Feedback: Time to Start Getting It Raymond J. McNulty,

SUCCESS BY DESIGN NOT BY CHANCE

Our work is aboutLearning.

In too many cases, testing is used as the measure to judge whether change has occurred rather than as a mechanism to further enhance and consolidate learning by teachers or students… It is the feedback information and interpretations from assessments, not the numbers or grades, that matter. -- John Hattie

Competitive Business Model Feedback Know how you are doing Fix things that are wrong Get new ideas Evaluate your ideas Build better relationships

Automaster

Hotels Airlines Businesses Hospitals Customer satisfaction surveys

Motivation is a key ingredient for success in learning.

What Works Best? REQUIRE MANDATE FORCE EXCITE EMPOWER MOTIVATE

Essential Design Elements 1.EXCITEMENT 2.PASSION 3.MOTIVATION 4.EMPOWERMENT Where are these elements in your school improvement plans and in the classroom?

Talking with kids… Its not us against them!

25 th Percentile 75 th Percentile 1. CARE: My teacher in this class makes me feel that s/he really cares about me CONTROL: Our class stays busy and doesnt waste time CLARIFY: My teacher explains difficult things clearly CHALLENGE: My teacher wants me to explain my answers – why I think what I think CAPTIVATE: My teacher makes learning enjoyable CONFER: My teacher wants us to share our thoughts CONSOLIDATE: My teacher takes the time to summarize what we learn each day. 3867

Proportions of students scoring in each decile of the MCAS 8 th grade ELA distribution

Proportions of students scoring in each decile of the MCAS 8 th grade Math distribution

MCAS math gains 8 th to 10 th grade, compared to others from the same 8 th grade decile (School Rank Percentile)

MCAS ELA gains 8 th to 10 th grade, compared to others from the same 8 th grade decile (School rank percentile/100)

CULTURE DRIVES STRATEGY

To get at culture issues you must use qualitative data, follow up with great questions, and take thoughtful action.

Pride and Involvement Empowerment Collaboration Idea/Reflection Time Fun Risk Taking Critical Conversations Idea Support Conflict/Tension 10 innovative organizations School of excellence 5 stagnant organizations

What do you value?

Teacher – Student Comparisons T – I am aware of my students interests outside of school. 84% S – My teachers know my interests outside of school. 28%

A Teachers Story As a middle and high school English teacher, I can say unequivocally that nothing has made me more uncomfortable than having a supervisor sitting in my classroom, scribbling away on his or her legal pad as I teach, said Alexis Wiggins in a thoughtful Education Week article. Sometimes the feedback was helpful, but a very stressful process.

A Teachers Story She tried getting student feedback and learned some lessons: –End of course feedback wasnt as helpful as mid course feedback –Not all students were open with her in the hand-written mid-course feedback –An aha moment occurred when her principal asked for feedback on a teacher mentoring program

A Teachers Story She concluded that she would use computer feedback mid term to get student feedback –She was amazed at the feedback she got… concerns about grading, favoritism and reading level of material –I realized that I had been kidding myself all these years, she said. I hadnt been getting truly honest feedback, just slightly honest feedback.

If we want to be serious about students learning, we need to be serious about our own learning. We need to continually seek and accept ideas, help, and criticism. Feedback works. Alexis Wiggins in Education Week, Oct. 20, 2010 (Vol. 30, #8, p. 19)

School attendance is mandatory until age _____ 12

4 WE Surveys = 4 Perspectives on Teaching and Learning WE Lead –Coherent Vision, Empowerment, Culture of Learning, School Management, Community Partnerships WE Teach –Rigor, Relevance, Relationships WE Learn Rigor, Relevance, Relationships WE Support –Rigor, Relevance, Relationships

STRUCTURE of the SURVEYS 1.I 2.WE 3.THEY 4.COMPANION INDICATORS

The mission statement promotes high expectations. 30% I understand the importance of our mission statement. 68% Total in Agreement We Lead - Whole Staff Survey

Coherent Vision Total In Agreement Full-Time Dept. Chairs Classroom Teachers Support Staff Staff morale at this school is high. 50%53%50%52% We Lead - Whole Staff Survey

Years working in schools Coherent Vision 1 st year2-5 years 6-10 years years Over 20 Staff morale is high at this school. 69%57%52%48%49% We Lead - Whole Staff Survey

I am expected to make students passing the state test my number one priority. 58% I spend too much time reteaching what students should already know. 48% Total in Agreement We Teach - Instructional Staff Survey

When I graduate from school, I hope I will be prepared for college. 86% Total in Agreement We Learn - Student Survey My teachers make me aware of different career choices. 50%

I am required to demonstrate my understanding in a variety of ways (i.e. speaking, writing). 65% Total in Agreement We Learn - Student Survey Think about how this can help with the CCSS.

Teacher – Student Comparisons T – Students can apply what I am teaching to their everyday lives. 92% S – I can apply what I learn to my everyday life. 59%

California's new "parent trigger" law allows parents of children at a troubled public school to "trigger" one of four school intervention models simply by signing a petition. Similar legislation is pending in 14 states… Having a community survey in place and knowing their concerns in advance could be very helpful to the system.

Enable parents who could gather a majority at any persistently failing school to either: –fire the principal –fire 50% of the teachers –close the school –or turn it into a charter school.

Academics are a priority in the school/district. 79% The schools in our community prepare students academically for success in life. 69% Total in Agreement We Support - Community Survey

Each of the three schools administered the We Teach and We Learn surveys to all teachers and students in the fall of This was truly an ah-ha! moment for the majority of committee members and served to spark meaningful dialog and commitment to positive change prior to planning for change. Geraldine Sawrey, Assistant Superintendent of School Improvement Cabell County School District, WV

Student work + Student test scores = Teacher evaluation What about student voice?

WE Surveys vs. iKnow Survey everyone that stays at hotel vs. Survey those with rooms near elevator

WE Surveys vs. iKnow Big picture/school Summative Curricular Structural How did we do? Classroom/student level Granular Instructional How would I adjust to this data?

"Students are the ones that need the best teaching - it's their life, it's their opportunity to be taught at the best level, and they know what kind of teaching works best because they are in the classroom all day every day, five days a week, - Adam Fischer, president, Boston Student Advisory Council The Boston Globe (Boston, MA) | May 6, 2010

Kids know effective teaching when they experience it, - Dr. Ronald Ferguson, Harvard University The New York Times | December 10, 2010

Why student perception data? Ensure that students are engaged in class Assess the conditions that inspire students to learn Inform decisions with data

What it measures Student perceptions of: oneself in the learning process of the course overall of the teacher and instruction

Question Total in Agreement Gender Male Female This class challenges my thinking. 76%73%80% In this class, we discuss issues that are interesting to me. 62%61%62%

Question Total in Agreement The teacher knows my hopes and dreams. 35% The teacher expects me to be successful. 89%

7th8th9th10th11th12th The teacher cares if I am absent from class. 47%52%66%73%81%85% Question Total in Agreement

If you get a chance visit

Follow us! Ray International Center for Leadership in

Feedback: Time to Start Getting IT Raymond J McNulty,

Using student survey responses in one section to predict learning gains in another. Predicted difference per school year* On state math tests 4.8 months On the Balanced Assessment in Math 3.7 months On state English Language Arts (ELA) tests 2.3 months On the Stanford 9 Open Ended ELA 2.9 months *Based on Table 9, p. 26: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Learning about Teaching: Initial findings from the Measures of Effective Teaching Project. December 2010.