LEAP Conference July 2015 Helen Timperley
Who within the system should be the focus for improvement? Who should be making the decisions about what to do when? What is the starting point? What is important to focus one? What is a good design? Where does evidence and accountability fit?
4 Transmission
The purpose: “Every learner crosses the stage with dignity, purpose and options, and a sense of social responsibility” (Timperley, Kaser and Halbert, 2014) Intellectual and social engagement driven by curiosity through an evidence-informed inquiry process ◦ Driven by the moral imperative of high quality and equity for all student learners
Demonstrate intellectual and social engagement From Mt Roskill Primary School in New Zealand ◦ low socio-economic multi-ethnic school Students in Year 6 (NZ); Year 5 (Australia)
Compliance OR Curiosity and Commitment
From To My job is to learn curriculum content determined by the teacher Assessment – I receive marks from my teachers and this reflects my ability My job is to actively engage in identifying my learning goals and co- construct their meaning with my teachers Assessment – I work with my teachers to identify what I know and need to know next to reach my goal
Inquiry questions
Teachers Inquiry questions
What’s going on for our learners? How do we know? Timperley, Kaser, & Halbert, 2014
What is our focus? What is leading to this situation? How can we learn more about what to do? What will we do differently? Have we made enough of a difference? What’s going on for our learners?
Cluster of 8 schools (7 primary, 1 secondary) had achieved early significant acceleration in student writing BUT Frustrated by inability to lift student writing any further Attendance at network meetings fell away SO Sought help to get them out of current situation
ParticipantsRepresentation Principal Lead Teacher Facilitator Central office Teachers Students Developed by Brian Annan
Principals Group Principal s Group Developed by Brian Annan
Principal s Group Lead team Lead teacher group
What is our focus? What is leading to this situation? How can we learn more about what to do? What will we do differently? Have we made enough of a difference? What’s going on for our learners?
Is about inquiry Takes a wide perspective (student engagement, S-E) What is happening for all learners from their perspective Not about confirming what already know Not just focused on easily measured academics Not just what the professionals decide
Good relationships between teachers and students Social-emotional engagement high (as measured by attendance and survey) ◦ Intellectual engagement not high Students appeared passive in their learning – sit and receive Stalled academic progress particularly in writing
Uses information from the scan Requires collection of further information to clarify what is going on Includes strengths PLUS problems and challenges Not the time to introduce completely new areas Can’t assume you know what to focus on Doesn’t focus on one or the other
Focused and deep - include everyone - then transfer
Student learning Teacher learning What does not work
Reduce passivity Increase intellectual engagement Focus on writing
Involves getting deeply held beliefs out on the table Focuses on how the participants are contributing to the situation Turns beliefs into a form that can be assessed as a worthwhile focus Doesn’t involve a general brain storm of all possibilities Doesn’t focus on everyone else Doesn’t mean just letting off steam about something over which have no control
Transmission teaching passive learners In classrooms feedback focused on praise for self-esteem and relationships (not learning) In professional relationships – a culture of niceness and leaders abdicating their responsibility for leading improvement
Connected to the inquiry and analysis process in the earlier phases Requires knowing why new ways of doing things are better Requires time Not just based on a good idea or someone’s preference It isn’t just about learning new things Not just a series of brief encounters
Students students Teachers students Curriculum leaders teachers Principals curriculum leaders Principals and curriculum leaders videoed practice and gave feedback to each other
Involves learning more deeply about new ideas Informed by knowing why new practices are more effective than others Judging effectiveness by the impact on learners Not just about implementing what was learned Not just trying things out without understanding why Not about getting the teaching practices right
DimensionConventionsSpecific aspects in isolation Specific aspects within deeper concepts Feedback Task Process Self- regulation Feed –forward Task Process Self- regulation
Based on high expectations that action will make a difference for all learners Turns assessment into information about the effectiveness of teaching and what can be done about it Not just a routine to follow Assessment information is not about the capacity of learners
Student achievement in writing accelerated ◦ Greatest improvement where feedback practice best Inquiry and learning happening at every level Students actively engaged in identifying goals and seeking feedback
What’s going on for our learners? How do we know? Timperley, Kaser & Halbert, 2014
Who within the system should be the focus for improvement? Who should be making the decisions about what to do when? What is the starting point? What is important to focus on? What is a good design? Where does evidence and accountability fit?