Connected Action Roadmap: Strengthening Teaching, Leading and Learning
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The CAR is a framework (not a program, not an initiative) that connects all the major school reforms in a process focused student learning, Over the last few years, we have implemented several school reforms. Now it is time not for another reform but it is time to refocus on teaching, leading and learning – it is time to allow educators to focus on their most important job – improving student learning, Why do we need to embrace a common coherent vision of practice? Although all the school reforms were intended to directly impact teacher practice and therefore, student learning, what happens when we feel inundated with initiatives – we hear things like – why are we doing this? how can we do all this? This too shall pass” Education then suffers from initiative fatigue. We tend to look at the implementation of each reform and can get lost in compliance instead of process and practice. The time is now to embrace a vision of how the school reforms fit together to create a coherent process of improvement that meets one intended goal – higher levels of student achievement.
Wrong Drivers:1. Accountability :New standards/New Assessment2. Focus on the quality of the individual teacher and
leader – New evaluation system3. Technology drives pedagogy4. Fragmented strategies
Right Drivers:1. Capacity building with a focus on the learning,
instruction and assessment nexus2. Teamwork3. Pedagogy drives the use of technology4. Systemic strategies
Fullan: The Wrong Drivers for Whole System Reform
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Michel Fullan a leading expert on educational leadership and school reform wrote a very informative piece in 2011 that discussed using the right drivers for whole system reform.. By the way – he did not say that the “wrong” drivers were bad or not important to the change process–instead they might not be the best drivers to lead a sustained change. Let’s look at the key differences. Fullan talks about the use of accountability measures vs the idea of building capacity to improve teaching, leading and learning. He states that the focusing on accountability does not highlight enough the instructional improvements that can occur when focusing on building the skills required to improve teaching and learning. Next Fullan points out that if we want to build those skills across the whole system we must utilize social capital. That means that it is much more effective for systems to focus on teachers working together to improve practice than in focusing just on the individual teacher. When all teachers have time to collaborate and share best practices the entire group benefits. It is a fact that a teacher can be more effective simply by virtue of the fact that they are on a particular faculty of a particular school. The culture of collaborative learning is essential. Next he talks about the need for a deep knowledge of pedagogy. It is this knowledge that allows educators to decide which technology is best employed to teach which SLOs. Simply using technology without a deep understanding of pedagogy will not improve performance. Finally Fullen talks about the need for a coherent of implementation vs a fragmented approach
Moving from Reforms to Refocus
○ Less focus on state tests and a refocus on local curriculum, instruction and assessment
○ Less focus on assessment for achieving equity and a refocus on quality and equitable curriculum
○ Less focus on outcomes and a refocus on providing tools and resources that will improve outcomes
○ Less focus on mandated changes and a refocus on improving schools from within by returning ownership for practice to educators
The first thing we need is the destination. How do you get everyone in a school to focus on student learning? . We use a set of guiding questions to get everyone to focus on their conversations on the destination.
Vehicle: The PLC Answers the Guiding Questions Next we need a vehicle to get us to our destination – that is our PLC. Teams work collaboratively to answer the guiding questions. The only people who can do this work who can answer these questions are the teachers . Teams working together to do this. Returning ownership for practice to educators Later I will delineate further the specific conversations PLC teams need to have in order to ensure they arrive at credible answers to the guiding questions.
The answers to those questions are captured in our curriculum which is the map or GPS. The curriculum should include specific student learning objectives that are aligned to the standards. EQUITY It should also pinpoint the most effective instructional activities and strategies to help ensure students meet those objectives.
Even if you have a viable map, you need some guideposts along the way to tell you if you are heading in the right direction – the Shop-Rite on the left – the McDonald’s on the right.
The Terrain
Culture: Communication of Connections and High Expectations
The next part of the Roadmap is the Terrain or the Culture. Are you traveling on smooth roads at your school or are you ready to fall of the edge of a rocky cliff? Our framework identifies 3 parts of school culture: climate, shared leadership and communication of connections. Although it is one of the last pieces of the map, it is certainly not the least. In many schools, it is a huge barrier to the entire PLC process. However, as you go through the inside process, the culture gets healthier. You still need a direct approach to dealing with culture issues but shared leadership and a true cycle of continuous school improvement will have a very positive effect on culture. Culture – biggest barrier to ensuring all students are learning
The CAR
Culture: Communication of Connections and High Expectations
❑ Provides a framework for PLC team dialogue❑ Is continuously revised based on the work of
the PLC teams❑ Directly connected to daily lesson plans
○ AUTHENTIC PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES
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A viable curriculum will allow us to make the connections to all of the current reforms and initiatives in a way that will support best practice and student learning. Reference the assumptions from the earlier activity that are relevant. Emphasize: Does your current curriculum truly drive daily lesson plans and the conversations/work of your PLCs? “First, we should do everything in our power to ensure that there is a clear, coherent curriculum in place before we attach high stakes to any evaluation. The absence of such a curriculum explains a great portion of the aimless, ineffective lessons we see in our schools.” -Mike Schmoker, Education Week, Aug. 29, 2012 12
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Point out that PLC #1 is the biggest stumbling block and the DOE is committed to bringing teams together to complete this work for the state- thereby ensuring common student learning objectives across the state. If we are to truly have a standards- aligned curriculum that is connected to daily practice and student learning, then it must be collaboratively developed through the work of professional learning communities. In your manual, you will find a list of 10 conversations that PLC teams need to have. These are the basis of the CAR framework and they can be grouped into their relationship to the curriculum – developing, delivering, reflecting on and revising the curriculum. . Today we will spend most of our time on those connected to developing the curriculum and briefly review the rest. Take a minute to review these. “These 10 conversations guide the work of the PLC by providing a clear focus for your learning and implementation of quality instruction that will impact student learning.”
2. Cluster the standards and student learning objectives into units of study.
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New Jersey Student Learning Standard W.2.1:
Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the opinion, use linking words (e.g., because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a conclusion.
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ACTIVITY: Unpacking the Model Curriculum Purpose: To illustrate the importance of translating standards into student-friendly learning goals even when using the DOE model curriculum. DIRECTIONS: Here is a grade 2 Writing standard from the NJ Student Learning Standards (slight modification from CCSS). Explain that there is a process for unpacking
STUDENT-FRIENDLY SLOs○ WALT understand the difference
between fact and opinion○ WALT write a clear opinion statement
about a book or topic○ WALT support our opinion of a book or
topic using evidence ○ WALT write an introduction○ WALT identify key linking words○ WALT utilize key linking words to connect
an opinion and a reason○ WALT write a conclusion
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As PLC teams engage in the conversations, their work is captured in the unit template. Manual, p. ______ .
Why a Common Framework?
○ Build a common language about the practice of teaching, leading and learning
○ Provide a way for educational organizations to support their members in improving practice
○ Provide opportunities for meaningful, targeted and collaborative professional learning
