Self-Study Tool for Alaska Schools

Winter ConferenceJanuary 14, 2010

Jon Paden,EED

Deborah Davis,Education Northwest/Alaska Comprehensive Center

Roadmap for This Session

1) Description of the Self-Study Tool, the connection to the Instructional Audit

2) Characteristics of the Self-StudyTool and small group exploration

3) Simulation of the Self-Study process4) Next steps and ways to approach the

Self-Study Tool in your district/school

What is the Self-Study Tool for Alaska Schools?

Based on Alaska’s Instructional Audit Tool

Is implemented under direction of districts and is guided by an EED Technical Assistance Coach

Is conducted by an internal team of the Is conducted by an internal team of the entire faculty or a smaller leadership entire faculty or a smaller leadership group from within the schoolgroup from within the school

What the SST is…

An evidence-based self-study A way to build awareness, buy-in

and support for improvement efforts

The end product is not a score; instead it is the identification of current strengths and limitations

How the Self-Study Tool (SST) Complements the Instructional Audit

SST is based on Alaska’s Instructional Audit Tool

Incorporates changes made to Instructional Audit Tool based on considerable feedback from audited districts

To be implemented by districts and guided by a Technical Assistance Coach

What happens during the Instructional Audit?

Audit team develops a snapshot of district/school practices by engaging in:

Document review Focus groups & interviews with staff and

students Observation of instructionThe team combines these data sources to

triangulate evidence and assign the rating “Meets” or “Does Not Meet”

As a Result of the Instructional Audit:

The audit team produces a Report of Findings for the Commissioner’s review

This report complements other data (e.g., SBAs, district conversations) to develop a plan: E.g., stay the course, give recommendations,

direct instructional actions, redirect funds for student learning benefit, replace personnel

As a Result of the Self-Study Tool:

A school-level team investigates one domain at a time

Ratings from 1-4 are determined by the team

Strengths and weaknesses are identified and agreed upon

A decision is made about how to strengthen the domain

What are Similarities between the IAT and the SST?

Evidence-based Provide diagnostic data to help with

creation of improvement plans Based on the six domains and 44

key elements within domains (including parent and community involvement key elements)

…And The Differences?

IAT conducted by external team

IAT conducted over one week

IAT uses a dichotomous rating

SST conducted by internal team

SST may take several weeks or months

SST uses a 4-point rubric

Who is involved in the SST?

SST may be facilitated by:SST may be facilitated by: EED-trained Technical Assistance Coach EED-trained Technical Assistance Coach In consultation with District-level staffIn consultation with District-level staffSST is conducted by:SST is conducted by: Entire site staff Entire site staff oror Smaller group of faculty/staff such as an Smaller group of faculty/staff such as an

instructional leadership teaminstructional leadership team May include parents/community members May include parents/community members

and older studentsand older students

SST Materials

Overview & Step-by-Step Introduction to Domain & Guiding

Questions Domain Rubric Domain Summary Glossary

What Are the Six Domains?

Curriculum Assessment Instruction Supportive learning environment Professional development Leadership

Scavenger Hunt

Find a partner Using the SST booklet, conduct the

“scavenger hunt” by answering all the questions on the sheet

What did you learn?

Curriculum

CurriculumCurriculum- includes five (5) elements - includes five (5) elements focusing on the coordinated alignment focusing on the coordinated alignment of curriculum to Alaska’s State of curriculum to Alaska’s State Standards & GLEs.Standards & GLEs.

Is aligned, relevant curricula under-valued?

What was the process for aligning What was the process for aligning curriculum with standards & GLEs at your curriculum with standards & GLEs at your school? school?

How are new curricula & materials aligned How are new curricula & materials aligned to Standards & GLEs on an ongoing to Standards & GLEs on an ongoing basis?basis?

What do we do to make sure new staff What do we do to make sure new staff understand the Alaska Standards & GLEs, understand the Alaska Standards & GLEs, and how the curriculum is aligned to and how the curriculum is aligned to them?them?

Examples of Evidence might include:Examples of Evidence might include: Local Curriculum Documents/Units of Local Curriculum Documents/Units of

StudyStudy Lesson Plans/Curriculum MapsLesson Plans/Curriculum Maps Professional Development RecordsProfessional Development Records Curriculum GuidesCurriculum Guides Scope & Sequence documentsScope & Sequence documents Professional Resource Materials Professional Resource Materials Curriculum Committee Meeting RecordsCurriculum Committee Meeting Records

Assessment

Assessment--Assessment--includes six (6)elements includes six (6)elements related to the use of formative and related to the use of formative and summative assessment and the ways summative assessment and the ways in which this information is used at in which this information is used at schoolwide and classroom levels. schoolwide and classroom levels.

Instruction

Instruction--Instruction--includes eight (8)elements includes eight (8)elements focusing on strategies and methods focusing on strategies and methods teachers use to help students, at varied teachers use to help students, at varied levels, learn at and above grade level levels, learn at and above grade level expectations. expectations.

Supportive Learning Environment

Supportive Learning EnvironmentSupportive Learning Environment- - includes eight (8) elements for review includes eight (8) elements for review focusing on a safe, supportive, and focusing on a safe, supportive, and orderly environment conducive to orderly environment conducive to learning.learning.

Learning Environment is critical to a school’s success

Professional Development

Professional Development--Professional Development-- includes includes seven (7) elements focused on the seven (7) elements focused on the ways in which staff is supported in their ways in which staff is supported in their own growth and development with the own growth and development with the intention of improving all students’ intention of improving all students’ learning.learning.

Leadership

Leadership--Leadership--includes ten (10) includes ten (10) elements focusing on the ways in which elements focusing on the ways in which building-level administrative leadership building-level administrative leadership assists and supports staff in improving assists and supports staff in improving student academic achievement. student academic achievement.

In summary, what is the SST?

Internal review of strengths and Internal review of strengths and limitations as part of school improvement limitations as part of school improvement processprocess

An evidence-based self-study A way to build staff awareness, buy-in

and support for improvement efforts

The end product is not a score; instead it is the identification of current strengths and limitations

Digging Deeper into the Domains

Review the rubric Discuss the guiding questions Locate the evidence necessary to

make ratings for each domain Reach consensus on ratings Determine strengths and areas for

improvement

Identify a teamEstablish group norms & agreements: •How to work together (one voice at a time, all opinions respected, use of consensus, etc.)•Discuss how to reach consensus•Decide how often to meet

Examples of group normsone voice at a timeall opinions respected start/end on timeusing consensus to make decisionsno side conversations

1.1. Review the rubrics for each of the elements in Review the rubrics for each of the elements in the domain considered.the domain considered.

2.2. Discuss the guiding questions to create Discuss the guiding questions to create common understanding and acknowledge common understanding and acknowledge previous work previously accomplished.previous work previously accomplished.

3.3. Locate and review evidence related to the Locate and review evidence related to the domains.domains.

4. Review evidence needed to make ratings at 4. Review evidence needed to make ratings at each level. Write what the evidence is under each level. Write what the evidence is under the ratings on the rubric.the ratings on the rubric.

5. As a group, review all ratings and discuss 5. As a group, review all ratings and discuss strengths, weaknesses, and how the school strengths, weaknesses, and how the school can further develop this domain.can further develop this domain.

6. Share results of the self-study with other staff & 6. Share results of the self-study with other staff & greater school community. greater school community.

Assist stakeholders in understanding Assist stakeholders in understanding issues associated with the domainissues associated with the domain

Celebrate success through identified Celebrate success through identified strengthsstrengths

Share what improvement areas were Share what improvement areas were identifiedidentified

Talk about ways to strengthen domain Talk about ways to strengthen domain area area

Q & A

Can we do this self-study process on our own?

Does the self-study help with creation of improvement plans?

Is it best to do all the Domain areas at once?

““The measure of success is not whether The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it is the same problem you but whether it is the same problem you had last year.”had last year.”

John Foster DullesJohn Foster Dulles

““Difficulties are just things to overcome, Difficulties are just things to overcome, after all.” after all.”

Sir Earnest ShackeltonSir Earnest Shackelton