Whittier City School District

Management Retreat 2011

Khoury’s - Long Beach

Good News

Preliminary API ScoresSchool 2010 Base 2011 API

Gain or Loss

Dexter 733 759 +26

Edwards 756 748 -8

Andrews 823 806 -17

Hoover 753 790 +37

Jackson 741 780 +39

Longfellow 738 751 +13

Mill 792 796 +4

Orange Grove

783 793 +10

Phelan 786 785 -1

Sorensen 752 818 +66

West Whittier

755 777 +22

District 755 770 +15

Mission, Vision and Collective Commitments for

the Whittier City School District

Compass Bearings in Education Today

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Compass Bearings in Education Today

Effective Schools Research

Professional Learning Communities

Effective Schools Research

Clear and focused academic goals for each student

High expectations for each student

A strong leader who effectively distributes leadership

A collaborative culture with collective responsibility for student learning

Frequent monitoring of student learning and use of the results to inform and improve teacher practice

Effective Schools Research

Structures to provide students with additional time and support for learning when they struggle

A safe and orderly environment

Effective partnerships with parents

Characteristics of a PLCThe essence of a learning community is a focus on and commitment to the learning of each student. Embracing high levels of learning for each student is why we exist.

The learning of each student is the fundamental responsibility of those of us who work as public educators.

We need a clear and compelling vision of what the organization must become in order to help all students learn.

In the past teaching was the focus. Now the focus is on measurable learning.

Teams work collaboratively to clarify exactly what must be learned and develop systems to monitor if they have achieved it.

Each students learning is monitored in a timely basis

Best teaching the first time is the best and most efficient intervention.

Characteristics of a PLC

Systematic interventions are structured to ensure students get the additional time and support for learning when they struggle and enrich learning when students have already mastered the content.

If the organization is to become more effective in helping all students learn, then the adults in the organization must also be continually learning.

Characteristics of a PLC

A 2nd grade teacher is not just responsible for their own classroom they are part of a team that is responsible for all 2nd graders!

It is difficult to overstate the importance of collaborative teams in the improvement process. Collaboration needs to be focused on the right things in order to impact classroom practice.

A PLC is composed of cooperative teams whose members work inter-dependently to achieve common goals linked to the purpose of learning for all.

Characteristics of a PLC

What Are We Doing Today

By the end of the day we will have produced compelling drafts of our Mission, Vision and Collective Commitments.

By the end of the day we will have modeled a process where each of you can go back to your staff and facilitate this process successfully.

Objectives

Boundary SettingMission Statement

A school district’s mission is a statement that identifies the starting point in organizational planning. By describing the mission and identifying the specific purpose of the organization, the team commits to focus on the issue at hand in the context of the purpose of the organization

Description

Identify the primary product of our school district.

Identify the clients of the organization.

What is the purpose for the Whittier City School District’s existence?

Draft a mission statement:

The mission of the Whittier City School District is to ___________________________ so that the ____________________________client can___________________________

Steps

The mission of the Ajax Software Company is to produce quality software for financial planning so that the customer can plan individual long-term financial stability for their family without needing to consult a financial advisor.

Examples

Vision Setting

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What must our school district become to accomplish our purpose?

A vision statement includes four elements:

1. Future state;

2. Clients served;

3. Services provided;

4. Strategies to deliver services

Description

Discuss the role of vision in an organization

Write a future letter to a new Whittier City parent explaining why our school district is the best. The letter is dated 2016.

Review letters in small groups and select one person to share out for the group.

Chart the letters read according to the four elements of the Vision Statement.

Break into 4 groups according to elements of the Vision Statement. Each group is to draft a narrative for your section.

Provide whole group input on each element of the Vision Statement and empower a small group to finalize the draft.

Steps

Collective Commitments

What commitments or behaviors must be present in a school that will achieve our Mission and Vision Statements?

Collective Commitments for Leaders

Collective Commitments for Teachers

Description

What changes in our behavior need to take place to advance our Vision?

Collective Commitments

They are our attitudes and behaviors that we must demonstrate in order to create the school of our vision

They are our observable actions

Values: Guide Behaviors

Limit the number (5 or 6)

Make the actions specific

Do not include beliefs that are open to interpretation and difficult to monitor

Describe clear expectations about what each person WILL do now (specific behaviors)

Creating Collective Commitments

Vision Statement: Every teacher, parent, and student is clear on the knowledge, skills, and dispositions students are expected to acquire in each course, grade level, and unit of instruction.

Collective Commitment #1: Each grade level will distribute monthly newsletters to inform parents and students of progress in ELA and math.

Collective Commitment #2: Teachers will unwrap priority standards during their grade level meetings to plan instruction based on specific skills and concepts.

Sample Values-Collective Commitments

The learning of each student is monitored on a timely basis. When students experience difficulty, the school has structures in place to ensure they receive additional time and support for learning.

Each teacher will administer at least two common formative assessments before each district benchmark.

Teachers will provide intervention after school for six weeks on a targeted concept.

You Try

Use a quadrant chart to prioritize the ideas of the group.

Write the collective commitments on a piece of paper and have everyone sign and date it.

Prioritizing Collective Commitment