Stretch Culture: A Game Plan for Success Presented by Jackie Jacobs and Shanan Fowler

“If the goal of achieving high levels of learning for all students is to be realized, then schools must develop a culture that stretches the aspirations and performance levels of students and adults alike.” Robert Eaker

What Is A School Culture? School Culture is the inner reality that reflects what organizational members care about, what they are willing to spend time doing, what and how they celebrate, and what they talk about. School Culture is also the, beliefs, attitudes, expectations, and behaviors that characterize a school in terms of how people treat and feel about each other, the extent to which people feel included and appreciated, and rituals and traditions reflecting collaboration. School Culture is the norm for a school and guides the work of the educators within it.

A Game Plan A stretch culture is a process, not a program. It is a culture of encouragement, caring and support for both students and adults. It shapes how people think, feel and act.

Coaching Tip - #1 Educators will find it easier to move forward to where they want to go if they first agree on where they are.

How Do We Make The Switch? Change our mindset Each school must adopt “learning” as it’s purpose Re-evaluate our Mission Statements Engage in shared knowledge

Coaching Tip # 2 “If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten.” The Wizard of Oz

ARE YOU READY TO ACT NOW

Action Stimulates Hope Can you over come cynicism? Can you overcome negativity? Can you overcome hopelessness?

“To accomplish great things, we must not only ACT, but also dream “To accomplish great things, we must not only ACT, but also dream. Not only plan, but BELIEVE.” Anatole France

We Need Leaders Who: ONE, have the will to act. TWO, have the courage to act. THREE, have the persistence to keep acting.

Get Started! The question is not “What do we need to know in order to improve?” but rather, “Will we turn what we already know into action”?

Do Something! We learn best by doing. Confucius said, “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand”.

Let’s begin “Learning” We must answer 3 critical questions! * What do we expect students to learn? * How will we know what students have learned? * How will we respond as a school to students who don’t learn?

What do we expect students to learn and how will we know they have learned?

We will know students are learning if we: *Plan *Model *Monitor *Confront *Celebrate *Ask Questions *Use Resources *Connect with experiences

Coaching Tip - #3 To make a difference in the lives of others does not require special skills, experience, education, social status, age or any other society-labeled qualification. It calls only for a desire to do so.

How will we respond when students don’t learn?

Students must have additional time, support and assistance and most importantly, encouragement.

Encouragement is Personal The quality of relationships in schools is critical. Students respond to those they respect.

We Must REACT to Results! *Look at current practices that may be hindering success. *If they are not getting it the first time, there is a reason why. *Use interventions. *Do more for the ones that are not getting it and then reassess.

Attacking Hopelessness Many students, by the end of 5th grade, have developed hopelessness. Many school practices and procedures contribute to this loss of hope but few can have the devastating effect as the misuse of assessments.

What must change if schools are to develop a Stretch Culture? Making Adjustments What must change if schools are to develop a Stretch Culture?

We MUST Embed High Performing Teams Into Our School Culture High Performing Teams engage in deep, substantive discussions about assessment of student learning.

High Performing Teams Will: *Identify essential outcomes *Help students achieve desired outcomes *Teach for understanding *Provide a variety of opportunities to demonstrate mastery *Frequently assess *Work collaboratively to develop instructional strategies *Work collaboratively to design methods of assessment *Involve parents and community in the learning process by creating shared learning experiences *Model life-long learning commitment to high quality work

Coaching Tip - # 4 High Performing Teams create an intense focus on learning by clarifying exactly what students are to learn and by monitoring each student’s learning on a timely basis.

Expectations in a Stretch Culture

Focus needs to be on the student We MUST change from “Teaching” to “Learning.” Focus needs to be on the student not the teacher

Learning is fixed. Time is flexible. We MUST change from “Fixed” time to “Flexible” time. Learning is fixed. Time is flexible.

“Working in Isolation” Two heads are always better than one! We MUST change from “Working in Isolation” to “Working Collaboratively” Two heads are always better than one!

Take time to learn about the lives of the individual children. We MUST change from “Average Learning” to “Individual Learning”. Take time to learn about the lives of the individual children.

“A Focus on Activities” We MUST change from “A Focus on Activities” to “A Focus on Results” What impact will this activity have on the purpose of learning for all?

Nothing is more unequal than giving equal time to unequal ability. We Must change from “Group Support” to “Individual Support”. Nothing is more unequal than giving equal time to unequal ability.

Harshness from teachers causes harshness from the student. We MUST change from “Blame and Punishment” to “Encouragement and Caring.” Harshness from teachers causes harshness from the student.

We MUST change from Punitive to Positive Schools must look to create incentives and privileges that encourage learning.

Celebrate Improvement! We want all to be recognized! We MUST change from “Recognizing and Celebrating only a Few” to “Creating lots of Winners and Celebrating Individual Success”. Celebrate Improvement! We want all to be recognized!

We must Stop when students make a mistake and Show them how to do it. We MUST change from “Teacher Tells and Student Listens” to “Teacher Coaches and Student Practices”. We must Stop when students make a mistake and Show them how to do it.

Self-Efficacy In A Stretch Culture

What is Self-Efficacy? Self-Efficacy refers to the beliefs that we are capable of ensuring high-levels of learning for all students.

Self-Efficacy is enhanced by the use of high performing collaborative teams where members share their practices and results as well as their successes and setbacks.

Efficacy and the Curriculum Schools must have a curriculum that enables all students to stretch their levels of achievement. Students also need support and assistance, sufficient time to learn, and encouragement.

“If you expect it, you will get it!” Coaching Tip # 5 “If you expect it, you will get it!”

VICTORY Hope has a human face.

Teachers and staff are in the unique position of becoming a HERO to some student each day. They do this by giving students HOPE.

“It’s not about the X’s and O’s, It’s about the Janes and Joes.”

A Stretch Culture IS! When people begin to act, people begin to hope. When people gain hope, they begin to act differently. When people act differently, they begin to experience success. When people experience success their attitudes’ change, they begin to affect each other. This is the essence of developing a stretch culture in schools.

Are your players committed to your game plan? You Are The Coach Are your players committed to your game plan?

You have the POWER… to make a DIFFERENCE!