1. Iowa Superintendents Network
Learning Day
October 27, 2014
Indianola Middle School

2. Today at a glance… Welcome! Lunch…I have a dream…
Statewide Network New NLOW training/practice (Team Iowa)
Applying NLOW (Pam Vogel and the East Union Team)
Processing NLOW – Strengths/Challenges/Support (Dave Markward and all the ships at sea)
Getting ready for our visit tomorrow (Art Sathoff)
A few things…(Dave Markward)

3. Welcome!

4. I have a dream that by the end of this year the Statewide Superintendents Network will…

5. NLOW
NLOW training and practice – Team Iowa

6. Part I: Small Group (30 minutes)
Set up three charts, one for each Focus Question
Share observations of each classroom
Post evidence for each of the 3 questions
Organize sticky notes into categories of similar characteristics and label each category
Develop summary statements based upon patterns you see in the data
Focus Q 1
Focus Q 2
Focus Q 3
Categories
Summary Statements
Summary
Statements
12:10-12:45

7. Part II of Debrief Process: Analyze Partner Groups (45 minutes)
>Designate a facilitator, recorder, and reporter (make chart 4)
Share summary statements from last activity
Do you see similar patterns?
How are summary statements alike/different?
Share patterns (both similarities and differences) with large group
Examine the observations about consistencies across the whole group. What themes do you notice? What trends are emerging?
Reporter shares with partner group; then large group
12:45-1:30

8. Part III of Debrief Process: NLOW/ Creating Tighter Connections between Patterns and Recommendations:
Large group reaches consensus on patterns

9. Indianola MS Team Process
Which of these observed patterns have particular high leverage for the hosts?
In other words, if we could shift this pattern of practice, we believe it would be consequential for student learning.

10. Consider Organizational Structures/Capacity to Support Instructional Improvement:
Facilitators lead small group discussions
What systems and structures are in place?
Instructional Leadership
Teaming
Use of Data
Professional Learning
Think-Talk: How are these used?

11. Brainstorm Ideas for NLOW in Whole Group:
Suggestions are made as a whole group
Participants select a topic group based on their experience and expertise
Move into Topic Groups of 4-5

12. Developmental view of improvement

13. Root Cause Analysis (5 Whys is one root cause analysis protocol)
Try to identify the root explanations for a problem or symptom
Identify various perspectives on a problem/symptom
Determine how various causes relate to each other
Determine which causes are within our locus of control for improvement

14. 5 Why’s Protocol
Pattern
Why?
Why

15. All students doing same activity
Easier way to handle a big group
Teachers have more control over student learning
Teachers want to make sure they accomplish certain learning goals
Teachers believe this is the expectation in school
Parents reinforce this belief
Not enough time to plan lessons- easier to plan for one group activity
There are a lot of other responsibilities- documentation
Not sharing the work, every teacher do everything, not work in teams
Not used to working in teams
Don’t know how to share work across teams -
Teachers worry that they might not be able to answer if go too wide
Might lack confidence in selves as teachers
To stay true to the teams plan
Have good results so why change
5 Whys Protocol
Example from a school visit at school with a problem of practice related to the challenges of differentiating learning for students.

16. In Topic Groups:
Make a Learning Plan with the goal of shifting this pattern of practice
Begin with what is your Hypothesis of why this pattern exists (Five Whys)
Therefore, what ADULT learning should you focus on at the school level? System level?

17. Ask:
What do we (teachers) need to know and be able to do for this NLOW?
What do we (administrators) need to know and be able to do for this NLOW?
How will we support this learning…next week, next month, next year?
How will we follow up with this work?

18. Instructional practices Organizational practices
Consider:
Leadership
Instructional practices
Organizational practices
2:30-3:00

19. To what degree will our NLOW suggestions be helpful to the host school/system and to the network?
Focuses on shifting or building on a pattern of practice
Responds to the problem of practice
Identifies who the learners are
Identifies specifically what learning needs to happen
Names an explicit ways to support that learning
Builds from the structures and resources that exist

20. East Union TOA
If students understand the learning target and make connections between what the classroom work and the real world, students will be more motivated and focused and learning will be increased.

21. East Union POP
Our students are not seeing the connection between academic work and the “real world”. As a result, much of the work is of poor quality and our students are often unmotivated and unfocused. Lessons are not consistently meeting the motivational and learning needs of students.

22. East Union Focusing Questions
What is the  instructional task that the teacher is asking of students?
What evidence do you see that students understand the learning target(s) of the lesson and it connects to the real world?

23. East Union “High Leverage*” Patterns
1. Little observed evidence of common expectations/focus/consistency for teachers across all classroom settings.
2. Few examples of rigor and relevance through alignment to the Iowa core
3. The use of student learning data to personalize individual and small group learning not observed
4. Few examples of checking often for student understanding and using data to inform instruction.
*Among the patterns identified, the East Union Team selected these as being most likely to leverage the changes they are seeking.

24. East Union Response to Patterns
1. There should be common expectations/focus/consistency for teachers across all classroom settings. (High Leverage)
2. Consider what possible additional ways to integrate rigor and relevance through alignment to the Iowa core. (High Leverage)
3. Use student learning data to personalize individual and small group learning. (Quick Win)
4. Have staff check often for student understanding and use data to inform instruction.

25. Root Cause Analysis (5 Whys is one root cause analysis protocol)
Try to identify the root explanations for a problem or symptom
Identify various perspectives on a problem/symptom
Determine how various causes relate to each other
Determine which causes are within our locus of control for improvement

26. 5 Why’s Protocol
Pattern
Why?
Why

27. All students doing same activity
Easier way to handle a big group
Teachers have more control over student learning
Teachers want to make sure they accomplish certain learning goals
Teachers believe this is the expectation in school
Parents reinforce this belief
Not enough time to plan lessons- easier to plan for one group activity
There are a lot of other responsibilities- documentation
Not sharing the work, every teacher do everything, not work in teams
Not used to working in teams
Don’t know how to share work across teams -
Teachers worry that they might not be able to answer if go too wide
Might lack confidence in selves as teachers
To stay true to the teams plan
Have good results so why change
5 Whys Protocol
Example from a school visit at school with a problem of practice related to the challenges of differentiating learning for students.

28. Regarding the expanded version of NLOW…
What are the strengths?
What are the challenges?
How can we support each other?
What do we need to know before we engage in our visit tomorrow to help Art and his team?

29. Art Sathoff and the Indianola Team: Preparing for our visit.

30. A few things… Rounds training available on request Network Commitments
Local Rounds Schedule
Webinars – 9:00 a.m
November 12
January 14
February 11
March 11
Statewide Meeting for Superintendents and Facilitators – April 10 – Hilton Garden - Johnston

31. Ever happen to you?