WholeFaculty Study Groups

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Whole-Faculty Study Groups

• As developed by Carlene Murphy
• Murphy, C. and Lick, D. (2001) Whole-Faculty
  Study Groups Creating Student Based
  Professional Development. Corwin Press.
• Shakers Workshop
• Designed for Principals and Teachers Who HAVE
  Implemented WFSGs
• Dr. Marci Winston
• Coordinator of Counseling
• Springfield Public Schools
• 417.864.3874
• mwinston_at_spsmail.org

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WELCOME

• Please sign in
• Please make wear a nametag
• Power point in handout and on SPS Staff
  Development web site
• We will end on time
• Please take care of yourself
• take a break if you need it

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Our Goals

• Review the guiding principals and guiding
  questions that drive study groups
• Discuss reasons that study groups may feel
  stuck and what leaders can do to help groups
  move forward
• Be introduced to a protocol for looking at
  student work that you may use to train your staff

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Reconnect

• Name/role
• Describe some moment when you have been at your
  best.as a principal, teacher, team member

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WFSG A Model for Teacher Collaboration

• Why do we need teacher collaboration?
• Throughout our ten-year study, whenever we found
  an effective school or an effective department
  within a school, without exception, that school
  or department has been a part of a collaborative
  professional learning community
• Milbrey McLaughlin

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Assumptions

• If schools are to improve, they must develop a
  collaborative culture
• If schools are to develop a collaborative
  culture, they must overcome a tradition of
  teacher isolation
• If schools are to overcome their tradition of
  teacher isolation, teachers must learn to work in
  effective, high performing teams
• WFSGs help teachers learn to work in effective,
  high performing teams

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Whole Faculty Study Group Principles

• Students are first
• Leadership is shared
• Everyone participates
• Responsibility is equal
• The work is public
• Murphys Whole-Faculty Study Groups

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What Will Guide the Work ?

• QUESTIONS
• What do students need for us to do?
• What are students learning and achieving as a
  result of what teachers are learning and doing in
  study groups?
• Murphys Whole-Faculty Study Groups

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Roles and Responsibilities in WFSGs

• Principal
• Focus Team
• Study Group Leader
• Individual Study Group Member
• Instructional Council

principal is the most Principal important factor
in the successful initiation, implementation, and
continuation of WFSGs. The principal is an active
participant in the training and planning
sessions. The principal receives action plans
and responds to them. The principal receives the
study group logs and
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Roles and Responsibilities in WFSGs cont

• Principal
• is the most important factor in the successful
  initiation, implementation, and continuation of
  WFSGs
• is an active participant in the training and
  planning sessions
• receives action plans and responds to them
• receives the study group logs and responds to
  them (see pg. 80-81 for comments to study groups)
  
• may assign some responsibilities to assistant
  principals for responding to logs
• is a participant at all IC meetings

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Roles and Responsibilities in WFSGs cont

• Focus Team
• composed of the principal and a representative
  group of teachers
• attends local or regional training or reads
  materials on how to design and lead the whole
  faculty through a WFSG orientation
• leads the whole faculty though the WFSG
  orientation
• leads the whole faculty through the
  decision-making cycle, resulting in the
  establishment of study groups and what they will
  do
• decides which 3 members will be standing
  members of and rotating facilitators for the IC
  for one school year

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Roles and Responsibilities in WFSGs cont

• The Study Group Leader
• rotates every meeting so that leadership is a
  shared responsibility among all study group
  members
• confirms logistics of meetings with study group
  members (e.g., date, time, location, and
  resources needed)
• checks log from last meeting to confirm what the
  focus of the meeting will be and if it is time to
  revisit the action plan and the group norms and
  takes appropriate action
• starts ends meeting on time
• reminds members that stray from the focus of the
  meeting to refocus
• sees that the study group log is completed and
  that the members and the principal receive a copy

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Roles and Responsibilities in WFSGs cont

• Individual Study Group Members
• respect norms established by the study group
• take turns serving as leader, recognizing that
  leadership is a shared responsibility
• take turns representing the study group at an IC
  meeting and bring back to the study group what he
  or she learned
• participate in the development of the study group
  action plan and commits to its actions
• take responsibility for his or her own learning
  and for seeking resources for the study group
• take responsibility for regularly bringing
  student work to the study group meeting
• bring back to the study group what he or she has
  done in the classroom as a result of the study
  group work

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Roles and Responsibilities in WFSGs cont

• Instructional Council
• represent each study group (one representative
  per study group)
• rotate membership, except for the principal and
  3 members of the focus team
• meet once every 4-6 weeks (dates are on school
  calendar), with the first meeting held
  immediately after the study groups have met twice
• review action plans
• share what each study group is doing, including
  successes and challenges
• plan celebrations and whole-faculty sharing times
• is facilitated by one of the 3 members of the IC
  from the focus team

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Developmental Stages of Study Groups

• Forming (eager, high expectations, anxiety, fear)
• Storming (dissatisfaction, frustration, feel
  stuck)
• Norming (harmony, trust, support, respect)
• Performing (empowered, committed, motivated)

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Why Might a Group Be Stuck ?

• First check to see that ALL procedural guidelines
  are being followed

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WFSG 15 Guidelines

• Keep the size of the study group between three
  and six

2. Determine study group membership by who
wants to address an identified student need
(SIP goal/objective)
3. Establish and keep a regular schedule,
meeting every two weeks.
4. Establish group norms and routinely
revisit the norms.
5. Establish a pattern of study group
leadership, rotating among members.
6. Develop a Study Group Action Plan by the
end of the second study group meeting.
7. Complete a Study Group Log after each
study group meeting. POST EVERY LOG.
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WFSG 15 Guidelines, cont.

• 8. Have a curriculum and instructional focus that
  requires members to routinely examine student
  work and to observe students in classrooms
  engaged in instructional tasks.

9. Make a comprehensive list of learning
resources, both material and human.

• 10. Use multiple professional development
  strategies,
• such strategies as training, to
  accomplish the
• study groups intended results.

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WFSG 15 Guidelines cont.

• 11. Reflect on the study groups work by keeping
  a private journal.
• 12. Recognize all study group members as equals.
• 13. Expect and plan for transitions.
• 14. Assess the progress of the study group
  according to the Student Performance Goals
  specified on the Study Group Action Plan.
• 15. Establish a variety of communication networks
  and strategies.
  Murphys Whole-Faculty Study Groups

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The Study Group Plan Log

• Where in the Action Plan and log do you see
  evidence of the following principles?
• 1. Students are first
• 2. Leadership is shared
• 3. Everyone participates
• 4. Responsibility is equal
• 5. The work is public
• Does EVERY member of your faculty have their OWN
  WFSG notebook ?

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In Your Group

• What strategies do you believe would be most
  helpful in moving the stuck study group forward
  ?

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The Eight-Step Technical-Assistance Plan

• Step 1 Study group members recognize that they
  are not being productive. Individuals feel
  frustrated and confused. Members are saying to
  each other and colleagues not in the group that
  study group meetings are a waste of time.
• To reduce chances that study groups will get
  stuck early in the process, the IC should meet
  before the third round of study group meetings.
  At the IC meeting, review developmental stages of
  groups. Representatives from each group will
  support each other and make suggestions.

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The Eight-Step Technical-Assistance Plan cont

• Step 2 The principal recognizes that a study
  group is a stuck or low-performing group
  through comments from members, reviewing action
  plans, comments from an IC meeting or reviewing
  study group logs.
• At this point, most often members will only
  require additional assurance of support and
  confirmation that the group is on the right track
  from the principal.

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The Eight-Step Technical-Assistance Plan cont

• Step 3 The principal reflects on his/her role
  and observations regarding the following about
  the stuck group
• Are student needs being addressed ?
• What type of feedback has the principal given the
  study group through its action plans logs?
• Has anyone external to the school been invited to
  attend a study group meeting ?
• Is there an individual in the group that the
  principal feels is the root of the problem ?

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The Eight-Step Technical-Assistance Plan cont

• Step 4 The most appropriate person should
  intervene. Appropriateness depends on the
  perceived reason why the study group is stuck.
• The principal intervenes if
• Study group feedback has not been given on the
  logs or action plan do it
• The IC has not met- call a meeting
• The logs reflect that the study group does not
  have adequate resources- help find resources
• There is one person in the study group that is
  obviously disrupting the work- talk to that
  person
• One or more persons are routinely absent or late-
  talk to that person to make expectations clear
• Leadership is not being rotated- remind the group
  that this is nonnegotiable

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The Eight-Step Technical-Assistance Plan cont

• Step 4 The most appropriate person should
  intervene. Appropriateness depends on the
  perceived reason why the study group is stuck.
• The principal invites a content specialist or
  district-level support person to intervene if
• The stuckness is primarily due to the content
  in the study
• There are questions for a particular curriculum
  area
• There is not enough expertise in the group for
  individuals to help each other with required
  skills.
• Teachers want to know about or visit teachers in
  other schools that are using strategies and
  materials with success that the study group is
  investigating

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The Eight-Step Technical-Assistance Plan cont

• Step 5 If a person external to the school is the
  intervener, that person should
• Look to see how specific student needs are stated
• Look to see that looking at student work is a
  routine activity of the group
• Look at logs to see if certain members are often
  absent or tardy
• Look at logs to see if one name appears more
  often than the others
• Look at logs to see if the leadership is being
  rotated

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The Eight-Step Technical-Assistance Plan cont

• Step 6 On rare occasions, it would be advisable
  for the principal or external support person to
  observe a study group meeting (unless invited)
• If this decision is made, the group should be
  informed in advance that an observer will be
  coming
• The observer sits with the group and reminds the
  group that it should continue its work as planned
• The observer should watch for such things as the
  time when all members are present, what
  individuals bring with them, how the meeting
  begins, how this meeting is connected to the last
  meeting, what part of the action plan members
  appear to be doing, and how students are brought
  into conversations

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The Eight-Step Technical-Assistance Plan cont

• Step 7 The observer meets with the study group
  to share his/her observations. The observer
  describes what he/she saw in the observation,
  action plan, and logsstaying away from
  judgmental statements
• I saw that at 300 pm, only one person was
  present, at 305 pm four members were present,
  and at 310 pm all members were present
• I did not see any evidence that you routinely
  look at student work
• I did not see that the work of students was
  discussed or shared
• I saw that two members did not say anything at
  the meeting
• I saw that one person did most of the talking

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The Eight-Step Technical-Assistance Plan cont

• Step 8 If the observer was not the principal, he
  or she should share the outcome of the meeting
  with the principal. Whatever needs to be done,
  confirm who is to do what and communicate the
  result of the actions with the study group.
  Resources or other materials should be promptly
  given to the group.
• It will be a rare occurrence for all eight of the
  steps to be carried out !

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Questions About the Eight-Step Plan

• Have any of these steps been needed as a part of
  your Whole Faculty Study Group Process ?
• If so, what was the result ?

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Looking at Student Work as a Part of the WFSG
Process

• How do we know what students know and are able to
  do ?
• What methods do we currently use to assess
  student knowledge skills ?
• Please complete Handout 1 individually then
  share with others at your table.

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Examining Student Work How It Is Used
Video Clip

• This 8 minute video clip looks at how teachers
  are using the process of critically examining
  student work collaboratively to improve teaching
  and student learning.

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At your table

• Please share any experience you have had at
  looking at student work collaboratively at
  anytime during your teaching career
• Any experience with a tuning protocol ?

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The Tuning Protocol

• You are the expert.Please read silently
• Number 1s Handout 5 The Tuning Protocol
  (pink)
• Number 2s Handout 6 Preparing for a Tuning
  Protocol Based on Student Work (yellow)
• Number 3s Handout 8 Steps of a Tuning
  Protocol (lavender)
• Number 4s Handout 11 Critical Attributes of
  a Tuning Protocol (green)

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Share Your Expertise

• Please summarize your article and share with
  others at your table..2 minutes per person
• What questions do you have ?

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Lets Practice

• Number 2s Presenter
• Number 3s Facilitator/leader
• Numbers 1 4 Participants
• Lets look at student work !!!

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At your table

• My feelings about the looking at student work...
• My next steps for training my teachers include
• Reminder Video my be checked out through the
  Staff Development Office
• Power point may be accessed through the SPS Staff
  Development web site
• For more information about practical options for
  looking at student work visit
• www.lasw.org (Annenberg Institute for School
  Reform)
• Please dont forget to sign for your
  stipend.
  

Thank You !!
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GOOD LUCK !!Whole-Faculty Study Groups

• As developed by Carlene Murphy
• Murphy, C. and Lick, D. (2001) Whole-Faculty
  Study Groups Creating Student Based
  Professional Development. Corwin Press.