Working Systemically To Increase Student Achievement

Responding to Changing Conditions

Responding to Changing Conditions

The ability to use research-based options to identify and proactively address the continually emerging issues, factors, and circumstances that impact student achievement.

Session Outcomes

• Be able to identify changing conditions that impact student achievement

• Be able to identify proactive responses for dealing with changing conditions

Responding to Changing Conditions

• Leadership

• Resources

• Teaching force

• Demographics

• Politics

• Policy

• As district-level staff working to ensure academic achievement for each student, you have ideas for many things to put in place to make this happen.

• Work as a table group to create a list of conditions or factors that will ensure success for each student.

Your success on the following activity will depend on

how many factors you can list!

5 Minutes

• Table groups divide into teams A and B; each team gets their own KerPlunk! game.

• Table facilitators will distribute 2 sticks per team for each idea your group came up with, for both the A and the B team (up to 24 sticks/team).

• Teams work on their own to place the sticks (your great ideas for student success) randomly into the KerPlunk! game (your district).

• Please wait until everyone has their game set up.

Great! Now your ideas are all in place. Only one thing is missing –

The Students!

Your students are eager to succeed. Let them in!

• Carefully pour the marbles into the top of the KerPlunk! device.

• If some marbles fall through, please adjust your “factors” and “re-enroll” your students.

Please wait.

Congratulations!

Your district is up and running!

However, we’re not done yet. Suddenly, “reality” hits.

Reality Cards• At your table is one envelope labeled “Reality” and two

labeled “Responses.”• Divide the “Responses” cards—A team gets all

Response A cards; B team gets all Response B cards.• Open the Reality envelope and select a person to read

card 1 aloud to the entire table. Teams A and B take turns following the directions on their Response cards, progressing in order, from card 1 to card 6.

• When you have finished all of the cards, please do not disturb your KerPlunk! device. We’ll be making some observations shortly.

What Happened?

• Take a few minutes to share what happened to your district with the other team at your table.

Group Discussion

• What caused students to fall (fail)?

• What allowed students to remain (succeed)?

• Do you agree with the penalties assigned to the reality cards?

Group Discussion

• Are there factors that didn’t appear in the reality cards that you think should have?

• Are there some factors that are more important than others? Why or why not?

Any additional

thoughts or comments?

Responding to Changing Conditions

Key LearningsBe proactive instead of reactive in responding

to changing conditions.Failure to respond to changing conditions

makes matters worse.Research-based strategies should be used to

respond to changing conditions.

Key LearningsBe proactive instead of reactive in responding

to changing conditions.Failure to respond to changing conditions

makes matters worse.Research-based strategies should be used to

respond to changing conditions.

Do these learnings match your experiences?

Can you add any additional learnings?

Please complete your Working Systemically rubric for Responding to Changing

Conditions.