Whether it’s signing up for professional development classes, creating the data folder pages your students will use next year, or tweaking your Excel spreadsheets to make your data collection more efficient, a little time spent planning now will save time in the long run. Being prepared for the start of the school year by having systems in place will make for much lighter work when it comes to the unavoidable “first day of school” tasks at the start of a new year.
As we begin the process of putting one year behind us and looking ahead to the next, I would like to say how much I’ve enjoyed the comments, suggestions, and questions sent as a result of writing this blog. It is encouraging and motivating to share the feedback with others and to hear their responses to the national and international Continuous Improvement efforts highlighted through this forum.
Paul
]]>The assessment questions are the ones that make me want to shout - assessment, done correctly, doesn’t result in lost time rather the result is increased achievement! These are the questions that bother me the most because it shows a lack of clear understanding of the process of teaching and learning in today’s educational system. We need to do a better job of clarifying and emphasizing the need for assessment.
What is assessment? I begin by framing the answer within the context of the essential questions as explained by the DuFour’s process of professional learning communities. These questions, even in this simple form, speak universally to educators and keep the discussion focused on assessment.
What is assessment? The definition must include the purpose of and terms used to describe assessment.
First, must be an understanding of the variety of use of assessment as defined by Rick Stiggins. Different groups make decisions based on their area of influence. The type of assessment may vary depending upon the use.
Next, it is necessary to clarify assessment terms although they fall into two basic categories. Formative assessment also referred to as in-process or short-cycle and summative assessment. When used in appropriately, both types of assessment are important, support learning, and provide evidence of student proficiency.
Formative assessment activities (non-graded) that occur periodically during the learning process in the classroom are called formative, in-process, and short-cycle. Why the different terms? Those measures used within the context of a PDSA cycle are traditionally called in-process measures. Short-cycle assessments are often, but not always, are associated with state standards and benchmarks. The more global term is formative assessment.
Formative assessment is a non-graded activity used to determine the answer to the questions; How do we know students have learned and what evidence do we have. The information is as important to students as it is to the educator. In the classroom, the result of the assessment is used to create an action plan and guide instruction. Formative assessment as defined by Rick Stiggins: Formal and informal processes teachers and students use to gather evidence to directly improve the learning of students assessed. For the student, formative assessment provides direction and motivation to successfully complete the learning targets.
Summative assessment occurs after the learning has occurred. The end of unit assessment, once yearly state testing, and end of the year proficiency assessments are examples of summative assessment. This assessment is the type educators refer to when talking about stopping their teaching for assessment. Stiggins explanation of summative assessment results: provides evidence achievement to certify student competence or program effectiveness. The use of summative evidence is to inform what comes next for individuals or groups of students.
In summary, for those classrooms where formative assessment is used, students and teachers together will reflect and plan for completion of classroom learning targets. In addition to setting aside time for summative assessments for which the results will be used for a more global look at the educational process.
As always, your comments are welcome.
Becky
On a personal note: I appreciate your patience with the lapse in blog entries while I recovered from knee replacement surgery.
For further information I encourage a visit to the web site: All Things PLC http://www.allthingsplc.info/about/aboutPLC.php
and Assessment Training Institute http://www.assessmentinst.com/resources.php as well as the following list of resources.
All Things PLC – resources http://www.allthingsplc.info/tools/bibliography.php
DuFour, R., & Eaker, R. (1998). Professional learning communities at work: Best practices for enhancing student achievement. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree (formerly National Educational Service).
DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & Karhanek, G. (2004). Whatever it takes: How a professional learning community responds when kids don’t learn.
Stiggins, R. (2001). Student involved classroom assessment (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Stiggins, R. (2002). Assessment crisis: The absence of assessment for learning. Phi Delta Kappan, 83(10), 758–765.
Stiggins, R. (2004). New assessment beliefs for a new school mission. Phi Delta Kappan, 86(1), 22–27.
Stiggins, R. (2005). Assessment FOR learning: Building a culture of confident learners. In R. DuFour, R. Eaker, & R. DuFour (Eds.), On common ground: The power of professional learning communities. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree (formerly National Educational Service).
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To answer Leon’s question regarding the lunch situation in the last entry – we realized that we needed to implement a back-up system for the lunch periods to address the “outside the comfort zone” affect that schedule changes create for this particular group of students. What didn’t seem to be an issue for groups in the past has all of the sudden become a “probletunity” for making adjustments to our way of thinking.
Clearly, paying attention to how students respond to our processes is critical to the success of improvement efforts. That valuable feedback provides us with evidence that our efforts are – or are not – having the desired impact. Continually asking ourselves how our students are responding to our efforts puts the focus where it needs to be – on the stake holders.
Perhaps of more importance is the question “How do we respond when our current systems do not produce the desired outcomes?” It’s easy to find a system that works for us and continue to use it because we have seen results in the past. However, frequent feedback from our students (and other stake holders) may dictate that we adjust our systems on a regular basis to meet their needs – not ours – at the time. In my experience, the idea of making paradigm shifts is, to say the least, uncomfortable for people. I’ve also learned over time that being taken outside our comfort zone from time to time is what makes us grow and reach for something better.
How comfortable are you with your current systems and how do you respond when your systems aren’t producing the desired results?
Paul
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Paul
]]>As I contemplated my own focus and direction over the past few days, I found myself thinking of new ways to approach Continuous Improvement with the teachers in my building that would engage them all in the process and renew their focus on student learning. In the process, I came to the realization that I was approaching the endeavor in much the same manner that we are trying to shift teachers away from – finding the “silver bullet” that is going to work for everyone in every situation.
Just as there are many students in our classrooms who do well in school simply because they are driven to do so, it dawned on me that there are already many educators who are committed to continuous improvement because they see the benefits for the students. Many have taken huge steps toward developing classroom processes to show evidence that their students are learning. This perspective helped me to realize that there is only a small group who still needs some assistance in getting the ball rolling – much like that small handful of students in our classrooms who need that extra attention in order to make even a little bit of progress. By making this connection, I have a better understanding of the dilemma a classroom teacher faces with differentiating instruction. I hope to be able to share in future entries a plan that focuses primarily on those in need of extra assistance while utilizing and supporting the efforts of those who are making progress.
Recognizing that one size does not fit all is a notion we continue to address – both in the classroom AND in staff development. How do you provide assistance to one group while still supporting and utilizing the efforts of the self-directed group?
Paul
]]>At Taft Middle School, we are in the process of introducing the concept of Professional Learning Communities and making the cultural shifts necessary for their implementation. One of my responsibilities is to facilitate what we call Kid Day meetings – bi-weekly meetings with our academic teams to identify students in need and to brainstorm solutions for them. Traditionally, these have concluded with a menu of interventions for the counselors and support staff to implement.
Lately, I’ve been introducing questions at the meetings like:
· What are the barriers to learning on our team?
· What can we do as a team to remove those barriers?
· What are we prepared to change about our current systems so ALL students have a chance at success?
These questions are beginning to change the way we talk about improving student achievement. Rather than the “one-student-at-a-time” approach, we are beginning to have discussions about what changes need to occur with the current systems on our academic teams and in our building. We have resurrected the age-old questions about the value of grading every piece of homework and assessing work completion. We are also revisiting the “one-size-fits-all” policies of the past and how they may not be meeting the needs of all of our students.
I’m interested in hearing from those of you who have made a similar transition or who are in the process of creating that cultural shift necessary for PLC’s to be effective. What changes have occurred in your building or district? Was the shift a “top down” directive or something your staff came to on its own? How do you ensure that teachers are validated for their hard work while being asked to make a shift in their thinking?
Paul & Becky
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Andrea is a teacher in our program that addresses the needs of children with severe mental and physical disabilities. Skeptical at first, Andrea has found a way to incorporate Continuous Improvement concepts into her classroom that she has found to be both fun and meaningful.
“Progress is sometimes hard to see with my students - or comes very slowly, but it was really rewarding each month to see on the graphs that they really WERE improving as a class.
If you are training special ed teachers (especially those with lower functioning kids) and they are having a hard time with class goals, you can suggest what I did. Since they all have goals on their IEP's anyway, I looked at which ones were common and picked those areas for class goals. For example, all of my kids have some kind of communication goal and an independence goal. Since the IEP's are data driven anyway, there is no "extra" data to collect for 'Continuous Improvement'. The only extra step is coming up with a class total. My kids enjoyed coloring in the bar each month and clapping and cheering when the bars went up. I'm not sure they really understood the meaning, but I was able to work in fine motor skills and communication into a 'Continuous Improvement' activity.”
Thanks, Andrea!!!
Paul
]]>Simply changing what we call the groups with whom we meet is one thing – actually implementing the concepts of a professional learning community is quite another. Richard DuFour (2004), challenges true PLC’s to respond affirmatively to the following questions:
According to DuFour, “a group of people does not become a PLC by enrolling in a program, renaming existing practices, taking the PLC pledge, or learning the secret PLC handshake. A team becomes a professional learning community only when the educators within it align their practices with PLC concepts.”
So, can we change what we call our meetings? Sure. Can we truly call those groups PLC’s? Not yet!
Read more at:
Paul & Becky
]]>Critical to the PLC culture is the commitment to continuous improvement, “Inherent to a PLC are a persistent disquiet with the status quo and a constant search for a better way to achieve goals…”Rick DuFour.
Perhaps as Professional Learning Communities continue to bring about significant change in student achievement and teacher quality they walk hand-in hand with alternate school models. We like this quote regarding the PLC path to
quality in education by Thomas J. Sergiovanni, Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas.
“Rick DuFour and his colleagues push us to new levels of understanding of
how professional learning communities work. They then invite us to join
them in developing unique frameworks that can be used in our own
schools to create cultures of time, feeling, focus, and persistence aimed
at ensuring that every child will succeed. Critical to their approach is
aggregating what we know and using this knowledge together, thus
compounding its effect."
We welcome your comments or response.
Becky & Paul
Professional Learning Community Resources:
Professional Learning Communites at Work by Richard Dufour and Robert Eaker
Whatever It Takes How Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Don't Learn by Richard DuFour, Rebecca DuFour, Robert Eaker & Gayle Karhanek
Learning by Doing by Richard DuFour, Rebecca DuFour, Robert Eaker & Thomas Many
Paul & Becky
This ritual looks much the same as it has in years past – even though we know the world is a much different place than when we entered our classrooms for the first time. So, how do we make sure the direction in which we are steering our students doesn’t become just as routine and predictable? How do we develop in our students the notion that they, too, will have to take the fork in the road if they want to compete in the changing world?
As visionary leaders, we must focus on developing 21st Century Learning Skills (learn more on-line) in order to guide students in the right direction. We must familiarize ourselves with these necessary and pertinent skills so that we can assist students in applying them to their own learning and beyond.
Are we aware of the changes in the world around us? Do we recognize the shift that has occurred in what the work force is expecting from today’s graduates? Are we willing to put aside “the way it’s always been” and develop a new set of processes and expectations for tomorrow’s leaders?
Paul & Becky
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In a previous blog, Leadership in a Culture of Continuous Improvement, I stated that I have been focusing on the issue of teacher leaders in order to provide suitable professional development and found it to be a complex issue. I still have many questions. What are the roles of teacher leaders? How are the roles similar and different to my previous list of common characteristics for effective leaders of education?
Instructional leadership is one such issue. Who has the responsibility and what roles are involved? I wonder if sometimes we take for granted that the teacher may be the key instructional leader in a school. And if that is the case, what guidance, support, and professional development is provided? What is the system for accountability? If the question was asked at your district – who would be listed as the instructional leaders and how are the roles and responsibilities distributed?
I recently purchased the book Lead with Me A Principal’s Guide to Teacher Leadership by Gayle Moller and Anita Pankake. The hook for me is chapter titles like: Investigating the Vision, the Roles and the Reasons, Developing a Culture of Continuous Improvement, and Supporting and Sustaining Teacher Leadership. I am looking forward to learning more about their principles of teacher leadership and the culture of shared leadership.
Becky
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