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Central Michigan University COURSE SYLLABUS

EDL 592 Professional Learning Communities: Using Data to Guide Decision Making and Continuous

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COURSE DESCRIPTION: Collaborative Professional Learning Communities and continuous improvement is predicated on consistent, reliable, and informative sources of data. While schools assess students with tremendous frequency, the lack of distribution, organization, and explanation of the data often prevents its meaningful application. This course is intended to develop the capacity of local educators to address these problems and lead their local districts to more systematic application of data to guide decision making and continuous improvement. Students of this course will develop strategies for designing data collection, organizing data analysis, and developing instructional improvements based on data trends. Students will be trained on reporting tools to support data use (DataDirector, Data 4 Student Success, OEAA). They will design data collection processes and prepare data presentation matching their local districts needs. In collaboration with their peers, they will visit other schools to support regional implementation and the construction of a culture of data in our schools.

PREREQUISITES: Successful completion of the TBAISD Leading Professional Learning Communities course COURSE GOALS:

• Create a region-wide community of adult learners who share a vision for best practice in assessment, analysis, and instructional application;

• Provide a forum for sharing best practices in developing local capacity for connecting assessment with instruction;

• Provide models for utilizing data with Professional Learning Communities for instructional decision making;

• Assess their current district assessment practices and design the components of an assessment profile for their district;

• Train educators on the currently available resources for assessment reporting and analysis; • Connect data directly to instructional practices, programming, and intervention decisions; • Determine the best mechanisms for sharing information with students and parents; • Apply assessment data in the construction and follow through of school improvement goals.

LEARNER OBJECTIVES: As a result of this course, the learner will be able to:

• Assess their districts current assessment capacity and application to their PLC culture and school improvement process; • Determine an appropriate assessment profile for their local district that, if implemented, would

rovide the necessary baseline data for assessing the effectiveness of instruction and rogramming; • Navigate and obtain reports from existing reporting tools (DataDirector, D4SS, OEAA, NWEA,

AIMSWeb…); • Evaluate the current role of assessment in the determination of instruction and apply

available data to prepare an instructional plan; • Create processes to use assessment data within Professional Learning Communities to make



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accurate programming intervention decisions; • Develop best practices to routinely share information with students and parents (beyond the

raditional report card); • Identify curricular alignment gaps using available reporting tools; • Utilize reporting tools to conduct a study of local effectiveness and recommend a school

improvement goal in response to the data; • Critique, by way of site visit a peer district’s use of data.

REQUIRED READINGS: as provided/posted during the sessions- see attached reference list

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Participants are expected to fulfill the following:

• Complete all required readings and prepare written reactions to use during in-class discussions; • Complete on-line assignments and participate in threaded discussions; • Construct an assessment profile for your local district that describes consistent, reliable and informative resources to guide their district; • Using available tools, analyze assessment information to create a specific plan to improve student performance; • Participate in regional and/or local Professional Learning Communities modeling effective use of data for instructional decision making; • Conduct a site visit to critique and learn from teams in other districts

GENERAL METHODOLOGY: This is a nine month course, with each month dedicated to a specific outcome. Due to the nature, philosophy, and goals of the course, full participation is essential. The following methodologies will be used:

• 5 face to face sessions will be held to facilitate presentations, large group discussion and training on reporting tools; • 4 on-line sessions will address issues reflective of local practice; • All materials, assignments and rubrics will be readily available on-line; • Student will write reaction papers and critique each others submissions (on-line); • Students will participate regularly in regional and/or local PLC. • Students will complete projects:

o Design of the components of a local assessment profile utilizing available data sources and identifying additional data collection needs;

o Prepare a culminating presentation describing analysis of local assessment information (using tools and knowledge acquired during the course) to propose specific school improvement goals and strategies for improving student performance;

o Conduct a site visit to critique and learn from teams in other districts.

COURSE OUTLINE: See attached



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EVALUATION:

The course grade will be a letter grade, minimum for an A is 90%, a B is 80%, a C is 70%, a D is 60%, and below is failing.

• Face-to-Face Class participation. Participation in the activities presented in class is critical to your own success and that of the other participants and instructors. Formative assessment activities occurring during class will include observation checklists, role plays/performances, demonstrations, graphic organizers, and relevant traditional paper/pencil tests. Your participation will be measured by a rubric that you will receive at our first session (20% of final grade)

• Completion of Reaction papers: Some session will require a reaction paper to be written that connects the sessions objective to the local situation of the students OR will be in response to a posted reading/prompt (rubric to be provided during first session) (4 papers total) (30% of final grade)

• Completion of on-line threaded critiques of reaction paper submissions: Students must read and critique the submission of two other students (following a critique rubric provided during the first sessions). Critiques are import in building community and sharing instructional leadership during the course. (10% of final grade)

• Completion of Assessment Profile Design Project: based on the sessions study and discussion, student will prepare a data collection plan that considers current data sources and proposes additions/reductions in instruments to create “baseline data” that will serve district improvement efforts over an extended period of time. (10% of final grade)

• Completion of Data Analysis Project: students will prove their expertise on the available data tools in the preparation and presentation of an analysis of the current effectiveness and targeted improvement needs of their district. (20% of final grade)

• Completion of Site Visit: Student will support each other by visiting peer district to critique, lead, or assist in data training of local staff. (10% of final grade)

SYLLABUS PREPARED BY: Joe Esper, Assistant Principal, Traverse City West High School Rob Hansen, Data and Instructional Technology, Traverse Bay Area ISD



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COURSE OUTLINE:

Learning Session

Topics Assignments Contact Hours

1 September

(Face to Face) Sept 23

5:00-7:30

INTRODUCTION o Course Overview o Purpose of assessment

activity/discussion o Role of assessment in the PLC process o “Proficiency Illusion” activity o MOODLE Introduction and class

resources

Reaction Paper #1: Analysis of capacity and application of assessment data to local PLC culture. (posted on-line with subsequent peer critique)

2.5

2 October

(Face to Face) Oct 14

5:00-7:30

REPORTING TOOLS o Review Regional Assessment Plan o Orientation and training on available

reporting tools.

Design a local assessment profile (posted on online with subsequent peer critiques)

2.5

3 Regional

Staff Development

Day Nov 1

All day

REGIONAL STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY o Review the role of Curriculum,

Assessment and Interventions within the culture of Professinal Learning Communities.

o Participate in sessions associated with the culture of Professional Learning Communities within your building.

Complete Connections page Read assigned text pages

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4 November (On-line)

KNOWING STUDENTS AND PLANNING INSTRUCTION

o Attendance and Reflection on Regional Staff Development Day (connecting assessment and instruction)

o Orientation to reports specific to class rosters and content areas

o Instructional differentiation based on data.

o Role play instructional planning given a class data set.

Reaction Paper #2: Case Study: Role of assessment in designing instruction. (posted on-line with subsequent peer critiques)

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5 December (On-Line)

ACCURACY IN ASSESSMENT, GRADING and REPORTING

o Understanding the differences in assessment, grading, and reporting.

o Self assessment of grading practices.

o Quality planning for quality intervention programming.

Reaction Paper #3: How, when and with whom do we communicate information (posted on-line with subsequent peer critiques)

2.5



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6 January

(On-Line)

ASSESSING CURRICULAR ALIGNMENT o What measurements should be used

to determine curricular gaps? o How to close curricular gaps with

programming and instructional decisions.

Reaction Paper #4: Conduct a gap analysis of a particular content area or grade level

2.5

7 February (Face to

Face) Feb 24

5:00-7:30

CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT o Integrating classroom/formative

assessment into your assessment profile o Building assessment based on learning

targets o Using the assessment information to

inform instruction. o Developing the elements of a data review o Regional Review Presentation and

Response o Establish rubric for data analysis project

Complete data analysis projects; posted on-line for peer evaluation.

2.5

8 March

(Face to Face)

March 17 5:00-7:30

CULMINATING PRESENTATIONS o Presentations of analysis projects o Feedback and Reflection o Rubiric for Site Visits

Scheduling of site visits and development of site rubics

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9 April

SITE VISITS o Execution of Site visits

Submission of site Visit reports and critiques

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10 May

(Face to Face)

May 19 5:00-7:30

WRAP-UP o Action planning for local districts o Course Reflection o Course Evaluation

2.5

Note about On-Line time: Students must complete all required online submission of written summaries and/or related assignments, participate in threaded discussions, and respond to the discussion comments of colleagues, as described above. Estimated of time are provided above. Actual time will be tracked with personal logs to assure minimum compliance with the estimated contact time.



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Central Michigan University Course References

Supplemental Resources (provided in class) Reeves, D. (Ed.). (2007). Ahead of the Curve: The Power of Assessment to Transform Teaching and Learning.Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree. Wagner, T. (2008). The Global Achievment Gap. New York, NY: Basic Books.

O’Connor, K. (2007). A Repair Kit for Grading: 15 Fixes for Brokem Grades. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Services Zhao, Y. (2009). Catching Up or Leading the Way: American Education in the Age of Globalization. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development

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