1. Area 9 Superintendents Network
New Superintendent Orientation

2. Learning Goals By the end of the day, we will:
Understand the elements of the instructional core
Be familiar with the practice of network rounds and its connection to instructional improvement
Develop skills in observing teaching and learning—describing what we see
Be excited to go observe real classrooms together tomorrow

3. Agenda Agenda What are Rounds? What is the Instructional Core
The Rounds Process
Theory of Action
Questions, wrap-up

4. Background
October 4-5, 2006 AEA 9 Superintendents Retreat facilitated by Richard Elmore
Overview of Connecticut Superintendent’s Network – organization, process, expectations
April 12-13, 2007 AEA 9 Superintendents Retreat facilitated by Richard Elmore
Focus on Need for Change and Leading Change
Review of various articles written by Dr Richard Elmore and other research regarding the role of the superintendent in student achievement
March 13-14, 2008 First Network training in Bettendorf
May 19-20, 2008 Second Network training in Bettendorf
(first site visit to Maquoketa Middle School)

5. Why the Superintendents’ Network
Budgets, Buses, and Balls!
Accountability: Reflective Practice
Separate practice from self
Focus district/building improvement efforts
Deming: Plan – Do – Study – Act (PDSA)

6. What are Rounds?
Discussion of “Professional Networks and School Improvement”

7. District-wide improvement plan
Walkthroughs
District-wide improvement plan
Network

8. Our Work Together: What it isn’t A program Evaluating teachers
Training in supervision skills
Passive
What it is
A process
Learning to describe and identify effective teaching and learning
“Collaboration to create coherence”
A community of practice where we expect to learn from each other and to push each other

9. Area 9 Superintendents’ Network – Parameters –
Membership
Open to all AEA 9 Superintendents
Attend all sessions
Point of entry: late summer – September;
after this point, new members need to wait
until next year to join
New members – must attend orientation
Current network members help with orientation
AEA Facilitator: Glenn Pelecky
Guests: Kris Wolzen, Edward Gronlund, Julie Schendel
Schedule
2nd Thursday of scheduled months
September – Organization Meeting
October – Site Visit
November – Site Visit
January – Site Visit
February – Site Visit
March – Site Visit
April – Retreat
Network professional development following regular Superintendent Meeting
ICC Focus
Participating Superintendents
Active superintendents
Positive and supportive
Train each other
Host Superintendent
Provide schedule and logistics, including lunch
Present brief historical/climate summary of building initiatives
Develop Problem of Practice
Provide monthly “Next Level of Work” updates
Facilitator
Keep group on task
Non-judgmental
Manage corientation process for new members
Prepare the annual schedule
Next Level of Work
Visited Superintendents will provide monthly updates

10. The Instructional Core
Dr. Richard Elmore Video

11. The instructional core
Student
Content
Teacher
Principle #1: Increases in student learning occur only as a consequence of improvements in the level of content, teachers’ knowledge and skill, and student engagement.
Principle #2: If you change one element of the instructional core, you have to change the other two.
Principle #3: If you can’t see it in the core, it’s not there.
Principle #4: Task predicts performance.
Principle #5: The real accountability system is in the tasks that students are asked to do.
Principle #6: We learn to do the work by doing the work.
Principle #7: Description before analysis, analysis before prediction, prediction before evaluation.
© Richard F. Elmore

12. ROWAN, ET AL., “. . .PROSPECTS. . .” TEACHERS COLLEGE RECORD (2002).
Memorize this
PROPORTION OF VARIANCE IN STUDENT GAIN SCORES-- READING, MATH-- EXPLAINED BY LEVEL--PROSPECTS STUDY
STUDENTS
28% R
19% M
SCHOOLS
12% R
10-30% M
CLASS
60% READING
52-72%
MATH
ROWAN, ET AL., “. . .PROSPECTS. . .” TEACHERS COLLEGE RECORD (2002).

13. Discuss with a partner
How would each of the following initiatives affect the instructional core? Which 3 would have the most direct effect? Why?
Looking at student work
Site-based management
Block scheduling
Teachers conducting peer observations
Content coaching
Designing schedules to include “Common Planning Time” for teachers
Extending the school day
At end, possibly ask as a reflection: How can you help focus your school/district’s work on the instructional core? Alternative reflection (if we don’t have time for the application activity on this slide): what are the barriers to keeping the focus on the instructional core? i.e. why is it a challenge to keep the focus on the instructional core? How might a school/district address those barriers?

14. Instructional Core Discuss the following with a partner:
What are the barriers to keeping the focus on the instructional core? i.e. Why is it a challenge to stay focused on the instructional core?
How might a school/district address those barriers?
Alternative to the “application” activity – if we don’t have time.

15. Developing the Discipline of Seeing
Seeing is a discipline
It’s like a muscle—it gets stronger with repetition
Foundation of our practice

16. Evidence
What do you see?
Just the facts please, Ma’am!

17. Just the facts…?
She did a great job of transitioning from the whole class lesson to independent work time.
Alternative to the “application” activity – if we don’t have time.

18. Just the facts…?
She did a great job of transitioning from the whole class lesson to independent work time.
At the end of the lesson, the teacher asked students what materials they needed to get for their upcoming independent work. She took a few responses and released students to go to their desks four at a time.
Alternative to the “application” activity – if we don’t have time.

19. Just the facts…? The teacher used a very interactive teaching style.
Alternative to the “application” activity – if we don’t have time.

20. Just the facts…?
During a period of 20 minutes, the teacher asked 1 question.
Alternative to the “application” activity – if we don’t have time.

21. What Do You See? What is the teacher doing?
What are the students doing?
What is the task?

22. Video observation

23. Reflection
What difference do grain size and sticking to evidence make in your conversations?
What is challenging for you?
Insights?
What is the level of grain size and sticking to evidence in your district conversations?

24. Problem of Practice—Friendly School
Are students explaining their thinking to reflect higher order thinking skills (the ability to apply, analyze, evaluate, create)? What’s the nature of student response? Is it high-level or low-level thinking?
At end, possibly ask as a reflection: How can you help focus your school/district’s work on the instructional core? Alternative reflection (if we don’t have time for the application activity on this slide): what are the barriers to keeping the focus on the instructional core? i.e. why is it a challenge to keep the focus on the instructional core? How might a school/district address those barriers?

25. Classroom Observation
Reminders:
Describe what you see
Be specific (fine-grained)
Pay attention to the instructional core (teacher, student, content)
Observation etiquette
Fine to ask students questions when it seems appropriate.
Refrain from talking to each other in classrooms.

26. Debriefing Classroom Observations
On your own:
Read through your notes.
Star data that seem relevant to the problem of practice (higher order thinking) and/or data that seem important.
Select 5-10 pieces of data and write each on an individual sticky note.

27. Prediction
If you were a student in this class/school and you did everything the teacher told you to do, what would you know and be able to do?

28. Preparing for Brainstorming the Next Level of Work
Journal:
What do teachers need to know to be able to support optimal learning?
What does the school/district need to know to support optimal learning?
Share your ideas with a partner.

29. Identify the Next Level of Work
With your group:
What support can the school and the district provide to help teachers strengthen these skills? Brainstorm suggestions for the next level of work:
Next week
Next month
By the end of the year.
Be sure that your suggestions are related to the p.o.p.
What additional data might we need to address the p.o.p.?

30. Theory of Action
(Video)

31. Theory of Action
How will our superintendent network improve student learning?

32. Theory of Action
A way of making practice transparent and accessible to yourself and others
A way of tracking your learning over time
A way of focusing energy and attention on essential dimensions of the work

33. Theory of Action
A set of “If…, then…” propositions that capture the essential connections between your practice and what happens in classrooms
Falsifiable – possible to say when you are wrong
An accurate representation of your practice at this moment
Distinguishes the essential elements from the less important ones

34. Agency Theory of Action
If the agency provides services that improve district efficiency and programs that improve district and building leadership, then leaders will have the resources, knowledge, and skill to develop and/or access building level programs that improve teaching, and if we actively support the implementation of those programs to a high level of fidelity then teaching and ultimately student learning will improve across our service area.

35. Agency’s Theory of Action: Superintendents’ Network
If the agency provides a program that provides a means for superintendents to become reflective in their efforts to improve instructional practice, then district and building level change efforts will become more focused and effective at improving student performance.