Stage & Scope of implementation

1. Administrators Kick Off 2014The Science of ImplementationPractice: SIG Transformation/Reform Model ImplementationName: Tom Hiltz/Monica CesarelloSchool: T.S. MacQuiddy Elementary

2. Stage & Scope of implementation • Exploration/Installation – (pre 2010) • Best structure for teacher collaboration (Data Teams) • Persistently Low Achieving School (PLAS) identified • Received School Improvement Grant (SIG) • Initial Implementation – (2010 – 2013) • First 3 years with SIG Grant • Full Implementation - ongoing • Preparing for the Common Core • Visible Learning

3. History & Context Why was this THE idea to push to full implementation? • District initiated Data Team process previous year (2009-10) • PLAS identified school provided opportunity for SIG and extra $$ for 3 years • Key components of SIG • Build shared leadership capacity • Continue Data Team implementation • Response to Instruction implementation • Technology upgrades

4. Shared Leadership • Grade Level stipends to help establish importance and develop leadership qualities • Monthly leadership meetings with focus on instruction and school culture

5. Data Teams • Support from outside consultant – Paul Bloomberg (beginning year 2) • Extra pay for weekly collaboration for all teachers to help establish importance of the process • Grade level half day collaborations every 6-8 weeks to plan and review instruction with admin using DT process • Effective structure for teacher collaboration • Strategic use of ongoing formative assessments as one of the most critical components of the process • Ongoing data collection and use of comprehensive spreadsheets • Show Data samples

6. RTI - It Takes a Village • Support from outside consultant – Cara Bergen • Assessing and leveling of students during part of ELA block • Additional support staff added/identified to provide extra support to students assessing at the lower levels • Weekly grade level ELA curriculum planning where all teachers planned and provided input for each level of the grade level (Intervention, Strategic, Benchmark, Enrichment) • Established an expectation that all grade level teachers were responsible for all grade level students

7. The Skill and Will of it All • The Skill – First 3 years • Data Teams • RTI • Targeted and differentiated instruction • Transition to the common core using more authentic assessments • The Will – Focus for year 4 • Anthony Muhammad – The Will to Lead the Skill to Teach • Leadership Team book study • Revisited Principal commitments to staff • Developed a school wide vision

8. Next Steps: The Science of Learning 2014-15 • Support from outside consultant - Paul Bloomberg • John Hattie – Visible Learning book study with staff • Response to Students vs. Response to Instruction (RTS vs. RTI) • Continue refinement of most effective learning strategies for students • Teachers share learning intentions, continuums and scoring rubrics with students • New forms of data collection – student interviews throughout the year • Transition from transformational leadership to instructional leadership

9. Transformational • inspirational motivation • individualized support • sets direction • vision, group goals, high expectations • instructional support • monitoring school activity • buffering staff from external demands • fair and equitable staffing • easily accessible Instructional • classroom observations • interpreting test scores with teachers • focusing on instructional issues • ensuring a coordinated instructional program • highly visible • communicating high academic standards • ensuring class atmospheres are conducive to learning

10. 3 key obstacles and how they were overcome • Recruiting union support for all identified SIG implementation practices • Changing teachers’ perceptions of their students’ learning capabilities and their own teaching abilities • Identifying and getting the right people on the leadership bus

11. Which DRIVERS do you have in place? • Organization Drivers • Systematic data team process that uses pre, interim and post assessments (concentration on constructed response) with re-teaching opportunities offered throughout each unit/cycle • Improved implementation of SST process • Competency Drivers • Support from outside consultants • Continued developing district support/collaboration to provide more trainings for new CCSS implementation

12. Non-negotiables • The new CCSS are the curriculum, not the textbooks • The need to follow the district developed pacing guide/calendars for ELA and math • Weekly grade level collaboration time to analyze student data and plan common curriculum lessons for each unit of study

13. Impact on students and staff • API data • Kinder BPST • K-2 Rigby data • Data Cycle data • New CCSS pacing guides and units of study • Teacher reflections

14. How will you sustain or grow the practice? • Continue to develop strong supportive relationships with district office to ensure the work continues • Continue to identify and obtain expert support from outside the district to help identify best practices and build capacity and expertise at site and district levels • Be strategic and careful about hiring new staff/positions that may disappear when time sensitive/specific categorical funding ends

15. Reflections/Recommendations • With the coming of the new CCSS, all schools have a sense of urgency to reform. This should be looked at as an opportunity for school leaders to implement change for the better • Full implementation doesn’t exist, continuous improvement does • Always be on the lookout for potential future school leaders that may be present and working at your site