1. Southern Regional Education Board Gaining Momentum for School Improvement with High Schools That Work HSTW Forum Pheasant Run Resort St. Charles, Illinois March 15, 2011 Lois Barnes SREB/HSTW Lois.barnes@sreb.org 1 Welcome!

2. Southern Regional Education Board Do Now! Draw a Pig! Use a pen or pencil and the page in your handout to draw a pig. Draw the entire pig, not just the head. Do not glance at others’ drawings! You will have a couple of minutes to draw your pig. 2

3. Southern Regional Education Board Session Objectives Network with other HSTW sites on common issues affecting school improvement and brainstorm strategies and measures for evaluating the success of those strategies, using case studies and a new HSTW Six- Step Model for School Improvement Planning. Identify and implement actions for sustaining and growing the HSTW initiative in their schools Integrate the SREB/HSTW Habits of Success into advisement, academic and CTE curriculum to improve students’ academic success.

4. Southern Regional Education Board Essential Question What strategies can we use to help more students reach their full potential? How do HSTW schools continue to gain momentum for school improvement initiatives, particularly in a climate of budgetary restraints?

5. Southern Regional Education Board If the pig is drawn:  Toward the top of the paper, you tend to be a positive, optimistic person.  Toward the middle of the paper, you tend to be a practical, realistic person.  Toward the bottom of the paper, you may look at the pessimistic side too often.  Facing left, you tend to believe in tradition, are friendly and remember dates, including birthdays.  Facing right, you tend to be innovative, creative, energetic and active, but perhaps forgetful.  Facing forward, looking at you, you tend to be direct, enjoy debating different ideas and viewpoints and are at ease with ideas and discussions. more……=> 5

6. Southern Regional Education Board If the pig is drawn:  With many details, you may be analytical, careful, thoughtful and deliberate in making decisions.  With few details, you may be ruled by emotion more than by thought, enjoy risk taking and prefer action as opposed to planning. With four legs showing, you tend to be secure, self- confident, well-grounded and loyal to your ideals.  With fewer than four legs showing, you are seeking or are experiencing a period of major change in your life.  With small ears, you may not be as good a listener as you would like to be.  With large ears, you are a good listener. 6

7. Southern Regional Education Board Teambuilding “What’s in a Name?” Lois Barnes

8. Southern Regional Education Board Skills for a Lifetime: Teaching Students the Habits of Success 8 Section 1: The case for teaching the habits of success — research supporting the need Section 2: Approaches for teaching the habits of success — three examples from successful schools Section 3: Model lessons and activities — tools teachers can use now to embed the habits into their classrooms Three sections to walk schools through a process for creating their own system to teach the habits of success:

9. Southern Regional Education Board Jigsaw Reading The Habits of Success 9

10. Southern Regional Education Board Jigsaw Reading - The Habits of Success Read the following excerpts: #1’s – “Chapter 1 –Connecting High School to Students’ Talents, Interests…. #2’s - “The Case for Teaching the Six Habits of Success” and habits 1 and 2 #3’s – Habits 3 and 4 #4’s – Habits 5 and 6 10

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13. Southern Regional Education Board Creating Positive, Productive Relationships Two central principles: “One, positive change cannot occur in isolation. In order for children to feel supported, the whole class, as well as the teacher, must be cheering for them, and believing transformations can occur. And two, classroom power has to be shared among its members. Children are more likely to work hard at learning if they’re included in the process of running the classroom and making decisions.” Adults set the tone for the class, but students have a voice…” From: Belonging: Creating Community in the Classroom 13

14. Southern Regional Education Board Creating Positive, Productive Relationships – Four Key Topics Getting to Know Each Other Involving Students in Extracurricular Activities Understanding How Families Support Academic Success Team Building 14

15. Southern Regional Education Board Creating Positive, Productive Relationships - Strategies Journaling “Check In” Message Center “Worst Case Scenario” (Analyze This) My Motto Cooperative Learning Teamwork Strategies Please and Thank You – How to Ask, How to Appreciate Teamwork Scoring Guide ( see handout) Administrative Speeches Formal Introductions Extra Curricular Fairs, Participation Intro to Conflict Management 15

16. Southern Regional Education Board Learning to Study, Manage Time and Get Organized - Strategies Study Environment Agenda Planners (handout pp. 7-9) Agenda Reviews “Check-In” Where Is It? Backpacks, Notebooks, Lockers Two-Column (Cornell) Note-taking “Study Buddies” Teaching Test Prep Tips for Taking Notes Class Performance rubric/checklist Teaching Test Types Listening Skills/Habits 16

17. Southern Regional Education Board 17 Improving Reading and Writing Skills Literacy Skills Reading Writing Speaking Listening Observing

18. Southern Regional Education Board Literacy Across the Curriculum

19. Southern Regional Education Board A Baker’s Dozen of Literacy Strategies Any Teacher Can – and Should – Use 1.Double entry or two column notes 2.Admit slips/Exit slips 3.ReQuest 4.Interactive CLOZE 5.Anticipation Guide/ Pre-learning Concept Checks 6.Jigsaw reading 7.Paired Reading 8.GIST 9.KWL charts 10.Graphic organizers (i.e. Frayer) 11.Riddle Me 12.RAFT 13.Readers Theater 19

20. Southern Regional Education Board Improving Mathematics Skills Focus on: Active Student Participation Development of number and operation sense in mathematics The use of many representations in developing knowledge and skills Helping students learn to communicate about mathematics The use of graphing calculators and computers in mathematics learning 20

21. Southern Regional Education Board Quotes Poker Deal out all cards to team. Each person: Look at the quotes in your hand and select one or two that you consider particularly relevant. Share your favorite quote(s) with your team. Each team: Form your “best hand” of five cards that are meaningful to the team as a whole. How can schools help students set and achieve goals?

22. Southern Regional Education Board Sample Journal Prompts – Goal Setting There is only one thing that feels worse than being ready and not having opportunity knock…and that’s having opportunity knock and not being ready. Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare. If you wait to do everything until you’re sure you’re ready, you’ll probably never do much of anything! If you can DREAM it, you can DO it. –Walt Disney We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is nothing but a habit. – Aristotle The future depends on what we do in the present. – Mahatma Gandhi Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. – Michael Jordan Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you Yes, risk-taking is inherently failure-prone. Otherwise, it would be called sure-thing-taking. 22

23. Southern Regional Education Board Goal Setting and Planning - Strategies Journals Quotes for Journals Agenda/Planner Check In Sports Analogies: “Goal Line” “Half Time in the Locker Room” “Score!” weekly celebrations SMART Goals Being WISE Goal Grid Create Class Goals Career Planning and College Planning Activities 23

24. Southern Regional Education Board Being WISE about Goal Setting A goal doesn’t do the actual work for students ; it just helps them focus. Have students work in teams to brainstorm personal traits that help people reach their goals. Discuss ways of staying on track with goals. Students can create a master list and their own acronyms as a mnemonic device. One example is WISE: »Will power »Initiative »Stamina »Enthusiasm! 24

25. Southern Regional Education Board GOAL GRID ACADEMIC GOAL WEEK _________ Write your goal and be able to prove it is... Specific I will _________________________________________________ Measurable by _________________________________________________ Action-Oriented by _________________________________________________ Realistic _________________________________________________ Timetable within _________________________________________________ This is what I will add:This is what I will give up: This is my support system:This is my reward: …and this is the motto that will inspire me when I want to give up:

26. Southern Regional Education Board Accessing Resources On-Campus Resources: College/career center, testing center Counseling offices Media Center Computer labs Distance Learning Lab Homework or Learning Center In-school suspension and/or alternative programs Peer tutoring Peer mediation Health clinic, school nurse School Resource Officer 26

27. Southern Regional Education Board Accessing Resources Community Resources 100 Black Men of America ASPIRA (Puerto Rican and Latino Community Technology Centers) Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Boy Scouts of America Faith-based organizations’ programs GREAT (Gang Resistance Education and Training) INROADS Junior Achievement Kiwanis La Raza (mentoring and tutoring for Hispanic youth) Lions Club Museums Upward Bound YMCAs/YWCAs 27

28. Southern Regional Education Board Review : Placemat (Frayer) Activity 28

29. Southern Regional Education Board http://publications.sreb.org/2010/10V 25_Skills_for_a_Lifetime_Intro.pdf 29

30. Southern Regional Education Board Ordering Skills for a Lifetime Foreword and Introduction are available at www.sreb.org www.sreb.org Printed copies cost $12 each or $10 each for orders of 10 or more. They can be ordered: online — (www.sreb.org) by phone —(404) 879-5536 by e-mail — publications@sreb.orgpublications@sreb.org

31. Southern Regional Education Board Continuous Improvement Top Down Peer-to-Peer Bottom Up Outside-in Perspectives Important to School Continuous Improvement 31

32. Southern Regional Education Board  Recognize that there is a problem.  Be specific in defining the problem.  Recognize that there is a problem.  Be specific in defining the problem.  What factors contribute to the problem?  Which are the major factors?  What factors contribute to the problem?  Which are the major factors?  What are the desired outcomes?  What are major process changes?  How will results be measured?  What are the desired outcomes?  What are major process changes?  How will results be measured?  What proven practices are to be implemented?  Consider advantages, disadvantages, obstacles, solutions and resources required.  What would ideal implementation look like?  What proven practices are to be implemented?  Consider advantages, disadvantages, obstacles, solutions and resources required.  What would ideal implementation look like?  Implement organizational and schedule changes.  Assign and train team facilitators.  Assign tasks and responsibilities.  Implement selected strategies, review and adjust as needed.  Document implementation.  Implement organizational and schedule changes.  Assign and train team facilitators.  Assign tasks and responsibilities.  Implement selected strategies, review and adjust as needed.  Document implementation.  Was goal achieved?  Were desired outcomes obtained?  Re-evaluate problem and begin process again.  Was goal achieved?  Were desired outcomes obtained?  Re-evaluate problem and begin process again. Use data to inform the process A Brief Introduction: Six-Step Process for Addressing School Improvement Challenges 32

33. Southern Regional Education Board Content Area Literacy Learning Teams Literacy Learning Facilitators Literacy Focus Team Facilitators English Facilitator English Learning Team Science Facilitator Science Learning Team Social Studies Facilitators Social Studies Team Elective Facilitator Math Team Monthly meetings to review and adjust implementation Three-to-five days of initial training and monthly additional training as needed for facilitators Weekly instructional planning meetings led by facilitator; demonstration classrooms Weekly meetings to discuss progress and challenges Monthly webinars to provide curriculum and instruction PD as needed Conduct weekly classroom observations with feedback  Applies six-step process to develop improvement plan, utilizing this structure for implementation- Monthly coaching visits to classrooms Monthly meetings to review learning teams’ progress Principal SREB Coach District Coach Trainers Creating a Structure Continuous Professional Development Math Facilitator Elective Teacher Learning Team

34. Southern Regional Education Board Using Data to Inform the Process Data informs the entire process, from identifying the problem and its root causes to selecting strategies and evaluating results. Useful sources of data include: HSTW and Middle Grades Assessments State assessment data, SAT, ACT, Work Keys Course failure rates, AP participation, college remediation rates. Attendance rates, dropout rates, discipline problems Using Data to Inform the Process Data informs the entire process, from identifying the problem and its root causes to selecting strategies and evaluating results. Useful sources of data include: HSTW and Middle Grades Assessments State assessment data, SAT, ACT, Work Keys Course failure rates, AP participation, college remediation rates. Attendance rates, dropout rates, discipline problems Using the Six-Step Process Achieving success for each student requires a cyclical, data-driven process. After recognizing that a problem exists, schools must clearly define the problem, identify possible causes, set goals, select strategies, take action and evaluate results. The process repeats itself, either by re- evaluating the problem and starting the process again or by continuing on to address a new problem. Using the Six-Step Process Achieving success for each student requires a cyclical, data-driven process. After recognizing that a problem exists, schools must clearly define the problem, identify possible causes, set goals, select strategies, take action and evaluate results. The process repeats itself, either by re- evaluating the problem and starting the process again or by continuing on to address a new problem. What strategies are available to achieve success for each student? What are the advantages and disadvantages, obstacles and solutions, and resources required to implement major changes in school and classroom practices? What would ideal implementation look like? How will implementation be measured? What strategies are available to achieve success for each student? What are the advantages and disadvantages, obstacles and solutions, and resources required to implement major changes in school and classroom practices? What would ideal implementation look like? How will implementation be measured? Identify the problem Identify possible causes Set goals Select strategies Take action Evaluate results  Recognize that there is an achievement problem.  Be specific in defining the problem.  Recognize that there is an achievement problem.  Be specific in defining the problem.  What factors contribute to the achievement problem?  Which are the major factors contributing to the achievement problem?  What factors contribute to the achievement problem?  Which are the major factors contributing to the achievement problem?  What do you want to accomplish? Outcome goals? Process goals?  What will be measured to evaluate the results?  What do you want to accomplish? Outcome goals? Process goals?  What will be measured to evaluate the results?  Assign tasks and responsibilities.  Implement selected strategies.  Document implementation.  Assign tasks and responsibilities.  Implement selected strategies.  Document implementation.  Was the goal achieved? Were the strategies implemented as intended? Were desired outcomes obtained?  Re-evaluate the problem and make improvements to the process.  Was the goal achieved? Were the strategies implemented as intended? Were desired outcomes obtained?  Re-evaluate the problem and make improvements to the process. Achieving Success Data Six-Step Process for Addressing Challenges in Achieving Success for Each Student 34

35. Southern Regional Education Board Case Studies: Gaining Momentum for School Improvement Directions:  Divide into five multi-school teams.  Begin at the station that corresponds to your group’s “number.”  Review the case study at each station and brainstorm the problems, possible causes, goals, strategies, steps and evaluation criteria.  Share your school’s best practices in this problem area as your group discusses each case study. 35

36. Southern Regional Education Board Critique of the Six-Step Process 1.Are specific performance and process problems identified? 2.Are specific possible causes identified? 3.Are specific performance and process goals set? 4.Are specific strategies - changes in practice that need to occur - identified? Resources? Implementation measures? Is ongoing professional development embedded to address the specific problem, causes and changes needed? 5.Have action steps been identified? 6.Does the plan include evaluation of results (performance and process results)?

37. Southern Regional Education Board Reflections – Closure and Commitment 3-2-1 Exit Ticket: 3 - steps you will take to share today’s best practices ideas and strategies with other staff at your school 2 – ways ISBE and Lois can help you to continue to build momentum for school improvement through the HSTW network 1 – most valuable point (MVP) you are taking away from this session

38. Southern Regional Education Board Thank you for participating! Enjoy the conference! Lois Barnes SREB/HSTW 615-423-1588 Lois.barnes@sreb.org