1. Instructional rounds: A Practice of Improvement
Liz City
April 25, 2013
"Although social change cannot come overnight, we must always work as though it were a possibility in the morning."
-Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

2. Objectives Understand the “what,” “why,” and “how” of rounds
Leave with a tool or idea you will apply in your practice

3. Today’s Agenda Review objectives and agenda The Instructional Core
What is Instructional Rounds? Why do rounds?
Task
How do we do rounds?
Preparing for rounds: Description, Problem of Practice
Observation, Debrief
Analysis, Prediction, Next Level of Work
So what? Making connections between rounds and your work

4. Introduce yourself and discuss…
Table for 3:
Something you know (or think you know) about rounds.
Table for 4:
Something you want to know about rounds.
Table for 2:
Complete the sentence: “I learn best when . . .”

5. The Instructional Core

6. What’s the work?
The Instructional Core
Student
Teacher
Content

7. Save the Last Word
Text: Instructional Rounds in Education, Chapter 1 (
Groups of 4
Select which of your quotes you would like to share.
Cite page of your quote and give your group members a moment to find the quote
Read passage to group with no commentary
Pause for a moment for each person to think
Each person has ~1 min to comment
Reader has ~2 min to respond – the last word
Repeat for each participant

8. The Instructional Core
Agree?
Aspire?
Argue?
Principle 1: Increases in student learning occur only as a consequence of improvements in the level of content, teachers’ knowledge and skill, and student engagement.
Principle 2: If you change one element of the instructional core, you have to change the other two.
Principle 3: If you can’t see it in the core, it’s not there.
Principle 4: Task predicts performance.
Principle 5: The real accountability system is in the tasks that students are asked to do.
Student
Task
Teacher
Content
Principle 6: We learn to do the work by doing the work.
Principle 7: Description before analysis, analysis before prediction, prediction before evaluation.
In Chapter 1, Instructional Rounds in Education

9. What is (and isn’t) instructional rounds?

10. Classroom observations
Improvement plans
Network

11. What it is and isn’t . . . “Walkthroughs” or “drive-bys
Rounds is descriptive, analytic, inferential
A teacher evaluation tool
NO assessment of individual teachers
Separate the person from the practice; focus on the practice
An implementation check
Rounds focuses on patterns of practice and predicted results, not compliance with directives
Training for supervision
Rounds focuses on collective learning rather than individual supervisory practice—mirror, not window
A “program” or a “project”; an add-on, another initiative among many
Rounds is a practice, designed to support an existing improvement strategy at the school or system level
The way we do the work

12. Graphical overview of rounds process
OBSERVATION/DESCRIPTION
THEORY OF ACTION
PROBLEM OF PRACTICE
ANALYSIS: THEMES/PATTERNS
IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY
NEXT LEVEL OF WORK
PREDICTION: “IF YOU WERE A STUDENT. . .WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW & BE ABLE TO DO. . ?”

13. Sequential Overview of the Rounds Process
Preparatory work with host school and network
Problem of practice development
Logistics
Visit
Problem of Practice
Observation of Practice
Observation Debrief (Describe, Analyze, Predict)
Next Level of Work
Post visit follow-up with host and network
Sharing data
Following up (at host school and network)

14. Why do rounds? Instructional core and task

15. State three ways you could describe the level and type of learning in your school system without using test scores.

16. SIX WAYS OF DEMONSTRATING LEARNING
Level 1: FIND A FACT IN A TEXT IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION
Level 2: REMEMBER SOMETHING SOMEONE ELSE HAS TOLD YOU AND REPEAT IT
Level 3: REMEMBER A PROCEDURE THAT SOMEONE ELSE HAS TAUGHT YOU AND APPLY IT ACCURATELY AND FLUENTLY
Level 4: CHOOSE A PROCEDURE FROM AMONG A NUMBER YOU HAVE LEARNED, APPLY IT ACCURATELY AND FLUENTLY, EXPLAIN WHY YOU CHOSE IT, AND WHY IT MIGHT BE BETTER THAN ANOTHER
Level 5: USING A BODY OF EVIDENCE, MAKE AN ARGUMENT ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK IT MEANS, ANTICIPATE AND RESPOND TO COUNTER ARGUMENTS
Level 6: TEACH SOMETHING YOU THINK YOU KNOW TO SOMEONE ELSE
Program for International Student Assessment,

18. The Instructional Core
Student
Principle 1: Increases in student learning occur only as a consequence of improvements in the level of content, teachers’ knowledge and skill, and student engagement.
Principle 2: If you change one element of the instructional core, you have to change the other two.
Principle 3: If you can’t see it in the core, it’s not there.
Principle 4: Task predicts performance.
Principle 5: The real accountability system is in the tasks that students are asked to do.
Task
Teacher
Content
Principle 6: We learn to do the work by doing the work.
Principle 7: Description before analysis, analysis before prediction, prediction before evaluation.
In Chapter 1, Instructional Rounds in Education

19. Elementary and Middle Schools in SC.
What do you see?
Source: Education Trust; John Holton, South Carolina Department of Education, analysis of assignments from 362
Elementary and Middle Schools in SC.

20. Assignments in14 High Schools in South Carolina
What do you see?
Source: Education Trust; John Holton, South Carolina Department of Education, analysis of English Language Art
Assignments in14 High Schools in South Carolina

21. Why do rounds? A question you have to answer for yourself . . .
My brief answer EKG . . .
Equity—To ensure that ALL children have access to powerful learning no matter which classroom they’re in
Knowledge—To understand what kind of learning is happening in your system
Group capacity—To build a shared language and understanding of powerful learning and teaching

22. Why not do rounds?

23. How do we do rounds? Prepare rounds? Practice rounds?
Description
Problem of practice
Observation
Debrief

24. Developing the Discipline of Seeing
Seeing is a discipline
It’s like a muscle—it gets stronger with repetition
Foundation of our practice 24

25. What do you see?
Choose an image card. Without showing it to your partner, describe what you see on the card. Partners, create an image in your head based on your partner’s description. NOTE: It is okay to use any words you want to describe the image.
Share the card.
Partners:
Does the description match the card?
When you look at the card, what do you see?
How would you describe it?

26. Objectivity Specificity Specific and Judgmental General and Judgmental
Specific and Descriptive
General and Descriptive
Descriptive
Specific
Specificity
General
Adapted from Learning Walkthough Guide, MA Dept. of Elementary & Secondary Education

27. Description with Judgment
“The teacher read from a book that was not at the appropriate level for the class.”
“There was too much time on discussion, not enough time on individual work.”
“The students conducted a sophisticated lab experiment.”

28. Description without Judgment
“Student 1 asked student 2: ‘What are we supposed to write down?’ Student 2 said, ‘I don’t know.’” “Students followed directions in the text to make circuit boards.” “Teacher introduced a writing prompt to students.”
Instructional Rounds, p.85

29. Specificity of Evidence
“Teacher introduced a writing prompt to students.” vs. “Prompt for student essays: “What role did symbolism play in foreshadowing the main character’ss dilemma?”
Instructional Rounds, p. 93

30. Specific and Judgmental
“The teacher read from the book, Oliver Twist, which was not at the appropriate level for the class.”
General and Judgmental
“There was too much time on discussion, not enough time on individual work.”
Objectivity
Specific and Descriptive
“Student 1 asked Student 2, ‘What are we supposed to write down?’ Student 2 said, ‘I don’t know.’”
General and Descriptive
“Teacher introduced a writing prompt to students.”
Descriptive
Specific
Specificity
General
Adapted from Learning Walkthough Guide, MA Dept. of Elementary & Secondary Education

31. Overview of a Rounds Visit
…Problem of Practice
Observation of Practice
Observation Debrief
Describe
Analyze
Predict
Next Level of Work

32. A Problem of Practice…
…focuses on the observations across classrooms on one or two things contained in the core that the school is working on.

33. Describing and Clarifying the Problem of Practice
Host provides problem of practice
Why select it?
Who selects it?
Where does it come from?
What other background do outsiders (visitors) need to know about the problem and what the school/district has been doing to address it?
Visitors ask clarifying questions
About background and context—to get clarity.
About what to look for in classrooms to reflect back to the school on the problem of practice.

34. Problem of Practice
After some initial growth in literacy and math performance, recently student performance on both benchmark and state tests is flattening. Most students are passing, but only half of the students are in the “proficient” category, with few in “advanced” on the state test. We may not be challenging students sufficiently in their daily work.
What tasks are students being asked to do?
What questions do you hear?

35. Video: Practicing Observation
Stick close to the instructional core and focused on the problem of practice
Be specific, descriptive and not evaluative- take detailed notes!
What are students saying and doing?
What are teachers saying and doing?
What is the task?
Video:
Key Elements of Observing Practice: A Data Wise DVD and Facilitator’s Guide
Teaching for Deep Comprehension: A Reading Workshop Approach

36. Overview of the Rounds Visit
…Problem of Practice
Observation of Practice
Observation Debrief
Describe
Analyze
Predict
Next Level of Work

37. Overview of the Rounds Visit
…Problem of Practice
Observation of Practice
Observation Debrief
Describe
Analyze
Predict
Next Level of Work

38. Remember the Problem of Practice!
After some initial growth in literacy and math performance, recently student performance on both benchmark and state tests is flattening. Most students are passing, but only half of the students are in the “proficient” category, with few in “advanced” on the state test. We may not be challenging students sufficiently in their daily work.
What tasks are students being asked to do?
What questions do you hear?

39. Where would you put your evidence?
Judgmental
Specific and Judgmental
General and Judgmental
Objectivity
Specific and Descriptive
General and Descriptive
Descriptive
Specific
Specificity
General
Adapted from Learning Walkthough Guide, MA Dept. of Elementary & Secondary Education

40. Descriptive Debrief On your own: Read through your notes.
Star data that seem relevant to the problem of practice and/or data that seem important.
Select 5-10 pieces of data and write each one on an individual sticky note.
Share with your group:
Help each other stay in the descriptive (not evaluative) voice.
Everyone speaks once before anyone speaks twice.

41. Analysis
Analyze the descriptive evidence in your small group, placing sticky notes on chart paper, grouping them, and labeling groups.
A sticky note can stand alone or be duplicated
What groupings help you make sense of what you saw?
What patterns do you see?
Write statements or develop a model that describe the patterns you found in your data.

42. The Instructional Core
Principle 4: Task predicts performance.
Student
Task
Teacher
Content

43. “Task Predicts Performance.”
Predict what students are learning. If you were a student at this school and you did everything you were expected to do, what would you know and be able to do?

44. Overview of the Rounds Visit
…Problem of Practice
Observation of Practice
Observation Debrief
Describe
Analyze
Predict
Next Level of Work

45. Next Level of Work
Imagine if these data were from your school / district…
Consider…
What resources exist to support improvement?
What initiatives are already in motion?
What 3 detailed suggestions would you make to help the school move instruction to the next level?
Next week
By winter break
By the end of the school year

46. Graphical overview of rounds process
OBSERVATION/DESCRIPTION
THEORY OF ACTION
PROBLEM OF PRACTICE
ANALYSIS: THEMES/PATTERNS
IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY
NEXT LEVEL OF WORK
PREDICTION: “IF YOU WERE A STUDENT. . .WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW & BE ABLE TO DO. . ?”

47. Learnings So what?

48. Instructional Rounds compared to Supervision and Evaluation
Learning stance
Inquiry: Genuinely want to learn something ourselves
Main learners: The observers
Informative: Genuinely want someone else to learn something
 Main learner: The observed
Unit of improvement
Meant to improve the collective (school, system)
Meant to improve the individual
Accountability
Lateral (peer-to-peer)
Positional (top-down)
Output
Next level of work, collective commitments
Evaluative feedback, prescriptions for next steps
Primary focus in the classroom
The instructional core, especially the students and the tasks they’re engaged in.
The teacher
In “Learning from Instructional Rounds,” by Elizabeth A. City,
Educational Leadership, Vol. 69, No. 2, p , October 2011.

49. How is rounds different from walkthroughs?

50. Lessons learned
It’s a practice—it takes practice (lots of repetition!)
Rounds is countercultural—and it’s easy to slip back into the default judgmental culture
The interactions are what matter
Rounds is something to do with teachers, not to them
Rounds by itself is not enough—it needs to be part of an improvement strategy
Rounds is not likely to yield strong results unless you have a clear theory about how rounds leads to desired outcomes
Rounds is a powerful practice—it changes the way people see classrooms, focus their work, and talk

51. Classroom observations
So what for me? For us?
What’s one tool or idea from today that you will apply in your practice? Why?
How does the work of instructional rounds relate to or build upon other improvement processes already under way in your district/school(s)? How could rounds deepen and accelerate your work?
What next?
Classroom observations
Improvement strategy
Network

52. Thank you!