ESD Regional Workshop

Year 1Workshop 2

Welcome Back to the Leadership Academy

Goals For The Day:

Understand the Leadership Actions/Behaviors needed for working successfully on the Problem of Practice

Consider the urgency of the work for each student and begin to examine/evaluate the effectiveness of district systems aligned with student needs

Learn about and begin to develop a POP Theory of Action to improve district systems and improve personal leadership skills

Reflect on our own learning and consider and share personal and team “next steps”

Norms• Please help us start and end on time• Please respect the views of others• Please focus on what is happening here

today• Please silence cell phones• Please close email: open during breaks

only• Please avoid side conversations• Please maintain a cordial and collaborative

tone

Reflection Question What has become clearer to you

since our last workshop about a Problem of Practice (POP)?

What about the Regional Problem of Practice rings true for your district?

What would you like your WSLA District team to accomplish this year?

 

WSLA Rubrics

In Your District Teams

Come to consensus on A CURRENT RATING for your District on each of the elements in the Rubrics

To Share With Colleagues

Then answer this question:

What steps does our WSLA team need to take this year to move our district forward on the WSLA Rubrics? 

FACTMost students, to earn a decent wage, will need at least some postsecondary education.

Wagner, T. (2008). The GlobalAchievement Gap: Why evenour best schools don’t teach thenew survival skills our children need and what we can do about it.

FACT67% of all jobs in Washington state (2.3 million jobs) will require some postsecondary training beyond high school in 2018.

Center on Education for the Workforce Georgetown University 2010

“Why Change?” Team Answer

You, as leaders, need to understand and be able to explain the relationship between your problem of practice and the improvement of student learning for ALL students.

OUR REGIONAL PROBLEM OF PRACTICE

How can we create and lead a system that ensures effective instruction for all students; integrates multiple initiatives; i.e., Common Core, TPEP, Smarter Balanced… and results in sustained high levels of learning?

“Why Change?” Team Answer

In your teams, write a ONE to TWO sentence answer to the question:

“Why will addressing this particular problem of practice close the gap in student achievement in our district and improve learning for all students?”

Leadership and Student Learning

www.leadershipinnovationsteam.com

Why an instructional focus? Why an instructional focus? Why teacher leadership? Why teacher leadership? MarzanoMarzano

Scenario Percentile Entering Percentile Leaving

Average School / Average Teacher

50 50

Highly IneffectiveSchool / Ineffective Teacher

50 3

Highly Effective School / Ineffective Teacher

50 34

Ineffective School / Highly Effective Teacher

50 63

Highly Effective School / Highly Effective Teacher

50 96

Highly Effective School / Average Teacher

50 78

Factors Affecting Achievement

www.leadershipinnovationsteam.com

School Factors•Guaranteed & Viable Curriculum•Challenging goals and effective feedback•Parent & community involvement•Safe and orderly environment•Collegiality and professionalism

Teacher Factors •Classroom curriculum design•Instructional Strategies•Classroom management

Marzano “What Worksi n Schools”

Leadership Matters!

• “It turns out that leadership not only matters; it is second only to teaching among school related factors in its impact on student learning….”

• “….the impact of leadership tends to be the greatest in schools where the learning needs of students are most acute.”

Leithwood, et. Al 2004

What Do Leaders DO In High Performing Systems?

They know how much teachers matter and they ACT on that

knowledge.

They put ALL students – not just some – in a demanding core

curriculum.

Effective Leaders

They do not leave anything about teaching and learning to

chance.

Effective Leaders

They set their goals HIGH.

They aggressively tackle the myth: “closing the achievement/opportunity

gap is unfair…and unachievable”

Effective Leaders

They share leadership with others and work together in collaborative learning communities focused on

teaching and learning.

Effective Leaders

They focus on what they CAN do, rather than what they cannot do.

Why Change? 1. Why are we doing this work? 2. What context is needed to be successful? 3. How do we communicate the urgency of the work to others?

Leadership Skills/Behaviors by Strand

POP Big Picture Agenda

This year WSLA teams will:

• Examine your district systems and determine what is needed to implement and “solve” the POP

• Develop a Theory of Action for leading and managing the improvement of student learning in your district

Whys and What Ifs Protocol

1. The presenting person/recorder reads the POP.

2. The next person in the circle asks a “why” question. (Questions are NOT answered but are recorded).

3. Continue asking “why” questions with each participant until time is called.

4. Steps 1-3 are repeated; however, rather than “why” questions, participants ask “what if” questions until time is called. (Questions are NOT answered but are recorded).

BREAK

Theory of Action

Theory of Action

Definition:

Theory of Action is an articulated rationale for WHY a particular set of actions or strategies is likely to lead

to the outcomes you seek

Theory of Action

Should be rooted in:

• Research

• Examples of good practice

• Evidence you collect about your own practice

• Intuition (but be careful about this…)

ProblemSolution Outcome

Theory of ActionOr “Rationale”

Theory of Action

Theory of Action

Distinguish:• Between theories of action and random collections of

strategies by articulating a clear rationale for each strategy

Connect:• The strategies with the problem(s) you are attempting to

fix—articulate the connection

Focus:• On how you will articulate the direct connection between

the strategy identified and what you hope to accomplish, and how you will know you have accomplished what you intended

The Cycle of Inquiry

Team Time

Team Time – Think About…

• What will we do to address each part of the POP?

• How do the strategies we are planning connect to the problems identified and the positive changes we hope to accomplish?

• What is our rationale for why we think these strategies will improve learning for staff and students?

• Will the strategies make curriculum more rigorous; change what students do; improve teaching? How will we know?

Writing Assignment #2

Send to your coach and instructors via e-mail no later than two weeks prior to our next workshop:

•Answers to the questions discussed during “Team Time”—limit your written document to two to three pages. •Includes the approach(s) you intend to take, or already are taking, in each of the areas in the POP•Include your “theory” of why the approach(s) you have selected will make a positive impact.

Reflection/Summary/Evaluation