Distance Learning Session 1 High Standards & Expectations
Academy of Pacesetting Districts
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Sponsored by With assistance from New England Comprehensive
Center and Center on Innovation & Improvement 2
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WebEx Pointers 3 Confirm you can mute your own microphone/
phone to enable discussion during todays meeting without undue
background noise, take a minute to locate the mute control on your
computer/ telephone. If using your computer for the audio portion
of our meeting, PLEASE use a headset or dial in using a
speakerphone. You will be muted during the session unless otherwise
indicated. If you have a question or a request, type it into the
CHAT box in the lower right hand corner of your screen. If you
encounter a problem, call Ira Glick at (800-258-0802 or
603-706-5364) to talk with someone who may be able to help get you
reconnected.
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Introductions SEA facilitators NECC staff District Academy Team
introductions 4
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5 Meeting Agenda 9:00 9:15 Welcome and Introductions 9:15 9:45
Discussion of Readings 9:45 10:30 Indicators: High Standards
Working Together 10:30 -- 10:45 Work on District Manual 10:45 11:00
Homework, Next Meeting
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Welcome Our purpose is to help districts provide their schools
with the support and direction necessary for improvement. We will
emphasize support and direction for schools in need of substantial
improvement. The schools may or may not be in the process of
restructuring. The district support system, however, will benefit
all schools and the district itself. 6
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Discussion of Readings
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Substantial Improvement 8
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Indicators of Success 9
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Priorities 10
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Resources for DL Sessions Handbook on Restructuring and
Substantial School Improvement Improving Student Learning: Actions
Principles for Families, Classrooms, Districts and States School
Turnarounds: A Review of Cross-Sector Evidence on Dramatic
Organizational Improvement School Turnarounds: Actions and Results
Breaking the Habit of Low Performance: Successful School
Restructuring Stories Exploring the Pathway to Rapid District
Improvement Wise Ways Indicators in Action U.S. Department of
Educations Doing What Works 11
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High Standards and Expectations 12
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Indicator 7 The district sets district, school, and student
subgroup achievement targets. 13
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Setting Achievement Targets Determine reasonable trajectories
for improvement for District Each school How specific? Grade level
Subject area Student subgroups Incremental trajectory vs. immediate
turnaround Which schools need which trajectory? 14
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Discussion: Achievement Targets 1.Who is involved in setting
achievement targets? 2.How are district targets explained to
stakeholders? Who gets what information? 3.How are different
trajectories for different schools explained to each schools
stakeholders? 4.What are district staff, principals, teachers
expected to do with the information? 15
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Indicator 17 The district examines existing school improvement
strategies being implemented across the district and determines
their value, expending, modifying, and culling as evidence
suggests. 16
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Improvement efforts have goals stated in measurable terms
Formative as well as summative assessments part of evaluation plan
Quality of implementation considered as a factor in program impact
Review of components of improvement efforts: What worked, what
didnt, and why? Examine Improvement Efforts 17
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Apply & Share Program Evaluation Findings Use information
from program evaluation in decision making, for example: Should the
program continue? Do any components need modification or special
attention? Are the resources committed - dollars, staff, and time -
appropriate? Share results of program evaluation with school and
district staff and policymakers 18
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Discussion: Make Program Evaluation Relevant & Useful 1.Do
your approaches to program evaluation provide the information
needed to strengthen implementation? 2.Do they furnish information
needed to support decision making about continuation, expansion, or
elimination? 3.Does the district make communication of findings to
staff and others part of the evaluation process? 19
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Indicator 23 The district ensures that school improvement and
restructuring plans include a clear vision of what the school will
look like when restructured or substantially improved. 20
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Participants in persistently failing organizations have often
come to believe that the low-performing status quo is inevitable;
it becomes essential for the leader to put forward a positive
vision of what might be. School Turnarounds: A Review of the
Cross-Sector Evidence on Dramatic Organizational Improvement
Prepared by: Public Impact for the Center on Innovation &
Improvement 21
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Related Research Findings Research repeatedly identifies a
clear vision for the future as an element of successful improvement
efforts. Successful turnaround leaders communicate a compelling
message of what can be. Successful turnaround leaders understand
the importance of selling the vision - of having others buy into
both this vision and their role in making it happen. 22
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Linking Leadership & Vision superintendents must be
relentless in their efforts to convey messages of high expectations
and no excuses. This may require use of examples of high levels of
learning achieved by high-risk student populations in neighboring
districts or in schools and classrooms in the districts own
schools. Handbook on Restructuring and Substantial School
Improvement Authors of Section 2, Module 2: Gordon Cawelti and
Nancy Protheroe Superintendents in high-performing districts focus
on the vision message with an almost missionary zeal. 23
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Vision at the School Level Must Be Developed & Nurtured by
Principals Keep vision, mission, and goals in the forefront of
everyones attention and work Demonstrate and model commitment to
goals through personal actions Constantly monitor progress toward
goals Maintain enthusiasm and a sense of optimism; inspire others
Recognize and celebrate contributions, but do not overlook
shortcomings and failures 24
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Discussion: Vision 1.Does your districts vision statement
reflect your vision of what its schools should be and do? 2.Is this
vision being communicated - in word and actions - to district
staff, families, and other stakeholders? 3.How does your district
support school leaders efforts to turn the vision into reality in
all schools and classrooms? 4.How is fidelity to the vision - what
staff members do on a day to day basis - monitored? 25
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Working Together 26
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Indicator 29 The district designates a central office contact
person for the school, and that person maintains close
communication with the school and an interest in its progress.
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The relationship of the district with a low- performing school
will require more attention from central office staff to provide
support and monitor school efforts. Assistance provided might
include, for example, helping school staff diagnose and address
problems or temporarily assigning a subject area specialist to the
school to work with teaching staff. The monitoring should be
ongoing and might include review of data from periodic assessments,
site visits, and coaches assigned to the school. Handbook on
Restructuring and Substantial School Improvement Authors of Section
2, Module 2: Gordon Cawelti and Nancy Protheroe 28
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Involving District-Level Staff Directly District leadership
must be both a critical friend to schools and a buffer to leverage
external resources and pressures. Central office staff role may
shift from oversight to assistance. For example, the human
resources department might ask school staff for ways it can better
serve schools. Maintain the balance between support and pressure to
improve. Partner central office staff members with specific
schools, especially low-performing schools, for intensive work on
improvement efforts. 29
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Indicator 30 District and school decision makers meet at least
twice a month to discuss the schools progress. 30
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Reporting of Progress by School District Reporting requirement
underscores Districts interest in results and in the effective
implementation of a schools improvement plan. Reporting needs to be
on a regular and frequent basis. Agendas for discussions as well as
the content and organization for written reports should be
specified by District. District feedback to schools (and follow up
action as needed) is important. 31
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School boards must play an active role, continuously and
publicly providing support for the reform initiative through
several key actions. Including: engage in ongoing efforts to
communicate and sell the vision for reform to the community act as
a monitor to ensure student learning remains the top priority
develop policies that support improvement efforts. Handbook on
Restructuring and Substantial School Improvement Authors of Section
2, Module 2: Gordon Cawelti and Nancy Protheroe 32
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Discussion: Communication and Monitoring 1.Are district/school
staff discussions about improvement plan implementation - as they
operate currently - productive? Can we identify specific ways in
which they need to change? 2.How can related work prior to, during,
and following these discussions strengthen the schools improvement
progress? 3.What information regarding the progress of schools
identified for improvement will be most relevant to the board in
the performance of its governance responsibilities? 33
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Indicators 36 & 37 A team structure is officially
incorporated into the school improvement plan and school governance
policy. All teams have written statements of purpose and by-laws
for their operation. 34
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Marzano (2003) points out that leadership should not reside
with one individual; a team approach to planning and decision
making allows for distributive leadership decision making groups
must be organized and given time to plan and monitor the parts of
the system for which they are responsible. Handbook on
Restructuring and Substantial School Improvement Author of Section
2, Module 6: Sam Redding 35
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Research on Collaborative Leadership Teams help to build
ownership in the change process and to develop a spirit of
collaboration. Successful turnaround requires staff to personally
see and feel the problems students face and involvement in school
leadership can increase this awareness. Successful turnaround
leaders are skilled at team leadership and promoting teamwork and
cooperation. Learning-focused leaders create a supportive work
environment by bringing staff together as a team to plan, make
decisions, and resolve conflicts. 36
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Leadership Team Headed by the principal; includes team leaders
from Instructional Teams (grade level and/or subject area) and
other key staff Instructional Teams (grade-level and/or
content-area) Provide opportunities for teachers to discuss
curriculum/instruction, develop instructional strategies, and focus
on ways to help students experiencing difficulty School-Community
Council Advises and assists with areas such as school-home
communication and the parental role in supporting childrens
learning; includes school staff and parents 37
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Discussion: Collaborative Leadership & School Teams 1.What
evidence have you seen related to the positive (or negative)
effects of distributed leadership at the school level in your
district? 2.What professional development and/or assistance for
principals might be helpful in supporting their work with school
teams? Is your district currently helping this way? 3.What other
types of resources (development for teachers, examples of ways
school schedules can be modified to provide time for meetings,
etc.) can the district provide to support school teams? 38
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Team Reflection on Current Status of Implementation Each
District Academy Team will now take 15 minutes to review each
indicator covered in this session and assign an implementation
rating Rating scale: 1 = No Development or Implementation 2 =
Limited Development or Implementation 3 = Full Implementation
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Reflection Worksheet 40 * Rating scale: 1 = No Development or
Implementation 2 = Limited Development or Implementation 3 = Full
Implementation
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Discussion: Status of Implementation 1.Which Indicators are
strengths in your current district operations? 2.Which Indicators
need improved performance in your current district operations?
3.What are next steps in developing a District Operations Manual
relative to the Indicators in DL 1? 41
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Work on District Operations Manual for District System of
Support Regarding DL 1: High Standards & Expectations and
Working Together Read Wise Ways for Indicators 7, 17, and 37 View
on Doing What Works (http://dww.ed.gov) Data-Driven Improvement -
Turning Around Chronically Low Performing Schools o Focus on
Instruction View on Indicators in Action (www.centerii.org)
Instruction Course - Instructional Planning Module o Building
Strong Instructional Teams, and o Aligning Instruction Regarding DL
2: Teaching & Learning and Decision Making Read Improving
Student Learning: Actions Principles for Families, Classrooms,
Districts, and States Chapters 4 and 5 Read Handbook on
Restructuring and Substantial School Improvement Chapter 5:
Changing and Monitoring Instruction Read Breaking the Habit of Low
Performance: Successful School Restructuring Stories School
Profile: Holobird Academy Homework Assignment 42
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Evaluation The team will need to fill out an evaluation form
concerning this distance learning session. It is on the CII website
to which you will be given access. Your mentor will have the log-in
information. The log-in page can be found at
http://www.centerii.org/Pacesetting/
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Wrap Up Reflections on DL 1 session Reminder: DL 2 scheduled
for (date & time) Scheduled Mentor Interaction with Academy
Mentor to be held before DL 2 44
