Southern

Regional

Education

Board

HSTW

An Integrated and Embedded Approach to Professional Development and School

Improvement

Using the Six-Step Process and Learning Team Framework

Southern

Regional

Education

Board

HSTW

Purpose

· Integrate the delivery of teacher development, leader development, school coaching and district support into a set of services designed to change school and classroom practices, enhance teaching and learning and improve student outcomes.

Southern

Regional

Education

Board

HSTWThe Integrated and Embedded Approach

Six-Step Processand

Learning Team Framework

District Support

Common Core State Standards Coaching

Professional Development

Effective Leadership

Increased Student Support

Improved Student Learning

Improved Student Outcomes

Effective Teaching – Academic and

Career/Technical

Southern

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HSTW

Why use this approach?

· Help schools to take ownership of the school improvement process

· Engage all faculty and staff in continuous improvement

· Create a continuous improvement culture and structure that can sustain teacher and leader turnover

Southern

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HSTW

Why use this approach?

· Make professional development an ongoing process and not a one-time event

· Make professional development immediately relevant by supporting “just in time” delivery

· Give schools a structure for identifying, addressing and evaluating school improvement challenges

Southern

Regional

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HSTW

Key Features

· Data are used to inform identification of the problem and root causes, strategies and evaluation

· Both implementation and student outcomes are evaluated

· A cyclical process allows for constant refinement

Southern

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HSTW

Key Features

· This is a generic approach that can be used to address any problem, such as:· Literacy· Mathematics· Success for every student· Integration of academics and CT· Advisor-advisee systems· Programs of study· Etc.

Southern

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HSTW

Learning Team Framework

Teacher Learning Teams

Teacher FacilitatorsFocus Team

Facilitators

Math Facilitator Math Team

ELA Facilitator ELA Team

Science Facilitator Science Team

Social Studies Facilitator

Social Studies Team

CT Facilitator CT Team

SREB Coach

District Coach

Principal

Trainers

Southern

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HSTW

Learning Team Framework

· Focus team – district coach, SREB coach, teacher facilitators, principal, trainers · Uses the six-step process to identify problems,

identify causes, set goals, select strategies, develop an implementation plan, monitor progress and evaluate results

· Teacher learning teams· Implement selected strategies, meet to discuss

challenges and problem-solve

· Teacher facilitators· Guide learning team meetings; meet as their own

team; serve on focus team

Southern

Regional

Education

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HSTW

Six-Step Process

Identify the problem

Identify possible causes

Set goals

Select strategies

Take action

Evaluate results

Southern

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HSTW

Step 1: Identify the Problem

· Recognize that there is a problem· Be specific in defining the problem· The problem is most frequently a student

performance problem, such as:· Low student achievement (mathematics,

literacy, science, technical)· High failure rates· Low graduation rates· Low postsecondary attendance rates

Southern

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HSTW

Step 1: Identify the Problem

· Literacy Example· Low reading achievement –

• 29 percent of students performing below the proficient level, which is the state standard

• large gap in the percentage of students performing at or above the proficient level by race/ethnicity (white = 74%; Hispanic = 66%; black = 53%)

Southern

Regional

Education

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HSTW

Step 2: Identify Possible Causes

· What are the major factors that are most responsible for the problem?

· What are the school and classroom practices leading to the problem?

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HSTW

Step 2: Identify Possible Causes

· Literacy Example· Most teachers do not use strategies designed

to engage students in actively reading content material at a deeper intellectual level

· Too few teachers are trained to use reading and writing as tools to advance achievement in academic and in career/technical courses

· Most principals possess limited leadership skills in supporting teachers to use literacy skills across all content areas

Southern

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HSTW

Step 3: Set goals

· What do you want to accomplish?· Relate the goal to the problem· Be specific

· Example — “Increase the percentage of students passing the Algebra I EOC on the first attempt by 10% each year”

Southern

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HSTW

Step 3: Set goals

· Literacy Example· Increase by 5 percentage points annually the

percentage of eighth-grade students performing at or above the proficient level

· Decrease by 5 percentage points annually the gap between student groups by improving the performance of under-achieving groups

Southern

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Education

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HSTW

Step 4: Select strategies

· What changes in school and classroom practices should occur to address the causes of the problem and meet the goal?

· How will you create that change?

Southern

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HSTW

Step 4: Select strategies

· Literacy Example· Provide training in and implement a learning

team framework in order to provide literacy instruction across the curriculum

· Assign writing prompts to advance students’ ability for reading and mastering a variety of text materials

· Implement other effective literacy strategies

Southern

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HSTW

Step 5: Take action

· Develop and implement the following three plans:· Implementation plan – who is responsible

for what; timeline· Data collection and evaluation plan – what

data will be collected to evaluate both implementation of strategies and progress toward meeting goal; when will data be collected; who will collect data

· Professional development plan (next slide)

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HSTW

Step 5: Take action

· Professional development plan· Train leadership on organizing, scheduling and

supporting learning teams· Provide leadership with PD specific to the

strategies being implemented· Train facilitators to lead learning teams· Customized training for facilitators as needed· Electronic delivery of professional development for

teachers as needed• In-person professional development provided as

needed· Learning teams meet weekly for sharing, learning

and problem-solving

Southern

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HSTW

Step 5: Take action

· Professional development plan, continued· Coach visits school monthly to observe team

meetings and meets with leadership and facilitators· Leadership conducts classroom observations

monthly, attends learning team meetings and meets with facilitators

· Leadership meets with coach and district personnel monthly to addresses successes and challenges

· Review progress continually and make adjustments as necessary

Learning Team Framework with PD Plan

Teacher Learning Teams

Teacher FacilitatorsFocus Team

Facilitators

Math Facilitator Math Team

ELA Facilitator ELA Team

Science Facilitator Science Team

Social Studies Facilitator

Social Studies Team

CT Facilitator CT Team

SREB Coach

District Coach

Principal

Trainers

Applies six-step process to develop improvement plan, utilizing this structure for implementation

Weekly meetings to discuss progress and challenges; Classroom observations

Conduct weekly classroom observations with feedback

Monthly coaching visits to classrooms; Monthly meeting with principal

Monthly meetings to review learning teams’ progress

Monthly meetings to review and adjust implementation

Three days of initial training and monthly additional training as needed

Weekly meetings led by facilitator for sharing, learning and problem-solving

Curriculum and instructional PD as needed

Southern

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HSTW

Step 5: Take action

· Literacy Example· Implementation – responsibilities and timeline· Data collection – student and teacher

surveys; classroom observations using an observation form; sample of teacher lesson plans and student work; state test scores

· PD – leadership training on learning team framework and literacy strategies; facilitator training on learning team framework and literacy strategies; teacher training on literacy strategies

Southern

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HSTW

Step 6: Evaluate results

· Was the goal achieved? · Were the strategies implemented as

intended? · Did the desired and necessary changes in

school and classroom practices occur?· Was training and support adequate?

· Re-evaluate the problem and begin the process again

Southern

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HSTW

Step 6: Evaluate results

· Literacy Example· Was the goal achieved?

• Did our school increase by five points the percentage of students performing at or above proficient?

• Did our school decrease the achievement gap by five points?

· Were the strategies implemented as intended?• Were leaders and facilitators provided training?• Were learning teams functional?• Did facilitators and teachers receive ongoing support (PD,

leaders, coaches, trainers)?• Did teachers implement changed practices in their

classrooms?