1. Ellen Goldring Department of Leadership, Policy & Organizations Peabody College, Vanderbilt University Pathways to Effective Schools

2. How to Approach School Improvement?

3. Agenda What are effective school correlates?What are effective school correlates? What are specific examples?What are specific examples? Why are they important?Why are they important? What can I do about them as a school leader?What can I do about them as a school leader?

4. Correlates of Effective Schools

5. The Journey Towards Effective Schools 1960’s era of social inequality1960’s era of social inequality –Students of color and children in poverty –Wide gap in educational attainment and drop out Coleman report: Equality of Educational OpportunityColeman report: Equality of Educational Opportunity –School resources and conditions do not explain the gap –Family circumstances strongest predictor of student achievement

6. Response to Coleman: What does explain student achievement? Open the window (black box) into schoolingOpen the window (black box) into schooling –School processes and features that consistently lead to high student achievement for students at –risk –Compared high achieving and low achieving schools with students from similar family backgrounds: outliers THE RESULT: Effective School Correlates or Pathways to School ImprovementTHE RESULT: Effective School Correlates or Pathways to School Improvement

7. School Improvement and Effectiveness Correlates Factors or correlates work togetherFactors or correlates work together School is the unit of improvement: schools matter!School is the unit of improvement: schools matter! Continue to evolve to meet current context, expectations, and needs of studentsContinue to evolve to meet current context, expectations, and needs of students The principal can influence all the factorsThe principal can influence all the factors Research has continued to inform practicesResearch has continued to inform practices

8. School Effect? Classroom? Teacher? The Student? Consistent-Coherent-Planned School-wide priorities, culture, practices, procedures, programs –everywhere, everyplace everyone NOT pockets of excellence

9. Correlates of Effective Schools

10. 1. Clear and Focused Mission Original: Articulated, common mission; Focus on academic missionOriginal: Articulated, common mission; Focus on academic mission Current: Clearly guides and drives actions and decisionsCurrent: Clearly guides and drives actions and decisions –High standards for all students –Rigorous learning goals –Accountability –Involvement of the whole school community –Measurable goals for student learning and academic progress. –Guides the daily practices and decisions of all stakeholders –Unity and clarity of purpose –Learning focus for all –teachers too

11. Example of Clear and Focused Mission Respect All, Value All

12. 2. Safe and Orderly Environment (Supportive Culture ) Initial: Discipline, physical and emotional safety, school climate that allowed learning—absence of behaviors not-conducive to learningInitial: Discipline, physical and emotional safety, school climate that allowed learning—absence of behaviors not-conducive to learning Current: Culture of support and responsivenessCurrent: Culture of support and responsiveness –Collaborative cultures, community of learners –Professional communities focused on student learning, de-privatized practice and reflective dialogue –Effective professional communities are deeply rooted in the academic and social learning goals of the schools

13. Examples of Safe and Orderly Climate (Supportive Culture) 1. Learning Communities : Question and challenge teaching practices –Respect but question creative contributions and passions of individuals; Learn from each other 2. Positive Behavior Support

14. 3. Climate of High Expectations Original: All students can learn and reach mastery; staff have sense of efficacy that they can help all students reach mastery (focus on basic skills); focus on beliefs and attitudesOriginal: All students can learn and reach mastery; staff have sense of efficacy that they can help all students reach mastery (focus on basic skills); focus on beliefs and attitudes Current: Urgency for learning for allCurrent: Urgency for learning for all –Focus on actions and strategies (differentiated instruction, flexible grouping and reteaching) –Rigorous academic content standards Provide depth and specificityProvide depth and specificity High cognitive demandHigh cognitive demand Coherence and alignment across grade levels and subjectsCoherence and alignment across grade levels and subjects CoordinationCoordination Do not adopt any program or idea—focus on strategies and interventions that connect and are consistentDo not adopt any program or idea—focus on strategies and interventions that connect and are consistent

15. Examples: High Expectations 1.Rigourous, Visible Academic Standards Analyze problems by identifying relationships, telling relevant from irrelevant information, identifying missing information, sequencing and prioritizing information, and observing patterns. Example: Solve the problem: “Develop a method for finding all the prime numbers up to 100.” Notice that any numbers that 4, 6, 8, … divide into also divide exactly by 2, and so you do not need to test 4, 6, 8, …(Grade 6; Mathematics-Indiana) 2. Standards for All Students

16. Examples: Teacher High Expectations Teacher / Team Member Annual Professional Development Goals Focus of PD Activity Correlates of Effective PD Smith 1. 2. 3. ___ Linked to Student Learning Outcomes ___ Job-embedded ___ On-going and Sustained, with Follow-up ___ Incorporates Authentic, Active Learning ___ Includes Subject-Matter Content ___ Encourages Reflection ___ Incorporates Collaboration w/Colleagues ___ Measures Impact on Student Achievement Jones 1. 2. 3. ___ Linked to Student Learning Outcomes ___ Job-embedded ___ On-going and Sustained, with Follow-up ___ Incorporates Authentic, Active Learning ___ Includes Subject-Matter Content ___ Encourages Reflection ___ Incorporates Collaboration w/Colleagues ___ Measures Impact on Student Achievement

17. 4. Leadership 4. Instructional Leadership Original: Focus on improving instruction rather than management; strong principal leadership; focus on student achievement as the missionOriginal: Focus on improving instruction rather than management; strong principal leadership; focus on student achievement as the mission Current: Learning–centered leadershipCurrent: Learning–centered leadership –Distributed leadership –Support teacher professional development –Data –based decisions –Culture of collaboration

18. Example: Instructional Leadership Strategic Goal StrategyAction Step ResponsibilityTimeline Resources Needed Measuremen t of Goal Attainment 1. Goal #11.1 What is your idea for reaching your goal? 1.1.A Action required while implementing Strategy #1.1 Who’s going to accomplish the action? When will he/she start and accomplish the action? What resources will the person need? How will you measure if you are reaching your goal? At what intervals?

19. Examples: Instructional Leadership

20. 5. to Learn and Time on Task 5. Opportunity to Learn and Time on Task Original: Focus and protect instructional time;Original: Focus and protect instructional time; –Give all students opportunity to learn Current: Quality Instruction and TimeCurrent: Quality Instruction and Time –Support teachers and provide feedback to improve instruction –Ensure all students have access to high quality instruction –Extended and ongoing learning opportunities (after school, Saturday, tutoring)

21. Examples: Opportunity to Learn High Quality Teachers High Quality Curriculum High Quality Instruction

22. 6. Monitoring of Student Progress 6. Frequent Monitoring of Student Progress Original: Teachers monitor student learning Current: ACCOUNTABILITY for ALL STUDENTS-focus on outcomes There is individual and collective responsibility among leadership, faculty, and students for achieving the rigorous student academic and social learning goals.

23. Examples: Frequent Monitoring of Student Learning Multiple types and sources of data : teacher record- keeping, formative assessments, student work products, criterion-referenced tests, and standardized measures of student performance.Multiple types and sources of data : teacher record- keeping, formative assessments, student work products, criterion-referenced tests, and standardized measures of student performance. Direct observations in classrooms.Direct observations in classrooms. Disaggregate information on the important conditions and outcomes of schooling (e.g., program placement of students, test results) by relevant characteristics of students (e.g., gender, race, social class).Disaggregate information on the important conditions and outcomes of schooling (e.g., program placement of students, test results) by relevant characteristics of students (e.g., gender, race, social class). Tight alignment between local school-based and external assessmentsTight alignment between local school-based and external assessments

24. Examples: Frequent Monitoring

25. Examples: Actions of Frequent Monitoring Identify individual students who need remedial assistance,Identify individual students who need remedial assistance, Tailor instruction to individual students’ needs, identify and correct gaps in the curriculum,Tailor instruction to individual students’ needs, identify and correct gaps in the curriculum, Improve or increase the involvement of parents in student learning,Improve or increase the involvement of parents in student learning, Assign or reassign students to classes or groups.Assign or reassign students to classes or groups. Use data to help teachers identify areas where they need to strengthen content knowledge or teaching skills. In other words, monitoring is used to focus professional development.Use data to help teachers identify areas where they need to strengthen content knowledge or teaching skills. In other words, monitoring is used to focus professional development. What do students need to know and be able to do: (what)What do students need to know and be able to do: (what) How will we know when they know it: Formative assessments and student workHow will we know when they know it: Formative assessments and student work

26. 7. Relations 7. Home-School Relations Original: Parents support the school and help achieve the missionOriginal: Parents support the school and help achieve the mission Current: Expanded role for parents, families and the communityCurrent: Expanded role for parents, families and the community –Authentic engagement and involvement –Focus on academic and learning –Open and increased two-way communication –Collaboration and partnerships (Center on Family, School, and Community Partnerships, John Hopkins University)

27. Examples: Home-School Relationships Parenting Parenting Assist families with parenting skills and setting home conditions to support children as students. Also, assist schools to better understand families. Communicating Conduct effective communications from school-to-home and from home- to-school about school programs and student progress.ommunicating Volunteering Volunteering Organize volunteers and audiences to support the school and students. Provide volunteer opportunities in various locations and at various times. Learning at Home Learning at Home Involve families with their children on homework and other curriculum- related activities and decisions. Decision Making Decision Making Include families as participants in school decisions, and develop parent leaders and representatives. Collaborating with the Community Collaborating with the Community Coordinate resources and services from the community for families, students, and the school, and provide services to the community.

28. Why? Each correlate is a pathway for school improvement: together they are powerful forcesEach correlate is a pathway for school improvement: together they are powerful forces Schools can directly influence and change each of the correlatesSchools can directly influence and change each of the correlates Powerful leavers for changePowerful leavers for change Leaders are key to facilitating this changeLeaders are key to facilitating this change Impact Student achievement and learningImpact Student achievement and learning

29. How? Shared understanding and learning: Professional learning communityShared understanding and learning: Professional learning community Collect Data: Where are we? How are we doing?Collect Data: Where are we? How are we doing? School improvement processes and strategic planning around eachSchool improvement processes and strategic planning around each NOT A CHRISTMAS TREE APPROACHNOT A CHRISTMAS TREE APPROACH Pervasive practicesPervasive practices Consistent, unwavering focusConsistent, unwavering focus

30. For Each Correlate:

31. First Step: Learning to Identify and Recognize The Activity: Going on an Archeological Dig!