School Improvement Planning Opening Doors To Improved Student Achievement

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School Improvement PlanningOpening Doors To
Improved Student Achievement

Fully Accredited and Met AYP
Virginia Department of Education ? Office of
School Improvement April 5 and 24, 2006
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Todays Workshop Objectives

• To examine critical components of school
  improvement planning through the use of a
  comprehensive needs assessment
• To reinforce a review of academic data as the
  most critical component of the needs assessment
• To review additional components of the needs
  assessment

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Todays Workshop Objectives

• To offer this presentation as a school
  improvement planning tool to assist principals,
  lead teachers, and school support team members
  begin, continue or improve the whole-school
  reform effort.

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• The School Improvement Effort Begins with
• COURAGE.

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Is It Best To Leave Some DoorsUnopened?
Welcome
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Opened Doors Reveal

• Juggling Priorities
• Todays schools juggle many different
  prioritiesto ensure
• that they improve the education of the children.
• They aim to improve the literacy and numeracy of
  their
• student populations, raise standards of
  achievement in general,
• maximize the learning opportunities for pupils
  with special
• needs, improve on poor attendance, share good
  teaching
• practices with staff and perfect performance
  monitoring.
• When laid out in a list like this, it can seem
• that the role of most school managers is
• something akin to a highly skilled
• juggling act.
• 
  Phil Neal, Capita Education Services

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Opened Doors Reveal

• The Quality of Teaching
• Effective teachers employ effective instructional
  strategies,
• classroom management techniques, and classroom
• curricular design in a fluent, seamless fashion.
• Leinhardt and Greens Brooks and Hawke
• The most important factor affecting
• student learning is the teacher.
• Robert J. Marzano

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Opened Doors Reveal

• The Degree of Central Office
• Support
• Effective school improvement involves building
• the capacity for change and development. This
• necessitates pressure and support from both
• external and internal sources.
• The need for 'change agentry' is well established
• in the literature however, relatively little has
  been written
• about the role of the LEA as an external agent of
  change.
• School Leadership Management, Taylor Francis
  Group

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Opened Doors Reveal

• The Order of
• Priorities
• "The old way of thinking was that parental
  involvement was all about parents. The new way is
  that it's about student success."
• Dr. Joyce Epstein, Center on School, Family and
  Community Partnerships

Is Increased Parental Involvement a Top Priority
in Our School?
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Opened Doors Reveal

• Fundamental
• Student Beliefs
• What matters most is that students
• come to believe deeply in their own
• capacity to master difficult academic
• material through sustained,
• thoughtful effortThe behaviors
• cease to identify
• watershedsbecause no student is set
• apart from others.
• Every student is completing
• homework, volunteering in class
• Changing the Culture, D. Bruce Jackson

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Open Doors Should Reveal the Fulfillment of

• The Vision
• Schools should be places that challenge students
• academically, support
• teachers instructionally,
• and encourage
• principled leadership
• at all levels.
• Tim Knowles, Executive Director of the Center for
  Urban School Improvement, Chicagolt Illinois

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It Can Be Done.

• Research Shows
• "Any school in the United States can operate at
• advanced levels of effectiveness--if it is
  willing to
• implement what is known about effective
  schooling.
• If we follow the guidance offered from 35 years
  of
• research, we can enter an era of unprecedented
• effectiveness for the public practice of
  education."
• Robert J. Marzano

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Doors Swing Both Ways.

• The Good
• The Bad
• The Ugly

Whats Really Behind Your School Doors?
Are You Brave Enough?
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Behind Those Doors

• The Good
• Changing Behaviors
• Assessing Students
• Parent Conferencing
• Articulation Among/Across Grade Levels
• Thinking Big
• On-going Development of Integrated, Sequential
  Curriculum
• Team Building
• Sharing Ideas, Materials, Resources
• Creating a Supportive Risk- Taking, No-Fault
  Environment

• The Bad and The Ugly
• Inadequate Planning Time
• Lack of Adequate Funding
• Few Materials / Resources
• Traditional Assessments
• Lack of Parental Involvement
• Community Apathy
• Student Apathy and Poor Behavior
• Fear of Job Security
• Constant Change in Administrative Policy
• Inadequate Teacher Compensation
• Inconsistent Professional Development

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Workshop Time
15 minutes
Choose a recorder and a reporter for each
workshop activity.

• In your school teams, decide what are the top
  three Goods and the top three Bads and Uglies
  in your school.
• Discuss the impact each of the six factors has on
  your school.
• Prioritize the three positive factors and the
  three negative factors.

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Organizing Todays Thoughts
GO1

• Mount the Courage to Look At the Entire Schools
  Strengths and Weaknessesthe Good, the Bad, and
  the Ugly.
• Examples of What School Teams Will See
• Juggling Administrative Priorities
• The Quality of Teaching
• The Degree of Central Office Support
• The Order of Priorities
• Fundamental Student Beliefs
• Attained or Unattained Division and School Vision

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Why Are the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly All Good?

• For the lowest achieving students in the highest
  poverty schools to meet high standards of
  performance, the entire instructional program
  must be substantially
• improved and every facet of the school must
  be examined.
• Administration, staff, parents, and community
  must assess the good, the bad, and the ugly (of
  the whole school) before there can be change.
• No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
• Comprehensive School Reform
• 
  

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Schools Must Conduct a Comprehensive
Needs Assessment.
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Research-based FundamentalsExamining the School
Teams Primary Tasks

• Where are we now?
• Where do we want to go?
• How will we get there?
• How will we know when we get there?
• How will we sustain the focus and the momentum?
• Asking the Right Questions Techniques for
  Collaboration and School Change
• Edie Holcomb

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Conducting An Effective
Needs Assessment

• How Do We Get There
• From Here?

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By Examining Data Obstacles or Passports
to Improved Student Performance?Academic Data
Sources

• Achievement Tests Scores
• Criterion-Referenced Tests
• Norm-Referenced Tests
• Diagnostic Tests
• Benchmark Tests
• Competency Tests
• End-of-Chapter Tests

• Other Performance Indicator Tools
• Progress through Levels of Instruction
• Teacher Grades (Report Card)
• Grade-point Averages
• Progress Checklists and Logs
• Workbook Completions
• Student Assignment Sheets

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Even More Data School/Student Status Indicators

• Percentages of
• Students--
• On Honor Roll
• Taking AP Courses
• College Bound
• Attending College Each Year
• On, Below, Above Grade Level
• Involved in Extra-Curricular Activities

• Percentages of
• Students--
• Continuing in, Formerly in, or New Identification
  for Special Programs
• Retained
• Dropping Out
• Attending at or Near 100 percent and lower
• Tardy Each Day
• Referred, Suspended, Homebound, Expelled

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(Non-Academic)More Needs Assessment Data

• Instructional Support Programs
• Guidance/ School Health
• Gifted and Talented
• Title I /Other Federal Programs
• Parent Resource Center
• Instructional Materials
• Technology
• Before/After School Programs

• Staff
• Staff Credentials
• Staff Attendance
• Staff Morale
• Use of Instructional Time
• Teacher After-school Involvement with Students
• Professional Development

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...and More Data Possibilities

• In-School
• School Climate
• Parent / Teacher / Adm. Relationships
• Teacher Satisfaction
• Building / Equipment
• Communication
• Accessibility to Adm.
• Student Nutrition Program
• Transportation

• Community Relations
• Confidence in School
• Commitment to School
• Volunteerism
• Donations
• Open Door Policy
• Mentorships
• Quality of Public Relations

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Learning About Students from Parents and Teacher
Conferences

• Parental Input
• Parent-noted Strengths/Deficiencies
• Noted Adjustment Problems
• Physical Handicaps or Health Problems
• Degree of Commitment to Education in Home
• Parent Requests for Certain Teachers

• Student Comfort in Classroom
• Peer Influence
• Student Appreciation of Academics
• Student Respect for Teachers and Administration
• Student Response to Rewards and Consequences

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This Is An Opportunity. This is Too
Much Data.
Its Unavoidable. Start WithEnd WithData
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Organizing Todays Thoughts
GO2

• Conduct a Comprehensive Needs Assessment, and
  Consider Areas Beyond Academic Data.
• A. Academic Performance
• B. Administration/Staff
• C. Socio-economic School Status
• D. Instructional Program
• E. Parent and Community Involvement
• F. Technology and School Facilities
• G. School Culture and School Climate
• H. Use of Fiscal Resources

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What Do You Need to Know About Your School?

• SCHOOLS
• MUST
• ORGANIZE DATA.

Presenter Ann Sheehan, Title I
Specialist Office of Program Administration and
Accountability Virginia Department of Education
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But First What Is A Needs Assessment?

• A comprehensive needs assessment is a
  systematic effort to acquire an accurate and
  thorough picture of strengths and weaknesses of a
  school
• community, thus,
• identifying the needs
• of the students of your
• school.

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What Are the Basic Steps to Organizing a
Comprehensive Needs Assessment?1.Select Areas
To Be Assessed

• Examples of Universally Accepted Needs Assessment
  Areas
• A. Academic Performance
• B. Administration/Staff
• C. Socio-economic School Status
• D. Instructional Program
• E. Parent and Community Involvement
• F. Technology and School Facilities
• G. School Culture and School Climate
• H. Use of Fiscal Resources

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Is There a Match Between the Examples of
Universally Accepted Needs Assessment Areas and
the SOA and NCLB School Improvement Plan
Requirements?
Examples of Universally Accepted Needs Assessment
Areas A. Academic Performance
(SOA 2 / NCLB v) B. Administration/Staff
(SOA 6 / NCLB iii,
x) C. Socio-economic School Status D.
Instructional Program
(SOA 1, 3, 4, 5 / NCLB i, ii, ix) E. Parent and
Community Involvement (SOA 7 / NCLB viii,
vi) F. Technology and School Facilities G.
School Culture and School Climate H. Use of
Fiscal Resources (SOA 8, 9 / NCLB vii, iv)

 
 
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Whats Next?

• 2. Decide what data are
• needed.
• Under each agreed upon /selected area from the
  comprehensive listing of types of possible data,
  decide what data are needed to generate an
  in-depth picture of your school.

• Develop a
• Work Plan for the
• Comprehensive
• Needs Assessment for
• Your School.

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Step Three

• 3. Select Methods to Collect Data.
• Divide Faculty and Staff into Committees to
  Review
• Online AYP and SOL Report Cards
• School SOL Reports
• Student Performance-by-Question
• SOL Strand Data
• Guidance Department Reports
• Existing School Improvement Plans
• Interview
• Key Informant Interviews
• Devise
• Surveys
• Organize
• Forums

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Steps Four and Five

• 4. Record, Analyze, and Report
• Data.
• Establish Procedures
• Reporting Formats (charts, graphs)
• Prioritize Findings
• Report to the Entire School Community
• 5. Use the Needs Assessment for
• Program Planning.

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Final Step

• 6. Plan for continual
• review.
• Updating of data and revision of the school
  improvement plan must be a part of the design.

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Easier Said Than Done

• The Needs Assessment
• A High-Stakes Task
• To understand the importance of undertaking the
  steps, we have to understand the critical nature
  of the Purpose
• of the Needs Assessment.

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PurposeThe needs assessment provides schools
and school divisions with a well-developed
database for making decisions.
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The Goal of the Needs Assessment To Answer
Such Questions As

• WHICH
• Which Grades?
• Which Classes?
• Which Gender...?
• Which SWDs...?
• Which LEPs...?
• Which Schools...?
• Which Teachers...?
• Which Resources?

• WHAT
• What Quartile...?
• What Number...?
• What Level...?
• What Percentage...?
• What Changes...?
• What Differences...?
• What Similarities...?
• What Patterns...?

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Comprehensive Needs Assessment Improved
Definition

• A comprehensive needs assessment is a
  systematic, on-going, dynamic process that seeks
  input and data from many sources to make
  decisions regarding program focus, special
  educational need, student selection, and service
  delivery models.

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Organizing Todays Thoughts
GO3

• Conduct a Comprehensive Needs Assessment Using
  the Seven Steps.
• Focus on the Purpose of the Needs Assessment--to
  provide schools and school divisions with a
  well-developed database for making decisions.
• Include Areas Other Than Academic Performance in
  the Needs Assessment. (Note there is an
  alignment between the universally accepted areas
  and the SOA and NCLB School Improvement Plan
  requirements.)

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Example A Closer Look or Brief ReviewSchools
Number One Priority Assessment of
Academic Performance
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Unavoidable Data Source

• Achievement Tests Scores
• Criterion-referenced Tests
• Standards of Learning
• AYP Calculation
• Accreditation Calculation
• Norm-referenced Tests
• Diagnostic Tests
• Benchmark Tests
• Competency Tests
• End-of-Chapter Tests

Unavoidable Questions
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Each Schools Response Should Guide Its School
Improvement Planning.

• Unavoidable Questions
• Which targets were met in your school?
• Which ones were not?
• Which subgroup(s) performed best?
• Which subgroup(s) underperformed?
• By how many points were targets
• missed or exceeded?

Unavoidable Process
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DD
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DATA
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Definition of Data Disaggregation

• Definition
• Data disaggregation involves looking at data
• by student subgroups / sub-categories to see
• if there are important differences in the
• performance of the subgroups / sub-categories
• which are not seen when looking at the data as
• a whole.

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Purposes of Data Disaggregation

• To monitor academic equity goals regarding race,
  gender, ethnic groups, socio-economic status,
  disabilities
• To identify areas for further study (assessing)
  such as additional mathematic assistance versus
  reading or the value of increasing the reading
  block from 60 to 90 minutes
• To laser focus on pockets of improvement to
  generate whole-school improvement
• To provide a method to present the school to
  colleagues and to the community
• To define a way to make continuous improvement a
  baseline for incremental improvement instead of
  dramatic change

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Workshop Time
15minutes
Choose a recorder and a reporter for each
workshop activity.

• Using the Academic Performance area of
  assessment, list 10 questions your school would
  like answered through the comprehensive needs
  assessment process. Use the previous slide for
  hints.
• Then indicate a specific data source and process
  that could be used to gather the information to
  answer each question.
• A. Academic Performance
• Example
• What is the AYP performance of Hispanic students
  in grades 3 and 5?
• Data Source Disaggregated AYP test data from
  central office DDOT. Process Review and analysis
  of actual data.
• B. Administration/Staff
• C. Socio-economic School Status
• D. Instructional Program
• E. Parent and Community Involvement
• F. Technology and School Facilities
• G. School Climate
• H. Use of Fiscal Resources

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Organizing Todays Thoughts
GO4

• Needs Assessments Will Always Include an In-depth
  Look at Academic Data.
• Academic Data Must Be Disaggregated In Order to
  Answer Specific Questions About Student/Subgroup
  Performance.

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Most Critical Disaggregation QuestionsHow
Are Subgroups Performing in Your School?How Will
Subgroups Perform in Your School? ? ? ? ? What
Are the School Improvement Plans Based on this
Performance? Are School Improvement Plans Based
Only on Current Performance or Current Benchmarks?
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Fact or Fiction?

• This current years instructional program in your
  school was likely based on an analysis of school
  year 2004-2005 (last years) student academic
  data.
• and
• The next set of revisions to your plan will
  likely be based on school year 2005-2006 (this
  years) results.
• so
• Its important to think about one years set of
  benchmarks / targets / annual measurable
  objectives at a time.

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This Years Reminder There are 29 Targets for
Virginia Schools to Meet Based on Standards of
Learning Performance, Participation, and the
Other Academic Indicator. OAI
Elementary/Middle Attendance 94 or Science
70 OAI High Graduation rate 57
Performance by School and Subgroups
Total School
Black
White
Hispanic
Economically disadvantaged
Limited English Proficiency
Students with disabilities
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School Year 2006-2007 Reminder There are 29
Targets for Virginia Schools to Meet Based on
Standards of Learning Performance, Participation,
and the Other Academic Indicator. OAI
Elementary/Middle Attendance 94 or Science
70 OAI High Graduation rate 57
Performance by School and Subgroups
Total School
Black
White
Hispanic
Economically disadvantaged
Limited English Proficiency
Students with disabilities
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Another ReminderSchool Improvement Planning
Ahead

• School Improvement Plans Under the SOA Are
  Three-Year Plans.
• School Improvement Plans Under NCLB Are Two-Year
  Plans.
• Student Achievement Activities, Goals,
  Benchmarks, etc. must be based on the targets
  (annual measurable objectives-AMOs) that
  continually increase.

SUBGROUPS
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Reminder School Improvement Plans Are
Three-Year Plans The Benchmarks or Targets
Increase


By 2013-2014, all students will reach high
standards, at a minimum, attaining proficiency or
better in reading and mathematics.
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Workshop Time
15 minutes
Choose a recorder and a reporter for each
workshop activity.

• In preparation for the receipt of this years AYP
  report, take out your schools current AYP report
  and highlight the underperforming subgroups by
  subject (English 65 / Mathematics 63).
• Indicate also if participation (95) and/or the
  other academic indicator were issues of concern
  (attendance 94, science 70 or progress,
  graduation rate 57).
• Be able to share during report out several
  strategies included in your school improvement
  plan that were designed to increase student
  performance in the particular area(s).
• Write a corresponding strategy that should
  contribute to the sustaining of the anticipated
  improvement in order to reach the next set of
  benchmarks.

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Organizing Todays Thoughts
GO5

• Keep Your Eye on the Benchmarks / Targets /
  Annual Measurable Objectives Now Through 2014.
• Re-evaluate and Revise the Three/Two-Year School
  Improvement Plan Accordingly.

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• Presenting
• Data
• Presenter
• Dr. Shelly Bazemore,
  Specialist
• Office of School
  Improvement
• Virginia Department
  of Education

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Ways to Organize and Review Data
Disaggregated AYP Performance Analysis of Grade 3
AYP Performance Over Time
Insert Current Targets
2002-2003
2005-2006
2004-2005
2003-2004
Reading Mathematics
Science Social Studies
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Ways to Organize and Review Data
Classroom/Teacher Performance Analysis of
Performance Above the 50th Percentile
Classroom A
Classroom D
Classroom C
Classroom B
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Great County Public SchoolsSOL Assessment Pass
Rates
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Great County Public SchoolsSOL Assessment Pass
Rates
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DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA
DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA
DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA
DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA
Does It End Here?
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• Beyond the Initial Needs
• Assessment
• Assessing As An Ongoing
• Process
  Presenter
• Kathleen Smith,
  Director
• Office of School
  Improvement
• Virginia Department
  of Education

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Beyond the Initial Needs Assessment Assessing
As An Ongoing ProcessA Closer Look at Step 6

• STEP 6
• Plan for Continual Review.
• Updating of data and revision of the school
  improvement plan must be a part of the design.
• New data must be collected and reviewed on an
  ongoing basis.

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Formative Assessment

• Checkpoints prior to summative assessment (which
  comes at the end of the teaching/learning process
  and gives a summary of how well lessons were
  taught)
• Ensures a match between written and taught
  curriculum
• Purpose is to adjust teacher/student behavior
  based on student performance
• Guides Adjustments
• Re-teaching, enriching, pacing, grouping,
  individualizing
• Re-thinking daily schedules, use of specialists,
  materials, length of day (or school year).
• Redesigning role of principal as instructional
  leader, professional development, role of parents
• Reallocation of resources

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Some Lessons from Formative Assessments

• Too Many Curricula
• Written curriculum
• Taught curriculum varies by classroom
• Tested curriculum classroom, division, and state
• levels
• The three must be aligned.
• Teachers are the critical factor.

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Is it Important to Conduct Formative
Assessments? More Lessons from Formative
Assessments

• Misalignment of Grade-by-Grade Instructional
• Goals and Instructional Objectives or
  Competencies
• Embedded in the Standards of Learning
• One Strategy to Remedy
• Unpack the competencies or instructional
  objectives embedded in the Standards of Learning.
• Align the competencies with the schools reading
• program.
• Utilize grade level teacher teams to align the
• reading program to the SOL objectives.

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Another Lesson from Formative Assessments
(continued)

• Need for more frequent checks (mini
• assessments) for each smaller part of the
• larger instructional task.
• One Strategy to Remedy
• Develop teaching (staged or leveled) activities
  for each task.
• Develop an assessment for each stage or level of
  the task as part of the teaching activity
• Develop a tracking process for each student
• that indicates how the student is
  progressing.

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Formative Assessments Can Help Answer These
Familiar Questions Before the End of the School
Year.

• Which Grades...?
• Which Classes...?
• Which Programs...?
• Which Teachers...?
• Which Students...?
• Which Gender...?
• Which Skills...?
• More Questions
• Which SES Providers?
• Which Volunteer Tutors?

• Which Teaching Strategies?
• What Supplemental Materials...?
• Which Supplemental Mathematics Program...?
• Which Title I Reading Program
• What Patterns...?
• What Additions...?
• What Deletions...?

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Organizing Todays Thoughts
GO6

• Collection and Analysis of Data Are Ongoing.
• Formative Assessments Are a Necessary Part of the
  Ongoing Needs Assessment.
• Continual Benchmarking is An Important Key to
  Changing Instruction to Meet Instructional Needs.

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• Taking A Look at Other Major
• Needs Assessment
• Categories
• Presenter
• Catherine (Katie) Rosenbaum, Specialist
• Office of School Improvement
• Virginia Department of Education

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The Other Categories for Which We Must Formulate
Questions

• Academic Performance
• Administration and Staff
• School Status
• Instructional Program
• Parent and Community Involvement
• Technology and School Facilities
• School Culture and Climate
• Use of Fiscal Resources

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Why Would These Questions Be Asked?

• Administration and Staff
• Is the school-level professional development tied
  to the school improvement plan?
• School Status
• Do students on free or reduced lunch have a
  higher homework incompletion rate than students
  not on free or reduced lunch?
• Instructional Program
• What percentage of the schools student
  population is limited English proficient,
  migrant, speech/language impaired, and what
  programs are provided for each?

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Examples of Questions Under Designated Needs
Assessment Categories

• Parent and Community Involvement
• Are we providing important documents to parents
  in languages other than English, as needed?
• Technology and School Facilities
• Are teachers incorporating computer-assisted
  learning into their daily lessons? Is the
  hardware/software up-to-date?
• School Culture and Climate
• Do teachers demonstrate a belief that all
  children can learn?
• Use of Fiscal Resources
• Are Title I funds being used in the most
  effective manner?

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Workshop Time
15 minutes

• Taking A Look at Other Major Needs
• Assessment Categories
• A. Academic Performance
• B. Administration/Staff
• C. Socio-Economic School Status
• D. Instructional Program
• E. Parent and Community Involvement
• F. Technology and School Facilities
• G. School Culture and School Climate
• H. Use of Fiscal Resources
• Develop at least two questions in each category
  that you would like answered about your school
  and that you anticipate including in your ongoing
  needs assessment.

Choose a recorder and a reporter for each
workshop activity.
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Organizing Todays Thoughts
GO7

• Conduct a Comprehensive Needs Assessment Using
  the Seven Steps.
• Focus on the Purpose of the Needs Assessment--to
  provide schools and school divisions with a
  well-developed database for making decisions.
• Include Areas Other Than Academic Performance in
  the Needs Assessment. (Note there is an
  alignment between the universally accepted areas
  and the SOA and NCLB School Improvement Plan
  requirements.)

81
School Improvement Planning

• Hard
• Work

82
What are the constant think abouts in order
to breakthrough to effective school
improvementplanning?
School Improvement Planning
A
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Effective School Improvement Planning
IncludesCollaboration.
Come together to eliminate the isolation that
characterizes working conditions for so many
educators
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Effective School Improvement Planning
IncludesIntegration of Services.

• Address the needs of
• students in an integrated way.
• Bring school and district
• personnel together, especially
• those that administer
• programs that directly
• impact students.

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Translation

• Build on innovative,
• integrated, whole-school
• teaching and learning
• strategies that are
• research-based rather
• than creating numerous
• and separate add-on
• services. (Ensure that no group of
  students feels fenced out.)
• Assess the effectiveness of each
• existing add-on program.
• Eliminate those that are not
• generating improved student
• achievement.

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Effective School Improvement Planning
IncludesCoordination and Reallocation of
Resources.

• Other Smaller Funding Sources
• Community/Business /Civic Project Funds
• Greek Organizations
• Newspapers In Education Mini Grants
• Other Community Scholarships
• Division Incentive Grants
• Principals In-School Budget
• Cultural Establishments

• Major Funding Sources
• Title I A- Basic Programs
• Title II A-Professional Development
• Title IID- Technology
• Title III-LEP
• Title IV-Safe/Drug-Free Schools and 21st Century
  Learning Communities
• Title V- Innovative Programs
• Title VI- Rural and Low Income Programs
• Homework Assistance Programs

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Effective School Improvement Planning
IncludesA Study of Research-based
Strategies, Methods, and Models.
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• A Few Minutes
• With The Research
• Presenter
• Dr. Donna Carr, Consultant
• and Virginia Liaison
• Edvantia
• (formerly AEL, Inc.)

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Policy Analysis for California Education PACE is
an independent research center that aims to
enrich education policy debates with sound
analysis and hard evidence--from preschool, to
K-12, to higher education.
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The Education Trust March 2006
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Invaluable Research
Closing the Achievement Gap
Achievement Gaps
Achievement Gap
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Students in Poor Schools Receive As for Work
That Would Earn Cs in Affluent Schools
Education Trust Improving Achievement and
Closing Gaps Between Groups Lessons from
Schools on the Performance Frontier, February
2006
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Organizing Todays Thoughts
GO8

• Focus School Improvement Planning Around
  All-Staff Collaboration and Integration of
  Services.
• Make Decisions About Improving Student
  Achievement Based on Research.

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Effective School Improvement Planning Includes

• Job-Embedded
• Presenter
• Marsha Owens, Accreditation Specialist
• Office of School Improvement
• Virginia Department of Education

Professional Development
101
Who Moved My Cheese?

• Underneath the surface torrent of complaints
  and cynical humor and eye-rolling, there is a
  hidden river of passion and commitment which is
  the reason the complaints even exist.
• Robert Kegan

102
So What Exactly is Job-Embedded Professional
Development?

• Characteristics of Job-Embedded Professional
  Development
• Weaves Seamlessly Into the School Day
• Occurs in Learning Communities
• Requires Collective Responsibility for Learning
• Is Authentic and Meaningful
• Requires That Staff Members Write
  Self-Evaluations, Create Professional Portfolios,
  and Undergo Peer Review

103
Professional Development That Improves Student
Learning Will

• Be Data Driven
• Reflect School and Division
• Goals and Objectives
• Reflect State Requirements
• Be Formalized in Division
• Policy, as well as in Systems and Practices

104
Effective Learning Designs for Adult Learners

• Study of Theory and Practice
• Observations
• Discussions
• Frequent Practice
• Coaching
• Minimizing Sit n Git

105
Professional Development That Addresses Adult
Learning Theory Will

• Occur Within a Culture of Collegiality,
  Collaboration, Shared Decision-Making
• Affirm the Value of Adults Prior Learning and
  Experiences
• Attend to Physical Needs
• Differentiate to Address All Learning Styles
• Recognize the Importance of Trust and Safety
• Allow Time to Practice, Fail, Succeed, and
  Implement

106
Evaluating Professional Development

• Types of Evaluation
• Both Summative and Formative
• Participants Reaction
• Did they like it?
• Can they demonstrate it?
• Organizational Change and Support
• Does it impact the organization?
• How?
• Student Learning Outcomes
• What was the impact on students?

107
Examples of Award Winning Professional Development

• Teachers and Related Staff
• Work in Teams to Develop Tests, Grade Student
  Work, Review Student Portfolios, Develop
  Curriculum, Assist with School Management
• Conduct Action Research in Classrooms
• Conduct Individual or Small Team Research
• Develop Staff Study Groups
• 
  From NCREL

108
Who Is At the Table When the Professional
Development Calendar Is Being Planned?
Who Should Be At the Table?
109
Workshop Time
15 minutes
Choose a recorder and a reporter for each
workshop activity.

• Picture yourself at a professional development
  planning table.
• Pretend that whatever professional development
  topics/activities you and your school need will
  happen.
• What professional development activities will
  increase student achievement in your school?
• The Goal
• Match the needs of the instructional program of
  your school to the
• professional development.

Instructional Needs of the Schools
Professional Development
110
Effective School Improvement Planning Examples
of Common Professional Development Topics

• Effective Use of Assessment to Guide Instruction
• Effective Reading and Mathematics Strategies
• Effective Teaching and Learning Strategies for
  ESL Students
• Effective Pre-School Transition Programs
• Creating Effective Tutorial Programs
• Creating Teacher Leaders
• Creating School Environments Conducive to
  Parental Involvement
• Motivating the Middle School Student

111
Did Any School Include These Topics?

• Increasing the Amount of Learning Time
• Providing an Enriched/Accelerated Curriculum
• Setting High Expectations for All Students
• Meeting the Educational Needs of Historically
• Undeserved Populations
• Working with the __________ NCLB Subgroup
• Improving Classroom Discipline
• Bridging Central Office Instructional Staff and
  School
• Staff
• Understanding AYP

112
Did Any School Include These Topics?(continued)

• Teaching Reading To ensure that children
• learn to read well, explicit and systematic
• instruction must be provided in these five
  areas
• 1. Phonemic Awareness
• 2. Phonics
• 3. Vocabulary Development
• 4. Reading Fluency, Including Oral Reading Skills
  
• 5. Reading Comprehension Strategies
• Adopted by the
• United States Department of Educations
• National Reading First Program

113
Did Any School Include These Topics?(continued)

• What Are the Attributes of Successful Schools?
• Long-Standing Research Says
• Successful Schools Have
• Appropriate Instructional Material
• High Degree of Coordination Among Programs,
  Projects, Whole School
• Active Parent Community Involvement
• Closely Monitored Student Progress
• Professional Development Training
• From The United States Department of Educations
  National
• Reading First Program

A
114
Did Any School Include These Topics?(continued)

• What Are the Attributes of Successful Schools?
• Research Says Successful Schools Have
• Recognized and Rewarded Excellence
• Clear Program Goals
• Strong Leadership
• Program Planning Based on Evaluation Results
• Positive School Climate
• High Expectations for Student Learning
• Maximum Use of Academic Learning Time

A
115
and What About These Topics?

• New Attitude
• Toward the Disadvantaged
• Learner
• Are teachers able to
• Appreciate the intellectual accomplishments
  learners bring to school?
• Build on their strengths rather than remediate
  deficits?
• Learn about childrens cultures to avoid
  mistaking differences for deficits?
• Make connections with students out-of-school
  experience and culture.

116
and These Topics

• Reshaping
• the
• Curriculum
• Focus on complex meaningful problems.
• Fold the teaching of basic skills into meaningful
  tasks.
• Align with the Standards of Learning.

117
Breakthrough Topics or Just Good Teaching?

• Apply
• Best Practice Instructional
• Strategies
• Model powerful thinking strategies, and create
  environments that are stimulating and
  challenging.
• Encourage multiple approaches.
• Provide scaffolding to enable students to
  accomplish complex tasks.
• Make student dialogue the central medium for
  teaching/learning.
• What your students do changes not only the
  way they use their brains, but changes the actual
  physical structure of the brain. No matter how
  well planned, how interesting, stimulating,
  colorful, or relevant the lesson, if the teacher
  does
• all the interacting with the material, the
• TEACHERS--NOT THE STUDENTS brain will grow.

118
That Was Then

• After-School Staff Meetings/Workshops
• Attending a One-Shot Presentation
• Attending a Graduate Class
• Top Down Planning

119
This Is Now

• PD must. . .
• Focus On Improving Student Achievement
• Use Adult Learning Theory
• Recognize Difficulty of Change for Adults
• Be Evaluated and Monitored
• Be Job-Embedded and
• Sustained

120
Organizing Todays Thoughts
GO9

• Plan Professional Development
• To Be
• Embedded and Sustained.

121
Todays

• School Improvement Planning Objectives

122
Through Effective School Improvement Planning

• GO1
• Mount the Courage to Look At the
• Entire Schools Strengths and
• Weaknessesthe Good, the Bad, and
• the Ugly.
• GO2
• Conduct a Comprehensive Needs
• Assessment, and Consider Areas
• Beyond Academic Performance.
• A. Academic Performance
• B. Administration/Staff
• C. Socio-Economic School Status
• D. Instructional Program
• E. Parent and Community Involvement
• F. Technology and School Facilities
• G. School Culture and School Climate
• H. Use of Fiscal Resources

• GO4
• Include in the Needs Assessment an
• In-depth Look at Academic Data, and
• Disaggregate, Disaggregate, Disaggregate.
• GO5
• Keep Your Eye On the Benchmarks /
• Targets / AMOs Now Through 2014. Re-
• evaluate and Revise the Three/Two-Year
• School Improvement Plan Accordingly.
• GO6
• Collect and Analyze Data On an Ongoing
• Basis. Formative Assessments Are a
• Necessary Part of the Ongoing Needs
• Assessment. The Purpose is To Drive
• Instructional Change, As Needed.

123
Through Effective School Improvement Planning

• Which of the nine themes is the most important
• to your continued school improvement planning?

• GO7
• Include Areas Other
• Than Academic Performance in
• the Needs Assessment. (SOA/NCLB
• Connection)
• GO8
• Make Collaborative Decisions About
• Improving Student Achievement
• Based On Research.
• GO9
• Plan Job-Embedded
• Professional Development.

124

• Effective School Improvement Planning Will Result
  in
• Schools Doing Something
• Different.

125
Hard Work

• Changing Behaviors
• Increasing Articulation
• Within/Across Grade Levels
• Thinking Big
• Sharing Ideas, Materials, Resources
• Setting Schoolwide High Expectations
• Creating a Supportive
• Risk- Taking Environment
• Staying Current with the Research
• Creating a No-Fault Environment
• Teaching Child-by-Child
• Believing All Children Can Learn

• And then--Assessing
• and
• Re-Assessing

126
Todays Goal To Open More Doors of Opportunity

• More Effective
• Team/Collaborative Teaching
• Individualized Instruction
• Instructional Grouping
• Parent Workshops
• Pupil Services Coordination
• Additional Technology
• Mentoring Programs
• Peer Coaching
• Frequent Student Assessment
• Business-School Partnerships
• Research-based Programs
• Elimination of Programs

• More Effective
• Volunteerism
• Reduction in Class Size
• In-class Instruction from Specialists
• Strong Academic Reading and Mathematics Programs
• Early Reading Interventions
• Preschool Programs
• GED Programs for Parents
• Summer Enrichment Programs
• Gifted and Talented Strategies
• Before- and After-School Tutorials

127
But We Will Get There!There Improved Student
Achievement
Fully Accredited and Made AYP
128
Department of Education Contact Persons

• Office of School Improvement
• Kathleen Smith, Director [phone]
  kathleen.smith_at_doe.virginia.gov
• Dr. Shelly Bazemore [phone]
  shelly.bazemore_at_doe.virginia.gov
• Mia Gomes [phone] mia.gomes_at_doe.virginia
  .gov
• Dr. Mary Holm [phone] mary.holm_at_doe.virgi
  nia.gov
• Selena McBride [phone]
  selena.mcbride_at_doe.virginia.gov
• Annette Monroe-Martin [phone]
  annette.monroe-martin_at_doe.virginia.gov
• Kimberly Nunnally [phone]
  kimberly.nunnally_at_doe,virginia.gov
• Marsha Owens [phone] marsha.owens_at_doe.vir
  ginia.gov
• Katie Rosenbaum [phone]
  catherine.rosenbaum_at_doe.virginia.gov
• Brenda Spencer [phone]
  brenda.spencer_at_doe.virginia.gov
• Office of Program Administration and
  Accountability (Title I Office Staff)
• Roberta Schlicher, Director [phone]
  roberta.schlicher_at_doe.virginia.gov
• Shady Clark, Jr. [phone]
  shady.clark_at_doe.virginia.gov
• Doris (Gabie) Frazier [phone]
  gabie.frazier_at_doe.virginia.gov
• Rita Ghazal [phone] rita.ghazal_at_doe.virg
  inia.gov
• Dr. Philip Iovino [phone]
  philip.iovino_at_doe.virginia.gov
• Rebecca Marable [phone]
  rebecca.marable_at_doe.virginia.gov

129
Virginia Department of Education Office of
School Improvement http//www.doe.virginia.gov/VD
OE/SchoolImprovement/
Also On This Website Checklist and
Certification of SOA and NCLB School Improvement
Plan Requirements