Academy of Pacesetting DistrictsJanuary 11 – 12, 2012

Academy ofAcademy of

Pacesetting DistrictsPacesetting Districts

District TeamKickoff Meeting

Overview of the Academy Experience

District Field Guide

This Field Guide has been provided to help guide you on your journey through the Academy of Pacesetting Districts.CD Included

Distance Learning Sessions

District Learning Session 1

District Learning Session 2

District Learning Session 3

Monthly Working Sessions

Each District Academy Team will spend a minimum of one day per month together for Academy purposes, including Distance Learning Sessions and the development of a District Operations Manual

District Team Summative Meeting

District Academy Teams will come together for a one-day meeting to reflect upon their experience in the Academy, and their year-long work

Agenda includes time for District Academy Teams to present their District Operations Manual, as well as scheduled working sessions to engage in action planning

How did we get here?

WOMBAT

Expected Outcomes

In The Past …

District Improvement was driven by a district-based leadership team.

Scrutiny of student learning data informed their decisions and plans

An annual Improvement Plan addressed specific subgroups of students and subject areas where annual assessment showed weakness.

The goal was to improve the scores that were low.

How it Used to Be

Annual Improvement Plan is created and followed for a year, then the cycle starts again

A New Way

Continuous Improvement based

on Indicators of Effective Practice

Continuous Improvement Cycle

Implement

PlanAssess

Revise

Monitor

Following a different path

In addition to scrutiny of student learning data, the district staff’s professional practices that contribute to student outcomes are analyzed.

A New Goal

The goal of continuous improvement is to not just focus on improvement where the last annual test showed weakness, but to examine professional practices district-wide and seeks to elevate performance across the board, including the most recent areas of deficiency.

“Excellence is the gradual result of alwaysstriving to do better.”

- Pat RileyNBA Coach

Continuous Improvement

• Instead of creating a plan once a year and then following it, the District Academy Team engages in a continuous improvement process that is always:– Assessing current practice relative to

indicators of effectiveness– Planning immediate steps to full

implementation, and– Monitoring progress.

WSESU Mission Statement

• The WSESU Mission is to provide a safe, inclusive and supportive environment where all students grow academically, socially, and emotionally, and are challenged to reach their potential as local and global community members.

Addison Rutland SU Mission Statement

• The Addison Rutland Supervisory Union, in partnership with the wider community, exist to provide a supportive educational community that is physically, emotionally and intellectually safe for all learners and staff members.  The ARSU community exists to foster high standards, diversity, individual and collaborative accomplishment, meaningful inquiry, life-long learning, citizenship and self-sufficiency.  ARSU is committed to creating a learning community that has high expectations for every student and supports all students as they master challenging curricula.

Springfield School District Mission Statement

• All students will acquire knowledge, skills, and positive attitudes to enhance their lives by engaging in learning experiences that are inspiring, relevant, and dynamic.

VT Department of Education Mission Statement

• The State Board and Department of Education provide leadership, support and oversight to ensure that the Vermont public education system enables each student to be successful.

Martin Luther King did not say “I have a strategic plan.” Instead he shouted, “I Have a Dream,” and he created a crusade.

Effective Schools

Roots Picus Report• High Expectations• Continuous

Improvement• Leadership• Use of Data• Professional Teaching

Culture• Student Supports• School Climate• Family Engagement

• Talent• High Expectations• Ambitious Goals• Curriculum• Instruction• Use of Data• Multiple

Interventions• School Schedule• Professional Culture• Leadership • Small class Sizes

0 percentile

50th percentile

100th percentile

Student Performance

Age 8 Age 11

90th percentile

37th percentile

53 percentile points

Student with low-performing teacher

Student with high-performing teacher

The Effect of Teacher Quality

Graph: How the world’s best performing school systems come out on top, September 2007, McKinsey & Company Research: Sanders and Rivers, Cumulative and Residual Effects of Teachers on Future Student Academic Achievement , University of Tennessee, 1996

Michael Fullan“Choosing the wrong drivers

for whole system reform”

• Focusing on Accountability (vs. capacity building)

• Individual Quality (vs. Group Quality)

• Technology (vs. instruction)

• Fragmented (vs. systemic)

Seven-Step ProcessContinuous School

Improvement

District Support Coaching

Wisdom of the Outsider

Principal as Instructional Leader

Improved Student Learning

Improved Student Outcomes

Power of the Individual

Principal as Protector

Reform from Within

Power of the Collective

Human Capital Social Capital

Putting It All Together

Effective Leadership for Rapid Turnaround

Superintendent

Curriculum Coordinator

Teacher Leaders

Principal

Special Ed. Director

Math Leader

ELA Leader

Science Leader

Social Studies Leader

Data Team Leader

Math Team

ELA Team

Science Team

Social Studies Team

Data Team

SU Team Teacher Leaders

Teacher Teams Where in the

process is the school?

1. Identify the Problem

2. Develop a Plan for Change

3. Implement Plan

4. Monitor Implementation

5. Monitor Impact

6. Review New Data

7. Revise, Refine the Plan

Continuous Improvement

Rapid Improvement is…

Rapid Improvement is not…

Effective Rapid Improvement Leaders…

Effective Rapid Improvement Leaders…

Self Reflection

Research Base

Characteristics of Successful Turnarounds*

*Public Impact (2007). School Turnarounds: A Review of the Cross-Sector Evidence on Dramatic Organizational Improvement. Lincoln, IL: Center on Innovation & Improvement www.centerii.org/restructuring/resources/turnarounds.html

Rapid Improvement Leader Indicators

National Education Policy Context

Strategic Resource Principles*

*Miles, K. H., & Frank, S. (2008). The strategic school: Making the most of people, time, and money. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Key Resources?

Resource Utilization

44

Big questions….

People: Who impacts students?

People: Considering Impact…

People: Recruiting, Hiring, & Managing

People: Distribution

People: Specialized

Time

Time

Money

Gaining Buy-In to Support Change

Effective Rapid Improvement Leaders put the puzzle together…

…so that students can succeed

ACADEMY MENTORS