“The essential challenge is to transform self-interest and isolation within our communities into connectedness and caring for the whole.

We begin by shifting our attention from the problems of community to the possibility of community.”

Peter Block, Community: The Structure of Belonging

“The essential challenge is to transform self-interest and isolation within our communities into connectedness and caring for the whole.

We begin by shifting our attention from the problems of community to the possibility of community.”

Peter Block, Community: The Structure of Belonging

Purpose of the AMADistrict Improvement Team

• To strengthen communication across our organization

• To ensure activities of the AMA ESD are aligned to its mission

• To continuously evaluate the effectiveness of the activities

• To provide support to ensure sustainability of successful activities

Learning Targets for Meeting

• Create awareness of current initiatives

• Examine best practices in professional development initiatives

• Develop criteria for successful initiatives

Rotating Review

• Learning Target:

Develop awareness of current initiatives

Rotating Review• Teams will be assigned an initiative.• As a group, you will have 1 minute to write down as many facts as you can

on any of the subtopics.• Stop after 1 minute (timer will let you know) and rotate clockwise.• Teams will have 2 minutes to read and discuss what the previous team

has written. During this discussion, teams can put a question mark by any item with which they disagree or if they have a question regarding an item.

• You will then have 1 minute to write any additional information regarding any of the subtopics.

• Continue rotating through all of the initiatives.

• Teams will be assigned an initiative.• As a group, you will have 1 minute to write down as many facts as you can

on any of the subtopics.• Stop after 1 minute (timer will let you know) and rotate clockwise.• Teams will have 2 minutes to read and discuss what the previous team

has written. During this discussion, teams can put a question mark by any item with which they disagree or if they have a question regarding an item.

• You will then have 1 minute to write any additional information regarding any of the subtopics.

• Continue rotating through all of the initiatives.

Development of AMA ESD Strategic Plan FrameworkAdopted April 10, 2008

Development of AMA ESD Strategic Plan FrameworkAdopted April 10, 2008

MISSION AND SLOGAN MISSION AND SLOGAN

The mission of AMA ESD is to serve and support student achievement.

AMA ESD.… supporting student achievement

The mission of AMA ESD is to serve and support student achievement.

AMA ESD.… supporting student achievement

The vision of AMA ESD is that:

• Our primary focus is to support the efforts of our local districts and communities to ensure every child achieves his or her fullest potential.

• Every school we serve is of such high quality that kids are excited to come to school and parents are proud to send them.

• Every decision we make is based on the best interests of children.

• All students leave our schools prepared to contribute and compete in a global society.

GUIDING BELIEFSWe believe …. • … We are here to serve all children. • … Each student can learn and deserves the best

education possible. • … Decisions are to be based upon best practice. • … Parents are key partners in the success of their

children. • … Collaboration with our communities is essential. • … All services must be delivered with excellence and

integrity. • … Everyone deserves dignity and respect.

INDICATORS OF SUCCESS

Support of Student Achievement • All programs and services are valued by clients

for enhancing student achievement while saving them time and resources.

Sample Measurement: • Clients’ perception of the quality of mutually

agreed-upon services provided, as measured by a survey or structured interviews of superintendents, principals, and teachers

Culture of Communication, Collaboration and Transparency

The ESD’s culture will reflect an attitude of communication, collaboration and transparency.

Sample Measure: • Client survey items regarding their perception of the

culture and quality of communication (in addition to surveying them regarding quality and value of services)

• Survey of staff and boards of education regarding their perceptions of the culture and quality of communication

Community Engagement and Support

The ESD board and staff are viewed as valued community, regional and state partners; the ESD is supported by the community.

Sample Measure: • ESD board and staff involvement in community

leadership roles • Staff involvement in regional and state leadership roles • Millage support • Community contributions of time and money • Attendance at district-wide events hosted by AMA ESD

Operational Excellence

Every functional area of ESD operations will demonstrate best of field practice and continuous improvement.

Sample Measurements: • Each functional area to establish metrics in terms of a)

customer satisfaction, b) cost effectiveness, and c) compliance. Areas include business and finance, pupil accounting, transportation, facilities management, food services, technology, and human resources.

• The area of State and Federal Compliance will report on number of compliance variances.

Curriculum Initiative

• Align AMA K-12 Curriculum with state standards

• Identify Power Standards and I-can statements

• Develop common summative assessments

Curriculum Initiative Development

• Curriculum committee set overarching goal• Focus on Core Curriculum• Consultants researched best practice• Consultants facilitated teachers• AMA ESD created documents to distribute to

administrators and teachers

• Curriculum committee set overarching goal• Focus on Core Curriculum• Consultants researched best practice• Consultants facilitated teachers• AMA ESD created documents to distribute to

administrators and teachers

Organization of ELA Curriculum Initiative High School Grades 9-11

Elementary/Middle Grades K-8

Daytime meetings with representatives from three districts

Daytime meetings with representatives from three districts

Teachers were led through process of discussion and tallying of most important content expectations

Teachers were led through process of rating content expectations using developed criteria, most important were identified

Power Standards/I can statements developed for each Unit taught

Power Standards/I can statements developed for grade level by domain

Targeted Writing Project

• Purpose: To implement a systematic, research-based approach to teaching writing K-6 using the writing workshop structure.

• Expected Outcomes:– Commonality in the writing curriculum– Increased student achievement in writing

• Developers of Initiative: AMA ESD, LSSU, ACC

Targeted Writing Project

• Structure of Initiative– Year 1:

• Cohort: 15 K-6 teachers from 3 districts• Summer Institute: 15 teachers grades 3-12 from 3 districts

and 20 students participated in a week-long summer institute.

– Year 2 (Pilot): Building administrators and 60 K-6 teachers in four “pilot” schools, 3 districts

– Year 3 (Full Implementation): Administrators and 100+ teachers, 4 districts

Michigan’s Integrated Behavior and Learning Support Initiative (MiBLSi)

MiBLSi

S.T.A.R.S.

Supporting Teachers and

Readers Successfully

Ultimate Goal of S.T.A.R.S.

Help struggling readers become successful in the general education classroom

RtI Specialists were hired and trained to provide the following services to K-2 students:

*Teach research-based interventions*Constantly monitor student progress*Collect important data to share with teachers and the ESD

Help struggling readers become successful in the general education classroom

RtI Specialists were hired and trained to provide the following services to K-2 students:

*Teach research-based interventions*Constantly monitor student progress*Collect important data to share with teachers and the ESD

S.T.A.R.S. Roll-Out S.T.A.R.S. Roll-Out

• Program specific training throughout the school year

• Monthly meetings with all RtI Specialists to review data, discuss programs, and enhance best teaching practices

• On site observations to help identify areas of strength and offer suggestions

• Principals’ meetings twice a year

• Program specific training throughout the school year

• Monthly meetings with all RtI Specialists to review data, discuss programs, and enhance best teaching practices

• On site observations to help identify areas of strength and offer suggestions

• Principals’ meetings twice a year

Break

Creating long-lasting change

• Sustainability– Leadership– Commitment – Communication– Training – Support– Evaluation

Text Rendering

• Learning Target:

Examine best practices in professional development initiatives

Each individual will read his/her assigned section and do the following:

• Underline a sentence which sums up your assigned section• Identify a phrase which communicates the most important

idea • Choose a word which symbolizes the most important message • When everyone in your group has finished, your small group

discussion will follow this structure:• Provide a summary of the section you read• Share your sentence, phrase, and word

Text Rendering

• After everyone in your small group has shared:

• Choose your favorite phrase from those presented in the group

• Each person will share his/her word with the whole group

• After everyone in your small group has shared:

• Choose your favorite phrase from those presented in the group

• Each person will share his/her word with the whole group

World Cafe

Learning Target:

Develop criteria for successful initiatives1. In your table group, develop a list of 3-5

criteria that you believe contribute to a successful initiative.

2. When your list is complete, post it on the wall.

Next StepsNext Steps

• Template for success– Apply template to current initiatives– Implement with new initiatives• Math Interventions• Curriculum work at Piper• Assessment Work in ESD

• Evaluations

• Template for success– Apply template to current initiatives– Implement with new initiatives• Math Interventions• Curriculum work at Piper• Assessment Work in ESD

• Evaluations