report to the school board - hopkins high school...3 report to the school board staff development...

Excellence. Every School. Every Student. Every Day.

Report to the School Board Staff Development Plan for 2012-2013 M a y 3 , 2 0 1 2 B e c k y A l l e n a n d D ia n e S c h im e lp fe n ig , E d .D .

Overview Our goal in Staff Development continues to be on-going, highly researched, job- embedded professional development opportunities which will equip our staff with the skills needed to educate ALL of our children for the 21st Century. This report will provide status on staff development for 2011-2012 along with plans for the 2012-2013 school year. We believe that the areas below directly relate to our Achievement strategy in our District Strategic Plan. As the action plans are completed, we will be designing and implementing future quality professional development to support that work. Primary Issues to Consider • Staff Development Foci • Staff Development Progress and Planning for 2012-2013 Supporting Documents Staff Development Planning for 2012-2013 report

2 Report to the School Board

Staff Development Plan for 2012-2013 May 3, 2012


Staff Development Planning for 2012-2013 Introduction Our goal in Staff Development continues to be on-going, highly researched, job- embedded professional development opportunities which will equip our staff with the skills needed to educate ALL of our children for the 21st Century. This report will provide status on staff development for 2011-2012 along with plans for the 2012-2013 school year. We believe that the areas below directly relate to our Achievement strategy in our District Strategic Plan. As the action plans are completed we will be designing and implementing future quality professional development to support that work. 2012-2013 Staff Development Foci: I. Cultural Proficiency Goal: To provide professional development opportunities, which increase awareness and understanding of institutional racism and other biases that create barriers to achievement for students, through equity teams and other professional development opportunities. Within this strategy we are also working on relationship building with our families, community, and schools. II. Curriculum and Standards Goal: To provide comprehensive staff development opportunities in all curriculum areas that support best practice in curriculum, instruction, and assessment. III. Mentorship and Teacher Leadership Goal: To continue our probationary teacher mentor/supervision model by using the Hopkins Framework for Effective Teaching and enhancing the professional practice of all new teachers. We also want to support and develop teacher leaders among our tenured staff who can help lead change for continuous improvement in our school district. IV. Assessment and data training for RtI and PLCs Goal: In order to support our Response to Intervention work and the implementation of Professional Learning Communities, we are training staff to apply the technology involved in accessing data, to analyze the

3 Report to the School Board Staff Development Plan for 2012-2013 May 3, 2012

Excellence. Every School. Every Student. Every Day

data provided, and to utilize the data to plan instruction, which better meets the needs of all learners. Secondary and elementary staff continue to develop formative assessments directly related to their standards and will align curriculum and assessments to Power Standards as part of the PLC process. V. Technology Integration Goal: To provide staff with "just in time" access to staff development resources in order to support technology skill development and curriculum integration. This includes the continuation of cohort groups for our Activboard initiative, the training for efficient and effective use of Hopkins Apps, and the integration of iPads and digital curriculum. Staff Development Progress and Future Planning I. Cultural Proficiency: Site Equity Leadership Teams Site Equity Leadership Teams (E- Teams) facilitate a series of professional development sessions with their colleagues at various times throughout the year, often during late starts and staff meetings. Through these sessions, the E-Teams engaged staff in learning activities designed to build cultural competence and shift the culture of the school toward embracing school-wide equity transformation. Leadership and training for this work, comes through our District Equity Leadership Team. (DELT). There were also sessions on our equity work held for teachers and support staff after the schoolwork day. These sessions allowed our staff to improve their practice in terms of what is means to truly be an inclusive district. Stanley Brown facilitated these sessions and would like to add more for the upcoming school year. In addition to this work by the Equity Teams, we will have an Equity Symposium on June 13, 14, 15 to address the ongoing challenges and rewards of reaching and teaching ALL students regardless of race, culture or socio-economic status. National Urban Alliance (NUA) Literacy Initiative has continued in 2011-2012 with the support of one NUA elementary certified trainer. Over the course of the school year, the NUA trainer has provided ongoing support for individual teachers, grade level teams during collaborative planning time, and large groups during staff meetings, late




starts and staff development classes. Teachers are sent “Strategy of the Month” newsletters that include new ways to integrate culturally relevant teaching strategies into daily instruction. This newsletter is also used to share successful ways teachers around the district are using NUA strategies with the students they work with. The three certified NUA trainers in the district are still available to assist with individual guidance and workshop opportunities for teachers in 2012-2013, although there is no longer classroom release time for this position. AVID Staff Development • AVID Site Team members have presented at staff meetings in all

three secondary schools throughout the school year. • The AVID Director/Teacher and six of the AVID Elective Teachers,

including three new AVID Elective Teachers, attended the AVID Summer Institute in August 2011. They participated in trainings about teaching the AVID class and integrating AVID methodologies and college-readiness into the school culture.

• In September 2011, three of our four Hopkins AVID tutors participated in a daylong training for AVID schools across the metro area on Tutorials, a major component of the AVID classroom that encourages inquiry and collaboration.

• In October and February, AVID teachers and site team members

participated in a day long TRIO training offered by members of the AVID National Organization.

• The AVID Director co-facilitated four sessions of the program

Somali “Yes We Can: Creating A College-Going Culture for Your Children.”

• Over 20 Hopkins secondary staff members participated in the All-

Hopkins AVID Site Team Meeting in February 2012. The agenda included training and discussion around district and building-wide college readiness and understanding the AVID student profile.

• In February, the AVID program held its first series of AVID Class Open Houses for staff at HHS, NJH, and WJH.



• In spring 2012, two AVID teachers are co-teaching a series of

professional development workshops on AVID practices and essential skills for college-readiness for the elementary grades.

• In August 2012, five staff members from Alice Smith and the AVID

Director will attend the AVID Summer Institute. II. Curriculum and Standards: STEM Initiative: Encouraging more students to enter the STEM fields is important to Minnesota’s ability to compete globally and it gives students the skills needed to be successful in college and the job market. Multiple state level organizations are involved in encouraging more students to consider pursuing careers in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields (MDE, SciMathMN, Science Museum of MN). Elementary STEM Staff Development (grades K-6):Hopkins Public Schools received a grant along with Minneapolis Public Schools from Cargill to sponsor classroom teacher residencies and support the professional development for teaching Engineering is Elementary (Museum of Science Boston). The grant includes the purchase of teacher and student materials for each grade level 3-5. Hopkins currently has an Engineering is Elementary (EiE) unit embedded at grades 3 and in every building. In 2012-13 we will also have an EiE unit in grade 5 in all buildings.

• Grade level science meetings (grades 3-6) to better align science investigations with current science curriculum.

• Summer EiE curriculum development for all grade 5 teachers in June 2012.

• Grade level (3-6) MCA meetings to prepare for new on-line math MCA.

• Grade K-2 professional development on strategies for teaching math facts.

• Development of Math Power Standards and CFAs for grades 3- 6. • Exemplary grant to improve math content knowledge and

instruction (K-12) Future Elementary STEM Staff Development: 2012-13:

• Summer EiE curriculum development for all grade 5 teachers in




June 2012. • Applying for exemplary grant to improve math content knowledge

and instruction (K-12) Secondary STEM Staff Development (grades 7-12):

• Continue developing CFAs for use in the technology education, math and science departments.

• Continued curriculum development as a result of recommendations from the secondary program study:

o Curriculum re-design for junior high career and technology education classes.

o Continued curriculum development for the 9th grade Intermediate Algebra/Physical Science alignment.

• Project Lead the Way curriculum training for a Physics teacher to teach Principles of Engineering in 2012-13 or 2013-14. This is a 2-week training that takes place over the summer.

• FACS classes continue to work on the alignment between food science and culinology (an approach to food that blends the culinary arts, food science, and food technology)

• Junior High technology education teachers attended PLTW (Gateway program): Flight and Space training.

• Continued curriculum development using Vernier devices (data collection/analysis devices) for 9th grade math/science teachers.

• The 7-12 technology education department attended the ITEEA national conference.

• 6 Tech Ed teachers attended the state PLTW conference. • 5 or more Math teachers will be attending the state Math

conference (May 2012). • STEM Coordinator will be attend the SciMathMN STEM conference

(May 2012). • STEM coordinators have participated in NEXUS for 5-years. We

have added 2 secondary teachers to the NEXUS group (representing tech. ed. and math).

• Continued curriculum writing to develop digital content for grade 7-8 science and grade 7 math.

• STEM presentation for secondary math, science and tech. ed. teachers on Feb. 20, 2012.

• Train high school counselors in the PLTW program (a requirement to become a PLTW certified school).

Future Secondary STEM Staff Development: 2012-13:



• Curriculum mapping of STEM activities in math and science. • On going curriculum-writing time to continue to develop digital

content for grade 7-8 science and grade 7 math. • Continued curriculum development for the new 9th grade

Intermediate Algebra/Physical Science alignment. • Continue the development and discuss effective uses of CFAs • Provide opportunities to learn about Project Based Learning.

III. Mentorship and Teacher Leadership: New teachers participated in the Mentorship workshop Aug 24-25. During this time, they were provided with laptops and introduced to Hopkins software and the use of Activeboards. During the fall, they participated in two trainings: Classroom Management and NUA strategies. Each new teacher had a site mentor assigned to support them through their first year. For 2012-2013, the Mentorship workshop will take place Aug 20-22. New teachers will be provided with training in technology, classroom management, and curriculum. There will be additional training in these areas throughout the school year. We plan to provide a site mentor for each new teacher. Through existing resources such as curriculum coordinators, department chairs, and elementary literacy and math coaches, we expect to maintain a high level of mentorship and connections. The Teacher Leader Academy was created this year as a program for developing tenured staff who are emerging teacher leaders at their site. This program helps staff identify their strengths as a leader and provides guidance in how to utilize these strengths to effect change. The teachers focused on leadership structures within a school district and how to lead and navigate the impact of change within a school system. We hope to continue this program in 2012-2013 with the possibility of expanding the program to staff in formal leadership positions. Hopkins Compensation Model: For the 2011-12 school year we have modified our QCOMP/Hopkins Compensation Model. The district members approved this framework and with pending state approval we will begin this model in the fall. We will continue to have Master Teachers working with all tenured staff in an evaluation staff development model that we believe will not only lead to stronger teaching but also improved student learning. The model




includes three components that together make up the newly modified Hopkins Compensation Model:

• teacher evaluations/observations (3) • staff participation in on-going Professional Learning Communities • school/ site student achievement goals.

This model will continue for the 2012-2013 school year. Master Teachers were trained in the updated Framework for Teaching and in Cognitive Coaching. This training will continue in the upcoming year and provides the Master Teachers with enhanced skills for deepening the instructional skills of our staff. Professional Learning Communities: During the PLC meeting time, staff members are expected to examine student data, develop and respond to common formative assessments, develop and refine instructional strategies that challenge all students to reach their fullest potential, share and review culturally responsive instructional techniques, and develop a SMART goal. Teachers will continue to have one hour of PLC time provided during each late start day and they will need to schedule one additional hour outside of the work day to meet. Sites will be looking at options for providing additional time within the workday for teachers to meet, since many teachers indicated a desire for more PLC meeting time. Agendas and minutes from the meetings will be submitted to the principal and Master Teachers. School/site QCOMP achievement goals: By fall of 2012, every site will determine an academic goal for increased student achievement in the area of math, reading or science. These goals are established through site data retreats, where a team of staff members meet, review, and analyze assessment data (including MCA and MAP data). This goal is then reported to the state as part of our QCOMP/HCM plan. IV. Assessments and data training Response to Intervention (RtI): “Rigorous implementation of RtI includes a combination of high quality, culturally and linguistically responsive instruction;



assessment; and evidence-based intervention. Comprehensive RTI implementation will contribute to more meaningful identification of learning and behavioral problems, improve instructional quality, provide all students with the best opportunities to succeed in school, and assist with the identification of learning disabilities and other disabilities.” (National Center on Response to Intervention) Elementary RtI Work Literacy Coaches: We will continue to have a .4 FTE literacy coach at each elementary site for 2012-13. They continue to use ICue (Cognos) as a tool for personal learning goals, current assessment data and progress in specific reading and math intervention curricular programs. This information continues to enhance our identification and placement in RtI intervention programs as well as the ability to monitor progress throughout the year. They will provide leadership in data analysis as well as coaching staff and modeling best practice within the classroom setting. They also meet monthly for on-going training regarding data, guided reading and other current reading best practice as well as plan and deliver professional development to intervention staff. RtI data meetings: We will continue the three grade level RtI meetings throughout the year at each site. These are led by the principal and Literacy Coach. During these meetings each student’s assessment in an intervention program will be examined, analyzed and interpreted to establish progress and what future support they may or may not need. Intervention Staff: We will continue to provide on-going professional development to our Title I, Learning Support Teachers and Learning Support Paraprofessionals throughout 2012-13. The identified topics are:

• • Behavior management strategies Small group management • • Culturally responsive teaching • • Cognos (and Google applications) • • Math • • Reading (Daily 5 strategies).




Elementary RtI Math Coaches: Elementary RtI math coaches work in each building to monitor data and resources related to the Response to Intervention program for mathematics. The coaches assist the principal in facilitating the building RtI math data meetings three times per year, manage math materials for RtI, provide coaching in math instruction to Learning Support Teachers and Learning Support Paraprofessionals, and analyze and interpret assessment results to identify student math needs. They receive a stipend for their work. Junior High RtI: The two junior high schools began the development and implementation of a Response to Intervention (RtI) program using resources from state ADSIS supplemental funding. Intervention teachers in math and reading are working to carry out the program as they train staff, identify students, obtain and develop curriculum resources, teach classes, and monitor and assess learners. The program will continue to be refined and developed in the 2012-2013 school year. In addition to RtI for academics, Behavior Intervention Specialists are also part of the ADSIS grant. These individuals are working to develop a PBIS program and they are collecting data to help in creating a safer and more respectful school environment. High School Intervention The High school has created a committee to focus on how they use data to develop an intervention program and process for delivering intervention services. Members of the Data Committee, Registration Committee, Advisory Committee, and Advanced Studies Committee will work with Administration to create initial plans in the spring of 2012 and they will meet quarterly during the 2012-2013 school year to review progress. Professional Learning Communities (PLC) – described above as part of the HCM Model. PLCs are another vehicle for using student data to improve achievement. Training for PLCs will be provided at the site level by staff development committees and PLC facilitators. This work will include developing norms, aligning Power Standards to course curriculum, creating SMART goals, developing formative assessments, analyzing student work, and learning how to use the data to inform instruction. Teams will be facilitated by trained staff who will support PLCs and assist in focusing the conversation around student learning.



MAP/NWEA data: This system focuses on individual student growth. Using the class/grade level reports, teachers can identify a student’s performance. Used in conjunction with Des Cartes, NWEA’s continuum of learning, teachers identify skills and concepts that are at the most appropriate instructional level given a student’s current achievement level. Common Formative Assessments: The development of power standards and common formative assessments will continue through this summer and into 2012-2013. Curriculum coordinators are making an effort to continue leading this work as time permits. With time and training, PLC teams will be able to identify multiple ways of formatively assessing students and to develop the skills to appropriately differentiate the learning process. Students can also play a more active role in the formative assessment process as they track their own progress towards the achievement of learning targets. As Robert Marzano states, “Formative assessments are one of the most powerful weapons in a teacher’s arsenal. An effective standards-based, formative assessment program can help to dramatically enhance student achievement throughout the K-12 system.” (Marzano, back cover). V. Technology Integration: District staff development in the area of technology focused on 5 major areas during the 2011–12 school year:

• delivery of a media rich, interactive curriculum in the classroom (TLC, TLC+, Pixie)

• Web-based collaboration (Hopkins Apps powered by Google) • mobile learning devices (iPads) • flipping the classroom (screencasting & YouTube) • development of a web presence (Moodle)

Two years ago, the district was awarded a federal technology grant (E2T2) and 100 teachers expanded their skills in using the Activboard to leverage their digital curriculum and harness the resources on the Web. This initiative was called TLC+ and the focus was to implement best practice instructional strategies that complement the use of an Activboard. This was very successful experience for participating teachers during the course of the grant year as evidenced by the data collected in surveys presented to teachers before and after the




experience. As a result, the staff development teams offered this experience again this school year and another 30 teachers successfully committed to 12-18 hours of additional training to improve practice. As a district, we are getting quite close to having an interactive whiteboard (Activboard) in every instructional space. In addition to the advanced training received in TLC+, we also have about 100 teachers participating in TLC, the introductory training for the Activboard. These teachers complete around 24 hours of focused training either on-site in a face-to-face setting, small group or individual coaching, or online in course where teachers watch video tutorials and then manipulate the software to create digital lessons to be used on the board. Hopkins Public Schools continues to promote effective digital communications between teachers and parents/students through the development of a web presence. Thirty-two teachers successfully completed Moodle Mania or Moodle to the Max during this school year. Both experiences are online and support teacher use of the Web to complement their face-to-face instruction. An additional course was offered this past summer and school year with a lesser commitment (3 hours) tailored to assist teachers to simply get a website up and running for each of their courses that housed what has been identified as the most important elements of a course Webpage. This course was offered both face-to-face and online (Moodle Byte) and twenty additional teachers successfully completed this experience. We are committed to constantly offering opportunities for teachers to improve their digital communication skill via the Web. The highlight in technology staff development this past school year was the expansion of our Best Practices Day in February to include all licensed staff. District staff gathered in the Hopkins High School auditorium to hear a motivational message from keynote speaker, Mark Garrison. From there, staff dispersed to their selected breakout sessions (of which there were 24 to choose from). The most exciting part of the morning was the strong leadership provided by approximately 50 of our very own district employees who demonstrated and shared their expertise in technology that morning. Prior to Best Practices, a 30 person cohort of teachers began to work together to immerse themselves in the effective use of Hopkins Apps (powered by Google) in the instructional setting. This group made up the bulk of our



facilitators and they are continuing their work this fall to deepen their understanding of this collaborative suite of tools. Every year, our professional development efforts in the district attempt to strengthen the competence and confidence of staff in their use of instructional technology in areas that are ongoing. However, what makes this work so exciting is often the new tools that we adopt to better engage the learners. This year, we have offered training in two such initiatives. At the elementary level, we updated a piece of software called Pixie. Pixie is exciting creativity software students can use to share ideas, imagination, and understanding through a combination of text, original artwork, voice narration, and images. Approximately 20 teachers have completed a full day training to bring these experiences to their students. At the secondary level, we are examining the concept of flipping the classroom. The “flip” is an instructional approach where the typical instructional experience is completed by students at home often via interactive digital lessons or teacher created videos. With this approach, students come to class to “work” (or what might be traditionally referred to as “homework”) prepared to ask clarifying questions and to dissect their learning in a more personal manner. Thirty teachers in our district have completed a 3 hour training to help them to understand the theory and to provide them with the skills to rethink their practice given the technology tools available to them. Areas of focus for next year will be increasing the quality of teacher webpages (the district will be updating their version of Moodle), continued training for Activboards, developing a greater proficiency with Hopkins Apps, creating digital curriculum for delivery through the iPad (to support the 7th grade 1-1 iPad project), using digital assessments, and flipping the classroom. 2011-2012 Exemplary Grants: Exemplary grants are part of the state’s mandate to set aside 25% of our staff development funds. Grant applications include the goals of the grant, how the learning will be implemented and shared, funding needs, and how the grant goals will be evaluated. Many grants were connected back to site work around RtI, PBIS, technology, and assessment. Grants will be available again for 2012-2013 and the first




round of grants will be approved in late May 2012. Late Start Days: Late start days provide job-embedded staff development for staff both at the site and district level. Site administrators and site staff development leaders have worked together to provide quality professional development aligned with each of their strategic goals. Sites have been communicating these plans to their communities on an on-going basis through letters and emails. Some of the areas of work during late starts for 2011-2012 included the following:

• Skills and protocols for PLC work • Sharing and teaching of NUA strategies • Differentiated Reading Instruction • MAP data analysis and possible interventions • Math Literacy • RTI – Response to Intervention studies • Technology integration

Many of these topics will ongoing for the 2012-2013 school year. The Junior High schools will also be using this time for professional development associated with International Baccalaureate programming and curriculum development. Evaluation of Professional Development One of the biggest challenges in staff development is how to determine if on-going professional development opportunities described above are indeed meeting the mission of the district and improving student achievement. Below are indicators used to help us with this important assessment:

• Student achievement data: Site Data Retreats • Collaborative time/Professional Learning Communities • Anecdotal information • Teacher and administration observation • Staff feedback

In this time of high accountability and funding constraints, we have a heightened expectation for high quality staff development programs. By focusing on student achievement data, master teacher feedback and staff evaluations, we will make better decisions about our work if we use what is known to be effective, discover how to strengthen what is not,



and learn how to measure the results of our efforts. Data retreats have been invaluable in determining a focus for professional development. As sites and the district move to improved systems of analyzing data, further staff development needs will be more defined and focused on the support needed for teachers to effect change in their student’s achievement. Conclusion Hopkins Schools District staff development continues to respond to the changing needs of students, and as a result, we will explore ways to modify and enrich instruction. Staff development remains central to innovation for classroom instruction and teacher training opportunities. It also is flexible, having the ability to specify meaningful activities within the schedule to meet the needs of sites and staff. We will continue to focus on student-learning data in ways that inform the system on relevant curriculum and instructional needs. The implementation of PLCs and strengthening of RtI will allow Hopkins staff to better utilize student data and student work to inform instruction and develop programs and interventions that meet the needs of all learners. We believe that this will further demonstrate our commitment that all staff development work is strongly connected and will take us closer to our goal of eliminating the achievement gap and raising the achievement level of all of our students. The Hopkins School District has a staff development program that enhances professionalism and supports curricular and instructional change that accelerates student learning in the personal, social and academic domains. “When the uncapped potential of a student meets the liberating art of a teacher, a miracle unfolds.” Mary Hatwood Futrell