A.markholt_WSU Presentation 11 12 14

8/10/2019 A.markholt_WSU Presentation 11 12 14

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Instructional SupervisionWSU Principal Preparation Program

November 12, 2014

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Our Mission

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The Center for Educational Leadership (CEL) is a nonprofit service

arm of the University of Washington College of Education dedicated to

eliminating the achievement gap that continues to divide our nations

children along the lines of race, class, language and disability.


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Equity Is a Key Principle of Our Work

Equal Outcomes

Fairness

Access and Support

Respect for Differences

Achievement ofEvery Student

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Foundational Ideas

If students are not learning they are not being affordedpowerful learning opportunities.

Teaching is a highly complex and sophisticated endeavor.

Practice of sophisticated endeavors only improves when it isopen for analysis and critique.

Improving practice in a culture of public scrutiny requires

reciprocal accountability.

Reciprocal accountability implies a particular kind ofleadership to improve teaching and learning.

Leaders cannot lead what they dont know.

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1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.


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Foundational Ideas

Of the foundational ideas, what resonates most?

What is most challenging?


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Getting Alignment Around Instructional Effectiveness

DISTRICT

LEADERSHIP

Helping district leaders todevelop policies, practices

and structure that supportprincipals and teachers in

delivering high-qualityinstruction.

SCHOOL

LEADERSHIP

Helping district leaders andprincipals observe, analyze

and lead for high-qualityinstruction.

TEACHING

EFFECTIVENESS

Developing the teachingexpertise necessary to

ensure that all studentslearn at high levels.

STUDENT

LEARNING

All students,regardless of race,

class, language anddisability, achieve at

high levels.

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Two-Part Equation

Common language forhigh-quality instruction

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Knowing how to leadfor that

InstructionalAnatomy

InstructionalLeadership

InstructionalEffectiveness


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Increasing the knowledge,

skills and expertise of theteacher.

Changing the role of

the student as learner.

Increasing the level andcomplexity of the

curriculum/content.

Text/TaskContent

StudentTeacher

Context

CHILDRESS, ELMORE, GROSSMAN, KING. Public Education Leadership Project, 2007

The Instructional Core:We can increase student learning by!


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Instructional Leadership

observe teaching and learning (nonjudgmental)

script an observation (descriptive & specific)

analyze an observation (use of frameworks)

lead conversations with teachers

give feedback to teachers

organize learning opportunities for teachers

lead/facilitate learning opportunities for teachers

monitor implementation of new learning


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Learning Target & Success Criteria

Hone skills to support a coaching conversation

Articulate a personal practice goal around observation,analysis, and organizing a coaching conversation


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Foundational Skills for Observation & Analysis

!

Non-judgmental noticing

!Citing specific evidenceduring analysis

!Asking authentic questions to better understand a

teachers decision making related to specific evidence

!

Using a strength-based approach

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Observing Examining our Process

What do you tend to look/listen for?

What biases might you bring to classroom observation?

What might you see or hear that would put you in a

judgment mode?


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Observing Foundational Questions

What do I see?

What do I see that makes me say that?

What else do I see?

From the work of Abigail Housen and Visual Thinking Strategies, New York.


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Descriptive Observation:

Learning to See, Unlearning to Judge

Helps us to search for cause and effect relationshipsbetween what we observe teachers and students doingand what students actually know and are able to do as aconsequence.

Keeps us focused on analyzing what we see going on inthe classroom vs. debating what constitutes effectiveinstruction.

City, Elmore & Fiarman, Instructional Rounds in Education, Chapter 4.


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Description With Judgment: Reflect

The teacher read from a book that was not at theappropriate level for the class.

There was too much time on discussion, not enough timeon individual work.

The students conducted a sophisticated lab experiment.


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Description WithJudgment

The teacher read from a book that was notat theappropriate level for the class.

There was too much time on discussion, not enough timeon individual work.

The students conducted a sophisticatedlab experiment.


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Description WithoutJudgment

The teacher read from a 7th grade text.

Students spent 45 of 55 minutes in a group discussion. Studentsspent 10 minutes on individual work.

Teams of students conducted a lab experiment using a 5 stepinquiry method to measure transfer of energy in plants. Studentsasked questions of each other: How can we be sure our findings

are accurate, and How will we validate our findings?

Adapted from A Presentation of the National Reading Technical Assistance Center.


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Specificity of Evidence

The students talked to each other.

vs.

T. asked students to turn and talk to a partner about the focus for

their learning.

Sts. sat on rug in front of rm and turned to their partner and tookturns talking about what they would be learning today.

T. knelt on the ground next to three partner groups and listened totheir conversation


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Case study - Jess

Jess has been teaching for six years. She is an eager

professional learner,a thoughtful practitioner and hasparticipated in professional development opportunities. Shehas been committed to her Professional LearningCommunity, which consists of other math teachers in herbuilding.

Jesss district has had a math initiative for two years, whichis focused on getting students to talk and think in discipline-specific ways. Additionally, Jess has chosen to work onincreasing student engagement in her classroom,

specifically though increasing student-to-student talk andhaving students justify their thinking using mathematicallanguage.

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Jess video

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Noticing: Sharing Observations

In your notes, highlight what you noticed related to Jessarea of focus:

What did you notice?

What could this be evidence of?

!"


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Sharing Observations and Calibrating Evidence

I noticed ________.

!Why do you think that?

!

How do you know?

!What is your evidence?

!!


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Wondering

Is there anything about the teachers thinking or decision-

making do you want to know more about?

!$


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Conversation as a Data Point

What do you want to know about the teachers intentionsrelated to her area of focus?

What do you want to listen for in relation to how a teacher

thinks about her area of focus?


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A Wonder is / is not

ISa genuine question to help you learn from the teacherand helps prepare you to listenfor the teachers thinking

IS NOT

A suggestion in disguise

A yes/no question

Feedback

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Wonderings Are Not Feedback

The purpose of wondering is to assume positive intent andnot become overly committed to our initial interpretations:

part of the feedback processto help us understand what

to bring forward as suggestions and what to hold on to asinformation for further professional development

help us understand the teachers decision-making andthinking

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Wonder: Possible Question Stems

!How did you make decisions about![who to call on,

who to check in with]

!What is your vision for![how students shouldparticipate in!, how students should show their

understanding!

.]

!What did you learn from/about your students todaywhen you!/when they!?

!Talk me through![your thinking about!, your planningfor!, what you noticed when!]

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Analyzing Notes Strength-Based

What can the teacher do? (Code with a c)

What is the teacher on the verge of being able to do?

(Code with a v)


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Defining Can and Verge of

Can means there is strong evidence that the practice is inplace (with intention) and effective.

Verge of means there is evidence of the practice in place

(with intention) but it may not be as effective as it needs tobe.


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Identifying Possible Feedback

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Immediate Coaching Points:

Based on the instructional framework.

Based on verges of.

Based on evidence from observation.

!Long-term Coaching Points:

Based on the instructional framework.

Based on what you believe the teacher may be far frombeing ready to enact in their classroom.

Based on lack of evidence in practice.

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Learning Target & Success Criteria

Hone skills to support a coaching conversation

Articulate a personal practice goal around observation,analysis, and organizing a coaching conversation

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A.markholt_WSU Presentation 11 12 14