1. while rekindling the passion and joy
Personalizing Student Learning in a high performance “evidence based” education system…
while rekindling the passion and joy
that comes from
making a difference
in the lives of
our students
Washington State
Professional Development
IN ACTION
Linking Professional Development
to Improved Student Learning
Learning begins with
the learner’s
frame of reference
Presenter: Christine Avery

2. Bull’s Eye Activity
Share the most POSITIVE powerful learning experience you can remember.

3. Make a group list of the common attributes of those experiences.

4. What would the school culture have to be to support school-wide learning with these attributes?

5. State Reform: Improve student learning and close the achievement gap
1993 House Bill 1209
Washington State Education Reform Act:
Essential Learnings established content standards and we now have the GLEs
WASL established the standard for the
type of student performance
expected in our schools

6. Traditional Performance: Demonstrate math computation skills.
Reform-based Performance:
Recognize, extend, and create patterns and sequences; represent number patterns with tables, graphs, and rules.
1. 6 X 7 =
a) 13
b) 42
c) 76
d) Not given
1. Look for patterns in the number sentences below.
6 X 2 = 12
6 X 3 = 18
6 X 4 = 24
6 X 5 = 30
Describe a pattern that will help you multiply numbers by 6. Clearly explain how you could use your pattern to find the answer to 6 X 7.
___________________________________

7. State Reform: Improve student learning and close the achievement gap
1997 WAC
Teachers must demonstrate a positive impact on student learning
Throughout teacher certification
the focus is on teachers demonstrating
positive impact on student learning

8. Intentional shift to describing: what students will be doing
if a teacher is having
a positive impact on student learning.

9. ELEMENTS OF POSITIVE IMPACT ON STUDENT LEARNING
Student learning is structured for understanding
Student learning engages and supports all students
Student assessment is used to direct learning
Students participate in maintaining effective learning environments
Students prepare to live and work in a multicultural world
Teachers develop the art and science of a professional educator and are active in the profession
Page One of Green Manual LYDIA

10. Building your understanding #1a
What does it look like when a student’s learning has been impacted by engagement in these impacting learning processes?
(Lydia or any student clip)
The very nature of this student’s learning has been changed.

11. Building your understanding #1a
Have you heard students talk about their learning in this way? Take a minute and imagine if this type of learning was happening throughout your building and All Students in your school cared about and were able to talk about their learning this way? If this was happening school-wide how would it affect you as a teacher in your individual classroom? What impact would providing this school-wide have on your students’ learning?

12. Take notes on what you hear changed for this teacher.
Listen to this teacher describe what changes were made in instructional practices.
Take notes on what you hear changed for this teacher.
(Cathy, Colleen, Marci or Brian discuss the shift)

13. This teacher is talking about changing the very nature of he students’ intellectual work. Teachers who used this training were able to make these changes in their instruction.

14. Fouts Report – A Decade of Reform Two major conclusions…
All reform efforts must result in changes in the qualitative nature of the student learning experiences
Changes in individual classroom practices must be made within changes in school-wide practices

15. Fouts Report – A Decade of Reform
First Conclusion:
“All reform efforts must result in changes in the qualitative nature of the student learning experiences”
The degree to which personalized teaching was observed at the school correlated significantly with student success on the WASL

16. The analysis in the Fouts report showed that students in high poverty schools, which in our state are the lower performing schools, received significantly less personalized instruction.

17. Why would providing these Personalized learning processes make such a difference?
Impacting Learning Processes…
…makes the learning meaningful
Students know purpose and relevance
…require student articulation of understanding
Students can describe and explain
…require student self-regulation
Students monitor, adjust, and assess
ERIC

18. Cultural socialization is not a problem for students
Why would providing these impacting learning processes make a difference in closing the achievement gap?
Cultural socialization is not a problem for students
when classroom learning is personalized.

19. “Learning begins with the learner’s frame of reference”
When asked, students will always articulate what they are learning from their own cultural perspective, in their own language, and in accordance with their own way of being.
When asked, students will always describe how they are working on solving a problem based upon their prior understanding and experience.

20. When given the opportunity to do so, students will think about problems and their learning in accordance with their own mental frameworks.
When given the opportunity, students will always approach their learning in accordance with who they are.
When given the opportunity, students will always view their success or need to improve based on their understanding and what they know.

21. Elements of Positive Impact is:
The beauty of these
Elements of Positive Impact is:
The descriptive impacting learning processes impact ALL students…
…no matter the grade, language, capacity to learn, or subject area.
(Ilwaco)

22. Building your understanding #1b
Break into learning groups by counting around the room All one’s sit together etc.
You have 20 minutes to:
One person creates a graphic representing the key points of your group’s assigned theory
One person will orally give the history of the theory
One person will give the teacher implications for the theory – make graphic for chart
One person will give the student implications for the theory – make graphic for chart

23. Building your understanding #1b
To begin just the historian and key points come up and teach the group about the theory.

24. Building your understanding #1b
Second, the teacher implications and student implications for each theory are explained.

25. Personalizing Student Learning
Effective Teacher Practices plus Impacting Learning Processes
TEACHER knows what needs to be taught
TEACHER makes instructional decisions based on strategies that work for the class
TEACHER measures performance against set standard for all students
TEACHER reports degree of student success or failure to students and parents
TEACHERS have autonomy
STUDENT can articulate the learning target and why it is relevant and meaningful to him or her
STUDENT knows the learning strategies to choose from and can describe his or her learning process
STUDENT measures performance against his or her own progress
STUDENT articulates what s/he did well, what s/he needs to do better, and what s/he will do differently next time
STUDENT learning is consistent and continuous school-wide
(ILWACO )

26. Building your understanding #1b
As we personalize each theory, think about your own practice.
What would you need to add or change in your current choices in order to have a high level of student engagement by personalizing the students’ learning?

27. Washington State Professional Development Planning Guide IN ACTION
A professional
development tool kit
to build capacity of district,
school, and teachers
to provide
impacting learning processes
that personalize the learning for
ALL students, closing
the achievement gap
and accomplishing our state goals.
Washington State
Professional Development
IN ACTION
Linking Professional Development
to Personalized Student Learning

28. Student Learning Principals Teachers The dream is coming true…
All certification processes and career long professional development
are focused on closing the achievement gap by supporting every student’s academic performance.
Student
Learning

29. TEACHER CERTIFICATION
Positive Impact Element I: Student learning is structured for understanding
TEACHER CERTIFICATION
Pedagogy Assessment
Pre-Service training
Teacher Assistance Program
First Year In-Service
Professional Certification
Years three to eight In-Service
Criterion1(d): designing and/or adapting challenging curriculum that is based on the diverse needs of each student
Students are learning the key skills and concepts needed to reach the learning targets. (6b)
The plan’s learning targets define learning outcomes that can be assessed. (1d)
Students demonstrate a clear understanding of the required learning targets. They know the key skills and concepts needed to reach them.
Students can articulate the required learning targets.
Students engage in learning activities that are paced appropriately for all students, are culturally responsive, and allow for reflection and closure as appropriate. (8b)
Students show sequential improvement through assessment data.
Students know what is needed to move to the next level of performance.
The plan utilizes learning materials and engages in learning tasks that incorporate transformative multicultural and gender perspectives. (5f)
Students are aware of how to get support and access appropriate help, when needed.
Students are aware of and utilize resources for assistance, remediation, acceleration, or enrichment, as appropriate.
The plan reflects understanding of students’ developmental characteristics. (2a)
The plan reflects understanding of students’ knowledge and skills relative to the learning targets for each student, including those with special needs. (2e)
The plan’s learning activities account for prior learning and support the learning targets. (5b)
The plan’s learning targets represent valuable learning. (1b)
Students understand the importance of their learning and why it is useful to them.
Students articulate how the new learning builds on their prior knowledge and individual needs. Students understand the importance of their learning and why it is useful to them.
The plan’s learning targets foster student critical thinking problem solving. (1b)
The plan employs a variety of learning experiences that build on and recognize the academic competence of each student and encourages critical thinking. (5e)
Students engage in high-level thinking skills, demonstrating a variety of strategies to analyze information and solve problems.
Students answer and pose questions and engage in cooperative discussions that enhance learning critical thinking, transformative multicultural thinking, and problem solving. (8a)
Students reflect on their thinking strategies, communicate what strategies worked well and what strategies did not, and adjust as necessary.

30. Positive Impact Element I: Student learning is structured for understanding
TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Career-long Professional Development Goals
National Board Certification
Impacting
Learning Processes
1a. Students know the learning targets and what is required to meet them
Students describe the learning targets, the expectations to reach them, and why the learning is important to them. Students connect their own explorations to the appropriate learning targets.
Teachers can clearly articulate their goals for students. They require students to integrate aspects of knowledge into their habits of thinking, rather than simply storing fragmented bits of knowledge.
1b. Students know the progression of learning to reach the learning targets
Students articulate the progression of steps to reach the learning targets and identify, on their own, where they are in that progression. Students describe what they need to do to move to the next level of performance.
Teachers assess students to determine how much they have learned periodically. Student responses affect the teacher’s decisions about whether to re-teach, review, or move on. Individuals neither learn the same thing, nor learn at the same pace.
1c. Students know how to access additional support when needed
Students are aware of the options to get support and access appropriate help, when needed. In their daily work, they consistently utilize the resources for assistance, remediation, acceleration, or enrichment as is appropriate.
Teachers need to know how to encourage students even in the face of temporary failure and inevitable doubts that students meet as they push themselves into new affective, intellectual, and physical planes.
2a. Students engage in developmentally appropriate learning activities
Students engage in learning that is shaped by social, emotional, and academic needs. They demonstrate self-confidence and competence as they approach their learning.
Teachers use their understanding of individual and social learning theory, and of child and adolescent development theory, to form their decisions about how to teach.
2b. Students see the purpose of the learning for themselves
Students construct personal meaning and demonstrate emotional connections to the learning. They articulate how the new learning builds on their prior knowledge. They understand the importance of their learning and why it is useful to them.
Teachers do not treat a class as a monolith; they know that a class does not learn; individual students do. Teachers help students use what they already know to pose, explore, and solve new problems.
3a. Students clearly understand a variety of thinking strategies and apply them in diverse situations
Students demonstrate use of thinking strategies to analyze information and solve problems. They articulate their thinking strategies in a variety of situations and use them to solve new problems.
Teachers appreciate the fundamental role played by thinking in developing rich, conceptual subject matter understandings. They are dedicated to exposing their students to different modes of critical thinking and teaching students to think analytically about content.
3b. Students have adequate time to consider dilemmas, come up with answers, and work on learning tasks that appropriately challenge their thinking
Students engage in high-level thinking skills, regularly contemplate problems and open-ended questions related to specific content, think creatively, express opinions, and give alternative explanations.
Teachers know posing and solving of problems on their own is central to the development of true understanding of students. Proficient teachers help students learn to pose problems and work through alternative solutions.
3c. Students articulate, evaluate, and adjust their thinking
Students reflect on their thinking strategies, communicate what strategies worked well and what strategies did not, and adjust as necessary.
Teachers recognize the importance of instilling in their students the idea that learning is challenging, that experimentation is essential, and that recognizing and correcting mistakes is as important as noticing successes.

31. From the data
gathered from
teachers and principals across our state:
“Below”, “at”, and “above” standard statements were created for each of the impacting learning processes.

32. Impacting Learning Processes
LEARNING PROCESS NEEDS ASSESSMENT RUBRICS
Impacting Learning Processes
Below Standard
At Standard
Above Standard
1a. Students know the learning targets and what is required to meet them
Students work on assignments with limited knowledge of the related learning targets or the progression of steps to successfully reach them.
Students describe the learning targets, the expectations to reach them, and why the learning is important to them. Students connect their own explorations to the appropriate learning targets.
Students articulate the learning process to reach the learning targets. Students apply that process independently to expand their depth of knowledge beyond the scope of the required curriculum or assignments.
1b. Students know the progression of learning to reach the learning targets
Students participate in the progression of planned lessons and have little awareness of when they have acquired new knowledge and skills.
Students articulate the progression of steps to reach the learning targets and identify, on their own, where they are in that progression. Students describe what they need to do to move to the next level of performance.
Students articulate the completion of a level of performance and independently access the learning tasks they need to move to the next level.
1c. Students know how to access additional support when needed
Students have little awareness of the options they have to get support when needed.
Students are aware of the options to get support and access appropriate help, when needed. In their daily work, they consistently utilize the resources for assistance, remediation, acceleration, or enrichment as is appropriate.
Students independently seek support in their daily work from a variety of sources for assistance, remediation, acceleration, or enrichment.
2a. Students engage in developmentally appropriate learning activities
Students progress through grade-level required content. Students all work on the same assignments at the same time. There is little differentiation of requirements or activities based on individual student readiness.
Students engage in learning that is shaped by social, emotional, and academic needs. They demonstrate self-confidence and competence as they approach their learning.
Students confidently use learning materials and engage in activities that reflect the continual change in their individual development: intellectually, socially, and emotionally.
2b. Students see the purpose of the learning for themselves
Students have limited awareness of how the learning is useful to them or in what ways the required tasks will help them in their own lives.
Students construct personal meaning and demonstrate emotional connections to the learning. They articulate how the new learning builds on their prior knowledge. They understand the importance of their learning and why it is useful to them.
Students independently pursue learning and articulate the purpose and relevance. They build on their prior knowledge to construct new knowledge and skills, and articulate how the learning helps them perform competently on tasks beyond the classroom.

33. Difference between these rubrics and other familiar rubrics
Instructional paradigm vs Learning paradigm
Describe what behaviors, knowledge and skills a teacher must be demonstrating
Describe performance in terms of teacher instructional domains,
Progression of developing competencies: first teacher does a little, then does a little more, then does a whole lot
Best practices
Describe what specific behaviors students must be demonstrating in order to effectively learn knowledge and skills
Describe performance in terms of learning processes
Describe increasing the intellectual demands on the student
Best learning processes

34. Remember the research our state used to help us make our decisions:
All reform efforts must result in changes in the qualitative nature of the student learning experiences
Changes in individual classroom practices must be made within changes in school-wide practices

35. Fouts Report – A Decade of Reform Two major conclusions…
All reform efforts must result in changes in the qualitative nature of the student learning experiences
Changes in individual classroom practices must be made within changes in school-wide practices

36. Metacognition I:
What do you see as the connection between personalizing learning and the elements we put in the bulls-eye?
What do you need to do to tweak what you are doing in your classroom to make the learning more personalized?