1. Margaret Buckton, Partner Susie Olesen, School Improvement Enthusiast © Iowa School Finance Information Services, 2014 1 October 9, 2014 Special Topics Webinars: School Improvement TLC Round I – what can we learn from early implementers and the leadership research base?

2. Update us with your email address sean.gibson@isfis.net PowerPoint on ISFIS web site at http://sites.google.com/site/iowaschoolfinance/Home/webinar-recordings http://sites.google.com/site/iowaschoolfinance/Home/webinar-recordings Power Point on Skills Iowa web site at http://www.skillsiowa.org/?q=PL http://www.skillsiowa.org/?q=PL Use question pane to pose questions Ask questions. We will find the answer if we don’t know it today. If we don’t answer during the Webinar, we’ll get back to you. This series of 9 webinars pairs with ISFIS conference for one credit hour (15 hours of content) for administrator license renewal This series of 8 webinars pairs with 1 day at the ISFIS office on September 10 for one hour of admin. license renewal Webinar Reminders

3. Dates, Topics and Links to Register Thursday, July 17, 2014, 9 AM – What’s happening in school with students? Thursday, July 17, 2014, 9 AM Thursday July 31, 2014, 9 AM –What’s happening with teachers? Thursday July 31, 2014, 9 AM Thursday, August 14, 2014, 9AM – What’s happening with school leaders? Thursday, August 14, 2014, 9AM Thursday, August 28, 2014 9 AM – Professional Development Thursday, August 28, 2014 9 AM Thursday, September 4, 2014 9 AM – Collaboration Thursday, September 4, 2014 9 AM Thursday, September 18, 2014, 9 AM – Assessment and Data Thursday, September 18, 2014, 9 AM Thursday, October 9, 2014, 9 AM – TLC Model Thursday, October 9, 2014, 9 AM Thursday, October 16, 2014, 9 AM – TLC Model Thursday, October 16, 2014, 9 AM Thursday, October 30, 2014, 9 AM – What’s next in my school? Thursday, October 30, 2014, 9 AM 3

4. Using Webinar Information Later PPT, Recording and related tools posted on the Webinar Page and also the Skills Iowa professional leaning page: http://www.skillsiowa.org/?q=PLhttp://www.skillsiowa.org/?q=PL Itemized list of contents is searchable. Find what you need when you need it via Google search box Use PPT or information with leadership teams or with PLCs or data teams to get the conversation going Content for school improvement meetings Or shoot us an email and we’ll send you what you need. 4

5. Agenda Making the case for teacher leadership (review of the previous webinars through this lens) Research based on teacher leadership TLC review: timeline and the must haves Exemplars and other resources Plan amendments submitted by Early Implementers Applying this learning in your school/districts Assignment 5

6. This Series Last Three Sessions: Data and Information Professional Development Collaboration

7. Data and Information Multiple measures of student learning – Summative – Interim – Formative Data about what’s possible in the areas you want to improve, locally and from other places What’s going on in our classrooms? – What are teachers doing? – What are students doing? – What are they reading? – What kind of questions are they asking and being asked? What should be going on in our classrooms? Implementation of new instruction – Frequency – Fidelity

8. Professional Development to Improve Instruction The Iowa Professional Development Model

9. Collaboration Peer coaching piece of the Iowa PD Model PLUS – Digging into the theory behind new instruction – Observing models of new instruction – Rehearsing new instruction – Analyzing student work – Planning lessons based on student work – Studying implementation of new instruction – Etc.

10. What is the potential for engaging teacher leaders in all three of these areas (PD, Collaboration and Data/Information?) or put another way... Can these efforts happen effectively without teacher leadership?? Can teacher leadership be effective without these three supports?? Aligned PD system Collaboration for student learning Data and information

11. Research on Teacher Leadership 11

12. Sebastian Wren and Diane Vallejo Effective Collaboration between Instructional Coaches and Principals Effective Collaboration between Instructional Coaches and Principals Be careful coaches’ job descriptions aren’t too broad, so they can actually do it! “It is appropriate to expect coaches to take on a few different roles and responsibilities as instructional leaders, but those roles should be relatively few, very clear, and highly prioritized.” Provide ongoing support for the coaches. If you want to realize the potential of teacher leaders, they must be supported personally and professionally. Expect the principal and coach to have a supportive, ongoing, communication rich relationship. “… (W)e feel strongly that the principal and the coach must work shoulder to shoulder with a shared vision for the school. Based on our experience, we would argue that communication, peer coaching (coach to principal and principal to coach), and collaboration are essential to the sustained health of the school culture.”

13. Bruce Joyce and Beverly Showers Student Achievement Through Staff Development “…coaching appeared to contribute to the transfer of training into classroom practice) in these ways.” Student Achievement Through Staff Development Coached teachers: practiced new strategies more often and with greater skill than uncoached educators with identical initial training adapted the strategies more appropriately to their own goals and contexts than did uncoached teachers who tended to practice observed or demonstrated lessons retained and increased their skill over time – uncoached teachers did not were more likely to explain the new models of teaching to their students, ensuring that students understood the purpose of their strategy and the behaviours expected of them demonstrated a clearer understanding of the purposes and use of the new strategies. The frequent peer discussions about them, including lessons and materials design, seemed to enable them to ‘think’ with the strategies in ways which uncoached teachers never showed.

14. Jim Knight Studying the Impact of Instructional Coaching Studying the Impact of Instructional Coaching “Teachers who were supported by an instructional coach used the teaching routine more than teachers who only attended a professional development workshop.”

15. Teacher Leadership Principles and Practices Alma Harris and Daniel Muijs “…Teacher leadership is not just concerned with teachers developing individually but a central role of teacher leaders is one of helping colleagues to try out new ideas and to encourage them to adopt leadership roles (Lieberman, et al, 2000). “Research has consistently underlined the contribution of strong collegial relationships to school improvement and change. Little (1990) suggests that collegial interaction at least lays the groundwork for developing shared ideas and for generating forms of leadership. “Rosenholtz (1989) argues even more forcibly for teacher collegiality and collaboration as means of generating positive change in schools. Collaboration is at the heart of teacher leadership, as it is premised upon change that is enacted collectively.”

16. TLC Review: Goals, Timelines and Must Haves 16

17. TLC System Implementation (in HF 215 and on DE’s web site )web site Goals: attract and retain effective teachers promote collaboration reward professional growth and effective teaching improve student achievement by strengthening instruction Planning Grants: $3.5 million available in 2013 Phased-in Entry: $50 million available per year for the 2014-15, 2015-16, and 2016-17 school years

18. TLC Grant Year II Application Timeline October 31: applications due December 19: target date for DE announcement on plan approval School districts that applied in Year 1 and scored in the “high” category (8,9,10) have the opportunity to “lock in” their scores for those specific sections of the application. The “cut score” will remain at 73. The Commission will approve plans for entry in 2015-16 and 2016- 17 in December 2014. If a district submits its application by October 31, 2014 and scores a 73 or above, the district’s plan will be approved for funding for either the 2015-16 school year or the 2016-17 school year. From DE Website: Teacher Leadership and Compensation Year Two Application Process Updates

19. TLC Must Haves All plans in the comparable model must include the following: (1)minimum salary of $33,500 for all full-time teachers; (2)increased support for new teachers; (3)differentiated, multiple teacher leadership roles; (4)rigorous selection process; (5)aligned professional development system.

20. What do you think on this list of must haves holds the greatest promise for improving instruction and student learning? Support new teachers Teacher leader roles Rigorous selection process Aligned PD system Min salary $33,500

21. Exemplars and DE Resources 21

22. DE TLC exemplars This link takes you to the narratives of each section as submitted by those districts found to be exemplars. Exemplars under 1,000 students: https://www.educateiowa.gov/sites/files/ed/docu ments/2014-03-10ApplicationPartSamples- DistrictsUnder1000.pdf https://www.educateiowa.gov/sites/files/ed/docu ments/2014-03-10ApplicationPartSamples- DistrictsUnder1000.pdf The second group is districts with enrollment above 1,000: https://www.educateiowa.gov/sites/files/ed/docu ments/2014-04-14ApplicationPartSamples- DistrictsOver1000.pdf

23. Exemplars are important Commission contains the same pairs reading each application. Use as references to help you write your plan (as well as requested amendments) School size distinction may prove helpful but don’t ignore exemplars of all sizes Improve upon the work that’s gone before

24. Other Resources 24

25. Plan Amendments So far, 2/3 of the 39 districts have requested amendments to their original TLC plan What themes emerge in the amendment requests? What requests are not being approved by the DE?

26. TLC Amendment Themes Increased flexibility (moved to comparable plan from either instructional coach or framework) Addition of TL Positions, stipends or days – $200 stipend for teachers on the site-based review council – Added ½ FTE to coordinate mentoring (was under Dir. of PD, but that plate was too full) – Added Instructional Technology Coach – Added more days for teacher leader positions to more align supplemental pay with existing stipend (instructional coach from 10 to 20 days, mentor/model teachers from 5-10 days, increased mentor/model supplement from 5-10 days) – Match Instructional Coach stipend to Model teacher, curriculum leader (from $4,000 to $7,000)

27. TLC Amendment Themes Pull back from anticipated leadership positions (perhaps temporary) – Leave 2 model teacher positions unfilled (will recruit for next year) – Have Curriculum/PD leader co-teach one course to continue concurrent enrollment opportunity for students – Added language to allow teacher leader positions to be shared due to not enough applications – Request permission for less than 25% of teachers to be in leadership position due to lack of applications and rigorous selection process – Code teacher replacement costs rather than teacher leader costs to TLC, use general fund, special education or Title I funding as appropriate. – Change mix of classroom and teacher leader time – Only 15 applicants for 24 leadership positions. Site Based Review Committee will meet in Fall to consider another round of applications – Qualified applicant levels below leadership plan: hired 3 of 19 applicants for Curriculum/PD leaders, 22 apps for 15 instructional coach positions but only hired 13, of 80 model teacher positions receive 38 applicants, opened up second round of applications, of 59 apps, selected 51 for MT – so well short of full plan anticipated leadership positions.

28. TLC Amendment Themes Budget Issues – Teacher replacement costs less than budgeted: add 1 FTE instructional coach, one curriculum/ PD literacy coach at secondary, instructional math coach at elementary, $1,000 stipend for TLC planning team, provide 0.5 day sub per teacher per semester to visit model classrooms – Supplement TLC budget with $5,000 from current mentoring supplemental budget – Language change from leadership position applicants being reviewed rather than interviewed (less work for the interview team especially for 96 model classrooms) – Since fewer model teachers were hired, increased budget for increased PD instead – Hired replacement teachers for lower costs than anticipated: shifted money to PD and resources for teacher leaders – Budget was insufficient to cover travel costs between buildings for shared TL’s – added mileage line item.

29. TLC Amendment Themes Transitional issues: Continue using existing mentoring funds to keep mentors with new teachers for a second year as the district plans transition (existing mentors didn’t apply to be new mentors) Denied Amendment Requests (so far) – Asked for permission to hire with less than 3 years teaching experience. Statute requirement with no DE waiver authority. – Requested $103,707 out of PD and Contingencies to spend on supplies, materials, computers, office furniture and other supplies: DE states this is beyond what is intended in “other costs” category.

30. Our thoughts Lack of TL applicants may be about culture or communication of intentions Rigorous selection process is good, but current staff may need some additional training and support to meet the expectations Go back to the basics of the Iowa Professional Development Model: Collective study of data. Narrowed focus related to improving instruction in areas of need. Effective training model (collaboration is one element of the IPDM). Study of implementation. Constant study of data to determine where to go next. Make student learning the conscious intended outcome.

31. Assignment Details for Recertification Credit What three big ideas would should you consciously include in your district’s Teacher Leadership and Compensation plan? What impact do you expect these three ideas to have on student learning? 31

32. Additional Resource Watch for the next School Improvement Booster, October edition, on effective coaching and teacher leadership! Access the Booster on Assessment on the publications tab of the Skills Iowa Web site here: http://www.skillsiowa.org/?q=publicationshttp://www.skillsiowa.org/?q=publications

33. 33 Questions or Comments? Margaret Buckton, ISFIS – Partner Cell: 515-201-3755 margaret.buckton@isfis.net Susie Olesen, ISFIS School Improvement Enthusiast Cell: 641-745-5284 susie.olesen@isfis.net Iowa School Finance Information Services 1201 63 rd Street Des Moines, IA 50311 Office: 515-251-5970 www.isfis.net