Instructional Rounds: Fall 2015 Debrief A Collaborative Approach to Improving Teaching & Learning City, Elmore, Fiarman, and Teitel. Instructional Rounds in Education: A Network Approach to Improving Teaching and Learning. Boston: Harvard Press, 2009.

IR: 4-step Process 1. Identify & norm a Problem of Practice. 2. Observe classrooms and gather descriptive, non-evaluative evidence. 3. Debrief by analyzing data to inform our next steps in PLTs. 4. Focus on the next level of work in PLTs.

Theory of Action: DMHS Fall 2015 If we develop the efficacy of students so that they become active participants in their learning, then students will fully engage in school and develop the habits of mind that lead to successful lifelong learning.   Efficacy requires lots of practice & feedback   To develop habits of mind and active participation, students need opportunities to challenge their thinking, question and pose problems, communicate with each other, apply their knowledge, and reflect (metacognitive thinking).

DMHS Vision All students are able to achieve high standards of learning and character. Every member of the school’s community has the primary responsibility of supporting and ensuring high standards of student learning and character development. When students are not achieving high standards of learning or character development, we must change our practices to ensure that they do.

Instructional Core: the dynamic between teaching & learning Content / Task Student Teacher Student Learning

Debrief Process 1. For each class visited, observers shared notes and answered POP questions. 2. For each question, ILT members:  Reviewed responses  Identified patterns and trends  Made inferences based on the data, patterns, and trends  Made recommendations for PD to support areas of need

Problems of Practice Approximately 20% of DMHS students received Ds and Fs last year (15% of those received 3 or more Ds & Fs) and about 50% of DMHS students were not on track for A-G Requirements last spring. In 12 th grade, 42.8% were not on track for English. (MyData) Many of our struggling students don’t complete assignments. In class, they often give up easily. It’s possible that they don’t know what to do or how to do it, or they don’t see the purpose in completing the task. If their efforts often result in failure, they may not see the point in trying. With the shift to Common Core State Standards, we are concerned about the extent to which all students, especially struggling students, are getting enough practice and feedback to develop the critical thinking skills needed to succeed on tests (SBAC, SAT, ACT, etc.), in college, and in careers.   What would students know and be able to do from the lesson you observed?   How do teachers know what students know during the lesson you observed?   How do students know whether or not their work is on the right track?   To what extent are students guided in developing a sense of self efficacy?

1) What would students know and be able to do from the lesson you observed? Inferences  Most classes require students to understand or remember procedures, concepts, and facts.  While many classes were learning conceptual knowledge, few required critical thinking skills involving conceptual knowledge.  No classes were observed practicing metacognitive skills.

1) What would students know and be able to do from the lesson you observed? PD Recommendations  Incorporate more critical thinking skills, especially higher levels of Bloom’s.  Promote an awareness of the range of knowledge domains: factual, procedural, conceptual, and metacognitive (Review Anderson & Krathwohl).  Understand the metacognitive knowledge domain and how to create objectives and use strategies for students to learn this skill in the classroom.  Share strategies on how to teach students to ask questions and advocate.

2) How do teachers know what students know during the lesson you observed? Inferences  Verbal responses are a convenient device for teacher’s time management.  Group work may not engage every student if they are not being asked to demonstrate knowledge during group work.  Immediate verbal feedback from teacher and peers is possibly more impactful than written feedback.

2) How do teachers know what students know during the lesson you observed? PD Recommendations  Share ideas for the variety of ways that teachers may check for understanding, including verbal, written, visual, etc.  Highlight the difference between checking in and questioning for understanding versus checking in on progress of work.  When checking for understanding, emphasize the importance of returning to struggling students. Share strategies to encourage perseverance in solving problems and re-checking for understanding. This includes strategies that encourage collaboration so that every student in a group understands.

3) How do students know whether or not their work is on the right track? Inferences  Struggling students lack the drive to figure out problems and learn (versus getting credit).  Students want more teacher feedback.  Groups need to learn how to collaborate.  Timers can be problematic if used to emphasize getting the work done versus learning.

3) How do students know whether or not their work is on the right track? PD Recommendations  Strategies for promoting functional groups  Strategies for giving immediate feedback on student progress  Strategies for motivating students to generate questions and feel comfortable asking questions  Grading strategies for groups, individuals, skills, knowledge, on task/off task performance, completeness and quality of work (How might we emphasize grades for the quality of knowledge and skills versus completeness of work?)

4) To what extent are students guided in developing a sense of self efficacy? Strategies Observed   Consult with teammates   Practice using the concepts verbally   Reflect on learning   Encourage to act/learn independently (refrain from simply giving students the answer)   Ask to use knowledge   Have groups be responsible for the learning of everyone in group   Validate learning   Encourage students in the process of learning   Note use of academic language   Use the classroom tools   Use games and points for motivation   Take notes   Teach others   Assign group roles

4) To what extent are students guided in developing a sense of self efficacy? Students develop self-efficacy when teachers:  Use guiding questions  Guide practice (provide plenty of opportunities for practice and improvement)  Encourage perseverance (instead of simply giving answers, guide students to discover answers)  Reassure students in the process of learning  Encourage students to teach peers  Teach students how to be self-responsible (possibly use metacognitive strategies)

Next Steps Address Areas of Need  November 3 rd PD Symposium  PLT support  Coach support

Theory of Action: DMHS Fall 2015 If we develop the efficacy of students so that they become active participants in their learning, then students will fully engage in school and develop the habits of mind that lead to successful lifelong learning.   Efficacy requires lots of practice & feedback   To develop habits of mind and active participation, students need opportunities to challenge their thinking, question and pose problems, communicate with each other, apply their knowledge, and reflect (metacognitive thinking).