1. Teacher Based Teams Facilitating School Improvement in
Instructional Practice and Student Performance
Using Teacher-Based Teams
Midview High School
Building Leadership Team
January 10, 2011
Larry Bowersox,
Region 2 Facilitator

2. Research to Support Teacher-Based Teams
Teachers working together rather than in isolation
improves classroom instruction.
Using data across the system results in improved student learning.
Doing a few things well and deeply (focused) across the system
results in sustainable improvement.

3. Teachers working together rather than in isolation
improves classroom instruction.
In schools where teachers examined the evidence of the impact of teaching effectiveness
on student achievement and regarded their professional practices as the primary cause
of achievement, the gains in student achievement were three times higher than in schools
where the faculty and leaders attributed the causes to factors beyond their control.
(Reeves, 2007)
Students make larger academic gains in math, science, history and reading than their
peers in traditional schools without collaboration. Students in schools with collaborative
teams have lower dropout, truancy and absence rates (Hord, 1997)

4. Using data across the system results in improved student learning.
In an in-depth study of 15 high poverty successful schools Karin Chenoweth (2007)
notes several monitoring characteristics that the schools share: the schools use
“all data they can get their hands on”; all the educators in the school “constantly
re-examine what they do” .
Fullan (2008) states that principals working directly with teachers in the use of data are more than twice as powerful as any other leadership dimension.

5. Doing a few things well and deeply (focused) across the system
results in sustainable improvement.
The “flavor of the month” was one of the prevalent factors preventing schools and districts from turning knowledge into action.
(Knowing-Doing Gap, Pfeffer and Sutton, 2000)
The results of student achievement of faculties that implemented similar initiatives
but at different levels of implementation are striking when 90% or more of faculty
was actively engaged in an initiative versus only 10% of the facility were engaged.
(Reeves, 2009)
A few behaviors can drive a lot of change;
enormous influence comes from focusing
on just a few vital behaviors.
(Patterson, 2008)

6. Research to Support Teacher-Based Teams
Teachers working together rather than in isolation
improves classroom instruction.
Using data across the system results in improved student learning.
Doing a few things well and deeply (focused) across the system
results in sustainable improvement.

7. HANDOUTS Teacher-Based Team Effectiveness Checklist
How does your school do?
Traditional Data Teams And Ohio Teacher-Based Teams
How does your school compare?

8. Relationship of DLT-BLT-TBT
Information that occurs from the DLT to the
BLT to the TBTs and the flow from the TBTs
to the BLTs to the DLT. TBTs serve as the
base or foundation of the process, as the
entire focus of buildings and the district
should be on student learning and the
support of teachers in the teaching and
learning process.

9. CONDITIONS FOR Getting Started with Teacher-Based Teams
PREPARING TEACHERS TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY BY DEEPENING THE CULTURE OF INQUIRY
INTO THE CLASSROOM
FORMING OR REPURPOSING BUILDING TEAMS TO IMPLEMENT THE 5-STEP PROCESS
CREATING SCHEDULES AND ROUTINES THAT SUPPORT COLLABORATIVE TEAMS
MAKING TEACHER-BASED TEAM MEETINGS PURPOSEFUL
DEFINING ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
COMMUNICATING PLAN INDICATORS AND PROVIDING AVAILABLE DATA TO ALL TEACHERS

10. A - Preparing teachers to work collaboratively by deepening
the culture of inquiry into the classroom
Stages of Team Development
Stage One: Forming - Testing, polite, impersonal watchful, guarded
Stage Two: Storming - Conflicts, confronting people, opting out, difficulties, stuck
Stage Three: Norming - Getting organized, developing skills, procedures,
giving feedback, confronting issues
Stage Four: Performing - Mature, close, resourceful, flexible, open,
effective, supportive

11. B - Forming or repurposing building teams to implement
the 5-Step Process
Collect and chart data
Analyze student work specific to the data
Establish expectations for implementing specific changes in the
classroom including job-embedded professional development
Implement changes consistently across all classrooms
Collect, chart and analyze post- data, discuss successes, challenges
and make decisions based on the results

12. C - Creating schedules and routines that support collaborative teams
Late starts/ early releases
Modified student or teacher days
Support resources to generate teacher time
Block schedules

13. D - Making teacher-based team meetings purposeful
Plan effective and efficient agendas
Keep time limits
Bring discussions to a conclusion
Stay focused
Meet frequently

14. E - Defining Roles and responsibilities
Chair, Co-Chairs, Team Leader/s
Recorder
Organizer
Time Keeper
Facilitator or Process Manager

15. F - Communicating plan indicators and providing available data
to all teachers
Assessment Data
Other Data Including Adult Action Data
State Assessments
Leadership Practices
Formative Assessments
Levels 2, 3, 4 of the Decision Framework
Commonly Developed Formative Assessments
Observations of instructional strategies
Value Added Growth
PD Implementation

16. the 5-Step Process
Collect and chart data
Analyze student work specific to the data
Establish expectations for implementing specific changes in the
classroom including job-embedded professional development
Implement changes consistently across all classrooms
Collect, chart and analyze post- data, discuss successes, challenges
and make decisions based on the results

17. Tips for Creating Effective Data Displays
Step 1 - Collect and chart data
Tips for Creating Effective Data Displays
Provide Complete Information
Assessment/Observation name and subject
Grade/Class tested
Date of assessment/observation
Number of those tested
Make Chart Simple and Easy to Read
Appropriate choice of chart/graph style
Good use of space and color
Fonts large enough to read easily
Clearly labeled legend and axes
Appropriate y-axis scale
Data-point values

18. Step 2 - Analyze student work specific to the data
Assignment and Expectations
Assessment of Selected Student Work Samples From Each Category
Pattern Analysis
Strengths and Obstacles

19. classroom including job-embedded professional development
Step 3 - Establish expectations for implementing specific changes in the
classroom including job-embedded professional development
- What do we want each student to learn, or how do we want them
to behave?
- How will we know when each student has learned or acquired it
(post-assessment)?
- How will we respond when a student experiences difficulty in learning
or behaving?

20. Step 4 - Implement changes consistently across all classrooms

21. Step 5 - Collect, chart and analyze post- data, discuss successes,
challenges and make decisions based on the results
Are results being compared with expectations?
Are results being compared to previous data?
(e.g. last year, prior quarters)
Are results being compared among subgroups?
(e.g. ethnic groups, disabilities or gender)

22. the 5-Step Process
Collect and chart data
Analyze student work specific to the data
Establish expectations for implementing specific changes in the
classroom including job-embedded professional development
Implement changes consistently across all classrooms
Collect, chart and analyze post- data, discuss successes, challenges
and make decisions based on the results

23. What does a TBT look like
at Midview High School?

24. Questions and Comments?
Where do we go from here?

25. Teacher Based Teams Facilitating School Improvement in
Instructional Practice and Student Performance
Using Teacher-Based Teams
Midview High School
Building Leadership Team
January 10, 2011
Larry Bowersox,
Region 2 Facilitator

26. Teacher Based Teams Facilitating School Improvement in
Instructional Practice and Student Performance
Using Teacher-Based Teams
Midview High School
Building Leadership Team
January 10, 2011
Larry Bowersox,
Region 2 Facilitator