1. Action Research Deployment Teams May - 2007

2. Agenda Pulling it all together! Pulling it all together! Best Practices/Improvement Theories Best Practices/Improvement Theories Team planning for continuous improvement Team planning for continuous improvement Workshop evaluation & planning for next year Workshop evaluation & planning for next year

5. (Your Departments Mission Statement Here) (Your Departments SMART Goals Here)

8. Random Acts of Improvement School Direction Goals and Measures School Direction Aligned Acts of Improvement Goals and Measures

9. Pre Planning: Identification of Need 1. Develop/Review Student Learning Expectations 2. Examine alignment of learning expectations with assessments 3. Review assessment data 4. Identify areas of need based on assessment Plan: 1. Describe the current process for addressing the identified area of need (flow chart) 2. Review data to determine baseline performance in the specific area identified (Run Chart/Pareto Diagram) 3. Identify potential root causes contributing to the identified area of need (Cause & Effect Diagram, 5 Whys, Relations Diagram) 4. Study research-based best practice/improvement theory addressing areas of need DO 1. Plan for implementation of improvement theory (Force Field Analysis, Action Plan) 2. Implement research-based best practices improvement theory based on root causes according to the Action Plan 3. Monitor the implementation of research-based best practice/improvement theory to insure integrity and fidelity 4. Assess student learning Study: 1. Examine student assessment results (compare to baseline) 2. Assess the impact of research-based best practice/improvement theory on student achievement Act: 1. Standardize the implementation of research- based best practice (improvement theory) that improved student learning (revise the flow chart to reflect changes made to the system) 2. If improvement theory was unsuccessful continue the PDSA cycle (try another improvement theory based on the next identified root causes) Action Research Overview for Professional Learning Communities

10. Thinking about PDSA this past year… whats in your top 3? Top 3 Successes Top 3 Struggles What changes will be made to next years PDSA efforts?

11. Research Based Best Practices SEB

12. An Overview of CRCSD Social / Emotional/ Behavioral Components March, 2007

13. Basic Human Needs from William Glassers Control Theory Survival Love and belonging Power Freedom Fun

14. Start with a Purpose in Mind Glenn: Raising Self-Reliant Children in a Self-Indulgent World People with an internal locus of control have the following perceptions of themselves: What happens to me is largely a result of the decisions I make and the effort I put forth. I believe I can usually find a way to work out problems or improve relationships, often by talking to people. I believe that a correlation exists between what I do and what happens to me, between the effort I put forth and the rewards I reap from life. And when I cant influence what happens, I can still decide how I will let circumstances affect me.

15. Rothstein: Class and Schools Those personal qualities that we hold dear - resilience and courage in the face of stress, a sense of craft in our work, a commitment to justice and caring in our social relationships, a dedication to advancing the public good in our communal life - are exceedingly difficult to assess.

16. It used to be thought that the brain was hard-wired and that it didnt change….(but) positive environments can actually produce physical changes in the developing brain. -Frederick Goodwin- (Kotulak 1996, p. 46)

17. During the early years, childrens brains are undergoing a massive reorganization: Building millions of new connections Unused connections are pruned away Which synapses are kept and which ones are pruned depends largely on whether they are reinforced by experience. Building the Reading Brain, PreK-3 Pat Wolfe and Pamela Nevills, 2004

18. Neuroplasticity….the ability of the human brain to sculpt itself based on its experiences. Teachers provide these experiences through structured social, academic, interactive work and play.

19. Today….consensus tells us that anywhere from 40-70% of our brains wiring is provided by environmental impact depending on what trait or behavior is being considered…. Teaching With the Brain in Mind, Eric Jensen, 1998

20. Social / Emotional / Behavioral (SEB) Learning links academic achievement with skills necessary for succeeding in school and in life through….. Enhancing social, emotional, and academic skills (capacities) Teaching skills and providing for application in supportive, caring learning environments Providing opportunities and practice CASEL (Collaborative for Social and Emotional Learning) website

22. STEP 1 Assess the current status: Do we have a system? Are all the components present in all classrooms/learning environments? Are the components fully deployed? How would we know?

23. STEP 2 What do the data tell us are the most in need of improvement? –Satisfaction and enthusiasm survey –SWIS aggregate data –Building surveys –Staff observation –Report card SEB ratings –Other

24. STEP 3 Select an improvement theory –What component would we as a staff want to get fully deployed, with fidelity and integrity, in order to get better results?

25. STEP 4 Implement the improvement theory –Training through summer workshops, modules, collegial leadership and coaching, supports –Keep implementation data

26. STEP 5 Check the results –After time for the strategy to work, what do we see in results? –What do new data tell us?

27. STEP 6 Institutionalize the strategy –Expect its use in every learning setting –Help new staff implement the strategy and understand the rationale for it

28. STEP 7 Determine appropriate interventions for students who demonstrate the need for more intense supports

29. Procedures COMPONENTLEVEL ILEVEL IILEVEL IIILEVEL IV PROCEDURES 4.D- Standardize key processes in the classroom using flow charts or other tools to communicate to stakeholders (displayed in the classroom) 2.E- Collect data that measures progress toward classroom SMART goals (displayed in the classroom) Student feedback tools (plus/delta, quality Quadrant) Procedures are developed by the classroom teacher and communic ated to students Procedures are developed by the classroom teacher with student involvement, written for all students to have, and are reinforced regularly Procedures are developed collaboratively with students. A menu of classroom-designed options is used by teachers in response to violations. Reteaching and support strategies replace punishment and rewards as interventions. Procedures are practiced and reinforced regularly, and daily or weekly monitoring checks completed by students and staff. Charting of success is evident at classroom and building levels. Building-wide expectations Direct teaching of procedures Student input regarding procedures Menu of choices SWIS system and office referrals

30. Agenda AGENDAVerbal outlines of the school day are shared with children. Written agendas are displayed on the board or via video screen. Teacher walks through agenda at start of day. Written agenda is referred to throughout the day, with alterations noted. Written agenda is regularly visited through the day, and students participate with the teacher in creating the daily/weekly agenda.

31. Class Meetings / Community Circle CLASS MEETINGS / COMMUNITY CIRCLE 3.E- Implement classroom meetings on a regular basis. Students lead the meeting and facilitate the discussion around the progress toward class goals, measures and mission. Student feedback is used to drive the class meetings. Class meetings are held at the teachers discretion. Class meetings are conducted on a daily basis, with a purpose clearly stated each day. Class meetings occur daily, as well as on as-needed basis to problem solve, to review curriculum, and to enhance a positive climate for all. Students participate in the agenda design for class meetings and assist with the actual management of the meetings. Structured opportunity for all students to be included Goal setting Teaching procedures Problem solving Conducting class business meetings Reflection

32. Common Language / Social Skills Instruction COMMON LANGUAGE/SOCIAL SKILLS INSTRUCTION 2.C- Involve students in the creation of classroom ground rules/expectations (displayed in the classroom) Teacher uses common language of Building Guidelines. Social skills are taught as concerns arise. Teachers use and reinforce common language and social skills through direct teaching. Interventions are documented for major offenses. Common language and social skills are taught and reinforced on a regular basis as an integral part of classroom instruction. Use of the language is prevalent. Interventions are documented. Evidence of the common language is heard coming from students, parents and teacher. Reteaching takes many forms. Supplemental and intensive plans are kept to a manageable, but effective number. 5 Report card guidelines Teach through: target talk, posters, literature, community circle, multiple attributes, assemblies, Tribes® strategies and energizers, modeling Social Skills: Skills for Growing, Boys Town, Lifeling Guidelines / Lifeskills, Character Counts, Tribes® agreements, Skillstreaming, Second Step

33. Problem Solving / Conflict Resolution COMPONENTLEVEL ILEVEL IILEVEL IIILEVEL IV PROBLEM SOLVING / CONFLICT RESOLUTION 3.G- Utilize PDSA to improve a process in the classroom (displayed in the classroom) 3.E- Implement classroom meetings on a regular basis. Students lead the meeting and facilitate the discussion around the progress toward class goals, measures and mission. Student feedback is used to drive the class meetings. Students are encouraged to resolve their own concerns with words. Problem solving strategies are taught in the classroom. Classrooms engage in regular how are we doing? checks. Conflicts are openly discussed and resolved using community circle and individual mediation techniques. A menu of building-designed intervention options is used by teachers to model conflict resolution for students, and to guide students in the use of strategies. Students with more frequent conflict issues are provided additional support through adults and/or peers. As needed, teachers and students use the PDSA cycle to improve behaviors identified as interfering with learning. Teachers collaborate with the building ART to monitor student rates of bullying and harassment, responding through the PDSA process to minimize conflict. Direct teaching of skills Community circle / class meetings Re-teaching Teacher intervention Administrative intervention

34. Data Driven Decisions DATA DRIVEN DECISIONS 4B- Monitor student and stakeholder satisfaction and use data to drive classroom improvements (displayed in the classroom) 3B and 2F Class data center and student data folders. Instructional decisions are based on the teachers knowledge of the child and the teachers past experiences. Teachers maintain anecdotal records of student S/E/B skills exhibited on a daily basis. Classroom and individual programming are adjusted according to these records. The teacher submits recorded classroom data to the building ART and participates in building-wide implementation strategies. Parent, student, and staff satisfaction data are used to determine improvement theories for S/E/B. Classroom data centers publicly display evidence of continuous improvement. Class data centers Student data folders Student input Office referrals Suspensions

35. Quality Tools QUALITY TOOLS 3I- Use at least 9 quality tools (brainstorming, affinity diagram, nominal group technique, run chart, flow chart, cause and effect diagram, force field analysis, pareto diagram, relations diagram) 2F- Implement student data folders in the classroom Teachers use basic tools such as histograms, brainstorming, and plus/delta to engage students in the classroom operations. Teachers use quality tools to identify areas for improvement, to select strategies, and to monitor progress. Student involvement in the data collection is used as a motivation strategy. Tools, goal setting, and data folders help replace the use of punishment and reward. Teachers and students demonstrate the use of quality tools to coordinate with the building ART mission and goals. Implementation of building improvement strategies is evident. Continuous PDSA in relationships, climate Action Research Team work

36. Differentiation Strategies DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES (INCLUDING SUPPLEMENTAL AND INTENSIVE PLANS) 3B- Create a Classroom Data Center ( May include: District Strategic Plan, SIP goals, classroom ground rules, classroom mission statement, SMART classroom goals, graphic displays of progress toward SMART goals) 2F- Implement student data folders in the classroom Classroom practices allow for adequate time, choices, and meaningful curriculum that fit individual learners. Teachers plan for differentiated strategies that fit students S/E/B skill levels. Individualized social skill instruction is made available to students who demonstrate the need. Students are involved in the design of classroom interactions and in learning methodologies. Students monitor and chart their own behavior and satisfaction on a daily or weekly basis. Class meetings focus on the data from student reporting and adjustments are made to improve results. Teachers collaborate in the design of building improvement efforts. Supplemental and intensive programming choices are applied for students who demonstrate the need for S/E/B supports. Core instruction IDM process Grouping strategies Adjustments for individual needs Interventions

38. Where did those 8 components come from? …and numerous other research-based sources...

39. …all based on the following…

40. CASEL (The Collaborative for Social and Emotional Learning) website: www.casel.org www.casel.org University of Illinois at Chicago Has compiled hundreds of research studies in this area Reviewed 80 SEB programs Makes recommendations for schools based on findings from research TRIBES® was one of the SEB programs chosen as a CASEL Select program based on its components

41. Some of their findings include: Multi-year initiatives had more enduring benefits School climate should be central focus Should be infused into regular academic curriculum Stand alone programs not as effective Students should be engaged actively and experientially in learning process

42. TRIBES® is a group process that develops a positive environment to help promote human growth and learning. It is all about building community through 3 stages of group development, using a set of agreements. This process is based on 30 years of human development and resiliency research.

43. Common language has been adopted by elementary schools and has been aligned with the report form.

44. From Class and Schools, by John Rothstein, p.96 by John Rothstein, p.96 In a 1994 study by Johnson and Immerwahr: over 2/3 of Americans said that teaching values was a role of public schools more important than teaching academic subjects In a recent survey, the highest ranked school purpose was preparing responsible citizens An Illinois focus group study concluded preparing good citizens, not academic achievement, was the most important goal of public schools

45. Research Based Best Practices Math

46. BIG IDEAS IN MATHEMATICS

47. Use Writing in Math Students who have opportunities, encouragement, and support for… writing in math reap dual benefits: They communicate to learn mathematics and they learn to communicate mathematically. NCTM Principles and Standards 2000 Writing in Math Helps students think Allows time to process Offers extended learning opportunities Increases math vocabulary Informs teacher

48. What the Research says… When asked to explain their problem- solving processes or to discuss how the math they learned might be used in the real world, students deepen their understanding of concepts and clarify their thinking (Goldsby & Cozza, 2002; Sjoberg, Slavit, and Coon, 2004)

49. But how can we collect data on student writing? Data folders could include student writing samples over time Rubrics for scoring student writing give a numeric value to student writing

50. Meaningful Distributed Practice What the research says… Distributing study time over several sessions generally leads to better memory of the information than conducting a single study session. (Ebbinghaus, 1885; Keppel, 1981; Bloom and Schuell, 1981; Donovan & Radosevich, 1999)

51. Opportunities For Distributed Practice Math Boxes Everyday Math Games Down Time Writing Prompts

52. Use How can we collect data on distributed practice? Teachers keep log of minutes spent on games, down time practice. Track progress on identified skills using slate assessments, mini-quizzes, specific problems on the math boxes, or writing prompts.

53. Increase Teachers Knowledge of Mathematics What the research says…. Improving teachers mathematical knowledge and their capacity to use it to do the work of teaching is crucial in developing students mathematical proficiency. National Research Council, 2001

54. Now dont take offense… Were aware that: Every teacher takes required math courses in high school and college The math education that we received may not have provided us with sufficient opportunities to really LEARN mathematics. We may know the facts or procedures but we may also have a relatively weak understanding of the conceptual basis for that knowledge.

55. How can we increase our content knowledge? Assess teacher knowledge. Identify an area to learn more about. Start a study group of teachers in the building that want to learn more about similar concepts. After working together, re-assess.

56. What data could we collect on increasing teacher understanding of math concepts? A log of the groups topics and work Teacher journals that record problem solving and replies to affective prompts (If youre really brave…) Pre-test and Post-test Scores I figured it out!!!!!!

57. Other ideas for math ARTs to consider: Increasing Student Math Vocabulary Teaching Math through Problem Solving A Strategic Look at Basic Facts Meaningful Use of Manipulatives

58. Whatever you do… Try to come up with a plan that: Will benefit all kids, and harm none… Will excite teachers Will improve student achievement in mathematics And…

59. Dont be afraid to Think outside the box!

60. Research Based Best Practices Reading

61. TEACHING READING REALLY IS ROCKET SCIENCE. Donald N. Langenberg, Chair National Reading Panel Chancellor, University of Maryland IT IS AN ENORMOUSLY- COMPLEX ACT.

62. Speaking and listening come first. But learning to read is, without question, the top priority in elementary education. Boyer, 1995, p.69

63. Yes, parents may have the greatest impact on how their children come to us. But we have the greatest impact on how they leave us. Superintendent, North Carolina

64. High Home Support Low Home Support Consistent High Quality Classroom Support Instruction100% Mixed Classroom Support100%25% Consistent Low Classroom Support60%0%

65. The Simple View of Reading R = D x C (Phil Gough)

66. Fluency Word Recognition & Comprehension

67. What are the Essential Components? Phonemic Awareness Phonics Vocabulary development Reading fluency Reading comprehension The Fab Five!

68. Classroom organization Matching pupils and texts Access to interesting texts, choice, and collaboration Writing and reading

69. What are the Major Findings? Most children need explicit instruction in decoding and comprehension. While fluency isnt sufficient for comprehension, it is absolutely necessary for good comprehension. Assessment and instruction are inextricably linked. Writing, spelling, and reading are highly related, especially in the early stages of learning to read. Children should spend more time independently reading and writing. Children not reaching benchmarks benefit from daily intensive instruction.

70. Challs Stages of Reading Development

72. Changing Emphasis of Big Ideas K123 Phonological Awareness Alphabetic Principle Automaticity and Fluency with the Code Vocabulary Comprehension Letter Sounds & Combinations Listening Reading Multisyllables

73. The Effects of Weaknesses in Oral Language on Reading Growth/Academic Achievement 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 Reading Age Level Chronological Age Low Oral Language in Kindergarten High Oral Language in Kindergarten 5.2 years difference (Hirsch, 1996)

74. Children must become accurate readers as a first step toward becoming fluent readers.

75. An accurate, fluent reader will read more.

76. The Failure Cycle

77. The Reading Gap Target: 85-90% of students can handle grade level material. Actual: Where schools say they are. The difference between the Target and Actual levels is the Reading Gap that can only be closed by comprehensive literacy strategies at the school level. Target Actual

78. Importance of Independent Reading

79. Percentile Rank Minutes/Day (Books, Magazines, Newspapers) Words/Year 98 th 67.34,733,000 90 th 33.42,357,000 70 th 16.91,168,000 50 th 9.2601,000 30 th 4.3251,000 10 th 1.051,000 2 nd 0.0--

80. Reading rate is strongly correlated with comprehension.

81. Reading rate (fluency) is causally related to reading comprehension.

82. Reading rate is correlated with many other student characteristics that also influence reading comprehension. Vocabulary =.99 % F/R Lunch =.97 % Minority =.97 % ELL =.96

83. How much fluency (rate) is enough to facilitate good reading comprehension? DIBELS Norms H & T Norms Aimsweb Norms 1 st 45 wpm43 wpm45 wpm 2 nd 91 wpm79 wpm85 wpm 3 rd 110 wpm96 wpm102 wpm

84. Grades 1 – 2 Oral Reading Fluency Goals Grades 3 – 5 2-3 words per week 1½-2 words per week

85. The role of vocabulary becomes increasingly important as students progress in school.

86. End of Grade One --.45 End of Grade Four --.62 End of Grade Seven --.69 Kindergarten vocabulary (PPVT) is closely related to later reading comprehension The relationship of vocabulary to reading comprehension gets stronger as texts become more complex. (Snow, 2002)

87. Comprehensive Vocabulary Development 1. Wide reading 2.Direct teaching of important words 3.Teaching word learning strategies 4.Fostering word consciousness

88. Magic Number =1,000,000 words read per year For a child who reads 15-200 words per minute, reading 20 minutes per day will yield 1,000,000 words read in a year. Anticipated vocabulary growth: 1,000 – 4,000 new words learned

89. Tier One: Examples: happy, bed, school Rarely require instruction in school The most basic words

90. Tier Two: Examples: coincidence, absurd, industrious Instruction adds productivity to an individuals language ability High-frequency words for mature language users

91. Tier Three: Examples: isotope, lathe, peninsula Best learned when needed in a content area Words whose frequency of use is quite low, often limited to specific domains

92. Prior Knowledge... Better than I.Q. for predicting success on inferential comprehension.

93. Types of Prior Knowledge Topic knowledge Text structure and organization Vocabulary

94. The punter kicked the ball. The baby kicked the ball. The golfer kicked the ball. How did the ball change?

95. Mary Lous heart was pounding as she stood on the highest portion of the platform, flanked by a Japanese and a Rumanian. The last two years had been worth it!

96. Todays Cricket The batsmen were merciless against the bowlers. The bowlers placed their men in slips and covers, but to no avail. The batsmen hit one foul after another with an occasional six. Not once did a ball look like it would hit their stumps or be caught.

97. Proficient comprehension of text is influenced by: Accurate and fluent word reading skills Oral language skills Extent of conceptual and factual knowledge Knowledge and skill in use of cognitive strategies to improve comprehension or repair it when it breaks down. Reasoning and inferential skills Motivation to understand and interest in task and materials

98. Three Major Strategies to Teach Comprehension 1. Reading a lot 2. Strategic reading 3. Deep discussions about books or articles

99. 1. Competent reader strategies 2.Text structure strategies Two Approaches

100. The Big Five Predict and Infer Self-Question Monitor and Clarify Evaluate and Determine Importance Summarize and Synthesize

101. Narrative Structure (Story Grammar) Expository (Informational) Structure

102. The effectiveness of instruction in comprehension strategies depends critically on how they are taught, supported, and practiced.

103. 1. An explicit description of the strategy and when and how it should be used. 2.Teacher and/or student modeling of the strategy in action. 3.Collaborative use of the strategy in action to construct meaning of text. 4.Guided practice using the strategy with gradual release of responsibility – scaffolding by the teacher. 5.Independent use of the strategy.

104. Meaningful conceptual content in reading instruction increases motivation for reading and text comprehension. Giving students choices of texts, responses, or partners during instruction. Have an abundance of interesting texts available at the right reading level for every student. Allow students the opportunity to work collaboratively with ample opportunities for discussion, questioning, and sharing. Engaged Readers

105. Team Planning Use the planning tool Use the planning tool Leave with a plan! Leave with a plan!

106. Next steps… Use the Organizing and Planning for Continuous Improvement tool to guide your planning Update your SIP by June 30 th Have your schools plan on a page ready for the start of the school year Set and communicate direction! Please complete the evaluation for todays session

109. Pre Planning: Identification of Need 1. Develop/Review Student Learning Expectations 2. Examine alignment of learning expectations with assessments 3. Review assessment data 4. Identify areas of need based on assessment Plan: 1. Describe the current process for addressing the identified area of need (flow chart) 2. Review data to determine baseline performance in the specific area identified (Run Chart/Pareto Diagram) 3. Identify potential root causes contributing to the identified area of need (Cause & Effect Diagram, 5 Whys, Relations Diagram) 4. Study research-based best practice/improvement theory addressing areas of need DO 1. Plan for implementation of improvement theory (Force Field Analysis, Action Plan) 2. Implement research-based best practices improvement theory based on root causes according to the Action Plan 3. Monitor the implementation of research-based best practice/improvement theory to insure integrity and fidelity 4. Assess student learning Study: 1. Examine student assessment results (compare to baseline) 2. Assess the impact of research-based best practice/improvement theory on student achievement Act: 1. Standardize the implementation of research- based best practice (improvement theory) that improved student learning (revise the flow chart to reflect changes made to the system) 2. If improvement theory was unsuccessful continue the PDSA cycle (try another improvement theory based on the next identified root causes) Action Research Overview for Professional Learning Communities

112. Math sub-test 11 th grade Math subtest ITED NPR Target 85% based on trend data Proficient above 40 th NPR Fall 2008 ITED By the fall of 2008, 85% of all 11th grade students will score above the 40th NPR on the ITED math subtest.