Whose problem is this? Fiona Ell (University of Auckland), Hamish Ruawai, Chrissy Smith, Diane Bates and Mei Reti (Kaikohe West School) Team Solutions Mathematics Leaders Symposium September 2011

Two theoretical frames Wicked problems Distributed leadership

Tempting logic Mathematics underachievement Mathematics achievement

Partnership with families The black (blue) box Teacher quality Teacher education Resources Assessment Partnership with families Clear expectations

Tame problem

Wicked problem

Wicked problems are... Multi causal Internal interdependencies Not easily defined – multiple perspectives Essentially unique Cannot be solved with generic principles or linear methods Solutions are not right or wrong – better or worse No room for trial and error – each attempt shapes the problem (Bore and Wright, 2009)

Distributed leadership Interactions between leaders, followers and situation leaders situation followers

Features Interdependency Routines Tools Structures

Introducing... Hamish Ruawai – Principal Kaikohe West School Chrissy Smith – maths coach Diane Bates – maths coach Mei Reti - teacher

Principal’s part “Making change less complex by not only discussing change but getting into it together”

Managing the change URGENCY! TALENT SCOUTS. RELATIONSHIPS. SYSTEMATIC CHANGES. TRANSPARENCY rules.

Creating URGENCY! DATA tells the story. We have an epidemic! Focus on EXCELLENCE rather than EXPERIENCE. CO- CONSTRUCT what excellence looks like TOGETHER. One off TEST MATCHES (observations) don’t work. For every 100 students next year.. Maori Pakeha 18 4 Will be failing basic literacy and numeracy by age 10. 16 6 Will become disengaged from any education, employment or training by age17. 5 2 Will be stood down. 34 13 Will leave secondary school without a qualification. 20 49 Will leave school with a University Entrance standard. “Maori make up 12% of the population and prison is made up of 50% Maori”

Creating talent scouts Be vigilant in identifying and using internal and external talent. Create systems of sharing and observing talent. - Release time to coach - Narrow the ‘bloated curriculum’

QUALITY RElationships EXPLICITLY identify what quality relationships look like at all levels of the organisation – Leadership , staff, students & whanau. COMMUNICATION styles need to be understood and rehearsed. CONFRONT undermining behaviours professionally & with empathy. ACTIONS before BELIEFS!

Creating systems to support change REVIEW time wasting practices! - Portfolios - Long Term plans - 3 way conferences - Charter Action plans - Formative assessment (focus on content knowledge) - Assessment checklists Create REFLECTIVE practices. - Class learning stories (Narratives) - Leadership Term meetings. - Critical friends (external) “Learn on the Job” You don’t need to know everything before you start.

“Can something be determined as ineffective without being judgmental?” Transparency rules! Teachers can ONLY be responsible for the achievement in their OWN class. Our school wants to manage the change of rather having IMPOSED change. Teacher Achievement “Can something be determined as ineffective without being judgmental?”

Numeracy Achievement Board Reading

Student achievement mathaholic.

DOING MATHS In spite of me some students still learnt

HELP THEY WANT ME TO TEACH MATHS!! AT LEAST I WAS NOT ALONE

Car park talk

Collecting data/cooperating

Painting a picture with data Measuring / What was having the biggest effect? Sharing data, not happening Focusing on individuals Culture of trust

Digging deeper

Painting pictures with data Testing and programmes Building relationships The most important learners The forgotten learners

Prior practice One off observations Not P.D Where are your teachers performing? Previously we did the one off observations. This meant that quite often the lessons we saw were the test show pony lessons that were saved specifically for observations. Our role as lead teachers was really only to observe and tick a box to say yes this teacher was teaching numeracy. There was no follow up to these observations. In 2010 we were asked the question ‘ How are all your teachers performing in numeracy’ We really couldn’t give an honest answer relating to individual practise.

Teachers as learners Developing excellent teachers Research Co – constructing the continuum So how were we going to find out. We knew that we had some good teachers on our staff and we had quite a lot of experienced teachers but if we were really going to make a change to student achievement we needed excellent teachers. We were getting the same average results from students diagnostic tests year after year. We needed to look at our teachers as learners and ask the question. How do we improve student achievement? Can we do the same to teachers? We give children feedback and feed forward. We share their next learning steps and show them exemplars of what high achievement looks like. This was what we needed to do with our teachers. We started researching what excellent numeracy teachers do and began working on a learning continuum for our teachers. We needed to get buy in from our staff. We are often very good at do things to teachers we needed to start doing thing with them.m We ran a T.O.D and created a sense of urgency amongst our teachers. They have the biggest impact on student achievement and at the moment statistics show that our students are failing when they get to NCEA level. At this stage we weren’t accelerating student learning enough to avoid this, so we needed to make change now. We asked teachers to think about what they might see. Hear and experience in a room where excellent numeracy teaching was happening.From the research we had done and the input from our staff we created the learning continuum for teachers outlining stages of progression to becoming an excellent teacher of numeracy.

Feed – back -What has gone well Future focus – Where to next Coaching Feed – back -What has gone well Future focus – Where to next Working with coaches After each observation teachers are given feedback and feed forward. The observation and related discussion all takes place on the same day. The time between observations is when the learning takes place for teachers. Just as with students the learning takes place between assessments. We work with teachers modelling lessons, planning, co-teaching or observing particular aspects of a lesson. Teachers have come to realise that we don’t go away and we will never give up on anybody. System changes within our school have added value to this project. Chrissy and I are released every day from 9 -11 so we have the time to spend with teachers. We have a weekly timetable on our school calendar and teachers book time with the coaches. Teachers need to take responsibility for their own learning. However we also book times for teachers who need support in targeted areas. Relationships are a huge part of this process. We are there to help and support, not criticise. We have the common goal of raising student achievement, sometimes teachers are just not 100% sure how to go about it. There are often signs where a teacher is crying out for help. Sometimes it is less work to ignore these cries. By offereing help and support everyone wins. Teachers and students.

Testing shows correlation Teachers feel good about their practice Making a difference Testing shows correlation Teachers feel good about their practice We know that our teachers are teaching numeracy. They talk about it often. We’ve created a lot more maths geeks. They ask questions of us and each other. They celebrate when they have had an observation, during the feedback sessions some will even say I can’t wait until the next observation when are you coming in again. They feel good about their numeracy teaching. They know what to do and they know it is making a difference to the students in their room. This isn’t just a hunch we have that it is making a difference. We have tested all our students using the diagnostic test, we have analyzed this data with the help of Fiona and we have found a direct correlation between where a teacher is performing on the learning continuum and the progress in the achievement of their students.

How are our teachers performing? We can now answer this question giving specific information about each individual teacher. We know their strengths, their future focus, the impact it is having on their students. We are also beginning to identify future leaders within our school so we know that what we have started is able to be sustained. We are all on the same journey with a focus on raising student achievement.

He aha te mea nui o te Ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata What is the greatest thing of the world? Tis people, tis people, tis people. Ko Te Mamaari te waka O Ruanui te tangata o runga Ko Whiti te tupuna Ko Te Kapotai te hapu Ko Kapowai te maunga Ko Waikare te awa Ko Te Turuki te marae E titiro iho ana ki Motukura ki tana paa tu moana Ko Ngapuhi te iwi Ko Mei Reti toku ingoa

A Numeracy Journey * Numeracy Coaches * Observations based on continuum * Needs and stages identified *Feedback and reflection

Building Relationships Trust Honesty He Tautoko He Awhinatia

Targets *Expectations *Coaches support *Individualised *Coaching onsite

Creative Opportunities *Risk taking *Learning styles of students *Informal coaching *Poutama Tau

Reflections *Communication *Sustainability *Successful learners

Tirohia kia marama Whawhangia kia rangona te ha Observe to gain enlightenment Participate to feel the essence

Numeracy Achievement Board Reading

To think about… We are trying to solve a ‘wicked’ problem Being heroes won’t solve it In the interactions, interdependencies and multiple perspectives is a creative space for solving and re-solving the problem It’s not the particular tools, routines or strategies that are the key – it’s urgently engaging in the process of developing them