1. Building the Capacity of Schools to Meet Student Needs
Pedro A. Noguera, Ph.D.
New York University

2. Turning around under performing schools: Understanding the difference between technical and adaptive work
Technical work - A focus on managing the operations of the system, insuring that procedures are working and that employees are in compliance with policy.
Adaptive work - A focus on the dynamic and complex nature of the work, its substance, meaning and purpose. Work guided by a long term vision, with medium and short term goals. An awareness that we are trying to achieve our goals in a constantly changing environment
Ron Hiefitz - Leadership on the Line
Schools sometimes lack capacity (e.g. data). Our work focuses on this lack of capacity. The level of support can be at a very basic level. Other times it is adaptive – often schools/districts are not rational. They do things because it is the way it’s always been done (idiosyncratic). Before beginning the work we need to get to know the system…strengths/weaknesses. Understanding what they are capable of. TACD – root cause.

3. Key Adaptive Questions:
What does it take to educate the children you serve?
How do they learn at home?
How do they use literacy and math?
What are they interested in?
What challenges do they and their parents face?
What are their unmet needs that may impact learning?
What are their dreams and aspirations?

4. Building Capacity Requires:
Clear understanding of student needs
Academic and non-academic needs
Ability to understand what your staff needs to be effective in meeting student needs
Ability to identify, access and utilize resources to meet student needs
A plan for creating a culture that is aligned to your school’s goals
A plan for engaging your parents as partners to reinforce educational goals
Our work is mainly capacity building. Understanding in a broad sense what are the needs of the district…know academic needs (e.g. data) and non-academic (e.g. survey). Often the students in special ed and suspended have non-academic needs.
The student outcomes is always due to the adult’s issues. Adults are blaming someone but not owning up to their faults. In the mind of the educator there is always a reason why things are the way they are….hence, the blame game.
Focus on capacity building and acknowledge work that’s working that is not capacity building (e.g. tutoring in Denver).
Culture – relationships, etc…

5. Group Discussion
How can you and your staff learn about your students needs and interests?
How can you use this information to develop programs, curriculum and instructional strategies?
How will you learn about the community where your school is located?

6. Building school capacity requires an understanding of how to:
Build partnerships between schools, local government and CBOs in response to:
Health and social needs of children – PS 188
Extended learning plan aligned to the academic plan - PS 28 Brooklyn, NY;
Professional development for teachers based on student needs – Serving ELLs at Edison Elementary School in Portchester, NY, Multicultural HS
Ability to implement and modify reforms based upon demonstrated effectiveness
Literacy across the curriculum at Brockton HS

7. PS 28 obtains highest gains in literacy and math in Brooklyn -2012

8. Brockton scholarship winners 2012

9. Capacity Building
Intervene early and effectively in response to academic and social needs
Minneapolis 3rd grade drop-out prevention plan
Personalize the learning environment – PS 12, Academy of Business and Technology, Bronx
Use of data systems to monitor performance
Implement interventions to meet student needs
Engage parents in effective partnerships that reinforce child development and learning
Partnerships focused on learning needs - McCormick Middle School, Boston
Addressing parent needs – Eagle Academy

10. Building School Capacity
Teaching and Learning
Extended Learning
Safety, mentors
Community partners
Family
engagement
Health and Nutrition
Having a broader view on servicing students

11. II. Identifying and Responding to Student Needs: What does it take to educate the children you serve?
Analyze student achievement data
What do the patterns reveal?
Work with teachers to develop tools for diagnostic assessment
Talk to parents and students about their needs and interests
Work with social workers, nurses and CBOs to identify non-academic needs
What are the challenges confronting their families and neighborhoods?

12. Developing Professional Development Strategies in Response to Student Needs
Achievement data will suggest areas where your staff needs to concentrate
Conduct regular classroom observations to get a sense of your teachers’ strengths and weaknesses
Look for evidence of learning
Engage senior teachers in peer mentoring
Provide new teachers opportunity to observe effective teachers
Ask teachers what kinds of training and assistance they need
Bring teachers together on a regular basis to analyze student work

13. Teaching and Learning
We want teachers to see teaching and learning as connected activities: teach the way students learn
Use teaching strategies that foster engagement – Socratic seminars, debate, project based learning
Focus on evidence of mastery of skills and knowledge
Focus on performance – what can our students do?
Class time must be on-task work time for students, direct instruction kept to a minimum

14. Culturally Responsive Teaching
They make expectations and standards explicit by modeling and exposing students to high quality work
They utilize diagnostic tools to check for understanding
They learn about their students interests in order to make their lessons culturally relevant
They focus on motivation and engagement by soliciting feedback and questions from students
They analyze student work with a focus on evidence of competence and mastery

15. III. The role of the principal in developing school capacity?
Provide the vision: keep the big picture clear:
Why are we doing this?
What will we achieve?
Share the vision to achieve “buy-in”
Use data to help staff understand the challenges facing your school
Staff, students and parents must understand the vision and their role in achieving it
Develop a plan with clearly delineated roles and responsibilities for parents, students, teachers and staff

16. Role of Principals continued
Help staff to understand why certain practices and strategies are important
Create conditions that enable teachers to be successful
Stay focused on morale and quality control in all aspects of your school
Take responsibility for maintaining a safe and orderly environment
Work on team building, model respect and a willingness to cooperate
Keep systems working - maintenance, operations

17. Characteristics of Effective Principals
Function more like coaches than generals
Lead by example
Share leadership, do not make themselves indispensable - Your work is secondary to the most important activity in the school: teaching
Know their students and staff well
Know parents and the community well
Find balance between flexibility and decisiveness: willingness to collaborate and willingness to make tough decisions

18. Skills Needed by Principals
Instructional leadership
Knowledge of finance and budget management
Public relations
Human Resources
Data management/analysis
Strategic planning
Knowledge of social welfare service delivery

19. Reflection:
Which of the skills needed by principals do you have already?
How have your past experiences and training prepared you for a leadership role?
What do you regard as the necessary steps for building support for school change?

20. IV. Obstacles to School Improvement
School policies and practices are at odds with academic goals
Ineffective discipline - over reliance on suspension, failure to address underlying causes of behavior problems, discipline not connected to educational goals and character development
Inability to utilize your most effective teachers
Too many teachers are isolated
Inability to achieve consensus and “buy-in” among key stakeholders on plan for change

21. III. Developing School Culture: Focus on Students
Create opportunities for students to display leadership at school
Solicit student ideas for school improvement
Provide opportunities for leadership
Cultivate attitudes and habits that promote academic achievement
Confidence and competence
Self discipline, self motivation
Organizational and study skills
Implement extra-curricular programs that help in developing these traits: Chess, Robotics, Poetry

22. Developing a Student Centered School Culture
Adopt rituals and practices that reinforce core values
Develop an advisory system with clear guidance to teachers on how to use the time
Devise strategies to break and counter race and gender-based stereotypes
Teach code switching
Create an environment where racial identity and achievement are not linked - Is it cool to be smart?

23. Focus on Teachers and Staff
Use achievement data to make it clear why change is necessary
Set bench marks
Analyze patterns
Hold a retreat with staff to set goals and devise plans on how to achieve them
Must find ways to win “buy-in”
Provide training in how to relate to parents and build strong relationships with students

24. Key Principles:
Develop partnerships with service providers to address unmet non-academic needs
Health, nutrition, counseling, etc.
Maintain quality control in interventions through ongoing evaluation
Title I and Special Education
Adhere to key principles:
Kids who are behind must work harder and longer under better conditions
Improving the quality of teaching is the most effective way to raise student achievement
Look for evidence of learning when evaluating teaching

25. Key Questions When Developing a School’s Culture:
What will it take to educate your students?
What are their academic and social needs? What challenges do they face?
What skills and resources are needed to meet their needs?
How will you achieve “buy-in” from staff, students and parents?
What practices and rituals will serve as the basis for your school’s culture?

26. IV. Close the Gap Between Parents and School
Engage parents in partnerships to support students based on respect and shared interests
Initiate contact before problems arise
Design a variety of activities to engage parents throughout school year for parents
Hire personnel who have cultural competence and are effective at working with parents

27. Basic Requirements for Building Strong Relationships Between Parents and Schools
Must be based on a recognition of mutual need, responsibility and respect
Must be based on the recognition that all parents can help their children
Must b e based upon understanding and empathy for the situation confronting parents and families
Schools need personnel who can communicate effectively with parents - language and cultural skills
Are We Ready for Parental Involvement?
What if parents are unhappy with quality of the school?
Tolerance for tension and some degree of conflict is necessary

28. Keys to Success
Staff understands the external pressures students face and have devised ways to counter the pull of the streets
gangs, teen pregnancy, pressure to work
Strategies for helping students to plan and think concretely about their future are in place
Code switching is taught explicitly
Adoption of social skills that make adults in authority feel at ease
Learning to code switch
Speech, dress, demeanor