Medicine Hat School District 76 Developing tomorrow’s citizens through improved learning, living and relationships Building Capacity Presentation to the Board March 2011

Capacity Individuals and groups are in high capacity if they possess and continue to develop knowledge and skills, if they use time, expertise and resources wisely, and if they are committed to putting in the energy to get important things done collectively and continuously (ever learning). Michael Fullan “The Six Secrets of Change” 2

Building Capacity = Sustainability Focus Collaborative Learning Effective Professional Development Instructional Leadership Mentorship Effective Use of Data Collection 3

District Focus Enhanced instruction = improved learning. Common language – Instructional Intelligence. Developing school and district culture – evident in practice everywhere. Concentration of resources and energy. Maintain focus over long term – not a project but a commitment. Moving forward – build on learning. 4

Collaborative Learning Creative a culture of collaborative learning within our district focus: School based and district learning teams. Built in collaborative time. School learning teams. District common learning days – school and district focus. Time and resources. District PD Day Self organizing learners. IMAP Bloom’s Project District Music Learning Team School focus learning teams. Tribes Seven Habits TIPS Community Classroom 5

Effective Professional Development Common Focus/Vision Set parameters for district professional development. Focus on instruction. Job-embedded Built-in collaborative time in school and district calendars. Ongoing professional development. Purposeful ongoing learning that has a sustainable impact on instructional practice and student learning. Instructional Leadership Formal and Informal Administrators – lead teachers – presence and ongoing conversations. Cognitive Coaching Learning team facilitators. Learning Coaches Set up structures to encourage collaboration. Learning teams. 6

Effective Professional Development A Supportive Culture for Learning: Self-directed. Personal professional development. District focus. Opportunities for collaboration. Time for reflective practice. Teacher Growth Plans Transformational learning. Fundamental and ongoing change to practice. Connected to prior learning. Practical, purposeful, relevant, meaningful. Building collaborative relationships. Support for risk-taking – emotional safety. 7

Mentorship New Teachers: Orientation Focus on instruction and learning. 7 Habits Beginning Teachers Conference District – ATA co-sponsors. Mentorship Program Partner with ATA - 4 sessions in first year. How to be and effective mentor. Parents as partners. Classroom management. Reflective practice. Ongoing collaborative release time for mentors and protégés to meet. Instructional Intelligence 5 II sessions with Dr. Bennett. 8

Mentorship Student Teachers: Career Fairs Orientation meetings. District vision – focus Interviewing and hiring practices. Classroom visits. Meetings with U of A cohort. II sessions with student teachers. 9

Outcomes How Far Have We Come? – measuring our success. Formal data: Self-reflection surveys. Anted octal notes. Tell Them From Me surveys – student engagement. Standardized examination results. Yearly School Plans - Reports Accountability Pillars Informal indicators: Board presentations. School walk-a-bouts. Collaborative sharing. Growing instructional leadership. Self-organizing learning teams. Growing common language and focus. 10