1. Achieving Professional Goals with Deliberate Practice
Name of School
Achieving Professional Goals with Deliberate Practice
This presentation is designed for use by charter school leaders to help them provide professional development for their faculty members on the deliberate practice (DP) portion of their teacher evaluation system. Some schools may call it professional growth plans, but for this presentation we are using the state’s preferred terminology of deliberate practice. If your school is using professional growth or the IPDP, you will still want your staff to learn about the process of deliberate practice to enhance their growth as teachers.
If your school has developed templates for deliberate practice, you may replace those templates with the generic ones in this presentation. It is a good idea to have the forms and procedures for developing DP or professional growth plans at the session so that teachers can use relevant documents during their PD. The presentation will be enhanced if teachers also have copies of the teacher evaluation system to refer to during the presentation.

2. Our goals today…
Review and apply the research on deliberate practice as an effective process for professional growth
Understand and use a process for determining a deliberate practice target for
The goals of the session are on the slide.

3. Why Deliberate Practice?
This section will provide an overview of the Florida requirements for teacher evaluation as well as the state’s definition of deliberate practice as it relates to educator development.

4. The Florida State Model for Evaluation for Teachers…
Reflects teacher performance across all elements (4 domains)
Accounts for teachers’ experience levels
Assigns weight to the domain with greatest impact on student achievement (Domain 1)
Acknowledges deliberate practice by measuring teacher improvement over time on specific elements within the framework
These are the non-negotiables for teacher evaluation… they are required by the state. The fourth bullet will be our focus today.

5. Deliberate Practice Defined
The state has described deliberate practice as a process in which the educator and the evaluator identify one to four specific and measurable priority-learning goals related to teaching, learning, or school leadership practices that impact student learning growth.
The Florida Department of Education has defined DP as….

6. Deliberate Practice
Results in year-to-year development of instructional and leadership expertise giving rise to improved student achievement year-to-year.
DP is an important part of the evaluation process. It represents 20% of the instructional practice score in the state model. The purpose of DP is to provide valuable growth experiences for all educators.

7. Contemporary Research
This section explores what research forms the foundation for the emphasis on deliberate practice as part of the teacher and leader evaluation systems. Contemporary research is defined as research from 2000 to the present. Although many researchers and writers have included deliberate practice in their books, we will focus on 4 for today’s session.

8. The Highest Performers
“…isolate remarkably specific aspects of what they do and focus on just those things until they are improved; then it’s on to the next aspect.”
Many writers have written about deliberate practice. On the screen we have a quote from Geoff Colvin from Talent is Overrated. He talks about how very successful people in all fields use DP to become experts in their work. This is a very important part of the system as it is focused on the growth of educators on very discrete practices that are critical for effective teaching.
Colvin, G. (2008) Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else

9. The Power of Deliberate Practice
The writers of these books as well as many others expose the power of deliberate practice. We are going to look at brief excerpts from these books to get a good understanding of why deliberate practice must be part of our plan for the development and growth of our teaching skills.

10. Understanding and Applying Deliberate Practice
Learning Activity 1
Understanding and Applying Deliberate Practice
Presenter: have your participants turn to Learning Activity 1 in the handouts.
Give the following instructions:
At your tables, divide the reading selections among your tablemates. Each person will read their assigned selection. After all reading is complete, each person will share the main points from their reading selection with the rest of the group. You will take notes on the graphic organizer so that all four corners of the template are complete. Using that information, each table will come up with a definition or synthesis of the research on deliberate practice and record it in the center box on the template.
Presenters: you can have tables put their work on chart paper and share with the whole group. Or depending on time, you can have tables just share out orally when they are finished.
Lead a discussion based on participant responses and discuss how DP can enhance the development of teachers.

11. Deliberate Practice
It is important to note how similar Geoff Colvin’s description of deliberate practice is and the state’s definition of the same – “1 to 4 specific and measurable priority learning goals related to teaching, learning, or school leadership practices that impact student learning growth. Or, ‘thin slices’ of specific gains sought.”

12. Deliberate Practice: Florida Teacher Evaluation
In this section, we will discuss how DP is used in the context of teacher evaluation and development in Florida.

13. Deliberate Practice for Teachers
Teachers take the lead
Collaborate with the principal to identify personal growth goals
Leaders provide structure, resources, and feedback for ongoing practice
As we have learned so far, deliberate practice is a term from contemporary research, which indicates practice on a very specific skill which will make the overall performance much more effective. Many writers such as Michael Fullan, Robert Marzano, Daniel Pink, Geoff Colvin, Doug Reeves, and others define deliberate practice as thin slices of work that help a person become a master at their craft. They say it takes 10,000 hours to become a master! In the state of FL, deliberate practice goals serve as an additional metric in the evaluation system. It fulfills that constructivist piece of the comprehensive evaluation system. As we work to learn more about deliberate practice, it is important to keep a few things at the forefront of our thinking. These things are on the slide. DP is similar to the professional growth plans we have done in the past, but DP goes deeper and is monitored more closely for success on stated targets.

14. State Model Evaluation Metrics
Instructional Practice
50%
So on the slide, you see that DP accounts for 20% of the Instructional Practice score which counts 50% in the overall summative score at the end of the year. It is considered the additional metric and provides for growth on a few very specific aspect of being an effective teacher. It also accounts for 20% in the leader’s evaluation.
The next slide goes into the process components of DP.
Source: SB 763, 2011

15. Deliberate Practice Protocol
Narrow the Focus
Focused Practice
Focused Feedback
Monitor Progress
Presenter: have your participants turn to Learning Activity 2 in their handouts.
The process of deliberate practice, as intended, is an ongoing process, with multiple interactions between teachers and evaluators. Explain your process of DP, how it will be scored and the timeline associated with the implementation.

16. The Deliberate Practice Process in Teacher Evaluation Systems
Learning Activity 2
The Deliberate Practice Process in Teacher Evaluation Systems
Presenter: using the process chart and common language definitions, have the participants compare and contrast the deliberate practice process to past professional growth efforts. Have them also share their thoughts about the concepts of focused practice and focused feedback and why these are critical to effective deliberate practice and professional growth. Definitions for these terms are on the next two slides and in the handouts.
Presenter: if your school has developed a process template or graphic for deliberate practice or professional growth planning, replace all of the templates in this presentation with your own documents.

17. Focused Feedback
Focused feedback is an element in the “feedback and practice” process that supports improving one’s proficiency in specific instructional practices. Focused feedback (on what is observed when the instructional strategy is being used) is generally provided by administrators, coaches, and peers. It is intentionally limited to the issue(s) to be addressed and focused on specific classroom strategies and behaviors during a set time interval. The feedback is informative, constructive, objective and actionable – meaning the educator has guidance on how to make changes that improve proficiency of the practice. Focused feedback is usually provided through these five processes; self-rating, walkthroughs, comprehensive observations, coaching or cueing , and student surveys (where student perceptions of teacher behaviors are collected).
The definition here and on the next slide are from the FL DOE Common Language document.
This component of the DP process, along with the focused practice element, are critical to effective DP. Have your staff examine the definitions in their handouts and discuss their thinking about how it is intended to work.

18. Focused Practice
Focused practice is an element in the “feedback and practice” process that supports improving one’s proficiency in specific instructional practices. It involves a teacher understanding the differences in proficiency levels and tracking one’s progress toward effective and highly effective performance capacities. It is intentionally limited as to the issue(s) to be addressed and focused on a limited number of strategies where corrections, modifications, and adaptations are made to improve student learning at an appropriate level of difficulty so that the teacher can experience success.
See previous slide notes.

19. Effective Deliberate Practice starts with honest self- reflection to narrow the focus.
The first step in creating a plan for deliberate practice is an honest self-reflection. Teachers should use the teacher evaluation forms for their school to complete their self assessment on the domains and indicators or components using the ratings of highly effective, effective, needs improvement/developing (1-3 years experience), or unsatisfactory.
As was seen in the graphic on the DP process, this is the first step in determining what to focus on for the year in the DP plan.

20. Narrowing the Focus Self-Assessment of All Performance Indicators
Lowest scored indicators
In ALL domains
Lowest scored indicators
in weighted domains
Lowest scored
indicators linked to student data
In order to make certain that teachers understand the practice of “narrowing” the data and focusing on specific aspects of teacher practice, it may be helpful to think in terms of a flow through filter funnel. In the area of science, a filter funnel is a laboratory funnel that scientists use to separate solids from liquids via the laboratory process of filtering. In order to achieve this, a disk shaped piece of filter paper is usually folded into a cone and placed within the funnel. A mixture of solid and liquid is then poured through the funnel. The solid particles being too large to pass through the filter paper are left on the paper, while the much smaller liquid molecules pass through the paper to a vessel positioned below the funnel. Thus producing a filtrate.
In everyday terms, we witness this “filtration” process every time we make coffee for example where hot water is poured over ground up coffee beans. The hot water coffee-filtrate is then deposited in the coffee pot leaving behind the less important used coffee grounds trapped in the filter. Like scientists in the laboratory, educational practitioners would be wise to apply an educational “filter funnel” to their deliberate practice process. That is, your teachers could use an educational “filter funnel” through which they pour the results of their self assessment on the performance indicators, which then passes through multiple filters that invokes a simplifying or narrowing of the self-assessment data by separating less important data particulates from the more important data filtrate. This data “filtering” process allows teachers to focus their improvement efforts on those few indicators, or thin slices, that are most directly aligned to improving their performance and increasing in student achievement.
See the sample template for narrowing on the next slides.
Narrowed to 3-5 Prioritized Indicators
Collaborate with Evaluator for DP Targets

21. Example of Narrowing Process Using Domains & Indictors
#1: Self-Assessment of All 25 Indicators
#2: Lowest Scored Indicators in All Domains
#3: Lowest Scored “Weighted” Indicators Domains 1 & 2
#4: Lowest Scored Indicators Proficiency Area 4
#5: 3-5 Prioritized Indicators
1.1-E
1.2-NI
1.3-E
2.1-NI
2.3-E
3.1-E
3.2-E
3.3-NI
3.6-NI
4.2-NI
4.3-NI
4.4-E
4.5-E
4.6-E
5.3-E
5.4-NI
6.1-E
6.4-HE
7.1-E
7.2-HE
8.3-E
10.1-HE
10.2-E
10.3-E
10.4-HE
Domain 1
1.2
2.1
Domain 2
3.3
3.6
4.2
4.3
5.4
Proficiency Area 4
Domain 3
6.1
7.1
4.4
4.5
8.3
4.6
Domain 4
10.2
10.3
This is one example of a narrowing template. The self assessment results are recorded in the first column with the ratings for 25 indicators. Then the teacher records the lowest scored indicator numbers from each domain in the 2nd column. From there, the teacher considers the indicators from any “weighted” domains. For example, in some teacher evaluation systems, the delivery of instruction is more heavily weighted than others. In this case, the low scored indicators in the weighted domains are brought over to the 3rd column. Now we consider if there are low scored indicators in an area that is a key tied to student performance or an area key to effective teaching. Those indicators are brought over to the 4th column. Finally, 3-5 are considered for discussion with the evaluator to narrow to the one or two for focus in the DP plan.

22. Sample Worksheet: Citrus County
In this example, Citrus County created their own teacher evaluation system which contains 5 standards and 50 indicators. The template lists each indicator in column 1 for the teacher to record their self assessment rating. In column 2 the lowest scored indicators are recorded and then in column 3 just the lowest scored for Standards 2 and 4. The district determined that these two standards are the ones that most impact student learning and teaching proficiency. From there the teacher considers their student achievement data and gets down to 3-5 indicators.
Let’s look at a sample completed worksheet.

23. Sample Completed Worksheet: Citrus County
The teacher recorded the self assessment ratings in the first column and went through the narrowing process to get to one indicator in standard 2 that will be the focus on her DP for the year. The narrowing process helped her to get to a “thin slice” of her work that she will give lots of attention and practice for the school year.

24. Table Talk
Discuss the narrowing process with a colleague. How will your professional growth be different as a result?
Presenter: have the participants consider the narrowing process as compared to typical PD plans in the past. If we are to engage in true DP then we have to get at thin slices of the act of effective teaching and zero in on one aspect for real progress and growth. We have not approached PD or growth planning in the past using this concept. The goal is to find that aspect of our work that we are not quite good at yet. Then do a lot of it. It will not be fun. It will be hard work. It will take practice. BUT, it will make us better!

25. Sample Deliberate Practice Plan Template
Teacher’s Name and Position:_______________________________________________________________
Evaluators Name and Position: ______________________________________________________________
Target for school year: Date Growth Targets Approved: ________________________________
Teacher’s Signature: _________________________________Evaluator’s Signature___________________________________
Deliberate Practice Growth Target #: ___ (Insert target identification number here, the check one category below)
( ) School Growth Target ( ) Teacher’s Growth Target
Focus issue(s): Why is the target worth pursuing?
Growth Target: Describe what you expect to know or be able to do as a result of this professional learning effort. (indicator(s) from the narrowing worksheet)
Anticipated Gain(s): What do you hope to learn?
Plan of Action: A general description of how you will go about accomplishing the target.
Progress Points: List progress points or steps toward fulfilling your goal that enable you to monitor your progress. If you goal 1. 2. 3
Notes:
Once the target of practice has been determined, the plan can be developed. This is a sample template for DP.
Presenter: if your school has a different plan format, replace this form with your own. Walk the participants through the sections and provide a sample completed plan if possible.
The next slide has a description of each of the section on this sample.

26. Elements of Deliberate Practice
Focus Issue (Why worth pursing?)
Growth Target (What expect to know/do?)
Anticipated Gains (What hope to learn?)
It is helpful to have participants look at their blank Deliberate Practice Template in their handouts as you briefly highlight the five elements and the essential question that each addresses.
Plan of Action (How accomplish?)
Progress Points (What to monitor?)

27. Learning Activity 3
Discuss the plan template at your table. How much change is required to transition from your old planning process to this one using deliberate practice?
Have participants turn to Learning Activity 3 in their handouts. They will examine the plan template as you discuss each of the sections. They will discuss the question on the slide afterwards. OR
If you would like for teachers to begin creating their plans during this session, they will need a narrowing worksheet with your indicators and criteria, and a sample completed worksheet as a model. A sample completed DP plan with your indicators would also be helpful to them.
Otherwise, they can speculate and discuss what they anticipate will be an area of focus using their previous evaluations or student achievement data.

28. In the research, the poorest performers don’t set goals at all; they just slog through their work. Mediocre performers set goals that are general and are often focused on simply achieving a good outcome. The best performers set goals that are challenging and specific.
A major function of challenging and specific goals is that they direct attention and effort, and thus the learner is more aware and keen for feedback related to attaining these goals.

29. Tiger Woods has been seen to drop golf balls into a sand trap and step on them, then practice shots from that near-impossible
lie.
This along with the next two slides illustrate examples of “sharply defined elements of performance that need to be improved…”

30. The great soprano Joan Sutherland
devoted countless hours to practicing
her trill – and not just the basic trill, but the many different types (whole-tone, semitone, baroque)…

31. Olympic swimmers like Michael Phelps don’t just hit the pool and do laps all day; they practice all the techniques needed to shave off those precious seconds from their times. Every aspect of swimming is studied, from the mechanics of the stroke to the push-off at the end of each lap.

32. 10,000 Hours to Expert Performance
It takes hours of deliberate, focused practice, and ongoing, focused feedback.
Patterson, author of Influencers, says living in a cave does not make you a geologist. Synonymous with that is working in a classroom does not make you a master teacher. It takes hours of deliberate practice. In fact, according to the research, it will take 10 years of practice on various aspect or thin slices of the job in order for a teacher to become a master at the craft of teaching.
Living in a cave does not make you a geologist, and being in a classroom does not make you an expert teacher.

33. Establishing the Mindset for Deliberate Practice
In order for DP to have the intended effect on teacher development and growth, the mindset of all staff members has to be one of growth and not fixed. See the next slide for information from Dr. Carol Dweck on mindset.

34. A MINDSET for Deliberate Practice
We are using Carol Dweck’s work, researcher from Stanford, from Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
Just as research shows us about the power of mindset (of both the teacher and the student) on the achievement of students in school, it shows us that mindset is critical to the development of adults as well. As leaders fostering the deliberate practice of teachers, we must adopt and hold a growth mindset if deliberate practice is going to result in the improvement of teaching and learning in our schools. We have to believe that growth is indeed possible for all teachers through quality professional development, focused feedback, and focused practice on thin slices of the work. Teachers have to have a growth mindset in order to maximize their development and hit their ambitious goals.
Presenter: this is a great book for staff book study.
Fixed
Growth

35. Once all of the prior information has been shared, teachers will want to know what comes next. One of the first should be the completion of their self-assessment. Teachers should be given instructions on how to complete the self-assessment, by when and submitted to whom? They should also have some indication when conferences will be held to go over the results with their supervisor(s).

36. Questions and Reflection