Oh... We will Prove it!

     OK.  Confession time.  I've never watched an episode of Friends until this summer.  Yes, I was shamed into it by by daughter who was absolutely appalled that I had very little context and hadn't watch even one show from start to finish.  I must admit it's definitely a reflection on our culture and how to navigate society.  It's actually very very humorous and deep at the same time.  I didn't know what I was missing. I allowed to expand my horizon in ways that I hadn't realized before.

    In this particular episode the men are arguing over who's stronger and who could beat the other up.  In the end it didn't really matter it was their relationships and individual strengths that made them a supportive team.

    Working through instruction day to day is sort of the same.  You need the whole to take care of individual need.  You are looking for evidence each day to determine if you've taught your learning intention.  However, it's the data that proves the point along with the authentic student work that backs it up.  Stating a point without evidence is an editorial.  Evidence needs to indicate where a student is in relation to the progression of the learning.  You've entered your second week of data collection using the average of daily formative assessment.  Take time to check and see if that data correlates to your MAP results in reading and math.  Are the percentages within 5-7 points?  If not what is your analysis and what are your next steps?  Can you solve the problem together and if the data is aligned why is it?  What are you doing to make this happen?

Quality evidence informs the team about what is happening in your classrooms now.  It should make your team to think reflectively, stimulate dialogue and debate.  It gets you all to think critically around the why, what and how students are learning.

Consider the following as reasons and rationale for your team to engage in Phase II "How do I know if students are learning?" (adapted from Bloomberg and Pitchford 2017)

1. Improves the quality of teaching.  If students are to learn they need access to the curriculum (common core standards).  In order for you and your team to be clear is to know where your students are in comparison to the learning progressions.  You need to gather evidence to know what they can do.  You then have the opportunity to design lesson for all.  Hattie(2009) says a key "signpost' of excellence in education is when teachers engage in "critical reflection in light of evident about their teaching."
2. Improves student learning.  We learn when we file new ideas or information into what we already know and then can readily retrieve it when we need it.  Discovering what we know is found as you gather evidence through feedback from you and also from the student.  Finding this data is not just for you but also for kids.  Getting feedback from teacher and peers based on success criteria is evidence which leads to analysis and in turn, accelerates learning.
3. Is a springboard to collective action.  Analyzing your evidence means noticing and deciding.  It's important to professionally talk about it however, it's only intellectual unless you follow it up with action.  The action needs to be based on the evidence to make sure you get the most bang for your buck.  If the evidence is old or too general(not specific to a learning intention/success criteria) then you run a pretty good chance that you actions may not be effective. Make sure your data is timely, relevant and specific! 

Make a plan to discuss your data every week or maybe everyday.  You can use it as a springboard for planning or differentiation.  I'm so proud of the work you are doing with your teams and have noted that you are using PLC time very efficiently.  You are beginning to calibrate evidence and create the conditions to achieve high impact.  

Find your center and know that you are working to prove it like a theorem.  Keep Going!

There is no place like home!

     I use references to the Wizard of Oz often.  It is a movie that is timeless and is full of wonderful opportunities to create metaphors to describe our work together. The power of friendship and family to persist through a dilemma. How transparency and clarity pulls back the curtain to reveal learning and today how hope may only be a plan in the movies.  We need
to be strategic when we plan and work with intention to reach our goals.  This requires a collaborative group, your grade level PLC, to create and implement an instructional plan that has a goal to raise achievement.  However, that isn't enough!  You need a plan to monitor.  To check how far you've come and how much further you need to go.

    Imagine if you were on a journey home without a map, GPS, Google Maps  or any tool to show you the way.  If you were in a familiar space you may get lost.  Your map for the team is the backward plan, learning progressions and daily learning intentions/success criteria.  

    Now that you have a map to take your home from an unfamiliar place how will you get there?  What is your plan and how long will it take?  You will need a vehicle or some mode of transportation.  We use the workshop/GRR instructional model to get use there.  

    So you have a map, transport but nothing to fuel the journey.  You need gas/electricity to power the vehicle.  We need assessment to power our lesson.  Assessments gatherers information to inform teaching and helps students learning more.  You ask yourself:  "Did students learn?"  "What evidence do I have to prove my conclusion?" When you assess you get the evidence.  You also need to evaluate.  You decide whether or not your kids learned what you taught and how well they have learned it.  Evaluation requires reviewing the evidence and determining it's value.

So What does this look like?

    I sat in on the first grade math PLC on Friday where I found that their discussion was around assessment for learning.  They were checking to see what has been learned and what was next.  They assessed specific feedback from the MAP using the NWEA growth charts and determined the percentage of kids (not proficient) needing additional instruction.  In addition, they began to have discussions using their DFA (daily formative assessments) to monitor their instructional plan.   This team has a map, strong implementation and fuel to power their journey.  It's an excellent example to reflect on and follow.

First Grade PLC Agenda

    You have a choice when you work together.  Collaborating on intentional instructional moves is the fastest way to reach HOME which is our goal.  Monitoring these moves through assessment and evaluation is the way to get there faster.  Remember we need to arrive by the end of the year.  Use your smart brains and personal relationships with one another to create the conditions to function at high levels.  Monitor your work to determine that you are also making an impact.

At the end of the clip Glinda tells Dorothy that you had the power all along.  So do you!

Let me Clear...or shall I say transparant

 Learners deserve a great teacher not by chance, but by design.  (Fisher, Frey, Hattie). This refers to a belief that the decision you make should be purposeful and intentional based on the best interests of your students.  You have an opportunity to double the rate of learning in your classroom.  Think about the baseline you just realized last week during MAP testing.  You can affect change and double the growth simply by focusing on clarity. See the figure below.  Think about doubling growth by May. WOW!

"Learning is most successful when teachers see learning through the eyes of their students and students see themselves as their own teachers." John Hattie

Everything is possible when you focus on clarity.  Our main mode to do this is through our school improvement action steps:

1. Teachers write quality learning intentions (credible, decontextualized, knowledge and/or skills) including success criteria based on grade level progressions (daily). (achievement)
2. Teachers provide feedback using the language of quality learning intentions/success criteria in daily instruction (before/during/after). (achievement
3. Teachers plan and integrate learning activities/tasks that are aligned to and assess the learning intention (daily) (achievement)

Your work as a PLC is devoted to these areas to achieve clarity. The trick is to do these steps consistently throughout the school year.

Learning Intentions

A learning intention is a description of the intended learning. It is a specific and describes the destination for the day. It should be clear and focused. It is not a description of a task or a series of steps:

    Explain how understanding a graph can help me predict and compare data.

    Summarize two texts to create a central ideas and compare them.

Larry Ainsworth uses the following as criteria for writing effective learning intentions:

1. Written as the learning destination "Where are we going?'
2. Is a summary or general restatement of the standard(s)
3. Is a global statement without specifics
4. Is age-appropriate, kid-friendly but retains the rigor an intent of the standard.
5. It includes key term and vocabulary
6. No references to specific context (ie resource)
7. Explains why it's important to learn.

I am learning the essential characteristics of three dimensional solids. So I can determine relationships within solids (volume, area, angles.)

Success Criteria

The learning intention is a hanging chad without success criteria.  Success criteria describes the evidence student need to show they have achieved the intention.

    I can read and describe the criteria on a graph.  

    I can write equations based on the data found on the graph.

    I can write a summary of a text.

    I can cite evidence from text.

    I can analyze evidence to draw a conclusion or develop a central idea.

Effective Success Criteria have the following:

1. Specify what student are to do.
2. Provide a map to the destination "How are we going?"
3. Identify the details needed to achieve the learning intention.
4. Use specific terms from the standard and maintain the rigor of it.
5. Include objective wording
6. Is in student-friendly language.
7. Includes other details not included in the standard but necessary to complete the intention.

I am learning the essential characteristics of three dimensional solids. So I can determine relationships within solids (volume, area, angles.)

I can describe the characteristics of three dimensional solids.

I can compare and contrast different solids using the characteristics

I can use the essentials characteristics to short three-dimensional solids

I can justify my sorting using the essential characteristics.

Success criteria comes in many forms

Amy Scherb's asks for shared thinking

Models

Rubrics

Descriptions

Student work

Metaphors

 Models and a Rubric from Art

Description in Carol Bigley's Room

Transparency, as used in science, engineering, business, the humanities and in other social contexts, is operating in such a way that it is easy for others to see what actions are performed. Transparency implies openness, communication, and accountability.

You are the agent that allows for clarity to happen and achievement to accelerate.  

Let's get started.

Let's Collaborate

Let's Be Consistent

Let's be clear

Let's raise achievement.

It's not a meeting friends. It's Learning!

 The school where everyone wants to be or not to be...that is the question!

The biggest mistake we can make as leaders is to write a mission, hang it on the wall and let it be.  We need to live the mission.  No school improves by simply writing a mission statement. The mission isn't worth anything unless all of us begin to do things differently.  The mission, value and belief statements help us to answer the question "why do we exist?"  Finding the answer to this question is key to navigating the waters when the work seems difficult.

Today I want to point out how living our mission is manifested in the work you do as a PLC.

 Let's explore the line: 

Collaboration is the best way to meet the needs of all stakeholders.  

Collaboration is to focus on learning.  The essence of a learning community is to focus on and commit to the learning of each student.  When you function as a PLC you choose to embrace learning at high levels for all students.  We seek to be responsible members of an organization that will ensure that all students learn. You work with each other to clarify what each of you will do to work a plan to realize our vision. Consider the essential components of a successful team. 1. create result-oriented goals. 2. Mark progress 3.  Work to clarify what each student must learn.  4.  Monitor this learning. 5. Provide intervention for students who struggles. 6.  extend and enrich learning when students have master the intended outcome.

I saw this in action last week when I sat in on the fourth grade PLC.  The teachers were asking for support in math.  They had three different assessments prepared and scored. They had a pre assessment for the first module, the screener and their DFA.  The results indicated that 50% of the kids were not meeting expectations.  They were focused on what needed to happen.  We spent thirty minutes discussing options and eventually determined what would happen in their classrooms.  This team is a model not just because of their initiative but because they have a common purpose. They were focused on the work not the obligation.  

• The gathered evidence.
• They developed strategies and ideas to build on strengths and address weaknesses
• They implemented a strategy
• They are analyzing the impact of the changes to discover what was effective.
• They apply the new knowledge to the next cycle for improvement.

So this week as you collaborate consider how you are moving through the components.  What do you need to focus on?  How will you improve together?

"When people see tangible results, however incremental at first, and see how the results flow from the overall concept, they will line up with enthusiasm.  People want to be a part of a winning team.  They want to contribute to producing visible, tangible results.  When they feel the magic of momentum, when they begin to see tangible results--that's when they get on board."  Jim Collins