School Improvement Planning Process OSPI PSESD

Building Capacity for Success: School Improvement Leadership Training

Virtually everyone is in favor of program improvement - it’s changing that people oppose.

What do our students need to know and be able to do? Essential Questions What will we do differently if students are not meeting the standard? How will we know if our students are meeting the standards? What instructional best practices should be implemented?

If you want to change and improve the climate and outcomes of schooling both for students and teachers, there are features of the school culture that have to be changed, and if they are not changed, your well-intentional efforts will be defeated. - Seymour Sarason (1996) Revisiting the Culture of the School

ASSUMPTIONS 1. We can make a difference. 2. We make a difference through people. 3. Significant school improvement must impact individual classrooms. 4. “Reculturing” is the key to successful school improvement. 5. Schools that function like professional learning communities are our best hope for reculturing schools.

Shared Mission,Vision & Values Collaborative Teams Collective Inquiry Action Oriented/Experimentation Commitment to Continuous Improvement Results oriented Characteristics of a Professional Learning Community Adapted from Professional Learning Communities at Work, Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker

Professional Learning Communities Traditional Schools CULTURAL SHIFT Teacher IsolationCollaboration Adapted from Professional Learning Communities at Work, Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker

Professional Learning Communities Traditional Schools CULTURAL SHIFT Belief statements such as,” we believe all kids can learn.” Clarifies how the school will respond when the students do not learn. Adapted from Professional Learning Communities at Work, Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker

Professional Learning Communities Traditional Schools CULTURAL SHIFT Primary focus is on teaching. Primary focus is on learning. Adapted from Professional Learning Communities at Work, Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker

Professional Learning Communities Traditional Schools CULTURAL SHIFT Decisions about improvement strategies are made by, “averaging opinions.” Decisions are research-based with collaborative teams of teachers seeking out,”best practices.” Adapted from Professional Learning Communities at Work, Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker

Professional Learning Communities Traditional Schools CULTURAL SHIFT Improvement efforts frequently shift as new fads or trends come along. The school is committed to”staying the course” in the attainment of the school vision. New initiatives are only implemented if it is determined that the change will help the school achieve its vision of the future. Adapted from Professional Learning Communities at Work, Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker

Professional Learning Communities Traditional Schools CULTURAL SHIFT School Improvement Plans focus on a wide variety of things. Often the goal is to “get the plan turned in.” Then, the plan is ignored. School improvement plans focus on a few, important goals that will impact student learning. The school improvement plan is a vehicle for organized, sustained school improvement. Adapted from Professional Learning Communities at Work, Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker

Professional Learning Communities Traditional Schools CULTURAL SHIFT Administrators are viewed as being leadership positions while teachers are viewed as “implementors” or followers. Administrators are viewed as leaders of leaders. Teachers are viewed as transformation leaders. Adapted from Professional Learning Communities at Work, Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker

“You cannot have students as continuous learners and effective collaborators, without teachers having the same characteristics.” -Michael Fullan 1993 Professional Learning Communities

Tacoma School District Comprehensive School Improvement Plan Title I Schoolwide Plans NCLB and AYP State Board of Education There and Back Again

Time Resources District Support A Two Year Plan Year 1: 19 Elementary and 7 MS Year 2: 13 Elementary and HS; Implementation for Year 1 Schools SIP in Tacoma

Pre-Process Work TIME Training Time: Building Leadership and Capacity Three Cohorts Teams of Four (Administrator, Staff*, Parent) Process Time Elementary Middle Schools

Basic Education $’s Title I Professional Development $’s LAP Professional Development $’s Title II Title III Title V RESOURCES

District Level - NCLB Transformation Team Central Office Liaisons Curriculum Research and Frameworks Program Facilitators: Title I/LAP, SpEd Overall Coordination SUPPORT STRUCTURES Building Level Elementary Instructional Facilitators Middle School Administration ESD Coaches