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What other sources of quantitative and qualitative data can you use to help accurately read your context and determine root cause?

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What other sources of quantitative and qualitative data can you use to help accurately read your context and determine root cause?

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Quantitative Data Sources

1. Attendance Records: Review patterns in student and staff attendance to pinpoint issues related to engagement or morale.

2. Survey Data: Use structured surveys for students, parents, and staff to gather numerical data on satisfaction and concerns.

3. Enrollment Figures: Track changes in enrollment and demographics to understand shifts in community needs.

4. Curriculum Implementation Data: Look at how faithfully the curriculum is being followed and any discrepancies in delivery.

Qualitative Data Sources

1. Focus Groups: Conduct discussions with students, teachers, and parents to gain insights into their experiences and perceptions.

2. Interviews: One-on-one interviews with key stakeholders can uncover deeper issues that numbers alone may not reveal.

3. Classroom Observations: Observing classroom dynamics can provide context to test scores and behavioral reports.

4. Open-Ended Survey Responses: Analyze qualitative responses from surveys for themes and concerns that may not be captured in quantitative data.

5. Staff Meeting Notes: Review discussions from staff meetings to identify recurring issues and concerns.

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What resonated with me from yesterday was

to always be aware of potential decision traps, because anchoring bias is real... I need to remember to be open-minded! Seek information and opinions from a variety of people to widen your frame of reference.

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My awareness about decision traps will help me with decision making in a more strategic manner by... "GOING SLOW TO GO FAST!"

I used to think… being a people pleaser would fix the problem the fastest and now I think… Going slow to go fast is brilliant and When seeking others’ advice, don’t ask leading questions that invite confirming evidence—and don’t surround yourself with only “yes” people.

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Overview to the Hidden Traps in Decision Making

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Overview to the Hidden Traps in Decision Making

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What are some decision traps that resonated with you or maybe you have had experience with (jot down the story and the associated decision trap)?

1. Anchoring bias- is a cognitive bias that causes us to rely too heavily on the first piece of information we are given about a topic. (ex: Connection to Social Media comments and jumping to conclusions).

Always view a problem from different perspectives. Try using alternative starting points and approaches rather than sticking with the first line of thought that occurs to you.

Think about the problem on your own before consulting others in order to avoid becoming

anchored by their ideas.

Be open-minded. Seek information and opinions from a variety of people to widen your

frame of reference.

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Strategy & Strategic Thinking Article Definitions

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Strategy & Strategic Thinking Article Definitions

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Strategy

Assumptions - Assumptions are integral to strategy development, influencing judgments about internal and external factors, threats, stakeholders, cause and effect, and potential outcomes. The effectiveness of a strategy depends on the reliability of its underlying assumptions.

Interests - Interests shape strategy by defining what is valuable to us and other key players. Clearly defining and prioritizing these interests helps focus the strategy. Understanding others' interests aids in identifying collaboration opportunities and necessary concessions.

Objectives - Objectives define what must be achieved to realize our vision. They address threats to our interests and seize opportunities for improvement. Limiting the number of objectives helps maintain focus and increases the chance of success.

Capabilities - Capabilities are essential for achieving our objectives and include resources like funds, people, and skills. We must assess our available capabilities and ensure our objectives are achievable with them. For each objective, we should be able to outline how we will use our capabilities to accomplish it. If we can’t do this, our strategy may have gaps.

Threats - Once we've defined our interests, objectives, and capabilities, we can identify what threatens these interests or impedes our capabilities. Threats are primarily related to our interests, not just what we find disagreeable. Focus strategy on addressing factors that obstruct our top-priority interests, rather than trying to address all unfavorable aspects of the situation.

Risks - Strategies are inherently risky due to reliance on assumptions that may prove wrong. Risks arise from these potential errors and can damage your strategy. To manage risk, evaluate the uncertainty and potential harm of your assumptions. Continuously reassess and adjust your assumptions as needed, and incorporate measures to reduce either the likelihood or impact of risks. While risk cannot be eliminated, identify and plan for the most serious ones.

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You suspend judgement temporarily so that you can appreciate other people’s situations.

Always approach a conversation or situation with positive intent. This helps stray away from leading with toxicity or assumptions.

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The pre-work that related to my Leadership for Effective Teaching was Eight Behaviors (Schwarz),

because the impact on your team's results is most powerful when everyone understands the Mutual Learning Mindset.

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WIAL Action Demo Session Reflection = Video Feedback

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WIAL Action Demo Session Reflection = Video Feedback

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Action Learning- Small Team and Coach; Group and Individual Learning; Working on real problems and taking action

W- why; A- am; I; T- talking? (W-A-I-T)

Dialectic dialogue with the goal of examining thinking, focusing with the use of powerful questions, goal to gain clarity, and solving a problem.

Open-ended questions promote reflection, expand discussion, and enhance creative thinking.

Consensus on problem- keep going, what are the issues defining the problem?

RULES: You can only respond with statements to a question. The action learning coach can intervene at any time to probe 'more from the group'. Example: How do you think you are working as a team?

Create Action Learning Step 'next step specific critical actions'.

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Getting Started with Action Learning Meetings

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Getting Started with Action Learning Meetings

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Describe my area of focus under the synthesis section of my Context Analysis Template. Describe in detail what teaching and learning in my system would look like if my area of focus plan was successful.

Use the themes or threads identified in 7.1.2 to answer the following questions.

● How might the conditions and characteristics in my system be contributing to the threads

or themes revealed from the investigations I conducted? For example, the theme of

inconsistency across classrooms gathered from the probe data may be related to

reflections in the tool from your colleagues about teacher collaboration, variability in

teaching, and/or the focus on consistency across classrooms.

● From these connection(s) between the probes and the conditions and characteristics

within your system, what might be a potential “problem” for you to work on for the first

cycle of action learning?

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Clarifying the "Problem" and the Approach for Change

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Clarifying the "Problem" and the Approach for Change

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Confirm and work to decipher the "problem" and finalize my approach to change (process/steps). Together, refine the vision for action learning that describes in detail what teaching and learning in my school would look like if the "problem" was solved.

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Performance Analysis Framework (PAF) Review

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Performance Analysis Framework (PAF) Review

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Building a Culture and Capacity for Collaboration to Foster Instructional Improvement

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Building a Culture and Capacity for Collaboration to Foster Instructional Improvement

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Although Principal Henderson and his staff were just getting started with improving school-wide instruction through collaboration, his ALP laid a strong foundation for this work by establishing a positive and trusting school culture and solid structures and processes for teachers’ instructional collaboration.

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Making the 8 behaviors for smarter teams common practice

requires a Mutual Learning mindset. You can practice these eight behaviors, even if other people do not, in team and one-on-one interactions. Yet the impact on your team’s results is most powerful when everyone understands the Mutual Learning mindset and the eight behaviors, agrees on their meanings, and commits to them.

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Empowered Educators  (Linda Darling-Hammond):

DEVELOPING HIGH-QUALITY TEACHING

(Essential Components)

Infrastructure for teacher learning (continual and developmental)- 3

Time and opportunity for collaboration- 1

Curriculum planning, assessment, and lesson study- 2

Teachers as researchers- 1

Teacher-Led professional learning- 2

Teacher appraisal and feedback- 3

In your journal, rank each component from 1-4 (low to high) based how well your professional learning system incorporates these.

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In your role as an Instructional Leader, what expectations and supports do you have in place to help your teachers to improve their practice?

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs): Establish PLCs where teachers can collaborate, discuss instructional strategies, and analyze student data together. These communities provide a structured space for peer support and learning.

Coaching and Mentoring: Implement a coaching program where experienced teachers or instructional coaches work alongside teachers to provide feedback, model effective practices, and support goal attainment.

Access to Resources: Provide access to high-quality resources, including research articles, instructional materials, and online courses, to support teachers in their professional growth.

Regular Observations and Feedback: Conduct regular classroom observations followed by constructive feedback sessions. This helps identify areas for improvement and recognizes effective practices.

Time for Collaboration: Schedule dedicated time for teachers to collaborate, plan lessons, and reflect on their practices without the pressure of daily classroom demands.

Workshops and Training: Offer targeted professional development workshops that address specific needs or interests identified by teachers, ensuring that the training is relevant and applicable.

Recognition and Celebration: Acknowledge and celebrate teachers’ successes and growth, fostering a positive and motivating environment that encourages continuous improvement.

Clear Communication: Maintain open lines of communication to ensure that teachers feel comfortable discussing their challenges and seeking support.

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Prof. Development vs. Professional Learning

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Prof. Development vs. Professional Learning

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In essence, while professional development often refers to formal, structured training sessions, professional learning encompasses a broader, more holistic approach to teacher growth that prioritizes collaboration, relevance, and ongoing reflection. The shift from professional development to professional learning reflects a growing understanding that effective teacher growth is an ongoing process rather than a series of isolated events.

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What is your impression of how teachers view their traditional inservice training and Professional Learning? - Their mindset is ready for the 'set and get' while they are actively thinking about wanting to plan lessons and get things set up for their learners and families. Mixed feelings,

Consider how school leaders view traditional teacher training and Professional Learning.- Many that I know feel the same way as the teachers. How are we willing to break the mold and become a new grammar school?

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The Day 1 topic/concept/learning that resonated with me is "ambitious teaching" because I want to lead with resilience and share this teaching inspiration with my team to kick off the school year. You need to be the biggest encourager in the room!

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How has what you learned about professional learning systems influenced your thinking about the role and nature of professional learning?

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How has what you learned about professional learning systems influenced your thinking about the role and nature of professional learning?

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Propitious

Shared Leadership

Adaptive

Supportive Leadership

Teacher Agency

Empower Teachers

Modeling

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Teacher Professional Learning in

High-Performing Systems-

Evidence in Table # OR on page #

44

Characteristic of new teacher support described in Beyond PD that you would recommend considering in your school

Beginning teachers have two mentors: one for classroom management and one for subject-specific guidance.

After you have completed the table, jot down the component of your mentoring/induction program you are most proud of and be ready to share with your group.

Structured time set aside for support. Whole department dedicated to induction, not just principals.

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Culturally Responsive School Leadership: A Synthesis of the Literature

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Culturally Responsive School Leadership: A Synthesis of the Literature

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The ABLe Change Framework: A Conceptual and Methodological

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The ABLe Change Framework: A Conceptual and Methodological

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Tool for Promoting Systems Change

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How would you describe these two terms?

Ambitious Teaching?

Requires that teachers develop deep commitments to student learning and a historical understanding of inequity in science and schools.

-Prioritize curriculum

-Carve out time to observe instruction

-Be intentional about assessment

-Aiming for equity

Responsive Teaching?

A teaching method that involves teachers supporting students' individual needs and independence by adjusting their teaching throughout the learning process.

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REFLECTIVENESS, ADAPTIVITY, AND SUPPORT: HOW TEACHER 

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REFLECTIVENESS, ADAPTIVITY, AND SUPPORT: HOW TEACHER 

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What does the concept of Teacher Agency mean in the context of teaching?

How does it relate to the different kinds of student engagement?

Defining Student Engagement: page 2 of pre-work study

Behavioral- havioral engagement includes participating, staying on task, and completing assignments.

Emotional- Behavioral engagement includes participating, staying on task, and completing assignments.

Cognitive- Encompasses students’ thought processes and applications of mental effort to learn.

Underline at least 2-3 big ideas (Golden Lines) in the reading and be prepared to share in the text-based seminar.

Page 5: Variations in agency could also relate to teachers’ belief systems. For example, Dweck (2006) asserts that individuals have either a growth mindset, believing people can change and develop through perseverance and hard work, or a fixed mindset, believing people have a set level of intelligence or motivation that cannot be changed. In this study, high-engagement teachers showed growth mindsets, whereas low-engagement teachers showed more fixed mindsets.

Page 4: Whereas low-engagement teachers also recognized that students’ lives impacted engagement, they tended to see the impacts of a student’s out-of-school life as insusceptible to a teacher’s positive influence. Accordingly, they exhibited less willingness to identify and consider students’ points of view or to help them deal with personal challenges. In particular, low-engagement teachers were more likely to cite family values as having a negative impact that teachers could not mitigate.

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Probe 1- An Observation Study of Learners' Engagement in Thinking

Probe 10- The Grammar of Our School and How It Facilitates or Militates Against Opportunities for Deeper Learning

Did the probes that you considered provide you with the information you needed to fully understand your context? - Yes, the probes gave great insights as checkpoints for where our school entity is currently, as well as a starting point for a growth goal heading into the 24-25 SY.

Did the findings of your probe support the contextual analysis that you completed in course 1?  If not, what differences did you uncover?

Yes, our strength is that our school prides itself in Domain 2 (The Classroom Environment). This is a strength of ours at CCA. We believe that treating all learners with kindness, rigor, equity, and a growth mindset can go far! This is a continual build throughout the school year. Our school needs 'engagement tactics' to be done with quality, to get learners to come back to class each day virtually and feel safe to take educational risks in front of their teachers and peers.

What was your rationale for selecting the two probes that you selected?

I am a teacher facing AP currently, and our specialization is all about growing teachers to become strong instructional educators, so that they can better grow their students academically.

Engagement in thinking and the Grammar of Schooling seemed to give way for data to support new ways for our school to grow and 'lead up" to senior leaders.

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Unit 7 Pre-Work Reflection on Professional Learning Systems

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Unit 7 Pre-Work Reflection on Professional Learning Systems

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The pre-work that challenged my thoughts on professional learning systems was the article -> 'REFLECTIVENESS, ADAPTIVITY, AND SUPPORT: HOW TEACHER AGENCY PROMOTES STUDENT ENGAGEMENT' because teacher agency is often more powerful than 1:1 teacher-to-supervisor advice and support.

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Peer to Peer Learning Claim- Group Slide

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Peer to Peer Learning Claim- Group Slide

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Assessment Integration with INstruction. 

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Comparison of Formative Assessment Approaches

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Comparison of Formative Assessment Approaches

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Formative assessments are tools utilized by teachers and students to improve learning from specific and meaningful feedback to guide further learning. (ex: Collaborative Boards, Exit Tickets, Quizzes and tests, Concept mapping, Journals and reflections, Observations, Rubrics, etc.)

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“The pace of change is quicker than ever before, and leaders are trying to play catch-up while managing the tactics of the day.  It can feel like treading water while holding a basket as someone throws brick after brick into it.

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My hope for this school year is to restore growth mindset in my teachers ability to try new things, fail forward, take risks, and remain confident in asking questions! Critical thinking can occur in Elementary school! - KS

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Willingham’s Argument about Critical Thinking

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Willingham’s Argument about Critical Thinking

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What does Critical Thinking mean to you?

To me, critical thinking means the ability to analyze information, evaluate arguments, and make reasoned judgments.

It involves questioning assumptions, considering multiple perspectives, and using logic and evidence to draw conclusions.

It’s about being open-minded yet skeptical, allowing for a deeper understanding of complex issues and fostering informed decision-making. #curiousity

Overall, it’s a skill that empowers individuals to navigate the world thoughtfully and effectively.

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Mastery - High-quality work that showcases critical thinking and problem-solving skills indicates mastery.

Identity - A curriculum that reflects the diverse backgrounds of students and includes their histories and perspectives promotes positive identity formation.

Creativity - Students can explore ideas in unique ways and apply their knowledge practically.

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Deeper learning is when students are able to develop a significant understanding of the core content by way of integrating collaboration, metacognition, problem-solving, and the ability to apply such learning to civic life.

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The pre-work that connected to my leadership thinking was the ability to connect the 'why and data' behind continuous changes in education (pendulum swinging all through the articles) because teachers will be passionate to lead the way for learners if they understand the mission.

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Leadership for Teacher Learning: Creating a Culture Where All Teachers Improve So That All Students Can Succeed 

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Leadership for Teacher Learning: Creating a Culture Where All Teachers Improve So That All Students Can Succeed 

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Consider the extent to which the formative assessment approach set out in this chapter is similar to or different from the formative assessment approach with which you are familiar.

How does the material in chapter 4 relate to the research on how people learn?

It is the result of students constructing a model of how the world works on the basis of their experiences = “constructivism.” This is a view about what happens when learning takes place, rather than a specific approach to teaching.

It means not assuming that a student is a blank slate but accepting that the student will already have ideas about things on which, as yet, he or she has had no formal instruction.

In particular, it means finding out what students already know or believe about something before trying to teach them anything else that builds on that knowledge.

Whatever one’s beliefs about what happens when learning takes place, the empirical evidence is that students do not necessarily—or even generally—learn exactly what they are taught and that, to be effective, teachers have to find out what their students did actually learn before moving on.

Checking for understanding is a process of assessment.

Formative assessment is concerned with how judgments about the quality of student responses (performances, pieces, or works) can be used to shape and improve the student’s competence by short-circuiting the randomness and inefficiency of trial-and-error learning.

Students have to be able to judge the quality of what they are producing and be able to regulate what they are doing during the doing of it.

Where those conclusions are related to the student’s current level of achievement or to his or her future performance, then the assessment serves a summative function.

Where the conclusions are related to the kinds of instructional activities that are likely to maximize future learning, then the assessment is functioning formatively.

Assessment for learning consists of seven strategies:

1. Provide students with a clear and understandable vision of the learning target.

2. Use examples and models of strong and weak work.

3. Offer regular descriptive feedback.

4. Teach students to self-assess and set goals.

5. Design lessons to focus on one learning target or aspect of quality at a time.

6. Teach students focused revision.

7. Engage students in self-reflection and let them keep track of and share their learning.

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Probe 8: A survey of student writing at your site

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Probe 8: A survey of student writing at your site

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Will be choosing this probe for Unit 7!

The purpose of this probe is to find out about the types of writing assignments students are engaging in at your school. Here are examples of possible focuses for your writing. Each will require a different set of data. Keep in mind that a probe is a small investigation and not a major research study, so select one and consider what data you will need to collect to support conclusions.

●How often are students at your school asked to write? In which subjects, courses?

●Why are students being asked to write?

●Are all writing assignments graded?

●Criteria for success: Is student writing being used for learning, or as summative assessmentof learning? Is writing being assessed for content and thinking, or for conventions, spelling,and grammar?

●How often are they engaging in extended writing?

●Are students keeping their own notes for later reference? Journals, etc.?

●What patterns are you seeing? -> Length/Frequency/Feedback from teachers/Types of assignments (analytical versus summary writing)

After identifying your research question, decide what data will help you to answer that question. You could choose a department/grade, limit to one week of all of the assignments students are asked to produce, etc. Or track writing from three students across a two-week period. It would be helpful to work with one or more partners so you have deep content expertise for reviewing the assignments. After an initial sorting of the samples using your focus question, decide how you will represent the data for sharing in Unit 6. Write up some of the patterns you see and what additional questions you have now.

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WOWS -> 7 min idea writing every day with immediate sharing with a peer. Writing to learn, not writing to tell what they have learned.

WONDERINGS -> How much training and professional development did the district allot for the teachers to learn how to implement 'Low Stakes Writing' with their learners?

Assume you are a student at University Park HS,
Write down at least three things:

1. At least one thing you have learned in this course about writing in all academic areas. -> Just allotting learners a 7-minute idea writing opportunity every day with immediate oral sharing with a peer can inspire children to write to learn, not write to tell what they have learned.

2. At least one thing you want to learn about promoting writing in your school.

Low-stakes writing prompts, questioning, and best practices for teachers and staff.

1. A quote of thought that you just heard in the video either from an educator or from a student.

"I know I can share out my ideas immediately." -> This keeps the inspiration strong and powerful for the importance of the learners' writing.

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Ramp-Up Literacy Classroom Conversations

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Ramp-Up Literacy Classroom Conversations

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How does this “talk to learn” focus inform your work as an instructional leader? What are 2-3 aspects of language and “talk to learn” classrooms that you would promote in your own classes?

The classroom environment is set up to see and view all learners and not just focus on the teacher. Desks arrangement or "second" monitor without focus mode, breakout rooms. The teacher is seen as the facilitator...

Allow for exploratory talk to be seen as beneficial so that learners can learn BEST from their peers if that makes more sense to them. Sometimes, the teacher is NOT the only one who has the best way to explain something for students to learn.

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3-5 Themes from your section of the article - What would a classroom look and sound like if these ideas were in practice?

Interactive and Collaborative Atmosphere

Emphasis on Social Skills

Inclusive Environment

Explicit Norms and Values

Critical Thinking and Reflection

Respectful Dialogue

Community Engagement

Teacher as Role Model

Cultural Awareness

3-5 steps you can take to move those you influence or lead in this direction:

I could encourage my teachers to foster a classroom dynamic and engaging environment focused not only on academic achievement but also on nurturing learners' social and emotional development within a broader environment, conditions, and factors that influence and shape society as a whole.

1 BIG takeaway from the section related to your teacher role:

By understanding the challenges children face in transitioning between home and school environments, teachers can support them effectively without undermining the important role of families in their education and development. This approach fosters a supportive and inclusive learning environment where all students can thrive.

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Heineke and McTighe quote is saying- This quote emphasizes the critical role of language in education. It argues that while educators often focus on teaching content, they may overlook the pivotal role that language plays in learning, remembering, understanding, and applying that content across disciplines. The quote suggests that language is not just a tool for communication but also a medium for learning and thinking.

Vygotsky quote is saying- It suggests that the integration of language with practical skills plays a fundamental role in shaping higher cognitive functions and intellectual abilities in individuals.

Lee quote is saying- it underscores the role of language and cultural symbols in facilitating communication, understanding, and the construction of meaning in human societies.

Mercer and Wegerif quote is saying- - the quote highlights how language operates not only as a cognitive tool for thinking and understanding but also as a social and educational tool that influences how individuals develop intellectually within their cultural contexts.

How are language and learning are connected? -> Language is not just a means of communication but a fundamental tool for learning and cognitive development. Its multifaceted roles in facilitating understanding, fostering social interactions, supporting academic achievement, and connecting individuals to their cultural contexts underscore its critical importance in the process of learning.

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How do the findings identified in the video reflect your understanding of the importance of a child’s teacher?

What does Dr. Loewenberg Ball mean by the instructional triangle?

What is meant by the term “discretionary spaces”?

How do macro-structures play out in the micro-moments of Black and Brown children’s experiences in classrooms?

What do you think are possibilities of what the teacher might do?”

What might the teacher do?

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What are the implications (your challenge/ your opportunity) of for you as a leader in your context?

What can you implement as you return to school in fall?

1.  Provide ongoing feedback that promotes growth and improvement rather than grades so students can reflect on their work and identify areas to improve.

2. Create a supportive environment that cultivates a classroom culture where mistakes are viewed as opportunities for learning and where the students feel comfortable taking risks and exploring new ideas.

3. Collaboration/Discussion/Inquiry based environment

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Deficit-based thinking and asset-based thinking are two contrasting perspectives that can influence how individuals perceive and approach various situations, especially in educational and social contexts.

Deficit-based thinking focuses on identifying and emphasizing the shortcomings, weaknesses, or deficits of individuals or groups. It often highlights what is lacking or what needs improvement. This perspective tends to view individuals through a lens of what they cannot do or what they are missing, rather than focusing on their strengths or potential.

Asset-based thinking, on the other hand, focuses on identifying and leveraging the strengths, capabilities, talents, and resources that individuals or communities possess. It emphasizes what individuals can do, their unique skills and knowledge, and their potential for growth and development.

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In your journals, identify at least 3 characteristics of learning environments that you think are most essential to supporting positive learning for students.

Create a Supportive Environment: Cultivate a classroom culture where mistakes are viewed as opportunities for learning and where students feel comfortable taking risks and exploring new ideas.

Provide Constructive Feedback: Offer feedback that focuses on growth and improvement rather than just grades. Encourage students to reflect on their work, identify areas for development, and take initiative to make improvements.

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Journal Response 
Students as Owners of Their Learning

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Journal Response 
Students as Owners of Their Learning

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Why do you think Hammond titled her talk: “How do we get students to lead their own learning?

What is the meaning of Hammond’s statement that “only the learner learns”?

Empowering students to lead their own learning is crucial for fostering independence, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of subjects. Here are some effective strategies to achieve this:

1. Promote Inquiry-Based Learning: Encourage students to ask questions and explore topics that interest them. This approach shifts the focus from rote memorization to active engagement and curiosity.

2. Offer Choice: Provide opportunities for students to choose topics, projects, or assignments based on their interests and strengths. When students have a say in what they learn, they are more motivated and invested in the process.

3. Set Clear Learning Goals: Work with students to set specific, achievable goals that align with their interests and the curriculum. This helps them take ownership of their learning journey and track their progress over time.

4. Foster Collaboration: Encourage peer-to-peer learning and group projects where students can learn from each other’s strengths and perspectives. Collaboration teaches communication skills and promotes deeper understanding of the material.

5. Develop Metacognitive Skills: Teach students how to reflect on their learning process, identify what strategies work best for them, and adjust their approach as needed. Metacognition helps students become more self-aware and effective learners.

6. Provide Constructive Feedback: Offer feedback that focuses on growth and improvement rather than just grades. Encourage students to reflect on their work, identify areas for development, and take initiative to make improvements.

7. Use Technology Thoughtfully: Integrate technology tools that allow students to explore concepts independently, conduct research, and create multimedia projects. Technology can facilitate personalized learning experiences tailored to individual student needs.

8. Encourage Self-Assessment: Provide rubrics or criteria for students to assess their own work and set goals for improvement. Self-assessment builds accountability and encourages students to take responsibility for their learning outcomes.

9. Create a Supportive Environment: Cultivate a classroom culture where mistakes are viewed as opportunities for learning and where students feel comfortable taking risks and exploring new ideas.

10. Model Lifelong Learning: Demonstrate your own enthusiasm for learning and curiosity about the subject matter. When students see you as a role model for lifelong learning, they are more likely to adopt a similar attitude.

By implementing these strategies, educators can create an environment where students feel empowered to take ownership of their learning, develop critical thinking skills, and become lifelong learners.

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Small Group Discussion: About Probe 1 Findings

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Small Group Discussion: About Probe 1 Findings

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What did the Research Probe (unit 4)  uncover that highlights what is moving in the right direction in your school?

-Our school is starting to really take ownership of Learner Engagment throughout our Comprehensive School Improvement Plan. We have a specific sub-committee surrounding intentional work on strategies that are specific to engagement needs at CCA.

What did the Research Probe (unit 4) uncover that may present a barrier(s) to achieving your Desired State?

-Our ELA lessons have so much content to be taught within an expected short window of time that the teachers are not utilizing active thinking instructional strategies as their 'barrier'. However, we have some work to do with making that active thinking piece noted and more part of the lesson planning for the learners. Math had more evidence of active thinking during synchronous instruction.

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The pre-work that connected to my leadership thinking was the exploratory talk article, because our educator purpose should be to hand over to learners more responsibility for their own learning, by requiring them to think about it and avoid the rote rehearsal of information.

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“What Teachers Need to Know About Language” 

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“What Teachers Need to Know About Language” 

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As you read, note the five roles that teachers play in oral language development for young children (pp. 5–12). Think about how these ideas link to your previous reading and discussion about student engagement and students’ rightful presence in teaching and learning.

1. Teacher as Communicator

2. Teacher as Educator

3. Teacher as Evaluator

4. Teacher as Educated Human Being

5. Teacher as Agent of Socialization

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(11 pgs): As you read, mark places that link to our previous conversations about how people learn. Note one section of the article that you think is crucial to the overall meaning of the text.

Most of our important learning, in school or out of it, is a matter of constructing models of the world, finding out how far they work by using them, and then reshaping them in the light of what happens. Each new model or scheme potentially changes how we experience some aspect of the world, and therefore how we act on it. (bottom of pg 2)

Only pupils can work on understanding: teachers can encourage and support but

cannot do it for them. In this reshaping, pupils’ ‘old’ knowledge is as important as

the new experiences that are to challenge it.

Exploratory talk provides an important means of working on understanding, but learners are unlikely to embark on it unless they feel relatively at ease, free from the danger of being aggressively contradicted or made fun of.

Presentational talk, on the other hand, offers a ‘final draft’ for display and evaluation: it is often heavily influenced by what the audience expects. Presentational talk frequently occurs in response to teachers’ questions when they are testing pupils’ understanding of a topic that has already been taught.

Teachers teach classes but pupils learn as individuals, each constructing slightly different versions of the meanings made available during the interchanges shared by the whole class and the teacher. Both the shared construction and the individual struggle to reinterpret are essential.

GREAT WALKTHROUGH FEEDBACK:

having students write about and discuss what they already know of the topic; • getting them to predict; ‘What do you think would happen if …..? Why?’; • encouraging the asking of ‘good questions’ i.e. those that seek underlying principles; • setting up frequent occasions for interpretive discussion; • teaching the making of notes through collaborative discussion; • encouraging students occasionally to list what they understand and what they do not yet understand; • at times, allowing students to negotiate learning tasks.

Students can be encouraged to contribute examples, make connections with their own experience, and discuss areas where the new material seems to clash with what they thought to be the case. Discussion and explanation by the pupils should be a central part of lessons, and this should also include the producing and evaluating of supportive evidence.

The overall purpose should be to hand over to pupils more responsibility for their own learning, by requiring them to think about it and by avoiding the mere rehearsal of inert information.

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 “Funds of Knowledge for Teaching: Using a Qualitative Approach to Connect Homes and Classrooms” (Up to pg. 8)

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 “Funds of Knowledge for Teaching: Using a Qualitative Approach to Connect Homes and Classrooms” (Up to pg. 8)

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This paper sets out an example of applying the concept of funds of knowledge (which is mentioned in the How People Learn II reading). In the sessions you will discuss this in conjunction with other approaches to addressing learning and culture.

We use the term “funds of knowledge” to refer to these historically accumulated and culturally developed bodies of knowledge and skills essential for household or individual functioning and well-being (Greenberg, 1989; Tapia, 1991; VelIez-lbanez, 1988).

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”How People Learn II: Learners, Contexts and Cultures” pgs 135-143

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”How People Learn II: Learners, Contexts and Cultures” pgs 135-143

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How People Learn II_ Learners, Contexts, and Cultures

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How does Hammond define culturally responsive teaching?

She is not so much focused on the 'culture' part of the term, yet the 'responsive part is. Be able to 'see' the child and respond to those cultural displays and can synchronize yourself to those.

Grit and growth mindset are not innate in all learners.

Identify the links between this concept and the research on how people learn and student motivation and engagement that you studied in Unit 4.

This video and the content in Unit 4 is all focused on getting the learners' brains thinking and 'ON FIRE'!

Having an Academic Mindset is most important.

'I can succeed at this.'

'My ability and competence grow with my effort.'

'I belong to this academic community.'

'This work has value for me.'

We want learners to want to ASK questions and be hands-on to create a brain that is ready for learning.

We need to get learners out of the 'PIT'-> productive struggle.

Examples and NON-Examples help learners make connections to 'usable knowledge'.

Feedback is a MUST and timely for learning. Inquiry is the Great Cognitive Equalizer.

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Zaretta Hammond "Culturally Responsive Teaching" at the San Francisco Public Library

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An Observation Study of Learners' Engagement in Thinking

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Reflect on the connections between what we know about how people learn and students’ motivation and engagement. 

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Reflect on the connections between what we know about how people learn and students’ motivation and engagement. 

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What do those connections mean for you as a school leader?

Learning is not just a cognitive process but also involves social and emotional dimensions. School leaders should prioritize creating a supportive and inclusive school climate where students feel safe, valued, and connected.

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What is student engagement? Define in your own words.

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What is student engagement? Define in your own words.

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student engagement is crucial for fostering meaningful learning experiences and promoting academic success. It involves creating conditions that stimulate curiosity, promote active learning, and encourage students to take ownership of their education.

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FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS: As you recall your Context Analysis Tool (CAT)  Reflection and the input from TEAM MEMBERS that you secured in Units Two and Three, you began to identify both  Opportunities and Challenges related to achieving your Desired State (VISION).  Create two columns in your journal and jot down what you recall about the opportunities and challenges that you uncovered.

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FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS: As you recall your Context Analysis Tool (CAT)  Reflection and the input from TEAM MEMBERS that you secured in Units Two and Three, you began to identify both  Opportunities and Challenges related to achieving your Desired State (VISION).  Create two columns in your journal and jot down what you recall about the opportunities and challenges that you uncovered.

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OPPORTUNITIES

( Things moving in the right direction)

Domain 2 – Builds relationships, develops people, and distributes leadership

Domain 3 – Establishes structures and processes for teacher collaboration and learning

CHALLENGES

(Things holding us back)

Domain 1 – Sets direction and assesses progress toward a shared vision of success for all students

Domain 4 – Focuses on consistency across classrooms and continues to align system components

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THREE words that resonate with you when you think about Day 1 of Unit 4.

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THREE words that resonate with you when you think about Day 1 of Unit 4.

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Engagement

Motivation

SEL

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What have I learned from both readings and the 4 principals?

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What have I learned from both readings and the 4 principals?

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Ideas should be carried beyond a single school year before students can make the transition from informal to formal ideas. This will require active coordination of the curriculum across school years

Learning with understanding is often harder to accomplish than simply memorizing, and it takes more time. Many curricula fail to support learning with understanding because they present too many disconnected facts in too short a time—the “mile wide, inch deep” problem.

Formative assessments—ongoing assessments designed tomake students’ thinking visible to both teachers and students—areessential. They permit the teacher to grasp the students’ preconcep-tions, understand where the students are in the “developmental cor-ridor” from informal to formal thinking, and design instructionaccordingly. In the assessment-centered classroom environment, for-mative assessments help both teachers and students monitorprogress.An important feature of assessments in these classrooms is that they belearner-friendly: they are not the Friday quiz for which information is memo-rized the night before, and for which the student is given a grade that rankshim or her with respect to classmates. Rather, these assessments should

provide students with opportunities to revise and improve their thinking.

Learning is influenced in fundamental ways by the context in which it takes place. A community-centered approach requires the development of norms for the classroom and school, as well as connections to the outside world, that support core learning values.

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How has the pre-work informed your thinking about the place of the “view of the learner and approach to learning” in the design of a learning system?

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How has the pre-work informed your thinking about the place of the “view of the learner and approach to learning” in the design of a learning system?

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We often times look towards education with a achievement lens. However, during the pre-work, so much research suggests things outside of our control that affect engagement and SEL strengths/weaknesses.

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"Social and Emotional Learning and Equity in School Discipline"

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"Social and Emotional Learning and Equity in School Discipline"

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"We believe that even discipline reforms that fully embrace SEL as its currently conceptualized hold limited promise for eliminating disparities, for two reasons. The first is that 'colorblind' notions of SEL don’t consider power, privilege, and cultural difference. The second is that prevailing SEL models are centered on students, but not on the adults who interact with them.” pg. 126 - Based on your reading and experience, what are your thoughts on this quote?

I believe that there may be some truth in both of those scenarios. In essence, while SEL initiatives are valuable for promoting emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills among students, they need to evolve beyond simplistic or one-size-fits-all approaches. To truly address disparities in education through SEL, it's crucial to incorporate culturally responsive practices that recognize and respect the diversity of students' backgrounds. Provide ongoing training and support for educators and school staff to enhance their own social-emotional competencies and create a positive, supportive school climate. Advocate for systemic changes within educational institutions to reduce disparities related to race, socioeconomic status, and other factors that affect student outcomes. By addressing these aspects, SEL can become a more powerful tool for promoting equity and inclusivity in education, moving beyond individual skill development to systemic change.

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How People Learn II: Learners, Contexts, and Cultures - Chapter 6

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How People Learn II: Learners, Contexts, and Cultures - Chapter 6

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Something that resonated with me?

People are motivated to develop competence and solve problems by rewards and punishments but often have intrinsic reasons for learning that may be more powerful. pg. 1

Research on how to improve self-efficacy for learning has shown the benefits of several strategies for strengthening students’ sense of their competence for learning, including setting appropriate goals and breaking down difficult goals into subgoals (Bandura and Schunk, 1981) and providing students with information about their progress, which allows them to attribute success to their own effort (Schunk and Cox, 1986). pg. 4

In the short term, stereotype threat can result in upset, distraction, anxiety, and other conditions that interfere with learning and performance (Pennington et al., 2016). pg. 20

Values-affirmation interventions are designed to reduce self-handicapping behavior and increase motivation to perform. pg. 22

Many students experience a decline in motivation from the primary grades through high school (Gallup, Inc., 2014; Jacobs et al., 2002; Lepper et al., 2005). pg. 23

Something I read that deepened my understanding of motivation.

A person’s motivation to persist in learning in spite of obstacles and setbacks is facilitated when goals for learning and achievement are made explicit, are congruent with the learners’ desired outcomes and motives, and are supported by the learning environment, as judged by the learner. pg. 14

Motivation to persevere may be strengthened when students can perceive connections between their current action choices (present self) and their future self or possible future identities (Gollwitzer et al., 2011; Oyserman et al., 2015) pg. 14

The subjective and personal nature of the learner’s experiences and the dynamic nature of the learning environment require that motivational inter-ventions be flexible enough to take account of changes in the individual and in the learning environment. pg. 23

There is also strong evidence for the view that engagement and intrinsic motivation develop and change over time—these are not properties of the individual or the environment alone. pg. 25

Motivation to learn is fostered for learners of all ages when they perceive the school or learning environment is a place where they “belong” and when the environment promotes their sense of agency and purpose. pg. 25

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“Research on Learning and Instruction: Implications for Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment.

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“Research on Learning and Instruction: Implications for Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment.

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'Consider how the discussion of each finding is similar to or different from the text in How People Learn. To what extent do you find descriptions more or less helpful in building your understanding?'

(MORE) An important implication of expertise research is that to support transfer, curriculum and instruction need to emphasize the conceptual organization of knowledge and “big ideas” in a discipline. This emphasis should be present from the earliest stages of learning onward (National Research Council, 2012). pg. 35

(MORE) Metacognition is instrumental in students taking control of their own learning because it helps them define and monitor progress toward learning goals, select strategies to enhance learning, evaluate their progress toward the goal, and select alternate strategies when obstacles are encountered.

(MORE) Cognitive guidance. Three major forms of cognitive guidance are classroom discourse, learning resources, and formative assessment.

(MORE) We assess students to find out what they know and can do, but assessments do not provide direct pipelines into students’ minds.

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(Checkmarks):

Researchers are discov-ering ways to learn from the “wisdom of practice” that comes from success-ful teachers who can share their expertise, (4 of 28).

Formative assessments—ongoing assessments designed tomake students’ thinking visible to both teachers and students—are essential. (24 of 28)

(Exclamation Point):

The growth of inter-disciplinary inquiries and new kinds of scientific collaborations have begunto make the path from basic research to educational practice somewhatmore visible, if not yet easy to travel. (3 of 28).

Many people who had difficulty in school might haveprospered if the new ideas about effective instructional practices had beenavailable. Furthermore, given new instructional practices, even those who did well in traditional educational environments might have developed skills,knowledge, and attitudes that would have significantly enhanced their achievements, (6 of 28)

(Questions):

I wonder when this will be accepted as 'okay'? -> As Nobel laureate HerbertSimon wisely stated, the meaning of “knowing” has shifted from being ableto remember and repeat information to being able to find and use it (Simon,1996), (5 of 28).

How can we engage their intial understanding? If their initial understanding is not engaged, they may fail to grasp the new concepts and information that are taught, or they may learn them for purposes of a test but revert to their preconceptions outside the classroom, (15 of 28).

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Misconception Made Clear for You: Not all PIP plans have the same growth goal (time- days/weeks/year) measurement before action occurs, both positively or negatively.

Something Your Interviewee Said That Let You Know He/She Values Observation & Evaluation More Than Just Compliance: Always assumes positive intent heading into hard conversations surrounding Act 13 Framework.

Interviewee’s

Pearl of Wisdom: Stay Evidence Based

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I plan to leverage evidence-based data to enhance support for my teachers and staff. My goal is to enhance academic achievement through personalized student learning experiences. I aim for all students within my school organization to receive high levels of motivation and empowerment from their teachers in order to attain success. This process begins with the cultural and climate initiatives I implement for my staff.

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How did your pre-work for Day 3 deepen your understanding of PA Act 13?

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How did your pre-work for Day 3 deepen your understanding of PA Act 13?

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The pre-work allowed me to further take a deeper dive into the steps (with my mentor) for an unsatisfactory teacher in need of a PIP plan. I was unaware of the steps and process for this within my school entity.

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Review (Key Terms from Days 1 & 2) Paragraph

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Review (Key Terms from Days 1 & 2) Paragraph

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Positive School Culture = Student Improvement

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What Great Principals Really Do - Article

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What Great Principals Really Do - Article

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Read the article and answer the following questions:

1. If given the opportunity to interview the three authors of this article, what are three questions you would pose to them?

1. How does this data look for principals within the cyber school setting?

2. How far removed from a 'teaching position' were the most effective principals?

3. How often is 'useful' feedback occurring in classrooms with the best principals out there?

2. What in this article speaks to your beliefs surrounding school leadership?

"Principals draw on their emotional and social intelligence to foster a school environment that promotes trust, collaboration, engagement with data, and continuous improvement."

Building a Productive School Climate is and means everything to me as an instructional leader. I know that a positive work environment can set the tone for a strong instructional group of teachers to be inspired in creating growth opportunities for their students.

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A school's success is largely determined by the effectiveness of its principal-decades of research have made this clear. Less settled is the question of what principals need to know and do to drive positive outcomes in their schools.

Thousands of studies have addressed some facet of this question, but making sense of their findings is a big challenge, and not just because of the volume. Studies vary widely in the specific component of principals' work they examine, their data collection approaches, their methods of analysis, and the quality of the research.

In a recent report funded by The Wallace Foundation, we wrangled the evidence on the connection between school principals and school outcomes, focusing on research conducted in U.S. schools since 2000 that connects principals to student achievement, absenteeism, teacher turnover, school climate, and other important markers of successful schools (Grissom, Egalite, & Lindsay, 2021). Several important themes emerged, including just how important principals are in driving school outcomes and the commonalities in what effective principals do-interacting with teachers around instruction, building strong climates where teachers collaborate, and managing strategically. We also delved into the importance of leading for equity. Let's look at these themes more closely.

Just how large of an impact does a strong principal have on student achievement? To quantify the answer to this question, we identified six studies conducted across four states and two large urban school districts that leveraged administrative data over long periods (Bartanen, 2020; Branch, Hanushek, & Rivkin, 2012; Chiang, Lipscomb & Gill, 2016; Dhuey & Smith, 2018; Grissom, Kalogrides, & Loeb, 2015; Laing et al., 2016). The longitudinal nature of the data was key because the researchers could observe the same schools being led by different principals and the same principal leading different schools in different years. With this mix, we were able to isolate student outcomes that can be attributed to the principal from the effects of other factors beyond the principal's control (like what neighborhood the school is in).

These studies showed that the quality of a school's principal is a big determinant of student achievement. To illustrate how big, consider a typical school that has a below-average principal-say, a principal at the 25th percentile of effectiveness (defined by student test score growth). In the analysis of our report, we show the gains that could be expected if the school district replaced this principal with an above-average one (that is, at the 75th percentile of effectiveness). Students in the school would gain about three months of learning in math and reading in subsequent school years.

An important addendum to this finding that principals are a big determinant of student achievement is that principals also affect all students in the school. And principals impact not just student learning but the experiences that students-and teachers-have in their schools. The principal can influence how often a student is absent or suspended, and how likely a teacher is to stay in the school for another year. For these reasons, it is hard for us to imagine a better investment in a school than the quality of its leadership.

After quantifying the effect that principals can have on a school, we tried to discover what effective principals know and do. Although the research we reviewed took on many approaches and perspectives, we found three overlapping domains of skills that strong principals have mastered-(1) instruction, (2) people, and (3) the organization (see Figure 1).

Instruction refers to skills that directly support teachers' work in classrooms. Principals need to be able to differentiate effective and ineffective instructional approaches and make useful suggestions about what teachers might do differently. People skills are about building and maintaining relationships: good communication skills, caring, and the capacity to build trust within the school community. Skills related to the organization are those that would be necessary to run any complex entity, not just a school. These include data use, strategic thinking, and ability to allocate resources to advance school goals.

Effective principals draw on all three sets of skills to engage in the behaviors or practices that drive a successful school. Our review identified four sets of practices:

The close work principals do with teachers to improve instructional practice has three dimensions. The first is leveraging teacher evaluation. High-quality evaluation systems center on structured, rubric-based teacher observations to improve teacher practice and student achievement. Principals are the linchpin of these systems, building buy-in, putting in the time to conduct observations, and taking care to ensure that ratings are accurate so that they can be acted on.

Second, and closely related, is feedback and coaching. Strong principals use what they observe in classrooms to give teachers useful feedback, which evidence suggests can raise teachers' impacts on their students. Third, effective principals use data to guide specific instructional decisions, drive the school's overall instructional program, inspire action around improvement, and monitor the school's progress toward its goals.

A robust school climate is associated with many benefits. For example, teachers' instructional effectiveness improves more rapidly in schools with strong professional climates and student test score growth is higher in schools where the climate features an academic focus.

Principals can contribute to a positive school climate by helping teachers feel empowered and helping students feel safe, valued, and supported. Principals draw on their emotional and social intelligence to foster a school environment that promotes trust, collaboration, engagement with data, and continuous improvement. Efforts to build a productive school environment extend to parents and other community stakeholders, too. Effective school leaders may go to great lengths to support and affirm the local community's culture, language, and traditions.

Collaboration around instruction and learning can drive student outcomes, but it doesn't happen by accident. Principals encourage it by ensuring common planning time for instructional teams and by setting up and maintaining high-functioning professional learning communities (PLCs). PLC success varies not only across, but also within schools, so principals must be intentional in their design and continuously engage with all PLCs in their school. They should explicitly connect them to other learning opportunities for teachers, like in-service trainings, and leverage the expertise of others in the school to push PLC work.

The final area is strategic management of personnel and other resources. Strategic means that principals optimize how resources are used or allocated to support teaching and learning. Research documents several resources that successful principals manage strategically. An example is time, either their own or the school's.

The biggest resource a school has, however, is its people, and evidence is clear that strategic personnel management can push school improvement. For one, principals who consistently hire strong teachers see higher school growth. To consistently hire well, principals have to make hiring decisions based on evidence about what makes teachers effective. Strategic principals also recognize that some teachers may be more effective in some grades or with some groups of students, and they assign them accordingly. They also take care to disrupt patterns of assignment inequity-namely that low-achieving or low-income students often are assigned to less experienced or less effective teachers. Finally, good principals take steps to reduce overall teacher turnover in their buildings, especially among their best teachers.

Another factor that drives principal success is that effective leaders bring an equity lens to their work. Principals play an important role in the closing of achievement and opportunity gaps for historically marginalized groups. A growing body of mostly qualitative work demonstrates the channels through which principals' equity-oriented practices can serve these goals.

For example, in working with teachers on instruction, equity-focused principals focus on alternative instructional approaches (such as culturally responsive teaching) to meet the learning needs of all learners in the building. They engage teachers in specific professional development around serving the needs of marginalized populations.

They communicate high expectations for teaching and learning of marginalized students. In building a school climate, they ensure that diverse students are-and feel-valued. They attend to disparities in how students from different groups are treated, such as addressing racial gaps in student discipline practices. They encourage collaboration not only within the school, but also with external stakeholders explicitly around meeting the needs of marginalized students.

Finally, they infuse equity into organization management practices, including ensuring that students have equal access to the school's strongest teachers, regardless of their background or status.

Having an effective principal in a school really matters-more, we think, than researchers often have emphasized in the past. How well the principal does their job impacts outcomes for every student and teacher in the school, plus the community beyond. Staffing a building with an effective leader and empowering them to implement high-leverage practices is likely among the best investments a school district can make in a school.

Our review of the best-available evidence suggests that successful principals engage with teachers' instruction by harnessing observation, providing thoughtful feedback, and making use of achievement and other data. They take intentional steps to build a productive school climate where people trust one another and have good relationships. They encourage collaboration. They manage personnel and other resources strategically. And they implement each of these practices in ways that advance equity among students. Often principals are looking for ways to cut through the complexity of their work to bring focus to what they should do to make a positive difference for student achievement and other outcomes in their school. These areas are good places to start.

These areas can also become points of focus for districts' support of their principals. In recent years, many districts have reorganized principal supervision away from operations and compliance toward coaching and feedback, often with an emphasis on how principals engage with instruction (Goldring et al., 2020). Our synthesis suggests that this shift makes sense. It also points toward the need for supports for principals to build their capacity in other key areas-climate, fostering collaboration, strategic management-which districts can provide through work with supervisors or mentors, or through other in-service professional learning opportunities. Empowering principals by building their leadership capacity where it matters can be a worthwhile strategy for school improvement.

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A new research study sheds light on the impact of effective principals-and what makes them different.

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To deepen your understanding of the requirements of PA Act 13, complete this task sheet. This is your opportunity to better understand Act 13 within the context of your school and district environment. 

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To deepen your understanding of the requirements of PA Act 13, complete this task sheet. This is your opportunity to better understand Act 13 within the context of your school and district environment. 

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Day 3 PreWork_ Focus on Your School and District Context (Act 13)

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Listen to the Module 3 Webinar instead of reading through the slide deck. 

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Listen to the Module 3 Webinar instead of reading through the slide deck. 

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The educator’s level of competency increases as a result of the teacher’s focus on his/her own professional growth.

As a teacher continually works to improve his/her level of competency through professional growth and development, his/her students’ competency also grows.

Such growth requires educators to take a deeper look at both their needs and the needs of their students.  Professional growth of the educator, then, has the possibility of resulting in even higher levels of student growth and educator growth.

Student Performance Measure Template (Walkthrough)

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Module 3 Training Slide Deck Module 3 Training Slide Deck (ADA-Compliant Version)

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Look Fors in powerful teaching and learning...

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Look Fors in powerful teaching and learning...

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Interactions of Teacher and Students (words and actions); Respectful talk, active listening, and turn-taking; Acknowledgement of students' backgrounds and lives outside of the classroom; Ethical and modeled digital citizenship (Fairness); Relationship and community building activities; Early log in with students and collaborative networking with the teacher and peer; Teacher and students empowering and affirming others

Clear expectations, monitoring and responding to behavior; Clear and specific protocols for use of video, use of chat box, use of breakout rooms, etc.; Managing, affirming, or redirecting behaviors with the whole group, small group, and individual students; Managing background noise through mute buttons and other features; Strategies for communicating expectations before, during, and after the lesson; Using online features such as private chats to redirect and manage student behaviors; Absence of misbehavior.​

Clarity of lesson purpose; Clear directions and procedures specific to lesson activities; Absence of content errors and clear explanations of concepts and strategies; Correct and imaginative use of language; Use of chat/message features to communicate with the teacher and peers; Students are grouped in smaller breakout rooms to discuss topics, and review and comment on each other’s work.

Questions with multiple correct answers or multiple approaches; Effective use of student responses and ideas; Response techniques when students become confused or disengaged; High levels of student participation in discussion; Various levels of questioning with various options to respond, e.g., polls, surveys, forms, verbally, use of pre-determined “quick response” icons, such as thumbs up, etc.; Questions of high cognitive challenge formulated by students.

Student enthusiasm, interest, thinking, problem solving, etc.; Learning tasks require high-level student thinking and invite students to explain their thinking; Students are highly motivated and persist even when tasks are challenging; Students actively "working" rather than watching while their teacher "works"; Suitable pacing; Lesson includes time for closure or student reflection; Students making connections across disciplines and applying skills and concepts in a variety of contexts.

Strategies for collecting student data, input, and responses; Monitoring and tracking systems to assess understanding and progress; Students assess their own work against established criteria; Teacher poses specific questions to elicit evidence of student understanding; Small group features used for virtual instruction to monitor and assess learning and progress; Formal and informal assessments.

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Why did we include this in our coursework?

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Why did we include this in our coursework?

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Previous negative mental models may distort our observation/evaluation practices if you are not collecting factual artifacts and evidence to utilize and make a teachable moment over continuing on with views of the teachers that are no longer serving them well.

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Their mission surrounds itself in student centered growth and achievement. They are more than needed as a culture contributor, strategic designer, and transformational leader in innovation. - Kayla

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Framework for Obs. & Practice - Principal (pg. 19)

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Framework for Obs. & Practice - Principal (pg. 19)

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Discussion Prompts:

• In what ways do you monitor teacher

performance and provide ongoing

feedback on their effectiveness and

growth opportunities? Domain 4 Artifacts and Walkthroughs

• How do you leverage the following

resources/processes?

Instructional coaches/department leaders - 1:1 or small group learning/coaching opportunity recommendations.

Formal and informal observations - Thorough and robust feedback with screenshots of evidence.

Professional development resources - Encouraging and ensuring teachers are following Comet Hour expectations, PD day expectations, and Pineapple PLC meetings.

SAS Portal/CDTs/technological resources- Note the use of these for my teachers in direct 1:1 supervision with them.

• How do you use building observation

results/data to plan professional

development for principals and teachers to

improve the quality of instruction?

• What formative and summative assessment

strategies are your teachers using to

determine the needs of students?

• What strategies do teachers use to focus

instruction to ensure student success?

• How do you improve instruction that is not

efective?

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Common Themes Across all 4 Domains: Framework for Observation & Practice

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Common Themes Across all 4 Domains: Framework for Observation & Practice

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Jot down your response in your journal and include the evidence for your response:

High Expectations-

D1- Strategic/Cultural Leadership: Ensure that staff incorporate the school’s vision, mission, and strategic goals in their instructional plans.

D2- Systems Leadership: Consistently complies with federal, state, and local/LEA mandates and presents each so that they are viewed as an opportunity for growth within the school.

D3- Leadership for Learning: Employs a variety of assessments to monitor the effectiveness of professional staff; guides improvement of practice, emphasizing rigorous, relevant, and appropriate instruction and equitable learning experiences.

D4- Professional and Community Leadership: Ensures that professional development within the school is aligned to best practices and the goals and needs of the school while recognizing the unique needs of individual staff members and self.

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Based upon your small group work, what new insights do you have about your school leadership?

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Based upon your small group work, what new insights do you have about your school leadership?

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I am proud to consider myself as having at least 1 strong point in each of the 3 categories. 1. People = Culture Contributor 2. Instruction = Lead by Example/Coaching 3. Organization = Consistency

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What are the skills that an effective school leader must have to lead a high-power teaching and learning community?

Instructional Leadership with real-time coaching.

Strong delegation skills.

Culture Contributor

Capacity to build other teacher leaders.

Validate autonomy to take risks and innovate.

Stay data-driven in decision-making that will improve learning and achievement.

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Share your sentence and why it resonated with you... from the "Follow the Instructional Leader".

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Share your sentence and why it resonated with you... from the "Follow the Instructional Leader".

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If principal supervisors don't see themselves as

coaches, districts are failing to employ a key resource that is already in place in most school systems. (PG. 4 -Leadership)

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How did today’s session deepen your understanding of Act 13 and its implications for you as an instructional leader?

The session allowed me to view the work of my colleagues' districts with the Act 13 process.

I feel that my district is more than headed in the right direction with SPMs and different supervision/evaluation models.

The session made me wonder more about the Principal Observation and Practice evaluation tool and how the Commonwealth is providing growth feedback for our admin.

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My Section: C. standards of use for rating tools (1657).

Identify the basic contents included in this part of the legislation:

-Educator Effectiveness Rating Tools apply to LEAs providing early childhood, elementary, or secondary education across the Commonwealth.

-The rating tools are records for the evaluation of any professional employees and/or temporary professional employees.

-Each rating tool notes specific instructions and forms for documenting the results of the evaluation process, depending on the professional employee’s classification/LEA specificities. These rating tools include Observation and Practice findings and evidence, Student Performance Data (if applicable), Building Level Data (if applicable, comprised of Performance on Assessments, Growth, Attendance, and Graduation Rate), Teacher-Specific Data (if applicable, comprised of Performance on Assessments, Growth, and IEP Goals Progress), as well as LEA Selected Measures, and Performance Goals.

Highlight 3 pieces of information that you believe are important for fellow school leaders to know; and

-A building must have a minimum of two of the four measures to receive a Building Level Score (ex: Assessment, Growth/PVAAS, Attendance, & Graduation).

-LEA Selected Measures must be followed by selecting one of the following measures to assess student performance: (Locally developed rubrics, District-designed measures, and examinations, Nationally recognized standardized tests, Industry certification examinations, Student projects, & Student portfolios.

-Evaluators may include the use of multiple classroom walk-throughs in an academic year to gather evidence and artifacts, provided specific observations are based only on factors that are present or witnessed by the evaluator during the walk-through.

What question do you have regarding this section(s) of the legislation?

-I wonder if the Commonwealth will consider future pay for PA teachers to be based on their evaluation results now that Observation and Practice are weighted heavier.

-I wonder which Principal Observation & Practice Domain seems to see a trend in need of the most improvement for administrators across the Commonwealth? (Strategic/Cultural Leadership, Systems Leadership, Leadership for Learning, Professional & Community Leadership).