The Changing Context Using the events listed (add others that are relevant if you wish) discuss each decade’s impact on educational policy and practice. As a group, identify trends and patterns and make a list. © Pickering/Corson, 2003

A tour of the last 50 years. 1950’s: Brown vs. Bd. Of Education; Sputnik 1950’s: Brown vs. Bd. Of Education; Sputnik 1960’s: The Great Society; Civil Rights, Vietnam 1960’s: The Great Society; Civil Rights, Vietnam 1970’s & 80’s: Title IX; IDEA; A Nation at Risk 1970’s & 80’s: Title IX; IDEA; A Nation at Risk 1990’s: OBE; Standards-Based Reform; Character Education 1990’s: OBE; Standards-Based Reform; Character Education © Pickering/Corson, 2003

What about this decade? What will be the key event framing this decade? What will be the key event framing this decade? No Child Left Behind No Child Left Behind At it’s core NCLB is about ACCOUNTABILITY. At it’s core NCLB is about ACCOUNTABILITY. © Pickering/Corson, 2003

From Access to Accountability 1950’s through 1990’s: 1950’s through 1990’s: The function of school reform was focused on providing access to opportunity. The focus was on teaching. The function of school reform was focused on providing access to opportunity. The focus was on teaching. Often the balance swung back and forth from emphasis on academics to an emphasis on the “whole person.” Often the balance swung back and forth from emphasis on academics to an emphasis on the “whole person.” © Pickering/Corson, 2003

From Access to Accountability The 2000’s: The 2000’s: The function of school reform is student achievement and outcomes. The focus is on learning. The function of school reform is student achievement and outcomes. The focus is on learning. As professionals, we must strive to maintain a balanced approach in the face of “pendulum” type initiatives like NCLB. In most cases, things are not “either/or” but rather “AND.” As professionals, we must strive to maintain a balanced approach in the face of “pendulum” type initiatives like NCLB. In most cases, things are not “either/or” but rather “AND.” © Pickering/Corson, 2003

What does this mean for us? When the function of an organization changes, its processes and structures must change. When the function of an organization changes, its processes and structures must change. © Pickering/Corson, 2003

What does this mean for us? We have to work on the system as a whole- all parts are inter-related. We have to work on the system as a whole- all parts are inter-related. Work must be done at 3 levels simultaneously: district, building, classroom. Work must be done at 3 levels simultaneously: district, building, classroom. Data analysis is a “fundamental skill” in this new game. Data analysis is a “fundamental skill” in this new game. Professional development work will reflect the work of this new game. Professional development work will reflect the work of this new game. © Pickering/Corson, 2003

Implications for Our Work The game has changed and there are new rules for what defines “winning.” We will work together as a faculty to learn this new game for the benefit of the children and families we serve. The game has changed and there are new rules for what defines “winning.” We will work together as a faculty to learn this new game for the benefit of the children and families we serve. © Pickering/Corson, 2003

Teaching Guide for the “Changing Context” Introduction to a Building Staff.  PURPOSE: to better understand the changing context of our work and how this changes the rules of the game and how “winning” is defined.  KEY TEACHING POINTS: The 50’s into the 90’s the driving force in education and its definition of “success” were focused on: Access to Opportunity & Equity. Emerging from the 90’s and into the 2000’s, education and its definition of “success” is focused on: Accountability for Results. Education, as evidenced in the scan of the decades, is on a continual pendulum swing from science/math to “whole person” type initiatives and back again. In order to focus on and achieve results we must move away from “either/or” thinking to “and” thinking. The function of education is now about producing student learning results. When the function of a system changes, its processes and structures must change to meet the requirements of the new game. Next year and subsequent years will look and feel very different in regard to professional development and the art and science of teaching. The consortium and our work together will provide the structures and processes necessary to ensure that we become skilled at the new game and “win” for our students and families.

Recommended procedures for conducting this learning activity. Minimum: 30 minutes, longer for larger faculties Following these steps will help you facilitate the process and ensure that the major talking and teaching points are illuminated. 1. Print copies of the powerpoint “The Changing Context for Faculty” and distribute to your facilitators. If you wish to provide participants with the handout, it is suggested to provide it at the end of the session. 2.Assemble your faculty and find a way to move them around so that they are not sitting in the same groups they typically join. Consider having them line up by birthdate (month/day) from January to December and then split them into groups of 3-5 from that lineup. 3.Show slide number 1 “The Changing Context” and go over the instructions. It is very important that the faculty look not decade-by-decade, but by trends and patterns over the 50 year time period. They are to brainstorm how the major events of each decade impacted educational policy and practice and then look at the period holistically to identify patterns and trends. Each time we have done this the conclusions are similar: the pendulum swing and the focus on access and equity. Click to the next slide, “A tour of the last 50 years” and tell them to begin. (Provide 10 to 15 minutes for this activity) 4.Have groups share what they discovered. You may do random calling or ask each table to make a contribution. Record what you hear on a white board or butcher paper. Allow others to contribute ideas to the concept if they desire. Move on without more commentary when groups have exhausted the patterns and trends they saw. (If you don’t get “Pendulum swing” or “Access/equity” you will want to work to prompt it- usually groups identify these things quite readily) 5.When conversation is exhausted, go to slide 3 “What about this decade?” and ask the question. It should be clear- NCLB. By clicking the mouse or down arrow it will move to the next point on the slide. Share with the group or ask them what is at the core of NCLB- move to the next point which is “At it’s core, NCLB is about accountability.” 6.Move to slide #4 “From Access to Accountability.” Review and validate group findings with this slide, emphasizing the point that the function of school reform has been focused on opportunity and the focus was on teaching. Examples of the focus on teaching might be: “brain-based learning,” “questioning strategies,” or “pieces of Hunter like anticipatory set,” etc. Also discuss the pendulum swing we, as teachers, have all faced throughout our careers- whole language to phonics, textbook tests to rubrics, etc.

Recommended procedures for conducting this learning activity. Minimum: 30 minutes, longer for larger faculties Following these steps will help you facilitate the process and ensure that the major talking and teaching points are illuminated. 7.Move to slide #5 “From Access to Accountability.” Share the idea that the function of school reform is now about accountability- student achievement and outcomes for all. We must also strive to achieve a balanced focused to avoid “either/or” thinking and move to “and” thinking. For example, effective reading/language instruction contains elements of both whole language and phonics- the key is when, how, how often, etc. 8.It is important to clarify the concept of access vs. accountability. Consider posing the question: “As you look back at the past 50 years you might note that laws, mandates, and initiatives came and went or have undergone continual change- HOWEVER, the essence of the function did not: it was always connected to the theme of equity and access. If NCLB gets destroyed or altered, will the concept of accountability go with it?” This helps people to recognize that the game has changed and, like it or not, it has forced the definition of winning and the very rules itself to change. 9.Move to slide #6 “What Does This Mean for Us?” Talk about the whole idea of “Form follows function.” Example: when the function of a particular bicycle is to be a road racer, what form does it take? (Sleek, lightwieght, high gear ratios, curled under handlebars, no suspension, thin tires, etc) 1.The function of schooling has changed- so must it’s structures and processes. 10.You may choose to use the following slides to share your work or address the issue yourself. You want to consider the following notions: 1.We have to work on the system as a whole- all parts of it are inter-related. 2.Work must be done at 3 levels simultaneously: district, building, classroom. 3.This work requires all of us to be leaders, thinkers, and do-ers. 4.Data analysis and synthesis is critical for us to be successful in this new game- doesn’t mean “more” it means using what we have better. It is a “fundamental skill” in this new game. 5.Professional development will be very different from here on out.