The Power of

CollaborationPresented By

Russell Lechtenberg Supt. West Boyd School, & Chm NTSCarol Jessen Staff Developer ESU#8JaLena Slack MSP Math Project Coordinator, ESU#8Russ Masco NDE Data, Research, Evaluation & IT

Collaboration

• District Level (12 to 10 schools)• (Butte, Spencer-Naper, West Boyd,

Clearwater, Orchard, Orchard-Clearwater, Chambers, Elgin, Ewing, Lynch, Niobrara, Stuart, Verdigre, Wheeler Central)

• Northern Tier Schools

• ESU 8 and ESU 1

• NDE

Presentation

• History of the Northern Tier

• ESU’s PD role and support

• NDE data support team

• Data Analysis

Northern Tier Schools

2003-2012

Northern Tier Schools

• Reasons to form the NTS?

• Improve Learning for Children with Disabilities (ILCD)

• Common School Improvement Process

• Internal/External Accountability

• Improve Learning Opportunities for ALL Children

• Improve Educational Efficiencies by Sharing Resources

Northern Tier Schools

Timeline

• Summer 2003

• Superintendents worked with Dr. Christensen to develop the concept of the Northern Tier

• August 2003

• District Boards voted to join the Northern Tier

• Implementation of the Northern Tier

• 2003-2008

• Interlocal agreement governing the Northern Tier was set for 5 years

Butte

Chambers

Clearwater ElginEwing

Lynch

Niobrara

Orchard

Spencer/Naper

StuartVerdigre

Wheeler Central

NTS

Northern Tier Schools

Development of Common Structure• Calendar

• Start and End dates, Late Starts, Early outs, In-service days

• Bell schedule • Length of day, Eight periods, 50-53 minutes

• Market of classes• Shared between school no cost, College Credit and

Academies

• Professional Development• Late Start, Early Outs, Subject In-service days, Shared

speakers

Similarities of NTS Districts

Totals Average

Range

Enrollment (K-12) 1764 136 93-260

Free & Reduced 50% 32-81%

Special Education 16% 10-32%

Instructional Staff 300 22 15-35

Facilities- 1900s with additions

District valuations $235M $87-500M

Levy $0.87 $0.72-1.11

Northern Tier Schools ILCD

School Improvement

Process

Weaving ILCD and SIP together

• Gleason & Associates, Inc. worked with all schools to review the data and create a process for the inclusion of ILCD and SIP together.

• The schools met and conducted a file review assisted by ESU personnel

• Surveys were distributed to Parents and Staff, collected and tabulated

• The group identify strengths and weaknesses from the data.

• ILCD Action Plans were created for the NTS.

ILCD

The ILCD piece of the School Improvement Process is ongoing with activities being conducted annually.

• File Review• Sp Ed 101• Informational Surveys

* Independently our Special Education data is insignificant, but together our data is more valid and reliable.

School Improvement

What would be

our

next steps?

NTS Mission Statement

The Northern Tier Schools, in partnership

with families and communities, provides

all students with safe positive learning

environments in which they are

challenged to reach their maximum

potential in a global society. We empower

students to become productive citizens

and life long learners.

Collect & Analyze Data

Initial data retreat

• Determined grades 4, 8, & 11 would

be tested (Terra Nova & Iowa Basic

Skills)

• Identified Reading Comprehension

as a priority

The Process

Develop and Implementation of Action Plans • NTS, District and Classroom level

Professional Development • Robert Marzano - Classroom Instruction that Works• Sue Presler - Reading in the Content Area• Reading Fixes No Chevys

Curriculum adoption• Reading Mastery

• Training, Coaching and follow-up

Assessment adoption• MAP (fall and spring)

NTS Administration

School Superintendents/PrincipalsMonthly meetings

School Counselors Quarterly Meetings

MAP and NeSA Assessment planningMAP and NeSA Data reviewDistance Learning SchedulingCareer Education

Literacy Council (assisted by ESU#8)

Quarterly meetingsMonitor Reading Mastery progressDIBELS testingReading Mastery Coaching

School Improvement as NTSWHY?

• Data in small schools is easily skewed

• It is difficult to get suitable student numbers to conduct a longitudinal study

• Northern Tier data is more reliable and valid

• 100+ / class as compared to 8 - 20/class

NTS Action Collaboration with ESUs and NDE

• Annual Data Retreat

• SPED Training and ILCD reports

• Reading Mastery Training and Progress Monitoring

• MAP assessments

• Pre-school studies and establishment

NTS Action in collaboration with ESUs and NDE

• K-6th Grade Level In-service day

• Language Arts and Science In-service day

• Math and Social Studies In-Service day

• Middle School Enrichment day

• North & South Pod Meeting

• Individual School Data training

Northern Tier Thoughts

Think Outside of the Box!

Don’t bring your problems to us!

This is one road you do not want to travel alone!

In education we need to be open to

change!

Future of Northern Tier Schools

1. Expand Distance Learning opportunities and schedules

2. Sharing of teachers to meet curriculum needs

3. Openness to Activity Cooperatives

4. Development of Learning Pods/Community

5. Futuristic Financial Planning

6. Develop Upper level Enrichment Classes

Future of Northern Tier Schools

7. Share Staff In-service

8. Reduction of Expenditures

9. Influence Educational Legislation and NDE Regulations

10.Develop a Northern Tier Website (both short and long term goals)

11.Provide positive public relations (both short and long term goals)

12.Continue to work together

What have we gained?

• We have become a Professional Learning Community

• Northern Tier Schools are stronger because of ties to each other

• We have added capacity to each of our schools

• Workload has been shared among the schools

Additional Benefits

• Each school’s staff can collaborate and use others as a sounding board

• Teaching in a small school becomes less “lonely” when one can work with like-minded professionals

• Seasoned staff members mentor beginning colleagues

NTS Appreciation goes to:

• The Nebraska Department of Education for their support and assistance

• ESU 8 for their cooperation in this endeavor

• Faculty and staff from each school who continue to work for better educational opportunities for our students

• Former NTS Administrators for their foresight and futuristic planning

Professional Development

• Reading• Literacy Council• RtI for some

districts

• Curriculum and Instruction• Perception surveys

for PD needs• Curriculum days

• Networking and sharing • Wikis

• Assessment• MAP (NWEA)• NeSA• Focus on LtoJ

• Data Retreats• radar charts

• School Improvement

NDE Work with Northern Tier and

ESU 8

•Common points of focus• Allows targeted work in terms of data

•Allows a look at larger numbers to reveal some common trends

•In one data retreat • Met with over 35 district staff and

administrators• Allowed a detailed treatment of data for 12

districts

Follow Up Meetings•More technical tasks needed smaller groups

•Met in 4 locations to give more individual instruction, but did not require visiting 12 sites

•4 sites ½ day each site

•Total of 2 days

•12 schools started training

•Districts are cross-trained in the same data tool so they can offer support to one another

ExampleData sets created on Day 2 at regional

sites

Future Work

Continue to expand data sets combining data sources

• MAP (Other NRT)• NeSA over multiple years• DIBELS• Attendance• Grades• Etc.

Creation of one large data set for all Northern Tier Schools

Future evaluation Potential

Larger number of students for evaluation studies

• Not as important if looking at practical significance

• Imperative if running experimental design and wanting to draw conclusions based on probability and statistical significance

Focused Professional Development

Looking at common trends in the data allows

•Common needs to emerge

•Targeted Professional Development

The Power of

CollaborationPresented By

Russell Lechtenberg Supt. West Boyd School, & Chm NTSCarol Jessen Staff Developer ESU#8JaLena Slack MSP Math Project Coordinator, ESU#8Russ Masco NDE Data, Research, Evaluation & IT