Do Now

1. Do Now What characteristics do you attribute to an outstanding leader? Name one outstanding leader you know personally? What characteristics made them an outstanding leader?

2. Essential Question • What are the key indicators of a high performing school?

3. Expected Outcomes • Teachers will begin to understand the features of an outstanding school and how each initiative that Glasgow has adopted for the 2011-12 school year will support their mission to become an outstanding school.

4. Features of an Outstanding School

5. Leadership • The vision, mission, values, and goals are defined, consistently articulated and clearly reflect a collective focus on student learning and achievement. • Distributed leadership is evident throughout the school with clearly defined roles and responsibilities, effective delegation, efficient solution-planning, independent action-taking and review by school teams. • School teams are designed around cohorts of students and the schedule allows for dedicated time to plan for and respond to student needs. • The school has a process for continuous improvement based on self-evaluation and ongoing use of data underpinned by change management and student achievement. • Intentional communication systems are in place so that all members of the school community can articulate what needs to be done, how it will be accomplished, and their specific role in the implementation process.

6. Leadership cont…. • The school has one articulated school improvement plan, with measurable objectives, actions, and accountabilities that are documented, continuously reviewed and revised, and linked directly to the common school vision. • Collaborative teamwork is characterized by clear roles and responsibilities for staff, the use of tools for effective meetings, and leads to practical action that impacts student achievement. • Leaders within the school are adept at managing change and developing the overall capacity of staff. • School leaders recognize individual and group accomplishments on a regular basis; celebrations are tied directly to the school's mission, vision, and values.

7. Glasgow’s Initiatives • PLC’s • PBL • RTI • DCAS • eValuate • LFS • PBS

8. Leadership cont…. • PLC highlights: • Collaborative teamwork is characterized by clear roles and responsibilities for staff, the use of tools for effective meetings, and leads to practical action that impacts student achievement. • School teams are designed around cohorts of students and the schedule allows for dedicated time to plan for and respond to student needs. • The school has a process for continuous improvement based on self-evaluation and ongoing use of data underpinned by change management and student achievement.

9. The EdisonLearning Design

10. Activity: Think-Pair-Share • Teacher poses a problem/question. • Teacher provides think time. • In pairs students discuss the topic. • As a class students will share their answers with the whole class.

11. Topics • Identify key elements of the Learning Environment in an outstanding school. Identify the Glasgow initiative that is aligned best with Learning Environment. • How does an outstanding school address Assessment for Learning? Identify the Glasgow initiative that is aligned best with Assessment for Learning.

12. Learning Environment • The whole school community can articulate a set of core values as well as explain and provide examples of how these values enable their school to function well for everyone. • The values of the school are reflected in a Community Code that drives the language, attitudes and behaviors of every member of the wider school community. • A school wide Community Code, explicitly connected to the Core Values, is instituted and intentionally implemented, leading to respectful and responsible behaviors. • The school has a culture of high expectations that expressly articulates college readiness as a goal for all students while simultaneously ensuring that students receive the necessary support for career preparedness. • Spaces are conducive to a variety of learning needs and pedagogical approaches. Schools develop inspirational, adaptable and dynamic environments that are student owned and reflect student diversity. • The physical environment is the responsibility of all school community members. Display is demonstrative of learning, progress and achievement and includes meaningful resources to support learning and positive behavior.

13. Learning Environment cont… • The value placed on student voice is evident through a range of intentional practices that provide opportunities for students to demonstrate high levels of engagement, and motivation, and to take ownership of their learning and act as change agents. • The school has a mentoring for learning approach which allows students the opportunity to regularly review their learning with a key mentor. • The school has a defined menu of experiential and enrichment learning opportunities (creative, social, and commercial at local, national and global levels) in which all students participate. • The school extends the scope and nature of experiential learning opportunities for all students. Programs provide challenging and participative activities that broaden and enrich students’ understanding of themselves, their local community and the world beyond.

14. Learning Environment • PBS

15. Assessment for Learning • School leaders ensure that achievement data are collected frequently, continuously reviewed and used to focus teaching priorities across the school. • School ‘Achievement Teams’ meet to use assessment data regularly to identify and share best pedagogical practices and evaluate the impact of their implementation. • Achievement data for subgroups of students are closely monitored by school leaders and, where necessary, lead to intervention. • All teachers are exemplary in using multiple strategies to assess achievement, use consistent criteria and routinely build these into lessons to check progress and inform planning.

16. Assessment for Learning • Teachers are skilled in analyzing data and translating their inferences into planning and teaching. • Analysis of achievement data contributes to teachers’ performance management. • Teachers have high expectations for all their students and accurately assess and set challenging goals differentiated for individual students’ needs. • Analysis of achievement data is used to evaluate impact, adapt interventions and modify curriculum delivery. • Achievement and standards are expressed in student-friendly language that enables teachers to share objectives and give formative feedback and allows students to articulate their next steps in learning. • Students engage in active learning through the routine use of self and peer assessment strategies that are intentionally developed by the school. • Achievement data are configured and presented so that parents/caregivers can actively participate in regular conversations about learning with students and teachers, which lead to personalized learning objectives.

17. Assessment for Learning • DCAS • eValuate

18. Pedagogy and Curriculum • Please take one Responder and one “Features” sheet from the side table. • Turn on the Responders using the power button in the upper left hand corner • Using the arrows, toggle to “Join a Class”, then press the enter button • Using the arrows, toggle to “Training” and press the enter button • When the assessment begins, you will use the A,B,C,and D buttons then Enter to record your responses • You may move ahead of the questions on the SmartBoard

19. Activity • Directions: Think about your school at this time, using the “Features of an Outstanding School”, as they relate to Pedagogy and Curriculum. Using the Responders, rate Glasgow on the end state descriptions as follows. • Red (A), the feature doesn’t describe the school at this point in time. • Yellow (B), the feature somewhat describes the school at this point in time. • Green (C), the feature accurately describes the school at this point in time. • Blue (D), new to the building, unable to comment.

20. Pedagogy and Curriculum • LFS • PBL

21. Student and Family Support • The school actively encourages families to participate through regular and ongoing outreach, events, and communication in order to empower parents to become full partners in the educational decisions that affect their child's learning. • The Student and Family Support System (SAFSS) identifies the current needs of all students through the use of data and mechanisms to positively impact teacher skills, meet every student’s needs, and ensure effective planning, delivery, and capacity building. • The school has a team of specialists (SAFS Team), led by a senior member of the Leadership Team, to strategically plan for integrated student support structures. • The school utilizes a universal model to meet the diverse needs of a vast majority of students and implements systems to provide well-targeted interventions where individuals require additional support.

22. School teams meet regularly to discuss the diverse needs of their students in order to identify and commission the appropriate qualified support. • The school makes provision for specialist mentoring for students at risk of under-achievement. • The school actively communicates and collaborates with external agencies to build a 'team around the school' and identifies creative and innovative ways to build school capacity to better meet the needs of the most at-risk students. • All staff are supported by the SAFS Team to find solutions to overcome ‘learning challenges’ presented by particular learning needs. • The regularly scheduled Student Learning Conferences are enhanced by specialist input from the Student and Family Support Team and external agencies as required, in order to review specific learning progress, set future goals and plan support.

23. Student and Family Support • RTI

24. Alignment • Leadership PLC’s • Learning Environment PBS • Assessment for Learning DCAS/eValuate • Pedagogy and Curriculum LFS/PBL • Student and Family Support RTI

25. Reflection • Use the reflection guide provided to reflect on the lesson. What strategies were used during the 70-minute block? • How will you effectively use the 81-minute block?

26. 81-minute block • Planning, planning, planning! • Cooperative learning activities • Movement • Technology • Differentiation • Independent work • Conferencing • Structure • Formative assessments • Transitions • Wrap-up • Exit slip

27. Exit Slip • As you begin a new year at Glasgow, what initiative are you most excited about? What do you see as your role in ensuring this initiative is successful. • What initiative do you feel offers the most challenge? Why?