Trading Grading

June 3, 2009Thom Determan & Brad Parks

Using Multiple Lenses to Focus on a Desired Future for Bellevue Marquette School

Bellevue Marquette schools are taking a bold step into the future. They are doing so by undertaking a candid, forward looking snapshot of the school’s culture, learning program and interaction patterns between students and teachers. By doing so, they are poised to tackle the tough issues that face all schools in the early 21st century.

They seek to be graded as an “A” school in meeting the continually changing needs of students in a complex, global and instantaneous society.

In doing so, they engaged in a process called Trading Grading. This multi-step process, consisting of live focus groups of students, teachers and parents followed by surveys that asked all the issues brought forward by the focus groups. Next, analysis of the responses has been conducted by Trading Grading, a program of 365Advantage.

Forward looking schools know that today’s standards, norms and practices need continual improvement to meet the exponentially expanding educational needs of students. Schools also realize that there is an increasing array of choices available to families of students. To maintain a competitive edge, schools must demonstrate solid value for the investment of confidence and resources needed to earn an “A” from their stakeholders.

Forward looking schools are continually reviewing their school culture, curriculum, pedagogy, and use of the precious minutes where the magic of a creative teacher meets the natural curiosity of students.

Forward looking schools are using technology in smart ways. Because technology permeates all aspects of current American culture, schools have an obligation to seek to find technology which expands both the knowledge and the essential skills all student will use in both personal and work/professional lives.

The Trading Grading survey process identifies and measures the perspectives of students, teachers and parents on key issues facing Bellevue Marquette. These issues supersede any grade of subject area of the learning program and processes. These key issues include:

a. The value of the learning taking place, specified by subject. This value was accompanied by the perception of students and adults as to the pace and difficulty of the various subjects of learning.

b. The process of learning is examined with key issues focused on the interaction of students and school staff in 13 specific ways.

c. The nature and quality of communication between teachers and parents.d. Student behaviorse. Finally, big picture issues, including ones focused on value, loyalty,

excitement, recruitment and degree of forward looking plans.

The fundamental elements of the surveys and discussion groups centered on the following core areas. Notes on these areas follow the overall findings and action recommendation pages.

Disparity of Perceptions

Pace of Learning

Level of Difficulty

How Learning Takes Place

Communication

Survey data is also available. Four focus groups were held; one of parents, one of teachers and administration, and two of students. Surveys were then prepared and were received back by the following groups in these numbers:

51 Parents/Guardians

21 Teachers

70 High School Students

66 Middle School Students

Overall Perceptions from Trading Grading

The need for a Plan and Clear Written Expectations on what it means to be an “A” School.

Understanding the new era of recruiting and retaining students and the importance of your overall value proposition

How new Teaching Methods and Communication Skills help compete for Students and Parents attention

Technology

Big Topics for Discussion

Anecdotal perception of teachers welcoming change and new ideas

Wise use of class time – Teachers and Students, perception Gap

Involvement by Students in Middle School

Individual Attention to Students

Variety of Activities

Respect issues

Teachers very low “A” opinion of their own use of class time

10 Questions for the future?

1. How do we write down a plan?

.2 Can we tie the staff development programming to the plan and the needs identified in the survey?

.3 Can we find non-class time to work “on” the school such as summer, in-services, weekends as well as work at home by parents and students?

.4 How do we define what the “work” of being a teacher at Bellevue Marquette means?

.5 Where do we get the resources to train on multiple intelligences learning?

.6 How do we create a brand and marketing process for the school?

.7 How do we define what an “A” means? (Are we an exceptional school)

.8 What are the intrinsic “expectations” of our school, parents teachers students?

.9 Can we select 3 areas do concern to address in the Fall of 2009 semester?

.10 Can we assign Teams for three initiatives, Administration, teachers, parents, board members and top students?

Action Recommendations:

1. Initiate the construction of a three-year strategic plan focused on three foundations:

a. School culture and parent/stakeholder communication opportunitiesb. School Learning program contentc. School tactical decisions on delivery of program

This planning team, consisting of administration, teachers, parents, community supporters, representatives of the Board of Education, the Archdiocesan administration and students, would operate in the fall semester of 2009 to craft the plan. Implementation of the plan would begin in the 2nd semester of the 2009-10 school year.

2. Once the plan is complete, teams of teachers, parents and students will form to begin working on one specific item in the strategic plan. One team will focus on school culture and communication issues, one on learning program content and one on program delivery.

3. In 2009-10, the use of staff development time, in coordination with the Archdiocesan plan, will focus on teacher competencies and strategies which address major disparities in the Trading Grading survey results. These activities can be articulated by grouping people in universal sessions, grade alike sessions, cross-grade disciplinary sessions and specific interest sessions.

For example:

a session on multiple intelligences would be universal in application,

a session for 7th grade staff to coordinate intra-grade, interdisciplinary activities,

a cross-grade workgroup of teachers teaching English, religion, math,

science or social studies to ensure reduction of duplication, focused on content in congruence with Iowa standards,

a special interest session dedicated to assisting teachers in the dual roles of presenter and facilitator (sage on the stage and guide on the side).

Report Notes and Data

Disparity of Perceptions

This section details the relative disparity in the perception of four groups; teachers, parents, high school students and middle school students to the question: What is Learned at School? The listing is made from areas of greatest to least disparity of perception. The disparity is based on responses listed as an “A.”

1. Religion2. English3. Art4. Exploratory5. Social Studies6. Science7. Gym8. Math

The most confident group in five areas were the teachers (Religion, English, Science, Gym and Math). The most confident group in two areas were the high school students (Social Studies and Art). Middle school students were most confident in Exploratory.

Pace of Learning

One subset of the Learning question was the perception regarding the pace of learning is these parts of the learning program. Again, the disparity is ranked from most to least:

Gym (too slow) Social Studies (too fast) English (too fast) Art (too slow) Science (too fast) Religion (too slow) Exploratory (too slow) Math (too fast)

The most confident group in five areas were the teachers (Gym, Exploratory, Science, English and Math. Parents were most confident in Religion. High school students were most confident in two areas, Social Studies and Art.

Level of Difficulty

A second subset of the Learning question inquired as to disparity in expectations of the difficulty level of these same programs. Again, the disparity is ranked from most to least:

English (too difficult)Gym (too easy)Art (too easy)Religion (too difficult)Math (too difficult)Social Studies (too hard MSS, too easy HSS)Exploratory (too easy)Science (too difficult)

In this case, the teachers were the most confident in seven areas (all except art). The HSS students were the most confident in art.

How Learning Takes Place

3. The focus of this section is “How Learning Takes Place.” This section differs from the first in that the focus is on the strategies and techniques of learning, not the content itself. The listing is made from areas of greatest to least disparity of perception. The disparity is based on responses listed as an “A.”

1. Students feel free to express their opinion

2. Students receive individualized attention

3. Students have a chance to talk about the subject after the teacher talks

4. Students are encourages to ask questions

5. Information is passed from teacher to teacher in a professional manner

6. Homework is followed up in class

7. Students show respect for teachers in class

8. Students show respect for other students in class

9. Teachers are prepared for class and use class time wisely

10.There is a variety of class activities within a typical week

11.Research is a regular feature of classroom activity

12.Student projects are a regular feature of class

13.Technology is regularly used in class

The most confident group, in seven areas, were teachers with items 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, and 13. Parents were most confident with item 11. High school students were most confident with items 2, 7, 8, and 9. Middle school students were most confident with item 12.

The assignment of “A” does not reach majority status in five areas:

Research - 26%

Student projects - 33%

Use of technology - 42%

Student respect for other students - 38%

Variety of class activities - 42%

Communication

The next section, limited to teachers and parents, focused on nine issues of communication (How We Communicate) between school staff and parents/guardians. As before, the disparity between the two groups is ranked from highest to lowest.

1. Parents are welcome when visiting school. Parents -21 compared to teachers

2. Communications BY parents to teachers is respectful, timely and focused on student achievement. Teachers -19 compared to parents.

3. Communications BY teachers to parents is respectful, timely and focused on student achievement. Parents -18 compared to teachers.

4. Teachers are accessible for parents questions. Parents -16 compared to teachers.

5. Parents are reasonable in requests for special assistance or information for child. Teachers -10 compared to parents.

6. Conference time is used well. Teachers -7 compared to parents.

7. Teachers effectively communicate reasons for grades. Parents -5 compared to teachers.

8. Power School is helpful in parent teacher communication. Parents -3 compared to teachers.

9. Teachers comfortable in sharing “good news” and “not so good news”. Parents -2 compared to teachers.

a. The most confident response came from teachers 6 times and parents 3 times.

The final section is student behaviors. This section was completed by all stake holders. The disparity ranking once again is from highest to lowest.

1. Bullying is avoided in common areas.

.2 Students are productive when working with a partner.

.3 Students are respectful to staff in their physical conduct.

.4 Students are productive in groups of 3-6.

.5 Students are respectful to staff in their language.

.6 Demerits are useful in controlling inappropriate student behavior.

HHS were the most confident group

These two items were responded to only by teachers and parents.

1. Class time is used wisely by students. Parents -29 compared to 0% score by teachers.

2. Students use respectful language Parents -2 compared to a 23% by teachers.

Finally, these “big picture” questions were posed to all stake holders.

1. Tuition is worth it2. School is taking steps to build loyally of current stake holders3. The school is taking steps to recruit new students4. I have confidence that there is a forward looking plan to build a

competitive edge for our school5. School does a good job of demonstrating value of tuition.6 Students are usually excited about being at and learning in the Bellevue

Marquette schools