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Making Sense, Improving

LearningTeacher Evaluation Implementation

Moving from Compliance to Coherence:Enhancing Professional Learning and Growth

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Objectives

Participants will…

Reflect on current district/school efforts and plan ahead for implementing 2015-16 educator evaluation and support systems

Interact with practical resources and tools to support the work of educator evaluation and professional learning in your district/school

Explore ways to improve existing systems and better integrate key initiatives

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What We Intend To Convey:

1. Keep The ‘Big Picture’ In Mind

2. Collaborative Process with All Stakeholders

3. Communicate So Everyone Knows the Work

4. Align District Work With Reform Initiatives

5. Modify and Adjust Continuously Improve

6. Purpose All to Improve Teaching and Student Learning

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What Do You Think?

Read the article, “What It Takes to Change Ineffective Practice”, by Atul Gawaude (5-7 Min)

Look for What does this article have to do with our theme, Moving from Compliance to Coherence?

Partner up and discuss the implications for district school leaders (5 Min)

Share ‘takeaways’ as a whole group (5 Min)

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What Constitutes Coherence?

The quality of being logically integrated: work together in an integrated way to implement an articulated strategy

Achieve coherence by:

1.Connecting the instructional core with a district-wide strategy for improvement

2.Highlighting the district elements that can support or hinder effective implementation

3. Identifying interdependence among district elements

4.Recognizing forces in the environment that have an impact on the implementation of strategy

Childress, Elmore, Grossman, King (2007)

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Strategy

Set of actions a district deliberately undertakes to strengthen the instructional core with the objective of raising student performance district-wide

Gaining coherence among actions at the district, school and classroom levels will make a chosen strategy more scalable and sustainable

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Here Is One Approach….Making Meaning Work Through TEVAL System

Background of the Waterford Public Schools

2012-13 SY Piloted the SEED Model of TEVAL

Prior to that only non-tenured teachers observed, tenured teachers had professional goals

District focus on Literacy and understanding and implementing the Common Core Standards

Additionally to build capacity of teacher leaders

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Pre-Step: What will be the Context of the Process?

Honored current practice

Commitment to Continuous Improvement

Not ‘one more thing’ Next Level of Work

Sane Approach Use of time (District PD, Monthly Faculty Meetings,

Weekly afterschool PLC, and strategic release time)

Regular and on going support of Instructional Coaches

Teacher Leader leads (Grade level / Department) PLC

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1. Big Picture How Will This Improve Student Learning

Building on the work Coaching and feedback Have a well thought out collaborative process that makes

sense and translates external mandates into the work of the district

Summer Admin Retreat Unpack summative data

Set focus for the work (goals and PD)

Convocation Handout: District Theory In Action

Yearlong Focus

Tangible Support (Time, Training, & Feedback)

Annual Report

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“Theory of Action” Definition

Set of beliefs, understandings, and assumptions about which improvement efforts will generate what desired changes and why

A mental map that shows the relationship between improvement strategies and intended results

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Importance of a Theory of Action

“Connect the dots” among the work at various levels and in various divisions of the district

Points the way to strategic decisions that align structures and resources

Allows for distributing leadership by building collective ownership and understanding of improvement efforts

Provides vehicle for organizational (collective) learning providing explicit and testable hypothesis

Shines the light on where in the organization (and on what) you should be looking for evidence of improvement

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Theory of Action:Simple Visual

Point A:

Current Reality(AS IS)

Point B:

Desired State(TO BE)

ImprovementStrategies

Theory of Action: beliefs,

assumptions, understandings

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Theory of Action:Brief Review

A through-line from beliefs about teaching and learning…

To the main hypothesis (if/then statements)… and drivers…

To your specific leadership action plans/drivers…

Includes “how you will know” evidence…

Is practical and looks forward…

Makes your leadership theory explicit

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Establishing Priorities from a District Theory of Action

Standards and essential understandings for student achievement for all

Efficacy as a belief system to promote achievement

Data as the vehicle for examining progress

Collaboration as an environment to focus on learning

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2. Collaborative Process with All Stakeholders

SEED

Instructional Rounds

Professional Development and Evaluation Committee Diverse Committee

Discussions through reading of articles (Handouts)

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3. Communicate So Everyone Knows the Work

Admin Summer Retreat

District Goals

Reoccurring Topic at Ad Team Meetings

Teachers Convocation

Faculty Meetings

Goal Setting

Post Observation Conferences

Board of Ed District Theory of Action

Convocation

Annual Update Report

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4. Align District Work with Reform Initiatives

We can not do it all at once

What is the Next Level of Work that provides us with the biggest levers to improve instruction?

CT Professional Learning System

Smarter Balanced Assessm

ent

CT Core Standards and Other

Relevant Content Standards

Educator Evaluation and Support

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The Instructional Core

Content

Student Teacher

Learning Task

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5. Modify and Adjust Continuously Improve

First version of TEVAL not seeing improvement in student learning, compared to the time spent on formal write ups. Adjustment Focus of this system should be the post

conferences, to afford coaching to improve instruction

Professional Development Ad team time on what good instruction looks like and what to prioritize as a discussion point in a post conference

Professional Development Instructional Rounds Process

Moved from all Formal Comprehensive Observations to more Formal Mini Observations Why how much time is sufficient to gather conversation

points

Why Which is more authentic schedule observations or drop in observations?

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6. Purpose All to Improve Teaching and Student Learning

Instructional Coaches Literacy

Math

Technology

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Are We Achieving Coherence?

Have we connected the instructional core with a district-wide strategy for improvement?

Have we highlighted the district elements that can support or hinder effective implementation?

Have we identified interdependencies among district elements?

Have we recognized and addressed forces in the environment that have an impact on the implementation of strategy?

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Moving from Compliance to Coherence

Move from Mechanical Use and Routine to Refinement and Integration

Continue to develop new systems, structures and efficiencies in order to increase feasibility of implementation

Expand levels and types of support provided to individual educators, schools and districts to support implementation

Support professional learning that enhances educator practice and, in turn, results in improved student outcomes

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Final Thoughts

Keep The ‘Big Picture’ In Mind

Collaborative Process with All Stakeholders

Communicate So Everyone Knows the Work

Align District Work With Reform Initiatives

Modify and Adjust Continuously Improve

Purpose All to Improve Teaching and Student Learning

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Thank You For Participating

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