A Study of Effective Practices in Virginias Schools:

1
A Study of Effective Practices in Virginias
Schools

• Educators Perspectives of Practices Leading to
  Student Success
• on SOL Tests
• Conducted by
• Virginia Department of Education

2
The Purposes of the Study

• 1. To identify effective practices present in
  Virginia schools that were having a positive
  school-wide effect on student performance on SOL
  tests
• 2. To create a catalogue of these best
  practices as a resource for all schools

3
Review of ResearchEffective Practices Found in
Successful Schools

• Administrative Support
• Assessment
• Classroom Instruction
• Community and Parent Support

• Curriculum Alignment
• Curriculum Mapping and Pacing
• Data Analysis
• Intervention Strategies

4
Effective Practices Continued...

• Leadership
• Research-Based Programs
• Schedule Considerations
• School-wide Focus on Test Success

• Staff Development
• Student Motivation
• Teacher Planning Accommodations
• Technology

5
SELECTION OF SCHOOLS FOR THE STUDY

• Criteria
• Process

6
Criteria for Selection

• Schools that were fully accredited OR had met the
  proposed benchmarks AND
• Students made substantial improvement on the SOL
  tests AND
• Substantial number of students qualified for
  free or reduced lunch

7
Process of Selection

• Schools meeting criteria were grouped by
  elementary, middle and high school and assigned
  numbers.
• Schools were designated as urban, rural, or
  suburban.
• 26 schools were randomly selected using the
  numbering system with consideration to the above
  categories.

8
Questions to be Answered by the Study

• What effective practices do schools in the study
  identify as important to improving student
  achievement?
• What activities under each effective practice do
  participants in the study identify as being
  significant?

9
Gathering Data to Answer the Questions

• Semi-structured interviews
• 3 sets of interviews per school identified
• 3 questions plus prompting list
• Likert Scale ratings
• 4- very important 3- important
• 2 - somewhat important 1- less important

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Three semi-structured interviews were conducted
for each school selected for the study

• One interview with the superintendent or other
  central office representative
• One interview with the school principal
• One interview with a group of three to five
  teachers selected by the school principal

11

• Interview data organized around the sixteen
  effective practices
• Data summarized into specific statements made
  during the interview and returned to interview
  participants for review
• Participants applied a Likert scale to each
  statement in the summary rating its importance.

12
Analysis of the Data

• All interview data and Likert Scale ratings
  summarized
• Data reported by school and interview group
• All data summaries carefully reviewed for
  consistency in reporting

13
Data Analysis Questions

• How many schools identified each individual
  effective practice as important?
• Of the schools identifying each effective
  practice how many had at least two interview
  groups identify it as important?
• Of the schools identifying each effective
  practice how many had all three interview groups
  identify it as important?

14
How many teacher groups identified each effective
practice? How many principals identified each
effective practice? How many central office
representatives identified each effective
practice? What activities under each identified
effective practice were described as important?
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Seven Effective Practices Identified as Important

• Numbers of schools/groups identifying
• Likert Scale ratings
• Percent of times effective practice was
  volunteered rather than prompted

16
LEADERSHIPLikert Scale 3.69 Volunteered 92

• Creates vision, mission
• Assists in goal-setting processes
• Provides leadership in planning for student
  achievement

• Utilizes team- building strategies
• Encourages creativity
• Identifies and uses expertise in all areas

17
LEADERSHIPLikert Scale 3.69 Volunteered 92

• Creates vision, mission

• The principal created a vision and culture that
  all kids can learn in spite of their economic
  status.
• I needed to have a clear focus and mission for
  the whole school team where we are versus where
  we wanted to go.

18
LEADERSHIPLikert Scale 3.69 Volunteered 92

• Provides leadership in planning for student
  achievement

• The principal is aware of instructional
  practices in the classroom.
• I meet with each teacher to discuss student
  achievement data and to help plan strategies
• We have regular professional dialogs about
  students.

19
LEADERSHIPLikert Scale 3.69 Volunteered 92

• Utilizes team- building strategies

• I hired faculty who fit with our school
  culture.
• The principal provided leadership in getting
  teachers to work together.
• The principal empowered staff we feel more
  ownership.

20
STUDENT MOTIVATIONLikert Scale 3.43
Volunteered 84

• Develops and implements incentive programs

• Provides recognition of students achievements

21
STUDENT MOTIVATIONLikert Scale 3.43
Volunteered 84

• Develops and implements incentive programs

• We give bonus points, extra grades use exam
  exemptions.
• We have SOL pep rallies and give away
  t-shirts.
• We use practice SOL questions over the intercom
  and give rewards to classes getting the answers.

22
STUDENT MOTIVATIONLikert Scale 3.43
Volunteered 84

• Provides recognition of students achievements

• Achievement is celebrated every nine weeks.
• We have honor roll assemblies and awards
  assemblies.
• Students are rewarded for making good efforts on
  SOL tests.

23
INTERVENTION STRATEGIESLikert Scale 3.40
Volunteered 79

• Utilize data to identify student needs
• Respond to individual student needs

• Provide additional instructional time
• Involve parents in intervention strategies

24
INTERVENTION STRATEGIESLikert Scale 3.40
Volunteered 79

• Utilize data to identify student needs

• Teachers use assessments to design
  interventions.
• Data are used to develop individual student
  plans.
• We use SOL data to decide on tutoring and
  individual academic plans.

25
INTERVENTION STRATEGIESLikert Scale 3.40
Volunteered 79

• Respond to individual student needs

• A plan is written for each student needing extra
  help.
• Students get individual remediation packets.
• Aides and peer tutors are used to work with
  individual students.
• Teachers have been trained in a study skills
  program to help students.

26
INTERVENTION STRATEGIESLikert Scale 3.40
Volunteered 79

• Provide additional instructional time

• Tutoring takes place after school, during lunch,
  during tutoring blocks in the school day,
  Saturday mornings, in summer programs, in Title 1
  programs.
• Assistance comes from aides, parents, and
  community members.

27
DATA ANALYSISLikert Scale 3.51 Volunteered
76

• System is in place for analyzing data
• Knowledge exists regarding data analysis processes

• Data are disaggregated
• Data are analyzed vertically and horizontally

28
DATA ANALYSISLikert Scale 3.51 Volunteered
76

• System is in place for analyzing data

• There is a system in place for data analysis.
• Test results are placed into various graphs for
  planning purposes.
• The school has created strategies to address
  identified areas of weakness.

29
DATA ANALYSISLikert Scale 3.51 Volunteered
76

• Knowledge exists regarding data analysis processes

• The principal used data to look for gaps in the
  curriculum.
• Teachers feel secure in knowing where problems
  exist and finding solutions to address them.

30
DATA ANALYSISLikert Scale 3.51 Volunteered
76

• Data are disaggregated

• Systematic disaggregation of data provides a
  baseline by which progress can be measured.
• Student performance on SOL tests is analyzed in
  conjunction with grades received in class.

31
DATA ANALYSISLikert Scale 3.51 Volunteered
76

• Data are analyzed vertically and horizontally

• Teachers work together to look at student
  achievement data across grade levels to make
  instructional decisions.
• The director of instruction and principals look
  at gaps as a system, as a school, and by
  classroom.

32
ASSESSMENTLikert Scale 3.40 Volunteered 76

• Teacher-made tests align with SOL
• Tests follow SOL format
• SOL verbs used on tests
• Test banks available and used

• Assessments used diagnostically
• Test scores communicated to parents
• Variety of assessment strategies exist
• Teachers trained in construction of items

33
ASSESSMENTLikert Scale 3.40 Volunteered 76

• Teacher-made tests align with SOL

• Teachers give weekly tests to monitor progress
  with the SOL.
• Teachers create writing prompts for use in the
  school.
• Teachers have been trained to make quality
  tests.

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ASSESSMENTLikert Scale 3.40 Volunteered 76

• Tests follow SOL format

• Teachers have created tests in the same format
  as the SOL tests.
• We teach test-taking skills using SOL-type
  tests.

35
ASSESSMENTLikert Scale 3.40 Volunteered
76

• Assessments used diagnostically

• Teachers use assessments to design instruction.
• We use a variety of assessments to determine
  which students need extra assistance.
• School-wide tests are used to place students in
  tutoring programs.

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CURRICULUM ALIGNMENTLikert Scale 3.69
Volunteered 72

• Focused on SOL
• All SOL content included
• All SOL processes included

• Ongoing curriculum review
• Curriculum audits

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CURRICULUM ALIGNMENTLikert Scale 3.69
Volunteered 72

• Focused on SOL

• Individual departments compared the SOL and the
  current curriculum
• We cut the fat from the curriculum.
• The county provided guides aligned to the SOL
  and we made some adjustments.

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CURRICULUM ALIGNMENTLikert Scale 3.69
Volunteered 72

• All SOL content included

• We emphasized SOL content at all grade levels,
  not just where the SOL were tested.
• We ensured that instruction was correlated to
  the SOL.
• I told teachers, Give up your favorites, until
  all SOL were taught.

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CURRICULUM ALIGNMENTLikert Scale 3.69
Volunteered 72

• Ongoing curriculum review

• Department chairs were responsible for
  monitoring progress in teaching SOL ...
• I reviewed lesson plans and kept a tally of the
  SOL being taught.
• We looked at the curriculum of the prior grade
  to help us

40
CURRICULUM MAPPING/PACINGLikert Scale 3.90
Volunteered 71

• SOL driven v. textbook driven
• Outlines instructional sequence with appropriate
  timeline

• Describes scope of content and skills
• References the SOL blueprints

41
CURRICULUM MAPPING/PACINGLikert Scale 3.90
Volunteered 71

• SOL driven v. textbook driven

• Curriculum maps aligned with the blueprints.
• SOL numbers are noted in lesson plans.
• Teachers work together to develop curriculum
  maps for next year.
• Staff were trained in using a backwards design
  for developing maps.

42
CURRICULUM MAPPING/PACINGLikert Scale 3.90
Volunteered 71

• Outlines instructional sequence with appropriate
  timeline

• Pacing guides helped teachers use time
  effectively.
• The administration monitors teacher pacing of
  instruction.
• Teachers constantly review their maps and pacing
  guides.

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Common Patterns

• STAFF DEVELOPMENT
• Teachers have been trained to make quality
  tests.
• Individual departments compared the SOL and the
  current curriculum
• traditional and nontraditional activities
• considered important

44
Common Patterns

• SCHOOL CULTURE
• teamwork, ownership collaboration, and
  responsibility
• The principal empowered staff we feel more
  ownership.
• Teachers work together to look at student
  achievement data
• focus on student achievement
• use of data to make decisions

45
Common Patterns

• LEADERSHIP
• The principal provided leadership in getting
  teachers to work together.
• provides the focus
• creates ownership
• establishes collaborative system for monitoring
  progress toward increased student achievement

46
Conclusions and ImplicationsSchool leaders
should focus on teamwork and shared
responsibility for implementing critical
activities of the seven effective practices
identified by Virginias educators as most
important to student achievement

• Leadership
• Student motivation
• Intervention strategies
• Data analysis

• Assessment
• Curriculum alignment
• Curriculum mapping and pacing

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Suggested Further Research

• Is there a point at which the percentage of
  students qualifying for free or reduced lunch
  correlates negatively with student achievement on
  SOL tests in schools where these effective
  practices are present?
• Is there a statistically significant difference
  in perceptions of importance of effective
  practices among elementary, middle, and high
  schools?

48
Suggested Further Research

• Is there a correlation between number of years of
  experience of the principal or teaching staff and
  student performance on SOL tests?
• Do schools with higher rates of student success
  on SOL tests perceive as important the same
  effective practices as schools with lower rates
  of student success on SOL tests?
• Over time, will schools where students continue
  to show improved performance identify the same
  effective practices as important to their
  success?