2008 National Conference on EducationDr. Krista Parent

South Lane School DistrictTampa, Florida

February 16, 2008Room 22 Tampa Convention Center

Leading Student Learning

Leading Learning for the Future• More information was produced in the last 30 years than in the previous

5,000 years combined (Wurman, 1989)

• A weekday edition of The New York Times contains more information than the average person was likely to come across in a lifetime in 17th century England (Wurman, 1989)

• 20% of what we know today will be obsolete in 1 year (Barlow, 2006)

• By 2010, technical information will double every 72 hours (Barlow, 2006)

• The blogosphere is now doubling in size every 6 months. It is 60 times larger than it was three years ago (Sifry, 2006)

Leading Learning for the Future, continued . . .

• 25 years ago a 1,070 on the SAT would gain you admittance to UCLA. Today the average SAT score is 1,310. Last year UCLA turned down over 7,000 students who had a 4.0+ GPA (College Board, 2006)

• The internet is the fastest growing communications media in world history. It took the Web four years to reach 50 million users. Compare this to the number of years it took radio (38), personal computers (16), television (13) to reach that many users (Warschauer, 1999)

• In 1950, the world population was estimated to be 2.5 billion. In 2000, it was 6.07 billion. In 2050, it is estimated to be 9.08 billion (Marx, 2006)

• In 2000, 12.7% of the U.S. population was 65 and older. In 2100, the percentage is expected to be 23% (Marx, 2006)

Leading Learning for the Future, continued . . .• The fastest computer today can calculate 70 trillion calculations

per second (Barlow, 2006)• The top 100 entrepreneurs in America aged 8-18 earned a total of

$7 million in profits in 2001 (Penn, 2007)• Kindergarten “red-shirting” has become the rage. Nearly 10% of

kindergartners were eligible to start school the year prior (Penn, 2007)

• We are in a historic moment of horse-versus-locomotive competition, were intuitive and experiential expertise is losing out to number crunching. Business and governmental professionals are relying more on databases to guide their decisions (wine, baseball, health care), (Ayres, 2007)

Demographic ProfileSouth Lane School District

• 4th largest of 16 school districts in the county• 12 schools; including 3 charters• 3,000 students• Nearly 60% Economically Disadvantaged• 18% Special Education• 246 Homeless Youth Served in 2006• 75%+ students transported to and from school• 2.5% ELL

SLSD Transformation

Prior to 2002

• Drop out rate low double digits – 10.5%

• Lower 1/3 county high schools on state tests

• No AP Courses• No common assessments• Limited parent involvement at

secondary level• Failure rate each term of high

30%

Post 2002• Drop out rate less than 2.5%• 2nd in county in 2006 for Math

and Reading• 7 AP courses with an 80%+

passage rate• Common literacy assessment and

power standards for some content areas

• Significant parent involvement• Failure rate each term in the

teens

OSA READING

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 10th

% Meets & Exceed

Gra

de

Lev

el 2006

2007

State '07

61%

77%

88%92%

88%91%

87%

64%67%

75%

86%

78%

93%

79%

48%

55%

67%

61%

47%

64%

70%

44%40%

46%44% 44%

63%65%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2007

Grade Level

% M

eets

& E

xcee

d

3rd

5th

8th

10th

OSA 11-Year History for Reading

Average Oral Reading Fluency Scores

Class Ave. ORF Score Fall 9th Grade

Ave. ORF Score Spring 10th Grade

Ave. Gain over 2 years

2008 131.4 148.2 16.8

2009 124.1 162.1 38.0

2010 125.4 TBD TBD

Intervention Effects on ORFYear # Students Ave. Word Gain Ave. % Gain

05-06 No Interventions

258 17.3 11.8 %

05-06 Interventions

153 18.9 21.5 %

06-07 No Interventions

287 19.3 13.3 %

06-07 Interventions

122 18.1 20.6 %

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 10th

Grade Level

% M

eets

& E

xcee

d

2006

2007

State '07

OSA Math

OSA 11-Year History for Math

44%

69%

80%84% 85%

93%

69%

49%

68%71%

75%

86%

96%

73%

48% 47%

59% 57%

46%

53%

63%

28%23%

30%34%

50% 48%

27%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2007

Grade Level

% M

eets

& E

xcee

d

3rd

5th

8th

10th

Leadership Work:From Traditional to a Community of Practice

• Thorough Self and Team Assessment• Shared Beliefs and Vision• Principal Administrative Council Shift• Leadership Literacy Plans• District Welcome Back Overhaul• Book Clubs – District, voluntary & Ad Council• Coaching Commitment Teams• Learning Walk Through Tool• Studio Classrooms

Administrator Self Assessment Tools** Spent several sessions together studying both of these models and then used the tools to assess our

strengths and weaknesses as individual administrators and as a team

• Input• Affirmation• Relationship• Change agent• Optimizer• Ideals/beliefs• Monitors/evaluates• Flexibility• Situational Awareness• Intellectual Stimulation• Knowledge of C, I & A• Culture• Order• Focus• Communication• Outreach• Contingent Rewards

(21 Areas of Leadership Responsibility – Waters, 2003)

• School Culture• Craft Leaders – Thinkers and Practitioners• Children’s Literature • Instructional Models• Curricula• Options for Organizing Time & Space• Assessment/Content Standards• Special Interventions• Knowledge and Research

(Children’s Literacy Initiative Blueprint for Leadership)

Shared Beliefs and Vision What We Are About in South Lane School District

Children Come FirstDecision Making Is Student Centered

Children Learn Best When They Want to Be at School

Academic Excellence• There is urgency about the push for academic excellence and there

is value added for each year of instruction.• Students are encouraged to dream and excel and are held

responsible for doing their best.• All students learn to read fluently and become mathematically

literate. Reading and mathematical competence open doors to productive futures.

• Students are exposed to a broad and varied curriculum in addition to instruction in core content areas.

Learning Environment• Schools and classrooms provide caring and respectful learning

environments• An emphasis is placed on connectedness; students need

relationships with trusted adults.• School is enjoyable.• Students have their basic needs met and feel safe and secure in

order to learn best.• Students are provided with the necessary resources to be successful

learners.

Quality Instruction• Outstanding and well-trained teachers are at the core of providing

quality instruction.• All staff are a positive influence for students.• Quality teachers are dedicated, motivated, creative, knowledgeable,

flexible and empathetic.• Formative and summative assessments are used to monitor and

adjust curriculum for each student.

Citizenship• Imbedded in instruction is a focus on developing the character of

each student. Learning activities provide opportunities for students to build positive citizenship traits including, but not limited to:

• Personal responsibility• Building self-esteem• Instilling integrity• Interacting cooperatively• Learning how to get along

Administrative Council Shift

2005-06 Ad Council &

District Book List

ElementaryAuthor Title DateDiamon & Gutlohn Vocabulary Handbook 2006Sousa How the Brain Learns to Read 2005Stead Reality Checks: Teaching Rdg. Comp 2006Thompkins 50 Literacy Strategies: Step by Step 2004Goudvis & Harvey Strategies that WorkMoss Exploring the Literature of Fact 2003Kenney Literacy Strategies for Improving Mathematics Instruction2005Caulkins Living Between the Lines 1990Strickland What's After Assessment? 2005

Elem/SecondaryAuthor Title DateMarzano Building Background Knowledge 2004Daniels & Steineke Mini-Lessons for Literature Circles 2004Robb Teaching Reading in SS, Sci, & Math 2003Pike & Mumper Making Nonfiction and other Informational Texts Come Alive2004Billmeyer & Barton Teaching Reading in the Content Areas 1998Harvey Nonfiction Matters

SecondaryAuthor Title DateWilhelm Improving Comp with Think-Aloud Strat 2001Gallagher Deeper Reading 2004Tovani I Read It, But I Don't Get It 2000Wilhelm & Reading Don't Fix No ChevysMurray Teaching Mathematics Vocabulary in Context2004Beers When Kids Can't Read: What Teachers Can Do2003

“Many excellent 3rd grade readers will falter or fail in later grade academics

if the teaching of reading is neglected in

the middle and secondary levels.”

“Reading is the gateway skill to all other content areas. If our students don’t have adequate reading skills they are put at a disadvantage in every other content area.”

“Every school day 7,000 young people drop out of high school,

many of them because they lack the basic literacy skills to meet the

growing demands of the high school curriculum (Pinkus, 2006).”

Leadership Literacy

Plans

Leadership Literacy Plans

1. My personal philosophy about literacy is2. Two self-reflection analyses3. Ways I am currently supporting literacy4. 5 year review of assessment data5. Identify the instructional needs for staff members6. My personal goals for supporting literacy7. Specific action steps needed to attain goals8. Support I need from district administration9. Staff development and training opportunities10. Ways I plan to monitor my progress on my plan

My Personal Philosophy About Literacy is . . .• “Literacy is inseparable from living. This statement resonates with me.

Reading provides access to the world. It ties the reader to a girl in China, a science experiment, and the advice of Ann Landers. One can read the thoughts of humans who have long ago left this earth but whose ideas are alive in books. Reading connects our life and being to others. It is a way to find significance, direction and intimacy in our lives.”

• “Literacy is more than the ability to read and write. Literacy involves extensive use of expressive and receptive language skills. Even a functional level of literacy requires a level of prior knowledge and vocabulary in order to make sense of what is read or written.”

Identify the Instructional Needs for Staff Members

• “We need to develop better instructional practices for improving reading fluency, as well as increasing our use of non-fiction text.”

• “We need to infuse our 3-5 reading curriculum with non-fiction materials, allowing students multiple opportunities to practice this format. Non-fiction demands increase at the middle and secondary level and many of our students are not sufficiently prepared.”

My personal goals for supporting literacy

• Increase my level of familiarity with children’s literature• Stay current on best practices and literacy research• Build time into staff work sessions for collegial reflective

practice• We have to prioritize specific interventions we know work and

allocate the necessary resources and materials• I will model the use of good instructional strategies with staff

and name those strategies

District Welcome Back Overhaul

K-2 Fluency Group

High School Vocabulary

Group

Book Clubs• Administrative Team

• Whole District• Voluntary for Credit

What We’ve Been Up To This Year

Book Clubs for CreditYear Fall Winter Spring

2007-08 From Graphic Novels to Young Readers’ Choice

From Uber-geek to 12:00 Flasher: Technology Integration For All

From “I Hate To Write” to “Where’s My Journal?”

2006-07 Reading Children’s Literature: Graphic Novels, New Non-Fiction & Young Reader’s Choice Nominees

Bringing the Outside In: Visual Ways to Engage Reluctant Readers

Making Non-Fiction Come Alive: Great Biographies, Narrative Information Books, How-To Books & Textbooks

2005-06 Building Background Knowledge

Teaching Math Vocabulary in Context

Teaching Comprehension to Enhance Understanding

2004-05 Reading Children’s Literature

The New Science Literacy: Using Skills to Help Students Learn Science

Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning

Coaching Commitment Teams• Goal: To support and coach colleagues to implement

practices the focus on instructional leadership and less on managerial tasks.

• Teams: At least one each - district administrator, elementary principal, secondary principal, and administrative intern (teacher leader).

• Each team identified their focus for the year and the teams regularly report their status in whole group ad council meetings.

Classroom Learning Walk Tool• Developed from the work of a Coaching

Commitment Team• Various versions have developed• District and School-wide focus for Learning

Walks• Power is in the discussions post-learning walk

Studio Classrooms• Logical next step in professional development

pursuits• Intense• Focus is on student discourse – not on teacher• Five cycles per year• Includes:

– Studio Teacher– Resident Teachers– Coach– Consultant

What I did differently as the superintendent to support and lead a Community of Practice?

• I became the “learning leader” and pushed/motivated my leadership team to do the same

• I got in and got my hands dirty, attending professional development sessions regularly and sometimes led them

• I stimulated forward thinking and innovation and gave permission to challenge the status quo

• We got focused on the right stuff and spent our time accordingly

• We spent time as a leadership team to develop our guiding principles and I helped lead that discussion

What I did differently as the superintendent to support and lead a Community of Practice?

• I set an expectation level for principals that is high, but they feel supported

• We developed clear expectations for what we wanted our students to look like

• I spent more time at the high school and met more regularly with the high school principal

• We had honest, courageous conversations that pushed one another to examine “the way things had always been”

• I pushed my district leadership team to get more versed in high school life and matched their levels of expertise with how they could support the high school transformation

“We are moving from an economy and society built on logical, linear, computer-like capabilities of the Information Age to an economy and society built on the inventive, empathetic, big-picture capabilities of what’s rising in its place, the Conceptual Age.”

Daniel Pink, 2006

“The future belongs to a very different kind of mind – creators and empathizers, pattern recognizers, and meaning makers. These people – artists, inventors, designers, storytellers, caregivers, consolers, big picture thinkers – will now reap society’s richest rewards and share its greatest joys.”

Daniel Pink, 2006

Future Focused Leadership, Gary Marx (2006)

“We are the first generations of people capable of destroying the world and we may be the last generations who can save it. Much will depend on how we educate our children.”