1. Instructional Rounds Training
Lincoln Elementary School
November 8, 2011

2. The Book
Instructional Rounds in Education: A Network Approach to Improving Teaching and Learning City, Elmore, Fiarman, and Teitel (Harvard Press, 2009)

3. Inspired by the Medical Profession
Based on the model of medical rounds
Good practice is highly contextualized
Education is a “profession in search of a practice”

4. A Key Idea
“The idea behind instructional rounds is that everyone involved is working on their practice, everyone is obliged to be knowledgeable about the common task of instructional improvement, and everyone’s practice should be subject to scrutiny, critique, and improvement.”

5. INSTRUCTIONAL ROUNDS ARE NOT…
Evaluative
For Administrators Only
Checklists or Walkthroughs
Implementation Checks
A New Initiative

6. The Difference We Make
PROPORTION OF VARIANCE IN STUDENT GAIN SCORES-- READING, MATH-- EXPLAINED BY LEVEL--PROSPECTS STUDY
STUDENTS
28% R
19% M
SCHOOLS
12% R
10-30 M
CLASS
60% READING
52-72%
MATH
ROWAN, ET AL., “. . .PROSPECTS. . .” TEACHERS COLLEGE RECORD ( 2005).

7. The Instructional Core
STUDENT
TASK
TEACHER
CONTENT

9. Of 29 OECD Countries, U.S.A. Ranked 24th
PISA 2003 Results, OECD

10. U.S. Ranks 23rd out of 29 OECD Countries in the Math Achievement of the Highest-Performing Students*
* Students at the 95th Percentile
Source: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), PISA 2003 Results, data available at

11. STEPS IN ROUNDS PROCESS
Identifying a Problem of Practice based on a Theory of Action
Using the Ladder of Inference:
Collect descriptive evidence
Conduct analysis
Make predictions
Discuss next level of work

12. Criteria for useful problems or practice
Focuses on instructional core (the interactions of the teacher and students in the presence of content)
Is directly observable (sensory)
Is actionable (and can be improved in real time)
Connects to a broader strategy of improvement and the school's action plan (within school or school system)
Is high-leverage (would make a significant difference for student learning)

13. A Look at recent Lincoln elementary problems of practice
Review the September and November LE problems of practice.
In your judgment, how do they stack up to the criteria for useful problems of practice?
What are the key differences between September and November?
What changes or improvements would you propose?

14. The Pre-Briefing: Learning about…
District and School
Improvement Strategy
Theory of Action
Problem of Practice with
Guiding Questions

15. CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS
Describe what you see
Be specific (fine-grained)
Pay attention to the instructional core (teacher, student, content)
Evidence related to the problem of practice

16. DESCRIPTIVE DEBRIEF On your own: Share with your group:
Read through your notes.
Star data that seems relevant to the problem of practice and/or data that seems important.
Select 5-10 pieces of data and write each one an individual sticky note.
Share with your group:
Help each other stay in the descriptive (not evaluative) voice.
“What did you see/hear that makes you think that?”
Everyone speak once before anyone speaks twice

17. ANALYSIS
Analyze the descriptive evidence, in your small group, placing sticky notes on chart paper, grouping them, and labeling groups.
[A sticky note can stand alone. A sticky note can be duplicated.]
What patterns do you see? Don’t forget to account for variation as well as similarities.
What groupings help you make sense of what you saw?

18. SHARING ANALYSIS
Chart the patterns that you identified across classes and link the analysis to your data collected during observations
Did we see the same thing? What do you notice?

19. A review of last week’s rounds
Do a brief gallery walk of data sheets from last week’s rounds. First focus exclusively on the sheets that contain the sticky notes, grouped into categories.
What stands out to you about the data (the individual sticky notes)? How do the data address the problem of practice? Are they descriptive and non-evaluative?
Could you have grouped the data into different categories?

20. Predict what students are learning.
Predictions
Predict what students are learning.
If you were a student in this school and you did everything the teacher told you to do, what would you know and be able to do?

21. Gallery walk part ii
Now repeat your gallery walk, focusing on “Patterns” and “Predictions.”
What consistencies do you find in the patterns and predictions?
Would you have identified different patterns or predictions based on the data?
What are your reactions?

22. NEXT LEVEL OF WORK
Review descriptive evidence, analysis, and prediction in light of the Problem of Practice
Brainstorm and chart recommendations for next moves for school: Write 3 to 4 actions to be completed by next week, by the end of the year, this time next year, etc.

23. Gallery walk part iii
Do one last gallery walk, this time focusing on “Next Steps:”
What consistencies did you find in the recommendations?
What are your reactions to the recommendations? Which recommendations should be seriously considered, and why?

24. INSTRUCTIONAL ROUNDS THINGS TO REMEMBER
We have not had really systemic powerful ways for schools leaders to learn
You have to do the work to learn the work
Learning will degrade quickly if you don’t use it
Leaders don’t have to have the answers, but they need to ask good questions

25. Rounds require separation of the practice from the person
To experience deep learning, people need to experience some discomfort
Changes in performance will lag behind changes in practice
There will not be an end point to finding a shared understanding

26. Questions and contact…
Dr. Gary Houchens
Associate Professor, WKU
Department of Educational Administration, Leadership & Research