*The luxury of a large(6 classes on each grade including a CTT class and gifted class) Title I school affords the opportunity to have a team of 2 Assistant Principals, coaches for literacy and math for both lower and upper grades, and a coach for technology who meet with the principal every other Monday throughout the school year to discuss strategies for making curriculum and professional development decisions. They also set up systems for using data well to help teachers inform instruction and systems for transferring data from grade to grade.
*Debra knows the community well and began her work as an Assistant Principal, moving from the District Office. She noticed in her first year in the school that the staff was working very hard but failing to make significant improvements in student test data. She knew if she could harness the energy of the staff around her vision and initiate structures for shared leadership, increased student performance would result. Her first priority was to make sure Title I designation was in place so that the funding of $60,000 could support instruction. After that was accomplished, she was able to hire an upper grade and lower grade coach for both literacy and math and revise the schedule to afford opportunities for common planning time so that teachers could collaboratively plan and implement the units of study. She created one self contained ESL class in grades 1,2, and 3 and a push-in ESL specialist for 90 minutes to support the large number of English Language Learners in the school. Learning from her work with Ruth Swiney's study group, Debra provided ESL specialists with professional development from TC and included them in the literacy learning so that they could support the classroom instruction and align their work.
*After the first year, when the scores did not go up, she met with the 4th grade teachers, showed them the data and asked them to reflect on what was wrong. They responded that the curriculum did not reflect what was on the test and a test prep curriculum was designed with each grade training one teacher as an expert in one comprehension skill. Teachers also created a diagnostic tool to see which skills were needed. The test prep curriculum was implemented in 3 two week cycles.
*Debra's mantra was to get to know the students well and then teach the child not the curriculum. This year's results reflected progress of ESL and special needs students and the success is enabling teachers to work even harder. Sustainability is growing from building capacity from within with the targeted support of the in-house coaches, the TC calendar days, Principal, AP and coach TC support, leadership groups for the teachers, and the ongoing support of the curriculum team.
*This year's initiative was to create a literacy(and math) folder for each student which contains evidence of student work and the assessment tools which show progress over the year's learning and can be passed from grade to grade. The cover sheet for each folders make very clear the consistent expectations for each grade of the work to be collected, analyzed, and passed from grade to grade. (If you missed the meeting, you can get the cover sheet from someone who was there or from contacting Debra).
*The purpose of this system is to help teachers know what students have already learned with clear evidence of what they can do so that each new year starts with rigorous instruction immediately and there is no longer wasted time or low expectations of students(the assumption that every kindergarten student needs to be in an A book or learn each alphabet letter and sound). The folders are also used to help place students appropriately so that matches are made with the new teachers and with other students.
*Fishbowling a Curriculum Team Meeting
*The meeting began with the activity of looking at previous systems(pinks and blues) and comparing them to the content of the red folders to see redundancies and make revisions. It was noted that some of the information on the pinks and blues are already in the folder and that the questions about what we know about each student provide specific content like their style of learning, stamina, and effective teaching strategies. The team will also think about the professional development that might be needed and begin to plan June 5th and other planning time. The coaches engaged in a conversation about using a prototype of the red folder to demonstrate how teachers might use the information for grouping and making teaching decisions during Brooklyn-Queens.
*Debbie promised to make sure the guidance counselors will become involved in sharing their knowledge of the individual needs of students and making sure that learning styles, personality and behavior issues are noted and considered in making class placement decisions. They will also assist in making sure that students who attended extended day programs are tabbed so that they can continue support if needed next year.
*Looking at the writing samples from on-demand writing and from published units of study led to a discussion about teachers' concern about finding time and systems to collect and copy student writing for the folders. A suggestion was made to designate a week at the end of each unit of study where student work would be collected and copied for teachers. This could also be a time for students to reflect on their learning and write their own evaluations of their work. Coaches also talked about how some teachers have created rubrics for each unit of study and how important teacher feedback is in this process. The process of creating checklists and rubrics which outline the teaching points and expectations for each unit will be the focus of the pd work next year and some of the teachers who have already begun this work can help to lead others who are new to it. The narrative continuum will be the framework for this work.
*Coaches also talked about creating a schedule of intervisitations where teachers can visit another grade and engage in table conference with students to see where kids are right now to help them set expectations for next year. Debbie emphasized that knowing students well is the purpose of this data collection and that supporting teachers in using this data is most important. She said, "It's not about stuffing the folders." She reminded the team that we need to be mindful of the reality of teacher's busy lives and that we need to ask them, "How can we make this easier for you?" We need to engage teachers in conversations about how best to support them in personalizing the data collection so that it informs each day's planning and teaching. We need to ask was the ITA helpful to you? Is it worth the time and effort it takes to implement? Is it aligned with instruction? She asked the group for their feedback about the ITA's and promised to research the question of formative assessment tools with the study group, share the information with the team and then get back to them to make a decision.
*Feedback from the Curriculum Team Meeting- Rave Reviews
*There was a lively and honest interchange of ideas and trust in the team so that it was safe for people to disagree in a highly professional environment. There was rich evidence that the team meets often, has a rhythm of getting things done, and interacts like family(or better than family).
*Debbie's leadership clearly empowers members of the team to express their thinking, reach consensus, and then get the work done. The differing points of view(coach-assistant principal) provide variety in perspective and close alignment with the classroom.
*The conversation moved back and forth between curriculum, systems and structures, and professional development initiatives. There was also a good flow between was is already in place, reflections about results, and next steps.
*The voices of the team were respected and honored. Debra was able to restate priorities and keep the focus but the responsibility for decision making and getting things done was in the hands of the team.
*The focus on the work was always about what's good for the kids. The systems established make the lives of kids very evident and keep the data meaningful and linked to teaching and learning.
*As we observed the team in action and noticed Debra's leadership strengths, we could see the power of quality conversations and the definition of distributive leadership. One principal commented, "Now I know what an effective team looks like."
*Courage is...
*Having difficult conversations that provide honest feedback about performance, that make people angry and upset, that drain us but that are what is right for our kids.
*Pushing for excellence and not settling for the status quo or complacency and having the persistence to push people from our community. Rating teachers with a U and fighting the system to terminate teachers who need to go.
*The willingness to be unpopular and uninvited to social gatherings because decision need to be made to support students which make adults angry and unhappy.
*Facing the grievance process concerning preference sheets. Confronting the union representatives when they refuse to give teachers options for SBOs or prevent teachers from expressing their opinions about initiatives.
*Reaching out to each other when problems overwhelm or solutions are not in sight.
*June Planning and Plans for Brooklyn-Queens Day
*Danielle's teacher projects from the alternative to supervision process will be shared in a structure like the TC Saturday reunion days. Projects include a lending leveled library called, "Dots, dots, dots, Videotaped book conversations with attached minilessons, reading recovery videotaped lessons.. The projects were determined at the beginning of the year and worked on during faculty conferences and planning time. Teachers included evidence of student work which will grow deeper in the new year.
*Janet angled her teacher projects around courses of study that teachers provide for parents.
*Unpacking the new units of study and comparing them to previous year's studies. Teachers can take responsibility for uncovering the new teaching points, highlighting the necessary resources, and noticing things that will be challenges before the pd day and then be responsible for sharing these with the rest of the teachers on their grade.
*Some ideas that principals are trying to get more time for pd learning include instituting Drop Everything and Read during the extended day 2x a month which allows a particular grade to meet for more pd time while others stay and read. Since teachers are not planning special lessons during this time and enjoy reading with the community, there have been no issues with this plan. Another principal has tried using clusters to plan 2 special assembly programs each year which afford the opportunity to gather students together for large group learning and free particular grades of teachers up for more pd.
*Summer learning- Jill Hoder is inviting everyone to meet at her school on July 10th at 9am for breakfast and conversation about A School Leaders's Guide to Excellence, Laura and Carmen's new book. Please RSVP Jill. Another book recommended by Debra is Michael Fullan's Breakthrough which makes sense of the inquiry team initiative and may serve as a good professional text.
Karin Kelly
Principal
P.S. 174
65-10 Dieterle Crescent
Rego Park, NY 11374
(718) 897 7006
