1. Teacher Leadership: Owning the Standards
Sandra Alberti
July 26, 2016
@salberti
@achievethecore

2. Context for change Issues of equity focused on
high school drop out rates,
college remediation rates, and
persistent achievement gaps
Vocabulary gaps
Gaps in performance on assessments
Gaps in expectations

3. All of this, when…
Teachers are working really hard
We have standards for most content areas
Turn and Talk:
Why does the achievement gap persist despite hard work from teachers and standards in most content areas?

4. Typical teacher behavior was
What we didn’t have…
Standards grounded in evidence for college and career readiness
Standards that were focused or coherent
Typical teacher behavior was
standards alignment.

5. Standards-Based Instruction
Clear expectations
Clear connection of classroom activities to expectations
Clear information on student progress toward meeting expectations AKA assessment

6. The Power of the Standards
Not the document, but what happens between teachers and students in the classroom
This work has to be led by the people who know best what it takes to make this happen
This is not only a learning opportunity, but a leading opportunity
JOANIE/SANDRA

7. Standards don’t teach themselves
Implications on what we teach
Implications on how we teach
Grounded in an understanding of the Shifts

8. ELA/Literacy: 3 shifts
Regular practice with complex text and its academic language
Reading, writing, and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational
Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction

9. Mathematics: 3 shifts Focus: Focus strongly where the standards focus.
In mathematics there are also three shifts. You could engage in an interesting discussion with the ELA/Literacy standards as to whether or not to address all three shifts at once, or where to start. For the mathematics standards there is no option. You must start with focus. Mathematics education in this nation is often described as a “mile-wide and an inch-deep.” We cover lots and lots of topics year after year. The pressure of coverage makes little time available for students to build a strong command of anything, including the understanding and skills which they will be required to build upon as they progress toward more complex mathematical concepts.
The Common Core State Standards have modeled the standards of high-performing countries by focusing on a more narrow set of math concepts and skills to make room for deeper understanding. The potential for the CCSS to improve math education can only be realized if we first make room in the classroom to support student learning.
Jason Zimba, one of the lead of authors of the Common Core State Standards for mathematics has said that “focus compromised is not focus.” This points to the great risk is simply going through an alignment study in preparing to implement the Standards. In order to change the outcomes for students we need to commit to narrowing the focus and simply cutting out or delaying some of the topics typically found in our math curriculum.

10. Priorities in Mathematics
Grade
Focus Areas in Support of Rich Instruction and Expectations of Fluency and Conceptual Understanding
K–2
Addition and  subtraction  - concepts, skills, and problem solving and place value
3–5
Multiplication and division of whole numbers and fractions – concepts, skills, and problem solving 6
Ratios and proportional relationships; early expressions and equations 7
Ratios and proportional relationships; arithmetic of rational numbers 8
Linear algebra and linear functions
This chart shows the major priority areas in K-8 math. These are concepts which demand the most time, attention and energy throughout the school year.
These are not topics to be checked off a list during an isolated unit of instruction, but rather these priority areas will be present throughout the school year through rich instructional experiences.

11. Focus: Focus strongly where the standards focus.
Mathematics: 3 shifts
Focus: Focus strongly where the standards focus.
Coherence: Think across grades, and link to major topics
In the second shift of coherence, we take advantage of focus to actually pay attention to sense-making in math. Coherence speaks to the idea that math does not consist of a list of isolated topics.
The Standards themselves, and therefore any resulting curriculum and instruction, should build on major concepts within a given school year as well as major concepts from previous school years.

12. The “Wiring Diagram”

13. Tool for This: Coherence Map

14. Focus: Focus strongly where the standards focus.
Mathematics: 3 shifts
Focus: Focus strongly where the standards focus.
Coherence: Think across grades, and link to major topics
Rigor: In major topics, pursue conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and application
The third shift is Rigor. This word can mean many different things. For purposes of describing the shifts of the standards, it does not mean “more difficult.” For example, stating that “the standards are more rigorous” does not mean that “the standards are just harder.” Here rigor is about the depth of what is expected in the standards, and also about what one should expect to see happening in the classroom, in curricular materials, and so on.
The Standards do not offer a choice between focus on conceptual understanding or fluency or application. They instead require equal intensity of all three. In practical terms, it is not enough to merely know your multiplication facts in third grade, but students must also understand the concept of multiplication and what it represents and be able to apply that understanding and fluency to solving real-world or unexpected application problems.

15. Role of Teacher Leadership
College and Career Ready standards are not a policy initiative
They are an opportunity to learn, collaborate, and advocate
It is not a training – it involves doing, reflecting, developing

16. Identify and understand the shifts: Translate into Practice – What are the implications for Teacher Leadership?
ELA/Literacy
Regular practice with complex text and its academic language
Reading, writing and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational
Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction
Mathematics
Focus strongly where the Standards focus
Coherence: Think across grades, and link to major topics within grades
Rigor: In major topics, pursue with equal intensity: conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and application

17. Teachers Owning the Work
“Words may inspire, but only action creates change.”
-Simon Sinek
SANDRA
Fight for the Standards because they are good for students and learning, not because they are policy.
Talk about what’s good and what’s working in terms of actions and impact on student learning, what matters to teachers and students
Be an advocate in your classroom, in your school, in your district, for the profession!
Successful implementation hinges on teacher leadership
Change happens when TEACHERS do the WORK

18. Teachers Must Own the Work
Unless teachers are the owners, these new standards will fail like all those before. But to make them owners, we must do more than invite a few token teachers to the next standards workshop. Teachers themselves must become the leaders when implementing the standards. Those who have mastered the ideas and the content must mentor their peers. Those who are challenged must work with their colleagues; those who are indifferent must become engaged; those who are cynical must be won over. Teachers must shape both the standards and assessments as educational tools rather than data-gathering instruments – John Ewing, “Give the Standards Back to Teachers”

19. Turn and Talk:
What will owning the work look like in your context? What commitment will you make this week?

20. Instructional Advocacy – A Definition
Grounded in a firm understanding of the Shifts, educators owning, supporting, and promoting the resources, tools, and practices that create learning environments in which students develop college- and career- readiness.
JOANIE/SANDRA
Talk about what Instructional Advocacy is and isn’t

21. Instructional Advocacy
Educators learn through advocacy
To engage teachers in continuous learning, leaders must create environments where teachers are
Listened to
Involved in meaningful way
Intrinsically motivated
Teacher voice network anchored in understanding and supporting the work
Learning Forward and the National Commission on Teaching & American’s Future recently released a report on how to make professional learning work.
Calbert, L. (2016). Moving from compliance to agency: What teachers need to make professional learning work. Oxford, OH: Learning Forward and NCTAF.

22. Core Advocate Regional Network - NC
Teacher-led network to support teachers in understanding and addressing standards-based challenged identified by NC educators
Captain, Joanna Schimizzi
@Mrs_Schimizzi

23. NC Campaigns Literacy:
Supporting students in accessing and engaging with appropriately complex texts through effective questions and tasks.
Mathematics:
Use questioning strategies and quality aligned tasks to help each and every student in North Carolina grow in their understanding of mathematical concepts.

24. Stay Engaged Core Advocate Network Monthly webinars
Bitly.com/joincoreadvocates
Monthly webinars
Third Tuesday in August, then first Wednesday of the month
7-8PM EST

25. Thank You!
Sandra Alberti
Twitter: @salberti