report to the school board - hopkins high school...6 report to the school board staff development...

Excellence. Every School. Every Student. Every Day.

Report to the School Board Staff Development Planning for 2011-2012 M a y 1 9 , 2 0 1 1 B e cky A l l e n a n d D ia n e S ch im e lp fe n ig , E d .D .

Overview Our goal in Staff Development continues to be on-going, highly researched, job- embedded professional development opportunities which will equip our staff with the skills needed to educate ALL of our children for the 21st Century. This report will provide status on staff development for the 2010-2011 along with plans for the 2011-2012 school year. We believe that the areas below directly relate to our Achievement strategy in our District Strategic Plan. As the action plans are completed we will be designing and implementing future quality professional development to support that work. Primary Issues to Consider

• Staff Development Foci • Staff Development Progress and Planning for 2011-2012

Supporting Documents Staff Development Planning for 2011-2012 Report

2 Report to the School Board

Staff Development Planning for 2011-2012 May 19, 2011


Staff Development Planning for 2011-2012 Introduction Our goal in Staff Development continues to be on-going, highly researched, job- embedded professional development opportunities which will equip our staff with the skills needed to educate ALL of our children for the 21st Century. This report will provide status on staff development for the 2010-2011 along with plans for the 2011-2012 school year. We believe that the areas below directly relate to our Achievement strategy in our District Strategic Plan. As the action plans are completed we will be designing and implementing future quality professional development to support that work. 2011-2012 Staff Development Foci: I. Cultural Proficiency Goal: To provide professional development opportunities, which increase awareness and understanding of institutional racism and other biases that create barriers to achievement for students, through equity teams and other professional development opportunities. Within this strategy we have also be working on relationship building with our families, community and schools. II. Curriculum and Standards Goal: To provide comprehensive staff development opportunities in core curriculum areas that support best practice in curriculum, instruction, and assessment. III. Mentorship Goal: To continue our probationary teacher mentor/supervision model by using the Hopkins Framework for Effective Teaching and enhancing the professional practice of all new teachers. IV. Assessment and data training for RtI and PLCs Goal: In order to support our Response to Intervention work and the implementation of Professional Learning Communities, we are training staff to apply the technology involved in accessing data, to analyze the data provided, and to utilize the data to plan instruction,

3 Report to the School Board Staff Development Planning for 2011-2012 May 19, 2011

Excellence. Every School. Every Student. Every Day

which better meets the needs of all learners. Secondary staff continue to develop formative assessments directly related to their standards and will align curriculum and assessments to Power Standards as part of the PLC process. V. Technology Integration Goal: To provide staff with "just in time" access to staff development resources in order to support technology skill development and curriculum integration. This also includes the continuation of cohort groups for our Activboard initiative. Staff Development Progress and Future Planning I. Cultural Proficiency: Site Equity Leadership Teams Site Equity Leadership Teams (E-Teams) facilitate a series of professional development sessions with their colleagues at various times throughout the year, often during late starts and staff meetings. Through these sessions, the E-Teams engaged staff in learning activities designed to build cultural competence and shift the culture of the school toward embracing school-wide equity transformation. Leadership and training for this work, comes through our District Equity Leadership Team. (DELT). In addition to this work by the Equity Teams, we will have an Equity Symposium on June 7, 8, 9 to address the ongoing challenges and rewards of reaching and teaching ALL students regardless of race, culture or socio-economic status. National Urban Alliance (NUA) Literacy Initiative has continued in 2010-11 with the continued support of two NUA elementary certified trainers. Teams of 8-10 teachers from each elementary school recently finished a two-year series of ongoing trainings, which were often followed up by one-on-one coaching sessions at individual sites. The NUA course of study focused on literacy instruction that develops mastery in receptive and expressive communication and higher order thinking skills while uncovering, emphasizing and focusing on student strengths. Each session also focused on the belief that all learning is influenced by the interaction of culture, language and cognition. This is the most effective model to provide




job embedded staff development at the classroom level. Over the course of the school year, the NUA trainers have provided ongoing support for individual teachers, grade level teams during collaborative planning time, and large groups during staff meetings, late starts and staff development classes. This also included working with the District Technology TLC+ Coach, to create flipcharts with NUA templates for ActivBoard users. Because they are now located on the district server, teachers are able to easily access and implement them into daily instruction. In addition, elementary teachers are sent “Strategy of the Month” newsletters that include new ways to integrate culturally relevant teaching strategies into daily instruction. This newsletter is also used to share successful ways teachers around the district are using NUA strategies with the students they work with. At the beginning of October the Hopkins School District had the honor of hosting this year’s WMEP/NUA Coaches cohort. Part of the visit included having cohort participants observe classroom teachers at Eisenhower Elementary actively using NUA strategies in their classrooms. In early December, Dr. Yvette Jackson, Chief Executive Director of the National Urban Alliance, had the opportunity to visit Gatewood Elementary School. In addition to the tour, we were able to sit down with Dr. Jackson and share how Hopkins teachers are sustaining the work of the NUA throughout our elementary schools. There are three reasons why the NUA Facilitator position has been very effective again this year. First, teachers at all elementary sites are actively trying new strategies based on current research and best practice. Because teachers from all 6 elementary schools meet throughout the school year, collaboration and sharing of ideas and teaching strategies has been very beneficial for all staff involved. In addition, teachers are finding new ways to integrate technology and NUA strategies to provide sound instruction for their students. Finally, it is evident that teachers are energized by the level of student engagement when using these strategies.



To continue the NUA Literacy Initiative, the following will be supported by the NUA Facilitators during the 2011-2012 school year: *Continued “Strategy of the Month” Newsletters *Ongoing coaching for teachers *Coaching for HCM third round observations *Offering an evening class focusing on Dr. Evelyn Rothstein’s new book Defining Excellence: Culturally Responsive Teaching for 21st Century Learners

AVID Staff Development • AVID Site Team members have presented at staff meetings in all three secondary schools throughout the school year. • The AVID Director and four WJH Site Team members attended the AVID Summer Institute in August 2010. They participated in workshops about integrating AVID methodologies, college-readiness, and the college application process. • In September 2010, the Hopkins AVID tutors participated in a daylong training for AVID schools across the metro area on Tutorials, a major component of the AVID classroom that encourages inquiry and collaboration. • The AVID Director, an elementary teacher, and an elementary counselor attended the AVID National Conference in December 2010 participating in sessions with an Elementary AVID focus. • In January 2011, the AVID Director presented to the Latino Family Education Project on “Creating A College-Going Culture for Your Children”. • Four AVID Site Team members from the high school attended “Recasting the Senior Year of High School: Model Programs that Foster Rigor, Relevance, and Engagement” sponsored by District 287 in an effort to identify ways to begin to improve the senior year at HHS, given the district’s and building’s college-readiness goals.




• Over 20 Hopkins secondary staff members participated in the All-Hopkins AVID Site Team Meeting in February 2011. The agenda included training and discussion around district and building-wide college readiness and understanding the AVID student profile. • Our AVID director presented to the Minnesota ACT 2011 Annual State Organization Conference, “Closing the College Readiness Gap” sharing strategies for improving the student skills needed to access challenging curriculum and provide opportunities for students to access challenging curriculum at non-traditional entry points. • For the 2011-2012 school year, AVID will developing a one term course for delivery in 7th grade at NJH and exploring the implementation of AVID strategies at the elementary level. New AVID staff and site team members will receive formal training in AVID strategies and practices. II. Curriculum and Standards: STEM Initiative: Encouraging more students to enter the STEM fields is important to Minnesota’s ability to compete globally and it gives students the skills needed to be successful in college and the job market. The MDE has launched several initiatives to encourage more students to consider pursuing careers in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields. Hopkins STEM – Staff Development Elementary (grades K-6) 2010-11: Hopkins Public Schools received a grant along with Minneapolis Public Schools from Cargill to sponsor classroom teacher residencies and support the professional development for teaching Engineering is Elementary (Museum of Science Boston). The grant includes the purchase of teacher and student materials for each grade level 3-6 (or grades 2-5). Hopkins currently has an Engineering is Elementary (EiE) unit embedded at grade 3 in every building. In 2011-12 we will also have an EiE unit in grade 4 in all buildings.



• Summer EiE curriculum development for all grade 4 teachers in June 2011.

• Grade level (3-8) MCA meetings to prepare for new on-line math MCA.

• Development of Math Power Standards and CFAs for grades K-6.

2011-12:

• Summer EiE curriculum development for all grade 5 teachers in June 2011.

• Applying for an Exemplary Grant (grades 3-6) to improve math content knowledge in rational numbers.

Secondary STEM Staff Development (grades 7-12) 2010-11:

• Developing CFAs for use in 2011-12 in the technology education, math and science departments.

• Curriculum development as a result of recommendations from the secondary program study:

o Curriculum re-design for junior high career and technology education classes.

o Curriculum development for the new 9th grade Intermediate Algebra/Physical Science alignment.

• Project Lead the Way curriculum training for a Physics teacher to teach Principles of Engineering in 2011-12. This is a 2-week training that takes place over the summer.

• FACS classes continue to work on the alignment between food science and culinology (an approach to food that blends the culinary arts, food science, and food technology)

• Junior High technology education teachers attended PLTW (Gateway program): Flight and Space training.

• Vernier (data collection/analysis devices) training for 9th grade math/science teachers.

• The 7-12 technology education department attended the ITEEA national conference.

• 6 Tech Ed teachers attended the state PLTW conference. • 5 Math teachers will be attending the state Math conference

(end of April).




• 2 STEM Coordinators will be attending the SciMathMN STEM conference (end of April).

• STEM coordinators have participated in NEXUS for 4-years. • Summer curriculum writing to develop digital content for grade

7-8 science 2011-12:

• On going curriculum-writing time to continue to develop digital content for grade 7-8 science.

• Continued curriculum development for the new 9th grade Intermediate Algebra/Physical Science alignment.

• Train high school counselors in the PLTW program (a requirement to become a PLTW certified school).

• Continue the development of CFAs • Provide opportunities to learn about Project Based Learning.

III. Mentorship: We are continuing the Mentorship Program in a somewhat abbreviated form. We have fewer Instructional Mentor hours, yet we are confident that we can adequately support our first year non-tenured staff on curriculum and instructional strategies. Our new teacher workshop was August 17 - 19, 2010. Through an exemplary grant we were able to assign a site mentor for every new staff member this year. New teachers for the 2011-12 school year will have inservice on Aug 24-25, 2011. They will also be expected to complete the short Moodle Mania course so they are prepared to have a web presence for their classes. Through existing resources such as curriculum coordinators, department chairs, secondary site coaches and site mentor staff, we expect to maintain a high level of mentorship and connections. Our Instructional Mentor provides informal observations, after school reflection sessions and general professional support including:

• Walk through observation (This is a check in to see how things are going and takes place the second week of school) • Informal Observations looking specifically at the domains established by the Hopkins School District. (Framework for Effective Teaching) This observation also has a post observation



component. Teachers with 0-2 years of experience are observed twice throughout the year and those with 3-more are observed once. It is important to note that these observations are not evaluative but meant to support new learning and give feedback to our new teaching staff. All formal evaluations for non-tenured staff come from site administrators. • New teachers meet 4 times throughout the year at reflection meetings addressing various topics related to the Hopkins School District and issues relevant to them as new teachers, i.e. classroom management, equity, literacy strategies, NUA strategies, differentiated instruction and technology integration, etc.

Hopkins Compensation Model: For the 2011-12 school year we have modified our QCOMP/Hopkins Compensation Model. The district members approved this framework and with pending state approval we will begin this model in the fall. We will continue to have Master Teachers working with all tenured staff in an evaluation staff development model that we believe will not only lead to stronger teaching but also improved student learning. The model includes three components that together make up the newly modified Hopkins Compensation Model:

• teacher evaluations/observations (3) • staff participation in on-going Professional Learning Communities • school/ site student achievement goals.

Three Observations: The first observation our master teachers will continue to meet with all tenured staff in a pre conference, observation and a post conference format. Master Teachers are trained in ways to gather evidence of staff proficiency and have post observation conversations that really have become job embedded staff development opportunities. We use the Hopkins Framework for Effective Teaching as our tool for evaluation. Based on feedback from staff and master teachers we made an adjustment to our second observation. The goal behind this change was to give more time for staff development




as master teachers and staff members worked together in the feedback process. The second observation will focus on only one domain unless a teacher gets a basic rating in one or more area(s). If there is an area (or more) that needs to be addressed (basic) the master teacher will observe all three domain again. If the ratings were all proficient, the staff member may select one domain, in collaboration with the master teacher, on which to focus for the second experience. This would also shorten the pre and post conference paperwork and allow more time to be spent on professional development. The time frame will be the same as the first observation. We continue to work with master teachers to give them the tools to provide on-going quality professional development to staff members as they go through this process. Many of our offerings during our Best Practice Day in February were based on feedback and needs of our classroom teachers. The third observation can be done anytime during the year. The staff member needs to work with his/her master teacher indentifying what this will be.

Menu for the third experience: (Choose one) a. Peer review: Two staff members pair for a peer review

• Each teacher will observe the other’s classroom for minimum of 20 minutes completing a short checklist. • This time can be during a prep time or by getting a substitute • When both observations have taken place the two teachers will meet together to reflect on their checklist. Master teachers will attend the reflection time whenever possible.

b. Classroom Walkthroughs (5-10 minutes) – 6 walkthroughs throughout the school year by principals.

c. Technology Integration lesson observed by a technology coach when available.

d. Guided Reading Lesson - Literacy Coaches using a guided reading checklist



e. NUA strategies using an NUA coach to observe strategies.

f. Third observation with master teacher will be just like the first observation.

Professional Learning Communities: During the PLC meeting time, staff members would be expected to examine student data, develop and respond to common formative assessments, develop and refine instructional strategies that challenge all students to reach their fullest potential, share and review culturally responsive instructional techniques, and develop a SMART goal. The approved plan will be to structure professional learning community (PLC) time as follows: • Staff will create a PLC group (No staff member would be required to be a part of more than one PLC group. The preferred minimum would be 3 members per group, but special exceptions would be considered if a group of 2 would be more advantageous); • Staff members will work with their PLC groups one hour, two times a month • One hour of PLC time would be dedicated during the late start, each month; the second hour would be scheduled by the PLC group at a time when the members could meet together, either during a planning time or beyond the student-contact hours • Agendas and minutes from the meetings would be submitted to the program administrator (principal) School/site QCOMP achievement goals: By fall of 2011, every site will determine an academic goal for increased student achievement in the area of math, reading or science. These goals are established through site data retreats, where a team of staff members meet, review and analyze assessment data (including MCA and MAP data). This goal is then reported to the state as part of our QCOMP/HCM plan.




IV. Assessments and data training Response to Intervention (RtI): “The new direction that we advocate is the complex and challenging task of transforming classroom instruction into a precision-based process that provides the teacher with the necessary information to make well-informed instructional decisions for all students…” Michael Fullan Elementary schools are using this process to identify students and provide interventions based on specific skill needs. Elementary schools are using this process to identify students and provide interventions based on specific skill needs. Elementary RtI Work Literacy Coaches: We will continue to have a .4 FTE literacy coach at each elementary site for 2011-12. They are being trained in the Personal Learning part of Cognos this spring with the idea that we can then have personal learning goals, current assessment data and progress in specific reading and math intervention curricular programs. This information will enhance our identification and placement in RtI intervention programs in the fall of 2011 as well as the ability to monitor progress throughout the year. Literacy coaches will also attend the Professional Learning Community Summit in Minneapolis in July. This will introduce them to strategies and skills essential for RtI data and grade meetings. They will provide leadership in data analysis as well as coaching staff and modeling best practice within the classroom setting. The literacy coaches also meet monthly for on-going training regarding data, guided reading and other current reading best practice as well as plan and deliver professional development to intervention staff. RtI data meetings: We will continue the three grade level RtI meetings throughout the year at each site. These are led by the principal and Literacy Coach.



During these meetings each student’s assessment in an intervention program will be examined, analyzed and interpreted to establish progress and what future support they may or may not need. Intervention Staff: We will continue to provide on-going professional development to our Title I, Learning Support Teachers and Learning Support Paraprofessionals throughout 2011-12. The identified topics are: Behavior management strategies Small group management Culturally responsive teaching Cognos (and other google applications) Math content Junior High RtI: The two junior high schools will begin development of an RtI model that will also use intervention resources to better address specific skill needs of students. All staff will need an understanding of the RtI model and their role in supporting students in the mainstream classroom. RtI resource teachers will provide training and guidance to mainstream teachers as part of the implementation process. This plan is closely linked to the awarding of an MDE RtI program grant so some of the actions below will be linked to that resource. Both junior highs are hoping to hire and train additional staff to work in the areas of reading and math interventions. Teachers specifically involved in the delivery of intervention services will need specific training and resources to assure fidelity in the delivery of the program. Training for this staff will include data analysis as use of specific curriculums that are selected. There will also be a program put into place on Progress Monitoring so that intervention staff and classroom teachers will be able to see the areas of growth and concern as students participate in the intervention groups. The use of any progress monitoring system will also require some professional development.




Professional Learning Communities (PLC) – described above as part of the HCM Model. PLCs are another vehicle for using student data to improve achievement. Training for PLCs will be provided at the site level by staff development committees and PLC facilitators. This work will include developing norms, aligning Power Standards to course curriculum, creating SMART goals, developing formative assessments, analyzing student work, and learning how to use the data to inform instruction. Teams will be facilitated by trained staff that will support PLCs with small group training and assist in focusing the conversation around student learning. MAP/NWEA data: This system focuses on individual student growth. Using the class/grade level reports, teachers can identify a student’s performance. Used in conjunction with Des Cartes, NWEA’s continuum of learning, teachers identify skills and concepts that are at the most appropriate instructional level given a student’s current achievement level. All groups who are using MAP have used staff meetings and collaborative time to analyze date and begin to use this information to better inform their instruction, plan for classroom grouping and further interventions. Common Formative Assessments: The development of power standards and common formative assessments will continue through this summer and into 2011-2012. Curriculum coordinators are making an effort to continue leading this work as time permits. With time and training, PLC teams will be able to identify multiple ways of formatively assessing students and to develop the skills to appropriately differentiate the learning process. As Robert Marzano states, “Formative assessments are one of the most powerful weapons in a teacher’s arsenal. An effective standards-based, formative assessment program can help to dramatically enhance student achievement throughout the K-12 system.” (Marzano, back cover).



V. Technology Integration: District staff development in the area of technology focused on 5 major areas during the 2010 – 11 school year: development of a web presence (Moodle), delivery of a media rich, interactive curriculum in the classroom (TLC and TLC+), 21st century skills development, and web-based collaboration (Hopkins Apps powered by Google), mobile learning devices (iPads). Two years ago, the district was awarded a federal technology grant (E2T2) and the activities of this grant began in August of 2009 which 100 teachers who attended a full day kick off camp to further develop their skills in delivering curriculum with an Activboard. This group of teachers formed TLC+ and the focus of this initiative was to implement best practice instructional strategies that complement the use of an Activboard. This has been a very successful experience for participating teachers. Each teacher was assigned an instructional coach who worked with him or her individually and in small groups increase his or her skill set in this area. Teachers have participated in 24 – 40 hours (each) of staff development as a part of the grant activities. In addition to the teachers above who were immersing themselves in work related to the Activboard, we also added 140 new teachers to the cadre we call TLC. TLC teachers are using Activboards in their instruction for the first time this school year. Teachers participate in approximately 24 hours of staff development including face-to-face training, online learning, and small group coaching and collaboration. Hopkins Public Schools continues to promote effective digital communications between teachers and parents/students through the development of a web presence. Twenty-five teachers successfully completed Moodle Mania or Moodle to the Max during this school year. Both experiences are online and support teacher use of the Web to complement their face-to-face instruction. The focus of all of the site-based late starts at the high school this past school year has been the implementation of activities in the classroom that promote 21st century skill building. Productive




citizens in this century will be creative, culturally competent individuals who are able to collaborate, communicate, and solve problems with other others in a global society. At North Junior High, a group was formed called the North Junior High Technology Integration Cohort. They have been meeting as both a large group (9 participants) and one-on-one with participants since the beginning of March. The focus of the Cohort is to have staff come up with their own idea of how they can strengthen a unit or lesson they teach by integrating more technology into that lesson/unit. Participants share what they are doing and reflect on the experience using Google Groups. The highlight in technology staff development this past school year was the official launch of a collaborative tool that we are calling Hopkins Apps powered by Google. All staff and all students in the district now have Google accounts within a walled garden. Most collaboration is internal (the wall around the garden), but it is also possible to share documents outside the garden (their are a few gates in the wall). On February 21st, all secondary staff (except those who could not possibly get out of their alleys or driveways because of the large amount of snow that fell overnight) attended a keynote presentation and small group focus sessions to discover how our apps account will change the way we do business in our organization. Follow-up presentations were delivered to elementary teachers at their site during the March 15 late start. In addition to addressing our teachers, trainers have been meeting with other smaller, formal groups in the district (cabinet, media specialists, principals, child study secretaries, community education, etc.), as this is a tool that will impact every person in our district. The immediate engagement of teachers and students has been exciting. One of the emerging technologies in education includes the use of student mobile devices. In our district, we have been piloting the use of iPads with students. A small focus group of speech pathologists have been using iPads with small groups of students and with individuals. This team of teachers has been exploring the value of a



variety of apps for student use and has been meeting monthly to share their experiences and evaluations of the apps. Professional development for technology will continue the work started in 2011-2012 with the Technology Learning Cohorts, Google Apps, implementation of iPads, embedding 21st Century Skills into classrooms, and access to other technology tools. Three areas of focus for next year will be on teacher communication through a web presence, continued training for Activboards, and developing proficiency with Google Apps. 2011-2012 Exemplary Grants: Exemplary grants are part of the state’s mandate to set aside 25% of our staff development funds. Grants for the 2011-2012 school year will be awarded on May 23, 2011. The criteria (at least one) for these grants include: • Data and reasons for selecting this goal • Findings specific to more than one site to support proposal • Clear statement of connections to site staff development plan

• Clear statement of connections to district staff development plan

Late Start Days: Late start days were designed to be used opportunities to provide job-embedded staff development for staff both at the site and district level. Site administrators and site staff development leaders have worked together to provide quality professional development aligned with each of their strategic goals. Sites have been communicating these plans to their communities on an on-going basis through letters and emails. Some of the areas of work during late starts for ‘10-11 included: • Sharing and teaching of NUA strategies • Differentiated Reading Instruction • MAP data analysis and possible interventions • Math Literacy • Challenge student studies • RTI – Response to Intervention studies




• Tech Integration Mini-Camps These areas of focus will continue during the 2011-12 school year, but there will also be an emphasis on training staff for the PLC process. Specific PLC training will include norms, SMART goals, formative assessments, analyzing student data and student work, and developing differentiated curriculum.

Evaluation of Professional Development One of the biggest challenges in staff development is how to determine if on-going professional development opportunities described above are indeed meeting the mission of the district and improving student achievement. Below are indicators used to help us with this important assessment:

• Student achievement data: Site Data Retreats • Collaborative time/Professional Learning Communities • Anecdotal information • Teacher and administration observation • Staff and student feedback

In this time of high accountability and funding constraints, we have a heightened expectation for high quality staff development programs. By focusing on student achievement data, master teacher feedback and staff evaluations, we will make better decisions about our work if we use what is known to be effective, discover how to strengthen what is not, and learn how to measure the results of our efforts. Summer data retreats have been invaluable in determining focus for professional development. As sites and the district move to improved systems of analyzing data, further staff development needs will be more defined and focused on the support needed for teachers to effect change in their student’s achievement. Conclusion Hopkins Schools District staff development continues to respond to the changing needs of students, and as a result, we will explore ways to modify and enrich instruction. Staff development remains central to innovation for classroom instruction and teacher training opportunities. It also is flexible, having the ability to specify meaningful activities within the schedule to meet the needs of sites



and staff. We will continue to focus on student-learning data in ways that inform the system on relevant curriculum and instructional needs. The implementation of PLCs and strengthening of RtI will allow Hopkins staff to better utilize student data and student work to inform instruction and develop programs and interventions that meet the needs of all learners. We believe that this will further demonstrate our commitment that all staff development work is strongly connected and will take us closer to our goal of eliminating the achievement gap and raising the achievement level of all of our students. The Hopkins School District has a staff development program that enhances professionalism and supports curricular and instructional change that accelerates student learning in the personal, social and academic domains. “When the uncapped potential of a student meets the liberating art of a teacher, a miracle unfolds.” Mary Hatwood Futrell