System System ImprovementImprovement

Nord Trondelag, Norway

Ben LevinBen LevinOISE/University of TorontoOISE/University of Toronto

Questions to AskQuestions to Ask

What are the positives and What are the positives and constraints in your setting?constraints in your setting?

Which of these ideas are most Which of these ideas are most promising or important? Which promising or important? Which seem most difficult?seem most difficult?

What is confusing or missing or What is confusing or missing or seems incorrect?seems incorrect?

The Importance of The Importance of ImprovementImprovement

Education matters more than everEducation matters more than ever Schools have improved over many Schools have improved over many

yearsyears We can do better stillWe can do better still

We don’t know the limits of We don’t know the limits of improvementimprovement

Ontario 2003–2009Ontario 2003–2009

From high conflict, stagnant From high conflict, stagnant results, public dissatisfaction, and results, public dissatisfaction, and poor moralepoor morale

To improving student results, low To improving student results, low conflict, improved educator conflict, improved educator morale, morale, and increased public satisfactionand increased public satisfaction

ExamplesExamples

Literacy/numeracy at standard up Literacy/numeracy at standard up from 54% to 70%from 54% to 70%

High school graduation from 68% to High school graduation from 68% to 79%79%

Low performing schools down by Low performing schools down by 75%75%

95% of students at ‘competence’95% of students at ‘competence’ Teacher attrition down sharplyTeacher attrition down sharply

How to Do ThisHow to Do This

The right changesThe right changes The right implementationThe right implementation A positive approachA positive approach Managing the politics and Managing the politics and

distractionsdistractions

Main Elements – 1Main Elements – 1 Public goals and targetsPublic goals and targets

Simple, clear, with high consensusSimple, clear, with high consensus

GoalsGoals

Better outcomesBetter outcomes 75% at standard in literacy and 75% at standard in literacy and

numeracy, age 12numeracy, age 12 85% high school graduation rate85% high school graduation rate

Reduced gaps in outcomesReduced gaps in outcomes Ethnicity, SES, gender, disability…Ethnicity, SES, gender, disability…

Increased public confidenceIncreased public confidence

Main Elements – 1Main Elements – 1 Public goals and targetsPublic goals and targets Clear strategy, strong leadershipClear strategy, strong leadership

At all levelsAt all levels Beyond projects to system changeBeyond projects to system change

Sector supportSector support Positive two-way communicationPositive two-way communication

Sector capacitySector capacity Helping people do betterHelping people do better

Main Elements – 2Main Elements – 2

Policy is supportive rather than centralPolicy is supportive rather than central Curriculum, assessment, etc.Curriculum, assessment, etc.

Support well-grounded practicesSupport well-grounded practices Build on what already worksBuild on what already works Minimize “mandates” but work towards Minimize “mandates” but work towards

standard practicestandard practice Stay focusedStay focused

It takes yearsIt takes years Coherence and alignmentCoherence and alignment

Things Not to DoThings Not to Do

Focus on structures – i.e. size, Focus on structures – i.e. size, organizationorganization

Attack teachers or studentsAttack teachers or students Use a single test as the only Use a single test as the only

measuremeasure

The Right ChangesThe Right Changes

Change teaching and learning practices Change teaching and learning practices in all schoolsin all schools Best evidenceBest evidence Student engagementStudent engagement

Reach out to parents and communityReach out to parents and community Build sector capacity and commitmentBuild sector capacity and commitment Improve leadership skillsImprove leadership skills Approach curriculum and assessment Approach curriculum and assessment

as servants, not mastersas servants, not masters

Secondary SchoolsSecondary Schools

Subject specializationsSubject specializations Preparation for post-secondaryPreparation for post-secondary Double standardDouble standard Teacher and public beliefs about Teacher and public beliefs about

what students can dowhat students can do ‘‘A good outcome for every student’A good outcome for every student’

Strategy for Secondary Strategy for Secondary SchoolsSchools

Knowing students and tracking Knowing students and tracking progressprogress

Thinking about deliveryThinking about delivery Curriculum, course offerings, Curriculum, course offerings,

timetabletimetable Engaging the communityEngaging the community Changing daily teaching practiceChanging daily teaching practice

Where to FocusWhere to Focus

Think ‘system’ more than ‘school’Think ‘system’ more than ‘school’ All schools need to improveAll schools need to improve Specific attention to:Specific attention to:

Low-performing schoolsLow-performing schools ““Coasting” schoolsCoasting” schools Priority groupsPriority groups

Poor, immigrants, special education, Poor, immigrants, special education, disabilitydisability

ImplementationImplementation

Focus on system and whole school Focus on system and whole school changeschanges Avoid “projects”Avoid “projects”

Create infrastructureCreate infrastructure Relevant to the size of the challengeRelevant to the size of the challenge Support people as well as resourcesSupport people as well as resources

Be relentless about reminders, events, Be relentless about reminders, events, and supportsand supports

Build research, evaluation, and dataBuild research, evaluation, and data

Engaging the CommunityEngaging the Community

ParentsParents Employer, unions, workplacesEmployer, unions, workplaces Post-secondary institutionsPost-secondary institutions Community groups and Community groups and

organizationsorganizations

Improving PracticesImproving Practices

Use what we knowUse what we know Build on good practices towards universal useBuild on good practices towards universal use Start with easier stepsStart with easier steps Take ownershipTake ownership Work collectivelyWork collectively

In teams (subjects as much as schools)In teams (subjects as much as schools) Cross-school workCross-school work

Root practices in school settingsRoot practices in school settings Use data effectivelyUse data effectively

Importance of Systems Importance of Systems

Regular events to review data Regular events to review data and progressand progress

Processes to ensure every student Processes to ensure every student is consideredis considered

Prevention rather than remediationPrevention rather than remediation Building a system across schoolsBuilding a system across schools

Building Sector SupportBuilding Sector Support Build strong political leadershipBuild strong political leadership

““Guiding coalition”Guiding coalition” Align with local leadersAlign with local leaders Respect all partnersRespect all partners Appeal to educators’ idealsAppeal to educators’ ideals Build staff supportBuild staff support Stay focused and alignedStay focused and aligned Develop public confidence and supportDevelop public confidence and support Engage studentsEngage students

Public ConfidencePublic Confidence

People must believe that the People must believe that the schools deliver valueschools deliver value

This takes sustained effortThis takes sustained effort Day to day work matters more Day to day work matters more

than PR effortsthan PR efforts Must be simple, clear messages Must be simple, clear messages

backed by actionbacked by action

Communication and Communication and SupportSupport

Endless communication to sectorEndless communication to sector Enlisting support from leaders and Enlisting support from leaders and

teachersteachers Constant positive reinforcementConstant positive reinforcement Respectful but with expectationsRespectful but with expectations

Regular public communicationRegular public communication Successes and challenges Successes and challenges

Questions for Questions for ConsiderationConsideration

What are the positives and What are the positives and constraints in your setting?constraints in your setting?

Which of these ideas are most Which of these ideas are most promising or important? Which promising or important? Which seem most difficult?seem most difficult?

What is confusing or missing or What is confusing or missing or seems incorrect?seems incorrect?

How to Move AheadHow to Move Ahead

Balance vision with realismBalance vision with realism What is important/what can actually be What is important/what can actually be

donedone Longer-term ideas and short-term Longer-term ideas and short-term

actionsactions Think about implementationThink about implementation

How can this be brought about?How can this be brought about? Create ongoing discussionCreate ongoing discussion

Some Specific IdeasSome Specific Ideas

The High Skills MajorThe High Skills Major Provides a way to combine work with Provides a way to combine work with

school, connected to real qualifications school, connected to real qualifications and to post-secondary educationand to post-secondary education

Leadership teams in each schoolLeadership teams in each school With designated responsibility to track With designated responsibility to track

all students’ progress and intervene all students’ progress and intervene when problems are occurringwhen problems are occurring

More SpecificsMore Specifics

Student Success teachersStudent Success teachers An additional teacher in each An additional teacher in each

secondary school with responsibility to secondary school with responsibility to track, support and advocate for track, support and advocate for students who are strugglingstudents who are struggling

Credit recoverCredit recover Allows students to complete course Allows students to complete course

requirements without having to repeat requirements without having to repeat in their entiretyin their entirety

More SpecificsMore Specifics

Student Success CommissionStudent Success Commission Joint with teacher unions to make Joint with teacher unions to make

sure implementation of initiatives sure implementation of initiatives could proceed smoothlycould proceed smoothly

Speak OutSpeak Out Initiative for students to suggest Initiative for students to suggest

changes and ideas that would changes and ideas that would improve their school experienceimprove their school experience

Last SpecificsLast Specifics

Dual creditsDual credits Allows students to take post-secondary Allows students to take post-secondary

courses while still in secondary school courses while still in secondary school and count them for credit in both and count them for credit in both placesplaces

Independent learningIndependent learning Gives students more opportunities (or Gives students more opportunities (or

the requirement) to demonstrate the requirement) to demonstrate independent learning skillsindependent learning skills

How to Deal with How to Deal with ResistanceResistance

How to deal with resistanceHow to deal with resistance Expect and accept itExpect and accept it Listen to reasons, try to deal with Listen to reasons, try to deal with

themthem Invite participationInvite participation MarginalizeMarginalize

Inspired teachersInspired teachers

Teaching, not teachersTeaching, not teachers Aim for always good, occasionally Aim for always good, occasionally

inspiredinspired Student feedbackStudent feedback Peer support/pressurePeer support/pressure Research on good practiceResearch on good practice

Ontario – Non-SuccessesOntario – Non-Successes Some schools have not improvedSome schools have not improved Too many initiativesToo many initiatives Classroom practices are hard to changeClassroom practices are hard to change Some leaders too authoritarianSome leaders too authoritarian Links with community not strong Links with community not strong

enoughenough Ongoing modifications, do not paint Ongoing modifications, do not paint

yourselves into a corneryourselves into a corner

Teacher TrainingTeacher Training

Low priority areaLow priority area Hard to changeHard to change Small impactSmall impact Instead, work mostly with teachers Instead, work mostly with teachers

already in schoolsalready in schools But do build partnerships with But do build partnerships with

universitiesuniversities

‘‘Room to move’Room to move’

Imagination as to what is possibleImagination as to what is possible Appeal to idealismAppeal to idealism Specific examples – historical and Specific examples – historical and

current – of what has been current – of what has been achievedachieved

Avoiding this work as a Avoiding this work as a ‘reform’‘reform’

Use a different word – Use a different word – ‘improvement’?‘improvement’?

Acknowledge and build on past Acknowledge and build on past successsuccess This is a next stepThis is a next step

Appeal to Appeal to Focus on students and what Focus on students and what

happens to themhappens to them

Thank You!Thank You!