KEEPING THE FOCUS ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT Stephanie Benedict Academic Development Institute & Center on Innovations in Learning

WHAT WILL WE LEARN: The Team Leadership Leadership Team Instructional Teams School Community The Process Assess where you are Plan for where you need to be Create tasks to get you there Monitor progresss Sustain Information & Resources Wise Ways® research Indicators in Action Indicators Now! Data Evidence Support District Leadership Team State Local Coach Other school staff The Right Spirit Vision Passion Practice

TEAM: THE IMPORTANCE OF WORKING TOGETHER… Principal – The principal communicates the message of change and leads the team Leadership Team - The team that manages the Indistar® process and is ultimately responsible for making decisions for the school, for transformation and for school improvement. Instructional Teams - Teams that include teachers in grade level groupings, grade-level clusters, or subject areas. Responsible for planning instruction for students. School Community Council - A team that includes parents as the majority of its members and looks at how the school and families work together for the benefit of students. Process Manager - A designated person who is responsible for setting up meeting agendas, recording information into the system, and keeping team on track.

Guest Login-Transparency Openness to the data about student outcomes and about the practices that contribute to the outcomes Focus on the practice, not the person Willingness to polish the craft together with high expectations for the adults Accountability to students and to each other TEAMS: CULTURE OF CANDOR

TEAMING PROTOCOL  Attend meetings  Start on time  Stay focused  Participate / Use a culture of candor  Assess progress toward successful implementation  Record plans, tasks, progress  Plan for adjustments

THE PROCESS

BUILD FROM STRENGTH  As a team…as a school…celebrate what you already do well!  Communicate within your network of professionals  Share your strengths!

INFORMATION AND RESOURCES  Use the resources and tools to guide your decisions  Wise Ways®  Indicators in Action  Data  Evidence

LEADERSHIP TEAMS MUST ASK AND ANSWER SEVERAL QUESTIONS: What is the straight- forward, literal meaning and intent of the indicator? How would we know the extent to which the indicator is implemented? What data must be analyzed to determine the level of implementation? What instruments must be created to gather the data? Who will make the data available? What does it look like now?

By placing the requirement for determining the necessary data sources, gathering the data, and analyzing the data on the Leadership Team, the Leadership Team is engaged in “deep practice.” Not as simple as a checklist, but much more likely to yield greater understanding and skill and to drive the district or school’s improvement. Decide data Gather data Analyze Data

COACHING AND SUPPORT  Take time to establish a relationship  Review their feedback  Let them help you  Build capacity together

THE RIGHT SPIRIT What does that really mean?

GETTING BETTER AT WHAT WE DO Passion – Vision - Practice

LEARNING TOGETHER In this module, we will Reconsider the place we hold in the lives of students. 2. Reconnect with the reasons we are educators. 3. Examine the importance of passion, vision, and detail in school leadership. 4. Consider how schools strive to get better.

OUR PASSION

THIS IS ALAINA

A STUDENT YOU KNOW

GETTING BETTER AT WHAT WE DO

REFLECTION & DISCUSSION 1. Why did you become an educator?  Remember when you made the decision? Why? 2. Who inspired you to become an educator? 3. What legacy do you want to leave when your career is over? Click to restart after activity

OUR VISION

VISION AND BELIEFS  Do you believe that... the people closest to the students can direct the improvement of their schools? those people bring to the table a wealth of experience, talent, and ingenuity? a school improves by strengthening professional practice? the work of school improvement is best accomplished by teams?  Then you’re in the right place! Great vision!