Effective Instruction in a Turnaround School- Instructional Focus

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Effective Instruction in a Turnaround School-
Instructional Focus

• REL Appalachia
• Featuring Ms. Kathy Fields
• Lead Instructional Administrator
• Jessamine County Schools

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Introduction

• Dr. Robert Muller, Director of REL Appalachia
• About the Regional Educational Laboratory
  Appalachia
• What the research says about using data to inform
  instruction
• Introducing our presenter

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Conducting Research and Connecting it to Practice

• REL Appalachia provides Kentucky, Tennessee,
  Virginia,
• and West Virginia with research and technical
  assistance to
• Raise student achievement, close achievement gaps
• Inform policymaking and classroom practice
• REL Appalachia accomplishes this by
• Conducting research on regional education issues
• Providing direct assistance to state and local
  educators
• www.relappalachia.org
• www.AskAREL.org

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Bridging Research and Practice EventsPutting
Research to Work

• Participants
• Leading Researchers in the Field
• Local and State-level Educators and Policymakers
• Topics of Regional Interest
• Dropout Prevention
• Turning around Low-Performing Schools
• Response to Intervention in Reading
• Data-driven Decision Making
• Research Vetted through Rigorous Review Process
• U.S. Department of Education, Institute for
  Educational Sciences (IES)

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Turning Around Chronically Low-Performing Schools
Practice Guide

• The recommendations of the Practice Guide
• Signal the need for dramatic change with strong
  leadership
• Maintain a consistent focus on improving
  instruction
• Provide visible improvements early in the
  turnaround process (quick wins)
• Build a committed staff

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The Importance of Effective Instruction in School
Turnaround

• Evidence suggests that in order to achieve school
  turnaround schools must maintain a sharp focus on
  improving instruction
• Your role in improving instruction
• Principals- school leaders must become the
  instructional leader
• Teachers- must change instruction to meet new
  goals

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Successful Implementation

• With a focus on improving instruction, teachers
  and school administrators will
• Examine student achievement data
• Analyze instruction in light of progress towards
  standards
• Determine specific areas of weakness in
  instruction
• Make themselves highly visible in the classroom
  (principals)
• Base professional development analysis of
  weaknesses
• Conduct a comprehensive curriculum review
• Continually monitor data, looking for ways to
  improve instruction

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A little about you

• Wed like to know a little more about where our
  participants today are coming from
• Tell us if you attended
• The event on school turnaround in Gatlinburg, TN
  on October 18-19
• The event on school turnaround in Louisville, KY
  on October 28
• In the question box, type in how many are
  watching with you if you are watching with a
  group.

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Presenter Ms. Kathy Fields

• Currently Lead Instructional Administrator of
  Jessamine County Schools
• Led West Jessamine Middle School in a dramatic
  school turnaround resulting in movement from Tier
  4 status to AYP in a two-year period
• Effectively implemented adolescent literacy model
  in order to achieve school turnaround

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Rigorous and Effective Instruction

• When observing teaching and learning, during a
  walk-through or during
• an evaluation, I look for the following
• Clear learning targets that are student
  friendly and tied to a standard.
• Lesson plans aligned to content standards that
  include assessment that measure objectives.
• Examples of continuous assessment data used to
  drive instruction.
• Rigorous student work for all differentiated as
  needed but accelerated for all.
• Actively engaged learners I want to see students
  breaking the academic sweat.
• A risk-free learning environment that is framed
  by positive teacher-student relationships.
• Evidence of collaborative planning (for
  collaborative classes).

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School-wide Content Literacy Model

• Content literacy model for West Middle
• For 5 years, West Middle had struggled and failed
  to achieve the NCLB reading goal for all
  students.
• Third year in tier status, West Middle became
  part of the Striving Readers grant.
• Through participation in a research study,
  Striving Readers, West Middle implemented a
  school-wide literacy model which provided
  teachers with common language, strategies, and
  expectations. Through workshops provided by the
  Collaborative for Teaching and Learning, the
  entire staff participated in an intense
  professional development that included internal
  and external coaching.
• There was a school-wide emphasis upon Power
  Verbs.
• The literacy coach modeled strategies in
  classrooms and provided mini P.D.s during
  monthly faculty meetings.

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Using Data to Drive Instruction

• Using data effectively is critical.
• Teachers must use assessment data to measure
  learning and to
• determine what to do next if learning has not
  been achieved.
• This is the real rocket science of teaching!
• Teachers must isolate incidents of gaps and
  determine the individual
• learning needs of their students.
• Instructional leaders must monitor data and
  determine the effectiveness of interventions.
• It is important that instructional leaders review
  school-wide and
• classroom data to measure progress. Teachers
  must be held
• accountable for student progress. Data retreats
  and data reviews help
• school leaders take the pulse of student
  performance and to monitor
• the effectiveness of interventions.

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Math Literacy Video (http//vimeo.com/16775048)

• Application of literacy strategies used to build
  content mastery.
• Clear content connections.
• Use of the Frayer model as a consistent strategy
  across classrooms. Creating a common approach and
  focus.
• Rigorous vocabulary and modeling fluent use of
  terminology.
• Review of prior of work with direct connection to
  new learning.

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Science Literacy Video (http//vimeo.com/16775135)

• This teacher is creating a print rich
  environment, and honoring student work by
  displaying routinely on the wall. (Word Wall)
• Students are asked to produce work on the board
  and to reflect on the images/examples they see
  being portrayed.
• Student construct their own knowledge.
• Students are also expected to be able to explain
  their thinking. The teacher does add more but
  allows the student to explain first.
• Rigor use of vocabulary Students were
  interacting with the vocabulary through the Word
  Wall and the graffiti strategy.
• Real-life examples were student generated.
• Teacher modeled example of vocabulary.
• Teacher acted as facilitator.

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Closing Thoughts

• Instructional leaders must observe and evaluate
  teaching and learning. Use tools such as
  professional growth, professional support, or
  corrective action plans as needed.
• Our students deserve the best teacher, in every
  classroom, every day. Settle for no less.
• Data must be used to drive instruction and to
  plan interventions.
• A school-wide content literacy model promotes
  school-wide focus.
• Literacy coaches are crucial when dealing with
  teachers who struggle with literacy strategies.
• Literacy strategies can be applied across all
  content.
• Students, not teachers, should break academic
  sweat.

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About this Presentation

• Kathy FieldsJessamine County Schoolskathy.fields
  _at_jessamine.kyschools.us
• REL Appalachiawww.relappalachia.orgrelappalachia
  _at_cna.org

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Thank You For Participating

• Please remember to answer the questions that will
  appear on the screen as you log out
• Get a copy of todays presentation and find out
  more about upcoming events on data and other
  topics at www.relappalachia-events.com
• OR
• www.achievingschoolturnaround.com
• Let us know how we can continue to assist you -
  Please contact us if you have further questions
  at www.relappalachia.org
• Get answers to your questions at www.AskAREL.org

• Upcoming Events
• November 30 Webinars about school turnaround -
  hear from successful principals