Lead Learners Update 1.30.12

 Lead Learners Update 1.30.12

 Learning is the continual process of identity formation, or growing into more of who we are becoming.                        New Teacher Center

Lead Learners Updates
1.30   Curriculum Tool Vendor Day 7:45 - 3:45 PHS study hall
          SIAC 5:30
1.31   Secondary Cadre
2.1     LST visits Heights
2.3    AIW Sessions (Crest and PHS)
2.6    Half day building-lead Cadre (Principal-led own building)
2.7    PHS follow up instructional round (Dick, Amber and Laura)
2.9    Oversight Meeting
2.10   CORI (Crest and Point)
         Mid-Year AIW Conference

Oversight Meeting - 2/9/12
For the next Oversight, we will look at our mid-year data and engage in both celebration and analysis.  In addition, we will need to take a look at our SMART goals #3 and #4.  For SMART goal #4, we will need to ask each principal to do a very brief report about how they have used last year’s parent survey data in improving SMART goal #4. We will also decide the timeline for this year’s parent survey.

Potential Administrative Position Interview Dates
Dick and the ESC team reviewed the calendar and set the timeline to advertise, recruit and interview administrative positions.

• January - review job description
• February - advertise
• March - Review candidate pool

Here is the link for the administrative timeline.  We made some minor adjustments:

• March 5 - That is a new problem solving day (We took 1/30 for Curriculum Tool so this is a make up day for problem solving.)
• March 26 - This is originally a problem solving day.  However, if needed, we might have to turn it into an interview day.
• April 16 - This has been reserved for administrative interview

A Review of Administrative Timeline Regarding Evaluation

Tier I-Induction Cycle
Tier I evaluation/evaluator list                    Deadline: September 1
Written notice to teachers                    Deadline: October 1
First two (2) observations completed                Deadline: February 1
Final observation completed                    Deadline: March 30
Written notice to extend to a third year            Deadline: May 15       
Written/signed summative evaluations            Deadline: June 1
**Best practice: The possibility of extension to third year should be communicated early (i.e. in the beginning of second semester) and clearly.  Documentation of concerns and support for growth should be thorough (i.e. Summary of conferences or letter/e-mail of reprimand).  Teachers should know your concerns and have the opportunity to grow and be mentally prepared rather than shocked at the end of the school year.

Tier II – Formal Evaluation Cycle
Tier II evaluation/evaluator list                Deadline: September 1
Written notice to teachers                    Deadline: October 1
Professional Learning Plan (PLP) established        Deadline: October 15
Online PLP self-assessment/principal feedback        Deadline: May 30
Written/signed summative evaluations            Deadline: June 1

Tier III - Assistive Cycle
Tier III placements may occur at any time after an ESC conference with principal.
**Important Note: Any administrator who is considering a Tier III process should communicate with superintendent and Director of Learning Services as soon as possible so that we can craft a support plan for the administrator.  This process will usually involve a district attorney.

New Information About State Level Work
Troyce Fisher along with other state level leaders met with Director Jason Glass and presented the proposal : "Assuring High Levels of Learning for All:  Achieving Content Mastery Through the Context of Professional Learning Communities." You might be interested in reading this document.

STEM Professional Development Survey
We sent this survey to Math and Science teachers in CCSD as part of the grant application process (Grant application Led by John Dunkhase, University of Iowa ).  You might be interested in the data.

Building Leadership Capacities for IDM/RTI
Do you feel a need to strengthen your Student Services/RTI/IDM team?  Do you want to strengthen your PLC so that teachers can address both “Respond to Instruction” (80% success) and “Respond to Intervention” (the other 20%)?  When budget is tight, you might want to know there are high quality, Iowa-based learning opportunities for you and your key teacher leaders.  Check this out:  Iowa ASCD will offer a two day conference focusing on RTI/IDM on April 11 and 12.  Various presenters and practitioners will talk about PLC in managing RTI, Data Teams and Iowa’s Blueprint in RTI. Click here for Iowa ASCD and registration information.

Free Webinar for Leaders Like You

• Everyone Says Principals Need to Be Instructional Leaders - But What Does That Mean?   

• Presenter:  Principals  
• Provider:  Ed Trust and Wallace Foundation
• Date:  January 26, 2012 (3:00 P.M.)
• Register Free  

• Ask Dr. Judy:  What Neurological Emotional Interventions Promote Growth Mindset, Academic, Social, and Emotional Success?
• Presenter:  Dr. Judy Willis
• Provider:  ASCD
• Date:  February 8, 2012 (2:00 P.M. CST)
• Register Free

• Designing Learning Activities in a Standards-Based System
• Presenter:  ASCD
• Provider:  ASCD
• Date:  February 15, 2012 (2:00 P.M. CST)
• Register Free

• Managing the Building to Ensure High Academic Achievement
• Presenter:  Principals  
• Provider:  Ed Trust and Wallace Foundation
• Date:  February 15, 2012, 2012 (3:00 P.M.)
• Register Free 

Curriculum Matters by Bill Poock
    Our work in cadre teams this year has centered on certain components of the Continuous Improvement Cycle and we continue to help teachers make connections between their REAL work and the professional learning that they NEED in order to move their practice forward.  As effective leaders of professional learning, you already know much about how adults learn.  From our work with Designing and Presenting Professional Development from GWAEA and the New Teacher Center, I would like to reiterate those adult learning assumptions which guide the decisions we make about how to design learning experiences for our teachers in order to help them learn best:

1.  Adults have a drive toward competence, which is linked to self-image and efficacy.
2.  Learning is enhanced when adults are active, involved, and self-directed.
3.  What is to be learned must hold meaning; it must connect with current understandings, knowledge, experience, and purpose.
4.  We don’t learn from our experiences as much as from processing our experience--both successes and failures.  Self-reflection, self-assessment, and self-direction are critical to learning and development.
5.  Learning is both an opportunity and a risk; it requires dissonance and change.
6.  Learning is the continual process of identity formation, or growing into more of who we are becoming.

    Building on the second and third assumptions above regarding actively making meaning and connections to current understandings, I want to provide additional background about why it’s so important to include opportunities for teachers to CONSTRUCT meaning.  One thing I’ve learned from leading adult learners is the importance of creating experiences in which teachers participate in thinking about complex matters that challenge their thinking.  This is related to number 5 above, about creating opportunities for dissonance and how that helps teachers change their thinking.  By providing the conditions necessary for teachers to dialogue about new learning, and to actively participate in the creation of new knowledge and understanding, we honor many of the adult learning assumptions listed above.
    You may be asking why this matters as leaders of professional learning in your building?  It matters, because as leaders, I believe your mission is to create the conditions necessary in which you change the thinking of your teachers to see complex connections between interrelated ideas and their REAL work in the classroom with REAL students.  It matters because your teachers learn better when they discover new ways of thinking about unit design, assessment for learning, and pedagogy that link to their current knowledge and help them extend their practice to seek continuous improvement.  It matters, because I know that your teachers matter to you and your teachers matter most to the students under your care.
   

Lead Learners Update 1.16.12

Lead Learners Update 

1.16 - 1.27, 2012

Freely chosen, discipline is absolute freedom.

Ron Serino

Calendar of Events
1.16     Administrative Learning (Peer coach walk through) Meet @ 1:30 to debrief
Board meeting
1.18     LST visit Crest    
1.19     Quarterly conversations
1.20     Quarterly conversations
1.23     Administrative peer walkthough @12:30 and debrief @1:30
1.24 New teacher workshop @PHS study hall

1.25     LETERS Training - Student Service
1.26     LETERS Training - Student Service 1.27     Elementary Cadre

1.30 SIAC @ 5:30
1.31     Book Study/Joyful Learning (4-7 PM Prairie Point) - Student Service

Data Update Form
To help you manage data collection, we created a page on the Oversight Committee website. The page is called School Improvement Data.  For mid-year data, due by 1/23, we will collect:

• AFL - Strategy 1, 2 and 3
• Unit design - Stage 1 and 3 (base line)

The yellow highlighted columns are the ones need to be completed by 1/30. (Click here for the spreadsheet). The other columns such as MAP growth or ITBS will be completed later in May.

New Teacher Learning, Mentor and Administrative Support
We have been collecting new teacher learning data for the past three years.  The data consistently show that new teachers are comfortable in planning with clear learning targets (above 80%), but not confident in planning or teaching “think aloud” on a regular basis (50-60% range).  We have also seen a wide range of implementation on CFUs in actual walkthroughs.  Therefore, we are changing our 3rd workshop format to increase the likelihood of ACTUAL IMPLEMENTATION.  Your job embedded support will be crucial to their success.  Here are some suggestions:

• Check to see if your new teachers uploaded think aloud lessons.
• Reinforce Karen’s e-mail message for mentors - e-mail or talk with mentors regarding think aloud and CFU’s implementation.
• When conducting pre and post conferences, ask new teachers to bring evidence of think aloud and CFU’s to you in their daily/weekly lesson plan. (These strategies should be planned and applied regularly.)
• If lack of evidence, ask what support they will need (observation, mentor, coaching, etc.) and help them set goals for implementation.

New Teacher Workshop
The final new teacher workshop will have the following components:

AM

• Review year long learning followed by self reflect/celebrate
• Demo by Kristi Colby followed by self reflect/celebrate
• Trio demo (New teacher demo to two other members) followed by self reflect/celebrate
• Foreshadow PM and the rest of the year – observe/complete survey/set goals
• Gift and closure

PM

• Principal lead/classroom observation/debriefing/planning
• Complete per-assessment and goal setting

Based on last new teacher workshop feedback, principals and new teachers both enjoyed the experience in observing classes and plan with mentors/principals.  Please complete the google page by 1.20.12. so that we can use your plan to complete our planning.  One change we made is that the new teachers will take the  “teacher implementation survey” at the end of the workshop day as a formative assessment.  This will help them set specific goals.  By April, we will send out the same survey again as the final survey.  Please help new teachers set focused goals and actions plans at the conclusion of the workshop day.

5-Point Plan (Student Service Update)
In the Jan/Feb issue of Teaching Exceptional Children an article highlights a 5-Point Plan to foster successful partnerships with families of students with disabilities.  Finding ways to successfully collaborate must continue to be the priority of educators throughout a student’s school experience the authors conclude.   The 5-Point Plan includes:

1  Be positive, proactive and solution oriented.
2  Respect families’ roles and cultural backgrounds in their children’s lives.
3  Communicate consistently, listen to families’ concerns and work together.
4  Consider simple, natural supports that meet individual needs of student.
5  Empower families with knowledge and opportunities for involvement in the context of students’      
    global needs.

Not surprisingly, the article reports that when teachers strive to build working partnerships with families of students with disabilities, home-school collaboration and student achievement increases.

Highlights of Principal Meetings on Chapter 103 (Student Service Update)

• An example of the text considered by the Iowa DOE as containing the information required to be provided to parents in an annual notice was provided and principals are to include the notice in building handbooks.

• All behavior focused special education classroom teachers and program paraeducators should complete the on-line training for Chapter 103.  A copy of the certificate of completion should be provided to Kim Simeons by the end of this school year. The training is to be completed every 5 years. Other staff members may be required to complete the training based on individual situations.  This decision will be determined by the building principal in consultation with the Director of Student Services.
• A Chapter 103 training PowerPoint and a one page handout, Top 10 Points about Chapter 103, were provided as resources when providing periodic updates for all employees. It was noted on #7 of the Top 10 points handout; the district guidance is every 15 minutes.
• Parents should be contacted on the day of an instance of restraint or confinement & detention.  A written copy of the documentation to parents (Safe/Time Out Room Use--Physical Restraint Reporting Sheet) must be postmarked within three days of the instance (parents may elect to receive documents by e-mail or fax).  One copy is sent to parents, one copy is put in the student’s file and another copy is sent to the Director of Student Services. The documentation should be completed by certified staff and the administrator must review and sign the form.
• No employee shall use prone restraint. (If used in an emergency, staff must take          immediate steps to end the prone restraint.)
• All safe rooms are being reviewed.  Mirrors and updated latch mechanisms are recommended to be installed.

Curriculum Matters by Bill Poock
I begin this week’s Curriculum Matters thoughts with a quote from Where Great Teaching Begins:  Planning for Student Thinking and Learning by Anne R. Reeves:  “...clearly written objectives contain within them the seeds of good assessment” (Reeves, 2011, p. 32).  I have often struggled in my attempts in working with teachers when they are in the crafting stage of writing clear objectives.  The struggle comes from trying to help teachers think about and write learning objectives that really MATTER for students.  Teachers often complain to me about the “nit-picky” part about paying attention to the verb...struggling to make sense of how context supports a learning objective.  I have come to the realization that writing clear learning objectives IS hard work.  Period.  Look at the following two examples of learning objectives and decide for yourself which one is at a higher level of cognitive thinking:

1.  Students will solve long-division problems.
2.  Students will explain the function of each step in solving long-division problems.

While both are clearly written, the second one is written at a higher cognitive level because in the first example, students must APPLY the steps of long division to math problems.  In the second example, students must not only apply the steps, but they must ANALYZE those steps for their particular function.  Both are well-written, but the second demands more THINKING on the part of the student.
That is an important point.  We must assist teachers in writing STUDENT-CENTERED or THINKING-CENTERED learning objectives, or learning TARGETS.  We must help them avoid writing learning targets that are really ACTIVITIES in disguise.  The teacher who can delineate between the two types of objectives is the teacher who will push his/her students to higher levels of thinking and increased rigor.
Why does this matter to our teachers?  That is the wrong question to ask ourselves.  The right question we must ask ourselves is:  Why does this matter to our STUDENTS?  In this rapidly changing 21st century guided by new ways of thinking and new ways of using technology, we must ask our teachers to recognize the need to write clear learning targets focused on rigorous work that our students must know and be able to do as a result of our effective teaching.  We only have one chance with our students--and we owe it to them to our best to push their thinking and to push our teaching to levels far beyond we once imagined.

Upcoming Meeting for Second Round of Power Standards (K-4):  

We will meet at the ESC boardroom on Thursday, January 19th from 4:00 - 6:00 PM to complete Round #2 of our Power Standards process.  K-4 representative teachers will deepen their understanding about rigor and relevance and then will use that understanding to evaluate possible identified power standards to wrestle with the responsibility to pare down the power standards to a reasonable number that makes sense for each grade level.  We will see how this process goes on Thursday--teachers will need to remain highly focused to complete the work in two hours--but I’m confident that they can do it.  Thanks to K-4 administrators for selecting knowledgeable teachers to participate in this very important process!

Kudos:  Kudos to all building leaders including your building cadre teams for your “beautiful work” that happened last week during our PL days.  I cannot tell you how impressed I am by the work that is happening in our district!  Congratulations and make sure you take the time to reflect upon the successes you’ve had individually.

Lead Learners Update 1.3.12

Lead Learners Update 1.3.12 - 1.13.12
A leader is a dealer in hope.
Napoleon Bonaparte
Wishing you a very bright and fulfilling year !

1.5 IDM (K-6 only)
1.6 Writing Task Force
AIW sessions (HS and Crest)

1.9 Admin Learning @ 12:30

1.10 Music/PE/Counselor Council - PM

1.11 TIA - All day at PHS study hall

Digital Learning Advisory Committee from 3:00 - 5:00

1.12 PL day

1.13 PL- AM; Clerical - PM

Important Reminder:

1.30.12 Curriculum Tool Vendor Day (7:45 - 3:45). Location: PHS Study Hall

Principals, be sure you notify your teacher representatives about this day. Click here for the vendor presentation schedule and selection specifications.

IPI and AIW
IPI and AIW were introduced to the administrative team two years ago with the same reason - to help us formulate a common vision about what quality teaching and learning is like.  Both are data gathering and professional conversation tools.  If used appropriately, they are powerful tools to advance school culture and school improvement.  Some of you may wonder, is there any additional direction or support from the district?  The following paragraphs will clarify some questions:



Even though we highly encourage you look into these practices, It is not the district’s position to demand adoption.  The premise of this position is that principals need to see how these tools fit into their overall school improvement and leadership structures.  Building leadership and commitment are key factors for successful adoption.  The district, however, will support principals who wish to adopt either or both practices (see following paragraphs for support details).  Feel free to communicate with principals who are currently using these tools to enhance professional learning.



As you may have discovered, IPI is a simpler tool.  The power of it comes from staff buy-in, continuous data collection and school-wide conversations about school improvement based on collected data.  This tool focuses on one major aspect of teaching and learning - student engagement.

AIW is a complex and comprehensive tool that helps determine the quality of  “task”, “student work” and “instruction” (Aligned with Elmore’s instructional core: Teacher, Student and Content).   The administrative team has experienced one of the three rubrics: instruction.  AIW is a state supported school improvement strategy; therefore, there are support structures from both state and AEAs.  The support comes in multiple ways:

• A specific application process to ensure leadership understanding and commitment
• State level training and mid-year conference
• State and AEA level coaching support
• Coach training and conference
• School leadership development
• Data collection and research
• Some funding support (about $3,000 per school per year to cover the cost of sub or materials and possible scholarship to train building coaches)

District level support will include the following:

• Conference with Director of Learning Services to discuss possibilities and to formulate ideas for adoption
• IPI registration fee and sub cost for the first year adoption if this is chosen for your school
• Two slots paid by ESC to go to AIW mid-year conference - A good way to assess rationale for AIW adoption prior to making a commitment. (This year’s AIW mid-year conference is set for 2/10. If interested, contact Ying no later than 1/15.)
• Initial AIW training and sub cost for the year
• Training teacher coaches when a school decides to expand AIW teams

Feel free to contact Ying if you have additional questions.



Curriculum Matters by Bill Poock

At our last Cadre team meetings held in December, we spent a majority of the morning involved in deepening our own understanding about the success criteria found on the Teacher Practice Profile for Unit Design.  This TPP was originally created by Jay McTighe, one of the gurus in our nation surrounding backwards design principles.  The only addition to the profile was the language regarding 21st Century Thinking Skills, which is extremely important to unit design.  Ying and I spent some time reviewing many different constructs related to success criteria for unit design and found McTighe’s work to be the most authentic and rigorous.  It also aligned so accurately with our previous professional learning, which is a major point to bring out to all teachers.


In reflection, I now better understand how the process of helping one another construct meaning out of challenging content builds both capacity for future learning and implementation as well as a common language focused on growth.  I’m reading the book Mindset by Carol Dweck right now.  I’m learning all about “growth mindsets vs. fixed mindsets.”  This is a fascinating book that has connections with much more beyond school.  As we seek continual growth in our beliefs and our practices, our actions soon follow.  In my mind, that’s exactly what happens as teachers and school leaders focus on creating common experiences regarding the Teacher Practice Profile for Unit Design.  Teachers strive for feelings of confidence and self-efficacy.  The TPP is one way that we can help teachers self-reflect in order to focus on future growth to create effectively designed quality units of instruction.


A final note regarding the Teacher Practice Profile for Unit Design concerns the ability for us, as learners, to create the connections between the success criteria on the practice profile and past/current professional learning in which we engage our teachers.  As teachers begin to “unpack” the meaning behind the success criteria, they naturally find connections to previous background knowledge and virtually all components on the practice profile.  Our PL for the past two years has led us to this point, and it is my firm belief that our teachers are cognitively aware of this journey that has ultimately prepared them for challenging but rewarding work.
I am anxious to hear and see how you and your cadre teams have chosen to introduce this practice profile to your teachers and how this work impacts their thinking and actual practice of unit design.  In many ways, these success criteria for unit design help solidify in teachers’ brains the quality components that are needed in order to improve in unit design.  This is very similar to what we ask teachers to do for their students--working to help our learners develop constructs related to “quality.”



State Initiative Update - Competency Based Education
DE hosted a learning opportunity on Competency Based Education.  Dick participated in the learning and commented positively about the quality of the conference.  Here is a summary done by Iowa ASCD.  As school leaders, you may wish to stay abreast on the potential changes associated with this topic.

Student Services by Cheryl Kiburz
On January 5, 2011 the K-6 IDM district team members will visit with Cedar Rapids Community School leaders and observe how RTI is implemented within the PLC structure in some of the elementary buildings. Below is a copy of the agenda.  Please remember to bring a brown bag lunch for the debrief session scheduled at 11:45 AM at GWAEA.  The debrief session will now need to close at 12:50 PM due to a meeting scheduled at 1:00 PM at the CCSD- ESC Boardroom which some members will need to attend.

8:00–8:45 AM   GWAEA Autumn/Revere/Stone Room

·         Meeting with Cedar Rapids Principals & Coaches and College Community Teams

·         Discussion groups with Questions from College Community Teams

8:45–11:30 am  CR School/PLC Team Visits
11:30 am
·         College Community teams need to leave host school at 11:30 to reconvene at GWAEA
·         Cedar Rapids principals will stay in their school-will not return to the principal meetings
11:45 am–12:50 pm College Community Teams will Debrief at GWAEA (Brown Bag Lunch)
·         Identified CR staff will meet with College Community from 11:45-noon.  CCSD team will
meet for the remainder of the time.