Title: Breaking Ranks II : Strategies for Leading High School Reform
1Breaking Ranks II Strategies for Leading High
School Reform
TM
Welcome toBreaking Ranks IIBeginning the
Conversation
2- The greatest danger for most of us is not that
our aim is too high and we miss it, but that
it is too low and we reach it. - Michelangelo
3The secret of managing a team is to keep the
four guys who hate you away from the five who are
still undecided. Casey
Stengel
4Goal
- To help ensure your success as you work to
improve student performance through the
recommendations in Breaking Ranks II.
5Breaking Ranks ???
6(No Transcript)
7Breaking Ranks II
2004
1996
8Climate for Change
This is the current program.
1
This is what were going to do instead.
The new thing
9Climate for Change
This is the current program.
2
The new thing
And this is what were going to do instead.
10Climate for Change
This is the current program.
The new thing
3
And this is what were going to do instead.
11Why Break Ranks?
12Rate of Change
- To achieve 25 penetration rate in U.S. homes
- Telephone 35 years
- Television 26 years
- Personal Computer 16 years
- Internet 7 years
- Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) 3 years
Willard Daggett International Center for
Leadership in Education, 2006
13Ten Trends
- For the first time in history, the old will
out-number the young. - The U.S. will become a nation of minorities by
mid-century - Social and intellectual capitol will become the
primary economic value (Information age) - Education is shifting from averages to
individuals (Standardization vs. Personalization) - The Millennial generation will insist on
solutions to accumulated problems - Continuous improvement and collaboration will
replace quick fixes and defense of the status quo - Knowledge creation and breakthrough thinking will
stir a new era of enlightenment - Scientific discoveries and societal realities
will force difficult ethical choices - Competition will increase as industries and
professions intensify their efforts to attract
and keep talented people - Technology will increase the speed of
communication and the pace of advancement or
decline
Gary Marx. Ten Trends Educating Children for
Tomorrows World. 2003
14Emerging Careers
- Artificial Intelligence Technician
- Automobile Fuel Cell Battery Technician
- Cyrbarian
- Image Consultant
- Information Broker
- Medical Diagnostic Imaging Technician
- Neuromarketing
Gary Marx. Ten Trends Educating Children for
Tomorrows World. 2003
15Why Break Ranks?
- The Job Market 50 Years Ago
- 20 Professional
- 20 Skilled Labor
- 60 Unskilled Labor
16Why Break Ranks?
- Todays Job Market
- 20 Professional
- 65 Skilled
- 15 Unskilled
17Why Break Ranks?
College Graduates by Age 26
Source Tom Mortenson, Research Seminar on Public
Policy Analysis of Opportunity for Post
Secondary, 1997.
18The World is Flat
Thomas L. Friedman
19NCLB
- New era of accountability
- Schools held to new standards
- Required to reach all students
20What Happens to Entering 9th Graders Four Years
Later
37 Graduate from high school NOT
college-ready
29 Drop out of high school
34 Graduate from high school college-ready
Greene Winters 2005
21The Moral Imperative
- Well compare our performance to any of the
surrounding high schools. - That could never happen at our school.
- We have some of the best test scores around.
- Our school is above average in every
standardized measure. - Our drop out rate is acceptable.
22Breaking Ranks II Organization
- 7 Cornerstone Strategies help schools strategize
about entry points for implementing
recommendations. - 31 Recommendations indicate specific goals for
improving student outcomes. - ? 3 Core Areas Themes that cluster
recommendations keep the big picture in focus.
pp. 6-15
pp. 17 - 18
p. 16
23Collaborative LeadershipCore Area 1
- ? Involve others in the change process through
collaboration, review of data, and professional
development.
24 Collaborative Leadership Core Area 1
- Chapter 2 p. 19
- ? Recommendations 1 9 p. 61
25Personalization Core Area 2
- ? Provide opportunities for students to build
relationships with adults and peers, and between
themselves and what they learn.
26Personalization Core Area 2
- ? Chapter 3 p. 67
- ? Recommendations 10-18 p. 83
27Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment Core Area 3
- ?Build relationships between students and ideas
- ? Rigorous Essential Learnings
- ? Student-centered
- ? Applied to real world
- ? Engaging
28Curriculum, Instruction Assessment Core Area 3
- ? Chapter 4 p. 89
- ? Recommendations 19-31 p.123
29Seven Cornerstone Strategies
- Establish the essential learnings a student is
required to master in order to graduate, and
adjust the curriculum and teaching strategies to
realize that goal. - Increase the quantity and improve the quality of
interactions between students, teachers, and
other school personnel by reducing the number of
students for which any adult or group of adults
is responsible. - Implement a comprehensive advisory program that
ensures that each student has frequent and
meaningful opportunities to plan and assess his
or her academic and social progress with a
faculty member. - Ensure that teachers use a variety of
instructional strategies and assessments to
accommodate individual learning styles.
30Seven Cornerstone Strategies
- Implement schedules flexible enough to
accommodate teaching strategies consistent with
the ways students learn most effectively and that
allow for effective teacher teaming and lesson
planning. - Institute structural leadership changes that
allow for meaningful involvement in decision
making by students, teachers, family members, and
the community and that support effective
communication with these groups. - Align the schoolwide comprehensive, ongoing
professional development program and the
individual Personal Learning Plans of staff
members with the content knowledge and
instructional strategies required to prepare
students for graduation.
31Leadership
- A leader is someone you willingly choose to
follow to a place you would not go by yourself. - - Joel Barker
32Leadership
- Leadership focuses on the future, management
focuses on the present. - - Joel Barker
33Leadership and Management
- When Noah heard the weather forecast,
- he ordered the building of the ark.
- That was Leadership.
- Then he looked around and said,
- "Make sure the elephants don't see what the
rabbits are up to." - That was Management.
34Balanced Leadership Framework
- Effective Leadership means more than simply
knowing what to do its knowing when, how and
why to do it. Effective leaders know how to
balance pushing for change while at the same
time, protecting aspects of culture, values, and
norms worth preserving...They know how to gauge
the magnitude of change they are calling for and
how to tailor their leadership strategies
accordingly. - - McREL Meta-Analysis on Leadership (2004)
35What Does it Take?
36How Principals See Themselves
Metropolitan Life Survey of the Teacher 2003
An Examination of School Leadership.
37360 Feedback Instrument
Support Staff
Prof Staff
Self
Supervisor
Admin Team
Community
Peers
38- The fact that the captain of the ship can
clearly see the port is of no use if the crew
continues to paddle in a different direction. -
Author Unknown
39Leadership
- Leadership is a reciprocal relationship between
those who choose to lead and those who decide to
follow. - - Kouzes Posner
40(No Transcript)
41School Culture
42Systems
All organizations are perfectly designed to
produce the results they get. - Peter Senge, The
Fifth Discipline
43The only difference between a rut and a grave is
the depth of the hole. Roland Barth
44Managing Complex Change
Vision
45Managing Complex Change
CHANGE
Vision
46Managing Complex Change
Vision
Skills
47Managing Complex Change
Vision
Skills
48Managing Complex Change
Vision
Skills
49Managing Complex Change
Vision
Skills
50Managing Complex Change
Vision
Skills
51Managing Complex Change
CHANGE
Vision
52 Change is good! You go first.
- Michael Fullen
53- You have to change enough quickly enough so that
gravity can not drag you back. -
Theodore Sizer
54Welcome Back
- Breaking Ranks II
- Beginning the Conversation
55(No Transcript)
56Dialogue reveals assumptions for examination
and reevaluation. Dialogue remains open-ended.
57THIS IS IT, LUCY! WE MADE IT ALL THE WAY TO THE
END OF THE WORLD, WHICH VALIDATES MY HYPOTHESIS
WOO-HOO!
58UH WHAT HYPOTHESIS?
THAT THE EARTH IS FLAT!
59UM WHAT ABOUT ALL THE EVIDENCE THAT REFUTES YOUR
PRE-CONCEIVED CONCLUSION?
I JUST DISMISS IT AS RHETORIC BY EVIL DOERS WHO
WANT TO EMBOLDEN THE ENEMY
60BUT IF YOU JUST LOOK OVER THERE, YOU CAN SEE FOR
YOURSELF. THE EARTH ISNT FLAT. THIS ISNT THE
EDGE OF THE EARTH ITS JUST A GULLY
SO AS LONG AS I DONT LOOK, MY CONVICTIONS HOLD
TRUE
61Assessment Literacy
- The ability to gather dependable student data.
- Capacity to examine student data make sense of
it. - Ability to make changes in teaching in schools
derived from those data. - Commitment to communicate effectively engage in
external assessment discussions. - - Michael Fullan
62 DATA
- Less than 20 of parents respond to communication
from the school.
What conclusions might be drawn from this?
63 DATA
- The membership of sports teams, leadership
groups, honors classes and clubs draws from the
same 45 of the student body.
What conclusions might be drawn from this?
64Important and Useful Data
A 1. Won 41 lost 39 2. Second place in the
Division 3. Record away from home was 18 wins and
22 losses (league avg. was 13-27) 4. Team beaten
in the second round of the playoffs
B 1. Team averaged 102 points per game 2. Team
gave up 99 points per game (league avg. 94) 3.
Team percentage shooting 48.2 (league avg.
46.1) 4. Team 3 point percentage shooting 39.2
(league avg. 34.5)
D 1. Team practices 3 hours per day, 75 of which
is on offense. 2. Each team member shoots
approximately 50 free throws per day. 3. In a 48
minute game, the five starters averaged 37, 42,
38, 35, and 35 minutes of play. 4. Pre season two
a day practices last a shorter time than for most
teams 5. There is unrest among the reserves.
C 1. Team averaged 12.6 turnovers (league avg.
14.2) 2. Team free throw percentage 67.3
(league avg. 75.2) 3. Team averaged 39 rebounds
per game, 16 offensive, 23 defensive (league avg.
13.4 26.6) 4. Team committed 47 of its fouls in
the 4th quarter.
65Important and Useful Data
Which data do you think are the most important to
the teams stakeholders?
66Important and Useful Data
A 1. Won 41 lost 39 2. Second place in the
Division 3. Record away from home was 18 wins and
22 losses (league avg. was 13-27) 4. Team beaten
in the second round of the playoffs
B 1. Team averaged 102 points per game 2. Team
gave up 99 points per game (league avg. 94) 3.
Team percentage shooting 48.2 (league avg.
46.1) 4. Team 3 point percentage shooting 39.2
(league avg. 34.5)
D 1. Team practices 3 hours per day, 75 of which
is on offense. 2. Each team member shoots
approximately 50 free throws per day. 3. In a 48
minute game, the five starters averaged 37, 42,
38, 35, and 35 minutes of play. 4. Pre season two
a day practices last a shorter time than for most
teams 5. There is unrest among the reserves.
C 1. Team averaged 12.6 turnovers (league avg.
14.2) 2. Team free throw percentage 67.3
(league avg. 75.2) 3. Team averaged 39 rebounds
per game, 16 offensive, 23 defensive (league avg.
13.4 26.6) 4. Team committed 47 of its fouls in
the 4th quarter.
67Important and Useful Data
Which data would be the least useful to help the
team improve?
68Important and Useful Data
A 1. Won 41 lost 39 2. Second place in the
Division 3. Record away from home was 18 wins and
22 losses (league avg. was 13-27) 4. Team beaten
in the second round of the playoffs
B 1. Team averaged 102 points per game 2. Team
gave up 99 points per game (league avg. 94) 3.
Team percentage shooting 48.2 (league avg.
46.1) 4. Team 3 point percentage shooting 39.2
(league avg. 34.5)
D 1. Team practices 3 hours per day, 75 of which
is on offense. 2. Each team member shoots
approximately 50 free throws per day. 3. In a 48
minute game, the five starters averaged 37, 42,
38, 35, and 35 minutes of play. 4. Pre season two
a day practices last a shorter time than for most
teams 5. There is unrest among the reserves.
C 1. Team averaged 12.6 turnovers (league avg.
14.2) 2. Team free throw percentage 67.3
(league avg. 75.2) 3. Team averaged 39 rebounds
per game, 16 offensive, 23 defensive (league avg.
13.4 26.6) 4. Team committed 47 of its fouls in
the 4th quarter.
69Important and Useful Data
Which data would be the most useful to help the
team improve?
70Important and Useful Data
A 1. Won 41 lost 39 2. Second place in the
Division 3. Record away from home was 18 wins and
22 losses (league avg. was 13-27) 4. Team beaten
in the second round of the playoffs
B 1. Team averaged 102 points per game 2. Team
gave up 99 points per game (league avg. 94) 3.
Team percentage shooting 48.2 (league avg.
46.1) 4. Team 3 point percentage shooting 39.2
(league avg. 34.5)
D 1. Team practices 3 hours per day, 75 of which
is on offense. 2. Each team member shoots
approximately 50 free throws per day. 3. In a 48
minute game, the five starters averaged 37, 42,
38, 35, and 35 minutes of play. 4. Pre season two
a day practices last a shorter time than for most
teams 5. There is unrest among the reserves.
C 1. Team averaged 12.6 turnovers (league avg.
14.2) 2. Team free throw percentage 67.3
(league avg. 75.2) 3. Team averaged 39 rebounds
per game, 16 offensive, 23 defensive (league avg.
13.4 26.6) 4. Team committed 47 of its fouls in
the 4th quarter.
71Important and Useful Data
Summary
- B C data
- Targeted data
- Usually determined by District
- Usually not important to stakeholders
- Important and useful to educators to target NEEDS
- A data
- Big Picture data
- Usually determined by policy or legislation
- Usually ranked data
- Important to stakeholders
- Not very useful to educators
- D data
- Causal data
- Usually determined by principal teachers
- Usually not important to stakeholders
- Extremely important and useful to educators to
explain A, B, C data and focus school
improvement
72You dont fatten your cattle by weighing them.
- Jonathan Kozol
73Personalizing the School Environment
- On any given day, I think every adolescent is
at-risk in some way. How many schools approach
such concerns with purposeful, planned and
progressive awareness-building, educational, and
intervention strategies in place as opposed to
trying to deny these realities or being caught in
a reactive, crisis-oriented position? -
Marnik (1997)
74Personalization
- A learning process in which schools help
students - Assess their own talents and aspirations,
- Plan a pathway toward their own purposes
- Work cooperatively with others on challenging
tasks - Maintain a record of their explorations, and
- Demonstrate their learning against clear
standards in a variety of media, - All with the close support of adult mentors and
guides.
75Personalized Learning Study
- Education Alliance at Brown
- Seven High Schools in 2000
- Shadowed 21 students in all 7 schools
- Characterize student needs
- Describe school structures
- Characterize interactions
76- Students need to make a strong connection to an
adult they can see themselves becoming. -
Author Unknown
77- To teach each student well requires that we know
each student well. -
Theodore Sizer
78HS Students Believe Schools Are Preparing Them
Well Grads, Employers and Professors Say
Otherwise
of survey respondents saying that high schools
prepare students well for
Achieve, Inc., 2005
79Standard
- P.O.T.S
- (person on the street)
80(No Transcript)
81Rigor At All Levels
- Students can do no better than the assignments
they are given. -
- Dr. Katie Haycock, Education Trust
8210th Grade Writing Assignment
- Many novels center on the struggle between man
and himself. Write an essay in which you discuss
this struggle as it relates to a character from
one of this semesters readings. Which aspect of
the character wins the struggle? Support your
point of view with evidence from the novel.
8310th Grade Writing Assignment (same school,
different section)
Write a three paragraph essay describing the
major accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. Be sure to proofread your work. Neatness
counts.
84What is academic rigor?
85How rigorous is the course?
- How deeply are students required to delve into
the subject matter? - How independently are they required to think and
work? - Are they required to integrate new knowledge
w/prior knowledge apply this sum in new
settings?
86How rigorous is the course?
- Are students required to be evaluative of their
own learning and performance? - Are they required to weigh and judge the veracity
of what they are told/taught? - Are they required to examine knowledge and issues
from a variety of points of view? - Teacher Leaders Network
87Guidelines for a Rigorous Curriculum
- It is authentic?
- Product-oriented
- Quality standards set in advance
- Requires application of skills
- Open-ended and problem-based
88Guidelines for a Rigorous Curriculum
- It is thoughtful and reflective?
- Requires analysis, synthesis, evaluation
- Has multiple outcomes
- Requires new ways of thinking
- Judged on quality criteria and evidence
89Guidelines for a Rigorous Curriculum
- It is uncomfortable?
- Creates dissonance in learner
- Uses real-world problems
- No clear answer only high quality ones
- Requires new behavior, skills and learning
- Entertains the possibility of failure
90Guidelines for a Rigorous Curriculum
- It is individualized?
- Permits student to pursue interests
- Is differentiated
- Provides support
- Requires self-evaluation
91Four Conditions for Student Success With The
Hard Stuff
- 1. Success seems feasible.
- Im smart enough.
- The teacher has understandable explanations for
the hard stuff. - Extra help is available if I need it.
- 2. Lessons seem relevant.
- 3. Adults are supportive and resolute.
- 4. Peers are supportive.
92Managing Complex Change
CHANGE
Vision
93Immediate Next Steps
Conversations with People - Actions to be Taken
Faculty Superintendent Board Other School
Personnel Parents Students Community
Members Others Myself
94Priorities
- What are our highest priorities for improving
student performance? - Goal statement regarding student performance
95WHATS IMPORTANT
IF YOU DONT KNOW WHATS IMPORTANT
THEN EVERYTHING IS IMPORTANT
WHATS IMPORTANT
THEN YOU DONT HAVE TIME TO DETERMINE
IF EVERYTHING IS IMPORTANT
WHATS IMPORTANT?
AND IN TRYING TO PLEASE EVERYBODY
THEN YOU TRY TO DO EVERYTHING
THEN PEOPLE EXPECT YOU TO DO EVERYTHING
IF YOU TRY TO DO EVERYTHING
Arthur Combs Teacher College Record
1978
96Core Area Clusters
p. 16
97Core Area Clusters
R6 Diversity Policies
R22 Link ed. to future goalsR28 Teachers as
coaches, students active involvement in own
learningR30 K-16 articulation
R12 Personal learning plansR13 Personal
adult advocateR18 Identify physical, mental
health, social needs
98Strategies
M
Recommendation R12 (p. 84) Each student will
have a personal learning plan
Strategies Timelines Resources Stakeholders
Students participate in establishing learning
goals.
M
?
?
?
Q
Progress review
Progress Measures
99Capacity Building
- Assess stakeholder attitudes. How do we build
ownership and secure commitment? - Assess stakeholder knowledge and skills. What
needs to be done to increase knowledge and
skills.
100Goal
- To help ensure your success as you work to
improve student performance through the
recommendations in Breaking Ranks II.