1. School Leadership Team Conference
West Virginia Department of Education
Division of Educator Quality and System Support
Bridgeport Conference Center
October 18-20, 2010

2. Overview of October 18
WVDE goals for improving achievement in low performing schools
Priorities and expectations
Overview of the WV High Quality Standards for Schools
Roles for members comprising the SSOS
Effective team organization
School culture

3. WVDE School Improvement Goals
Goal 1: Build the capacity of the SEA and LEAs to drive transformative interventions in low-achieving schools
Goal 2: Strengthen teacher and leader effectiveness in low-achieving schools in order to improve the quality of instruction
Goal 3: Develop comprehensive systems of support in low-achieving schools

4. WVDE School Improvement Goals
Engage external supporting partners
Realign the current capacity of the state system of support structure
Build strong teams to support struggling schools
Design a Whole Child Early Warning System
Utilize an evaluator to design a tool to report formative assessments and an evaluation of the initiatives
Goal 1: Build the capacity of the SEA and LEAs to drive transformative interventions in low-achieving schools

5. WVDE School Improvement Goals
Provide training and onsite support for the school improvement specialists
Organize school staff into collaborative teams
Provide professional development for school teams based on the High Quality Standards and the teacher and leadership standards
Goal 2: Strengthen teacher and leader effectiveness in low-achieving schools in order to improve the quality of instruction

6. WVDE School Improvement Goals
Establish WVDE SSOS
Utilize a balanced assessment system
Provide a schoolwide system of differentiated supports for struggling students and students with disabilities
Establish school-based case management teams to identify non-academic issues for struggling students
Goal 3: Develop comprehensive systems of support in low-achieving schools

7. Considerations
Conduct an audit of all current programs and initiatives in the school
Examine the student outcome (achievement gains) from the programs and initiatives against the school goals
Determine what to continue and what to disband
Obtain a commitment from staff to implement the agreed upon programs and initiatives consistently and pervasively

8. Expectations Prioritize strategic issues and focus efforts
Develop a framework for addressing the issues
Identify a sequence for accomplishing tasks to address the strategic issues
Utilize data to make informed decisions
Establish school goals
Create collaborative teams
Develop SMART collaborative team goals
Identify individual actions/activities teachers agree to complete to support the team goals

9. Concluding Thoughts
Begin the process of improvement by selecting “learning” rather than “teaching” as the fundamental purpose of your school.
Understand that systemic change is a multi-year process.
Recognize that the power of “starting assumptions” matter.

10. "Just A Little Bit More!"
  When things get difficult, that's the time to give it your all!
That's when you can make the greatest difference.
It is when you reach the edge of your abilities, and you come face to face with your limitations, that you begin to grow.
When you are forced to push yourself beyond the limit, you will raise yourself above the crowd.