1. Harnessing the Power of Teacher Leaders
Fort Bend ISD Secondary Curriculum Coordinators
Susan Voradakis – Social Studies
Perri Segura – Science
Trisha Peterson – Math
Sue Tull – ELA
Sharon McGlaun – “Retired”
TSSSA Conference – March 30, 2007

2. Fort Bend ISD Suburban District – southwest of Houston
Secondary Schools:
10 High Schools
12 Middle Schools
2 Alternative Campuses

3. You might be a coordinator if you…
Write curriculum
Create assessments
Read, research, and attend conferences
Organize district staff development
Train teachers, department chairs, administrators
Attend meetings
Mentor teachers, department chairs, administrators
Lead meetings
Facilitate, lead, and serve on committees
Read, research, and attend conferences….
Survey audience about their job areas.
K-12 v. Secondary only
More than one content area
How many schools?

4. What is the expected outcome?
Understanding of CIA?
Implementation of state/district curriculum?
Data-driven decision making?
Improved test scores?
Teacher success?
Student Success?

5. Reality
Campuses sometimes operate in reactive rather than proactive mode (constant remediation of students rather than instruction).
Busy administrators provide little instructional leadership or expectations.
Teachers are expected to “collaborate” before or after school, or they work in isolation.
Data does not impact instruction.
Students do not reach their potential.

6. …School culture and supervision tend to ignore or
divert teachers from implementing and
continuously improving their mastery of effective
instructional and assessment practices. We don’t
commonly see teaching, followed by assessment,
then adjustment to practice on the basis of assessment
results. Isolation masks the starkly different results
achieved by different teachers.
- Mike Schmoker, Results Now

7. Think Pair Share
How do you make the TEKS the focus of classroom instruction and assessment?
How do you bring about systemic change within a content area, grade level, and school?

8. The good news is that we know what to do.
Education research has equipped us with
abundant evidence on instructional and
leadership strategies that are likely to result
in improved student achievement.
– Doug Reeves, “Closing the Implementation Gap”

9. Effective Practice Marzano – High Yield Strategies DuFour – PLC
Schmoker – Collaborative Planning
Gardner – Learning Styles
Tomlinson – Differentiated Instruction
McTighe & Wiggins - UBD
And many others …

10. Putting It All Together: One High School’s Results
2005 TAKS
Met Standard at Panel Rec.
2006 TAKS
Difference
9th Grade Math
41%
26%
-15
10th Grade Math
30%
42%
+12
11th Grade Math
49%
64%
+15
10th Science
23%
35%
11th Science
44%
54%
+10
10th Social Studies
72%
76% +4
11th Social Studies
85%
93% +8
9th ELA
74%
78%
10th ELA
52%
80%
+28
11th ELA
83%
86% +3

11. Discuss the slide with your neighbor.
Write down any questions that you have based on the data.

12. The purpose of the presentation is to demonstrate
how to make a difference at the campus level by –
1. Impacting teachers directly, through teacher leaders. These leaders, rather than coordinators or other administrators, relay information and implement district expectations.
2. Implementing the TLC model of collaborative planning, deeper understanding of the curriculum, and reflective practices that drive instruction.
1. Making a difference on the campus level means impacting the teachers directly – not relying on dc’s and administrators to relay information, explain district expectations, etc. Coordinators can’t do it alone, so leadership capacity must be developed.
2. The TLC model contains specific components that include collaborative planning, deeper understanding of the curriculum, and reflective practices that drive instruction.

13. Teacher Leadership Corps
TLC
Teacher Leadership Corps

14. History of the Program Beginnings Year 1 – one school
Year 2 – four schools
History of WHS
Changing demographics of area; constantly losing students to new schools
Turnover of teachers and administrators caused a lack of structure
Sharon – ½ time
There were no “go-to” people to call upon for instructional leadership
Real change could not be affected from the central office.
One person could not create all of the momentum for change.
Needed to attract strong teachers to become leaders

15. TLC Campus Structure
This model is designed specifically to support improvement in TAKS scores. It will also benefit campuses if the state transitions to EOC’s.
The model could easily be adapted to address any target areas. For example, if a school wants to improve their AP program, the teams could change to AP-based membership.

16. Self Reflection Do you have a similar structure?
What do team leaders do?
Do teams meet regularly?
What is the focus of the meetings?
Do teachers grow, does instruction improve, are student scores going up as the result of team meetings?
Sue will share her HHS experience.
Some high schools do not have a true forum for instructional meetings. Belonging to a team is foreign concept in many secondary settings.
No group discussion

17. How is TLC Different?
“I have been a part of small learning communities
which addressed cross curricular learning themes
to motivate students and staff. This TLC initiative is
different as it affects students by affecting
teachers’ instruction. That can be a sensitive area
for the unwilling. However, it is the most powerful
and most necessary. Mediocre instruction
produces mediocre students. We owe ourselves
and our students more than that.”
- TLC Teacher

18. Goals of TLC Short term - Improve student achievement on TAKS
Long term – Focus on TEKS and enhance classroom instruction
Long term – Develop effective peer coaching networks to support teachers and students.
This model is an instructional model, not a quick fix for TAKS. If you cover TAKS objectives with content and skills warm-ups, packets, and review games, this model won’t address your needs.

19. Tools of TLC Curriculum Calendar with target student expectations
Collaborative Team Planning Form – focus on TEKS
Mini Assessments – collect information on impact of instruction
Data Reporting Forms – collect data to determine next course of action
The model contains four main components. Take from this what will apply in your district. You may already have one piece, but need help in another area.

20. Target SE’s Develop team curriculum calendar for entire year
Identify areas for improvement –target SE’s
Plot target SE’s for specific instruction and assessment on team calendar
Can’t fix all problems, but have to start somewhere
Refer to Tic TAKS chart
Discuss criteria for identifying target SE’s

21. Sample Calendar

22. Collaborative Team Planning Process
Teams meet at least once per week
Not just lesson planning
Collaborating/discussing instruction
Creating time in the schedule does not create buy-in or understanding

23. Focused Collaborative Team Planning
Date: Team:
Teachers/Administrators in Attendance:
Reflections:
What worked last week and what didn’t?
Why? And now what?
Student Expectations:
Which one of the tested TEKS are you going to focus on this week? Write it out.
Analysis of TAKS Assessment:
How was this Student Expectation tested on TAKS?
What did you learn by looking at the tested items?
What skills must be used by students to successfully answer the items?
Teacher Assessment:
How will you continuously determine whether your students learned what was expected at the level of TEKS/TAKS?
Will you give a mini-assessment? If so, attach the items.
Teaching Strategies:
What teaching strategies will you use to move students to the level expected of them on TAKS?
Activities:
What do you expect the students to do?
Monitor and Adjust:
What will you do if the students do not learn it?

24. Students must relate amendments to their historical context
Teachers/Administrators in Attendance:
Reflections:
What worked last week and what didn’t?
Why? And now what?
Students did poorly on warm-up questions covering 13th, 14th, 15th amendments. The warm-ups did not include direct instruction.
Student Expectations:
Which one of the tested TEKS are you going to focus on this week? Write it out.
US 18B - Evaluate various means of achieving political rights, including the19th, 24th, and 26th amendments.
Analysis of TAKS Assessment:
How was this Student Expectation tested on TAKS?
What did you learn by looking at the tested items?
What skills must be used by students to successfully answer the items?
Teacher Assessment:
How will you continuously determine whether your students learned what was expected at the level of TEKS/TAKS?
Will you give a mini-assessment? If so, attach the items.
03,04,06 – 2/3 questions use cause/effect; 1 question uses excerpt and inferencing
Students must relate amendments to their historical context
Cause/effect; inference; drawing conclusion
Teaching Strategies:
What teaching strategies will you use to move students to the level expected of them on TAKS?
Review/reteach, or teach cause/effect,inferencing, drawing conclusions; review amendment purpose and process; review 13th-15th; introduce 19th, 24th, 26th
Activities:
What do you expect the students to do?
Students will choose a suitable Thinking Map organizer that demonstrates cause/effect context for amendments (13th,14th, 15th, 19th, 24th, 26th).
Monitor and Adjust:
What will you do if the students do not learn it?
Determine which amendments are confusing to students; develop interactive timeline to review Civil Rights amdmts
Follow-up:
List any follow up responsibilities or materials needed and the person responsible for each.
Voradakis – locate questions
McGlaun – adjust calendar

25. Instructional Activities
Sample Lesson Plan
Week: April 2 - 6
Instructional Activities
Monday - Tuesday
Objectives
TEKS: Civil Rights Objectives
TAKS:
8.17B/US7A –Trace the historical development of the civil rights movement in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries including the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments
US 18B - Evaluate various means of achieving political rights, including the 19th, 24th, and 26th amendments.
Procedures:
Review the results of mini-assessment with students. Have students explain why the distractors are incorrect.
Skills mini-lesson: C/E, Inferencing, Drawing Conclusions - Jarrett book pp. 3 – 10
Content Lesson: Civil Rights Amendments
Station Rotation – each amendment
Foldable – flip book on amendments
C/E Thinking Map – each amendment
Assessment(s): Mini Assessment
Show implementation of ctp discussion.

26. Mini Assessments TAKS Format Limited to 1-2 SE’s 4-5 questions each
Every 3 weeks
Can be integrated into regular test or as a stand alone assessment
Can be formative or summative
Determine “passing” standard (compare to TAKS)
Team decides on rules for administration of tests
Team decides on passing standard depending on identified factors.

27. Data Analysis Everyone sees everyone’s data
Discuss the results and the reasons for the results
Identify remediation strategies and incorporate into upcoming lesson(s)
Sample in folder

28. “This is definitely the most rewarding program I
have ever been a part of. In looking at what the
team has accomplished so far this year: segmenting and
adapting the curriculum to fit the needs of the students;
incorporating best practices…, aligning our team
goals…, pinpointing problem areas and adapting our
teaching to those needs, I can truly say that TLC has
brought our department a long way.”
- TLC Teacher

29. Lead TLC
Monitor progress of teams through collecting documentation, meeting with teams, conducting walk-throughs, etc.
Provide support for TLC teachers
Liaison between campus and district administrators

30. Role of Administrators
Provides vehicle for legitimate instructional leadership
Attend team meetings
Monitor implementation through focused walk-throughs
Provide accountability for all team members

31. NCREL recommends, based on research on
schools that are making the most progress
with improving student results, that schools
provide teachers with three hours of
collaborative time each week.
– SMART Goals

32. Other Components & Issues
TAKS Support
Coaching
Scheduling

33. District Support Structure

34. CAMPUS Meetings DISTRICT Meetings
Team TLC
Lead TLC
“Buddy”
Coordinator
TLC
Lead weekly team mtgs.
Attend weekly campus TLC mtgs.
Attend district TLC mtgs.
Attend training
Attend weekly team mtgs.
Lead weekly campus TLC mtgs
Attend district lead TLC mtgs.
Attend weekly campus TLC mtgs
Lead district TLC mtgs.
Attend coordinator mtgs.
Meet with each TLC
Lead district lead TLC mtgs.
Lead coordinator mtgs.
Teachers are not working in isolation.

35. Teachers must be clear about the connection
between their own learning and improvements in
student learning.
– Joan Richardson, “Think Outside the Clock”

36. Growing Our TLC’s Book Study Weekly Team Meetings
Share successes
Discuss difficulties
Lessons in Leadership
Effective Classroom Instruction Training
Content Area Trainings
Set a district standard and focus.
Are you still using PDAS to guide expectations for classroom instruction?

37. Met Standard at Panel Rec.
Reflections
2005 TAKS
Met Standard at Panel Rec.
2006 TAKS
Difference
9th Grade Math
41%
26%
-15
10th Grade Math
30%
42%
+12
11th Grade Math
49%
64%
+15
10th Science
23%
35%
11th Science
44%
54%
+10
10th Social Studies
72%
76% +4
11th Social Studies
85%
93% +8
9th ELA
74%
78%
10th ELA
52%
80%
+28
11th ELA
83%
86% +3

38. Additional Resources TLC Program Outline TLC Glossary
TLC Program – Use of TLC Period
Sample Curriculum Calendar
Collaborative Team Planning Form
Mini Assessment Data Form
Mini Assessment Reflections
Planning Considerations
Tic TAKS Forms – Grades 10 & 11
Resource List