1. Breaking Ranks II : Strategies for Leading High School Reform TM Welcome to Breaking Ranks II Beginning the Conversation

2. Introductions  Your name and position.  A positive about Hanson Schools. 2

3. 3 Goal To help ensure your continued success in serving each student well.

4. 4 Systems “All organizations are perfectly designed to produce the results they get.” - Peter Senge, The Fifth Discipline

5. 5 Breaking Ranks II 1996 2004

6. 6

7. 7 School Culture

8. 8  7 Cornerstone Strategies help schools strategize about entry points for implementing recommendations.  31 Recommendations indicate specific goals for improving student outcomes.  3 Core Areas Themes that cluster recommendations keep the big picture in focus. Breaking Ranks II Organization

9. 9 Seven Cornerstone Strategies 1. Establish the essential learnings 1. Establish the essential learnings a student is required to master in order to graduate, and adjust the curriculum and teaching strategies to realize that goal.

10. Seven Cornerstone Strategies 2. Increasequantity quality of interactions 2. Increase the quantity and improve the quality of interactions between students, teachers, and other school personnel by reducing the number of students for which any adult or group of adults is responsible. 10

11. Seven Cornerstone Strategies comprehensive advisory program 3. Implement a comprehensive advisory program that ensures that each student has frequent and meaningful opportunities to plan and assess his or her academic and social progress with a faculty member. 11

12. Seven Cornerstone Strategies variety of instructional strategies 4. Ensure that teachers use a variety of instructional strategies and assessments to accommodate individual learning styles. 12

13. 13 Seven Cornerstone Strategies schedules flexible students learn most effectively teacher teaming and lesson planning 5. Implement schedules flexible enough to accommodate teaching strategies consistent with the ways students learn most effectively and that allow for effective teacher teaming and lesson planning.

14. Seven Cornerstone Strategies meaningful involvement in decision making 6. Institute structural leadership changes that allow for meaningful involvement in decision making by students, teachers, family members, and the community and that support effective communication with these groups. 14

15. Seven Cornerstone Strategies schoolwide comprehensive, ongoing professional development program Personal Learning Plans of staff 7. Align the schoolwide comprehensive, ongoing professional development program and the individual Personal Learning Plans of staff members with the content knowledge and instructional strategies required to prepare students for graduation. 15

16. 16 Collaborative Leadership Core Area 1  Involve others in the change process through collaboration, review of data, and professional development.

17. 17 Personalization Core Area 2 ♥ Provide opportunities for students to build relationships with adults and peers, and between themselves and what they learn.

18. 18 Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment Core Area 3 ►Build relationships between students and ideas ► Rigorous & Essential Learnings ► Student-centered ► Applied to real world ► Engaging

19. Why Break Ranks? 19

20. How well does your school serve each student? 20

21. 21 The Moral Imperative “We’ll compare our performance to any of the surrounding high schools.” “That could never happen at our school.” “We have some of the best test scores around.” “Our school is above average in every standardized measure.” “Our drop out rate is acceptable.”

22. 22 Why Break Ranks? Source: Tom Mortenson, Research Seminar on Public Policy Analysis of Opportunity for Post Secondary, 1997. College Graduates by Age 26

23. 23 What Happens to Entering 9 th Graders Four Years Later… Greene & Winters 2005 29 % Drop out of high school 34 % Graduate from high school college-ready 37 % Graduate from high school NOT college-ready

24. 2007 SD Graduation Rates 24 All Students88% Female89% Male88% White92% Black78% Asian92% Native American61% Hispanic70% Economically Disadvantaged 80%

25. Hanson High School 2007 Graduation Rates 25 All Students92% Female92% Male92% White92% BlackNA AsianNA Native AmericanNA HispanicNA Economically Disadvantaged 90%

26. 26 Why Break Ranks? Even as some students are achieving less, the economy is demanding more from them.  Jobs requiring a college degree are the fastest-growing sector of the economy  Over a lifetime, a college graduate will earn nearly $1 million more than a high school dropout

27. 27 Why Break Ranks? The Job Market 50 Years Ago:  20% Professional  20% Skilled Labor  60% Unskilled Labor

28. 28 Why Break Ranks? Today’s Job Market:  20% Professional  65% Skilled  15% Unskilled

29. 29 Emerging Careers  Artificial Intelligence Technician  Automobile Fuel Cell Battery Technician  Cyrbarian  Image Consultant  Information Broker  Medical Diagnostic Imaging Technician  Neuromarketing Gary Marx. Ten Trends: Educating Children for Tomorrow’s World. 2003

30. 30 Changing Literacy Demands  Between 1996 and 2006, the average literacy required for all American occupations is projected to rise by 14%.  The 25 fastest growing professions have far greater than average literacy demands.  The 25 fastest declining professions have lower than average literacy demands. Barton, P.E. (2000).

31. 31 Rate of Change Willard Daggett: International Center for Leadership in Education, 2006 To achieve 25% penetration rate in U.S. homes … Telephone – 35 years Television – 26 years Personal Computer – 16 years Internet – 7 years Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) – 3 years

32. 32 NCLB New era of accountability  Schools held to new standards  Required to reach all students

33. 33 Why Break Ranks? “The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.” Michelangelo

34. 34 Collaborative Leadership Core Area 1  Involve others in the change process through collaboration, review of data, and professional development.

35. 35 What Does it Take? How did you get to be as good as you are?

36. 36 “A leader is someone you willingly choose to follow to a place you would not go by yourself.” - Joel Barker Leadership

37. 37 “Leadership is a reciprocal relationship between those who choose to lead and those who decide to follow.” - Kouzes & Posner Leadership

38. 38 Leadership “Leadership focuses on the future, management focuses on the present.” - Joel Barker

39. Leadership and Teamwork “The fact that the captain of the ship can clearly see the port is of no use if the crew continues to paddle in a different direction.” ~ Author Unknown 39

40. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team  Absence of Trust  Fear of Conflict  Lack of Commitment  Avoidance of Accountability  Inattention to Results

41. Mastering Conflict Artificial Harmony Mean-Spirited Personal Attacks ConstructiveDestructive Ideal Conflict Point

42. The Abilene Paradox When groups take action that contradicts what the members of the group silently agree they want or need to do.

43. 43 Vision Skills + Incentive + Resources + Action Plan + CHANGE Managing Complex Change

44. 44 Vision Skills + Incentive + Resources + Action Plan + Confusion Managing Complex Change

45. 45 Vision Skills + Incentive + Resources + Action Plan + Anxiety Managing Complex Change

46. 46 Vision Skills + Incentive + Resources + Action Plan + RESISTANCE Managing Complex Change

47. 47 IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT’S IMPORTANT THEN EVERYTHING IS IMPORTANT IF EVERYTHING IS IMPORTANT THEN YOU TRY TO DO EVERYTHING IF YOU TRY TO DO EVERYTHING THEN PEOPLE EXPECT YOU TO DO EVERYTHING AND IN TRYING TO PLEASE EVERYBODY THEN YOU DON’T HAVE TIME TO DETERMINE WHAT’S IMPORTANT WHAT’S IMPORTANT? Arthur Combs Teacher College Record 1978 WHAT’S IMPORTANT

48. 48 Vision Skills + Incentive + Resources + Action Plan + FRUSTRATION Managing Complex Change

49. 49 Vision Skills + Incentive + Resources + Action Plan + TREADMILL Managing Complex Change

50. 50 Vision Skills + Incentive + Resources + Action Plan + CHANGE Managing Complex Change

51. 51 Task 1: Needs of adolescents Task 2: Reasons kids join gangs or “gang- like” groups Task 3: Reasons kids come to school Brainstorm as many ideas as you can …

52. 52 Personalization Core Area 2 ♥ Provide opportunities for students to build relationships with adults and peers, and between themselves and what they learn.

53. 53 “To teach each student well requires that we know each student well.” ~ Theodore Sizer

54. 54 “Students need to make a strong connection to an adult they can see themselves becoming.” ~ Author Unknown

55. 55 Personalizing the School Environment “On any given day, I think every adolescent is at-risk in some way. How many schools approach such concerns with purposeful, planned and progressive awareness- building, educational, and intervention strategies in place as opposed to trying to deny these realities or being caught in a reactive, crisis-oriented position?” ~ Marnik (1997)

56. 56 Personalization A learning process in which schools help students: Assess their own talents and aspirations, Plan a pathway toward their own purposes Work cooperatively with others on challenging tasks Maintain a record of their explorations, and Demonstrate their learning against clear standards in a variety of media, All with the close support of adult mentors and guides.

57. 57 Core Area Clusters Collaborative Leadership Curriculum Instruction Assessment Personalization Student Performance

58. 58 Rigor At All Levels Students can do no better than the assignments they are given. Dr. Katie Haycock, Education Trust

59. 59 How rigorous is the course?  How deeply are students required to delve into the subject matter?  How independently are they required to think and work?  Are they required to integrate new knowledge w/prior knowledge & apply this sum in new settings?

60. 60  Are students required to be evaluative of their own learning and performance?  Are they required to weigh and judge the credibility of what they are told/taught?  Are they required to examine knowledge and issues from a variety of points of view? Teacher Leaders Network How rigorous is the course?

61. 61 Guidelines for a Rigorous Curriculum It is authentic?  Product-oriented  Quality standards set in advance  Requires application of skills  Open-ended and problem-based

62. 62 Guidelines for a Rigorous Curriculum It is thoughtful and reflective?  Requires analysis, synthesis, evaluation  Has multiple outcomes  Requires new ways of thinking  Judged on quality criteria and evidence

63. 63 Guidelines for a Rigorous Curriculum It is uncomfortable?  Creates dissonance in learner  Uses real-world problems  No clear answer; only high quality ones  Requires new behavior, skills and learning  Entertains the possibility of failure

64. 64 Guidelines for a Rigorous Curriculum It is individualized?  Permits student to pursue interests  Is differentiated  Provides support  Requires self-evaluation

65. 65 10 th Grade Writing Assignment Many novels center on the struggle between man and himself. Write an essay in which you discuss this struggle as it relates to a character from one of this semester’s readings. Which aspect of the character wins the struggle? Support your point of view with evidence from the novel.

66. 66 10 th Grade Writing Assignment (same school, different section) Write a three paragraph essay describing the major accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Be sure to proofread your work. Neatness counts.

67. 67 Four Conditions for Student Success With The “Hard” Stuff 1. Success seems feasible.  “I’m smart enough.”  “The teacher has understandable explanations for the ‘hard’ stuff.”  “Extra help is available if I need it.” 2. Lessons seem relevant. 3. Adults are supportive and resolute. 4. Peers are supportive.

68. Rigorous the quality of being unyielding or inflexible

69. Myths and Reality We Create From Data 69

70. 70 DATA DATA  The membership of sports teams, leadership groups, honors classes and clubs draws from the same 45% of the student body. What conclusions might be drawn from this?

71. 71 DATA  Less than 20% of parents respond to communication from the school. What conclusions might be drawn from this?

72. 72 Data, Needs, Causes  What data do we have?  What additional data do we need and how do we get it? Do the data point to cause?  What do the data tell us?  What are the root causes?

73. 73 Important and Useful Data A 1. Won 41; lost 39 2. Second place in the Division 3. Record away from home was 18 wins and 22 losses (league avg. was 13-27) 4. Team beaten in the second round of the playoffs B 1. Team averaged 102 points per game 2. Team gave up 99 points per game (league avg. = 94) 3. Team percentage shooting = 48.2 (league avg. = 46.1) 4. Team 3 point percentage shooting = 39.2 (league avg. = 34.5) C 1. Team averaged 12.6 turnovers (league avg. = 14.2) 2. Team free throw percentage = 67.3 (league avg. = 75.2) 3. Team averaged 39 rebounds per game, 16 offensive, 23 defensive (league avg. 13.4; 26.6) 4. Team committed 47% of its fouls in the 4th quarter. D 1. Team practices 3 hours per day, 75% of which is on offense. 2. Each team member shoots approximately 50 free throws per day. 3. In a 48 minute game, the five starters averaged 37, 42, 38, 35, and 35 minutes of play. 4. Pre season two a day practices last a shorter time than for most teams 5. There is unrest among the reserves.

74. 74 Important and Useful Data Which data do you think are the most important to the team’s stakeholders?

75. 75 Important and Useful Data A 1. Won 41; lost 39 2. Second place in the Division 3. Record away from home was 18 wins and 22 losses (league avg. was 13-27) 4. Team beaten in the second round of the playoffs B 1. Team averaged 102 points per game 2. Team gave up 99 points per game (league avg. = 94) 3. Team percentage shooting = 48.2 (league avg. = 46.1) 4. Team 3 point percentage shooting = 39.2 (league avg. = 34.5) C 1. Team averaged 12.6 turnovers (league avg. = 14.2) 2. Team free throw percentage = 67.3 (league avg. = 75.2) 3. Team averaged 39 rebounds per game, 16 offensive, 23 defensive (league avg. 13.4; 26.6) 4. Team committed 47% of its fouls in the 4th quarter. D 1. Team practices 3 hours per day, 75% of which is on offense. 2. Each team member shoots approximately 50 free throws per day. 3. In a 48 minute game, the five starters averaged 37, 42, 38, 35, and 35 minutes of play. 4. Pre season two a day practices last a shorter time than for most teams 5. There is unrest among the reserves.

76. 76 Important and Useful Data Which data would be the most useful to help the team improve?

77. 77 Important and Useful Data A 1. Won 41; lost 39 2. Second place in the Division 3. Record away from home was 18 wins and 22 losses (league avg. was 13-27) 4. Team beaten in the second round of the playoffs B 1. Team averaged 102 points per game 2. Team gave up 99 points per game (league avg. = 94) 3. Team percentage shooting = 48.2 (league avg. = 46.1) 4. Team 3 point percentage shooting = 39.2 (league avg. = 34.5) C 1. Team averaged 12.6 turnovers (league avg. = 14.2) 2. Team free throw percentage = 67.3 (league avg. = 75.2) 3. Team averaged 39 rebounds per game, 16 offensive, 23 defensive (league avg. 13.4; 26.6) 4. Team committed 47% of its fouls in the 4th quarter. D 1. Team practices 3 hours per day, 75% of which is on offense. 2. Each team member shoots approximately 50 free throws per day. 3. In a 48 minute game, the five starters averaged 37, 42, 38, 35, and 35 minutes of play. 4. Pre season two a day practices last a shorter time than for most teams 5. There is unrest among the reserves.

78. 78 Important and Useful Data A A data “Big Picture” data Usually determined by policy or legislation Usually ranked data Important to stakeholders Not very useful to educators Summary B & C B & C data “Targeted” data Usually determined by District Usually not important to stakeholders Important and useful to educators to target NEEDS D D data “Causal” data Usually determined by principal & teachers Usually not important to stakeholders Extremely important and useful to educators to explain A, B, & C data and focus school improvement

79. 79 Assessment Literacy  The ability to gather dependable student data.  Capacity to examine student data & make sense of it.  Ability to make changes in teaching & in schools derived from those data.  Commitment to communicate effectively & engage in external assessment discussions. - Michael Fullan

80. 80 “You don’t fatten your cattle by weighing them.” - Jonathan Kozol

81. 81 For Incremental Change Emphasize relationships Establish strong lines of communication Be an advocate for the school Provide resources Maintain visibility Protect teachers from distractions Create a culture of collaboration Look for and celebrate success From: MCREL Meta-Analysis on Leadership

82. 82 For Substantial Change Shake up the status-quo Hold everyone’s feet to the fire Propose new ideas Operate from strong beliefs Tolerate ambiguity and dissent Talk research and theory Create explicit goals for change Define success in terms of goals From: MCREL Meta-Analysis on Leadership

83. 83 “You have to change enough quickly enough so that gravity can not drag you back.” ~ Theodore Sizer

84. 84 Change is good! You go first. - Michael Fullen

85. 85 Climate for Change “This is the current program.” “This is what we’re going to do instead.” 1 The new thing

86. 86 Climate for Change “This is the current program.” “And this is what we’re going to do instead.” 2 The new thing

87. 87 Climate for Change “This is the current program.” “And this is what we’re going to do instead.” 3 The new thing

88. Breaking Ranks II: Strategies for Leading High School Reform88 TYING IT ALL TOGETHER Challenge or Goal Collaborative Leadership Personalization Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment High Schools That Work

89. 89 IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT’S IMPORTANT THEN EVERYTHING IS IMPORTANT IF EVERYTHING IS IMPORTANT THEN YOU TRY TO DO EVERYTHING IF YOU TRY TO DO EVERYTHING THEN PEOPLE EXPECT YOU TO DO EVERYTHING AND IN TRYING TO PLEASE EVERYBODY THEN YOU DON’T HAVE TIME TO DETERMINE WHAT’S IMPORTANT WHAT’S IMPORTANT? Arthur Combs Teacher College Record 1978 WHAT’S IMPORTANT

90. 90 Priorities  What are our highest priorities for improving student performance?  What are our highest priorities for serving each student well?

91. Reflection  When you tell others about these three days… what will you say? 91