Parents4Parents of the Black Hills

Dr. Timothy MitchellRapid City Area Schools

10/22/11

The First Building BlockAll Kids Can Learn Activity

Why do we exist?This question challenges us to reflect on the fundamental purpose and the very reason for our existenceThis question requires us to clarify priorities and gives us direction for our classrooms

The First Building BlockOn the activity sheet you will find descriptions of four schools that operate under very different assumptions. Even though the educators within these schools would contend that they believe “all kids can learn,” they would respond to students who are not learning in very different ways

Please complete Activity

The First Building Block-The first school views failure to learn as an indication that the student lacks the ability or motivation to master content. Based on this assessment, the school offers a less rigorous program as a solution-The second school considers failure an important part of the learning process-students who do not put forth the necessary effort must be taught individual responsibility and they are allowed to fail

The First Building Block-The third school is prepared to accept responsibility for helping each student demonstrate some growth but is unwilling to establish high standards for all students. Here, too, the faculty members contend that they have little influence over the extent of an individual’s learning

The First Building BlockClearly then, it is only the fourth school in the activity that offers a viable, modern-day approach to students who are not learning

Significant finding: The most successful schools function as a professional learning community:◦Teachers pursue a clear shared purpose

◦Engage in collaborative work◦Take collective responsibility for student learning

The First Building Block

We expect our students to learn, and we work to fulfill our collective responsibility to ensure that this learning takes place for all students

The First Building Block

Community SupportCommunity InvolvementCommunity Trust

What is essential!!

RCAS Mission

Building a community of life

long learners, one student at a

time.

RCAS Vision

All Rapid City Area School students will

achieve to their full potential.

◦Guaranteed, viable, relevant curriculum◦Life and career skills◦Technology literacy (21st century skills)◦Staff effectiveness and organizational

capacity-building◦Comprehensive system of assessment◦Diverse opportunities for students to

learn and be academically successful

RCAS Priorities

My Personal Vision

To embrace learning rather than teaching as a school’s mission, to work

collaboratively to help all students learn, to focus on results to foster continuous improvement and to

assume individual responsibility to take steps to create such a school.

My Sentence

I provide the leadership to create a purposeful learning community that creates high quality learning experiences for all community members.

The Three C’s of Community BuildingConfront the Brutal Facts

Communication (Effective)

Collaboration

Function of two things:

◦Integrity

◦Competence

Developing Trust

Integrity◦ Honesty-telling the truth & leaving the right

impression

◦ Congruence-no gaps between intent and behavior “walk your talk”

◦ Humility-recognize principles before yourself

◦ Courage-do the right thing-even when hard

Developing Trust

Competence

◦ Your capabilities◦ Your skills◦ Your results◦ Your track record

◦ They are both vital-one without the other will not work

Developing Trust

Speed of Trust-Behavior #9

Clarify Expectations-to create shared vision and

agreement about what is to be done up front

Speed of Trust-Behavior #10

Practice Accountability-Hold yourself accountable. Hold others

accountable. Take responsibility for results. Be clear on how you’ll communicate how you’re doing and how others are doing. Don’t avoid or shirk responsibility. Don’t

blame others or point fingers when things go wrong.

Adjusting for Learner NeedsEducational leaders know that what

matters is whether schools can offer their neediest students good

teachers trained in effective strategies to teach strong

academic knowledge and skills.Harry K. Wong

IDEA/NCLB/Section 504/ADA

Major Theme(Federal Education Acts/Civil Rights

Statues)

“Fairness means giving each student what they educationally need. Fairness is not treating

each student equally”

John Copenhaver, Director-Mountain Plains Regional Resource Center

IDEA Provisions that Support Student Participation in the General Curriculum

The Individualized Education Program (IEP) must include accommodations, modifications, and any special services that the child need to participate in the general curriculum, as well as identify support teachers needed to carry out the child’s program.

IDEA Provisions that Support Student Participation in the General Curriculum

At least one classroom teacher must, to the extent appropriate, participate in the development, review, and revision of the child’s IEP, including the determination of:

Appropriate positive behavioral interventions and strategies for the child.

Supplementary aids and services, program modifications, and supports for school personnel that will be provided for the child

IDEA Provisions that Support Student Participation in the General Curriculum

The child’s IEP must be accessible to each classroom teacher, who is responsible for its implementation. The teacher must be informed of the specific accommodations, modifications, and supports that must be provided for the child in accordance with the IEP.

Terms to Know

Accommodation-alters the delivery of instruction or method of student performance in a way that does not change the content or conceptual difficulty of the curriculum.

Terms to KnowAccommodations-Changes in course/test

preparation, location, timing, student response, or other attribute which are necessary to provide access for a student with a disability to participate and demonstrate “academic achievement and functional performance” an do not fundamentally alter or lower standard or expectations

Terms to Know

Modification-alters the delivery of instruction or method of student performance in such a way as to change the content or conceptual difficulty of the curriculum.

Terms to KnowModification-Changes in course/test

preparation, location, timing, student response, or other attribute which are necessary to provide access for a student with a disability to participate and demonstrate “academic achievement and functional performance” an do fundamentally alter and/or lower standard or expectations

Assumptions About Accommodations Accommodations respond to a student’s need

Accommodations do not give the student an unfair advantage

Accommodations enable students to participate in instruction and show what they know without being impeded by their disability

Leaders as Communicators

“The void created by the failure to communicate

is soon filled with poison, drivel, and misinterpretation.”

C. Northcote Parkinson

Leaders as Communicators“The difference between the best school

districts and the good or the worst is not the number of problems they have. All school districts deal with problems. In the best

school districts, key individuals and groups find a way to engage in healthy dialogue.

They talk through important issues.

Crucial ConversationsDefinition

A discussion between two or more people where (1) stakes are high (2) opinions vary, (3)

emotions run strong

Crucial ConversationsHow are they handled ?

1) We can avoid them2) We can face them and handle them poorly3) We can face them and handle

them well

The results can have a huge impact on the quality of your success in the classroom!

Dialogue-The free-flow of meaning between two or more people

The more willing people are willing to share information, the larger the pool

The sooner we notice we are not in dialogue, the quicker we can get back to dialogue and lower the cost

Crucial Conversations

The first thing that degrades during a crucial conversation is not our behavior (that comes second), but our motives

We need to focus on what we really want!

When we take responsibility for our own behaviors, we also take control of our lives

Crucial Conversations

Learn how to step out of the content, create mutual purpose, resolve conflict, and return to healthy dialogue

“They are not resistant because they don’t care about me or my views. They’re

resistant because they think we don’t care about what they care about.”

Crucial Conversations

Watch for the three clever stories:Victim-Villain- Helpless

To take control of your emotion take control of your story. To take control of your story, separate facts from the stories.

First control your story. Then your story controls you. If you want to change results, change your story

Crucial Conversations

“One of the paradoxes of dialogue is that when we share controversial,

touchy, or otherwise risky views, the more forceful we are, the less persuasive we are. With touch

subjects, tentativeness increases influence”

Crucial Conversations

When we shift our purpose from winning our way to adding to the

shared pool-When we give up trying to convince, we become more convincing-Taking time to fill the pool leads to faster and

more effective results

The Irony of Dialogue

Crucial Conversations Crucial Confrontations The Influencer You Can Change Anything

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