TARGETED LEARNING TIME (TLT): USING LITERACY COACHING WITHIN A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY TO DEVELOP TEACHER EFFECTIVENESS AND INCREASE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Shannon Walston-CrossKimberly Donahue-Barrett

Virginia Reading Association Annual ConferenceMarch 17, 2011

WHO ARE WE?

Principal Abraham Lincoln Elementary School, Suburban IL 662 students K-5 Developed, piloted and house a K-8 “Newcomers”

program for students from refugee camps around the world.

Taught for for 15 years in elementary and middle school. Literacy Coach

Taught for 10 years in elementary and middle-school classrooms

Coached for 4 Work with diverse populations of students and teachers Teaches university courses on literacy instruction

OUR GOALS TODAY

To examine recent research on professional learning communities and literacy coaching focused on enhancing teacher practice and student reading achievement

To share ideas about implementing targeted learning time intended to provide students with daily enrichment or intervention in literacy

To engage you in hands-on activities related to effective practices in literacy coaching

To realize that the power is within all of us to be agents of change…

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Kimberly Donahue-Barrett

Professional Learning

Communities: The Environment

Adult Learning Theory: The

Guiding Principles

Cognitive Coaching: The

Action

Change in Professional

Knowledge and Practice: The

Intended Result

OUR JOURNEY BEGAN IN 2006…

AND WE ARE STILL ON IT!

OUR JOURNEY

Assessment of our current reality lead to paradigm shifts

1. Culture- isolated individual, group, team

2. Curricular- unaligned to aligned3. Structural- systems in place

FLYING BY THE SEAT OF OUR PANTS!

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES

THE POWER OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES

The most promising strategy for sustained substantive school improvement is building the capacity of school personnel to function as a professional learning community. The path to change in the classroom lies within and through professional learning communities.

-Milbrey McLaughlin (1995)

RESEARCH: PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES

Roland Barth Sharon Kruse Mike Schmoker

Anthony Byrk Judith Warren Little

Karen Seashore Louis

Linda Darling-Hammond

Robert Marzano Thomas Sergiovanni

Richard Elmore Mike Mattos Dennis Sparks

Michael Fullan Fred Newmann Richard Stiggins

Carl Glickman Ruby Payne Joan Talbert

Andy Hargreaves Douglas Reeves Gary Wehlage

John Hattie Jonathon Saphier Dylan Wiliam

Shirley Hord Phil Schlechty Art Wise

AND SO DO THESE PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS!

American Federation of Teachers

National Association of Secondary School Principals

National Education Association

Annenberg Institute for School Reform

National Board of Professional Teaching Standards

National Middle School Association

Center for Teacher Quality

National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future

National Science Education Leadership Association

Council of Chief State School Officials

National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education

National Science Teachers Association

Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium

National Council of Teachers of English

National Staff Development Council

National Association of Elementary School Principals

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Research for Better Teaching, Inc.

We knew the Power of the PLC and that we wanted to “get there.” However, there were times when we felt unsure of our own abilities to make it happen.

“To create a professional learning community, focus on learning rather than teaching, work collaboratively, and hold yourself accountable for results.”

Rick DuFour, 2004

In other words…get yourself off the escalator !

THE BIG THREE IDEAS OF A PLC

1. Focus on Learning Do you believe all students can learn at high levels? Do you accept responsibility to ensure that all students learn?

2. Build a Collaborative Culture

What do we expect students to learn? How will we know when they learn it? How will we respond when they don’t? How will we respond when they already know it?

3. Focus on Results Which students mastered specific essential standards? Which instructional practices worked?

WHY SITUATE COACHING WITHIN A PLC?

Coaching does not occur in a vacuum; it is part of a district’s reform strategy for increasing the quality of teaching so that students achieve at higher levels. As such, coaching needs to be embedded in the district’s overall reform strategy and professional development plan; it is not a stand-alone or complete approach to professional development. (Neufeld & Roper, 2003, p. 15)

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES- ACTIVITY Think about the current reality of your

building. When envisioning an ideal PLC, what obstacles get in your way. Cultural Curricular Structural

COACHING CAN REACH ITS GREATEST POTENTIAL WHEN WORKING WITHIN THE PLC STRUCTURE.

“When coaching is integral to a larger instructional improvement plan that targets and aligns professional development resources towards the district’s goals, it has the potential to become a powerful vehicle for improving instruction and, thereby, student achievement” (Neufeld & Roper, 2003, p. 26).

LITERACY COACHING TO INCREASE TEACHER KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE

“Literacy coaching has the potential to dramatically change the landscape of literacy instruction in schools, and there is mounting research indicating that literacy coaching is effective.” (Burkins, 2007, p. 26)

ADULT LEARNING THEORY Know why they need to learn something Immediate relevancy to their job Problem-centered Involved in planning and evaluation of the

instruction Opportunities for directing their own

learning Use experience as the basis for the

learning activities Integrate new information with previous

experiences

BEST PRACTICES FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

1. Builds a community of learners that is sustained over time

2. Operates from a data-driven perspective

3. Focuses on evidence-based practices

4. Focuses on reading and writing as meaning-making processes used for a variety of purposes

5. Includes facilitator-led and teacher-led discussions

BEST PRACTICES FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT6. Makes connections to texts, professional

practice, and experiences

7. Employs a gradual release of responsibility framework

8. Acknowledges the complexity of teaching in today’s classroom

9. Addresses logistical issues associated with teaching

10. Models important teacher dispositions

There is no way a single teacher has all

the time, all the knowledge, and all

the skills to meet the needs of every child.

The critical question in a PLC is not, “Do we

collaborate?”

but rather

“What do you collaborate about?”

COACHING WITH A FOCUS ON DATA: TARGETED LEARNING TIME

PART OF OUR JOUNEY…

LET’S BEGIN BY DISCUSSING DATA ANALYSIS EXPERIENCES

1. Think about a data-analysis experience you have had.

2. What were the purposes for the data analysis?

3. How did/could the literacy coach provide support with the data-analysis process?

THE REORGANIZATION OF OUR SCHEDULE

1A 1A 1A 1C 1C

1:55-2:15 1:55-2:15 1:55-2:15 1:55-2:15 1:55-2:15

1B 1B 1B 1D 1D

2:15-2:35 2:15-2:35 2:15-2:35 2:15-2:35 2:15-2:35

ART LLC PE MU ART LLC PE MU ART LLC PE MU ART LLC PE MU ART LLC PE MU

1C 1C 1D 1D 1C 1A 1B 1B 1A

2:35-2:55 1A 1B 2:35-2:55 2:35-3:00 1B 1A 2:35-2:55 2:35-3:00 1C 1D 2:35-2:55 2:35-3:00 1D 1C 2:35-2:55 2:35-3:00

1D 1D 1C 1C 1D 1B 1A 1A 1B

3:00-3:20 3:00-3:20 3:00-3:20 3:00-3:20 3:00-3:20 3:00-3:20 3:00-3:20 3:00-3:20 3:00-3:20

Science/Social StudiesMathLiteracy

Lunch/Recess

Literacy

Math

Targeted Literacy Learning Time

Science Social

WEEKLY COLLABORATION MEETINGS: DATA ANALYSIS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR Developed a common pre-assessment Examining data for individual students

Who is progressing? Why? Who is struggling? Why? What can we do about it?

Grouped students across the grade level Developing students received intervention Proficient students received enrichment

COLLABORATION AND TARGETED LEARNING TIME

Collaborated to plan and implement 2-4 weeks of instruction

Conducted post-assessment Analyzed results to inform future instruction

TLT EXAMPLE: DETERMINE MEANING OF UNKNOWN WORDS IN TEXT (USING BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE; WORD STRUCTURE; CONTEXT CLUES; WORD ORIGINS; ETC.)

Pre-assessment 56 students Proficient (69%) 25 students Developing (31%)

Post-assessment 74 students Proficient (91%) 7 students Developing (9%)

Decision: Target the 7 students (9%) who did not show proficiency in small group intervention instruction

2ND GRADE ASSESSMENT ON STORY STRUCTURE

Student Class #1 Class #2 Class #3 Class #4 Total 1 5 9 10 7 2 6 9 10 7 3 7 9 8 8 4 9 9 10 8 5 9 9 10 10 6 10 10 9 4 7 9 10 8 7 8 9 8 8 5 9 8 10 10 8 10 6 9 9 7 11 9 10 9 5 12 8 10 10 5 13 9 10 8 10 14 9 9 8 10 15 10 10 9 10 16 8 10 8 8 17 9 9 6 18 10

# Proficient 14 17 16 8 55/68 % Proficient 78% 100% 100% 47% 81%

IT’S YOUR TURN TO DISCUSS DATA ANALYSIS1. In table groups, review the data in front of you.

2. Reflect upon the following questions on the student level: What is the data telling you? How will we provide additional support for students who

experience initial difficulty in a way that is timely, directive, and systematic?

How will we enrich and extend the learning for students who already know it?

What do you notice about possible strengths and weaknesses among the teachers?

What more do you want to know from the data? How could the literacy coach provide support with the

data-analysis process?

WHOLE GROUP SHARE TIME What big ideas were discussed at your table?

SMALLER PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES WITHIN THE LARGER SCHOOL CULTUREThe ENL/Literacy PLC

“People without information cannot

act. People with

information cannot help but act.”

Blanchard

• Develop a common understanding of best practices in balanced literacy instruction.

• ELL specialize in how to teach multi-lingual students and are the experts in best practices in ELL, not reading.

• Literacy specialists expertise is in the area of balanced literacy. We wanted to merge the two together and build the capacity in both reading and ELL best practices.

• Transfer the knowledge and skills.

•Deepen that understanding and create continuity and alignment in teaching reading from the general education classroom to the ELL classroom in order to better support our students.

•Change the way we deliver instruction by improving kids life chances.

Our Vision:

EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION…MAKING EVERY CHILD A READER AND WRITER

“Teacher expertise is the most important factor in improving

students' learning.” (Darling-Hammond & Mc Laughlin, 1999)

WE HAVE BEEN BUILDING THE ABILITY TO…

Use powerful assessment tools and techniques

Translate information about student performance into instructionally relevant techniques

Observe and respond to student learning with differentiated instruction

OUR INSTRUCTION Developmentally- appropriate curriculum Comprehensive and balanced literacy

program: "including the use of scientifically based instructional practices." Reading and Writing Workshops

Explicit instruction in different component areas of literacy at different developmental stages

Assessments that informs instruction Extensive opportunities to read and write Different materials, tasks, and approaches to

accomplish different outcomes Instruction that is differentiated and

responsive to students’ needs

OUR DATA

Then… In years past, we had not met the needs of our

refugee students. As measured by our state and local assessments, our students did not show growth.

Now… In just half a years time, our refugee students

have shown tremendous growth due to the changes and alignment in instruction.

MAP ASSESSMENT DATA: ENL STUDENTS

2010-2011 School Year: MAP is administered 3 times per year. Students are given a target RIT score to be achieved by the third MAP test in the spring.

Winter MAP (January 2011) In just half a school year…

27.5% met or exceeded spring target 64.7% met 90-99% of their spring target 7.8% met 80-89% of their spring target

92 % of our ENL students showed adequate growth

Powered by one spark…a blaze begins.

BLAZING!Thein Han grew 7 points on the Map and moved from a Level C to a Level G in reading!

Red Hot!Moo Htoo grew 5 points on the MAP and progressed from a Level B to Level E already!

Smokin’!Merry Lai soared from a Level C to a Level G in reading!

Red hot!!San Dar Win jumped 11 points, and went from a Level F to a Level L!

Sizzling!Umesh Magar leaped from Level D to Level L in just half a school year!

Blazing!Taw Meh soared from a Level C to Level F!

Sizzlin’!Wa He Da jumped 3 levels and now reads at Level E!

Red hot!Sha Hi Du Lah leaped 14 amazing points on the MAP!

Blazing hot!8 point jump for Swa Dik!

Volcanic!Lee Meh exploded 7 points higher, and wentFrom a Level C to a Level F!

Sizzling!Salama Fuhara catapulted from Pre-A to a Level C in reading!

Smokin’ hot!Hser Gay Htoo grew 7 points so far this year. He is now reading at Level A!

Sizzlin’ hot!Paw His Hser is rockin’ with a 6 point jump! She is now reading at Level A!

Red Hot!A gigantic leap Paw Hser Gay of 26 points!

Powered by one spark…a blaze begins.

In a Professional Learning Community, it truly takes a village…

REFLECT AND SHARE- IN TABLE GROUPS

Where is your school on the PLC journey?

What personal experiences have you had with this type of collaboration?

What innovative ways has collaboration and coaching been used in your schools?

FINAL THOUGHTS ABOUT COACHING WITHIN A PLC MODEL

It’s a journey.

Adults learn differently.

Think “differentiation” when planning professional development.

Use data to drive instructional decisions.

The power lies within the team. Trust in the ability within the team. Believe the answer is in the room.

CONTACT INFORMATION- WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Shannon Walston-Cross scross@d41.org

Kim Donahue-Barrett kbarrett@d41.org

Glen Ellyn School District 41Abraham Lincoln Elementary School380 Greenfield Ave.Glen Ellyn, IL 60137