COURSE LEARNING TEAM FACILITATOR TRAINING Becoming a Team Leader

1. COURSE LEARNING TEAMFACILITATOR TRAININGBecoming a Team Leader Community High School District 155

2. Training Outcomes As a result of today’s training, participants will… • Review purpose and outcomes of District and School Learning Teams. • Strengthen understanding of Course Learning Teams: • outcomes, purpose, and characteristics • Learn ways to effectively: • facilitate, schedule and structure initial Course Learning Team meetings • communicate updates and progress effectively with team members and Department Chairs. • Gain initial insight into the role SMART goals play in improving student learning.

3. Overview of District and School Learning Teams

4. District Learning Teams(formerly known as Mapping Teams) • Purpose • To improve the quality of curriculum by revising Master Maps and ensuring quality Common Assessments at the district level. • Outcomes • To develop quality maps aligned with the Curriculum Map Continuum • To revise the curriculum maps so they answer “What do we want out students to know?” • To develop common assessments which address the Key Outcomes in a meaningful and authentic manner so they answer “How will we know when students have learned it?” • To revise the curriculum maps so they address trends in the common assessment data.

5. District Learning Teams(formerly known as Mapping Teams) • Data • Diary Maps and data from Common Assessments • Team Members • Similar to current mapping teams. • Guiding Questions • Does this map reflect what we believe is most important for students to learn from this course? • What areas of the map would benefit from revisions or enhancement based upon common assessment results or other forms of authentic data, such as diary maps?

6. District Learning Teams(formerly known as Mapping Teams) • Calendar • Early Release Curriculum Days • September 11, 2007 • April 10, 2008 *Some additional time outside of this schedule will be necessary to improve curriculum maps and common assessments. The Department Chairs are working together to determine which courses are in need of this type of additional time and support.

7. School Learning Teams(formerly known as School Improvement Teams) • Purpose • To develop, implement, and improve interventions and programs designed to increase student achievement at the school level. • Outcomes • To develop a School Improvement Plan that reflects the mission and core values of the district. • To develop a School Improvement Plan that follows the framework established at boot camp. • To establish and evaluate school-wide programs and interventions that positively impact student achievement. • To answer: • “How will we know when students have learned it?” • “How will we respond when students experience difficulty in learning?”

8. School Learning Teams(formerly known as School Improvement Teams) • Data • A variety of sources (EXPLORE, PLAN, PSAE, ACT, AP, Attendance, Behavior, Student Surveys, etc.) • Team Members • Principals, Department Chairs, and other staff members. • Guiding Questions • What can be done to positively impact and support students’ learning? • Where are the achievement gaps? • Which students are struggling and what can we do to help them? • What are out goals for improved student achievement?

9. School Learning Teams(formerly known as School Improvement Teams) • Calendar • Effective School Days • September 27, 2007 • December 13, 2007 • March 6, 2008 • Tuesday Meetings • Additional Meetings (as necessary)

10. Overview of Course Learning Teams

11. Course Learning Teams • Team Members • Teachers of the same course within a particular school. • There may be instances when teachers from other schools will continue to meet with each other due to the limited number of teachers in certain courses. • Team Leaders will consist of department chairs and teachers selected by them. • Data • Formative assessments, common assessments (to identify trends), chapter/unit tests, diary maps, teacher observations, etc…

12. Course Learning Teams • Purpose • To improve student achievement by focusing on effective instructional strategies, assessments, and resources at the course level.

13. Course Learning Teams • Outcomes • To increase student achievement. • To collaborate with colleagues on immediate and student-specific related achievement matters that are goal-driven. • To establish relationships built on trust and the sharing of effective best practices. • To collaborate on gathering data that will more immediately address areas of student achievement. • To answer “How will we respond when students experience difficulty in learning?”

14. Characteristics of Course Learning Teams

15. Course Learning Teams • SIMULTANEOUS LOOSE AND TIGHT LEADERSHIP • Effective leaders don’t simply encourage schools to go off and do whatever they want, but rather establish clear parameters and priorities that enable schools to work within established boundaries in a creative and autonomous way. • DuFour, DuFour, and Eaker - 2006

16. Course Learning Teams emphasize… Student Learning • Teachers ask each other, “In what ways can students demonstrate an increased understanding of a concept or greater proficiency with a set of skills?” Collaboration with Colleagues • Teachers ask each other, “What are effective instructional strategies to help all of my students learn what is intended?” Goal Setting • SMART goals help CLTs feel a sense of ownership and also a sense of achievement. To gain a more complex understanding of effective Course Learning Teams click here.

17. Course Learning Teams Meeting Structure

18. Course Learning Teams Meeting Structure - Designing Effective Meetings - • There are always several variables that contribute towards the effectiveness of a good meeting. • The success of a Course Learning Team meeting is contingent upon the team leader establishing: • A clear purpose • Clear outcomes • Design and mood to produce outcomes • Protocols for working together • Commitments and conditions of satisfaction Effective Meeting Information courtesy of Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision Making by Kaner, Lind, Toldi, Fisk, and Berger.

19. Course Learning Teams Meeting Structure - Designing Effective Meetings - • Purpose • Why are we here? • Provide the BIG picture • Example: Course Learning Teams • Purpose: To improve student achievement by focusing on effective instructional strategies, assessments, and resources at the course level.

20. Course Learning Teams Meeting Structure - Designing Effective Meetings - • Outcomes • What are we doing? • Intended effects of the meeting • Example: Course Learning Teams • Purpose: To increase student achievement.

21. Course Learning Teams Meeting Structure - Designing Effective Meetings - Purpose and Outcomes… …describe the end . , • not the means!

22. Course Learning Teams Meeting Structure - Designing Effective Meetings - • Establishing an Agenda • Focus on outcomes and purpose • Use time well • Use what you know about your team to anticipate roadblocks and be responsive • Give structure to the process

23. Course Learning Teams Meeting Structure - Designing Effective Meetings - • Meeting Design and Logistics • Mood • Be sensitive to colleagues vulnerabilities. • Location • Seating/setup • Grouping • Equipment • Supplies • Food

24. Course Learning Teams Meeting Structure - Designing Effective Meetings - • Consensus • It contains the possibility of generating significant commitment and ownership from those participating • Requires the most time and skill from participants • Trust in and within the group • Reserved for issues with long-term, large scale impacts

25. Course Learning Teams Meeting Structure - Designing Effective Meetings - • Consensus Sequence • Purpose of this decision & time limits • Brainstorm possible options • Combine/Eliminate duplicates • Advocacy • Individuals rate various options • Tally ratings and rank order • Consensus discussion

26. Course Learning Teams Meeting Structure - Designing Effective Meetings - • When we disagree • We disclose the reasons why • We work to find an alternative consensus • We do not hold the meeting hostage to our personal interests • If we can’t make our personal interests a common interest, we dismiss the personal interests

27. Course Learning Teams Meeting Structure - Designing Effective Meetings - • We have reached consensus when… • we understand each other’s points of views. • we all give our consent. • we consent to what is developed in our absence. • we can live with the decision. • we will support the decision in public and private.

28. Course Learning Teams Meeting Structure - Effective Meetings - • Establish protocols • Create structure to the meeting that defines the expected behaviors and responsibilities of the group members. For examples of protocols click here.

29. Course Learning Teams Meeting Structure - Effective Meetings - Remember that the role of team leader is to support the best thinking of the members of the group through design, facilitation, and follow up. For more information on team leader strategies click here.

30. Course Learning Teams Meeting Structure - Scheduling - Early Release Days • October 18, 2007 • November 28, 2007 • January 30, 2008 • February 12, 2008 • March 14, 2008 • May 2, 2008 FLEXIBILITY Course Learning Teams can meet 3, 4, 5, or 6 times this year! CLT Leaders should remember to communicate progress to all team members with a brief summary shortly after each meeting.

31. Course Learning Teams Meeting Structure - Overview of CLT Sequence - • Step 1: Establish protocols, review consensus guidelines, and explain the purpose and outcomes of the CLT. • Step 2: As your team begins to discuss students’ needs, make certain that relevant student achievement data is there to support claims and that the team has an opportunity to analyze it. Click here for more information on sources of data. Then the group should prioritize the students’ needs and reach consensus on the top priority. Remember that the CLT should focus on one area of concern at a time. It is critical to consider BIG concepts/skills that are fast approaching on the horizon instead of minor or isolated ones. So, keep the sequencing of the Master Map in mind. • Step 3: Establish a SMART goal. • Step 4: Brainstorm, collaborate and collectively commit to a strategy, resource, best practice, etc… • Step 5: Agree to a unified measurement tool to gauge improvements. • Step 6: Analyze results and refocus efforts which means one of the following: • It worked! Let’s incorporate this more next time around! • The intervention was so remarkable that it should be shared with the District Learning Team (for possible inclusion on the Master M8ap). • It didn’t produce the desired results. Let’s try something else. Click here for additional help with analyzing Assessment Data from Mastery Manager Similar to the progress of District Learning Teams and their development of quality master maps, CLTs will also progress at different rates. The important thing is to stay focused on the sequence and keep moving forward at your team’s pace!

32. An Invitation to Your 1st Meeting - Sample E-Mail - Attention Team Leader: There are additional e-mail examples available. Please contact your principal if you would like them.

33. The Structure of Your 1st Meeting Team Leader Strategy: Collectively these questions represent a comprehensive and highly functioning course learning team. We suggest, in anticipation of your first meeting, that you request your team members to reflect upon these three: • Purpose, Outcomes, and Protocols • Explain the purpose, outcomes, and protocols associated with CLT’s • Provide a copy of the Learning Teams chart to all participants. • Collective Inquiry (Guiding Questions) – What are we collaborating about? • What skills or concepts do students need to know to be successful during the course? • What data exists to represent the students’ current level of understanding? • What areas of weakness should be addressed? • What specific instructional strategies will we employ to increase student achievement?

34. Information to Consider for Future Meetings

35. Goal Setting • We must believe that if we are going to improve student performance in CHSD 155, we need to strengthen the process by establishing goals.

36. Goal Setting • Fundamentally… • Our goals should address a student need that we believe will improve achievement. • Goal adoption must be supported by data.

37. A Consistent Goal Format • We are going to use the SMART Goal System. • SMART Goals encourage teachers to work interdependently to achieve a common goal for which they are held mutually accountable.

38. S.M.A.R.T. Goals Expanded • Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timely • The SMART acronym helps teams in CLT’s establish goals linked to gains in student achievement. • S (Strategic and Specific) • Focus our attention on the “vital few” areas of need where the largest achievement gap exists • Goal specificity increases focus • M (Measurable) • Both summative and formative measures will be taken to access student performance • Adjustments will be made based off of these measures

39. S.M.A.R.T. Goals Expanded • A (Attainable) • Through data analysis, departments will choose reasonable goals that seek to stretch boundaries and narrow achievement gaps • R (Results Based) • Has the goal met the established benchmarks? • Focuses attention on results, and not just the process • T (Time-Bound) • Establishing a timeline builds internal accountability and commitment

40. SMART Goals • The Foundation Questions of SMART Goal Development • Where are we now? • Where do we want to be? • How will we get to where we want to be? • How will we know when we get there?

41. SMART Goals SMART Goal Statement: The % of [student group] scoring proficient and higher in [content area] will increase from [current reality %] to [goal %] by the end of [month or quarter] as measured by [assessment tool] administered on [specific date]. Data Teams by the Center For Performance Assessment

42. The level of proficiency (aka “expected mastery”) will be determined by the CLT. SMART Goal Example The percentage of Chemistry students scoring proficient and higher in Understanding Concepts associated with a Mole (Local Standard 311.05) will increase from 43% to 70% by Thursday, January 17th as measured by the 1st Semester Common Assessment administered during Final Exams Week.

43. SMART Goal Example (continued) The percentage of Chemistry students scoring proficient and higher in Understanding Concepts associated with a Mole (Local Standard 311.05) will increase from 43% to 70% by Thursday, January 17th as measured by the 1st Semester Common Assessment administered during Final Exams Week. *This sample SMART Goal is based on last year’s Common Assessment data from Mastery Manager.

44. Mastery Manager Things to consider • Issue – Teachers will not have access to district level reports! • If CLT Leader plans to share common assessment data, then he/she needs to contact their Department Chair for this information. • REMEMBER that all achievement data should exclude individual teacher and student names – it is not a competition!

45. SMART Goals Additional Example: Setup: Junior English CLT • No Common Assessment Data available • Teachers determined punctuation as an area of concern • CLT created & administered a simple and user friendly local assessment to verify the need truly exists amongst the students • When their intuition was confirmed with assessment data, the following SMART Goal was created: • The percentage of Junior English students scoring proficient and higher in the use of proper punctuation will meet or exceed 75% by November 28th as measured by the CLT created Punctuation Assessment administered during the week prior to our next meeting (No later than Friday November 23rd). • The CLT implemented their interventions to address punctuation, and later administered another Punctuation Assessment to assess students’ gains and determine if the interventions were successful. At this stage of development, some courses will not have Common Assessment Data available. Here are some examples of SMART goals established by teacher observations and student performance on classroom assignments, quizzes, and other pre-existing materials to represent this situation.

46. SMART Goals This example shows CLT members that assessments need not be large and complex – take a look at the source the Algebra CLT used to determine if the interventions were successful. • Additional Examples: • The percentage of Algebra students scoring proficient and higher in identifying and solving systems of equations and inequalities will meet or exceed 80% by Friday, December 21st as measured by textbook page 179 administered during the week of December 17-21. textbook page 179

47. Important Step! In other words, what specific instructional strategies will we employ to increase student achievement? These plans should be based upon discussions regarding not only strategies but also resources, activities, etc… SMART Goals Template Click here to open file.

48. Don’t Worry! Establishing SMART goals is an important component, but the reality is: • Additional training will be provided on the October 26th Institute Day. • And, CLT’s won’t be far enough in the process to establish SMART goals at their 1st meeting on October 18th.

49. - Remember - Course Learning Teams emphasize… • Student Learning • Teachers ask, “In what ways can students demonstrate an increased understanding of a concept or greater proficiency with a set of skills?” • Collaboration with colleagues • Teachers ask, “What are effective instructional strategies to help all of my students learn what is intended?” • Goal Setting • SMART goals help CLTs feel a sense of ownership and also a sense of achievement. “…You know you’re finished, and you realize, yes, we accomplished what we set out to do rather than just having a good feeling about it. I think that these measurable goals make it very clear to us not only what we’ve accomplished, but what we still need to do.” – Linda Jamison, Retired Teacher (PLC at Work by DuFour, DuFour, and Eaker)

50. References • The Power of SMART Goals: Using Goals to Improve Student Learning by Jan O’Neill and Anne Conzemius (with Carol Commodore and Carol Pulsfus). Published by Solution Tree. • Professional Learning Communities at Work by Rebecca DuFour, Richard DuFour, and Robert Eaker. Published by Solution Tree. • Data Teams by the Center for Performance Assessment • Data-Driven Decision Making by the Center for Performance Assessment. • How to Develop a Professional Learning Community: Passion and Persistence (DVD) by Richard DuFour. • Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision Making by Kaner, Lind, Toldi, Fisk, and Berger.