Harnessing the Power of Teacher Leaders Fort Bend ISD Secondary Curriculum Coordinators Susan...

Harnessing the Power of Teacher Leaders Fort Bend ISD Secondary Curriculum Coordinators Susan Voradakis – Social Studies [email protected]

Perri Segura – Science [email protected] Trisha Peterson – Math [email protected]

Sue Tull – ELA [email protected]

Sharon McGlaun – “Retired” [email protected]

TSSSA Conference – March 30, 2007

Fort Bend ISD Suburban District –

southwest of Houston Secondary Schools:

10 High Schools 12 Middle Schools 2 Alternative Campuses

You might be a coordinator if you… Write curriculum Create assessments Read, research, and attend conferences Organize district staff development Train teachers, department chairs, administrators Read, research, and attend conferences Attend meetings Mentor teachers, department chairs, administrators Read, research, and attend conferences Lead meetings Facilitate, lead, and serve on committees Read, research, and attend conferences….

What is the expected outcome? Understanding of CIA? Implementation of state/district curriculum? Data-driven decision making? Improved test scores? Teacher success? Student Success?

Reality Campuses sometimes operate in reactive rather

than proactive mode (constant remediation of students rather than instruction).

Busy administrators provide little instructional leadership or expectations.

Teachers are expected to “collaborate” before or after school, or they work in isolation.

Data does not impact instruction.

Students do not reach their potential.

…School culture and supervision tend to ignore or

divert teachers from implementing and

continuously improving their mastery of effective

instructional and assessment practices. We don’t

commonly see teaching, followed by assessment,

then adjustment to practice on the basis of assessment

results. Isolation masks the starkly different results

achieved by different teachers.

- Mike Schmoker, Results Now

Think Pair Share

How do you make the TEKS the focus of classroom instruction and assessment?

How do you bring about systemic change within a content area, grade level, and school?

The good news is that we know what to do.

Education research has equipped us with

abundant evidence on instructional and

leadership strategies that are likely to result

in improved student achievement.

– Doug Reeves, “Closing the Implementation Gap”

Effective Practice

Marzano – High Yield Strategies DuFour – PLC Schmoker – Collaborative Planning Gardner – Learning Styles Tomlinson – Differentiated Instruction McTighe & Wiggins - UBD And many others …

Putting It All Together: One High School’s Results

2005 TAKSMet Standard at Panel Rec.

2006 TAKSMet Standard at Panel Rec. Difference

9th Grade Math 41% 26% -15

10th Grade Math 30% 42% +12


10th Science 23% 35% +12

11th Science 44% 54% +10

10th Social Studies 72% 76% +4


9th ELA 74% 78% +4

10th ELA 52% 80% +28

11th ELA 83% 86% +3

Discuss the slide with your neighbor.

Write down any questions that you have based on the data.

The purpose of the presentation is to demonstrate

how to make a difference at the campus level by –

1. Impacting teachers directly, through teacher leaders. These leaders, rather than coordinators or other administrators, relay information and implement district expectations.

2. Implementing the TLC model of collaborative planning, deeper understanding of the curriculum, and reflective practices that drive instruction.

TLC

Teacher Leadership Corps

History of the Program

Beginnings

Year 1 – one school

Year 2 – four schools

TLC Campus Structure

Principal

ELA TeamEnglish IEnglish IIEnglish IIIReading

Math TeamAlgebra IGeometryAlgebra II

Science TeamIPC

BiologyChemistry

Social StudiesWorld Geography

World HistoryU.S. History

Campus Coordinator(Dean, AP)

Lead TLC

Self Reflection Do you have a similar structure?

What do team leaders do?

Do teams meet regularly?

What is the focus of the meetings?

Do teachers grow, does instruction improve, are student scores going up as the result of team meetings?

How is TLC Different?

“I have been a part of small learning communitieswhich addressed cross curricular learning themesto motivate students and staff. This TLC initiative isdifferent as it affects students by affectingteachers’ instruction. That can be a sensitive areafor the unwilling. However, it is the most powerfuland most necessary. Mediocre instructionproduces mediocre students. We owe ourselvesand our students more than that.”

- TLC Teacher

Goals of TLC Short term - Improve student achievement on

TAKS

Long term – Focus on TEKS and enhance classroom instruction

Long term – Develop effective peer coaching networks to support teachers and students.

Tools of TLC Curriculum Calendar with target student

expectations

Collaborative Team Planning Form – focus on TEKS

Mini Assessments – collect information on impact of instruction

Data Reporting Forms – collect data to determine next course of action

Target SE’s Develop team curriculum calendar for entire

year

Identify areas for improvement –target SE’s

Plot target SE’s for specific instruction and assessment on team calendar

Can’t fix all problems, but have to start somewhere

Sample Calendar

Collaborative Team Planning Process Teams meet at least once per week

Not just lesson planning

Collaborating/discussing instruction

Creating time in the schedule does not create buy-in or understanding

Teachers/Administrators in Attendance:

Reflections:What worked last week and what didn’t?Why? And now what?

Student Expectations:Which one of the tested TEKS are you going to focus on this week? Write it out.

Analysis of TAKS Assessment: (1)How was this Student Expectation tested on TAKS? (2)What did you learn by looking at the tested items?(3)What skills must be used by students to successfully answer the items? Teacher Assessment:(1)How will you continuously determine whether your students learned what was expected at the level of TEKS/TAKS?(2)Will you give a mini-assessment? If so, attach the items.

Teaching Strategies:What teaching strategies will you use to move students to the level expected of them on TAKS?

Activities:What do you expect the students to do?

Monitor and Adjust:What will you do if the students do not learn it?

Focused Collaborative Team PlanningDate: Team:

Teachers/Administrators in Attendance:

Reflections:What worked last week and what didn’t?Why? And now what?

Students did poorly on warm-up questions covering 13 th, 14th, 15th amendments. The warm-ups did not include direct instruction.

Student Expectations:Which one of the tested TEKS are you going to focus on this week? Write it out.

US 18B - Evaluate various means of achieving political rights, including the19th, 24th, and 26th amendments.

Analysis of TAKS Assessment: (1)How was this Student Expectation tested on TAKS? (2)What did you learn by looking at the tested items?(3)What skills must be used by students to successfully answer the items? Teacher Assessment:(1)How will you continuously determine whether your students learned what was expected at the level of TEKS/TAKS?(2)Will you give a mini-assessment? If so, attach the items.

1. 03,04,06 – 2/3 questions use cause/effect; 1 question uses excerpt and inferencing

2. Students must relate amendments to their historical context

3. Cause/effect; inference; drawing conclusion

Teaching Strategies:What teaching strategies will you use to move students to the level expected of them on TAKS?

Review/reteach, or teach cause/effect,inferencing, drawing conclusions; review amendment purpose and process; review 13th-15th; introduce 19th, 24th, 26th

Activities:What do you expect the students to do?

Students will choose a suitable Thinking Map organizer that demonstrates cause/effect context for amendments (13th,14th, 15th, 19th, 24th, 26th).

Monitor and Adjust:What will you do if the students do not learn it?

Determine which amendments are confusing to students; develop interactive timeline to review Civil Rights amdmts

Follow-up:List any follow up responsibilities or materials needed and the person responsible for each.

Voradakis – locate questions

McGlaun – adjust calendar

Sample Lesson PlanWeek: April 2 - 6 Instructional Activities

Monday - Tuesday Objectives TEKS: Civil Rights Objectives TAKS:

8.17B/US7A –Trace the historical development of the civil rights movement in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries including the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments

US 18B - Evaluate various means of achieving political rights, including the 19th, 24th, and 26th amendments.

Procedures:1. Review the results of mini-assessment with students. Have students explain why

the distractors are incorrect.2. Skills mini-lesson: C/E, Inferencing, Drawing Conclusions - Jarrett book pp. 3 –

103. Content Lesson: Civil Rights Amendments

1. Station Rotation – each amendment2. Foldable – flip book on amendments3. C/E Thinking Map – each amendment

Assessment(s): Mini Assessment

Mini Assessments TAKS Format Limited to 1-2 SE’s 4-5 questions each Every 3 weeks Can be integrated into regular test or as a stand alone

assessment Can be formative or summative Determine “passing” standard (compare to TAKS) Team decides on rules for administration of tests

Data Analysis Everyone sees everyone’s data

Discuss the results and the reasons for the results

Identify remediation strategies and incorporate into upcoming lesson(s)

“This is definitely the most rewarding program I

have ever been a part of. In looking at what the

team has accomplished so far this year: segmenting and

adapting the curriculum to fit the needs of the students;

incorporating best practices…, aligning our team

goals…, pinpointing problem areas and adapting our

teaching to those needs, I can truly say that TLC has

brought our department a long way.”

- TLC Teacher

Lead TLC Monitor progress of teams through collecting

documentation, meeting with teams, conducting walk-throughs, etc.

Provide support for TLC teachers

Liaison between campus and district administrators

Role of Administrators Provides vehicle for legitimate instructional

leadership

Attend team meetings

Monitor implementation through focused walk-throughs

Provide accountability for all team members

NCREL recommends, based on research on

schools that are making the most progress

with improving student results, that schools

provide teachers with three hours of

collaborative time each week. – SMART Goals

Other Components & Issues

TAKS Support

Coaching

Scheduling

District Support Structure

District TLC Coordinator

ELA“Buddy” Coordinator

Helping Teachers2

Campus Helping Teacher1

MATH“Buddy Coordinator”

Helping Teachers2


SCIENCE“Buddy Coordinator”

Helping Teachers3


SOCIAL STUDIES“Buddy Coordinator”

Helping Teacher1


CAMPUS Meetings DISTRICT MeetingsTeam TLC Lead TLC “Buddy”

Coordinator

TLC

Coordinator Lead weekly team mtgs.

Attend weekly campus TLC mtgs.

Attend district TLC mtgs.

Attend training

Attend weekly team mtgs.

Lead weekly campus TLC mtgs

Attend district lead TLC mtgs.


Attend training


Attend weekly campus TLC mtgs

Attend district lead TLC mtgs.

Lead district TLC mtgs.

Attend coordinator mtgs.

Attend training


Meet with each TLC

Attend weekly campus TLC mtgs

Lead district lead TLC mtgs.


Lead coordinator mtgs.

Attend training

Teachers must be clear about the connection

between their own learning and improvements in

student learning.

– Joan Richardson, “Think Outside the Clock”

Growing Our TLC’s Book Study Weekly Team Meetings

Share successes Discuss difficulties

Lessons in Leadership Effective Classroom Instruction Training Content Area Trainings

Reflections2005 TAKS

Met Standard at Panel Rec.2006 TAKS

Met Standard at Panel Rec. Difference

9th Grade Math 41% 26% -15



10th Science 23% 35% +12

11th Science 44% 54% +10



9th ELA 74% 78% +4

10th ELA 52% 80% +28

11th ELA 83% 86% +3

Additional Resources TLC Program Outline TLC Glossary TLC Program – Use of TLC Period Sample Curriculum Calendar Collaborative Team Planning Form Mini Assessment Data Form Mini Assessment Reflections Planning Considerations Tic TAKS Forms – Grades 10 & 11 Resource List

Harnessing the Power of Teacher Leaders Fort Bend ISD Secondary Curriculum Coordinators Susan...

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