Celebrations from Wednesday Walks

 "Successful organizations understand the importance of implementation, not just strategy, and, moreover, recognize the crucial role of their people in this process." ~Jeffrey Pfeffer 

RISE GI! Through our Wednesday Walks, we have the opportunity to observe implementation of our strategic plan priorities and initiatives--the quote says it well, the people have a crucial role in the process!  Little would be accomplished without all stakeholders committed to achieving our mission! Thank you for all you do, every day!!

Last week completed our first cycle of Wednesday Walks and I couldn't be more excited and proud of our GIPS team!  So many examples of how we are a learning organization from the student level to our teams at the district office! After each of our walks, we have time to visit with the principals and it is so exciting to hear them describe the highlights of the beginning of the year, how teachers and principals are feeling empowered to be instructional leaders, and initial evidence of progress in implementation of prioritized district initiatives. 

During our first cycle of Wednesday Walks, we collected data to better understand the "systematic" implementation of using learning targets in the classroom.  Displaying and using learning targets to communicate what students need to know and be able to do is only one step in the process of standards based planning, however, it is evidence that can be collected to inform progress in implementation.  It is celebration to share that Walk data revealed 84% of our classrooms had learning targets visible to students.  During this time, we did not collect data on the alignment of the target to the standard or the activities, just that they were visible and available to students.  We know that teachers and PLC 2.0 teams are engaging in continued professional learning around the work of standards based planning so I'm confident that we will see growth around this practice. The research is clear from John Hattie and Dr. Bob Marzano, the more students understand and interact with the targets, and take ownership of monitoring progress of the learning progression, the more likely they are to achieve the standard.

 So we will continue to monitor systematic implementation as a district through our Wednesday Walks.  During our second cycle,  data will continue to be collected on learning targets, however, we will also be monitoring if students, when asked, are able to explain the learning target.  There will be no evaluative ties to this data, it will only be used to monitor progress and identify what we might need to do to best support principals and teachers. This is all about growth as a district and it's ok that some campuses are at different levels of implementation.  We realize that this is a shift in practice, and will take intentional practice, reflection, and support along the way.  Reach out to your instructional coaches, principals, and attend offered seminars to support your learning around this district priority.  We believe that if teachers engage in standards based planning, and execute the planning through instruction, that we will see the results in student achievement.

 We are Better Together and will RISE GI!

Performance evaluation-student achievement, what's the scoop?

It's what you learn after you know it all that counts" ~John Wooden

I often think about and have used John Maxwell's famous quote, "change is inevitable. Growth is optional".  It's true, our world is transforming around us, which requires change to happen in the way we do business in education if we want to be prepared, current, and innovative in our profession.  However, growing personally and professionally is dependent on our attitudes, mindset, and willingness to engage in new learning, take risks, and embrace the opportunities.

Our common mission, Every Student, Every Day, A Success, requires all stakeholders to collectively take responsibility for preparing our students to thrive in an ever changing world.  We accomplish this by continuing to learn and grow in our practice, just as we expect doctors to learn new techniques and use advanced technology to diagnose and treat patients.  As professionals we are expected to produce results; in education it's about our students; are they prepared, do they have the knowledge and skills to be successful and thrive in an ever changing world?

So how do we measure the performance of our educators? We know that our best results from students come from intentional standards based planning, frequent monitoring for growth throughout the unit, feedback and support for those that need more, and at the end, a final evaluation of overall learning. 

Our current Focus Framework Evaluation Model takes a similar approach with educators.  It is a shift from a summative score based on a one time subjective evaluation to a competency based model that allows educators to grow in practice.  Informal, walkthroughs and formal observations provide the opportunity for feedback and support.  Yes, there is a summative score at the end, but the intention is that you will know where you are performing based on the feedback you have received along the way.  This is a good thing! Receiving a beginning rating is OK!  It doesn't necessarily mean you are ineffective, it's just where you are with execution of the strategies (elements) at that time.  Ineffectiveness is only apparent when growth isn't happening over time.  With the focus on standards based planning and using data to drive instructional decisions, we would expect that we would have high number of teachers at beginning and developing. however, as professional learning, instructional coaching, and support is provided, growth should be evident! 

Empowering educators to be instructional leaders evolves from this model!  Embrace the opportunity to learn together with your administrators, coaches and PLC 2.0 teams!  We are in this together!


Learning Sciences Marzano Center published white papers around the model if you are interested in more information.

Why Professional Learning Communities Matter?

"Every Student, Every Day, A Success! We Teach Hearts as Well as Minds" This is a bold, yet admirable mission statement for Grand Island Public Schools and it captures the essence of intentions of our everyday work.  Yet, despite our best efforts and intentions, there are still students that are falling behind, that move from grade to grade without the knowledge and skills needed to be successful.  Is it realistic to think that we can ensure that "every" student achieve the skills in order to "thrive" in an ever changing world?  I believe it is!  We know our students face many challenges (behaviors, achievement gaps, language, trauma, chronic stress) that impact their rate of progress.  Although many of the situations are out of our control, there is strong research to support that what we do when students are in our care every day, can make a difference and change the trajectory of their future.       
The unique needs, academic and social emotional, that our students walk through out doors with everyday deserve our very best-our attention--our collective effort to break down those barriers.  It's time to innovatively engage students, have high expectations, and increase the rigor--facilitating opportunities for students to take ownership their learning.  The "how" we accomplish this is what has to change if we are to accomplish our vision.  The quote at the top of this blog stresses the importance of collaboration.  The collective expertise of a group of educators focused on root cause of achievement gaps,  use of effective instructional, implementation of interventions and extensions to address specific student learning needs, and planning to engage students in a learning environment that is rigorous and inclusive, accomplishes far more, than if engaging in this process alone.  The GIPS structure to accomplish this work is through Professional Learning Communities (fondly called PLC 2.0).  The visual below provides a brief overview of essential characteristics, however, I am also linking a one page summary of the GIPS PLC 2.0 that evolved through research of effective PLC implementation. 

Although the concept of PLC's 2.0 sounds fairly simple, implementation has it's challenges.  Personalities, belief barriers, confidence, communication, growth mindset, response to change, all impact effectiveness of outcomes of the PLC.  The time allocated for this work is a gift for teams to come together for the common purpose of improving student learning.  It is a shift in what we have typically called "collaborative planning" where planning the week's lessons and sharing the responsibilities in preparing materials was the focus to intentionally focusing on what students need to know and be able to do, setting goals around standards, using student learning results to inform instruction, intervention and extensions throughout the unit, and growing professionally in practice by learning from others. This doesn't just happen, all members have to contribute, engage and honestly reflect about the process. The vision is common and clear, and although engaging in PLC 2.0 work may not be comfortable or natural to some, when the team is effective, the academic achievement needle moves farther than if going about this work alone.

With any new practice, level of implementation happens at different rates and I have observed this through PLC 2.0 visits this last couple of weeks.  That is ok as there are supports, reflections and professional learning along the way. It's just not ok, to not move towards implementation. Thank you in advance for all you do everyday and for taking ownership of the process by reflecting on how you are contributing to your team as an educator as well as how you can grow in practice as a result.  EMPOWER each other, using DATA to PERSONALIZE standards based instruction for students.  If this becomes just what we do, we will RISE GI!

                     

 

Celebrating School Leaders

"Great leaders don't set out to be the leader. They set out to make a difference.  It's never about the role-always about the goal". ~Lisa Haisha 

It's National Principals Month and a time to recognize and thank our GIPS school leaders for all they do to ensure our schools are welcoming and accepting instructional learning environments for our students.  The responsibilities and expectations for building leaders encompasses the expectations to be effective instructional leaders that empower teachers to improve academic achievement, be data users, building managers, disciplinarians, and public relations experts.  The day in the life of a principal is unpredictable, yet the expectations to balance, prioritize, solve problems in the moment, and communicate effectively with all stakeholders are held high.   The principal's job is comprehensive and rarely perfected.  Just like all other positions, it's important to continue to learn and grow in the position and build capacity with teams because we truly are "better together"! 

As I reflect on my past experience as a principal, I will have to admit that it was one of the most rewarding, yet most challenging positions I have held in my education career.  The quote written at the beginning of this blog resonated with me because I did I set out to make a difference as a principal, I had vision and goals, however, I realized that just having the goal was not enough.  I had to be a developer of people and community as well and build the capacity with others to achieve the goals. This does require intentional focus on effective leadership, to never stop learning, to be vulnerable with others, and seek innovation when problem solving.

Although I am no longer a principal, I am so proud and excited to have the opportunity to support our GIPS principals in my position as Chief of Leadership and Development. Our principals are difference makers, and I would like to ask you to join me in recognizing and celebrating ours this month (and throughout the year).  If you are looking for ideas on ways to celebrate with students and staff at your campus, please check out this link: Ways to say thank you and celebrate.

Below are some pictures of our campus leaders engaging in professional learning around our the GIPS Strategic Plan and three priority goals for this year: Implementing effective Professional Learning Communities that regularly analyze student results, address individual barriers to learning, plan effective lessons and unit and evaluation the implementation of programs; Provide embedded professional learning on Marzano's Instructional Model-specifically Standards Based Planning; and use data to continuously improve teaching and learning.  Our principals are being stretched to think and lead differently by letting go of ineffective practices, maintaining welcoming and safe environments, establishing strongly aligned school improvement plans/actions with specific measurement indicators that are monitored on a regular basis, a focus on implementation of effective instructional practices and providing effective feedback.  I would hope that because of their work this year that they are also stretching all of you to do the same and join in on the journey to provide a currently good educational experience for our students to a"great" educational experience where students will gain the knowledge and skills that will allow them to THRIVE in an ever changing world! 

Engaging in Side by Side Coaching to learn about how the instructional model impacts student achievement
and how to support and provide effective feedback to teachers on instructional practices

Summer professional learning focusing in on our district
strategic planning and priority goals for GIPS!

Developing a common vision of instruction.   

It is all about getting better! RISE GI!

Feel free to post your messages recognizing your principals on twitter:
#thankaprincipal
#wearegips
#risegi