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2

Table of Content

1 Mentor Appraisal 3

2 Instructional Leadership Rationale and Approach 3

3 CIA Action Plan 6

4 Practicing Observation & Feedback Tools 8

5 Observation and Feedback System 11

6 Schedule of Assessment, Data Analysis &

Changes 16

7 Schedules and Calendar 24

8 Evaluating Teacher Effectiveness 28

9 References 32

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Mentor Appraisal done via phone call

1: Instructional Leadership Rationale and Approach

Instructional Leadership places the focus on what really matters. The focus is on

instruction and student achievement. An effective instructional leader has to know what’s going

on at all times; have clear expectations, monitor and adjust according to student performance. All

academic feedback should center on what best meets the needs of the students. Instructional

leadership benefits means never being too far away from the classroom and curriculum being

taught. In addition, leadership should continue to go to Professional Development to better serve

the staff and the students. “What’s more, for teacher evaluation systems to become more

meaningful and relevant, principals must gain new skills that allow them to make the leap from

evaluating their teachers to developing their teachers and being able to provide feedback and

encourage improvement.”

Challenges and Strategies

The greatest challenges according to my mentor, Mrs. Broughton is having documents

ready for the district, when the time frame to produce seems unreasonable. Additional challenges

are all the outside meetings, and meetings which are to prep for the big meetings. Discipline can

bring a great challenge depending on the issues. The district has implemented a new evaluation

system that requires administrators to conduct Spot Observations doing the week, while

managing scheduled conference times to meet with teachers to give feedback on what they

observed adds to the list of challenges. Then there is the Cohort tracking of students to make sure

you know what is going on with grades; ensuring that at risk students are getting all they need in

the classroom. Sponsor groups: looking at failures, attendance, tardies. These are the students

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that are failing 3 or more classes within a 6 week period. The time allotted in a day can

sometimes fill overwhelming and suffocating to say the least.

To effectively manage the previous list of items, some critical strategies begin with knowing the

“Big Rocks” that need to be done at the end of the week for next week. Mrs. Broughton

elaborated, “Knowing the Administrators Packet: Daily information and anything that deals with

the English department or self.” She continued to suggest that keeping many calendars: Having

a big calendar on your desk to know the schedule at all times, plus any scheduled events, PLC

calendar, Administrators Calendar, Athletic Calendar, Ms. Broughton (personal calendar) and

content department calendars will assist with organizing and prioritizing weekly and daily

objectives. A strategy for students is to block off times in the calendar two to three times a week

that is for meeting with students about interventions on how to fix grades and attendance.

Always checking your email around the clock, so that you do not miss any important information

is a fundamental must for any administrator. Start each day with “a to do list”, as well as, each

week.

The idea that principals should serve as instructional leaders—not just as generic

managers—in their schools is widely subscribed to among educators. The emerging theory of

cognitive apprenticeship attempts to take the lessons of apprenticeship structures into modern

domains of learning. These differ in two important ways traditional craft apprenticeships.

First, intellect is valued in its own right, not just as of learning practical skills and

knowledge. Second, variability and invention are valued over simple repetition of the master’s

way of doing things. Principals are responsible, above all, for selecting and cultivating a teaching

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staff that is able to teach effectively the district’s demanding programs in literacy and

mathematics. The principal is expected to be an instructional leader in the strongest possible

sense of the term. To do this, the principal must understand the instructional programs that the

district has adopted well enough to actively guide teachers in its implementation. He or she must

be able to judge the quality of teaching in order to select and maintain good teaching staff.

Building an effective community of principals is about both things—the craft of teaching

and learning and the building of strong interpersonal relationships. I believe no effective learning

can go on without very strong personal relationships. But relationships can’t substitute for deep

knowledge. The challenge is to build those relationships around studying teaching and improving

instruction for kids and a belief system about learning.

Of all school factors—from extended learning opportunities to family and community

engagement to smaller class sizes—teachers exert the largest impact on student achievement.

What was once fervently believed by practitioners and parents but questioned by researchers is

now a well-established fact: Teachers make a crucial difference in students’ academic

performance. Despite this reality, efforts to improve teacher quality through performance

evaluation have made little ground. The consequences of evaluation have generally been

negligible in terms of teachers’ instructional improvement or continued employment. There is

scant evidence that evaluation has improved the quality of teachers’ classroom instruction or led

to the dismissal of underperforming teachers. Rationale for teacher impact on student

achievement is supported by:

Annual summative evaluations for every teacher

Frequent, structured observations of teachers accompanied by detailed feedback

throughout the academic year

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Attention to a culture of reflection and account ability in the day-to-day work of

the school

Hiring as a crucial primary step in assessing the candidate’s commitment to

continuous instructional improvement

Efforts to advance a “no surprise policy” so teachers and administrators are on the

same page throughout the year about teachers’ performance so that the

consequences for teachers’ jobs are predictable

Substantialtrainingforevaluatorsonhowtoobserveclassroominstructionand provide

feedback.

By create thriving school cultures through instructional change and helping teachers to

continuously improve their craft, perform data-driven analysis of student achievement and

actively engage in the community, this allows instructional leaders to focus their relationships,

their work, and their learning on the core business of teaching and learning. This is the greatest

influence on student academic achievement.

2: Course Project: Section 2 — CIA Action Plan

At Sunset high School our current Response to Intervention is not as prescriptive as it

needs to be. Currently, we have the time blocked out of our schedule that is like a homeroom

class. These students are coupled together at the beginning of the year during this class. They

follow the same graduation track and take the same classes at different times. The time during

this homeroom period is supposed to be used for character building across the campus, or for

students to seek out additional help academically during the instructional day, also known as our

campus response to intervention plan.

This plan could be improved by strategically developing a schedule for students to

participate in extra curricula actives, watch current events in the auditorium, have coffee café

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were students that wanted to relax and work on home work could do just that. Students that

needed the individualized attention would be required to attend specific academic development

sessions to address their deficiencies so that teachers are not forced to remediate several grade

levels below expected grade appropriate performance during class. In addition, students tiered as

Tier 2 and Tier 3 using our Response to Intervention Tool would be assigned a mentor from the

campus elective teachers to assist with motivating students to be accountable for their own

learning and asking for assistance when they know they need it. Each teacher and student would

complete an action plan for the student to ensure that all avenues and every voice is being heard

in the discussion. See the attached forms for the teacher and the student to complete during the

profiling of information.

This type of aggressive scenario would require a great deal of work on the front end.

Planning, processes and products would need to be solidified prior to implementation to prevent

as much chaos as possible. Students that are placed on a RTI plan would have to sit down with

the appropriate teachers, mentors, administrators and parents to discuss and develop the

frequency and key indicators for the action plan. An example would include how many times a

week the student would participate in the program and academic expectation to earn their study

time. As well, consequences for specific choices must be written into that lesson plan. There

must be commitment from each member of the Sunset family for this to be successful.

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3: Practicing Observation & Feedback Tools

Spot Observation 3.2

Mr. L

English 4

9:55am

10:15

Teacher was reading out loud to students, as students follow along.

Some students were listening to music

Teacher: posed a question to the students: What's happens to the male character in the play?

Teacher asked students to take out a sheet of paper and work with a partner...

Each student is asking to turn in their own paper. Who Am I This Time?

Talked to students about what they were reading: student explained that it was a love story that

deals with a married couple that likes plays. Students were confused on what to do, and how to

find the plot.

Once the teacher asked more questions to the student, they got a better idea of how to answer the

first question.

Teacher walked around to check for understanding.

English 3

Mr. Gee

10:16 am

10:22 am

3 p's posted

Students are working on English packet: Set Free:

The packet is to help them get ready for the test.

Students were working individually.

Some were talking about others things and not focused on the assignment

Teacher was helping a student

Teacher read the story to the student, then the students worked on the packet.

Once students were done teacher comes around to check to see it they got it.

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No response strategies used.

There are a couple of students that did not have a partner. S they could not participate in the

activity. Mr. Mendoza never had a partner.

He never called students by name and just left it up to the students to respond.

He reflected back to the text to help the students locate the answer.

The students are not sure on how to respond to the teachers questioning of the text.

Mr. Dees

10:39-10:55

Advisory

Teachers went over the assignment from prior class.

Teacher the responses the students gave, praise was giving to the students for their responses.

Teacher posed at question: looking for the attitude of the Horse

Teacher called on student to read out loud

He encouraged the students; students helped one another out to find the answer to the question.

Had good questions about the story

Student need to understand the importance of what they are reading

Teacher explained that he had to read the story twice to better understand the story. This lets me

know that he had to check for understanding before he could move forward.

White boards are being used to allow students to respond to questions about the text.

Teacher knows his students and calls the about names.

Good advice was given: learn to block everything else while reading.

90% of students were on task

What was Black Beauty's Attitude?

He helped the students find and located the answer to questions

He tied everything back to the real world.

He offered supplies

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Ms. B

10:56-11:01

English 2

LO: students will be able to write concluding paragraphs for the persuasive essay

DOL: given the persuasive writing prompt, students will produce a conclusion for the essay.

Teacher walked around the room to check that students were working

All students were working of the writing prompt

Students sat quietly and waited on the teacher to check

Ms. E

11:04-11:10

English 3

Question: How does Black Beauty's attitude reflect the tone of the passage?

Students are working in collaborative groups

Sense starts with giving praise to the student

One group was stuck, but with some directives figured out how to answer the question.

Teacher: redirected the students, but continued to move forward with the other group to make

sure they stayed on task.

Subject: Walk-Through Feedback to School Staff

Comments: With the 5 classroom walk-throughs this week, I conducted 53 minutes of

observations. I observed 15 interactions with individual students; on the average of 1 to 2

minutes (56%) of my observation time was focused on individual instructional time. In the

upcoming weeks I will go back and assess if the individual student instruction time has

increased. All the classrooms average 22 students per classroom. In 3 of the observations student

engagement average between 85 to 90 percent. The remaining classrooms student engagement

average between 15 to 20 percent. Base off the data that was collected teachers were placed on a

growth plan to help improve student achievement, purposeful, and effective instruction. As our

district Core Beliefs States,” Effective instruction makes the most difference in student academic

performance.”

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J. M. THOMAS HIGH SCHOOL

TEACHER ACTION PLAN

STUDENT NAME______________________________________ CLASS________________

SPECIFIC PURPOSE STATEMENT (Vision for the six weeks)

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Improve test score Complete and review daily

assignments

Be in class and on time 90% - 100%

for the six weeks

FOCUS AREA

State Standards Student %tile performance to class Student Strengths / Weaknesses

Student Learning Styles

CURRENT SITUATION

Struggling with State Standards Attempted Strategies Alternate Strategies

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Immediate GOALS

DAILY GRADES__________ TEST GRADES___________ ATTENDANCE____________

Long Term GOALS

DAILY GRADES__________ TEST GRADES___________ ATTENDANCE_____________

MEASURE OF SUCCESS (IMPROVEMENT ON):

3 WEEK AND SIX WEEKS

TEST

DAILY ASSIGNMENTS ATTENDANCE DO NOW/ EXIT TICKET

ACTION REQUIRED

TUTORING DAILY

ATTENDANCE

Assign MENTOR SATURDAY

SCHOOL

RE-TAKE TEST

CONFERENCES

Mentor – Student Teacher – Mentor –

Student

Teacher – Mentor –

Parent – Student

Administrator –

Student

Administrator –

Parent - Student

TIMING

RE-EVALUATE EVERY 3

WEEKS FOR TESTING

DAILY FOR DAILY

ASSIGNMENTS

DAILY FOR ATTENDANCE

REWARDS

EXTRA POINTS ON DAILY

ASSIGNMENTS

CERTIFICATE OF

ATTENDANCE AFTER 3

WEEKS (5-9 CLASS TIME)

END OF THE SEMESTER

BAG OF TREATS FOR

IMPROVEMENT ON TEST

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J. M. THOMAS HIGH SCHOOL

STUDENT ACTION PLAN

I, , understand that this action plan is to promote my success in this class

for the school year of 2012/ 2013. My teacher, , has provided me with several

opportunities to self-correct my academic performance and behavior. I understand that this Action Plan is

another attempt to prevent disciplinary actions from occurring.

For the behaviors below, I will list the expectation for me to self-redirect.

Academic Behavior

Poor Class Participation / Poor Understanding

Talking

Off Task

Incomplete Assignments

Disruptive

Tardy

No / Incomplete homework

Absences

In addition, I agree to attend tutoring for the agreed upon time and meet with my mentor for the next 3

weeks or have a parent / teacher conference to determine a plan of action for my success.

Student Signature Date Teacher Signature Date

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J. M. THOMAS HIGH SCHOOL

MENTOR AND MENTEE AGREEMENT

We are voluntarily entering into a mentoring relationship from which we both expect to benefit.

We want this to be a rich, rewarding experience with most of our time together spent in career

development activities. To this end, we have mutually agreed upon the terms and conditions of

our relationship as outlined in this agreement.

Objectives

We hope to achieve: To accomplish this we will do:

_________________________________ _________________________________

_________________________________ _________________________________

_________________________________ _________________________________

Confidentiality

Any sensitive issues that we discuss will be held in confidence. Issues that are off-limits in this

relationship

include:_______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Frequency of Meetings

We will attempt to meet at least______________(fill in amount) times each month. If we cannot

attend a scheduled meeting, we agree to be responsible and notify our partner. Duration: We

have determined that our mentoring relationship will continue as long as we both feel

comfortable or until:

______________________________________________________________________________

No-Fault Termination

We are committed to open and honest communication in our relationship. We will discuss and

attempt to resolve any conflicts as they arise. If, however, one of us needs to terminate the

relationship for any reason, we agree to abide by the decision of our partner.

Mentee (Student) Signature Date Mentor Signature Date

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4: Schedule of Assessment, Data Analysis & Changes

The following information that is being submitted is an observation calendar for the teachers

with scheduled times for conferencing for the 10th

grade English Department for Nickels, Shipp,

Wales, Zeig, Blankenship, and Bates.

Observation Calendar for Teachers

FEBRUARY

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

4C 5A 6B 7A 8B

Pre-conferences before school

Wales Post-conferences before school

Shipp

11 C 12A 13 B 14 A 15 B

Data Dig Day Pre-conferences before school

Blankenship Post-conferences before school

Professional Reflection

Zeig

18 C 19 A 20 B 21 A 22 B

Data Dig Day Pre-conferences before school

Shipp Post-conferences before school

Professional Reflection

Bates

25 C 26 A 27 B 28 A 1 B

Data Dig Day Pre-conferences before school

Nickel Post-conferences before school

Professional Reflection

Shipp

Teacher will participate in a pre-conference to discuss the target areas that will be observed,

observed, then the post-conference. C-days will be data dig days: students’ grades from grade

book, attendance, the number of times the students attend tutoring, performance on DOL’s and

common assessment. Professional Reflection day will be when I meet with my mentor principal

to discuss what I have done for the week, what were my strengths and weaknesses and how to

implement growth as a principal in the next week.

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5: Schedule of Assessment, Data Analysis & Changes

The action plan and academic calendar submitted are very prescriptive for the needs of

the students and teachers at Sunset high School. Beginning with the Academic Calendar, I have

schedule three week common assessments submission dates and administration dates. The dates

are scheduled three weeks apart to give the teachers a clear expectation as far as pacing students

learning for mastery while ensuring that all of the state standards are developed with the students

to mastery level.

By beginning with the test, the teachers have an understanding of how deep instruction

needs to go. In addition to having a semester schedule at the beginning, common assessments

are administered the results allow teachers to spiral in low performing TEKS, while moving

forward in their instruction. Students are also required to profile themselves and are place on

action plans based off of their RTI (Response to Intervention) tiering. Tier 2 students are pulled

once a week for 15 – 20 minutes to re-teach their hot SE’s (low performing). If this strategy is

not successful the students are then assigned mandatory tutoring to provide additional support

outside of the school day.

A significant factor for tiering teachers is how each teacher’s data compares to their

peers. When the passing percentage and average scale scores have significant gaps, the teachers

are tiered. Tier 3 teachers are the teachers that need intense intervention to promote student

academic success. This requires more time and effort through professional development,

individual conferences with the content coach digging deep into the data and actively monitoring

self-reflection.

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Tier 2 teachers are the bubble teachers. They could go either way. These teachers are

willing but limited in specific areas that strategic support can provide the necessary development

to close the gaps. Tier 1 teachers are your strong teachers that believe in what they do and make

all of the necessary sacrifices. However, these teachers seek out criticism. They desire to grow

and be better; therefore, they have to be included in the observation cycle to ensure that they

receive and feel the support they so rightly deserve.

The English 2 Action Plan is added to demonstrate that after every assessment there

should be analysis, evaluation of effectiveness, identification of gaps and obstacles, how these

obstacles will be addressed, how they are measureable and what will be the outcome. This

particular action plan is based off of ACP Data (semester summative exams).

Teachers’ scale scores, passing percentage and commended percentages are compared to

the campus and the district. This data dig is conducted by the campus administrators and

leadership team. The data is then compared to data collected from spot observations,

observations, and PDAS evaluations. The data is them ciphered back to the content departments

for discussion and action planning.

When departments analyze their data as individuals and as a team, each teacher

completes a heat map of their individual performance on the TEKS. The next step is to see if

there are individuals who spiked in areas where their peers’ did poorly. The follow up is

discussing best practices that can be shared across content. Teachers will either adjust their

instructional calendars for the remaining weeks in the six weeks to demonstrate how they will

spiral in the hot standards while moving forward. Or, teachers will began populating their

Instructional Calendars for the next grading period, still including spiraled TEKS.

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The action plan also includes expectations for the different levels for Tiered Coaching.

The tier three teacher, will be observed a minimum of three times within a month, actively

participate in pre- and post-conferences that are to provided targeted feedback for content

development and pedagogical strategies. Also, the tier three teach will be require to keep a

weekly journal reflecting over their week in education.

The goal is to identify areas that are strong and to stay focused, but to also document the

challenges they faced during the week. Where they able to resolve the challenges? Do they need

to develop a strategy to address the challenges? Or, was this an isolated incident? How could

these challenges be avoided in the future? What are some “look for” signs that will give you the

heads up that these challenges are developing?

The combination of the Academic Calendar and the Action plan follows the clichés, “if

you fail to plan, you plan to fail” and “True growth comes from self-reflection.” The strategies

outlined in both documents are to encourage and support the success of great teachers, which

transfers to the academic success of our students.

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English 2 Action Plan

Strategy Measurable Outcome Responsible Time

Tiered Coaching

Schedule based off of ACP

Performance:

Tier 3 [needs intense intervention]

Shipp

Tier 2 [needs support]

Nickels

Zeig

Tier 1

Wales

Blankenship

Bates

Strategic Lesson Plans

Tier 3 teachers will submit daily

lesson plans that include time

frames to reflect transitions and

formative assessments during the

instruction.

Standards Tutoring

Tier 1, 2 & 3 teachers will develop

tutoring calendars for their lowest

TEKS to provide intensive

prescriptive - intervention for

struggling students.

Tier 3 Teachers:

Observe / Co-Teach / Model Cycle: 2 x

a month

Individual pre- and post-conferences

before school the day before and after

the observation

Keep a reflection journal for discussion

during pre-conferences

Tier 2 Teachers:

Observe / Co-Teach / Model Cycle: 1 x

a month

Individual pre- and post-conferences

before school the day before and after

the observation

Keep a reflection journal for discussion

during pre-conferences

Tier 1 Teachers:

Observe / Co-Teach / Model Cycle: 1 x

a month

Individual pre- and post-conferences

before school the day before and after

the observation

Strategic Lesson Plans

Tier 3 teachers will submit daily lesson

plans on a weekly basis to the content

coach and administrator for discussion.

Standards Tutoring

student tracker of student deliverables,

D.O.L.’s and mini-assessments for

struggling standards

Tier 3 Teachers

Students passing %

will increase by 25%

with the

administration of

each common

assessment.

Hot SE’s for each

teacher will increase

by 50% with the

administration of

each common

assessment.

Teacher will improve

in Purposeful

Instruction Rating

from 1 to 2 over the

next 3 weeks.

Tier 2 Teachers

Teacher will improve

in Purposeful

Instruction Rating

from 1 to 2 over the

next 3 weeks.

Hot SE’s for each

teacher will increase

by 50% with the

administration of

each common

assessment.

Tiered Coaching

Teacher

Content Coach

Administrator

Standards Tutoring

Teachers will

submit list of tiered

students to

administrator and

content coach via

email after every

common

assessment.

Student portfolios

for tiered students

receiving

instructional

interventions will

include student’s

second semester

schedule,

intervention plan

signed by teacher,

student’s

administrator,

parent and student,.

Tiered Coaching

Re-evaluate after each 3 week Common

Assessment

Standard Tutoring

One Month’s Rotation

C-

day

A-

day

B-

day

A-

day

B-

day

Data

Dig

2E.1

b

2E.9a 2E.15a A

C-

day

A-

day

B-

day

A-

day

B-

day

Data

Dig

2E.15a 2E.16c 2E.17c

C-

day

A-

day

B-

day

A-

day

B-

day

Data

Dig

2E.1

b

2E.9a 2E.15a A

C-

day

A-

day

B-

day

A-

day

B-

day

Data

Dig

2E.15a 2E.16c 2E.17c

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5: Schedule of Assessment, Data Analysis & Changes

JANUARY 2013

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15. ACP TESTING

16. ACP TESTING

17. ACP TESTING

18. ACP TESTING

19.

20.

21.

22.

23. 21st Week Common Assessment (all versions of the test) [CA] Due @ 4pm Notify Mrs. Broughton and myself by email that it is in Dropbox.

24.

25. 21st Grading Rubric for CA Due @ 4pm Notify Mrs. Broughton and myself by email that it is in Dropbox. Lesson Plans Due @ 4pm

26. Saturday School

27.

28. 4th Six weeks Project and Grading Rubric for Project Due @ 4pm Notify Mrs. Broughton and myself by email that it is in Dropbox.

29.

30.

31.

21

FEBRUARY 2013

1. Lesson Plans Due @ 4pm

2. Saturday School

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8. Lesson Plans Due @ 4pm

9. Saturday School

10

11. 24th Week Common Assessment (all versions of the test) [CA] Due @ 4pm Notify Mrs. Broughton and myself by email that it is in Dropbox.

12.

13. 24th Grading Rubric for CA Due @ 4pm Notify Mrs. Broughton and myself by email that it is in Dropbox.

14. 21st Common Assessment

15. 21st Common Assessment Lesson Plans Due @ 4pm

16. Saturday School

17

18

19 ALL STUDENTS completed their Common Assessment Profiling

20 Heat Map for 5th Six Weeks SE's

21

22 Lesson Plans Due @ 4pm

23 Saturday School

24

25

26

27

28

22

MARCH 2013

1 Lesson Plans Due @ 4pm

2 Saturday School

3

4 27th Week Common Assessment (all versions of the test) [CA] Due @ 4pm - Notify Mrs. Broughton and myself by email that it is in Dropbox.

5 TAKS EXIT LEVEL Retest

6 27th Grading Rubric for CA Due @ 4pm Notify Mrs. Broughton and myself by email that it is in Dropbox.

7 24st Common Assessment

8 24st Common Assessment Lesson Plans Due @ 4pm

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18 5th Six weeks Project and Grading Rubric for Project Due @ 4pm Notify Mrs. Broughton and myself by email that it is in Dropbox.

19 ALL STUDENTS completed their Common Assessment Profiling

20 Heat Map for TAKS & STAAR

21

22 Lesson Plans Due @ 4pm

23 Saturday School

24

25

26

27

28

29 Lesson Plans Due @ 4pm

30 Saturday School

31

23

APRIL 2013

1. 30th Week Common Assessment (all versions of the test) [CA] Due @ 4pm Notify Mrs. Broughton and myself by email that it is in Dropbox.

2

3 30th Grading Rubric for CA Due @ 4pm Notify Mrs. Broughton and myself by email that it is in Dropbox.

4 27TH COMMON ASSESSMENT

5 27TH COMMON ASSESSMENT

6 Saturday School

7

8

9 ALL STUDENTS completed their Common Assessment Profiling

10 Heat Map for ACP due @ 4pm

11

12

13 Saturday School

14

15 Instructional Calendar for the 6th Six Weeks Due @ 4pm

16

17

18

19

20 Saturday School

21

22 33rd Week Project Due @ 4pm Notify Mrs. Broughton and myself by email that it is in Dropbox.

23 RETEST EXIT TAKS

24 33rd Grading Rubric for Project Due @ 4pm Notify Mrs. Broughton and myself by email that it is in Dropbox.

25 30th Common Assessment

26 30th Common Assessment

27 Saturday School

29

30

31

The month of May is STAAR EOC testing and intense review for the district’s ACP.

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6: Summary of J. M. Thomas High School

J. M. Thomas High School is a private magnet school with four tracks; Career in

Technology, Automotives, Health Care, and Graphic Design. For each magnet track, students

are separated into two cohorts at enrollment. The design of the school is unique. Ninth and tenth

graders will follow a traditional schedule by attending school from 9:00 am to 4:05 pm. They

will have the opportunity to attend enrich programs, receive academic intervention, or simply

take additional classes during the evening sessions, as spaces are available.

Juniors have the option of choosing whether to attend the traditional hours or start at

12:50 pm and go until 7:35 pm. In order to keep class sizes small, juniors will be encouraged to

attend the second session. This will minimize interaction of thirteen and fourteen year old

students interacting with sixteen and up teenagers. Repeat freshmen and sophomores that are

sixteen and up will attend the second session to keep them enrolled in classes with their age

group. Seniors will be enrolled in dual credit classes at the local community college and attend

the remaining classes on campus that are required for the student to graduate with a certification

in the areas of focus and a high school diploma.

At J. M. Thomas School the composition for 2012-2013 consisted of 40 percent African

American, 30 percent Hispanic, 20 percent Anglo, and 10 percent other. There were 62 faculty,

specialist, and staff on campus responsible for instruction. The total enrollment for the school

year was projected to be 400, we have 550 students enrolled. Our Gifted and Talented enrollment

is 23, SPED is 165, while ELL is 58 is ELL.

Teachers are placed in Small Learning Communities that facilitate instruction to the same

students. PLC's serve as professional development and a student intervention committee for

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students struggling with academic or behavior. Teachers use one of their off periods to observe

the teacher teaching the same content to align content and develop best practices.

There are four grade level specific computer labs. We purchased software from Pearson

and McDougal to support core content with additional online tutoring support; as well, teachers

post samples of student deliverables of notes, audio and video podcast of their lessons on the

teacher websites to support intervention and enrichment.

These labs are staffed with teacher assistants and utilized through the day. Students

schedules include one enrichment / intervention period. This allows students that are in need of

Tier 2 intervention to receive the additional instruction needed during the day, while allowing

Tier 1 students to work on enrichment activities for the class of their choice. Teachers will

submit list of tiered students to the lab teachers, so that appropriate instruction can be provided.

26

J. M. Thomas High School Student Schedule

Man - Mandatory EO - Extended Option

9:00-

9:45

9:50-

10:35

10:40-

11:25

11:30-

12:45

12:50-

1:35

1:40-

2:25

2:30-

3:15

3:20-

4:05

4:20-

5:05

5:10-

5:55

6:00-

6:45

6:50-

7:35

T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 E1 E2 E3 E4

9th Man 9th Man 9th Man 9th Man 9th Man 9th Man 9th Man 9th Man EO 9th EO 9th EO 9th EO 9th

10th

Man

10th

Man

10th

Man

10th

Man

10th

Man

10th

Man

10th

Man

10th

Man

EO 10th EO 10th EO 10th EO 10th

EO 11th EO 11th EO 11th EO 11th 11th

Man

11th

Man

11th

Man

11th

Man

EO 11th EO 11th EO 11th EO 11th

EO 12th EO 12th EO 12th EO 12th EO 12th EO 12th EO 12th EO 12th EO 12th EO 12th EO 12th EO 12th

Enrichment /

Intervention Lab

Enrichment /

Intervention Lab

Enrichment /

Intervention Lab

Enrichment /

Intervention Lab

Traditional Schedule [T1, T2 …] Extended Schedule [E1, E2 …]

A-Lunch 11:25-11:55 B-Lunch 12:15-12:45

Student Instruction time

9th & 10th graders have a minimum of 360 minutes a day of instruction with an additional 180 minutes for intervention or enrichment.

11th & 12th graders will vary due to graduation plan.

Students can potentially earn 12 credits a school year.

27

J. M. Thomas Master Schedule

9:00-9:45 9:50-

10:35

10:40-

11:25

11:30-

12:45

12:50-

1:35

1:40-2:25 2:30-3:15 3:20-4:05 4:20-5:05 5:10-5:55 6:00-6:45 6:50-7:35

English

T1

English

T1

English

T1

English

T1

English

T1

English

T1

English

T1

English

T1

English

T1

English

T2

English

T2

English

T2

English

T2

English

T2

English

T2

English

T2

English

T2

English

T2

Math

T1

Math

T1

Math

T1

Math

T1

Math

T1

Math

T1

Math

T1

Math

T1

Math

T1

Math

T2

Math

T2

Math

T2

Math

T1

Math

T2

Math

T2

Math

T2

Math

T2

Math

T2

Soc. Stud

T1

Soc. Stud

T1

Soc. Stud

T1

Soc. Stud

T1

Soc. Stud

T1

Soc. Stud

T1

Soc. Stud

T1

Soc. Stud

T1

Soc. Stud

T1

Soc. Stud

T2

Soc. Stud

T2

Soc. Stud

T2

Soc. Stud

T2

Soc. Stud

T2

Soc. Stud

T2

Soc. Stud

T2

Soc. Stud

T2

Soc. Stud

T2

Science

T1

Science

T1

Science

T1

Science

T1

Science

T1

Science

T1

Science

T1

Science

T1

Science

T1

Science

T2

Science

T2

Science

T2

Science

T2

Science

T2

Science

T2

Science

T2

Science

T2

Science

T2

Elective

C1

Elective

C1

Elective

C1

Elective

C1

Elective

C1

Elective

C1

Elective

C1

Elective

C1

Elective

C1

Elective

C2

Elective

C2

Elective

C2

Elective

C2

Elective

C2

Elective

C2

Elective

C2

Elective

C2

Elective

C2

Elective

C3

Elective

C3

Elective

C3

Elective

C3

Elective

C3

Elective

C3

Elective

C3

Elective

C3

Elective

C3

Elective

C4

Elective

C4

Elective

C4

Elective

C4

Elective

C4

Elective

C4

Elective

C4

Elective

C4

Elective

C4

Elective

C4

Enrichment /

Intervention Lab

Enrichment /

Intervention Lab

Team 2

PLC

Team 1

PLC

Enrichment /

Intervention Lab

Enrichment /

Intervention Lab

Students are separated into two cohorts at the 9th and 10th grade level. Each student that graduates from J. M. Thomas High School will graduate

with a certification in IT, Auto Motives, Health Care, or Graphic Design.

Teachers are placed in Small Learning Communities that facilitate instruction to the same students. PLC's serve as professional development and

a student intervention committee for students struggling with academic or behavior.

Teachers will use one of their off periods to observe the teacher teaching the same content to align content and develop best practices.

28

J. M. Thomas School Calendar

August 2012 - July 2013 August 2012 February 2013

S M T W T F S S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 1 2

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 - 16 AM Staff Development 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 4 - Parent Conference

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 PM Teacher Prep Day 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 21 - 1st Day of School 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 18 - President's Day

26 27 28 29 30 31 24 25 26 27 28 28 -

September 2012 March 2013

S M T W T F S 3 - Student / Teacher Holiday S M T W T F S 4-7 STAAR Testing

1 3 - Labor Day 1 2 9 - End of 4th Six Weeks

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 - 15 Spring Break

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 18 - 1st Day of the 5th Six

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Weeks

23 24 25 26 27 28 29 28 - End of 1st Six Weeks 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 22 -25 TAKS Testing

30 31 29 - Weather day 31 - Easter

October 2012 April 2013

S M T W T F S 1 - 1st Day 2nd Six Weeks S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 8 - Staff Development/ 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 - April Fool's Day

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Student Holiday 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 22 - 25 TAKS testing

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 15 - Parent Conference 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 22-25 TAKS / STAAR 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 26 - End of the 5th Six Weeks

28 29 30 31 31 - Halloween 28 29 30 29 - 1st Day of the 6th Six

Weeks

November 2012 May 2013

S M T W T F S S M T W T F S

1 2 3 11 - Veterans' Day 1 2 3 4 13 - 17 STAAR / TAKS

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 16 - End of 2nd Six Weeks 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 27 - Student / Teacher

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 19-23 Fall Break 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Holiday

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 22 - Thanksgiving Day 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 28 - 31 ACP Testing

25 26 27 28 29 30 26 - 1st Day of 3rd Six Weeks 26 27 28 29 30 31

December 2012 June 2013

S M T W T F S 24 - 31 Winter Break S M T W T F S

1 25 - Christmas 1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 31 - New Year's Eve 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 3 - 13 Extended Calendar

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 10-14 STAAR TESTING 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Days due to Excessive

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Absenses

23 24 25 26 27 28 29 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30 31 30

January 2013 July 2013

S M T W T F S 1-4 Winter Break S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 18 - end of 3rd Six Weeks/1st 1 2 3 4 5 6 4 - Independence Day

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Semester 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 21 - Martin Luther King Day 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

20 21 22 23 24 25 26 22 - 25 Semester ACP 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

27 28 29 30 31 Testing 28 29 30 31

28 - 1st Day of 4th Six Weeks

29

7: Evaluating Teacher Effectiveness

At Sunset High School, teachers are evaluated with two pieces. The data collection

comes from using Spot Observation Forms which tracks the posted learning objective and

demonstration of learning (DOL), purposeful instruction and purposeful us of multi-response

strategies. The form requires observes to focus their attention in these four areas as they collect

data during their walk through. Communication drives the intent of all four targets. Is each

portion of the lesson cycle clear and understandable to the student. Is there an alignment in what

is being taught, what is posted and what the state has established as readiness standards and

supporting standards. Is there evidence that the lesson and demonstration of learning (DOL) was

developed in advanced. Are transitions between portions of the lesson cycle smooth without loss

of instruction time? In addition, are the engagement strategies being utilized planned and

purposeful to maximize students' understanding.

Observers provide praise for positive areas of instruction, pose a question about a

wondering or concern with the instruction, which requires the observer to suggest a strategy of

how to polish the question's area of focus. The follow up to the spot observation is critical. This

component is the Instructional Feedback Conference Form. This form allows the observer to sit

down in a structured manner to discuss the data that was collected during the spot observation,

progress that was made from the last observation and to develop an action plan that will require

immediate teacher action within a timeline specified by an appraiser to improve the quality of

instruction.

The second of the two evaluation tools is the Professional Development and Appraisal

System [PDAS]. The PDAS establishes critical attributes for professionals in education. It also

30

conforms to scoring standards for "quality" and for "quantity". Both use the scoring measures of

Exceeds Expectations, proficient, Below Expectations and Unsatisfactory. Where the scoring

standards differ are with the contributing factors. Teachers are evaluated on the strength of the

instruction observed. Was high levels of thinking evident? Did the less require the students to dig

deep into the conceptual development and the complexity of the process? where there

connection with multiple disciplines and relevant real world settings?

The other three scoring factors are the impact of the lesson, the variety of the lesson and

the alignment of the lesson. The vocabulary words are different but this is virtually the same

intent as the spot observation. Are students experiencing success? Is the teacher demonstrating

formative and summative assessments (multi-response strategies and DOL's)? Is the lesson being

differentiated to access all learning styles? Most importantly is the lesson aligned to the State

standards. The scoring standard for "quantity" is the frequency or percentage of time or repeated

evidence. The descriptors for the four measures are consistently, generally, occasionally, and

rarely.

As part of the evaluation process, student performance is tracked for each teacher.

Teachers track student performance on daily DOL's, 3 week Common Assessments, District

Assessments and State Assessments. During the self-appraisal stage of PDAS, teachers identify

the standards they are responsible for student mastery and define any additional professional

development they feel they may need to accomplish this task. PDAS is composed of eight

separate domains. Domain VIII addresses the improvement of academic performance of all

students under the guidance and leadership of each teacher. The composite score of campus

performance rating and Meeting AYP be the final score Domain VIII, with the maximum score

being 50. The remaining seven domains can have a maximum composite score of 45 points.

31

As part of the teacher's self-appraisal, the final portion, Section III requires teachers to

define the professional development they attend over the past year and how the professional

development was transferred into the classroom. Did the implementation of the development

have an impact on student learning? What evidence exist? What could have been different to

maximize student achievement. The final question ask the teacher to target three areas of

professional growth. What plan of action can be created to support the professional development

identified as key areas to address student achievement.

By utilizing these two evaluation tools as a part to a whole, there is a holistic set of data

collected for student growth, teacher growth and campus impact. As the data is charted for each

teacher, an administrator can look for trends that are occurring across the campus. This data will

provide the necessary support for campus professional development versus departmental

professional development versus individual professional development. Planning in the

beginning is the step to being a high performance school as a campus. We must remember that

the single campus is composed of various departments with sub-cultures due to content and the

culture of the campus as it relates to location in the building. Each area is key strategic

component to performance independently; however, their effect on the campus is vital to

success.

32

References

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Intervention. [Web]

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Colorado Department of Education. Educator effectiveness: A Colorado priority. [Web]

depts.washington.edu/chem./.../MentorMenteeAgreement.pdf

Doing What Works. Response to intervention: Multimedia Overview (Video: 4:33 minutes)

DuFour, R. (May, 2004). What is a “professional learning community”? Educational Leadership, 61(8).

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http://www.newteachercenter.org/induction-programs/school-leadership-programs

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Massachusetts 2020. (2009). Clarence Edwards Middle School: Success through transformation.

Mass 2020. [Web]

MENTOR AND MENTEE AGREEMENT We are voluntarily entering ...

Metropolitan Center for Urban Education. (n.d.). Using differentiated instruction to address

disproportionality. New York State Education Department. [Web]

33

Rose, T. (2009). Building capacity for equity and excellence for all students. National Center on

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What is a professional learning community? Teacher Tube. [Video: 6:30 minutes]