Janet AngelisKristen Campbell Wilcox

University at Albany

Agenda

1. Overview (15)2. How do I think my school is doing? (10)3. Learning from each other (20-30)4. Learning from the study (10)5. How do we think our school/district is

doing? (10)6. Planning next steps (10-20)

Relationships Lay the Foundation

Trust and respect make possible…security and well-being for students and

faculty;constant collaboration;honest evaluation of results and

adjustments; the development and enactment of a

shared vision.

•5 Key Elements

The Project and the Study

• National• State comparable best practices• Just for the Kids-NY

Our Sample• 10 consistently HP schools with 6 similar but consistently APs, based on 3 years of NYS Assessment data (2003-5)

• Half: = or > NYS average poverty level• Urban, rural, suburban• Open admissions• NYS average per pupil expenditures

10 HigherPerformers

http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/repcrdfall2003/links/cnty_nm.map

• J.T. Finley - Huntington UFSD • Holland - Holland CSD• John F Kennedy - Utica CSD• A. Leonard - CSD of New Rochelle • Niagara - Niagara Falls CSD• Port Chester - Port Chester-Rye UFSD• Queensbury - Queensbury UFSD • Vernon-Verona-Sherrill - Sherrill CSD• West - Binghamton CSD• Westbury - Westbury UFSD

For a case study of each school: www.albany.edu/aire/kids

The Schools

And Analysis

• 2-day site visits• Interviewed teachers and administrators using survey questions provided by JFTK

• Collected documents• Analyzed and wrote a case study for each site

• Cross-site analysis

The data

5 Key Elements

Relationships Lay the Foundation

Trust and respect make possible…security and well-being for students and

faculty;constant collaboration;honest evaluation of results and

adjustments;the development and enactment of a

shared vision.

Findings

Each necessary; not sufficient alone or w/ 1-3 others.

Trust• Respect for and from all• Clear expectations of students• Shared responsibility

I feel totally comfortable to talk about concerns with the principal. When the principal comes into my classroom --

we have strong support and trust.

We can’t do it alone . . . Parents are involved here.

Trust

The single most important thing . . . is to build trust with your faculty.

• Deliberate and planned• “Family”• Provides safety to disagree, to share challenges, even failures

Social & Emotional Well-Being• Its lack interferes with learning • Connect with every student: teaming, looping, “guide rooms,” activities, and social services; special attention for those at risk

• Transitions: ES – MS; MS – HS• Safety, security, and diversity

We use social emotional learning to focus on what’s common among us and not on what is

different.

Collaborative Conversations

• Purpose: student learning and achievement- collectively and individually

• Consistent, expected, and frequent• Scheduled and unscheduled• Teams and committees- within and across grades and subjects- within, across, and outside of school

Collaboration

You need to work as a team; there’s nothing a teacher can accomplish alone.

We communicate from one grade to the next. We respect teachers in the grades

below.

Evidence-Based Decision Making

• Multiple sources- student performance data- teacher experience- teachers and administrators- students, parents, and community- adopted programs

• Ongoing and acted on• Focus beyond the state assessments: standards

Evidence-Based Decision Making

We invite students back after a semester or two at college and ask what was most

helpful . . . [and not] so helpful.

[The school improvement model we chose] expects teachers to make professional choices.

We analyze the state exam -- kid by kid -- question by question.

Shared Vision

• Raising learning and achievement for all students• Built by all• Clearly articulated• Echoed from central office to classroom• Never done

You never arrive, you are always becoming.

It’s a goal without a finish line.

Agenda

1. Overview (15)2. How do I think my school is doing? (10)3. Learning from each other (20-30)4. Learning from the study (10)5. How do we think our school/district is

doing? (5)6. Planning next steps (10-20)

Agenda

1. Overview (15)2. How do I think my school is doing? (10)3. Learning from each other (20-30)4. Learning from the study (10)5. How do we think our school/district is

doing? (5)6. Planning next steps (10-20)

Fishbowl: Learning from each other

• Why did you rank your school/district as doing very well on this element?

• What are some of the steps that were taken/are being taken?

Agenda

1. Overview (15)2. How do I think my school is doing? (10)3. Learning from each other (20-30)4. Learning from the study (10)5. How do we think our school/district is

doing? (5)6. Planning next steps (10-20)

www.albany/edu/aire/kids

• Case studies of the HP middle and elementary schools

• Best Practice Framework for middle and elementary schools, with detail and samples of evidence

• Cross-site reports for middle and elementary schools

• 4-page summary of the middle school results• Link to the national site

Agenda

1. Overview (15)2. How do I think my school is doing? (10)3. Learning from each other (20-30)4. Learning from the study (10)5. How do we think our school/district is

doing? (5)6. Planning next steps (10-20)

Agenda

1. Overview (15)2. How do I think my school is doing? (10)3. Learning from each other (20-30)4. Learning from the study (10)5. How do we think our school/district is

doing? (5)6. Planning next steps (10-20)

JFTK-NY cf. NYS Essential Elements

JFTK-NY• Relationships• Emotional Well-Being

• Collaboration• Evidence-Based Decision Making

• Shared Vision

NYS Essential ElementsBasic goals• Intellectual development/academic achievement of all students

• Personal and social development of each student

JFTK-NY cf. NMSA This We Believe

JFTK-NY• Relationships• Emotional Well-Being• Collaboration• Evidence-Based Decision Making

• Shared Vision

NMSA This We BelieveCulture Matters:• Collaboration• Shared vision• Safe environment• High expectations for all• Adult advocate for every student

Jigsaw on the 5 Elements

• Count off by 5’s• In your groups, read the element that corresponds with your number

• Discuss what features, practices, beliefs seem prevalent re: that particular element

• Prepare to report out to the whole group on the most important aspects of that element