1. Capacity Building In Higher-Performing Middle Schools
A Report on Best Practices
In New York State
American Educational Research Association
March 27, 2008
New York City
Kristen Campbell Wilcox
Janet Ives Angelis
School of Education-University at Albany

2. Capacity Building
Processes and practices by which districts and schools enhance collaboration focused on student learning among teachers, administrators, and community members, and provide teachers with instructional support.

3. Findings Culture supports a vision of high achievement
Climate of respect helps enact vision
Structures reinforce collaboratively supported instruction
Leadership encourages teacher initiative taking

4. Previous Findings Culture, climate, relationships
(Van Zee et al., Brown et al., Hoy & Hannum)
Professional communities
(Fullan, Weisbord, DuFour)
Learning organizations
(Senge, Hargreaves, Darling-Hammond, Resnick, Little)

5. Ecological Framework
Culture, leadership, and relationships + formal structure
Classrooms are nested in schools, within districts, and within communities.
(Brofenbrenner 1993) 5

6. Our Sample
10 HP schools with 6 similar but AP schools based on 3 years of NYS assessment data (2003-5)
Half: = or > NYS average poverty level
Urban, rural, and suburban
Open admissions
NYS average PPE

7. The Data 2-day site visits
Interviewed teachers and administrators using a semi-structured interview protocol
Collected documents
Coded more than 160 interviews and documents
Crafted case studies for each site
Created a cross-site report of BP

8. Culture supports a vision of high achievement
Broad visions, big plans
Input from multiple stakeholders
Aligned with overall goals
Focused on achievement, especially closing the achievement gap
Everything we do is centered on students achieving, improving, and closing the achievement gap. 8

9. Culture . . . . . . Enacting the vision.. Clearly articulated
Teachers encouraged to innovate to enhance student achievement
I want my faculty to take risks and try new things. 9

10. Culture . . . . . . Never done Proactive stance
Excellence is a goal without a finish line.
You never arrive. You are always becoming.
When is good not good enough? Where can we improve? 10

11. Climate of respect helps enact vision
Relationships are based on mutual trust and respect
Trust is most essential
Respect for and from all
The single most important thing is to build trust with your faculty. 11

12. Climate . . . . . . Clear expectations Explicit and consistent
Freedom to explore and learn within clear goals
Good citizenship, respect, and responsibility.
When you set expectations in terms of behavior and academic success, students generally meet them. 12

13. Climate . . . . . . Shared responsibility No blame
More support when fall short of goals/expectations
Rather than a reprimand or finger pointing, the AS asked what more the administration could do to help us be more successful. 13

14. Structures reinforce collaboratively supported instruction
Scheduled meeting time focuses on curriculum, instruction, assessment, and student learning/needs.
We have a lot of input as to what happens.
We are empowered.

15. Structures
Mentor programs and other formal teacher leadership roles
Team leader
Middle school department head
Academic coach
We have an awesome mentoring program and it is run by the teachers.

16. Structures . . . Multi-constituent decision-making bodies
Curriculum design
Textbook selection
“Congruency” teams
Action research teams
SDM
Committees here are a huge thing.

17. Structures . . . Relevant program of professional development
Balanced between district- and teacher-defined needs
Relevant to district/school goals (e.g., closing the gap)
New initiatives include PD – are not “teacher proof”
[Our school improvement model] expects teachers to make professional choices.

18. Leadership encourages teacher initiative taking
A “can do” culture and strong work ethic
Build on strengths
Focus on ability > disability
Challenge but provide support
Differentiated instruction has stretched us all a lot as ways to meet [student] needs in our classes.

19. Leadership . . .
Provide professional opportunities beyond one’s own classroom
Encourage conference participation/presentation
Conduct workshops for colleagues
Visit other classes
I try to bring teachers early into facilitator roles to develop their leadership skills.

20. Leadership . . . Encourages initiative taking and action
Propose/pilot new programs
Apply for grants
Call services in > sending student out
We can say, “What’s a better way to do this?” and not be penalized. Taking risks is okay.

21. Implications
HP schools differ from APs primarily in the degree to which they have been able to put all 4 of the elements in place.
These schools serve as models of adaptive systems that provide ‘linkages’ between people, activities, contexts, and time.

22. www.albany.edu/aire/kids jangelis@uamail.albany.edu