DEVELOPING STUDENT OWNERSHIP

CREATING A VISION FOR INCREASED STUDENT PERFORMANCE…..Owning Learning, Keeping Data, Communicating Results

WVDE, Glenna Heinlein and MaryJane Pope Albin

Everyone is a Winner

• Have you experienced student motivation problems this year?

• Are you interested in students taking a more active role in their learning?

• Would you like students to take more ownership for their work?

• Are you concerned about students behavior?

Begin With The End in Mind

• Data talks• Data Walls• Data tracking• Student data notebooks• Portfolios• Parent participation• Student led conferences

Student Ownership of their Learning

• “Numbers alone mean nothing. The right numbers interpreted well,– provide information to evaluate

effectiveness of improvement efforts, – guide our practice,

and ultimately transform our lowest performing schools into places with high levels of learning for both students and adults” (Huff, 2008, p. 197).

What are the results when you use Data Walls

• Designed to– Spur conversations– Are the discussion points for

collaborative sessions and goal setting– Drive the work of school improvement– Demonstrate focus on the school’s

SMART Goals– Link improvement to measurable data

that shows student improvement– Focus

The most important outcome is that the data walls are the focus of conversation and actions• Types

– Public Data Walls - multiple forms of data• external• Attendance• Discipline• Summative achievement data• Interim or benchmark data • Progress monitoring

– Individual or private data walls are used by teams of teachers to• Internal• Track individual student

attendance• Monitor behavior• Review progress toward

summative achievement data• Interim or benchmark data

for individual student progress

• Individual progress monitoring

• Conversations and Actions– display of data intended to spur

conversation about improvement toward goals

– dynamic and regularly updated– messaging is informative and

encourages action– often supported with contests

and recognition• Conversations and Actions

– Display of data for conversations about interventions

– Continuous progress reporting– Individual student interventions– Scheduling– Before school/after school

programming.

DATA WallsMore Than a Graphic Representation

Photo credit: David Binder

Goal setting to improve student learning.

Encouraging Progresspractice

• Improvement Goal 10-8– Decrease disengagement time

by improving transitions– Increase higher order thinking

activities in all classes

• 5 and 6 • 2 and 3 • 4, 5, 6 • 1, 2, 3 Ansted Elementary

Students charting their own progress

Photo credit: David Binder

Research-TRANSPARENCY

Many schools with a Clear and Common Focus make their goals and progress transparent to the community through the display of data walls and data graphs. Whether they are hand-drawn or computer-generated, these data displays show students, parents, teachers, and other community members the students’ progress toward greater achievement

High School Data Wall Example

Douglas Reeves

What are the results when you set goals from data? What data can you

use?

• build shared ownership, accountability, and awareness of progress toward goals

• reinforce positive messaging to school community instill goal setting

IMPROVE STUDENT OUTCOMES!Boston Public Schools

Student Data Folios

• Test Talks or conversations• Students set goals to their learning

Cole discusses his skills

Goal Setting

• The ability to improve one’s result depends on the ability to adjust one’s pace in light of ongoing feedback that measures performance against a concrete, long term goal.

• If I am not clear on my goals or if I fail to pay attention to them, I cannot get helpful feedback. Grant Wiggins

7 Keys to Effective FeedbackJigsaw the article

• Expert Groups– #1 pp 11-12– #2 pp 13-14– #3 pp 15-16

• Use a T chart or 2 column notes to:– State the important points; how we can use this– http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/InstrucStrat19.html

• Table Group Discussion• Group comments on chart paper• Report out

http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/jigsaw

Student led conferences could help you put students on “center stage” and take more responsibility for their academic achievement and self-discipline

PHILOSOPHY

Student led conferences reflect the belief that students should be

actively involved in their learning and assume responsibility for the learning

process. Through student led conference, students become more

motivated, reflective and evaluative. They also become more critical in

their approach to learning.

Traditional vs. Student-Led• Teacher Driven• Short time frame –

little time for conversations

• Focus tends to be on social and emotional rather than academic

• Fragmented

• Student driven• Longer time –

conversation based• High accountability• Opportunities for goal

setting• Samples of work• Authentic assessment

Benefits vs. Pitfalls

Activity:•table discussion about implementing student-led conferences• list likely benefits• list potential pitfalls• report out•chart

PURPOSE

• Students accept responsibility for learning, become more aware of the learning process, and track their own data.

• They report academic growth to parents and progress toward becoming life long learners.

POWER

Student led conferences…• Encourage students to take an

active role in their learning• Motivate students to take more

ownership for their work• Allow students to see their progress

over time• Encourage students to evaluate

their work

POWER

Student led conferences…• Encourage students, parents and

teachers to openly communicate as equal partners about student achievement• Enhance students’ oral

communication skills• Build students’ self-confidence• Build relationships

POWER

Student led conferences…• Increase parent participation in

conferences • Move students toward goal of being

life long learners• Focus discussion on priority standards

and their accomplishment• Showcase student work• Encourage students, parents and

teachers to engage in open, honest, dialogue

POWER

Student led conferences…• Press students to have a vision for their

future• Utilize students strengths, and interests to

garner higher student achievement• Facilitate the development of students oral

communication skills• Encourage self-efficacy

10 Good Reasons to Implement

Student-Led Conferencing

• Opens up communication between school and home

• Practices real life-skills - communication, organization, leadership, etc.• Teaches self-evaluation, self-reflection

skills• Focuses on learning• Goal setting process has buy-in by all

involved

Con’t: 10 Good Reasons to Implement

Student-Led Conferencing• Easier scheduling - easily accommodates

late arrivals, walk-ins• Provides quality time between parent and child• Less stress on teacher during conference days• Accommodates parents who do not speak English• Students are the center of the conference

Organizing for the Conferences

• When to hold – time of year• Decide on overall organizational plan –

facilitators, drop-ins, set up, demos• How many to hold at a time – structure• Decide upon scheduling process• Parent notification process• Preparing teachers • Preparing students – teach the script

and process

NUTS AND BOLTSBefore the conference….1.Begin with student goal setting 2.Prepare samples of students work to show evidence of growth and goal progress (data notebooks and portfolio).3.Notify parents well in advance of the conferences.4.Provide opportunities for students to practice

NUTS AND BOLTS

(1) Goal setting• Identify strengths and

challenges based upon data…WESTEST, Benchmarks, Grades, classroom assessment and performance, behavior, attendance, inventories, self assessments, parent assessment, teacher assessment, etc.

NUTS AND BOLTS

(1) Goal setting Set goals with the grade level

cluster/mathematical standards in mind ... Reading, Writing, Mathematics,

Science, Social Studies Design a plan of action…

student responsibilities, teacher responsibilities, parent responsibilities

Decide on evidence to be included in portfolio, and from data notebook…

what shows progress toward achieving the goals

NUTS AND BOLTS(2) Prepare samples of students’ work to show

evidence of growth and goal progress (portfolio).

Include baseline evidence• WESTEST• Benchmarks• Classroom Assessment• Writing Assessments• Inventories/Self Assessments• Etc…..

Have students organize their work with a table of contents

Have students to explain and reflect upon their choices(post-its or note cards)

• I put this in my portfolio because…• I feel good about this piece because…• If I did this piece again, I would improve it by…

NUTS AND BOLTS

(3) Notify parents will in advance of the conference.

Send home a letter explaining the conference format and why it is being used…• Why are you having student led conferences?• How will the conferences be different?• If necessary, when can parents talk to you without the student? • When and where will the conference be held?

Develop parent conferencing questions to guide parents through the process…..

NUTS AND BOLTS

(4) Provide opportunities for students to practice….

Model the process• Teacher to teacher• Teacher to teacher assistant

With students, develop a checklist describing student role

Organize student to student practice sessions

NUTS AND BOLTS

Conference Checklist Students Parents Teacher

NUTS AND BOLTS

Conference Schedule Example

1. Introduction (1 minute)2. Orientation (2 minutes)3. Students Achievement Data (5 minutes)4. Students Goals (3 minutes)5. Action Plan (5 minutes)6. Students Work (10 minutes)7. Debriefing (2 minutes)

NUTS AND BOLTS

1. Introduction-students intros parent to teacher 2. Orientation-teacher explains conf. procedure3. Student Achievement Data-examining the data-

teacher shares data that helped identify the goals 4. Student Goals-student shares goals and explains

why they were selected5. Action Plan-student and teacher discuss their

responsibilities and plan6. Students Work-student shows work and

reflections from the portfolio to demonstrate his/her progress toward goal achievement

7. Debriefing-student, teacher, and parent discuss and comment on the conference process

NUTS AND BOLTS

Conference OrganizerWhile we look at my work, please notice these

things:• Subject goal ________• Steps I will take to reach goal

1. _____________2. _____________3. _____________

• How parents can help me reach the goal _____

• Plan to monitor progress _______• These are the things I do well ______• These are the things I am working on ______

NUTS AND BOLTS

After the Conference1. Student sends thank you letter to

parent2. Student completes reflection

survey3. Parent questionnaire/evaluation

NUTS AND BOLTS

Student Reflection Survey Example• What did you like about the student led

conference?• How did you feel during the conference?• What didn’t you like about the

conference?• If you could change the conference to

make it better, what would you do?

NUTS AND BOLTS

Parent Questionnaire Example• Which conference (traditional or student

led) gave you a better appreciation of…– What your child was learning?– What your child studied in class?– Your child’s study habits such as finishing

assignments and handing work in on time?

NUTS AND BOLTS

Parent Questionnaire Example• Which conference format did you prefer?

Why?• What are the benefits of student led

conferences?• What are the disadvantages of student

led conferences?• What more would you like to learn in the

conference?

KEYS TO SUCCESS• Students and teachers willing to take

risks• Teachers willing to step aside• Focusing in on student achievement-

Next Gen Standards and their accomplishment

• Committing to the process• Learning• Preparing• Practicing

CHALLENGES

• First time jitters• Uncertainty of sharing control with students• Need to adopt a student-centered philosophy• Organizing the logistics of conferences• Responding to families who don’t participate• Vision of the student for their academics and

their future

THE ROLE OF VISION

• Vision is a dream in action• Vision gives direction• Vision determines your destination• Vision always precedes great

performance or action

THE ROLE OF VISION

• Vision clarifies purpose• Vision empowers students beyond

known assets

VISION…. Enables Empowers Enhances

THE FUTURE-FOCUSED ROLE IMAGE

Successful students had:• A vision of their future• Goals• Believed in their own self-efficacy• Saw multiple options in their life

SUMMARY

Teacher benefits:• Less stress on teachers, very relaxed atmosphere• Less confrontational (more positive)• Places responsibility on the student and parent• Increased parent participation• An opportunity to see students in a leadership

role

SUMMARY

Parent benefits:• Increases the amount of information given to a

parent• Learn more about their child’s learning and skills• An opportunity to help their child set positive goals• Active participant in their child’s learning• First language communication• Eliminates standing in line for a conference• Allows for more time in their child’s learning

environment to see what the child has worked on over a period of time

• First hand opportunity to see their child in charge of the learning process

SUMMARY

Student benefits:• Accountability for their learning• Students learn to evaluate their own progress• Students gain greater commitment to school work

and learning• Builds self confidence and self-esteem• Encourages student/parent communication• Builds communication and critical thinking skills• Places responsibility on the student and parent• Allows students to become involved• Puts students in charge of their learning• Time allowed to share and celebrate in learning

environment