A Systematic Approach to Improving Instruction & Learning.

Di LeonardoSr. Director of Curriculum & Instruction

Fresno County Office of Educationdleonardo@fcoe.org

Why Did You Become a Teacher?

https://todaysmeet.com/teachersmatter

Literacy blocks

Direct Instruction

Differentiated

instruction

Culturally responsive teaching

Walkthroughs

Parent involvemen

t

P.T.A. meetings

Accountability

committee

Bus schedules

Lyme disease

preventionCurriculum mapping

AfterschoolData

committees

Gifted & Talented

Halloween Party

Halloween PartyFall

Festival

Special education

IEPsRtI

DDDM

PLCs

Reading FirstPhonics

Whole Language

PhonicsBalanced LiteracyPep

assemblySpelling Bee

Morning announceme

nts

School Improvemen

t Plans

FTEs

Bilingual EdDual

Immersion

ESL

TGIF!

Staff development Performance

reviews

MathNew MathNew, New

Math

Success for AllOpen CourtEveryday

Math

Saxon Math

ConstructivistTeaching

Induction

Mentoring

CoachingState tests

District tests

Value addedGrowth models

Formative assessment

Career prep

College for all

Student learning

Character education

NCLBAP

Multi-age classrooms

Ability grouping

De-tracking

Sex ed

Technology Integration

Positive Behavior Support

Lunch programs

Multicultural education

Courageous conversation

s

Interactive whiteboards

Portfolio Assessment

Block scheduling

Safe & drug-free schools

Abstinence only

Culture of Continuous Learning

• Do we believe our students can learn?

• Do we believe OUR skill set is dynamic and I/We can get better?

• Do we believe in the direct correlation of OUR skills and student learning?

What are the current Instructional Commitments

at your schools site?

What has the greatest impact on student learning?

a) Teacher Appraisalb) Professional Developmentc) Collaborative Cultures

“ The top performing school systems recognize that the only way to improve outcomes is to improve instruction through coaching classroom practices, moving teacher training to the classroom, developing stronger school leaders and enabling teachers to learn from each other”

McKinsey and Company

It takes a Team

Purposeful Team

Agreed Upon

Processes

Collective Efficacy

Use of all assets

Outcomes that

Matter

An improvement effort without a strategy is a recipe for random actions and on-going frustration.

The new role of the principal is “Learning Leader” – one who models learning, and shapes the conditions for all to learn on a continuous basis.

Michael Fullan

Choosing our Focus

• Select ONE classroom level practice you believe will move your school forward and improve student achievement.

• Be prepared to provide a rationale as to why this practice should be selected.

Instructional Goals

Choosing our FocusMarzano – Classroom Instruction that works.

• Identifying Similarities and differences

• Summarizing and note taking • Reinforcing effort and providing

recognition• Homework and Practice• Representing knowledge• Learning Groups• Setting objectives and providing

feedback• Generating and testing hypotheses• Cues, questions and Advanced

Organizers

Hattie – Visible Learning

• Micro-teaching (.88)

• Metacognitive Strategies (.74)

• Reciprocal Teaching (.74)

• Vocabulary Instruction (.67)

• Cooperative Learning (.57)

Instructional Goals

CCSS FoundationsDepth of Knowledge and Six C’s

Communication Collaboration

Creativity Critical Thinking

Character &

Citizenship

Professional Learning

• Name it

• Study It, Research It

• Look for Models and Model it yourselves

• Calibrate range of definitions and application

• Define Teacher actions and Student Actions

Professional Learning

Agree upon a system of implementation

• Timeline

• Resources

• Feedback

Professional Learning

Getting Better Together

• Planning • Informal check-ins • Practicing • Coaching – Academic Coaches/Leaders• Peer Coaching • Observation with Reflection and Feedback

Coaching

Impact on Student Learning

• What did our students actually do???

• What did our students actually produce???

• Were the results expected? Evidence or rigorous learning?

• Based on STUDENT learning evidence, what is our next steps???

Evidence of Implementation

Professional Learning – Next Steps

Barriers

• Choosing a practice we are already good at

• Choosing a practice that has little impact on learning

• Poor Implementation: Compliance vs. Learning

• Lack of Commitment

• Lack of Monitoring

Leadership Matters

The degree to which the principals participates as a leaders had the largest effect size on a school moving forward.

For every complex problem, there is a solution that is clear, simple, and wrong

H. L. Mencken

Always Learning