices and strategies Understanding by Design Outline Stage 2 Assessment of Evidence

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November 17, Learning Activities: Making Matrices Scoping and sequencing curriculum Creating aligned maps Professional discourse Professional sharing Professional writing and evaluating Understanding by Design Outline Stage 3 Learning Plan

November 17, EXAMPLE Draft Scope and Sequence

Aligning Curriculum: Outcomes 1. Was the purpose achieved? Or, is progress being made? 2. How do you know? 3. What impact on school performance (teacher/ administrator practice, organizational policy, student achievement) did the strategy have/ is it having? November 17,

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November 17, Aligning Curriculum: Lessons Learned Lessons Learned, Challenges Remaining 1. Would this strategy work in other situations, for other coaches? 2. What didn’t work? What changes would you make to improve outcomes?

Q & A for Dana and Maura You have two options: 1. Raise your Hand (icon) to be recognized, or 2. Post a comment or question in the Chat window and SEND to ALL. November 17,

Djara. Daughter of friend Dana went to funeral for in Cameroon (Africa) and now we are trying to adopt!

November 17, Consolidating Multiple Plans Presenter: Lisa Lovelette, VT coach for Waterbury/ Duxbury School District What is the project? What purpose is the project designed to serve?

November 17, Consolidating Plans: Description  Who is involved?  When, where is the work happening?

November 17, Consolidating Plans: Description Consolidated Plan Framework: Waterbury/Duxbury School District Mission: What do we do? Our fundamental purpose as a school is to… Vision: What is our aspirational image of the future? To accomplish our mission we must ensure our learners: Core Values/Best Practices: How do we want to act as we move toward achieving our vision? To make our vision a reality we must…

November 17, Consolidating Plans: Description Consolidated Plan Framework: Waterbury/Duxbury School District (cont’d.) Achievement Goals: To what ends are we striving to accomplish our vision? We will know we are making progress if by 2014… Strategies: What means will we use to achieve our desired ends? To accomplish our goals we will… The Strategies could be organized under the following headings: Curriculum Instruction Professional Development Family Engagement Monitoring and Reporting Progress

November 17, Consolidating Plans: Outcomes What progress has been made to date? What impact on District (or school) performance is anticipated? How will this project be documented/ measured?

November 17, Consolidating Plans: Lessons Learned  Would this strategy work in other situations, for other coaches?  What didn’t work?  What changes would you make to improve outcomes?

Q & A on Consolidating Plans You have two options: 1. Raise your Hand (icon) to be recognized, or 2. Post a comment or question in the Chat window and SEND to ALL. November 17,

November 17, Evaluating Coaching (cont’d.) Purpose: To identify a set of indicators of effective coaching practice to be used to assess the impact of the VT Coaching initiative. Process: 1.Consider Wendy’s adaptation of the Edvantia coaching standards document. 2.For each of standard 1 and 2, examine the list of observable behaviors mentioned in the responses to Wendy’s survey. 3.Offer your suggestions for additional indicators that could be used to determined if the coaching standard is being met.

November 17, Coaching Survey using Standards Coaching Standards Survey Form – Wendy Cohen

November 17, Evaluating Coaching: Standard 1 STANDARD 1—Creating Community: A School Performance Coach promotes improved school performance by developing trust, building positive relationships, keeping confidences, and honoring diversity across a school community. Developing positive, trusting relationships Modeling effective interpersonal communication Surfacing underlying beliefs and assumptions Working collaboratively instead of being viewed as an “expert” Fostering a professional learning community What behaviors reflect attainment of this standard? -- allows all thoughts/ideas to be heard; takes all thoughts into consideration; listens fully before responding - impartial -- participant leaves with something to think about -- provides expertise and insight -- holds the space for the team to think, work, and question the big ideas -- well organized and thorough, which encourages trust

November 17, Evaluating Coaching: Standard 2 STANDARD 2—Bringing Focus: A School Performance Coach promotes improved school performance by helping a school faculty focus improvement efforts on a limited number of shared goals and encouraging work toward program coherence. Promoting the development and use of a limited number of goals focused on student achievement Focusing the efforts of all members of school community on goals Aligning programs and practices to identified goals What behaviors reflect attainment of this standard? -- “backs up and brings us back together” when things get muddy and/or we go astray -- redirects group to its tasks/hoped for outcome; keeps us focused -- brings us back to the foundational questions of our work, especially when things get nebulous --

November 17, Homework: Coaching Standards Assignment DUE December 10, 2011: 1. On the VT Coaches Wiki space, post your suggested behaviors for Standard 3: Leading Change. 2. Offer your suggestions about the language, contents of Standard 3. Long Term Assignment: Pairs of SI Coaches will be asked to revise one of the coaching standards, taking into account suggestions on the wiki and comments during these meetings. 1. Review all 6 coaching standards. 2. Decide which of the standards YOU will volunteer to revise for review at a future meeting. 3. Indicate your preference on the Feedback form for this meeting.

November 17, Wiki Highlights Thanks for joining the VT SI Coaches wiki! Use “Notify Me” to learn about: -- comments added to the standards discussions -- changes to the News and Events page Alert: PLCs – Dufours coming to NH April 2012; Common Core Training Calendar VISIT to -- SIGN UP to share a coaching strategy at a future meeting -- add your own news and events -- contribute suggestions for the coaching standards.

November 17, Next Meeting, Today’s Materials NEXT MEETING: MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011, 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm Topic: Methods for Monitoring the Impact of Improvement Initiatives Presenters: YOU (and YOU, too)! Feedback: Please provide your feedback on the usefulness of today’s meeting and suggestions for future sessions on the Nov 17 page of the wiki. Meeting Materials: Presentation and links mentioned today will be posted on the VT SI wiki as well as on the Dept. website. A link to the recording of today’s session will be sent to all via and posted as soon as it is available.

November 17, Thanks for your participation Thanks to NECC and Joe Trunk for web services and support