Oils ain’t Oils

“Raising the bar on teachers and schools”

Vic Zbar - 2008

Oils ain’t oils

Teachers ain’t teachers

Schools ain’t schools

We know………….. From the experience and a growing

array of data that the teacher a student has, and the school he or she attends, has a marked impact on the outcomes s/he achieves…

That is why so many parents seek to influence the selection of their children’s teachers…..and express a desire for greater choice in their schools.

Elmore (2002) notes……

One of the strongest social norms among (teachers) is that everyone is expected to pretend that they are equally effective at what they do….however teachers themselves, under the right circumstances, will talk candidly about who the strong and weak teachers are reputed to be……

Elmore continues…….. ..the entire process of school

improvement depends on schools making public and authoritative distinctions among teachers and administrators based on quality, competence, expertise and performance. If everyone is equally good at what they do, then no one has anything to teach anyone else how to do it better…pretence of absolute equality is a major impediment to improvement.

Hill’s research (1997)……

Class % School %

English 38 7

Mathematics

55 8

Percentage variance in value-added measures of English and Mathematics by class and school effects in primary schools.

Hill notes………….

‘…that a major improvement in student learning would result if all classes were brought up to the level of the most effective class’.

Zbar comments: ‘We should seek to have all teachers in the school behaving like the best teachers, so a quantum improvement is achieved’.

More research – Hattie (2003)….

Variance in student outcomes: 40-50 % within students themselves

over which school has little control 5-10% from school variances, but

critically determine the effectiveness of teachers and teaching quality

5-10% from peer effects when students get to school

30-40% from teachers and what they know, do and care about

Why this variance……..?

People of all professions want to do a good and better job….but don’t necessarily know how to…..

Teachers, en mass, are therefore not deliberately stifling changes to practice…

Much teacher learning has a focus on attitudinal change, expecting that amended practice will follow.

In fact, they change in concert…(Elmore 2002)

Practice changes values….

Zbar cites Elmore (2002) who draws on Guskey’s research (1989) ‘..teachers who were able to use certain

practices successfully “expressed more positive attitudes towards teaching and (they) increased responsibility for their students’ learning”….he concludes that changes in attitudes and beliefs generally follow, rather than precede, changes in behaviour.’

Barber (2003) supports this view…

Barber’s view is to change behaviours through a mix of ‘challenge and support’, in the knowledge that beliefs will follow….

Zbar adds ‘ arguably we know more than ever before about what does and what doesn’t work in classes and schools…but there’s a mystifying reluctance to urge (teachers) to adopt it for themselves…perhaps a hangover from the now outdated view that one’s classroom is one’s own…

What about teams……? Opening individual practice to scrutiny and

sharing almost always have a positive effect…. however Teams can just pool their existing knowledge

instead of examining what really works. Teams must act on the basis of evidence

rather than particular preferences they may hold.

Where can we find the evidence?

There is research …. Hattie (2007)

Analyses of the effect of different classroom interventions (100 available) The typical effect is 0.4, so we should

aspire to those with higher effects An effect of 1.0 provides a 50%

increase in achievement or one year of learning.

Rank these 10 (from 1 = highest effect to 10 = lowest effect)

- Feedback

- Questioning - Classroom behaviour

- Cooperative learning

- Diet- Class size

- Competitive learning

- Retention (retain a year)- Testing

- Early intervention

The Ranking

1 Feedback .81 2 Classroom behaviour .71 3 Cooperative learning .59 4 Early intervention .49 5 Competitive learning .41 6 Testing .31 7 Questioning .20 8 Diet .12 9 Class size .05 10 Retention (retain a year) -.17

The disasters …71 Programmed instruction .1472 Finances .1473 Problem based learning .1274 Diet .1275 Gender (female-male) .0976 Inductive teaching .0677 Team teaching .0678 Ability grouping - streaming .0579 Class size .0580 Open vs. traditional -.0181 Summer vacation -.0682 Retention -.1783 Transfer of school -.2684 Disruptive students -.78

The also rans …56 Metacognitive interventions .2957 Math programs .2758 Audio-visual .2659 Gifted programs .2560 Coaching .2461 Behavior objectives .2462 Calculators .2463 Mainstreaming .2164 Questioning .2065 Learning hierarchies .1966 Attitude to maths .1967 Desegregation .1868 Play .1669 Television .15

Almost there …42 Tutoring .3543 Activity-based programs .3544 Remedial programs .3545 Classroom climate .3546 Social skills training .3547 Time .3448 CAI .3249 Inquiry based teaching .3250 Preschool .3251 Whole language .3152 Within class grouping .3153 Testing .3154 Problem solving .3055 Background .30

In the middle …29 Parent involvement .4630 Bilingual programs .4631 Adjunct aids .4532 Concept mapping .4533 Advance organizers .4434 Hypermedia instruction .4435 Socio economic status .4436 Perceptual-motor skills .4237 Individualised instruction .4238 Homework .4139 Competitive learning .4140 Simulations .3741 Expectations .36

Worth having …14 Self-assessment .5415 Mastery learning .5316 Creativity programs .5217 Interactive video .5218 Psycho-linguistics .5119 Goals .5120 Peer influence .5021 Early intervention .4922 Outdoor education .4923 Science .4924 Professional Development .4825 Acceleration .4726 Motivation .47

The MAJOR Influences …

1 Explicit instruction .93 2 Reciprocal teaching .86 3 Feedback .81 4 Strategy training

.80 5 Classroom behaviour .71 6 Prior achievement .71 7 Phonological awareness .70 8 Home environment .69 9 Piagetian programs .6310 Co-operative learning .5911 Reading .5812 Quality of teaching .5513 Study skills .54

What about teacher difference?

Our personality, energy, organisational abilities, sense of humour etc will always overlay a particular pedagogy and effect the outcome

We can only justify using ‘preferred’ pedagogies if a significant effect is proven

Zbar’s capacity for improvement benchmarks Governance:

High quality councillors are attracted to contribute so that Council is active.

Meetings are well attended and vacancies are easily filled.

Sub-committees can be formed to meet and report regularly.

The council develops a clear strategy for the school each year.

The council monitors the performance of the school, including analysis of school performance data and student outcomes.

The council communicates and consults with parents and other members of the school community on the development, implementation and outcomes of the school’s Strategic Plan.

Zbar’s capacity for improvement benchmarks Leadership:

Leadership in the school promotes the success of the school and of all its students by:

setting the overall direction of the school and facilitating the development of a shared vision of learning;

building and sustaining a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning and staff professional growth;

creating a safe, effective learning environment; building and sustaining the organisational

effectiveness of the school through the management structures and processes, including decision making processes;

mobilising and collaborating with families and community members;

Zbar’s capacity for improvement benchmarks Leadership – cont’d:

acting ethically with integrity and fairness; and understanding and interpreting the larger political and

cultural context and making it coherent to the school and its wider community.

This range of leadership tasks cannot ‘be done successfully’ by the Principal alone. It requires ‘distributed leadership’, where the leadership and management of the school are shared among a mutually supportive and collaborative team, guided by the Principal.

Zbar’s capacity for improvement benchmarks Learning environment:

The school has a clear discipline policy that is known by all students and parents and consistently implemented by staff.

The discipline policy is based on logical consequences for misdemeanours that occur.

Good behaviour is recognised and poor behaviour not tolerated.

Such policies and processes are effectively, uniformly and appropriately adopted and followed through by school staff.

Associated policies such as the uniform policy ane also regularly and consistently enforced.

The discipline policy is regularly reviewed, with the involvement of students and parents, and discussed by teachers in class.

Zbar’s capacity for improvement benchmarks

Teaching: Each team has a common understanding of teaching

goals and objectives, and a shared philosophy for instruction that reflects current research.

The teams’ teaching and learning program is consistent and co-ordinated across year levels.

There is a whole of team approach to the teaching of subject matter.

Practice in classrooms supports this instructional focus. Flexible groupings are used in classes to maximise

engaged learning time and meet differing student needs.

Zbar’s capacity for improvement benchmarks Teaching – cont’d:

There is a coherent teaching and learning schedule with minimal interruptions to student learning.

Student achievement is assessed in consistent ways, using a range of assessment tools aligned to relevant standards.

There is a systematic approach to the use of assessment data to diagnose student needs.

Records of assessment are kept for each student with both strengths and needs identified and shared and passed between teachers and from year to year.

The school has a written Homework policy that is applied consistently.

The school and its teachers link parents closely into its approaches to student learning and assessment.

Zbar’s capacity for improvement benchmarks Professional learning:

There are effective teams of teachers engaged together in professional learning to improve teaching practice.

Professional learning includes internal support such as mentoring and modelling as well as access to external opportunities.

Teachers generate and review data to review their performance and improve engagement and outcomes.

The professional culture is valued and is stimulating and motivating.

Zbar’s capacity for improvement benchmarks Networks/partnerships:

The school works actively to involve parents in matters of substance relating to the school, its direction and priorities.

Links are sought and made with potential partners who can contribute positively to the school (local government, business etc.)

The involvement of outside educational bodies (eg. Tertiary institutions) is sought to contribute to improved teaching and learning capacity in the school.

School personnel participate in networks and the school works collaboratively with other schools on issues of mutual concern.