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ADULT LEARNING FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL

ADULT LEARNING FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL. Dr. Lynn Allen, Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES. Mission & Vision Finding the Right Fit… Through Caring, Commitment and Collaboration.

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ADULT LEARNING FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL

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  1. ADULT LEARNING FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL Dr. Lynn Allen, Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES

  2. Mission & VisionFinding the Right Fit… Through Caring, Commitment and Collaboration • Mission (fundamental purpose): To assist districts in meeting the changing needs of their students by providing a full range of programs, services, and resources that target areas of intervention based on specific student needs and promotes the greatest level of student independence and success. • Vision (compelling future): The Special Education Department strives to be a caring and dynamic learning communityin which all members are actively engaged in the ongoing development and delivery of high quality, cutting edge instruction based on research and assessment data and designed to meet the unique learning needs of our students.

  3. Professional Learning Communities Philosophy: • Guided by shared mission, vision, values and goals • Integral part of a collaborative culture (high performing, collaborative teams is driving force) that uses a collective inquiry approach that is action oriented • Value continuous improvement (perpetual learning by all) and results (rather than intentions) • Emphasize learning together and celebrating successes Source: On Common Ground by Richard DuFour, Robert Eaker, & Rebecca DuFour, 2005

  4. PNW BOCESContent Focused PLCs Structure: • Monthly department meetings • Department facilitators (teacher leaders) • Structured agendas • Curriculum and assessment review (What do we want each student to learn? How will we know when each student has learned it?) • Regional content area meeting review • Instructional technology committee review • Goal review – (How will we respond when a student experiences difficulty in learning?) • Program-wide goals (academic & behavior) • Department goals (quality instruction aimed at improving student achievement) • Principal participation (instructional leaders)

  5. School-Wide Systems for Student Success 1-5% Academic Behavioral Intensive Interventions Intensive Individual Interventions 5-10% Small Group Interventions Targeted Group Interventions 80-90% Scientific, Research Based Core Instruction Universal Interventions

  6. Academic & Clinical Levels of Support • Ensure that the needs of all students are met both academically and behaviorally. • Collect data to monitor student progress. • Analyze data to identify patterns and to inform and differentiate instruction. • Employ different approaches and interventions, document results, change as necessary.

  7. Academic Levels of Support 2

  8. Clinical Levels of Support 2

  9. Celebrating Excellence in Teaching • Content Focused PLCs documented their work throughout the year in response to three questions: • Where were we? (prior to 2009-2010) • Where are we now? (June 2010) • Where we are we going? (2010-2011+) • Prepared formal presentations and invited the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendents

  10. Celebrating excellence in teaching Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES Secondary Special Education Teachers June 2, 2010

  11. Mission & Vision • Our MissionTo assist districts in meeting the changing needs of their students by providing a full range of programs, services, and resources that target areas of intervention based on specific student needs and promotes the greatest level of student independence and success. • Our VisionThe Special Education Department strives to be a caring and dynamic learning community in which all members are actively engaged in the ongoing development and delivery of high quality, cutting edge instruction based on research and assessment data and designed to meet the unique learning needs of students.

  12. World Class Education • I think that our collective value as teachers should be to continue to give high value, world class educations to our students in innovative ways that meet their educational needs. Aligned with this priority is our desire and responsibility to provide social support and guidance by providing powerful examples as adults, as well as helping our students to build positive, meaningful relationships with as many people as possible. - Dave Lally, Social Studies Teacher at Fox Meadow

  13. Passion for Teaching • Our collective passion may be described in a few words: committed, enthusiastic, optimistic. If we don’t feel this way, we must ask ourselves what we are doing. Educators need to be committed to their mission of creating thinkers and problem solvers. I came across a quote by Georg Hegel, a German philosopher, who states, “Nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion.” I’d definitely say we are doing something great and we must all have a passion for doing it. - Cathy Armisto, Instructional Specialist at Fox Meadow

  14. Great Teachers • Great teachers must: • Possess the ability to relate to students and make them feel comfortable • Engage in rigorous planning • Establish predictable routines • Persevere (If you quit easily, you won’t make it far at BOCES!) • Have high expectations - Patty Lucido, Science Teacher at Fox Meadow

  15. Quality Instruction • It is in the way that we teach that either teaches the students or doesn't.  We're either teaching correctly or we’re not.  It doesn't matter whether the students come from poverty or other challenging backgrounds that determines whether they're going to learn or not, it all comes down to instruction and how it's executed. - Stacey Chiarella, English Teacher at Fox Meadow

  16. English Department • We recognize that across the board students need to improve their writing skills. • We propose that writing skills be taught daily and intensively next year. • Ideally academic blocks would be very beneficial. • Collaborative Instruction both within departments and across the curriculum would reinforce a culture of learning, trust and growth.

  17. Math Department • Many students do not see personal relevance in math topics • Project Based Math - Math department will work to create a project based math course to engage students in hands on activities that demonstrate real life applications of mathematical principles

  18. Science Department Review Packets Communicationparents, staff, students Tiers Homework Regents questions At the end of every lesson Literacy Science across the content Cooperative Groups Study Skills Safe environment Words of the Week

  19. Words of the Week ANALYZE evaluate, examine, take apart, break down, look at closely or investigate

  20. Words of the Week COMPARE TELL HOW THEY ARE ALIKE, SAME, SIMILAR, WHAT DO THEY HAVE IN COMMON?

  21. Social Studies Department • Rigor, Relevance & Relationships • Student centered learning • High order thinking skills • 21st century learning • Community based learning • Integrating subjects… painting one picture • http://prezi.com/mwdfx9ctzayd/social-studies5/

  22. Successes • Positive, focused emphasis on teacher leadership (distributed leadership) • Committed department members (collaborative culture) • Use of a more comprehensive array of student data (collective inquiry) • Studying the correlations between the work of the content focused PLCs to student outcomes (results oriented) • Cohesive, inclusive meaningful plan for future (perpetual learning by all)

  23. Next Steps • Institutionalize process • Focus on teaching and learning • Expand model to special area departments, clinical department, our elementary school & other special education programs • Create a BOCES wide CIA network committee that will continue this work on a larger scale throughout the entire organization • Promote teacher leaders and build shared leadership capacity among all teachers • Focus on results using data • Stay the course, be positive and celebrate successes!

  24. True Accountability • Accountability – true accountability – comes from within. We are accountable when we have embraced our responsibilities with all of our heart, when we have integrated ourselves so deeply in our work, into the lives and futures of our children, that our dreams include our dreams for them. - Dr. James Langlois, Superintendent at Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES

  25. Thank You! Dr. Lynn Allen Assistant Director of Special Education & the Guidance and Child Study Center lallen@pnwboces.org

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