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Continuing the Commitment: Sustaining Reading First Outcomes

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Title: Continuing the Commitment: Sustaining Reading First Outcomes


1
Continuing the Commitment Sustaining Reading
First Outcomes
2
Overview
  • Introduction to sustainability
  • Planning for sustainability
  • Sustainability by Reading First elements
  • Additional strategies for sustainability
  • References

3
Where are we now?
  • What do your current Reading First results look
    like?
  • Are they better than your previous results? (pre
    RF)
  • Are these the outcomes you want to sustain?
  • If not, where do you go from here? (action
    planning)
  • If so, what is the rationale for sustaining?
    What is the process for sustaining?

4
Sustaining Reading First A Premise...
  • Those who are able to sustain the improved
    outcomes they have attained under Reading First
    will be those who
  • see Reading First not as a funding stream, but as
    a different way of thinking about teaching and
    learning
  • see the management of change as a systems level
    process
  • understand that sustaining does not simply mean
    maintaining

5
We are not where we want to be, We are not where
we are going to be, But we are not where we
were. Rosa Parks
6
Definitions
sustainability does not simply mean whether
something will last. It addresses how particular
initiatives can be developed without compromising
the development of others in the surrounding
environment now and in the future. (Hargreaves
Fink, 2000, p. 30)
7
Lessons learned school-level factors that hinder
sustainability
  • The presence of competing reforms
  • Instability of leadership
  • Teacher retention
  • Poor student outcomes
  • Low level of teacher commitment
  • (Datnow, 2005)

8
Lessons learned school-level factors that lead
to sustainability
  • Genuine interest in change
  • Teacher and administrator support
  • Critical mass involved in implementation
  • Sustained professional development
  • Practical plan for implementation
  • Monitoring of the change effort
  • (Datnow, 2005)

9
Lessons Learned from the Rand Study
  • Involved a national sample of federally-funded
    educational innovations
  • Studied projects in
  • Last two years of a 35 year funding cycle
  • First two years after funding ended
  • Outcomes reflected not the amount of funding, but
    the actions of the local staff.
  • Key finding Mutual Adaptation
  • Sustainability was enhanced if the project
    adapted to the changing context of the school
    setting (e.g., staff turnover, training and
    support, changes in student population, etc.).
  • School staff adapted their practices in response
    to the project.
  • (Berman and McLaughlin, 1978)

10
Planning for Sustainability
11
Institutionalization
12
Institutionalization
Institutionalization involves a multilevel
process during which an innovation becomes an
established practice.
  • Structuralinnovation reflected in a concrete
    fashion throughout the organization
  • Proceduralactivities associated with the
    innovation become standard operating procedure
  • Culturalnorms and values associated with the
    innovation are embraced by members of the
    organization

(Curry, 1991)
13
Institutionalization
  • Schools whose reforms were well institutionalized
    did not suffer or experience conflicts
    in the face of changing district and
    state demands.

(Datnow, 2005)
14
Reading First Elements and Sustainability
  • Leadership (organization, goals, priorities,
    communication)
  • Culture (shared vision, beliefs, practices and
    commitments)
  • SBRR curriculum (core, supplemental,
    intervention)
  • Instruction (differentiation, grouping, delivery)
  • Assessment/Use of data (formative assessments/use
    of data for instructional planning)
  • Professional development (differentiated and
    targeted)
  • Coaching (job-embedded)
  • Use of time (90) and additional learning
    opportunities
  • Use of recurring resources
  • District support

15
Elements of a School-wide Reading Model with
Added Costs and Sources of Support
16
Elements of a School-wide Reading Model with
Added Costs and Sources of Support (continued)
17
Leadership
  • As leaders, how do you affect the following
  • Buy-in and depth at all levels including central
    office and instructional leaders?
  • Commitment to analyzing and using data?
  • Supporting staff in the change process?
  • Facilitating and providing resources?
  • Fostering motivationWhat else can we do?
  • Fostering the sense of ownership and pride?
  • Celebrate successes?

18
Leadership Create a Culture of Learning
  • Five mutually reinforcing sets of strategic
    activities
  • Nested learning communities
  • Principal institutes
  • Leadership for instruction
  • Peer learning
  • Individual coaching

I believe that no effective learning can go on
without very strong personal relationships, but
relationships cant substitute for deep
knowledge. (Fink, 2001)
19
Barriers to Sustainability Leadership
  • Turnover of leadership (principal, coach)
  • Lack of attention to reading culture
  • Lack of instructional leadership
  • The leadership is concentrated in one person
  • Lack of support from the district for maintaining
    effective leadership at the school level

20
Strategies for Sustainability Leadership
Addressing Staff Turnover
  • Reading-based hiring practices posting,
    recruiting, screening, interviewing, doing
    reference checks)
  • Re-assignment of staff place principals,
    coaches and teachers based on vision and skills
    which match the needs of the students in the
    school
  • Cultivate leaders planned succession (Fullan,
    2005)
  • Provide training, opportunity, support,
    recognition
  • Have current leaders mentor potential leaders

21
Strategies for Sustainability Leadership
Addressing Reading Culture and Instruction
  • Review/revise job descriptions for principal and
    coach
  • Set high expectations for leaders regarding
    outcomes and hold them accountable
  • Supervise and evaluate principals and coaches on
    the variables related to strong outcomes
  • Provide support for leaders to meet outcomes
    (mentoring)
  • Structure strong collaboration between principal
    and coach
  • Establish strong building reading team

22
Shifting Leadership Priorities
Reading First
  • Requires a shift in typical school leadership
    priorities.

Reading First
23
Brief Discussion Key or Emerging Leaders in Your
School
Dont rely on a hero. Rely on the team. Rob
Horner
  • Who are the reading leaders in your school? Who
    are the potential leaders?
  • What are the roles they play or can play to help
    sustain Reading First elements?
  • What can you do to cultivate their leadership
    potential?

24
Reading culture What is it?
  • How we do things here (with respect to reading)
  • The materials we use
  • The training and support we provide
  • The instruction we plan and deliver
  • The assessments we conduct
  • The way we use time and other resources
  • The leadership we provide for reading
  • Our shared mission, vision, beliefs,
    expectations, norms, values and practices around
    reading outcomes

25
The Components of Reading Culture
shared mission/vision/beliefs
community engagement around reading
common understanding of student context
culture
student outcomes
cultivation of input/buy-in
shared expectations of students
culture
communication about the culture
common evidence-based practices
commitment to continuous improvement
26
Barriers to Sustainability Developing a Strong
Reading Culture
  • Change of leadership (principal or coach)
  • Lack of participation by principal
  • Staff turnover (new teachers)
  • Changing goals/priorities at district/school
    level
  • Loss of urgency for improved outcomes
  • Cultural drift

27
Strategies for Sustainability Developing a
Strong Reading Culture
  • School Level
  • Develop teacher capacity to understand data and
    deliver instruction aligned with each students
    needs.
  • Examine student data regularly to assure
    progress adjust instruction as needed.
  • Classroom Level
  • Regularly monitor student progress.
  • Regularly meet with grade level team to adjust
    grouping and instruction as needed.

28
Barriers to Sustainability Curriculum
  • Insufficient training and follow-up support on
    program implementation
  • Insufficient attention to fidelity of
    implementation
  • Insufficient differentiation of curriculum
  • Lack of funds for replacement materials

29
Strategies for Sustainability Curriculum
  • Additional training and follow-up as needed
  • Supervise for fidelity to instructional plan
  • Accountability for implementation
  • District, Title 1 funds, other sources for
    materials

30
Barriers to Sustainability Instruction
  • Procedural drift
  • Inefficiencies in instruction
  • Insufficient differentiation

31
Strategies for Sustainability Instruction
  • Leadership/supervision for fidelity to plans and
    commitments
  • Additional training or support based on data
  • Planning, support for greater differentiation

32
Barriers to SustainabilityUse of Data
  • Loss of staff time or commitment to collect data
  • Lack of leadership for using data
  • Insufficient knowledge on how to use data
  • Lack of support for grade level team meetings

33
Strategies for SustainabilityUse of Data
  • Build team use of reading data into the school
    culture
  • Schedule regular administration of measures
  • Report up and out Schedule meetings to
    analyze and discuss data  team, principal-coach,
    and principal-district
  • Develop in-house expertise for interpreting data
    and determining instructional implications
  • Identify achievement gaps between classes,
    between grades, and between schools
  • Identify which classes, schools we can learn from
    and which need more support

34
Barriers to Sustainability Professional
Development
  • New and/or competing priorities
  • Loss of focus
  • Loss of PD funds
  • Lack of PD planning
  • Lack of training for new staff
  • Lack of transfer from training to classroom
    setting
  • Lack of follow-up or on-going support

35
Strategies for Sustainability Professional
Development
  • Deflect/defer/combine competing priorities
  • Provide leadership to sustain focus
  • Use Title 1, 2A, 3, 5, reading allocation of FEFP
    and district to focus on the most efficient and
    productive training activities
  • Differentiated PD based on data
  • Assure that follow-up support takes place and is
    effective
  • Set up system to provide PD to new staff
  • Provide new staff with foundational training and
    support in addition to new PD

36
Barriers to Sustainability Coaching
  • Threat of losing funding for coach
  • Diminished effectiveness of coach

Hypothesis schools with high levels of teacher
turnover will find it difficult to sustain
Reading First without a coach position.
37
Strategies for Sustainability Coaching
  • Identify new funding sources to keep the position
    or
  • Look at other coaching models
  • Continue supervision/support for coaching
    effectiveness
  • Identify other sources of technical assistance
    and support once regional and state RF sources
    are no longer available

38
Barriers to SustainabilityUse of Time
  • Inadequate time scheduled
  • Reversion to previous practices
  • Competing events
  • School or classroom culture does not make
    efficient use of instructional time

39
Strategies for SustainabilityUse of Time
  • Revise school and classroom schedules to assure
    sufficient teaching time (schedule reading
    first!)
  • Supervise for adherence to instructional schedule
    and commitment to adequate learning time for all
    students
  • Provide sufficient staff and training to ensure
    high levels of instructional intensity
  • If new priorities come along and cant be
    deferred, integrate new priorities into the
    reading priority

40
Elements of Time in Reading First
  • Calendars (PD and collaboration time)
  • Schedules (90 minutes intervention time)
  • Instructional involvement
  • Academic engaged time
  • Opportunities to respond
  • Positive instructional interactions
  • Transition time

41
Allocation of Recurring Resources
  • Reallocating resources to increase student
    outcomes . . . sends a powerful message to the
    staff and the community about the districts
    primary mission and intent to help students
    succeed.
  • (NWREL, 2001)

42
Barriers to Sustainability Use of Recurring
Resources
  • Budget is not aligned with reading priority
  • Staffing funds are not optimized for maximum
    instructional coverage
  • Time
  • Not allocating adequate time for instruction
  • Not making full use of instructional time
    allocated

43
Strategies for SustainabilityUse of Recurring
Resources
  • Budget
  • Prioritize district, state and federal dollars
    for the Reading First elements which require
    funding
  • Make data-driven budget decisions
  • Staffing
  • Hire and assign staff to optimize support for
    reading outcomes
  • Time
  • Provide adequate time for planning, training,
    support and instruction, and monitor use of time
  • Manage competing priorities (focus on highest
    priorities)

44
Building Capacity Leads to Sustainability
  • Within RF schools, put a system in place that
  • Brings new teachers up to speed
  • Reviews/renews what is known about SBRR/SBRI
  • Prevents slippage
  • Across the district, reach out to departments
    such as Title I, ELL, bilingual/migrant,
    assessment, special education

45
Summary of Key Ideas
  • We must optimize the resources over which we
    have control and align them with our mission
    specifically
  • other funding sources and
  • resources that dont have additional costs
    attached
  • Shared leadership
  • Strong reading culture ( a can do culture)
  • Smart use of time
  • Aligning allocation of recurring resources
    w/priorities
  • Use of data for continuous improvement

46
Other Sustainability Resources
  • Langford, B. H., Flynn, M. (2003).
    Sustainability planning workbook. Washington DC
    The Finance Project.
  • Tools, Checklists, Questions, etc.
  • Sustainability Planning worksheets
  • http//www.afterschoolalliance.org
  • http//www.communityschools.org/fundingchecklist.h
    tml
  • http//nccenet.org/21st_century/index.htm
  • Comprehensive School Reform
  • Local systemic change
  • http//lsc-net.terc.edu/go.cfm/home
  • Comprehensive school reformvirtual conferences
  • http//sustainability.terc.edu
  • http//sustainability2002.terc.edu
  • http//sustainability2003.terc.edu

47
  • Change for Keeps.
  • Change for Good
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