Teaching for Rigor and Relevance The Elmira Instructional Model

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Teaching for Rigor and RelevanceThe Elmira
Instructional Model

• Joseph Hochreiter Deputy Superintendent of
  Schools
• Pam Davis-Webb Principal, Broadway
  Elementary
• Christine Thomas Instructional Support
  Teacher
• Model Schools Conference
• June, 2008

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Imagine If

• You Are a New Teacher/Administrator to a
  District, joining the Team in May. To Gain
  Further Insight into the Culture, Climate,
  Chemistry and Instructional Model of the School,
  You Interview and Observe Teachers.
• Their Comments Include

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• Students and Parents Know that there are no
  Consequences for Failing Math at the Middle
  School
• We feel like we are a Holding Tank until the
  Kids Eventually Move on to High School.
• No one Enforces it (Curriculum Webs). No one
  Checks. No Walkthroughs.
• We Didnt Like the Textbook, but they Ordered it
  Anyway.

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Reform From the Bottom Up

• Interviewed/Selected By District Teachers and
  Administrators
• Co-Created Look-Fors
• Audit of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
  Protocols
• Review of Student Achievement Data

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Reform From the Bottom Up- Methods

• Teacher Surveys
• Administrator Interviews
• Teacher Focus Groups
• Classroom Visitations
• Review of Documents
• Review of Textbooks
• Analysis of Student Data
• Video Conference

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Commendations

• The leadership of the district union leaders,
  administrators and teacher leaders recognizes
  the urgency of improving curriculum, instruction,
  and assessment in Elmira, and they are prepared
  to address these needs in concrete ways.

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Commendations (contd)

• There is a strong, often articulated mantra in
  Elmira to build on the good things that exist.
• Very good work has recently occurred in the areas
  of curriculum, instruction, and assessment
  (development of the curriculum webs, development
  of common assessments at some levels and in some
  subject areas, the Reading First Initiative, and
  revision of mathematics curriculum to align with
  new state standards are a few examples).

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Commendations (contd)

• Shared responsibility for instructional
  leadership provides a strong foundation for
  dealing with complex change through systems
  thinking. The reinstatement of Department Chairs
  strengthens an already robust shared leadership
  model.

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Recommendations

• Revise curriculum webs to incorporate standards
  and set priorities.
• Commit to research-based instructional strategies
  and standards-based IEPs.

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Recommendations

• Emphasize assessment FOR learning in the
  classroom and develop common assessments
• Focus professional development in key areas of
  instruction and assessment. Commit to providing
  follow-up and feedback.

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Recommendations

• Emphasize that every student belongs to every
  adult in the learning setting, and continue to
  build a shared leadership and responsibility
  model.

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What Really Matters?

• Developing Teacher Leadership
• Instructional Leadership
• Accountability
• Consistency

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Leadership is action, not position.

• Donald H. McGannon

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Continuous Improvement

• I am not suggesting that going from good to
  great is easy
• I am asserting that those who strive to turn good
  into great find the process no more painful or
  exhausting than those who settle for just letting
  things wallow along in mind numbing mediocrity.
• Jim Collins, Good to Great 2001, p.205

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The Implementation Dip The Possibility Curve
Fullan
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Those unpredictable, unplanned-for factors that
seem to get in the way, are in fact not merely
things that get in the way, THEY ARE NORMAL!!!!
And everyone in the system needs to know this.
Peter Senge
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The Difference Between Cyclical and Structural
Change

• Anything Were Trying to Change Away From will
  Keep Coming Back Unless We Replace it with
  Something New.

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What Really Matters?

• Developing Teacher Leadership
• Instructional Leadership
• Accountability
• Consistency

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Instructional Leadership Week

• Provide Uninterrupted Time for Celebration and
  Reflection
• Identify Priorities
• Analyze Data
• Leadership Development
• Create A Shared Vision

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Leadership Week - Objectives

• Review of Student Data
• Identify Focus Areas
• Develop School-Specific Reform Plan
• Identify Communication Plan to Staff
• Creation of Professional Development Plan

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Broadway Elementary School

• Elmira, New York

Coming together is a beginning.Keeping together
is progress.Working together is
success. Henry Ford
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Learning Goal

• I can use the knowledge and expertise currently
  in my school to improve outcomes.

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Celebration
Learning Goals
Student Engagement
Vision/ Mission
Collaboration
Change
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• There are two ways to improve results...redesign
  your school based on best practices or get
  different kids!
• Tim Westerberg

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How do you move from being a group of
people with a common characteristic such as
teaching the same subject or grade level to being
a team or a community with a common vision or
focus?
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Work of the Building Planning Team

• The Building Planning Team at Broadway
  Elementary works together as a mini PLC to seek
  innovative solutions to improve our systems.
• Through
• Data analysis
• Book study
• Conversations with stakeholders
• Building ownership of outcomes
• Cheerleading PlanActReflect cycle

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• Elmira City School District

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• A Shared Mission, Goals, Vision and Values
• Team Work
• At Broadway Elementary School, we work together
  and value the contributions of all members of our
  community. We attain our common goals through
  trust, active listening, support, and
  collaboration.

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Our Core Values

• We believe that
• Every child should be seen as a
• learner, treated as a learner and
• will succeed as a learner.

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Our Core ValuesWe believe that

• It is our responsibility to individually and
  collaboratively create conditions that promote
  student success and advance
• the vision of our school.

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Our Core Values We believe that

• A commitment to continuous improvement and
  ongoing professional learning are essential to
  significant change and improvement.

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• Our Theory of Change

Teachers participate in research based
collaborative learning experiences ?
Teachers consistently implement new learning
in their instruction ? Student
performance increases
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Whole Faculty Study Groups

• The very essence of a professional learning
  community is a focus on and a commitment to the
  learning of each student.

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Whole Faculty Study Groups

• What do we want our students to learn, and how
  will we know when they have learned it?

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Broadway Elementary Goals for Student Success

• I can explain, draw and discuss important
  academic vocabulary.
• I can use strategies for comprehending literature
  in a variety of genre.
• I can
• make predictions
• draw conclusions
• ask questions
• use graphic organizers
• determine importance
• infer meaning
• summarize
• preview material
• I can make connections from the story to my own
  life or to stories I have read.
• I can identify the _______________ in the story.
• Main idea
• Characters
• Plot
• Setting
• Sequence

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Forming Whole Faculty Study Groups

• Creating Norms
• Having a set of norms-or ground rules that a
  group follows encourages behaviors that will help
  a group do its work and discourages behaviors
  that interfere with a groups effectiveness.
• Activity-turn to a partner-given your experience
  working with teams-what norms would you
• find important?

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Conditions of Dialogue

• Suspend assumptions
• Befriend polarization
• Observe the observer
• Listen to your listening
• Be aware of thought
• Slow down on inquiry
• Slow down your questions
• Respect all views
• Address issues, not people
• Avoid arguing for your position
• Present your position logically, then listen
• Do not change your mind just to avoid conflict
• Differences of opinions are natural and to be
  expected
• Thomasina D. Piercy

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WFSG in Practice
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Focus Areas Student Engagementand Building
Background Knowledge

• I can tell what I learned and why its important

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Broadway Elementary Good Kid Patrol At Broadway
Elementary School, I pledge to show respect
by listening to others, helping others, caring
for others, and being responsible for what I say
and do. I believe in myself and my ability to do
my best all of the time.
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Daily Learning Log-2nd Grade
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Daily Learning Log-5th Grade
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Star Parent
how to write with voice-expressions and
feelings-so you can tell when people are sad,
happy or mad

• Ask your child what they learned today and why it
  is important.

how to make the letter z its the last letter of
my abcs and my friend Zachary starts with Z
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Read Write Discuss
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Read Write Discuss
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Read Write Discuss
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Class Goal Setting

• Our Class Goal
• That everyone in the class shares at least five
  facts and a picture mural from their read write
  and discuss books.
• Date set Date Achieved
• 4-21-08 4-25-08
• Grade 3
• Mrs. Matteson

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Star Readers and Writers
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A Moment for Reflection
Is
To
Learning
Engagement
As
Is
To
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Vocabulary Notebook-First Grade
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Vocabulary Notebook-4th Grade
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Celebrations
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Reflecting on our work in Learning Communities

• NSDC Standard 1.2
• Level 1-Participates frequently with all
  professional staff members to discuss, document,
  and demonstrate how their work aligns with school
  and district goals. Engages in professional
  learning with colleagues to support their work.

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In Other Words...

• Our school is like a family where everyones
  input is valued and appreciated.
• I love our Whole Faculty Study group model. We
  as teachers direct our own professional growth to
  improve our student's success.

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Student Engagement Survey

• I really enjoy my schoolwork. I do what I am
  asked because my work is interesting and
  important. (Authentic Engagement)
• May 2007 40
• May 2008 48
• I have been in some trouble because I have not
  done my work, but that is just the way it goes.
• (Rebellion)
• May 2007 16
• May 2008 8

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Reflection
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There is no precise recipe for school
improvement Even the most promising strategies
must be customized for the specific context of
each district and school. DuFour
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Contact Information

• Joe Hochreiter jhochreiter_at_elmiracityschools.com
• Pam Davis-Webb pwebb_at_elmiracityschools.com
• Christine Thomas cthomas_at_elmiracityschools.com