gcsc | professional learning
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GCSC | Professional LearningTRANSCRIPT
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Ensuring the Promise through Literacy:
Professional Learning for GCSC’s Highly Effective Teachers and Administrators
Gary Community School Corporation (GCSC) has made a promise to its students. “A Gary Promise” is a financial commitment that provides scholarship opportunities for students that fulfill Indiana Core 40 requirements with a minimum GPA of 2.5. The fund also will support mentoring and enrichment programs, student leadership development training and career awareness projects for all grades. But “A Gary Promise” is also an emotional commitment. The leadership of GCSC has recognized that preparing students for success as 21st century learners requires a targeted and vertically aligned systemic focus. Students must be prepared to perform at higher and more rigorous levels. GCSC leaders have expressed a commitment to creating an academically enriched environment where students will become self-‐sufficient critical thinkers. A systemic approach toward these goals calls for vision, planning, and increased instructional capacity that will challenge educators to teach with an expanded repertoire of skills. With that in mind, Scholastic Achievement Partners (SAP) stands ready to support Gary Community School Corporation in planning, developing and implementing a district-‐wide “promise through literacy” initiative. We recommend a program of work consisting of four components for the 2014-‐15 school year:
Ø Component 1: Model Schools Conference
Ø Component 2: Face-‐to Face Training for Teachers and Instructional Leaders
Ø Component 3: Job-‐embedded Coaching for Teachers and Instructional Leaders
Ø Component 4: Digital Learning
Ø Component 1: Model Schools Conference
Dr. Pruitt, along with a team of 32 teachers and school leaders will attend the 22nd Annual Model Schools Conference from June 22 – June 25, 2014 in Orlando, FL. About Model Schools Conference Presenters include leaders from 25 of the most rapidly-‐improving schools who will share the practices that led to significant gains in learning for their students. With 100+ concurrent sessions, the Model Schools Conference will empower and inspire participants to:
• Make immediate marked and sustainable improvements in their classrooms and entire school • Raise rigor and relevance for all students • Implement ideas and strategies shared by the nation's highest performing and rapidly improving
elementary, middle and high schools • Benefit from the countless networking opportunities with educators from schools across the U.S.
Participants will return home energized, inspired and equipped to affect positive change in their schools and classrooms immediately. Their professional learning will then continue with face-‐to-‐face training (see the next component).
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Ø Component 2: Face-‐to-‐Face Training for Teachers and Instructional Leaders Research and observation support what most educators see as common sense: what goes on between the teacher and the each student is central to high-‐level learning. Effective teaching is not the end goal, however; it is the means to an end: student achievement. Effective school leaders broaden the definition of leadership in their schools to include the many staff members and student leaders whose efforts further progress toward a common vision. SAP recommends the following face-‐to-‐face training to help build a foundation for effective teaching and leadership. To create coherence and continuity, teachers and leaders will attend courses on the same themes; however, each course will be differentiated to honor the respective lens of the attendee. These trainings are tentatively scheduled for July 14-‐18, 2014. Day 1: Creating a Culture of High Academic Expectations During this interactive, one-‐day course participants will learn about the benefits of a systems approach to improve student achievement. The course will enable participants to:
• Understand how high performing schools have transformed learning • Begin to apply effective methods for leading a culture focused on rigorous and relevant learning • Examine school culture and reflect on expectations • Reflect on school history to build on strengths
Day 2: Deepening Understanding of the Indiana Academic Standards and Instructional Shifts During this interactive, one-‐day course participants will delve into the Indiana Academic Standards. The course will enable participants to:
• Explain the structure and organization of the Indiana Academic Standards • Explain major changes in the Next Generation Assessments • Define key shifts in the ELA and Content Area Literacy Standards • Define key shifts in the Mathematics Standards
Day 3: Applying Rigorous and Relevant Instructional Practices Participants will learn to better engage students with more effective instruction. Through hands-‐on learning, participants will:
• Model high-‐impact instructional strategies, focused on the Rigor/Relevance Framework, and • Begin to plan a lesson that includes elements of high rigor and high relevance.
Day 4: Using Technology to Enhance Instruction (Teachers only) Participants will learn to use technology (specifically Nextpert) as an aide for creating rigorous, relevant and engaging lesson plans and assessments and as a digital tool for overall transform their classrooms. About Nextpert Nextpert provides tools and resources that support all teachers in making rigorous and relevant instruction a reality in every classroom:
• Lesson and Assessment Builders that guide teachers through creating instructional resources that support higher standards while also increasing their capacity to create them independently;
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• A trusted library of carefully selected lessons and assessment items that teachers can customize and personalize for their specific needs;
• Powerful tools that not only help increase the quality of lessons and assessments but show teachers why the changes are important.
Nextpert also features intuitive lesson and assessment builders that can be used to modify their own lessons and assessments or build from scratch. The powerful optimizer tools will analyze the level of rigor and relevance of these resources and guide them through simple ways to raise the bar. For instance, the Optimizer’s verb analyzer ensures that content is high in rigor by visually aligning the verbs to each quadrant of the Rigor/Relevance Framework. The system also suggests alternate verbs so that lessons and assessments can be easily revised to move toward Quadrant D. This one-‐click, color-‐coded analysis can be applied using the Rigor/Relevance Framework, Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy, and Webb’s Depth of Knowledge (or DOK). This is just one of the powerful ways Nextpert guides users through optimizing their lessons while building their own instructional capacity. Teachers can also build from scratch: The builder tools are robust and intuitive, guiding teachers through creating their own lessons and assessments, while ensuring that all critical components are included for building excellent content, including academic and domain specific vocabulary, and opportunities to scaffold or stretch, check for understanding, and encourage reflective practice. Lessons and assessments can be easily formatted using a selection of tools provided within each content subsection. These are useful for including images, bulleted lists, or many other formatting features for adding dimension to the content. Since no two classrooms are the same, the lessons and assessments created in Nextpert’s build section can be easily tailored different curricula, class compositions, and teaching styles. Nextpert also contains a library of ready-‐to-‐use model lessons and next generation assessments that are high in rigor, relevance, and engagement, are standards-‐driven, and require students to not only apply their knowledge, but do so in real-‐world, unpredictable situations. Day 4: Using Technology to Enhance Instruction (Leaders only; Half day) Participants will learn to support teachers as they utilize Nextpert:
• To create rigorous, relevant and engaging lesson plans and assessments; and • As a digital tool for overall transformation of their classrooms.
Day 5: Using Formative and Summative Assessment to Guide Instruction Teachers will explore formative and performance-‐based assessments customized to IN's assessment expectations and will be guided through the development of a high rigor/high relevance assessment. Participants will learn:
• the value of formative and performance-‐based assessments as tools to meet student needs and help drive daily instruction; and
• how to move students at an individualized pace while leading all students to an understanding of the curriculum.
Resources to Support Training and Implementation Effective Teaching – bundle
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Research and observation support what most educators see as common sense: what goes on between the teacher and the each student is central to high-‐level learning. Effective teaching is not the end goal, however; it is the means to an end: student achievement. This bundle includes the following titles, created to help maximize the achievement of all students:
• Effective Instructional Strategies – Volume 1 • Effective Instructional Strategies – Volume 2 • Effective Instructional Strategies – Quadrant D Moments
Daggett System for Effective Instruction – bundle The Daggett System for Effective Instruction provides a coherent focus across the entire education organization on the development and support of instructional effectiveness to improve student achievement. This bundle includes the following books that have been written to help develop and support instructional effectiveness across the entire education organization to maximize the achievement of all students:
• The Daggett System for Effective Instruction: Alignment for Student Achievement • A Systemwide Approach to Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships • A Systemwide Approach to Leadership • A Systemwide Approach to Embedded Literacy
Ø Component 3: Job-‐embedded Coaching for Teachers and Instructional Leaders
Job-‐embedded Instructional Coaching for Teachers Research shows that for skills to be acquired and put into practice, we must include the following training components: theory, demonstration, practice, feedback, and coaching.
Training Component Skills Acquired
Transfer to Practice
Theory 5% -‐-‐-‐-‐
Theory and Demonstration 5-‐10% Will try
Theory, Demonstration, Practice & Feedback 90+% 5-‐10%
Theory, Demonstration, Practice, Feedback & Coaching 90+% 80-‐90%
Source: Decision Velocity: A Target for Coaching. Alan Fine, 2000
SAP will provide a program of job-‐embedded instructional coaching for teachers to build upon the knowledge and skills learned during the face-‐to-‐face training. Results-‐oriented and holistic in approach, SAP’s job-‐embedded instructional coaches support teachers in meeting the needs of every student by
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building their skills in learner engagement, academic rigor, and real world relevance. Coaches work with teachers during the regular school day in their classrooms and during planning periods to raise student achievement. Our comprehensive and customizable instructional coaching model assists teachers in transforming instruction by using the Rigor / Relevance Framework to plan curriculum, deliver instruction, and monitor progress. Teachers learn differentiation approaches and understand how to extend rigor and adjust instruction based upon assessment. The model is built upon the following cornerstones:
• Focus on Student Achievement: The coach works closely with the leadership team to ensure commitment at all levels to this goal.
• Trusting Relationships: The instructional coach builds trust and supports professional growth by providing positive reinforcement, opening lines of communication, and creating a caring relationship with teachers.
• Professional Learning Communities: Educators collaborate around the shared goal of increasing student achievement. The reflective dialogue also helps the coach identify areas that might require additional support.
Job-‐embedded Instructional Coaching for Instructional Leaders SAP will provide monthly job-‐embedded leadership coaching for school leaders to build upon the skills and knowledge learned in face-‐to-‐face training. Our leadership coaches—all of whom are experienced education leaders—work directly with school leaders through a combination of onsite meetings, monthly webinars, and professional development resources. Leaders gain personal guidance and support in identifying priorities and developing leadership skills by working collaboratively with the coach. Leadership coaching supports and enhances the skill-‐sets of instructional leaders, helping them to help teachers achieve such objectives as the following:
• Understand and apply the Rigor/Relevance Framework as a “common language” for curriculum, instruction, and assessment
• Enhance their repertoire of research vetted effective instructional strategies for addressing the needs of all students
• Use research and data to identify and understand high-‐priority learning standards • Value and use “next generation” assessments to guide and differentiate instruction • Embed literacy in all subjects • Identify and use supportive behaviors that build positive teacher-‐student relationships • Understand and apply strategies that cultivate learner engagement • Leverage technology and other proven strategies
Ø Digital Learning
As part of coaching, school leaders, teachers, and the coach form a professional learning community (PLC). As a community, the coach engages teachers in ongoing reflective dialogue around learning goals, student achievement, and the maintenance of high expectations for all learners. SAP recommends these communities to utilize the online professional learning tool called Scholastic U to sustain and enhance professional learning in between face-‐to-‐face coaching visits.
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Scholastic U Scholastic U is an online professional learning resource that consists of over 20 graduate level online courses, primarily covering topics related to literacy and literacy instruction for both teachers (K-‐12) and leaders. The online “faculty” in Scholastic includes some of the most recognized experts in literacy and literacy instruction. Every course in Scholastic U consists of a combination of research, engaging video, and interactive assessments to determine teacher knowledge and enable them to track their progress. A pre and post assessment provides feedback on each participant’s increase in content knowledge and impact on application and practice. Teachers have access to a “Just-‐in-‐Time” resource library of instructional resources and demonstration videos. These resources are aligned with the more rigorous requirements demanded of 21st Century learners for college and career. Finally, teachers can receive graduate credit through multiple university partners for courses completed in Scholastic U. Participants have the flexibility to access Scholastic U courses 24/7, allowing expanded, convenient opportunities for continuous professional learning.
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Summary of Costs
Component Cost
Model Schools Conference
N/A
(already paid)
Face-‐to Face Training for Teachers and Instructional Leaders Includes training for 150 highly qualified teachers and 25 administrators for 5 days on July 14-‐18 (tentative) and Resources to Support Implementation (150 Effective Teaching bundles and 25 DSEI bundles)
$106,983
Job-‐embedded Coaching for Teachers and Instructional Leaders Targeting 150 highly qualified teachers and 25 administrators for 10 months (375 days for teacher coaching (4 teachers per day) and 125 days for administrator coaching (2 leaders per day))
$1,550,000
Digital Learning Includes a 12 month Nextpert/Scholastic U license for 10-‐12 schools & PLC facilitation 2x month for 10 months
$104,390
Total* $1,766,373 *Price includes all travel and expenses We know that Gary Community School Corporation is anxious to increase student achievement and fulfill its promise. We offer this information to ensure that GCSC and Scholastic Achievement Partners are united as you begin your mission of overall school improvement. We would like your feedback and will make any necessary adjustments to meet your needs. We welcome the opportunity to discuss the components and answer any questions.