Capacity Building In Higher-Performing Middle

Schools

A Report on Best PracticesIn New York State

American Educational Research AssociationMarch 27, 2008New York City

Kristen Campbell WilcoxJanet Ives Angelis

School of Education-University at Albany

Capacity Building

Processes and practices by which districts and schools enhance collaboration focused on student learning among teachers, administrators, and community members, and provide teachers with instructional support.

Findings

• Culture supports a vision of high achievement

• Climate of respect helps enact vision

• Structures reinforce collaboratively supported instruction

• Leadership encourages teacher initiative taking

Previous Findings

• Culture, climate, relationships– (Van Zee et al., Brown et al., Hoy & Hannum)

• Professional communities– (Fullan, Weisbord, DuFour)

• Learning organizations– (Senge, Hargreaves, Darling-Hammond, Resnick, Little)

Ecological Framework

• Culture, leadership, and relationships + formal structure

• Classrooms are nested in schools, within districts, and within communities.

(Brofenbrenner 1993)

Our Sample• 10 HP schools with 6 similar but AP schools based on 3 years of NYS assessment data (2003-5)

• Half: = or > NYS average poverty level

• Urban, rural, and suburban

• Open admissions• NYS average PPE

The Data

• 2-day site visits• Interviewed teachers and administrators using a semi-structured interview protocol

• Collected documents• Coded more than 160 interviews and documents

• Crafted case studies for each site

• Created a cross-site report of BP

Culture supports a vision of high achievementBroad visions, big plans

– Input from multiple stakeholders

– Aligned with overall goals– Focused on achievement, especially closing the achievement gap

Everything we do is centered on students achieving, improving, and closing the

achievement gap.

Culture . . . . . .

Enacting the vision..– Clearly articulated– Teachers encouraged to innovate to enhance student achievement

I want my faculty to take risks and try new things.

Culture . . . . . .

Never done– Proactive stance

Excellence is a goal without a finish line.

You never arrive. You are always becoming.

When is good not good enough? Where can we improve?

Climate of respect helps enact vision

Relationships are based on mutual trust and respect– Trust is most essential– Respect for and from all

The single most important thing . . . is to build trust with your faculty.

Climate . . . . . .

Clear expectations– Explicit and consistent– Freedom to explore and learn within clear goals

Good citizenship, respect, and responsibility.

When you . . . set . . . expectations in terms of behavior and academic success,

students generally meet them.

Climate . . . . . .

Shared responsibility– No blame– More support when fall short of goals/expectations

Rather than a reprimand or finger pointing, the AS asked what more the administration could

do to help us be more successful.

Structures reinforce collaboratively supported instructionScheduled meeting time focuses on curriculum, instruction, assessment, and student learning/needs.

We have a lot of input as to what happens. We are empowered.

Structures . . .

Mentor programs and other formal teacher leadership roles– Team leader– Middle school department head

– Academic coach We have an awesome mentoring program and

it is run by the teachers.

Structures . . .

Multi-constituent decision-making bodies – Curriculum design– Textbook selection– “Congruency” teams– Action research teams– SDM

Committees here are a huge thing.

Structures . . .

Relevant program of professional development– Balanced between district- and teacher-defined needs

– Relevant to district/school goals (e.g., closing the gap)

– New initiatives include PD – are not “teacher proof”

[Our school improvement model] expects teachers to make professional choices.

Leadership encourages teacher initiative takingA “can do” culture and strong work ethic– Build on strengths– Focus on ability > disability

– Challenge but provide support

Differentiated instruction has stretched us all a lot as ways to meet [student]

needs in our classes.

Leadership . . .

Provide professional opportunities beyond one’s own classroom– Encourage conference participation/presentation

– Conduct workshops for colleagues

– Visit other classes

I . . . try to bring teachers early into facilitator roles to develop their leadership skills.

Leadership . . .

Encourages initiative taking and action– Propose/pilot new programs– Apply for grants– Call services in > sending student out

We can say, “What’s a better way to do this?” and not be penalized. Taking risks is okay.

Implications

• HP schools differ from APs primarily in the degree to which they have been able to put all 4 of the elements in place.

• These schools serve as models of adaptive systems that provide ‘linkages’ between people, activities, contexts, and time.

www.albany.edu/aire/kids

jangelis@uamail.albany.edukwilcox1@uamail.albany.edu