VFEL Webinar Series Eight Elements of High School Improvement Assessment and Accountability Organization and Structure November 2011

The ultimate goal in school improvement is for the people attached to the school to drive its continuous improvement for the sake of their own children and students. Dr. Sam Redding

Virginia Foundation of Educational Leadership (VFEL) Webinar Faculty: Dr. Roger E. Jones Dr. Carol C. Robinson Dr. John C. Walker

Today’s Agenda 1.Welcome (2 minutes) 2.Introduction to the Process – 8 Elements and SIP Planning (10 minutes) 3.Team Reports - Self-assessment survey 4.Research regarding Element 2 Organization and Structure and Element 7 Assessment and Accountability (30 minutes) 5.Activity/Discussion (10 minutes) 6.Reflection and Next Steps for Webinar 2 (8 minutes)

Introduction  The Eight Elements of High School Improvement Needs Assessment Indicators  The ABCs of School Dropout Attendance Behavior Course Performance  Developing the School Improvement Plan

Objectives  Participants will be able to identify the defined practices in their school relative to organization and structure and assessment and accountability.  Participants will be made aware of the pertinent indicators to consider for their school improvement plans.

Report Out  Schools were asked to complete “A Coherent Approach to High School Improvement: A District and School Self-Assessment Tool” prior to our first webinar.  Do you have any first reactions to share at this point?

Assessment and Accountability (Element 2)  Multiple assessment strategies, including formative assessment, are implemented across all content areas.  Instructional staff members regularly analyze assessment data of instructional planning.  An early warning system is used to identify students at risk for failure and dropping out; identified students are provided appropriate interventions.

Organization and Structure (Element 7)  Organizational structures that foster collaboration among instructional staff are in place.  Schoolwide structures that support effective classroom management across all content areas are implemented.  Organizational structures to support innovative opportunities to learn through nontraditional settings are in place.

Organization and Structure  All organizations have systems by which they define roles and responsibilities, manage operations and lead change. “How do we do business around here?”  To operate effectively, the systems themselves must be clearly defined and managed. (Bolman and Deal, 1988)

Organization and Structure  An effective system has the right people doing the right things in the right way FOR THE RIGHT REASON. And that reason: We do what we do because it’s best for kids!  Students need to be engaged in learning. Instructional strategies should include those which maximize student engagement.

Organizational Structures that Support Increased Student Achievement  Common themes were found from a study of five Virginia school divisions showing significant improvement including: Planning, meeting, and training time for teachers: revised master schedule; common planning time; horizontal and vertical curriculum discussions; time to create engaging instruction. SOLs are the floor, not the ceiling (VFEL, 2011)

Organizational Structures that Support Increased Student Achievement  Professional development is provided for teachers to support instructional innovations.  Scheduling allows time for teachers to create engaging instruction.  School culture empowers teachers to control teaching and learning in the classroom. Do teachers have input into decisions that affect their practice, such as bell schedules, exam schedules, field trip approvals?  Principals develop trust by developing a formal role for gathering teacher feedback in those processes that affect instruction.

Organizational Structures that Support Increased Student Achievement  Collaboration occurs not only within content areas, but across them. Special education and general teachers share techniques and materials for engaging instruction.  Effective teaming is established and monitored in order to meet student needs.  Schools should have a fully articulated, shared, and understood set of defined practices. Practices are reviewed, monitored, and improved on a continual basis.

Defined practices  Defined practices = the way we do things in our school (school culture). Remember, every school has its own DNA.  So, what are your defined practices geared at keeping kids engaged and in school and motivated to stay in school? Are they effective?

Needs Assessment  Take a few minutes to review element 7 of your needs assessment  Select an indicator that is a strength and be prepared to explain why it is a strength

Questions to consider to stimulate team reflections  Practices related to scheduling?  Practices related to instructional monitoring and feedback?  Practices related to improved teaching and learning through professional development?  Practices related to teaming and collaboration?  Practices related to innovative instruction?  Practices related to classroom management?

Organizational structures that are NOT based on student needs will NOT raise your graduation rate. Administrative organizational structures Department organizational structures Feeder school organizational structures Central Office organizational structures Organizational Structures

Assessment and Accountability (Element 2)  Multiple assessment strategies, including formative assessment, are implemented across all content areas  Instructional staff members regularly analyze assessment data of instructional planning  An early warning system is used to identify students at risk for failure and dropping out; identified students are provided appropriate interventions

EWS and VEWS Early warning systems use readily available data housed at the school to:  Predict which students are at risk for dropping out of high school;  Target resources to support off-track students while they are still in school, before they drop out  Examine patterns and identify school climate issues (VFEL, 2011)

EWS and VEWS In Virginia, schools that have shown significant improvement provide a remediation program based on identified criteria.  Interventions are provided in addition to regular classroom instruction.  Participation in remediation instruction is not left to individual teacher decision. There is an intentional effort to ensure that all students who exhibit similar achievement, attendance, or behavior are identified for help. (VFEL, 2011)

Formative Assessments “When the cook tastes the soup, that’s formative. When the guests taste the soup, that’s summative.” -Robert Stake

Assessment and Accountability In your school, is there evidence of assessments being used to:  Identify learning needs?  Modify instruction?  Determine mastery?

GCI A ttendance B ehavior Course Performance

Assessment and Accountability Instructional staff members regularly analyze assessment data for instructional planning.

Needs Assessment  Take a few minutes to review the results of your needs assessment for Element 2  Select an indicator that is a strength and be prepared to explain why it is a strength

Questions to consider to stimulate team reflections  What changes in a student’s data are shown, and what are the causes?  What trends are shown in the same class and across classes?  What is your tiered approach to intervention?  What opportunities to meet as a team to analyze data and strategize instruction based on analysis are provided in your school?  What impact does teacher outlook have on student success?

Summary All organizations have systems by which they define roles and responsibilities, manage operations and lead change. These systems must be clearly defined and managed. We do what we do because it’s best for kids!

Summary The engagement of students leads to learning. Instructional strategies should include those that maximize student engagement. During a study of five Virginia school divisions, common themes were identified that resulted in increased student achievement.

Summary Defined practices are the way we do things in our school. High achieving schools use multiple assessment strategies, including formative assessment, across all content areas. Instructional staff members analyze this data and use it for instructional planning.

Resources for Elements 2 and 7 Bolman, L. G., and Deal, T. E. (1988). (Eds) Reframing the path to school leadership: A guide for teachers and principals. National High School Center at the American Institutes for Research. (2011). A coherent approach to high school improvement: A district and school self-assessment tool. Washington, DC: Author. National High School Center at the American Institutes for Research. (2008). Eight elements of high school improvement: A mapping framework (Rev. ed.). Washington, DC: Author. (betterhighschools.com/pubs/documents/EightElementsMappingFrame work.pdf) Robert Stake Virginia Foundation of Educational Leadership (VFEL). (2011). The Virginia model: Profiles and common themes. Available URL: df df

What was one idea I learned during today’s webinar that I plan to share with colleagues at my school?

Next Steps  Be prepared to share one strategy/idea/technique that you have implemented or plan to implement as a result of today’s webinar.  Review the Teaching Framework in preparation for Webinar 2.  Your regional liaison will discuss your answers with you at least one week prior to the next webinar.

Regional Liaisons  Frank Ehrhart  Courtney Graves  Steve Sage  Greg Wheeler  Melanie Yules

Next Webinar Regional LiaisonDateTime Steve SageDecember 1310:00 Frank EhrhartDecember 131:00 Courtney GravesDecember 1410:00 Melanie YulesDecember 141:00 Greg WheelerDecember 1510:00