The Virginia Model : Support for School Improvement

1. The Virginia Model:Support for School Improvement Training for Instructional Leaders Session 1 July 29, 2009

2. Expectation For This Training The session leaders will provide participants with the content and resources to train personnel in their division to implement the Center on Innovation and Improvement (CII) strategies. The expectation is that the institute participants will conduct training in their divisions after each of the four instructional training sessions.

3. Session 1 Objectives • Examine strategies for successful teamwork. • Identify an effective framework for instructional planning. • Begin to develop an Instructional Team profile for examining student learning data. • Determine a process of collegial coaching that supports instructional practices.

4. Team Building Activity

5. EFFECTIVE TEAMING Describe the instructional teams that are in your school. How are they organized? How often do they meet? Where do they meet? What is their purpose?

6. Indicators Instructional Team Structure ID11 Teachers are organized into grade- level, grade-level cluster, or subject area instructional teams. ID13 Instructional teams meet for blocks of time sufficient to develop and refine units of instruction and review student learning data.

7. Frequently Asked Questions • When do instructional teams meet? • Where should the teams meet? • How often should teams meet? Additional suggestions can be found in the Session 1 Manual, pages 21-22. Please share these suggestions with your instructional teams.

8. Operational Data The Basics • Agenda: Use a standard format for all teams. • Minutes: Establish a binder or file that is accessible by the team and school leadership. Refer to pages 23-26 in Session 1 Manual for agenda/minutes samples.

9. Operational Data Team Effectiveness Survey • Instrument to help instructional teams monitor and improve their effectiveness • Completed two times a year • Points to areas of strength and areas where the team can improve • Results provide a basis for the team to discuss its own effectiveness

10. NEXT STEPS With your team, complete the Effective Teaming Next Steps document on page 29 in the Session 1 Manual. Thoroughly respond to the questions on the left side of the table by answering each prompt at the top of the three columns.

11. Lunch • Please enjoy your lunch. • We will start Instructional Planning after lunch.

12. INSTRUCTIONAL PLANNING “The business of schools is to invent tasks, activities, and assignments that the students find engaging and that bring them into profound interactions with content and processes they will need to master to be judged well educated.” Schlechty, 2001

13. Indicators Aligned Instruction IIA01-02 Classroom Assessment IIB01-02; IIB04-05 Differentiated Instruction IIC01; IIC03

14. Aligned Instruction National Standards national expectations by subject and grade range; usually developed by subject area associations or institutes State Standards state expectations by subject and grade-level range or grade level Benchmarks state and/or district expectations by specific grade level or clusters of grade levels Curriculum scope and sequence of objectives /skills Aligned Unit of Instruction written curriculum aligned to tested curriculum and instruction provides teachers with organizational framework for planning

15. Time for a little R and R Read andReact, that is… Read: Page 49 in the Session 1 Manual. React: Describe the alignment process that is used by your school.

16. Schooling Practices That Matter Most… Aligning classroom assessments of student performance with the written curriculum and actual instruction. Cotton (2000)

17. The Unit Plan:A Framework for Aligned Instruction Parts… SOL Objective – i.e. Math 7.7 SOL Essential Understandings SOL Essential Knowledge SOL Essential Skills and Processes Pre-test/Post-test items based on Criteria for Mastery TotheWhole…See pages 55-56 in the Session 1 Manual.

18. Small Group Exploration • Respond to the questions in the three columns for row 1 on page 73 – Instructional Planning – Next Steps. 2. Respond to the questions in the three columns for row 2 on page 73 ( See page 57 in the Session 1 Manual for the Unit Plan Editing Checklist).

19. Differentiating Instruction One size does not fit all.

20. Leveling Objectives • Target – on grade level • Prerequisite – approximately one grade level below target • Enhanced – related to the target but of a higher order, possibly a higher grade level.

21. What is an LPG? Learning Plan Grid • Is a structure through which a team of teachers organizes activities that are aligned to curricular objectives. • Provides areas to identify differentiated activities by levels of objectives.

22. Procedures for Creating Unit Plans and • Learning Plan Grids • Determine the grade level SOL for focus. • Use SOL Curriculum Framework to understand the standard and determine essential understandings. Pay close attention to the essential knowledge, skills, and processes. • Review SOL Test Blueprint and Blueprint Summary Table. The number of questions per recording category will determine focus for lesson planning. • Review the Enhanced Scope and Sequence for suggested activities for teachers and for students.

23. Use the Reading Strategies Organizational Chart from the Enhanced Scope and Sequence to locate the instructional strategies for teaching the specific SOL. Review each of the strategies to determine which can best be used to teach the standard. • Download the Released Test for the specific content area. Take the test and pay particular attention to the question stems, level of questions and use of charts, graphs, and other visuals. • Review SOL at the grade level above and below. • Review instructional resources, including textbooks, leveled readers, trade books, picture books, recipes, articles, and other print materials to select appropriate instructional materials.

24. Review the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy to ensure students have practice answering questions similar to those found on the Released Tests. • Complete the Unit Plan using the grade level SOL and SOL above and below if needed. Determine pre-test and post-test to be used and criteria for mastery. • Complete the Learning Plan Grid with activities for the Teacher-Directed Group, the Student-Directed Group, and Computer-Based Group. Include independent activities and homework for the target, enhanced, and prerequisite groups. • Student Learning Plans can be created easily from the Learning Plan Grid.

27. Learning Plan Grid Standard/Benchmark Code: _5.5 b & c_* *These SOL have been taught separately first. Assessment Level Code: U Target Objective Code: Red Enhanced Objective Code: Yellow Prerequisite Code: Green

28. Learning Plan Grid Standard/ Benchmark Code: SOL 2.8 (f) The student will describe characters, setting and important events in fiction and nonfiction. Target Objective Code: Red Enhanced Objective Code: Yellow Prerequisite code: Green

29. Small Group Exploration • Review pages 65-69 in the Session 1 Manual. • Begin to develop the LPG on page 69. 3. Respond to the three questions for rows three and four in Instructional Planning – Next Steps (page 73).

30. In the Session 1 Manual, read page 33 and complete the first two items in Think, Write, Share on page 34.

31. COLLEGIAL LEARNING “The star teachers of the twenty-first century will be those who work together to infuse the best ideas into standard practice.” James W. Stigler & James Hiebert from The Teaching Gap

32. Indicators Professional Development • IF04-05 Classroom Assessment • IIB03-05 Periodic Assessment • IID08-11

33. Activity: Before, During, After, and More As a team, • Review the statement strips that have been placed on your table. • Determine whether they apply to the ongoing assessment of students • Prior to instruction. • During instruction. • After appropriate instruction. • Associated with teachers’ involvement in school and district decision-making (More).

34. Session 1 Objectives • Examine strategies for successful teamwork. • Identify an effective framework for instructional planning. • Begin to develop an instructional team profile for examining student learning data. • Determine a process of collegial coaching that supports instructional practices.

35. Expectation For This Training The session leaders will provide participants with the content and resources to train personnel in their division to implement the Center on Innovation and Improvement (CII) strategies. The expectation is that the institute participants will conduct training in their divisions after each of the four instructional training sessions.

36. Session Closing Next Scheduled Session: October, 2009 • Review of Next Steps Activity from Session 1 • Focus on Instructional Planning and Classroom Management

37. Contact Information Jane Baskerville: jjbask@comcast.net Judy Johnston: jajohnston46@hotmail.com David Wymer: dmwymer@cox.net Kathleen Smith: Kathleen.Smith@doe.virginia.gov Yvonne Holloman: Yvonne.Holloman@doe.virginia.gov Michael Hill: Michael.Hill@doe.virginia.gov