An Integrated and Embedded Approach to Professional Development and School Improvement

1. An Integrated and Embedded Approach to Professional Development and School Improvement Using the Six-Step Process and Learning Team Framework

2. Purpose • Integrate the delivery of teacher development, leader development, school coaching and district support into a set of services designed to change school and classroom practices, enhance teaching and learning and improve student outcomes.

3. The Integrated and Embedded Approach District Support Common Core State Standards Coaching Six-Step Process and Learning Team Framework Effective Leadership Professional Development Effective Teaching – Academic and Career/Technical Increased Student Support Improved Student Learning Improved Student Outcomes

4. Why use this approach? • Help schools to take ownership of the school improvement process • Engage all faculty and staff in continuous improvement • Create a continuous improvement culture and structure that can sustain teacher and leader turnover

5. Why use this approach? • Make professional development an ongoing process and not a one-time event • Make professional development immediately relevant by supporting “just in time” delivery • Give schools a structure for identifying, addressing and evaluating school improvement challenges

6. Key Features • Data are used to inform identification of the problem and root causes, strategies and evaluation • Both implementation and student outcomes are evaluated • A cyclical process allows for constant refinement

7. Key Features • This is a generic approach that can be used to address any problem, such as: • Literacy • Mathematics • Success for every student • Integration of academics and CT • Advisor-advisee systems • Programs of study • Etc.

8. Learning Team Framework • SREB Coach • District Coach • Principal • Trainers

9. Learning Team Framework • Focus team – district coach, SREB coach, teacher facilitators, principal, trainers • Uses the six-step process to identify problems, identify causes, set goals, select strategies, develop an implementation plan, monitor progress and evaluate results • Teacher learning teams • Implement selected strategies, meet to discuss challenges and problem-solve • Teacher facilitators • Guide learning team meetings; meet as their own team; serve on focus team

10. Six-Step Process

11. Step 1: Identify the Problem • Recognize that there is a problem • Be specific in defining the problem • The problem is most frequently a student performance problem, such as: • Low student achievement (mathematics, literacy, science, technical) • High failure rates • Low graduation rates • Low postsecondary attendance rates

12. Step 1: Identify the Problem • Literacy Example • Low reading achievement – • 29 percent of students performing below the proficient level, which is the state standard • large gap in the percentage of students performing at or above the proficient level by race/ethnicity (white = 74%; Hispanic = 66%; black = 53%)

13. Step 2: Identify Possible Causes • What are the major factors that are most responsible for the problem? • What are the school and classroom practices leading to the problem?

14. Step 2: Identify Possible Causes • Literacy Example • Most teachers do not use strategies designed to engage students in actively reading content material at a deeper intellectual level • Too few teachers are trained to use reading and writing as tools to advance achievement in academic and in career/technical courses • Most principals possess limited leadership skills in supporting teachers to use literacy skills across all content areas

15. Step 3: Set goals • What do you want to accomplish? • Relate the goal to the problem • Be specific • Example — “Increase the percentage of students passing the Algebra I EOC on the first attempt by 10% each year”

16. Step 3: Set goals • Literacy Example • Increase by 5 percentage points annually the percentage of eighth-grade students performing at or above the proficient level • Decrease by 5 percentage points annually the gap between student groups by improving the performance of under-achieving groups

17. Step 4: Select strategies • What changes in school and classroom practices should occur to address the causes of the problem and meet the goal? • How will you create that change?

18. Step 4: Select strategies • Literacy Example • Provide training in and implement a learning team framework in order to provide literacy instruction across the curriculum • Assign writing prompts to advance students’ ability for reading and mastering a variety of text materials • Implement other effective literacy strategies

19. Step 5: Take action • Develop and implement the following three plans: • Implementation plan – who is responsible for what; timeline • Data collection and evaluation plan – what data will be collected to evaluate both implementation of strategies and progress toward meeting goal; when will data be collected; who will collect data • Professional development plan (next slide)

20. Step 5: Take action • Professional development plan • Train leadership on organizing, scheduling and supporting learning teams • Provide leadership with PD specific to the strategies being implemented • Train facilitators to lead learning teams • Customized training for facilitators as needed • Electronic delivery of professional development for teachers as needed • In-person professional development provided as needed • Learning teams meet weekly for sharing, learning and problem-solving

21. Step 5: Take action • Professional development plan, continued • Coach visits school monthly to observe team meetings and meets with leadership and facilitators • Leadership conducts classroom observations monthly, attends learning team meetings and meets with facilitators • Leadership meets with coach and district personnel monthly to addresses successes and challenges • Review progress continually and make adjustments as necessary

22. Learning Team Framework with PD Plan Applies six-step process to develop improvement plan, utilizing this structure for implementation Monthly coaching visits to classrooms; Monthly meeting with principal Monthly meetings to review learning teams’ progress • SREB Coach • District Coach • Principal • Trainers Weekly meetings to discuss progress and challenges; Classroom observations Conduct weekly classroom observations with feedback Weekly meetings led by facilitator for sharing, learning and problem-solving Three days of initial training and monthly additional training as needed Monthly meetings to review and adjust implementation Curriculum and instructional PD as needed

23. Step 5: Take action • Literacy Example • Implementation – responsibilities and timeline • Data collection – student and teacher surveys; classroom observations using an observation form; sample of teacher lesson plans and student work; state test scores • PD – leadership training on learning team framework and literacy strategies; facilitator training on learning team framework and literacy strategies; teacher training on literacy strategies

24. Step 6: Evaluate results • Was the goal achieved? • Were the strategies implemented as intended? • Did the desired and necessary changes in school and classroom practices occur? • Was training and support adequate? • Re-evaluate the problem and begin the process again

25. Step 6: Evaluate results • Literacy Example • Was the goal achieved? • Did our school increase by five points the percentage of students performing at or above proficient? • Did our school decrease the achievement gap by five points? • Were the strategies implemented as intended? • Were leaders and facilitators provided training? • Were learning teams functional? • Did facilitators and teachers receive ongoing support (PD, leaders, coaches, trainers)? • Did teachers implement changed practices in their classrooms?