The Other Wall

David S. Williams Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction

Metro Nashville Public Schools

Goals

• Consider why it is critical to balance tracking academic progress with tracking school culture.

• Begin to operationalize ways in which this can be accomplished within a school setting.

Agenda

• What? DNA

• So What? Why and Brainstorm

• Now What? Ideas and Share

Culture and Academic Press

Academicpress

Culture

Culture

Professionalcommunityfor

teachers

Communityofengagementfor

parents

Communityofpastoralcarefor

students

Communityofpastoralcarefor

students

-  Care-  Support-  Safety-  Membership

NORMS

SocialIntegra;on

SenseofSelf Engagement

SocialLearning

ENDOUTCOMESINTERMEDIATEOUTCOMES

LearningDisposi;ons

AcademicLearning

gStudent

Care

Support Membership

Safety

Norms of Pastoral Care

• Care • Support • Safety • Membership

DNA of Norm of Care 1. Working to the Best of Their Ability 2. Challenging Students 3. Sharing Oneself as a Person 4. Knowing Students Well 5. Valuing Students 6. Taking Interest in/ Investing in Students 7. Being Accessible 8. Seeing through the Eyes of Students 9. Establishing Trustworthiness 10. Treating Students with Respect 11. Treating Students Fairly 12. Providing Recognition

DNA of Norm of Support

1.  Providing Assistance 2.  Offering Encouragement 3.  Providing Safety Nets 4.  Mentoring 5.  Advocating

DNA of Norm of Safety

1. Personalization 2. Prevention 3. Systematic Action 4. Positive 5. Anchored in Quality Instructional Program 6. Shared Development and Ownership 7. Physical Condition of the School

DNA of Norm of Membership

Ownership

InvolvementAccomplishment

DNA of Norm of Membership

1. Ownership 2. Involvement 3. Accomplishment

-  Care-  Support-  Safety-  Membership

NORMS

SocialIntegra;on

SenseofSelf Engagement

SocialLearning

ENDOUTCOMESINTERMEDIATEOUTCOMES

LearningDisposi;ons

AcademicLearning

Now What?

• What are ways that schools can track evidence of culture as defined by the “norms” - care, support, safety, ownership?

• Take a few minutes to discuss with a partner.

Ideas from the Field

• Focus on one norm (to get started). • Determine a few strands of DNA within that

norm. • Decide how you will gather evidence of this

norm from the STUDENT perspective (ideal). • Decide how/where/when this evidence will be

shared among staff - not students. • Construct norms and expectations for how this

information will be used.

Sample of The Other Wall

ChallengingStudents

BeingAccessible

ProvidingRecogniDon

MarquezJohnson Yes,survey(10/4/16) PerfectaLendanceforAugust(schoolannouncements)

DamonMaHhews-LiHle

RachelKing Yes,survey(10/4/16) Yes,survey(10/4/16) Mostcrea;vePBLproject–recognizedinMs.Jones’class

LizJennings Yes,survey(12/2/16) MostimprovedinELA–8thgradeawardsassembly,12/12/16

JuanEnriquez Yes,survey(12/2/16)

Examples of Questions: Challenging Students 1.  My teacher wants me to do my best. 2.  My teacher provides me with extra help when I need it. 3.  My teacher has high expectations for me. 4.  My teacher helps me to feel successful with learning. 5.  My teacher teaches in a way that is engaging and fun. 6.  I feel comfortable sharing my ideas in class. 7.  My teacher provides me with opportunities to take responsibility for my own

learning. 8.  My teacher understands how I best learn and encourages me. 9.  My teacher doesn’t give up on me when I am having a hard time in class. 10.  My teacher pushes me to do my best. 11.  My teacher makes learning meaningful and connects it to my life. 12.  My teacher asks questions that help me to reflect on my learning. 13.  My teacher makes learning challenging, but also supports me in meeting the

challenges. 14.  My teacher expects me to keep trying even when the work is hard.

Examples of Questions: Knowing Students Well 1.  My teacher knows about some of my interests and life outside of school.

2.  My teacher cares about me as a person.

3.  My teacher is aware of challenges and successes I’m experiencing in my life.

4.  My teacher in interested in learning about my culture and family background.

5.  My teacher connects learning in the classroom to my personal life (culture, interests, etc.).

6.  My teacher creates opportunities for me to get to know my classmates.

7.  My teacher understands how I best learn.

8.  My teacher knows my name and uses my name (and pronounces it correctly) when talking with me in the classroom (or outside of the classroom).

9.  My teacher knows my strengths as a learner.

10.  My teacher knows my challenges as a learner.

11.  My teacher knows which type learning activities are most engaging for me.

12.  My teacher teaches in ways that he/she knows will be engaging for me.

Examples of Questions: Valuing Students 1.  My teacher appreciates the contributions that I make to our classroom learning.

2.  My teacher understands me as an individual.

3.  My teacher reaches out to me when I am having a hard day.

4.  When I’m having a problem, my teacher genuinely wants to help me.

5.  When I make a mistake, my teacher holds high expectations for me without blaming or shaming me in front of my classmates.

6.  My teacher takes time before, during, or after class to get to know me.

7.  My teacher knows what is important to me.

8.  My teacher actively listens to me.

9.  My teacher asks me for feedback or for my opinion about different topics (my emotions, our classroom community, academics, etc.).

10.  I have many opportunities to share my ideas and my teacher encourages students to do this (in whole class or small group learning).

11.  My teacher greets me by name when I arrive at the classroom each day, and seems genuinely glad to see me.

Questions and Discussion

David S. Williams, Ed.D. Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction

Metro Nashville Public Schools

david.williams2@mnps.org