Using technology to assess and support Small Learning Communities

Facilitated by: Giselle Martin-Kniep, Jennifer Borgioli and Aaron Turner

If you could gain one thing from this conference, what would it be?

Session outcomes

• Review and discuss anchors and exemplars associated with an SLC rubric

• Discuss ways in which schools and individuals interact with an SLC rubric

• Examine ways in which an SLC rubric and wiki can support annual review and accountability processes

• Explore implications for schools

Guiding questions• How do schools currently

measure their effectiveness?

• How can technology support schools’ self assessment and improvement?

• Why bother?

Agenda

9:45 Introductions and session overview10:00 Evolution of work10:20 Wiki walkthrough

10:35 Interaction with wiki; self-assessment

11:00 The power of artifacts

11:15 Discussion and Q&A; The work ahead of us

11:30 End of session reflection 11:45 Adjourn

Our evolution School reliance on argumentation and persuasion

to establish worth

Rubric development with multiple stakeholders

Rubric field-test and piloting

Professional learning for a leadership cadre

Widespread access to populated rubric with artifacts

Key Assumptions

1. Practitioners and teachers need metrics to assess where they are in the school improvement journey… and where they need to go

2. There is extraordinary expertise in the schools that needs to be shared across SLC’s and schools

3. Helps to keep everything in a central location

Different Words, Same GoalNew York Texas

Facilitation and Distributed Leadership

Culture of Excellence

Dedicated teaching, learning, and support teams

Small Learning Communities

Family and Student AdvocacyData driven system of accountability A rigorous curriculum and instruction for all students, centered on a unifying focus

Instructional Improvement

NYC DOE SLC Wiki

First: Assessing your school

A. Shared Vision and Purpose1. To what extent do the school and SLCs have uniform vision and goals?

Alignment to 2009-2010 NYC Quality Review Criteria Rubric 1.3: Make strategic organizational decisions to support the school’s instructional goals and meet student learning needs

Beginning Developing Deepening SystemicThe stakeholders hold different goals and agendas that may compete against each other creating factions within the schools and SLCs which prevents the development of a comprehensive, school-wide vision.

The principal has developed a vision and goals, and has an emerging understanding of shared leadership, but has not provided a mechanism for shared ownership in the school and SLCs.

The principal and SLC leadership are responsible for insuring that the collective vision of the whole school is kept as the forefront of the work. As such, the principal establishes a common framework of high expectations and accountability.

The principal and key stakeholders (students, teachers, parents, staff, guidance counselors) have a collective vision and a common framework of high expectations and accountability for the school to achieve common goals within the school and SLCs. Stakeholders are able to articulate the school’s vision

Element Rubric

A. Shared Vision and Purpose1. To what extent do the school and SLCs have uniform vision and goals?

Alignment to 2009-2010 NYC Quality Review Criteria Rubric 1.3: Make strategic organizational decisions to support the school’s instructional goals and meet student learning needs

Beginning Developing Deepening SystemicThe stakeholders hold different goals and agendas that may compete against each other creating factions within the schools and SLCs which prevents the development of a comprehensive, school-wide vision.

The principal has developed a The principal has developed a vision and goalsvision and goals, and has an emerging understanding of shared leadership, but has not provided a mechanism for shared ownership in the school and SLCs.

The principal and SLC leadership are responsible for insuring that the collective vision of the whole school is kept as the forefront of the work. As such, the principal As such, the principal establishes a common establishes a common framework of high framework of high expectations and expectations and accountabilityaccountability.

The principal and key stakeholders (students, teachers, parents, staff, guidance counselors) have a collective vision and a common framework of high expectations and accountability for the school to achieve common goals within the school and SLCs. Stakeholders are able to articulate the school’s vision

Assessing your school

• Walk to either posters with Elements 1 or 2.• Consider the language of the rubric. Which level best “fits” your

school?• Place your school or SLC’s name or initials on a Post-It. Place

your Post-It on the appropriate rubric level (if more than one SLC, rate only one)

• Be ready to answer the questions:– What assumptions inform your thinking?– What evidence do you have to support the placement of your

Post-It?

What is an artifact of practice that shows

something you value?

Shifting from…

To…Photographs

Video files

Student workSound files

Example of self-assessment

artifact + process statement

The power of artifacts: Beyond the

written word

• PowerPoints• Google docs• Voki• Videos• Photographs• Scanned documents• If it can be captured electronically

(photographed, scanned, recorded) …. It can be an artifact

A. Rigor and coherence of curriculum and instruction1. To what extent are the curriculum and instruction for all students rigorous and

coherent?Beginning Developing Deepening Systemic

Teachers plan and discuss curriculum and instruction from the point of view of their individual subject. Curriculum is not consistently aligned to city and state standards.Only selected students have access to rigorous subject-specific courses.

Within SLCs, individual teachers design interdisciplinary units that that are aligned with city and state standards.The curriculum comprises an array of rigorous and low-level courses with limited access to interdisciplinary experiences.

The SLCs have a thematic and/or conceptual curriculum which reinforces SLC objectives, and is at least partially aligned with city and state standards.SLC teachers plan and implement rigorous, interdisciplinary units and lessons which are open to all students.

The SLCs have a rigorous, coherent interdisciplinary, thematic and conceptual curriculum which reinforces SLC objectives, and is aligned to city, state, national, and international standards.SLC teams plan and design rigorous interdisciplinary units and assessments for all students that foster SLC objectives.

Element #4

B. Differentiation and support for all students to achieve1. How does the SLC support the learning needs of all students?

Beginning Developing Deepening SystemicClassrooms and programs operate as if all students had the same learning needs.

Students have limited access to program options for learning to achieve grade level expectations.

Curriculum, instruction or assessment are differentiated enough to allow students to learn based on their needs.

Programs and classrooms are fully differentiated to enable all students to achieve high levels of academic success and independence.

Element #4

C. PD for curriculum, instruction and assessment1. How do we measure how well SLCs are preparing students for post-secondary education

and the world of work?Beginning Developing Deepening Systemic

The school has a limited number of academic intervention strategies to monitor progress and assist students with attaining grade level skills by grade 12.

The school and SLC offer limited courses or program opportunities for students to attain grade level skills.

SLC teams of administrators, teachers, and counselors work together to implement programs that improve grade level performance of students and increase readiness for post-secondary success.

School-wide planning enables SLCs to have a well developed instructional plan to enable students to graduate and be prepared for post-secondary education and the world of work.

Element #4

C. PD for curriculum, instruction and assessment2. To what extent do teachers within the SLC have access to a range of professional learning

opportunities that strengthen their practice?Beginning Developing Deepening Systemic

Teachers attend isolated awareness or skill building workshops that relate partially to curriculum, instruction or assessment. Professional development focuses on curriculum, instruction, or assessment rather than the connections among these. There are few, if any, opportunities for teachers to use what they learn.

Professional development is only partially focused on rigor and may include a combination of single events and a series learning opportunities that are held primarily off-site. There are limited opportunities for follow up.

Professional development is often site-based and consists of multiple opportunities and events for teachers to learn how to design varied assessments, differentiated instructional approaches, interdisciplinary curriculum and other designs around concepts or themes to increase rigor and coherence.

Ongoing site-based, differentiated and diversified professional development is tailored to the unique needs of SLCs students and teachers focusing on both the quality and rigor of the curriculum, instruction and assessment. Teachers and administrators have developed a culture of learning in which they seek and share knowledge, including best practices and educational literature, across SLCs and subject areas.

Element #4

C. PD for curriculum, instruction and assessment3. To what extent does the SLC address professional learning needs and promote their

growth?Beginning Developing Deepening Systemic

The professional development plan on the use of common planning time, data, and best practices lacks alignment with teacher learning needs.

The professional development plan on the use of common planning time, data, and best practices lacks alignment with teacher learning needs.

The professional development plan and activities on the use of common planning time, data, and best practices are informed by teachers’ needs and consist of a combination of workshops and conferences with selected opportunities for turn keying the work.

The professional development plan includes a wide range of activities and experiences driven entirely by SLC teachers’ needs with the intent of building their capacity to use data and common planning time effectively, and to implement best practices.

Element #4

C. PD for curriculum, instruction and assessment4. Who is involved in determining teachers’ professional development?

Beginning Developing Deepening SystemicInvolvement of SLC staff in professional development activities is minimal and lacks teacher input.

SLC teachers and other staff are invited to share their learning needs and have access to professional development activities but are not given the venue to turn-key or implement the practice/learning.

SLC teachers, guidance counselors and support staff inform and participate in professional development activities to support teacher planning, student outcomes, and best practices.

SLC teachers, guidance counselors and support staff design and implement professional development activities to address their professional needs and to structure time to support teacher planning and learning.

Element #4

D. Feedback to TeachersTo what extent do teachers receive feedback that supports teaching and learning??

Beginning Developing Deepening SystemicThe only sources of feedback for teachers are the formal classroom observations as outlined in the teachers’ contract.

In addition to teachers receiving formal classroom observations, they receive informal observations or observations that lack a standardized tool with no direct support for improvement.

All teachers have access to formal and informal formative feedback on their practices which informs their planning, teaching and assessment work.

Formative interactions: supervisory observation system as well as peer coaching sessions with colleagues) around planning, teaching, and assessment inform SLC leadership and their work and facilitate staff coaching.

Element #4

Second Task

• Review Rubric elements 3 and 4• Use a pencil or highlighter to determine the

state of your school or SLC on one of the elements.

• How does the rubric enable your school or SLC to identify next steps in its continued development?

Each SLC completes a Scholarship Report for each student. This report is used as the core for analysis of student performance and learning. We are working on incorporating more and diverse measures to more accurately capture student learning.

Element 3A Beginning

The SLC teachers must follow a point system in their classes as a guide for students for them to monitor their academic progress, discuss social and behavioral progress like their goals and how they can achieve them or improve their grade. The SLC teachers must articulate their point system as a basis to measure students’ performance in terms of their tests, classwork, homework and projects. This can also serve as a guide of students to monitor their own academic progress during the marking period.

Element 3A Deepening

Element 3A Systemic

Element 3A Systemic

The SLC’s have adopted a multiple measure approach to assessment, teaching, and learning. The diagram documents the flow of the instructional and assessment progress. Student data are collected through multiple measures and stored in both in an in-house data warehouse and student portfolios.

There is always more to a rubric..

What else do you value about

rigorous curriculum and

instruction that is not on the

rubric?

The importance of synergy between outside support and inside capacity

Most valuable activities as external partner…

• Feedback• Technical support

–Defining an artifact–Annotating an artifact–Supporting self-assessment

• Neutrality

Caveats

• Ease of use• Quality control• Safety

The power of artifacts to anchor judgment

Questions for you

• How would a wiki like the one we showed you support your school and/or SLCs?

• What might you store in it? Share?

The work ahead

End of Session Reflection

Email addresses