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Children First Intensive

ESO NETWORK 14CFI INQUIRY TEAM MEETING

September 18, 2008Bob Cohen, Network Leader; Deena Abu-Lughod, SAF

Alan Godlewicz, Brandon Alvarez, Freddie Capshaw, Jo Ann BenoitDeirdre Burke, Dr. Pamela McCarthy

Knights of Columbus3243 Ampere Avenue

Bronx, New York 10465

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Welcome!New PrincipalsNew Schools Joining Network 14: MS 166, MS 313Returning and New School Team MembersNew Network Team Members

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“When you make a mistake, don’t look back at it long. Take the reason of the thing into

your mind, and then look forward. Mistakes are lessons of wisdom. The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in

your power.” Phyllis Bottome

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9/18/08 AGENDA7:30 Breakfast8:30 Welcome and Connecting Activity9:00 Outcomes and Norms for Collaborative Work9:10 2008-09 ESO Goal of 90% of teachers participating in inquiry

Process: Quick Write, Read Quotations, Discussion Protocol, Share10:00 Best Practices Presentation PS 8110:30 Break10:45 John DeAngelis, Triumph Learning11:15 Deconstructing Elements of the ESO Instructional Framework12:15 Lunch1:15 Optional small group sessions:

Deena: Progress Reports/DataFreddie: School-Based Mentoring PlansAlan: Budget/Business

Many thanks to John DeAngelis, Triumph Learning for sponsoring this meeting!

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3-2-1 Connection Reflection3-2-1 Connecting Activity – to connect to each other and to reflect on last year’s work

3 - Ways that your learning community was impacted by last year’s CFI Inquiry Team Work.2 - Things you learned or skills you acquired/improved.1 – Describe the impact of your work on one student who was in the target population

It mattered to him…

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Outcomes for TodayInquiry Teams will:• Reflect on 2007–08 CFI Inquiry Team Work• Examine the goal of 90% of teachers participating in

inquiry work/structured professional collaboration• Observe Best Practice: Using State item response

to identify learning gaps and plan instruction• Deconstruct elements of the ESO Instructional

Framework• Preview the year

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NTC/USC Workshop FormatWelcome/IntroductionsOutcomes (Charted)Collaborative NormsAgendaPost-it Feedback-Parking Lot Processing Activities/ProtocolsReflection/Evaluation

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Professional DevelopmentStandard Workshop Format

Based on NTC/Univ. Santa Cruz format

See the left side of your packet for standard components

9:00

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Norms for Collaborative WorkEquity of VoiceMonitor ElectronicsActive ListeningAllow Space for Different PerspectivesCollective Responsibility for Meeting’s SuccessConfidentialitySeek Innovation

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2008 -09 ESO Goal

By the end of the year, 90% of teachers in all ESO schools will

participate in inquiry work/structured professional collaboration to

strengthen classroom practice and raise student achievement.

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Building Leadership Capacity in Empowerment

The Empowerment Support Organization’s goal is for 90% of teachers to participate in Inquiry. You are the leaders who can create sustainability around the inquiry work. Collectively, we must determine how best to reach teachers not currently on Inquiry Teams with the fundamental message of the work so all teachers understand the meaning of inquiry work and how it can help improve student learning in their school.

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Teams across the city are at different points in the inquiry work, and have experienced varied levels of investment.In 2008-09, some teams will want to focus on more system-wide change, while some may still need to deepen their work with their target population and to learn more about their schools’ decision-making patterns.Every network will incorporate principal and teacher involvement at more phases of the planning process.

Inquiry Team Work Year 3

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Collective Responsibility:Network Principal + 1 to join Network Team

This year, as we deepen inquiry work, we must take collective responsibility for our outcomes. To ensure that these meetings match our needs, we are asking for one school leader plus a teacher to support in developing our learning plan.

Requires attendance at Monthly Cluster (4 networks) CFI Meeting in addition to our Network monthly Inquiry Team Meeting. Please communicate interest to Bob or Deena.

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Expanding the sphere of success

The goal of inquiry work is to move every student into the sphere of success.

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Core beliefs: Professional learning communitiesWe believe in Inquiry Teams as professional learning communities:

>Inquiry Teams help facilitate the shift from a focus on teaching to a focus on learning.

>An Inquiry Team model develops professional learning communities in schools focused on improving student outcomes.

>An Inquiry Team model promotes principal and teacher leadership, which in turn leads to systemic and sustainable change.

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Core beliefs: Closing the achievement/equity gapInquiry Teams are a means to close the achievement gap:

>A process of inquiry begins with identifying a targeted need for a small group of struggling students.

>It identifies the conditions that support student learning— e.g. what is taught, how it’s taught, who teaches it, and how well it’s taught.

>Inquiry Team work requires going beyond the task of moving 15-30 students to impact the decision-making systems that affect students school-wide.

>Inquiry Teams must focus on aligning assessment, curriculum, instruction, and youth development to create a coherent system.

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A big picture look at the inquiry process

Phase II: Move the

Students

Phase I: Identify

Students and

Targets

Phase III: Move the

System

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Define a school-wide focus group

Define a target population:skill, sub-skill, students

Define learning targets and short-term goals

Analyze target population

conditions of learning

Analyze systems that produced conditions of

learning

Design and implement change strategy

Evaluate and revise based on interim progress

measures

InstructionalSystem-level

Define a long-term goal

A look at the inquiry process

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So what does this 90% goal mean for us?What is your understanding of “participation”?What is your understanding of “inquiry work/structured professional collaboration”? Refer to the handout “3 definitions of teacher inquiry” or your own prior knowledge and beliefs.What pre-existing structures in schools can support this goal?Task: As a group, reach a consensus on the fundamental elements of inquiry work/structured professional collaboration and chart. Chart the pre-existing structures that can support this goal.

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Best Practices: Item ResponsePresentation by Leadership Team from PS 81

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5 Levers to Improve Student LearningThe ESO has developed a framework to be used by network teams

with Principals to jointly assess areas where there is potential to collaborate in a targeted way to improve a school’s instructional quality. The framework builds on the Four Conditions of Learning we have used in our Inquiry Team work to get to at issues of systemic change:

Coherent Curriculum: What is being taught?Differentiated Pedagogy: How is it being taught?Assessment for Learning: Are the students learning?Accountable Professional Collaboration: Are the teachers learning?Aligned Structure and Resources: Does the Principal use available

resources to support student and adult learning?

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Protocol for Deconstructing a LeverYour table will receive ONE question related to one of

the 5 levers.1. As a group, answer what it is the question is

asking, and;2. What would be the evidence.3. Chart your response and post for the gallery walk.4. Responses will be typed up, distributed, and used

to guide our work.

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A glance ahead…Inquiry Team Interface

CPRE ReportScaffolding the Inquiry Process:

Knowledge ManagementNew Quality Review with Rubric

Teacher Value Added

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The Inquiry Team Interface

www.childrenfirstintensive.com

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The American Institute for Research has been developing resource maps to help educators think through variables at the school, classroom, and student levels, specific to identified learning challenges in ELA and Math.

Scaffolding the Inquiry Process

Phase I:

Identify Students and Targets

Step 1: Define a school-wide focus.Step 2: Define a target population.Step 3: Define a long-term goal.Step 4: Define learning targets and short-term goals.

Phase II:Move the Students

Step 5: Analyze target population conditions of learning.Step 6: Design and implement an instructional change

strategy.Step 7: Evaluate and revise based on interim progress measures.

Phase III:Move the System

Step 8: Analyze school-wide systems that produce conditions of learning.Step 9: Design and implement a system-wide change strategy.Step 10: Evaluate and revise based on interim progress measures.

A set of tools are being developed to help Inquiry Team members and other educators select an instructional strategy for their struggling students..

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Identified Learning Challenges: ELA and Math

Math Learning Challenges • Whole Numbers: Addition &

Subtraction • Whole Numbers: Multiplication &

Division • Fractions and Decimals • Ratios, Rates, Proportions, Percents • Patterns, Variables, and Expressions• Linear equations, functions, and

inequalities • Shapes and spatial relationships

(including transformations)• Data Analysis (including data

representations) • Probability

ELA Learning ChallengesReading•Phonemic awareness/Phonics •Vocabulary•Fluency•Explicit Comprehension Strategies•Text Meaning•Reading & Writing in the Content AreasWriting•Mechanics & Usage•Organization & Development •Language Use & Awareness

Learning challenges were identified by reviewing Inquiry Team Interface information, city-wide ELA and MATH results, and discussion of standards and performance indicators.

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Sample Variable Map: Vocabulary Student-level variables

Classroom-level variables

Student Cognitive Skills (6 abstracts) Student Behavior (6 abstracts) Student Motivation & Engagement(6 abstracts)

Organization Memory

Self-MonitoringTeacher-Student Interaction

Clear Expectations Feedback Encouraging Reading

Classroom Instruction of Word Meaning(8 abstracts)

Content Area Vocabulary

Vocabulary for Writing

Dictionaries Vocabulary for Reading

Classroom Instruction of Word Analysis Skills (8 abstracts)

Word Parts Syntactic Clues

Context Clues Use of prior knowledge

Classroom Instructional Environment(8 abstracts)

Differentiated Instruction

Technology and materials

Print-rich environment Collaborative learning

Curricular and Assessment Resources(8 abstracts)

Curriculum Planning Coherence

Assessments Curricular Resources

Culture of Professional Learning(10 abstracts)

Professional Development

Culture of Inquiry

School-level variablesSchool Organizational Environment

(8 abstracts)Teaming and Collaboration

Scheduling

Staffing Decisions

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Why is this strategy useful?

Description of strategy

Summary of research evidence

Sample studies supporting this strategy

Sample activity/worksheet for strategy

Usually more than one study listed.

Often only for student- and classroom-level variables.

Sample Abstract: Word Walls

Additional resources