1. Building a Framework to Support the Culture Required for Student Centered Learning
Jeff McCoy, Executive Director of Academic Innovation and Technology
Todd Hardy, Director of Academic Support
Fall 2015
Secondary Session #1: Culture
DeeDee

2. Student Centered Learning
Framework Components:
Culture
Professional Learning
Curriculum/Instruction/Assessment
Data-Driven Decision making
Leadership
Session Goals:
Work-time with school teams
Strategic planning
Program planning
Protocols

3. Today’s Agenda…
Establishing and Maintaining a Student Centered Culture
Deedee

4. The Personality Compass Activity
ACTING ”Let’s do it”; likes to act, try things, plunge in
The Personality Compass Activity
Paying Attention to Detail likes to know the who, what when, where and why before acting
SPECULATING likes to look at the bit picture and the possibilities before acting
DeeDee
CARING likes to know that everyone’s feelings have been taken into consideration and that their voices have been heard before
acting

5. Personality Compass Activity
Room is set up with four directions—North, South, East, West
Read the brief descriptors
Choose the direction that is most like you (most people will have characteristics from multiple directions, but choose the most dominant)
Find your group and wait for instructions

6. Answer the Following Questions in your Group
What are the strengths of your style (4 adjectives)?
What are the limitations of your style (4 adjectives)?
What style do you find most difficult to work with and why?
What do people from the other direction or styles need to know about you so you can work together effectively

7. Essential Question: What do you value about the other 3 styles?

8. Essential Question for School Teams: What can we take away from this activity to help us move our teams forward?

9. The Student Centered Learning Wiki
All work for the next five sessions will be housed in the Student Centered Learning Wiki

10. The Planning Guide
Jeff

11. Establishing and Maintaining a Student Centered Culture
“Every building has a culture. As a leader, you can create the culture or just allow it happen. The latter doesn’t always work out in your favor.”
Establishing and Maintaining a Student Centered Culture
DeeDee
How do we create a positive culture focused on student centered learning?

12. What does Culture in a Student Centered Environment Look Like?
From…
To…
Independence
Interdependence
Language of Complaint
Language of Commitment
Long-Term Strategic Planning
Planning for Short-Term Gains
Infrequent Generic Recognition
Frequent Specific Recognition and a Culture of Celebration that Creates Many Winners
External focus on issues outside the school
Internal focus on steps that staff can take to improve the school
Focus on Inputs
Focus on Results
Goals related to completion of a project/activities
SMART goals demanding evidence of student learning
Teachers gathering data from their individually constructed tests to assign grades
Collaborative teams acquiring information from common assessments

13. Planning Guide Work 20 Minutes
Complete the “Tracking and Assessing Cultural Shifts” Section of your Planning Guide
Each team member should individually determine where they believe the school is based on the scale.
Jot down any thoughts about how your team can improve if you give a rating below 5
Jot down any evidence supporting a rating of 6 or above
As a team, come to consensus as to where your school is based on the scale.
10 Minutes
10 Minutes

14. Establishing Norms to Guide your Student Centered Learning Discussions
Why Norms?
Helps create groups that are able to have honest discussions that enable everyone to participate and be heard.
Important part of establishing the culture you want. Every building has a culture…you can create that culture or let it happen.
Prevents ineffective behaviors from becoming the ‘standard’.

15. Establishing your Group Norms Establish your group norms for your team
Establishing your Group Norms Establish your group norms for your team. Consider the following:
Listening
How will we encourage listening?
How will we discourage interrupting?
Confidentiality
Will what we say in the meeting be held in confidence?
What can be said after the meeting?
Decision Making
How will we make decisions?
Will we reach decisions by consensus?
How will we deal with conflicts?
Participation
How will we encourage everyone’s participation?
Expectations
What do we expect from members?
Are there requirements for participation?

16. Determining a Consensus Protocol
Simple is best (if you need a guide to come to consensus, it’s too complicated)!
Gives everyone a vote. All team members know how others feel about the decision and everyone’s vote counts.
Helps cut down on “side conversations” when everyone has voted and said their piece.
Jeff

17. I support this decision
Thumb Up
I support this decision
Thumb Sideways
I can live with this decision. Although I have some concerns, I’ll support the decision
I cannot support this decision
Thumb Down

18. Using Agendas to Guide Productive Discussions
Discuss: How do your teams/departments/grade levels currently structure their meetings?
How is weekly meeting content determined?
How can a structured agenda help guide the team meeting discussion and move teams to a stronger PLC?

19. The Trust on Our Team - Homework
Individually complete the Trust on our Team Survey
This survey helps take a pulse of current team dynamics
As a team…
Discuss the importance rating of each indicator
Determine as a whole where the school stands on each indicator

20. Planning Guide Work 20 Minutes
Use the following data from your activities to complete the “Where do we go from here?” section under the Culture Session
Consider what steps you want to take to move your school towards a student centered culture. These steps may by long term (multiple years).

21. Bring Planning Guide with you to each session!
Homework
Individually…
complete the Trust on our Team Survey
As a team…
Trust on our Team survey:
Discuss the importance rating of each indicator
Determine as a whole where the school stands on each indicator
Planning Guide:
Reach consensus on the “Tracking and Assessing Cultural Shifts” Section of your Planning Guide
Complete the “Where do we go from here?” section under the Culture Session
Determine/revisit your protocols and norms
Optional: Use/revisit your SWOT analysis from last year for assessment.
Bring Planning Guide with you to each session!

22. Remember: Bring Planning Guide with you to each session!
Next Sessions
October 27th
December 8th
January 19th
February 9th
All sessions begin at 3:30 pm!
Remember: Bring Planning Guide with you to each session!