1. Introductions & Welcome!
Binder with Materials
Parking - across the street
& Web Page
Future Dates
October 30 & November 1
January 23 & 24
March 12 & 13

2. Essential Outcomes
Applying effective school research for Continuous Improvement
Utilize PLC as model for AR teams
Clarifying Core Values
Action Research/PDSA to implement the SIP

3. Agenda For Today! SIP PLC Harris Poll Data Where have we been?
Review work from ‘06-’07
Where are we going?
The Vision
Effective Schools Research
How will we get there?
SIP
PLC
Harris Poll Data

4. Where have we been? PDSA SIP School Plan on a Page
Review work from ‘06-’07

5. Action Research Overview for Professional Learning Communities
Pre Planning: Identification of Need
1. Develop/Review Student Learning Expectations
2. Examine alignment of learning expectations with assessments
3. Review assessment data
4. Identify areas of need based on assessment
Plan:
1. Describe the current process for addressing the identified area of need (flow chart)
2. Review data to determine baseline performance in the specific area identified
(Run Chart/Pareto Diagram)
3. Identify potential root causes contributing to the identified area of need
(Cause & Effect Diagram, 5 Why’s, Relations Diagram)
4. Study research-based best practice/improvement theory addressing areas of need
Action Research
Overview
for
Professional
Learning Communities DO
1. Plan for implementation of improvement theory (Force Field Analysis, Action Plan)
2. Implement research-based best practices improvement theory based on root causes according to the Action Plan
3. Monitor the implementation of research-based best practice/improvement theory to insure integrity and fidelity 4. Assess student learning
Act:
1. Standardize the implementation of research-based best practice (improvement theory) that improved student learning (revise the flow chart to reflect changes made to the system)
2. If improvement theory was unsuccessful continue the PDSA cycle (try another improvement theory based on the next identified root causes)
Study:
1. Examine student assessment results (compare to baseline)
2. Assess the impact of research-based best practice/improvement theory on student achievement

6. How will we address those struggles this year?
Thinking about school improvement this past year… what’s in your “top 3”?
Top 3 Successes
Top 3 Struggles
How will we address those struggles this year?

7. Where are we going? The Vision
Effective/High Performing Schools Research

8. Why?
To Provide rigor and relevance for all students as opposed to a system that selected and sorted students
A different set of core knowledge is necessary – 21st Century skills
Global Competition
Elimination of unskilled jobs
Advancement in technology

9. 9 Common Characteristics of Successful Schools From: What we know about successful school leadership (2003). - American Education Research Association (AERA)
Clear and Shared Focus
High Standards and Expectations
Effective School Leadership
High Levels of Collaboration & Communication
Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment Aligned with Standards
Frequent Monitoring of Teaching and Learning
Focused Professional Development
Supportive Learning Environment
High Levels of Community and Parent Involvement

10. Blue Ribbon Schools Criteria
Student Focus & Support
Challenging standards, curricula
Active teaching & learning
School Organization and culture
Professional community
Leadership & educational vitality
Family & community relations
Indicators of academic success

11. Factors Influencing Achievement
1. Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum Challenging Goals and Effective Feedback Parent and Community Involvement Safe and Orderly Environment Collegiality and Professionalism
School
Teacher
6. Instructional Strategies
7. Classroom Management
8. Classroom Curriculum Design
Student
9. Home Environment
10. Learning Intelligence/ Background Knowledge
11. Motivation
Marzano

12. Characteristics that Guide Student Achievement High Performing Schools
Common mission, vision, values and goals.
Ensuring achievement for all students with systems for prevention and intervention.
Collaboration focused on teaching and learning.
Using data to guide decision-making and continuous improvement.
Gaining active engagement from family & community
Building sustainable leadership capacity.

13. Nine Central Characteristics of High Performance in Schools
International Center for Leadership in Education Willard R Daggett, Ed. D
Instruction focused on student’s interests, learning styles, & aptitudes through a variety of small learning community approaches.
Unrelenting commitment to excellence for all students
Commitment of resources & attention to 9th grade students.
Rigorous and relevant twelfth grade year.
Laser-like focus on data at the classroom level to make daily instructional decisions for individual students.
High-quality curriculum & instruction that focuses on rigor and relevance.
Provide students with adults with whom they can develop personal relationships and be allowed the opportunity to use reflective thought.
Professional development focused around a limited number of high-impact initiatives.
Solid and dedicated leadership.

14. The Vision for Your School Beginning with the end in mind
First, identify and list the common elements in the models.
Secondly, make a list of characteristics that will serve as the vision of your high performing school.
20 minutes

15. Key Question: Are those elements present and to what degree?
In the CRCSD?
In your school?
In the classroom?

16. Driving the Vision What are the drivers? Plan Page SIP teams
Elements of effective schools in your Plan on a Page
SIP teams
Elements in SIP
Using PDSA for improvements
How effective are your SIP teams?
Quality Levels

17. Let's
Take a
Break!

18. How will we get there? PDSA process Bridge from ARDT teams to PLC
Refine group process
Framework for group procedures
Common language

19. What is a Professional Learning Community?
How would you explain the concept of a professional learning community?
Maybe include:
The purpose
The organization
The tasks
If time, review the PLC article in the resources section
5 minutes

20. Professional Learning Community Model
Focus on Learning rather than Teaching
Work Collaboratively
Hold yourself accountable for the results

21. PLC Crucial Questions What do we want each student to learn?
How will we know when each student has learned it?
How will we respond when a student experiences difficulty in learning?

22. Student Crucial Questions
What do I need to know?
Where am I now?
How do I get there?
What happens if I fail?

23. PLC Core Principles (Big Ideas & Core Values)
Ensuring that students learn
Learning for all
A Culture of Collaboration
Teamwork
Focus on Results
Data-Driven Decisions

24. Characteristics of Professional Learning Communities
Shared mission, vision and values.
The foundation of a learning community
Collective commitment
Collective Inquiry
The engine of improvement
Collaborative Teams
Share a common purpose & structure
Action Orientation & Experimentation
PDSA
Continuous Improvement
The heart of a learning community
Discomfort with status quo

25. Action Research Overview for Professional Learning Communities
Pre Planning: Identification of Need
1. Develop/Review Student Learning Expectations
2. Examine alignment of learning expectations with assessments
3. Review assessment data
4. Identify areas of need based on assessment
Plan:
1. Describe the current process for addressing the identified area of need (flow chart)
2. Review data to determine baseline performance in the specific area identified
(Run Chart/Pareto Diagram)
3. Identify potential root causes contributing to the identified area of need
(Cause & Effect Diagram, 5 Why’s, Relations Diagram)
4. Study research-based best practice/improvement theory addressing areas of need
Action Research
Overview
for
Professional
Learning Communities DO
1. Plan for implementation of improvement theory (Force Field Analysis, Action Plan)
2. Implement research-based best practices improvement theory based on root causes according to the Action Plan
3. Monitor the implementation of research-based best practice/improvement theory to insure integrity and fidelity 4. Assess student learning
Act:
1. Standardize the implementation of research-based best practice (improvement theory) that improved student learning (revise the flow chart to reflect changes made to the system)
2. If improvement theory was unsuccessful continue the PDSA cycle (try another improvement theory based on the next identified root causes)
Study:
1. Examine student assessment results (compare to baseline)
2. Assess the impact of research-based best practice/improvement theory on student achievement

26. Where are we now?
Assess the current status of your SIP goal (Action Research team) prior to next meeting

27. Deciding to enter into a quality process in education is not because good things are not happening but because of a desire to have good things happen regularly, consistently, and predictable at every level of the school system. Random acts of excellence have little effect on the desired strategic results.
~Margaret Byrnes

28. Cedar Rapids Community School District
Using Harris Survey Data to Drive Improvements

29. Team work time Planning for Action Research/PDSA implementation
What are your team’s next steps?
Teams & Timeline?
When will teams meet? How often?

30. Announcements & Wrap-Up
To Do List
PLC audit
Article
Harris data
Other announcements
Quality Level Deployment Tool
Quality Liaison
Staff Development Update
Evaluation/feedback for today’s meeting