Federal Programs Fall Directors Conference

Federal Programs Fall Directors ConferenceEmbassy SuitesCharleston, WVOctober 12-13, 2011Effective Team Organization and CommunicationLisa YouellState School Improvement Specialist

Warm Up3Im going to show you a triangle with 25 letters in it. With pencils down, I want you to try to remember the letters that you see in the exact order that you see them. When 10 seconds is up, Im going to ask you to recreate this triangle with all the letters in the right place.

Ready?CVTOMIBZUGDSAEHWYFKNXLJQP4Give people 10 seconds to view, then remove from sight.

Let people individually recreate the triangle. When it seems everyone is done, reshow the triangle and ask them to tally their results, counting letters ONLY if they are in the right location in the triangle.How did you do?5Divide tables in half groups of 4Tally first the individual scores an average for the 4 people involved

Now tally a group score. The number correct with all of your letters involved, counting each correct letter only once

CVTOMIBZUGDSAEHWYFKNXLJQP6Give people 10 seconds to view, then remove from sight.

Let people individually recreate the triangle. When it seems everyone is done, reshow the triangle and ask them to tally their results, counting letters ONLY if they are in the right location in the triangle.Try AgainMake a plan7Again you get 10 seconds This time, however, you will have 1 minute of team time to create a plan

Ready? Go! (time for 1 minute)

Pencils down / show the next triangle.

FJRNULAOSPEVDXCYKTGWBIQMH8Show for 10 seconds, then remove from sight. Let individuals jot down their responses, then have the teams create a single triangle.

Once it seems the group is done, reshow the triangle so they can tally their results.

Tally the Team Score each letter in the right place counts as one point. Record the scores in the third column on the flipchart.

What do you notice?

Why did it work this time?

What is the difference between a group and a team?

Link team concept to PLC idea and the need to address school improvement with new lenses.What made the difference?99Again you get 10 seconds This time, however, you will have 1 minute of team time to create a plan

Ready? Go! (time for 1 minute)

Pencils down / show the next triangle.

Groups do not become teams by accident!What Makes a Group a Team?They all own shared goals Members are interdependentorganized around a process, each performing a critical function required for successThey work collaboratively and purposefully to achieve the goalsThere is accountability WITHIN the teamImproving Schools One Teacher at a TimeIndividual growth does not ensure organizational growth. Organizations need more than well-developed individuals. Effective leaders focus on developing the culture and the collective capacity of the organization.

Center for Creative Leadership (2003)Michael Fullan (2007)Richard Elmore (2006)12Individual Growth Does Not Ensure Organizational GrowthStudent achievement gains and other benefits are influenced by organizational characteristics beyond the skills of individual staff. We saw schools with competent teachers that lacked the organizational capacity to be effective with many students. The task for schools is to organize human resources into an effective collective effort.Newmann and Wehlage,(1995)13CollaborationThe purpose of collaboration--to help more students achieve at higher levelscan only be accomplished if the professionals engaged in collaboration are focused on the right work.Learning By DoingCase StudyLearning By Doing First edition: pages 89 91 Second edition: pages 117-118

ScenarioThe Principal of a middle school had worked tirelessly to promote collaboration and had taken a number of steps to support teachers working together: He organized each grade level into an interdisciplinary team. He created a schedule that gave teams time to meet together each day. He trained staff in collaborative skills, consensus building, and conflict resolution. He emphasized the importance of collaboration at almost every faculty meeting.

Principal Joe McDonald was puzzled. He knew that building a collaborative culture was the key to improving student achievement. He could cite any number of research studies to support his position. He had worked tirelessly to promote collaboration and had taken a number of steps to support teachers working together. He organized each grade level in the Nemo Middle School (nickname: The Fish) into an interdisciplinary team composed of individual math, science, social studies, and language arts teachers. He created a schedule that gave teams time to meet together each day. He trained staff in collaborative skills, consensus building, and conflict resolution. He emphasized the importance of collaboration at almost every faculty meeting. He felt he had done all the right things, and for 3 years he had waited patiently to reap the reward of higher levels of student learning. But to his dismay and bewilderment, every academic indicator of student achievement monitored by the school had remained essentially the same.

16Teams Focused Onthe behavior of a student who had become increasingly disruptivestrategies for achieving their team goal of reducing disciplinary referrals for tardiness to classa lively debate about whether or not members should accept late work from students, and if so, how many points they should deduct for each day lateroles and responsibilities of each member to ensure all the tasks associated with an upcoming field trip were addressedWhat Advice Would You Give?How can we provide the parameters and framework to ensure teams use their collaborative team time in ways that have a positive impact on student learning?

What are your schools teams doing?

Administrative TeamSchool Leadership TeamCollaborative TeamCollaborative TeamCollaborative TeamCollaborative TeamFocus Team(s)Student Assistance TeamLocal School Improvement CouncilLisa Provide overview of teams20School Improvement Teams DefinedEach of the teams described has multiple functions. This document outlines only those functions that apply to school improvement. Read over the team descriptions and discuss at your tables. Give us your feedback.

Handout21School Leadership TeamUses a distributed leadership model (sharing leadership responsibilities across the organization) to support the work of teacher collaborative teams. The leadership team is made up of school administrators, one member from each teacher collaborative team and others at the principals discretion.Handout22Collaborative TeamsTeachers are organized into collaborative teams on the basis of shared responsibility for addressing the critical questions of learning with a particular group of students for example, by content, course or grade level. Team members work interdependently to achieve a common goal for which each member is mutually accountable. Team Leaders Roles & ResponsibilitiesWhat is the role of a team leader in your district?What are the responsibilities of a team leader in your district?4 schools represented have individuals respond on post-it notes and then post them on the chartgrouping like responses. Report out.24Roles & ResponsibilitiesTable JigsawTable distributes Roles and Responsibilities of Teams amongst members Individually read assigned section: half read School Leadership Team and Team Leadershalf read Collaborative Teams and Team membersAll read the information in the boxCome back to whole group and share out the part that resonated with you

School Leadership TeamTakes a balcony view of the schoolAssists the principal in making decisions to govern the school (shared decision making)Ensures a focus on learning and continuous improvementGuides the work of the collaborative teamsSupports and monitors the work of the collaborative teamsServes as the steward of the schools mission, vision, core values (commitments)Monitors achievement, climate and satisfaction data to assure that the learning environment is producing results consistent with the schools stated goalsIdentifies gaps in performance or processes and plans for their improvementAligns schools work with the district and classroomHandout26Team LeadersOrganize and facilitate all team meetingsMust communicate with all team members and other teamsHold each team member responsible for the core tasks of the teamDelegate the core tasks for equal distribution among team membersShare in the workload of the teamExtend support and encouragement to new members of the course/team guide new team members to gradually increase participation in the teamSee that time frame deadlines are met by all members of the teamExhibit patience and a sense of humorMake a conscious effort of appreciation

Handout27The School Leadership Team seeks to build the collective capacity of collaborative teams of teachersWhat do we need in order to conduct ourselves as a high functioning team?What do we expect all teachers to know and be able to do?How will we know when they are able to do it?How will we respond when teachers already know it?How will we develop first best instruction in our professional development and support of teachers?How will we respond when teachers are struggling?How will we know if our support is the stimulus for teachers professional growth?

Handout28Collaborative Teams

Focus on learning and continuous improvementAre responsible for service and program deliveryStandardsAssessmentInstructionManage the day-to-day services provided to students Those who exceedThose who meetThose who do not meetMonitor achievement, climate and satisfaction data to assure that the learning environment is producing results consistent with the schools stated goalsIdentify gaps in performance or processes and plans for their improvementAlign teams work with the district and classroomAlign with grade level before and after

Handout29Collaborative Team Members

Are prepared for each meetingGuarantee security for shared assessmentsDevelop assessments, and personalize others to their individual instructional style using shared resources as a guideShare assessments, materials and ideas with all team membersComplete the assigned core tasks on timeProvide voluntary participation and seek to help the team facilitator as neededMake a conscious effort towards appreciation of the team facilitator and other team membersHandout30Questions or Comments Concerning Roles & Responsibilities?School Leadership TeamCollaborative TeamCollaborative TeamCollaborative TeamCollaborative TeamAdministrative TeamSee handout description of teams32Leadership Roles Build:TrustInterdependent work structures From Build, Promote, Guide, Provide, Monitor by Susan Huff in The Principal as Assessment Leader33Leadership Roles Promote: From Build, Promote, Guide, Provide, Monitor by Susan Huff in The Principal as Assessment LeaderUnwavering focus on student learningPrecise academic standardsHigh expectationsCommon curriculumCommon assessmentsConfirmed instructional practicesSystems of prevention & intervention

34Leadership Roles Guide:Collaborative teamsJob-embedded staff developmentCollective growthInquiryShared personal practice

From Build, Promote, Guide, Provide, Monitor by Susan Huff in The Principal as Assessment Leader

35Leadership Roles Provide:and manage data

From Build, Promote, Guide, Provide, Monitor by Susan Huff in The Principal as Assessment Leader

36Sharing Data:Beginning of Community Collecting data is the first step toward wisdom, but sharing data is the first step toward community. - Henry Louis Gates, Jr.37If you want effective teams, what steps are you taking so that information is shared by your collaborative teams? Scholar from Mineral County West Virginia- Author of Colored PeopleLeadership Roles Monitor:Student progressReflective dialogueTangible products

From Build, Promote, Guide, Provide, Monitor by Susan Huff in The Principal as Assessment Leader

38

How do we do those things?

Through gentle pressure applied relentlessly. Gerrita PostlewaiteHow do we take the work of teams to the entire school district?Communication refers to the extent to which the school and district leaders establish strong lines of communication with and between principals, teachers and students.

p. 46, School Leadership That Works: From Research to Results

School Administrative TeamsSchool Leadership TeamSchool Leadership TeamSchool Leadership TeamSchool Leadership TeamDistrict Administrative TeamThe same structure works for the district.42CommunicationWithout credible communication and a lot of it, change efforts are doomed to fail.p. 20, Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at Work

CommunicationExample of information moving through the system44Example of Effective CommunicationThe focus of administrative meetings in most districts is on managerial tasks rather than on leadership issues that impact learning. A central office could, however use those meetings to help the district staff and principals function as their own collaborative team.p.361 Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at Workp. 361 Read aloud how this might look at a meeting of principals and central office staff45Team Organization & Communication

Handout46An Internal FocusWe make progress as a Team when we move from a language of complaint to a language of commitment, from a language of they to a language of we, from focusing on what we cant stand, to focusing on what we stand for.47Collaborative Teams Networkhttp://wvde.state.wv.us/ctn