 Pursuing the Extraordinary in Algebra 1 No Student Will Fail… Don Havenhill Eleanor Roosevelt High School Corona Norco Unified School District

The Power of Teacher Leadership…  This project represents the best of leadership…  Empower…equip… and unleash.  I hope this project leaves you inspired by the capabilities of one “ ordinary ” person.

Overview  A student’s performance in Algebra 1 has a profound impact on the overall academic success of that student in high school.  In any given Algebra 1 course throughout CA, one can expect 30-50% of the students to be failing.  It has become a mission of mine to see to it that this trend ends.

Overview cont. The passion driving this project is the belief that all students are capable of extraordinary results.  The Multi Dimensional Solution: 1. Create a system that guarantees students will receive additional opportunities for learning 2. Create a culture of authentic collaboration 3. Begin using data to drive instruction

 All of the skills in domains 1 – 4 were on display as I lead through the Algebra 1 problem.  The task is admittedly ambitious.  My strengths lie in my ability to create a collaborative culture, utilizing research/data to make informed decisions, modeling new and unconventional pedagogical techniques, and facilitating others. TLCA Standards

 I focused on the following TLCA domain throughout the project:  Domain 6: Leading collaborative problem- solving among diverse stakeholders.  This required that I use all 5 practices with intentionality

Timeline  Beginning in April of 2012, I first began casting the vision for my department that all students are valuable, worth fighting for, and capable of extraordinary results, even the most frustrating ones.  May 2012: I began developing my team of educators

Timeline cont.  June 2012: I met with admin to discuss my vision. The results:  the creation of a support class for Algebra 1 students,  commitment to create a " math lab," and  two intensive training programs: Data Teams Training and Structured Student Interactions and Lesson Design by Innovate Ed.

Timeline cont. The school year was devoted to two things:  1. Creating a thirst for and implementation of data driven PLCs. [inspire a shared vision, empower to act, challenge the process, and encourage the heart]  2. The creation of a location where all students could go to receive help. [challenge the process and encourage the heart]

Timeline Cont. In August, the Algebra 1 PLC sets as its goal: No Student will Fail Algebra 1

Timeline cont.  Throughout the year, we received training on the Data Teams Process (2 full instructional days PLUS 6 department meetings devoted to support training).  Throughout the year, we received training on Instructional Lesson Design.  Roughly speaking, we devoted two collaboration meetings a month to developing our Data Teams Capacity.  Dec 2012, the Math Lab finally opens.

Timeline cont.  We meet about twice a month until March, learning how to do Data Teams, how to become an effective PLC, and writing CFAs.  By March, the momentum virtually stalls. Our time becomes consumed with WASC and Common Core trainings. We would not meet again as a team until April 8- which would be the last time we met as a team for the school year.

What Data Do We Have To Measure Our Effectiveness?  The Algebra 1 failure rate in the school year was 37.2%  The Algebra 1 failure rate in the school year was 38%  The Algebra 1 failure rate for the 1 st semester of the school year was 22.8%

Algebra 1 PLC Survey Results In May 2013, I gave a survey to my team (8 respondents) to provide feedback : 1. How well did the Algebra 1 team provide resources that would guarantee that all students receive the help that they need? 1 (Not Effective) 3 (Somewhat Effective) 5 (Very Effective) Score: How much did the Algebra 1 team grow in their capacity for collaboration? 1 (Not at all) 3 (Some Growth) 5 (Tremendous Growth) Score: 4.25

Algebra 1 PLC Survey Results cont. 3. How much did we use data to make informed decisions on which students to target for instructional support? 1 (Not at all) 3 (Sometimes) 5 (Almost Always) Score: How effective was the Algebra 1 team at measuring the efficacy of our work? 1 (Not Effective) 3 (Somewhat Effective) 5 (Very Effective) Score: 3.5

Algebra 1 PLC Survey Results cont. 5. How effective were we at sharing best practices that promote student achievement? 1 (Not Effective) 3 (Somewhat Effective) 5 (Very Effective) Score: How effective were we at utilizing best practices that promote student achievement? 1 (Not Effective) 3 (Somewhat Effective) 5 (Very Effective) Score: 3.75

The Detour…  Story of what happened in January…  Please read through the “ highlights of the trip ” tab of my site for a detailed account of the experience

Evidence from our Coaching: Semester 1: 10/23 students Failed. The highest grade is a C-. Semester 2: 2/23 students Failed. 12/23 are earning A’s or B’s. The mathematics is harder… It’s the same Mr. Havenhill… These are the same students… What could cause these extraordinary results? It must be the coaching efforts. I did NOT coach students in other Algebra courses… and did NOT experience the same growth.

 Some comments from students on their perspective of the impact of my coaching: Question: In your own words, what is the reason for your growth and success ? This class helped me achieve success in both my school work and between my family. It allowed me to realize the importance of family and what they can help me accomplish on my own. Evidence from our Coaching:

Question: In your own words, what is the reason for your growth and success ?  The reason why I've had success is because you gave meaning to what I do in school and everything is connected.  I learned who I'm playing for and why I'm playing.

Insight from the Game…  Pedagogy alone is ineffective at reaching/empowering the most at-risk students.  What IS EFFECTIVE is coaching students  Why? It recognizes that students are complex beings and acknowledges that students come to class with many obstacles… coaches believe in the abilities of their students  Teachers that help students address these obstacles demonstrate wisdom, empathy, and good leadership. This is encouraging the heart at its finest and creates motivation.

Challenges  The challenge of shifting paradigms to one of teamwork- music analogy. [Modeling the way + Inspiring a shared vision]  Leading/Encouraging people to change … people don’t just automatically change their behavior….even when a new idea makes sense! [Challenge the process + Encourage the Heart]  Lack of training for all members. [Empower to Act]  Lack of expediency in creating the lab.

Challenges cont.  Getting Algebra 1 students to the lab once we had it in place…  Maintaining my integrity - connecting my vision to fight for each student and not give up on them to my colleagues.

How Did I Grow?  Value of being intentional each month (LDW).  Knowing versus doing …  Taking a vision and helping it become a reality by enlisting the support of others to create the vision.

Where do we go from here? Low performing students are indeed capable of great results and teachers have enormous influence over whether these students can succeed.  Continue implementation of the Data Teams Process  Systematic Training for EACH member of the team  Equipping other team members to learn how to coach students and manage their games.

Summarizing Thoughts  During this project, my mission was to convey the message that all of our students are capable of extraordinary results.  Teachers are no different… we too are capable of extraordinary results…  The training provided by the TLCA and the unwavering belief that we can and will create something big should be extended to all teachers.  Can you imagine the results in each of our schools, communities, our state, country, or the world when we empower, equip, and unleash the untapped resource of teacher leadership?