RRCAN SWS Reach Center

RRCAN SWS REACh Center February 5, 2009

Our discussion culminated with a focus on leadership and how to guide schools to be successful in system change using the REACh process. Schools enter the process at different places with different goals and it might be helpful to have groups of teachers and/or principals in ongoing conversation. In particular, it would be good to provide a forum for principals to network about school improvement. Could each CESA do some action research to work with teachers to develop goal directed instruction – learn – gather – report?

There was discussion about the different levels of awareness among the school personnel across our area. We discussed the power of using the 4 critical PLC questions to help people say focused on students.

1) What do we want students to learn? What should each student know and be able to do as a result of each unit, grade level, and/or course? 2) How will we know if they have learned? Are we monitoring each student’s learning on a timely basis? 3) What will we do if they don’t learn? What systematic process is in place to provide additional time and support for students who are experiencing difficulty? 4) What will we do if they already know it?

How do we get our stories out – should we have groups of teachers and/or principals in ongoing conversation as they go through the REACh process. E.g., Platteville, couldn’t give away workshops on writing business plans – but as groups worked on their business they discovered that they need a business plan Let people start where they see a need, then trust the Framework.

Jim Bagniewski Viterbo Univ bring principals together to share

HS principals can’t (or don’t) go to meeting – so we go to their conferences where they usually try to get to. Create opportunity to chat and learn their concerns.

Put together a package for principals to renew their licenses

Vision

Administrative Leadership and Support Leaders need to have confidence in themselves – the CAT and SALT meetings at CESA 3 and 4 build confidence by providing information and discussion Principals would like do provide staff dev but need to be guided and learn the stuff – instead of having CESA people come in to do the work.

Principal is key to implementing change and guiding teachers to be goal directed in their teaching. What makes a school change if they are making AYP?

Need stories about how successful schools progress starting at different entry points. Should we bring a group of principals together to use the process and

Bring teachers

Environment of Collab

Resource Mapping

Collab Procedures for Responding to Indiv Stu needs Progress Monitoring Looking for a way to bring it all together so data is useful and easy to use: Want: efficient tool to customize –searching for stuff multiple data to input is problem Elem has lots of dat – not MS or HS want to track longitudinally Need to avoid tech roadblocks or clerical stuff ( e.g. manually entering data) Wading through all the commercially available stuff – what is cost effective Using MAP – still needs to find good materials for interventions -

Reading – use continuing progress monitoring on a daily/weekly basis – would not be inputed at all - used for teacher discussion and planning

When do you put it together electronically – when do you just use for teachers.

Programs: Eclipse is a good program for data management – Jerry (CESA 3) works with Eclipse They have different levels – 3 products, 3 prices – one is for classroom use.

Sims (Student Intervention Model - Madison) Product DPI is taking over the product. – good because has a whole array of options. – can speed the ability http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/today/305.htm Good news – DPI is taking it on and designing it to be free! Yeah! XAM lots of tools Sparta (Amy CESA 4)

Rob – UWLC – focus on what data is most important to look at. In particular – what do we have the predicts future problems? E.g. homework completion in 8th grade informs about 9th grade interventions. e.g., D-F list in HS – quick study showed that most of them were proficient on the content – so it is often about what we offer. e.g., what are the pattern of the kids who are failing? Skill deficits? Performance deficits? Both? Need to have common language and ongoing conversation. Goal – be proactive! – develop systems Need to ensure the fidelity of the intervention if we are to use the data.

How can this group work together to provide some support in this area?

Evidenced-based Prevention Concern: Some programs and interventions are outrageously expensive- so there is a need for some guidance or sharing about which ones are truly effective. 2 resources were identified: The Florida Center for Reading Research: http://www.fcrr.org/ What Works Clearinghouse

Florida Reading site for interventions – http://www.fcrr.org/ Also What Works Clearing House http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/ Remember – it is important to get the Universal curriculum in place.

A concern was expressed that some teachers still don’t understand that every student needs to have access to the curriculum through the universal curriculum.

One HS teacher realized that it may be more about building relationships with kids than the intervention. “ Need to have teachers who know what students need to learn – i.e. concepts and processes not just skill development. It’s all about people – collective efficacy Its all about trust – need to trust to get teachers to open up and truly work together.

All Things PLC website: http://www.allthingsplc.info/

Book: Prereferral for Intervention Pyramid response to intervention Solution Tree Data Based Decision Making

Prof Dev

Family and Comm Involvement Nancy - parents/community don’t know what the real changes are that need to be made in our schools. E.g., if grades get in the way of creating good learning communties – we need to get the word out to the community. If you want to invite someone for the next meeting, please let us know so we can send an invitation.

Organize our conversation around how

AWSA leadership – we contact the leadership Jim will contact them

Invite superintendents of the school districts – Dodgeville in particular.