Curriculum Leadership Institute

Pathways to School Improvement

E-Hints Related to Governance and Leadership

Below is an archive of E-Hints related to the governance and leadership of curriculum, instruction, and assessment work. We welcome you to use them to make improvements district- or schoolwide, or share them with a colleague who might benefit.

Thank you for ensuring that your staff is doing what's best for kids!

Leadership Tip - Participate in the development of curriculum. Select a subject area that you are most familiar with and be an active member of that committee. You'll have a better understanding of what is involved and how the curriculum is intended to be used.

Preparing NEW Teachers to Meet the Learning Needs of Students

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As the summer break from the classroom challenges continues, it is time to reflect on how to best prepare novice and new teachers for the school year ahead.  After hiring a teacher, a school district has an obligation to make every effort to assure the students assigned to the new teacher’s classroom will have the best possible opportunity to learn and grow.

There are many factors that encourage new teachers to leave the classroom.  Besides the usual culprits of low salary, extreme demands on time, frustration with the challenges of motivating students, there are factors that can and should be addressed by the district before the school year starts.  Support before the school year prepares new hires or novice teachers for the challenges to face them and, perhaps, encourages the new teacher to stay as an effective classroom teacher and a contributing member of the professional community of the district.

According to Kendyll Stansbury and Joy Zimmerman in the WestEd publication Designing Support for Beginning Teachers, “A third of beginning teachers quit within their first three years on the job.  We cannot stand for this kind of dropout rate among students, and we can no longer afford it in our teaching ranks.  … What lifelines can we offer so they will remain in the profession and develop into highly effective classroom educators?”  

How can districts capitalize on the time available to make sure new teachers are ready for the challenges facing them?  

In designing such an opportunity for your new teachers, there are considerations other schools or districts have added to their programs.  The following list of priorities is compiled from recommendations and discussions from Susan Totaro and Mark Wise of West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District in New Jersey, Stansbury and Zimmerman from WestEd, David Goldblatt of SwingEducation, and new teacher orientation agendas prepared by Curriculum Leadership Institute Consultants.  

  1. Professional development orientation that emphasizes the district’s vision for learning  
  2. Opportunities to collaborate with colleagues  
  3. Meet a wide variety of district stakeholders (including students)
  4. Teachers experience being treated as the district expects students to be treated  
  5. Exposure to the expectations for student learning 
  6. How data are used in their classroom and in collaboration with colleagues 
  7. Procedural policies for classroom management 
  8. Available instructional resources and their intended use
  9. Discussion of established district or school adopted and expected instructional strategies
  10. District policies for curriculum development and implementation requirements 
  11. How and where to access the district curriculum and assessments
  12. How to participate in feedback for curriculum improvement
  13. Build “communities” of experienced colleagues for support and advice

A common mistake in “new teacher orientation” plans is to try to deliver as much information as possible for procedures that will occur throughout the year.  While every district has its own structures for new teacher orientation, the cited authors all cautioned against packing the orientation time with deadlines and rules that can be communicated later in the year.  

Clearly, a new teacher who has thoroughly interacted with the district’s Vision and Mission and identified the district’s learning expectations of all students starts the school year with a clear picture of how to best serve the students assigned to them!  

Communicate and Celebrate Another Great Year!

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Click here for a printer-friendly version.It is amazing how quickly a school year goes by!  Often, we feel like there is not enough time to complete all of the tasks we planned.  But if you are staying true to your Long Range Plan, it’s a sure bet that you’ve been improving throughout the year and should communicate and celebrate the work that’s been done!

For an effective activity to reflect on your committee’s achievements, try addressing “Where have we been?  Where are we now?  Where are we going?”  Post three large pieces of paper around the room (poster size if you have it), with one of the headings “Where have we been?”  “Where are we now?”  or “Where are we going,”  divide your committee into three groups, and assign each group one of the posters, and, consequently, one of the questions.  Ask them to think about the question to which they are assigned and write their answers on the poster.  Then, you can either ask the groups to share out now, or they can rotate posters and add to them before sharing out.  Make sure to have someone record this information in the minutes and communicate it to the rest of the district, and even the public!

Not everyone can sit in on your committee work and may, therefore, misunderstand the intent, or even the results, of your work.  Take the time to communicate your successes to the rest of your stakeholders.  Make sure to do this in multiple ways; perhaps in a staff meeting, through email updates, on your website, and even in the newspaper.  Make your community proud of the great work that you are doing to improve teaching and learning!

Do not forget to have meaningful celebrations for those who are doing the hard work.  During the last day of committee work hold a potluck lunch, or cater it if you have the funds.  On the last day of school for teachers, use the last hour or so to thank all teachers for the work they’ve done.  Bring food (of course!) and make an example out of the teachers who did excellent work.  Perhaps award them with some school swag like a shirt, hat, or jacket with the school logo.  Whatever you decide to do, make sure you point out the specific things you’re celebrating.  It’s ineffective for you to leave the recognition with a blanket statement like, “Thank you for all you do for our students.”  Make sure your celebration is meaningful.

Photo credit: Jason Leung

 

Use School District Experts for Local Professional Development

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Here is How and Why it Works

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Similar to meeting the varying needs of students in the classroom, it is also difficult to meet the staff development needs of teachers within a school building or throughout a district.  Some teachers are more experienced in the area of technology while others are well versed in classroom management.  Why not utilize the individual strengths of staff while providing local professional development?  The simple solution is to have resident specialists share their expertise with their peers in a casual, learning environment of his/her classroom. 

A starting point for this process is to have each teacher designate his or her professional strengths.  Some teachers are naturally more comfortable at presenting in front of others so make sure to ask if they would be willing to share those skills with their peers.  Then, have teachers identify some areas where they want to grow.   If the instructional coach or professional development leader is already aware of some areas of need, then a checklist can be created in advance so the teacher can complete and return it to the building leader.  A Google Form is a quick and convenient way to gather this information.

Once the building leader identifies the top areas for training, provide the teachers with a list of five to six topics.  Have each teacher identify his/her top priority in the topic list
with a one, followed by the second choice with a two, etc.  This information is used to determine the top four topics.  Save those with fewer votes for future professional development.  The next step is to ask the willing staff members to provide a mini-lesson over key points of the topic.  Some, especially areas of technology, may involve a team teaching atmosphere, so keep in mind there could be more than one teacher comfortable providing instruction in a high priority area.  Do not leave out possible leaders.  Newer and veteran teachers can provide fresh ideas and best practices for sharing.                       

Providing the presenters adequate planning time for their mini-lessons is essential, too.  Schools have funds set aside for professional development, so use some of this money for a floating sub to cover classes throughout a day, to provide an extra plan time, or draw on after-school hourly pay to compensate the presenters for their preparation work.

As teachers, we have to remember that giving our students too much information at a time can often be overwhelming to our learners.  When planning the staff development mini-lessons, twenty-five minutes is just enough of a sample to keep educators’ interest without losing them.  Half-days of professional development are ideal for this format.  A sample schedule appears below showing how four groups rotate through each session.

There are times when it is necessary to bring in the experts, but sometimes the experts are already there.  Not only is this type of staff development cost-effective, but it also provides an opportunity to build support networks across a district.   Having a local expert available allows additional support opportunities for reinforcement.  Consider the following suggestions for follow-up: 

 1.  In a staff meeting, have teachers share how the implementation of the new information impacted their classrooms.

2.   Provide an opportunity for those interested in learning more to observe the presenter using the content, technology, or strategy in action. 

3. Designate a question/answer time at the next professional development day for learners to ask further questions of the presenters. 

All of these suggestions can help teachers keep new skills fresh. When educators are allowed to assist with the planning, implementation, and follow-up of their professional development opportunities, they will be more likely to use the knowledge and skills to increase student achievement.

Results from the 2018 Phi Delta Kappa Poll

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As teachers work to meet higher demand in the classroom and schools/districts struggle to meet increasing demands from the public, the PDK annual poll provides interesting perspectives. The 50th Annual Poll of the Public’s Attitude Toward the Public Schools, conducted by Phi Delta Kappa, surveys a random representative sample of more than a thousand adults. The poll asks many of the same questions every year with others added as the topics and concerns regarding public education change over time. This practice provides historical data and trends regarding the state of public education as well as insight into emerging concerns.

Of course, how the various respondents feel about their schools depends upon their personal experiences as students, the level of education reached, and the perceived experience of their children, as well as their political leanings and their socioeconomic status. Some trends have been consistent over the 50 years the poll has been conducted. The four most consistent factors listed as the biggest problems facing schools are lack of discipline, lack of financial support, use of drugs, and fighting/gang violence. While respondents cited each of the four multiple times, lack of discipline and lack of financial support have led the way with the most concern. From the early ‘70s to the mid-‘80s, the polls reflected the concern with a lack of discipline in the public schools.  From 2002 to the present, the polls reflect that the biggest problem facing local schools is the lack of financial support. 

The latest results indicated that 66% of respondents felt that teacher pay is too low (a new high in that area) with only 6% of respondents indicating they feel that teacher pay is too high (the highest number of respondents feeling salaries are too high are in the Northeast area of the United States where teacher salaries are the highest in the country).   In response to actions that might be used to remediate this situation 78% of participants said they would support teacher walk-outs to bring attention to the issue. They cite the underpayment of teachers as the number one reason they would discourage their children from entering the teaching profession.  

With more and more focus directed at differentiation in the classroom, Americans indicated they feel differentiation in school funding should also occur. 60% indicate that they would support spending more money on those identified as needing more support than more funding across the board. However, lack of adequate school funding has been identified as one of the issues most impacting quality of education nearly every year since the poll began 50 years ago.  

Fifty-five percent of respondents say students do not get as strong of an education as they received when in school. However, the
response is different when talking about how the current education is rated. While respondents identified job preparation as weaker now than in “their day,” college preparation, critical thinking, and providing a good education for all received higher marks than ever before.  

Overall, even though schools continue to have an “image problem,” 61% expressed trust and confidence in public school teachers, and 78%
feel that the nation should continue working at reforming the public school system rather than replacing it. Those two votes of confidence indicate that public schools have more positives than negatives. They also indicate that there is work still to be done to meet all students’ needs through public schools. 

For a thorough breakdown of the data collected and a discussion of the implications of that data, see the full descriptions at pdkpoll.org.  

The Why of CLI and How to Find Yours

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Simon Sinek, marketing consultant, and motivational speaker uses a model for “inspirational leadership” where at the center of three circles is the “golden circle;” essentially, the “why.”  With his book, Start with Why, Simon Sinek provides examples of how famous leaders communicated their why and were able to have success when others were unable. The principles they used can apply to individuals, small groups, or even conglomerates.  For example, a company has a Why, each team in that company has a Why, and every individual on that team has a Why.

The WHY of any organization isn’t about making a profit. Instead, it is the purpose, cause, or overall belief of the group.   It is not uncommon for an organization to confuse the WHY with another circle, the HOW or the WHAT.  Members of the team may not even know WHY they exist because the focus is on making a product or how to provide a service.  But, make no mistake that the WHY is the reason an organization exists.  Clearly communicating the WHY is the best chance one has to get all interested parties involved. 

The HOW sets an organization apart from others that share similar characteristics.  It is a unique twist on a service or product that could provide a step above competitors.  Most affiliated with the organization understand the HOW because there is considerable energy there to create the best WHAT possible.

Finally, the WHAT is known by all in the organization.  Whether it is a product or service, people naturally look at the end result.  In this case, the WHAT is the outer circle. 

In all types of work, change must take place to keep up.  Providing a strong reason for making a change, and communicating it clearly with staff, will ease much of the pushback from those the change will effect.  Providing your “why” will hopefully inspire staff to follow because they will have a purpose.

The WHY of CLI

Identifying the parts of your Golden Circle can be easier by seeing a relatable example. Refer to the one below showing the WHY, HOW, and WHAT for Curriculum Leadership Institute.

Finding Your Own Why

Authors David Mead and Peter Docker have published the book Find Your Why to assist organizations in digging deeper to determine the Why.  They believe a good Why statement is

  • Simple and Clear for understanding and sharing with others.
  • Free of Whats but includes the real reason people love the organization. 
  • Includes a Human Service Component and Impact for Others.
  • In Affirmative Language to provide inspiring words.
  • Important to Feel Right.

The first step in creating a Why is to fill in the blanks:  To _____ so that _____.  The first blank should include the contribution intended for others, and the second blank should be the impact as a result of that contribution.  It could take a few drafts to find that perfect Why, so have your pencil sharpened and revise until it resonates and feels right!   Here is a shortened example from CLI’s Why to get you going.  To impact learning for students through professional development so that students receive a quality education.

Why Even Have a Why?

While it may be difficult to determine your Why, it is critical for clarity of a focus and vision. There is a reason the Why is the golden circle in the center of all of the circles. Once the Why is identified, it becomes part of the culture.  Developing strategies, hiring employees, and communicating with a purpose will be simpler once the Why becomes the focus for all.

Does Your District Have All the Pieces in Place to Improve and Maintain Teaching and Learning?

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Pieces to Improve Teaching and LearningImprovements in teaching and learning can be rather challenging to come by and to maintain over time, and in order to make systemic changes within your district, you need to have all staff on board and prepared to do their part. The graphic below illustrates the relationships between the various working groups throughout the process.

Much like puzzle pieces fit to create a complete design each of these working groups must complete their assigned duties (part of the systematic process) to achieve and maintain results. Evaluate your curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices to determine if your district has each of these pieces in place.   If they were in place at one time, are they still actively in place and fully functional?

Throughout our experiences, we have found that these steps and these engaged professionals are critical to accomplishing the foundations of a district aligned curriculum, intentional instruction, and valid, local assessment. Maintaining these quality cornerstones to improve student learning requires systematic attention with engaged professional staff members.