TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Working Systemically: Reflecting on Where We’ve Been & Exploring Where We’re Going December 4, 2007

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER OBJECTIVES Develop a shared understanding of challenges and outcomes of implementing Phases I and II of the Working Systemically approach Increase awareness of the purposes and processes for Phase III: Planning Action Increase ESCs’ ability to assist districts and schools in planning actions based on data and research, including a process for job-embedded, collaborative professional development Strengthen relationships among colleagues within and across the ESCs and the TXCC

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER TODAY’S WORK TOGETHER MORNING Reflection: What we’ve done/resources we’ve used Break Overview of Phase III Step 1: Investigate research-based practices Step 2: Describe the ideal state LUNCH (provided) AFTERNOON Step 3: Develop an improvement plan Step 4: Align district and campus plans Consider next steps

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Reflecting on Where We’ve Been and What We’ve Done D’Ette Cowan December 4, 2007

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Why Reflect? Researchers on Reflection

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Reflecting on Reflection Which of the statements resonates with you the most? What experiences have you had in which reflection has helped you do your work more effectively?

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Reflecting on Competencies in Phases I and II

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Reflecting on the System Crosswalk of Phases and Competencies Shows which competencies are the primary focus during each phase However, a skilled facilitator sees opportunities to build all competencies in some way in all phases

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Determining System Capacity on Competencies 1. Individually, complete the Determining System Capacity rubric, circling the most appropriate number to indicate where your district is on creating coherence; collecting, interpreting, and using data; and building relationships. 2. Note your evidence for your rating, as well as changes you have observed since working with them. 3. Confer with your ESC colleagues on your ratings and evidence. 4. Be prepared to share your learnings.

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Reflecting on Resources Used 1.With your ESC team, complete page 1 of the Working Systemically reflection guide, noting the phase in which you are currently working with your district and the steps you’ve completed in each phase. 2.Then complete pages 2 and 3 of the guide, noting the extent to which resources provided have been used/ helpful/not used/substituted. Copies of the resources are posted to assist in identification. 3.If other resources were used instead, please note what they were and provide a brief description of what they were and why they were used instead. 4.Once completed, give your guide to your table facilitator, who will photocopy it and return it to you.

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Working Systemically Phase III — Planning Action

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Phases of the Work Phase I: Understanding the System Phase II: Analyzing the System Phase III: Planning Action Phase IV: Taking Action and Monitoring Implementation Phase V: Assessing and Reflecting on Outcomes

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Stacey Joyner & Ann Neeley December 4, 2007 Phase III: Planning Action Step 1: Investigate Research- Based Practices

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER 1.Investigate research-based practices 2.Describe the ideal state 3.Develop an improvement plan 4.Align district and campus plans Phase III — Planning Action

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Investigate research-based practices Selected References for Research-Based Practices

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Professional Teaching and Learning Cycle What is the Professional Teaching and Learning Cycle (PTLC)? The PTLC is a job-embedded, collaborative, professional development process that teachers use to plan and implement lessons that are aligned to their state standards.

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Professional Teaching and Learning Cycle

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Putting the PTLC Into Action First Meeting Phases I-III – Study, Select, and Plan phases are completed in a collaborative meeting (usually takes 2–3 hours at first). Second Meeting Phases V & VI – Analyze and Adjust phases are completed in a collaborative meeting (usually takes 2-3 hours at first). Phase IV – Implement Teachers teach the lesson and other staff members observe.

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Professional Teaching and Learning Cycle

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER District Leadership Roles Communicating clear expectations Monitoring and reviewing Building capacity

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER District Leadership: Communicating Clear Expectations 1. Communicates repeatedly with school leaders that the number one priority is that all students will become proficient in the state standards. 2. Communicates repeatedly with school leaders that all classroom teachers will work collaboratively to implement each step of the PTLC.

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER 1. Works with school leaders to review data from PTLC collaborative meetings and regular visitation to classrooms to determine PTLC progress. 2. Collaborates with school leaders to monitor students’ academic progress towards mastering the state standards. District Leadership: Monitoring and Reviewing

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER 1. Ensures that school leaders provide many opportunities for collaboration among staff focused on students mastering state standards. 2. Ensures that school leaders provide support for new or struggling teachers as they align their instruction and assessment with state standards. 3. Aligns district and school staff development to –deepen content knowledge, –explore research-based instructional strategies, –make better use of data, –learn ways to analyze student work, and –develop instructional interventions for students. District Leadership: Building Capacity

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Planning In order to implement PTLC successfully there are two critical structures that must be in place or must be created: Time Content area expertise

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Questions and Further Discussion PTLC About similarities between the PTLC and other approaches to alignment through lesson study Reflection on Phase III, Step 1 – Competencies

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Phase III: Planning Action Step 2: Describe the Ideal State Stella Bell December 4, 2007

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER 1.Investigate research-based practices 2.Describe the ideal state 3.Develop an improvement plan 4.Align district and campus plans Phase III — Planning Action

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER “Strategic planning is a journey not a destination” Mike Schmoker

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER What Is an Ideal State? An ideal statement is a sentence that addresses how we would describe the system if the problem statement was absolutely 100% solved.

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER How to Connect Ideal State to the Problem Statement 1. District support team revisits prior conversations on data, data analysis, gap analysis, and problem statement.

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER 2. The ideal statement should be relatively brief and focus on one or more critical components that are related to alignment. How to Connect Ideal State to the Problem Statement

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Ideal State Exploration Activity 1.Review the problem statement. 2.Underline words that reflect curriculum, instruction, assessment, and state standards issues.

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER 3. Choose one or more symbols, words, or word phrases that represent solutions to the problem. Write thoughts on sticky notes. (One thought on each sticky note) Ideal State Exploration Activity

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER 4.Transform the symbols, words, and/or word phrases into one or more sentences, using sentence strips. 5.Synthesize all sentence strip ideas into one sentence that describes the ideal state. Ideal State Exploration Activity

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Reflective Guiding Questions for Solving the Problem 1.What research-based practices support the solutions? 2.What do you observe when the ideal state is occurring? 3.What does it sounds like when the ideal state is occurring?

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER EXAMPLE— Problem Statement: District staff are not collaborating to ensure that effective mathematics instruction and professional development are in place to meet the students learning needs.

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Ideal State Exploration Activity: Mathematics instruction aligned scope and sequence by grade and subject mathematics curriculum aligned to state standards mathematics meet individual needs of diverse learners common lesson study design Professional development on-going regularly scheduled structured focused Students learning needs frequently monitored — daily, weekly, monthly, yearly benchmarks exams support mathematics state standards

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Ideal State: The district has processes in place for job-embedded collaborative professional development around the mathematics curriculum to support evidence-based instructional practices that focus on student learning needs.

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Ideal State to Strategies Strategies are developed by “unpacking” the ideal state - Prioritize the strategies -Write action steps What is a strategy?

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Ideal State Unpacked Ideal State 1.The district has processes in place for job-embedded collaborative professional development around the mathematics curriculum to support 2.evidence-based instructional practices that focus on 3.student learning needs.

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Strategy #1. The district provides a process to support regularly scheduled, structured and focused, on-going, job- embedded professional development so that all staff align daily mathematics instruction to state standards. Write action steps.

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Strategy #2. The district creates a process for refining a mathematics scope and sequence aligned to state standards and will specify the knowledge and skills students will acquire by grade and subject matter. Write action steps.

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER #3. The district develops or refines a process to monitor student learning needs and progress in mathematics. Write action steps. Strategy

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Small Group Activity – 15 minutes – 1.Review your district problem statement. 2.Describe an ideal state to address the problem statement. 3.Develop two or three strategies to support the ideal state.

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Phase III: Planning Action Step 3: Develop an improvement plan Como Molina December 4, 2007

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Phase III: Planning Action Investigate research-based practices Describe the ideal state Develop an improvement plan Align district and campus plans

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Step 3: Develop an Improvement Plan How can we explore and experience the process of developing district strategies and action steps? How can we explore and experience the merger/inclusion of ideal-state action steps with the existing district improvement plan?

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Develop district strategies for reaching ideal state. Develop district action steps. Step 3: Develop an Improvement Plan

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Put critical dates on school and district calendars. Create review process for implementation of district action plan. Step 3: Develop an Improvement Plan

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER What are action steps? Action steps identify the specific processes that will lead to the intended outcome.

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Action steps must 1) specify action(s) taken by the district/ campus to fulfill a specific strategy; 2) begin with a verb; 3) be process oriented; and 4) be reasonable and doable within the context and time frame.***

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Viable Action Steps *** In order to make action steps realistic, there are structures and resources that must be in place. These pre-requisites must be taken into consideration when developing action steps. (Consequently, as ESC staff, you need to be very attuned to the action steps proposed by your district.)

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Develop District Action Steps Work in ESC teams to develop appropriate district action steps to accomplish the strategy(ies) developed in the previous activity. Record these draft action steps on the left column of the template provided. Include the assignment of responsibility. (15 minutes)

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Put critical dates on template for later inclusion on school and district calendars. (5 minutes) Establish “Evidence of Accomplishment” as part of the creation of a review process for district improvement plan implementation. (10 minutes) Develop District Action Steps

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Use the sample district improvement plan to review your draft action steps. With your group, discuss and/or revise your district action steps. (10 minutes) Develop District Action Steps

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER It is critical that a detailed process for monitoring the implementation of district action steps be developed concurrently with those action steps, not as a later addendum. With your group, inspect the “Improvement Plan Implementation Review Explanation.” (5 minutes) Develop District Action Steps

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER With your group, inspect the “Improvement Plan Implementation Review Example.” Discuss with your group how this example might be used (with modifications as needed) to monitor and review your proposed district action steps. (10 minutes) Develop District Action Steps

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Merger/Inclusion of District Action Steps You have developed district ideal state action steps. How do you now merge or include them in the existing district improvement plan?

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER First Possible Scenario 1) The existing district improvement plan includes strategies/steps that closely match/ align with the district ideal state action steps developed by your district team. Merger/Inclusion of District Action Steps

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Second Possible Scenario 2) The existing district improvement plan does not include strategies and/or action steps that closely match/align with the district ideal state action steps developed by your district team. Merger/Inclusion of District Action Steps

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER As ESC groups, compare your draft district action steps to your district’s improvement plan. Decide which scenario exemplifies your context. Merger/Inclusion of District Action Steps

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER In your ESC teams, discuss the approach and strategies needed to merge/supplement the developed ideal state action steps with the existing district improvement plan. (15 minutes) Merger/Inclusion of District Action Steps

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Overview of Step 3 As an ESC team, discuss the approach and strategies needed to merge or supplement the developed ideal state action steps with the existing district improvement plan. Include in your discussion the match/alignment of the level of specificity of the action steps in each. Concentrate on key concerns and approaches. (15 minutes)

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Whole-group sharing to prepare for this process with your districts/campuses. (20 minutes) Overview of Step 3

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Phase III: Planning Action Step 4: Align District and Campus Plans María Torres December 4, 2007

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER 1.Investigate research-based practices 2.Describe the ideal state 3.Develop an improvement plan 4.Align district and campus plans Phase III — Planning Action

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Building Coherence

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Step 4: Align District and Campus Plans Review district ideal state. Investigate research-based practices for campus level.

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Investigate Research-Based Practices for Campus Level Alignment to Standards Curriculum Instruction Assessment

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Alignment Strategies –Professional Teaching and Learning Cycle (PTLC) –Leadership Roles Investigate Research-Based Strategies for Campus Level

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Develop campus strategies implementing district ideal state. Develop campus action steps. Step 4: Align District and Campus Plans

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Identify critical dates on school and district calendars. Develop a campus action plan implementation review process. Step 4: Align District and Campus Plans

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Step 4 parallels Step 3 Primary distinction: Process repeated for campus level The key: Use district ideal state and strategies as a framework for aligning campus plans to district plan Step 4: Align District and Campus Plans

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Discuss with your ESC team (10 minutes) What are our concerns and challenges in helping a campus align their improvement plan with the district improvement plan? What can we use from this process and the resources provided to facilitate the alignment of campus and district improvement plans? Step 4: Align District and Campus Plans

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Whole group sharing of discussion about district and campus alignment (10 minutes) Step 4: Align District and Campus Plans

TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE CENTER Working Systemically: Planning for Continuing Support December 4, 2007