Lead Learners Update 2.25.13

Don’t mistake assertiveness or eloquence for good ideas.  If you have a proactive workforce, remember they may perform better under an introverted leader than under an extroverted or charismatic one. Quiet by Susan Cain

Lead Learners Update 2.25.13
2.25 Instructional Rounds (Crest and HS)
3.1 Clerical Day
3.4 Curriculum Alignment with PHS Social Studies
3.6 RTI
3.7 Writing Task Force

Understanding Site Visit & Use the Process To Leverage Change (By Ying Ying Chen) 
The essence of the site visit is to engage in continuous improvement. The process has two main components:

1. Document Review
1. Documents related to compliance (Board Policies, Title I, Homeless, At Risk program, etc.)
2. Reference materials (See more details below)
2. Interview various groups of stakeholders

ESC has started the process to collect documents for DE review.  While some documents are district based, many items in the “Reference Document” are “attendance center” based (building based).  Therefore, I am beginning to orient the building principals via this newsletter.

Reference Documents for Site Visit (Directly lifted from the DE site visit supporting document)

• Building-level school improvement plans
• A copy of the professional development plan for each attendance center (building)
• Examples/copies of data reviewed/analyzed by the SIAC when forming recommendations regarding major educational needs, student learning goals, long-term goals, and harassment or bullying prevention goals, programs, training, and other initiatives
• Student achievement data for areas in addition to reading, mathematics, and science, if available
• Trendline data from district-wide assessments other than Iowa Tests
• ACT trendline data
• Data regarding the percentage of students participating in extracurricular and co-curricular activities
• Special Education indicator data
• District curriculum materials, including content standards, benchmarks, grade level indicators, and curriculum maps for all available curricular areas
• High school course handbook/registration guide
• High school master schedule
• Staff, parent, and student handbooks
• Iowa Youth Survey or other surveys conducted within the last five years

As you plan for your school improvement process, be sure the take a look at this list and understand how each building’s improvement plan is part of the system improvement process.  Also, since the legislative mandate of Iowa Core, we will be asked to provide evidence of curriculum implementation.  Most of our teachers have built curriculum maps in the past few years, it is very important that they transfer their old maps to the Rubicon tool and/or continue to build/refine the standard based curriculum.  

Attend to the Verbs in Math Practice (by Ying Ying Chen)
(If interested, click the link for the entire blog)
As you lead teachers in implementing Math Standards, it is important to know the interconnectedness between the content standards and Mathematics Practice.  The following statement was from a credible mathematics source.  It is a simple way to provide guidance to teachers:

“Development of tasks and lessons involves consideration of the mathematical work students are invited to do.  Content standards provide nouns to be employed in describing this work, while practice standards provide verbs.”

Progress in Using Rubicon to Monitor Curriculum Implementation (Ying YIng Chen)
Since the training on 1/25, schools have started to work with teacher leaders in integrating this tool in their cycle of improvement.  We have experienced great success during curriculum alignment work sessions.  Specific examples:

1. Teachers used the Standard Profile Report to check if they included all standards in the new scope and sequence.
2. Teachers began to delete old assessments that are not aligned with the newly sequenced standards. They set a goal that they would recheck “standards alignment profile” when they build a new common formative assessment.

As you can see, number 1 is a quick win/hook (easy to show and do).  Number 2 is evidence of critical thinking.  Teachers began to judge the accuracy of their data and figure out a way to use the tool to guide their continuous improvement.  

Principals can bring curriculum data to the forefront in your weekly messages and PL opportunities.  It takes very little time, but it will make a big difference in your school’s long-term progress.  Examples:

• Show one set of curriculum data (profile or search function) as a bell ringer for any PD.
• For those who are working on rigor or relevance (IPI, AIW, PBL, etc.), you can pull a set of EQs or LTs from a team’s map and generate conversations from them.
• Pull data about assessment and ask, "What type of performance assessment are we currently using?"
• Before teachers are given time to work on implementation, showcase one exemplar map and ask teachers to self select a small goal for improvement (follow up in the next meeting to showcase more exemplars).
• Remind teams to use Rubicon in collaboration and seek high functioning team examples to showcase in the next staff PL.

Student Services (by Cheryl Kiburz)

2.27  LETRS-Module 2 8:30-4:00 PM  Sixth Street GWAEA office
2.28  LETRS-Module 2 8:30-4:00 PM  Sixth Street GWAEA office
3. 6   RtI PK-12 Meeting 8:45-11:45 AM  Point Presentation Room

Kelli Robertson, GWAEA Autism Consultant shared the following article from the ADDitude online magazine about new research showing how more and more kindergarten students are entering kindergarten with less self-control and linking it to development of executive functioning.  They found that developing play skills in the traditional games children used to play (Freeze Tag, Simon Says, etc.) builds listening, wait time, etc.  Researchers also stated that executive functioning skills are more important than IQ in determining academic success.

http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/9806.html

The article triggers thinking in regard to the essential developmental interaction/play skills/social skills/regulation skills that build the FOUNDATIONS for academics - you can't learn if you can't regulate yourself, interact with others, and attend/listen.  

Curriculum Matters (by Bill Poock)
Math Textbook Adoption Update:

• K-6 MATH  = Save the Date for March 27, 2013!  On March 27th, the Math Task Force Textbook Adoption team will have the opportunity to hear vendor presentations from all three textbook representatives.  The schedule will be more detailed as we get closer to the date, but here is a general idea of the day:

Opening

Vendor Presentation #1 (60 minutes)

Vendor #1 Q & A Session (30 minutes)

Debrief Session for Vendor #1

Break

Vendor Presentation #2 (60 minutes)

Vendor #2 Q & A Session (30 minutes)

Debrief Session for Vendor #2

LUNCH

Vendor Presentation #3 (60 minutes)

Vendor #3 Q & A Session (30 minutes)