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Working Systemically To

Increase Student Achievement

Creating Coherence

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Creating Coherence

Creating coherence is about aligning parts of the system so that they work together in a harmonious whole.

(Corallo & McDonald, 2002; Newmann, Smith, Allensworth & Bryk, 2001).

Coherence is essential in the alignment of curriculum, instruction, and assessment to state standards at all levels of the system.

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Creating Coherence

What Does Coherence Sound Like?

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Creating Coherence

What Does

Coherence

Look Like?QuickTime™ and a

TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.

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Pathologies that Inhibit Coherence

1. Tyranny of One

2. Strategy Interruptus

3. The Phantom-Limb Syndrome

4. The Forked-Tongue Syndrome

5. District Myopia

6. Sink Hole

(Charles A. Dana Center, 2000)

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Pathologies that Inhibit Coherence

• Select a pathology card• Read it silently and determine why

coherence is unlikely to occur in this situation.

• Discuss with your group:– What factors are described that

would inhibit coherence? – What effect will these factors have

on student achievement?

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The Main Thing:Student Performance

“The main thing is the main thing, and that’s student performance. You need to keep that above all else… I think there are consequences when you don’t do things right... I think we have a moral responsibility to make every child successful regardless of where they came from, what their color is. I believe in that.”

Sonny Donaldson,Aldine Superintendent

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Creating Coherence

Aligning curriculum, instruction, and assessment to state standards is essential

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Ways of Explaining Reality

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Looking at your district’s alignment of curriculumQuickTime™ and a

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Aligned Curriculum

• The district has a curriculum that is aligned to the state standards at all grade levels and for all content areas.

• The district ensures that the selection of programs and resources are aligned to the curriculum.

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Aligned Curriculum

• The district has a scope and sequence that identifies what students should know and be able to do at each grade level.

• There is regular and adequate professional development for all staff concerning the aligned curriculum.

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Looking at your district’s alignment of instructionQuickTime™ and a

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Aligned Instruction

• The district creates clear expectations that teachers use the aligned curriculum to guide their instruction.

• The district ensures that content expertise is available and used in instructional delivery.

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Aligned Instruction

• The district ensures that research-based strategies are used in the classrooms.

• There is regular and adequate professional development for all staff concerning the aligned instructional strategies.

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Looking at your district’s alignment of assessment

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (LZW) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

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Aligned Assessment• The district has a process for

collecting and organizing disaggregated student-learning data in an understandable and useful format.

• The district uses multiple types of data (student achievement, demographic, perceptual, and school process) to analyze problems and formulate plans.

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Aligned Assessment

• The district uses data from informal classroom observations.

• The district has processes for turning data into action that provides interventions for students who are not mastering the standards.

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• Share the grades with your team members, recording their grades on the lines following the statement.

• These grades can help to direct your work during the planning session.

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Leadership Roles for Creating Coherence

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District Leadership Roles

• Communicate clear expectations

• Build capacity

• Monitor and review

(SEDL, 2005).

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Leadership Actions Activity

1. Place the three leadership role sentence strips on your table.

2. Select one of the two envelopes.3. Create a grid by placing the actions of leaders

under the appropriate role.4. Repeat the process for the other envelope.5. Discuss the similarities and differences in the

actions for the superintendent and the central office staff.

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Districts with a Coherent System. . .

• actively support a collaborative and purposeful effort to align curriculum, instruction, and assessment to state standards and

• identify and use effective leadership behaviors and skills to align all levels of the educational system.

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ReferencesCharles A. Dana Center. (2000). Equity-Driven Achievement-Focused School Districts. Austin, TX: Charles A. Dana Center.

Corallo, C. & McDonald, D.H. (2002). What works with low-performing schools: A review of research. Charleston, WV: AEL.

Newmann, F., Smith, B., Allensworth, E., & Bryk, A. (2001). School instructional program coherence: Benefits and challenges. Chicago, IL: Consortium on Chicago School Research.

SEDL. (2005). Working systemically to increase student achievement in reading and mathematics. Austin, TX: SEDL. (http://www.sedl.org/ws/)