1. Revisiting the Big Picture of the Data Wise Improvement Process
Richmond Public Schools
March 8, 2016

2. Objectives Participants will...
Collaboratively Consider what it means to Improve
Reflecting on the Work of Data Wise in your schools
Examining the Foundational Thinking in DWIP
Getting clear on the Big Picture of Data Wise
Deep Dive: The Prepare Phase
Creating Clarity:The Inquiry Phase
A look ahead: The Act Phase
Defining Our Collaborative Next Steps

3. Let’s Check in!
Who’s on first?
Did you know that today, March 8th is International (Working) Women’s Day?
Check in by sharing:
Your name
Your role and school/work location
One thing you believe we need more of in the work place?
Walt: Introduce yourself and LTI - A Strategic and Educational Consulting Firm. We are a firm committed to supporting teams in a variety of industries including education with their aim to “get better”
In an effort to get to know better who is in the room (because we anticipate much future work with you) we want to engage in a protocol that will help to introduce us to your workstyle preference. This will enable us to both tweak future PD opportunities to best meet your needs as well as help us make small adjustments where we can in this session. More important though, knowing your workstyle preferences, helps your district leaders to get to know more about the conditions under which you work best.

4. Assume positive intentions Ground statements in evidence
Data Wise Norms
Take an inquiry stance
Assume positive intentions
Ground statements in evidence
Stick to protocol
Be here now
Start and end on time

5. What does it mean to Improve?
In your table groups select 1 card that represents what improvement is “like” from your team’s perspective? (be prepared to share why you selected the card you did)

6. What does it mean to Improve?
Using your card as a tool to create context:
Take 10 minutes to develop a shared statement that reflects what it would mean for your school, department or RPS to improve.
Roles:
Reporter:Youngest person in the group
Recorder: Most years of experience as an educator in RPS
Time keeper: Most recent birthdate
Facilitator: Most senior (in age) person in the group

7. Why are we talking about Improvement?

8. What does the work of Data Wise Look Like in Your Schools?
Use a Circle Map to capture your individual reflections on DWIP at work in your school
Then use a double map to partner with a colleague to identify commonalities...be ready to share!

9. OUR AIM TODAY?

10. What is Data Wise? Data Wise is…
A school improvement PROCESS that organizes and brings coherence to the work of improvement.
A specific PROCESS that facilitates intentional thinking and utilizes a more disciplined way of looking at data as a collaborative group.
A PROCESS that helps all educators in all positions to learn how to analyze data in a manner that contributes to improved instruction and increased student learning.
Ask the question : What is Data Wise? As you understand it? (there will be crickets LOL)...let the space stay quiet (or take a few comments) and then click…
Read The Bullets and ask “what is the most important in our ‘definition’ of Data Wise?” Understanding that is a process...

11. Is…. Is not... What Data Wise IS What Data Wise IS NOT
Means of organizing and bringing coherence to staff members’ collective efforts at improvement
A program to implement
A means to help school leaders organize the work of school improvement around a process that has specific, manageable steps
A compliance measure or a checklist to be completed
Cyclical; recursive
A linear process that doesn’t allow for assessment and adjustment
A series of yearlong coherent inquiry meetings
A singular meeting (collaborative planning, data utilization, analyzing student work, etc.)

12. Is…. Is not... What Data Wise IS What Data Wise IS NOT
Inquiry - questions drive learning and next steps
Declarative - stating what has to be done
Collaborative - all staff have a voice in determining what actions to take and what questions to explore
Directive - one person decides what happens in isolation
Designed to create spaces for learning about instruction, assessment, and practice for everyone
A process that assumes skill and knowledge exist without having evidence of intentional knowledge and skill development.

13. The ACE Habits of Mind
A Habit of Mind is a pattern of intellectual behaviors that leads to productive actions.

14. Exploring the Foundations of ACE

15. Action, Assessment, & Adjustment
Clear objectives and action steps for meetings
Continuous assessment of progress
No shame in adjustment
Analysis paralysis
Forging blindly ahead
Jumping into action too quickly
Complete abandonment

16. Intentional Collaboration
Deliberate choices about how/when to engage people with the work
Structuring conversations to leverage collective wisdom
Assuming teams = improvement
Grouping people in the same room = productive interaction

17. Relentless Focus on Evidence
Adhere to norm of grounding statements in evidence
Make decisions based on specific and descriptive statements about a wide range of data sources
Culture of nice
Complimenting with several adjectives
Passing judgment on others
Offering your opinion when it is not asked
Jumping to conclusions

18. The ACE Habits of Mind
Now that you have a better understanding of what we mean by Habits of mind and what we mean by ACE---now let’s see if we can engage you in the opportunity to see if you can find Evidence of ACE in this video. Use the organizer that Rotunda has placed on your table to capture any evidence that you see of Action, Assessment and Adjustment (A), Intentional Collaboration (C) or A relentless focus on evidence (E)

19. Keeping a Lens on the Ladder of Inference
I take: actions
I draw: conclusions
I add: interpretation
I select: some data
All Data

20. Examining the Big Picture
If you are a principal you are accustomed to engaging in the work of school improvement. There is likely a school improvement process that you use here in Richmond City Schools… let’s take a look at the swoosh for the next 5 minutes and identify any steps (or key tasks) that are different/unique from what you are accustomed to doing in your current process. Allow 5 minutes for reflection and collaboration and 5 minutes to share out.

21. A Deep Dive into the Prepare Phase
If you are a principal you are accustomed to engaging in the work of school improvement. There is likely a school improvement process that you use here in Richmond City Schools… let’s take a look at the swoosh for the next 5 minutes and identify any steps (or key tasks) that are different/unique from what you are accustomed to doing in your current process. Allow 5 minutes for reflection and collaboration and 5 minutes to share out.

22. A Deep Dive into the Prepare Phase
Increase Comfort with Data
Team & Structures

23. Step 1: Organize for Collaborative Work
Team & Structures

24. Step 1 Organizing for Collaborative Work
1.2 Build A strong System of Teams
1.1 Adopt an improvement process
1.2 Build a strong system of teams
1.3 Make time for collaborative work

25. Step 1 Organizing for Collaborative Work
1.4 Set expectations for effective meetings
1.5 Set norms for collaborative work
1.6 Acknowledge work style preferences

26. What’s your “Fruit Loop”?
A closer look at 1.6
When working on a team, which best reflects your approach to work?
What’s your “Fruit Loop”?
Being reflective, prefer being highly collaborative, flexible, highly communicative, non-competitive, creative
Naturally independent, like to experiment, highly competitive, flexibility to experiment via trial and error, using multiple approaches to solve problems, relish change
Planning, fact finding, organizing, predictability, being able count on others to do their part
Walt: Introduce yourself and LTI - A Strategic and Educational Consulting Firm. We are a firm committed to supporting teams in a variety of industries including education with their aim to “get better”
In an effort to get to know better who is in the room (because we anticipate much future work with you) we want to engage in a protocol that will help to introduce us to your workstyle preference. This will enable us to both tweak future PD opportunities to best meet your needs as well as help us make small adjustments where we can in this session. More important though, knowing your workstyle preferences, helps your district leaders to get to know more about the conditions under which you work best.
Debate, analyze ideas, determining value,
Highly intellectual, access resources, prefers to work independently

27. Fruit Loop Protocol Discuss in your group:
What are the strengths of your style?
What are the limitations of your style?
Which “fruit” would you find challenging to work with and why?
Reporter: First initial in last name closest to the beginning of the Alphabet
Facilitator: DOB is closest to 7 without going over
Timekeeper:shortest person
Recorder: newest to the education profession

28. Let’s Take a Reflection Break!

29. Step 1 Organizing for Collaborative Work
1.7 Create a data inventory (external/internal)
1.8 Create an inventory of instructional initiatives
Why take stock?

30. Where are we Relative to Step 1 ?
Stop Light Protocol
Team & Structures

31. Step 2 Build Assessment Literacy
Increase Comfort with Data

32. Step 2 Build Assessment Literacy
2.1 Review Skills Tested
2.2 Study How Results are reported
2.3 Learn Principles of Responsible Data Use
2.3 Learn Principles of Responsible Data Use

33. The Why associated with Step 2
Choice 1
ONE person “knows the data….guides data use”
Choice 2
More challenging BUT increases data use through inquiry through TEAMWORK in order to guide work of improvement

34. Where are we Relative to Step 2 ?
Stop Light Protocol
Increase Comfort with Data

35. Creating Clarity: The Inquire Phase
If you are a principal you are accustomed to engaging in the work of school improvement. There is likely a school improvement process that you use here in Richmond City Schools… let’s take a look at the swoosh for the next 5 minutes and identify any steps (or key tasks) that are different/unique from what you are accustomed to doing in your current process. Allow 5 minutes for reflection and collaboration and 5 minutes to share out.

36. Why Inquire?
If you are a principal you are accustomed to engaging in the work of school improvement. There is likely a school improvement process that you use here in Richmond City Schools… let’s take a look at the swoosh for the next 5 minutes and identify any steps (or key tasks) that are different/unique from what you are accustomed to doing in your current process. Allow 5 minutes for reflection and collaboration and 5 minutes to share out.

37. Key Takeaways from the Inquire Phase
Norms are critical at every step of the Data Wise Improvement Process. Having a set of norms—or ground rules—that a group follows encourages behaviors that will help a group do its work and discourages behaviors that interfere with a group’s effectiveness. Think of norms as “a behavior contract.” They are rules that govern how we interact with each other, how we conduct business, how we communicate with each other, how we make decisions, and creates the space for groups to have honest discussion and encourages participation from everyone.
Norms allow for consensus on the ground rules that will guide the team’s work and team expectations around task completion, team processes, and personal interactions. Having a mutually agreed upon statement of how the team and its members will conduct their business can prevent or mediate conflicts that may arise over time. Successful district/school data teams function best when they take deliberate actions to organize to do their work and to promote interpersonal relationships among team members. To set the foundation for effective teamwork, collaborate to establish a set of team norms that will foster productive communication during challenging conversation.
Norms support team development at every stage
They create and sustain psychological safety
Support cross-functional teaming,
Ensure all voices are heard
Decrease “power” dynamics that sometimes impact teams 37

38. Creating Clarity about Inquiry
Problem of Practice
Learner Centered Problem
Priority Question

39. Key Takeaways from the Inquire Phase
Question Quality is Everything
Don’t underestimate the importance of your “A-team”
Priority Question
There can only be one priority question
Norms are critical at every step of the Data Wise Improvement Process. Having a set of norms—or ground rules—that a group follows encourages behaviors that will help a group do its work and discourages behaviors that interfere with a group’s effectiveness. Think of norms as “a behavior contract.” They are rules that govern how we interact with each other, how we conduct business, how we communicate with each other, how we make decisions, and creates the space for groups to have honest discussion and encourages participation from everyone.
Norms allow for consensus on the ground rules that will guide the team’s work and team expectations around task completion, team processes, and personal interactions. Having a mutually agreed upon statement of how the team and its members will conduct their business can prevent or mediate conflicts that may arise over time. Successful district/school data teams function best when they take deliberate actions to organize to do their work and to promote interpersonal relationships among team members. To set the foundation for effective teamwork, collaborate to establish a set of team norms that will foster productive communication during challenging conversation.
Norms support team development at every stage
They create and sustain psychological safety
Support cross-functional teaming,
Ensure all voices are heard
Decrease “power” dynamics that sometimes impact teams
Take the time needed in step 3 39

40. Key Takeaways from the Inquire Phase
Questioning is EVERYTHING!
Learner-Centered Problem
It’s too soon to know the answers without digging !
Triangulation is key!
Norms are critical at every step of the Data Wise Improvement Process. Having a set of norms—or ground rules—that a group follows encourages behaviors that will help a group do its work and discourages behaviors that interfere with a group’s effectiveness. Think of norms as “a behavior contract.” They are rules that govern how we interact with each other, how we conduct business, how we communicate with each other, how we make decisions, and creates the space for groups to have honest discussion and encourages participation from everyone.
Norms allow for consensus on the ground rules that will guide the team’s work and team expectations around task completion, team processes, and personal interactions. Having a mutually agreed upon statement of how the team and its members will conduct their business can prevent or mediate conflicts that may arise over time. Successful district/school data teams function best when they take deliberate actions to organize to do their work and to promote interpersonal relationships among team members. To set the foundation for effective teamwork, collaborate to establish a set of team norms that will foster productive communication during challenging conversation.
Norms support team development at every stage
They create and sustain psychological safety
Support cross-functional teaming,
Ensure all voices are heard
Decrease “power” dynamics that sometimes impact teams
Many LCPs exist but focus on one at a time! 40

41. Step 5: Examine Instruction
Key Tasks
5.1 Examine a wide range of instructional data
5.2 Get clear about the purpose of observation
5.3 Use protocols to stick to evidence
5.3 Identify a problem of practice
Problem of Practice
Norms are critical at every step of the Data Wise Improvement Process. Having a set of norms—or ground rules—that a group follows encourages behaviors that will help a group do its work and discourages behaviors that interfere with a group’s effectiveness. Think of norms as “a behavior contract.” They are rules that govern how we interact with each other, how we conduct business, how we communicate with each other, how we make decisions, and creates the space for groups to have honest discussion and encourages participation from everyone.
Norms allow for consensus on the ground rules that will guide the team’s work and team expectations around task completion, team processes, and personal interactions. Having a mutually agreed upon statement of how the team and its members will conduct their business can prevent or mediate conflicts that may arise over time. Successful district/school data teams function best when they take deliberate actions to organize to do their work and to promote interpersonal relationships among team members. To set the foundation for effective teamwork, collaborate to establish a set of team norms that will foster productive communication during challenging conversation.
Norms support team development at every stage
They create and sustain psychological safety
Support cross-functional teaming,
Ensure all voices are heard
Decrease “power” dynamics that sometimes impact teams 41

42. Step 5: Examine Instruction Critical considerations
5.1 Examine a wide range of instructional data
5.2 Get clear about the purpose of observation (How?)
5.3 Use protocols to stick to evidence
5.3 Identify a problem of practice
Problem of Practice
Norms are critical at every step of the Data Wise Improvement Process. Having a set of norms—or ground rules—that a group follows encourages behaviors that will help a group do its work and discourages behaviors that interfere with a group’s effectiveness. Think of norms as “a behavior contract.” They are rules that govern how we interact with each other, how we conduct business, how we communicate with each other, how we make decisions, and creates the space for groups to have honest discussion and encourages participation from everyone.
Norms allow for consensus on the ground rules that will guide the team’s work and team expectations around task completion, team processes, and personal interactions. Having a mutually agreed upon statement of how the team and its members will conduct their business can prevent or mediate conflicts that may arise over time. Successful district/school data teams function best when they take deliberate actions to organize to do their work and to promote interpersonal relationships among team members. To set the foundation for effective teamwork, collaborate to establish a set of team norms that will foster productive communication during challenging conversation.
Norms support team development at every stage
They create and sustain psychological safety
Support cross-functional teaming,
Ensure all voices are heard
Decrease “power” dynamics that sometimes impact teams 42

43. A Sample:The Affinity Protocol
(4) Choose several low inference observations from the lesson to write on sticky notes.
1 observation per note
With your group, arrange the sticky notes on chart paper.
First person reads one note out loud and places it on the chart
Others with similar notes reads theirs out loud and place them near the first note
Repeat with a new person reading a note until all notes have been read and placed
(5) Group the notes into categories and give each category a name. Review the groupings and look for patterns
Move any note that may be better in a different group
Write a phrase that captures each pattern

44. Getting Clear on a “PoP”
A problem of practice is:
directly related to the learner-centered problem
based on evidence found when examining instruction
within our control
a statement about practice (not a question)
specific and small.
Data Wise, p. 110

45. Problem of Practice: Examples

46. Key Takeaways from the Inquire Phase
Problem of Practice
Questioning is EVERYTHING!
Looking in the Mirror is the hardest thing that we can ask practitioners to do!
Triangulation is still key!
Norms are critical at every step of the Data Wise Improvement Process. Having a set of norms—or ground rules—that a group follows encourages behaviors that will help a group do its work and discourages behaviors that interfere with a group’s effectiveness. Think of norms as “a behavior contract.” They are rules that govern how we interact with each other, how we conduct business, how we communicate with each other, how we make decisions, and creates the space for groups to have honest discussion and encourages participation from everyone.
Norms allow for consensus on the ground rules that will guide the team’s work and team expectations around task completion, team processes, and personal interactions. Having a mutually agreed upon statement of how the team and its members will conduct their business can prevent or mediate conflicts that may arise over time. Successful district/school data teams function best when they take deliberate actions to organize to do their work and to promote interpersonal relationships among team members. To set the foundation for effective teamwork, collaborate to establish a set of team norms that will foster productive communication during challenging conversation.
Norms support team development at every stage
They create and sustain psychological safety
Support cross-functional teaming,
Ensure all voices are heard
Decrease “power” dynamics that sometimes impact teams
Remember the POP should be high yield 46

47. Step 5: Common Challenges
Knowing the breadth of what instructional data is
Lesson Plans
Observation of Instruction
Teacher Survey
In this phase, there should be a clear connection or through line between the Priority Question, Learner-Centered Problem, and Problem of Practice

48. Let’s Take a Break!

49. Next Steps ...

50. Next Steps ...Continuing the DWIP Journey
Going Deeper into the work of DWIP
Keep each other accountable to engaging in Safe Practice
Leverage Leadership

51. Reflections using the Plus/Delta Protocol
What helped me to learn/interact with today’s meeting objectives?
What changes are needed that might help me to better learn/interact with future meeting objectives?