JSDTHE LEARNING FORWARD JOURNAL Find the sweet spot in professional learning p. 10 Outcomes Sixth in a series on Learning Forward’s standards Boomers and millennials: Vive la COACHING RUBRIC différence p. 56 SERVES AS A LEGACY FOR ACHIEVEMENT p. 36 October 2012 Vol. 33 No. 5 www.learningforward.org PLC AT WORK TM Let CORWIN Help You SUMMIT 2013 Implement Common Core! Doing It Yourself? Books and Tools Make the Process Easier • Streamline implementation • Ready-to-use tools and templates • Perfect for book studies and leadership teams 1• The most economical option Need a Little Guidance? 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Get a free trial license and demonstration when you call or visit us online: www.schoolimprovement.com/tes | 800-572-1153 LF_TES_Aug12.indd 1 8/20/12 3:24 PM JSD The Learning Forward Journal theme OUTCOMES OCTOBER 2012, VOLUME 33, NO. 5 8 UP CLOSE DEEP SMARTS START HERE 24 Partnership paves the way to college success: • Connecting the Standards for Professional Learning HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE MATH TEACHERS • Outcomes standards at a glance COLLABORATE TO IMPROVE INSTRUCTION. By Janet Hart Frost, Jacqueline Coomes, 10 The sweet spot in and Kristine Lindeblad professional learning: High school and college math educators in Spokane, WHEN STUDENT LEARNING Wash., have joined forces to change attitudes and GOALS AND EDUCATOR teaching approaches at both levels, helping students PERFORMANCE STANDARDS develop the characteristics and skills they need to ALIGN, EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE. succeed in college. By Joellen Killion and Jacqueline Kennedy 30 Creating synergy: When its content integrates student content and CYCLE OF INQUIRY SHIFTS LEARNING TEAMS educator performance standards, professional learning INTO HIGH GEAR. has the greatest potential to change practices. By Karl H. Clauset and Carlene U. Murphy TOOL: Backmapping Model for Planning Results-Based Whole-Faculty Study Groups use sharing, learning, Professional Learning. and collaboration to transform schools into learning communities focused on strengthening educator 18 What’s best for our students? practice and improving student outcomes. OUTCOMES ARE THE DRIVING FORCE AT ONE HIGH-ACHIEVING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. 34 An outcomes pioneer: By Cathy Kinzer and Laura Taft SCIENCE EDUCATOR IS A PASSIONATE Focusing on a culture of collaboration and outcome- ADVOCATE FOR INSTILLING based student data, Monte Vista Elementary School A TRUE SENSE OF INQUIRY in Las Cruces, N.M., has achieved high scores on THROUGHOUT EDUCATION. statewide assessments for students in all subgroups. Q&A with Robert Yager. By Tracy Crow Robert Yager, professor of science education at the University of Iowa, talks about what makes professional learning effective in science, how to develop a creative mindset in teachers and students, and how to loosen up teachers who seem set in their ways. 2 JSD | www.learningforward.org October 2012 | Vol. 33 No. 5 departments features 4 FROM THE EDITOR 46 INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP BY TRACY CROW Wrestling with data: LEARNING NETWORK GRAPPLES WITH HOW TO GATHER ESSENTIALS KEEPING UP AND ANALYZE VALUABLE INFORMATION. 6 WITH HOT TOPICS IN THE FIELD By Harriette Thurber Rasmussen • What we think about schools A facilitator documents the struggles and triumphs as a network of • Learning designs principals and teachers seeks to analyze and understand the learning • Reporting on reform process in a way that will increase the group’s capacity to lead • Britain’s best teachers instructional improvement. • Learning standards • Inside Common Core • California teachers 17 TOOL Backmapping Model for Planning Results-Based Professional Learning. 61 COLLABORATIVE CULTURE BY SUSAN SCOTT 50 TEACHER EFFECTIVENESS Beliefs, aspirations, and A step in the right direction: perspectives are as diverse as the LEARNING WALK BRINGS DISTRICTS TOGETHER TO EXAMINE colors on a painter’s palette. TEACHER EVALUATION AND SUPPORT ROLES. By Anthony Armstrong 63 CULTURAL PROFICIENCY A team from Memphis (Tenn.) City Schools gets an inside look BY SARAH W. NELSON at Hillsborough County (Fla.) Public Schools, a district that had AND PATRICIA L. GUERRA successfully navigated challenges similar to its own. Use lessons in similarities and differences to help students 56 STAGES OF TEACHING understand diversity. Boomers and millennials — vive la différence: HOW TO MESH GENERATIONAL STYLES IN A LEARNING COMMUNITY. 65 learningforward.org By Suzette Lovely Site highlights. How can learning communities made up of several generations become collaborative? Forget the stereotypes, let others speak their minds, show respect, make professional development relevant, and 66 ABSTRACTS don’t overload novice teachers. for October 2012 JSD 68 @ LEARNING FORWARD NEWS AND NOTES • New report on investing 36 Lasting legacy for achievement: in professional learning COLORADO COACHES BOOST TEACHER EFFECTIVENESS • On Board: Kenneth Salim reflects WITH A RUBRIC FOR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING. on core beliefs By Jean Cross • Book Club • Meet a game changer Coaches in Fort Lupton, Colo., gain expertise in teaching and adult learning, teachers gain flexible learning formats, and the district gains a rubric that 72 FROM THE DIRECTOR will sustain high-quality professional learning. BY STEPHANIE HIRSH October 2012 | Vol. 33 No. 5 www.learningforward.org | JSD 3 from the editor TRACY CROW What seems obvious now started as a revolutionary concept here are some concepts in perspective. When NSDC (now under the umbrella of the Outcomes education, both old and new, Learning Forward), with support standard encompass not only the Tthat on their face sound absurd from the Edna McConnell Clark academic content that students need to the uninitiated. “New math.” What, Foundation, began the Results-Based and the pedagogical knowledge that does 2+2 not equal 4 this year? “Whole Staff Development Initiative in educators must develop. Outcomes also language instruction.” Or should we 1997, programs that tied professional include the many other elements that consider using just half of the language? development to student outcomes were play a role in the learning environment, How about adopting an “inquiry not easy to identify. Learning Forward from family involvement to developing approach”? Presumably, the alternative Executive Director Stephanie Hirsh a safe and supportive culture in the would be never asking questions in remembers how nervous she was when school. science class. “Brain-based learning” Hayes Mizell, now Learning Forward’s Explore articles in this issue of JSD writes its own punch line. distinguished senior fellow, first took to learn about schools that consistently One of the most ridiculous of all the stage at the 1997 NSDC Annual make the connection between the would have to be “outcomes-based Conference, where he delivered a strong learning of adults and the learning of education.” Those in education know message that staff development had to students. Begin with Joellen Killion that the phrase, like so many, is loaded result in improvements for students and Jacqueline Kennedy’s article on the with all kinds of meanings or it wasn’t worth the investment. She standard itself and all it entails (see p. and associations, both wondered whether the board would fire 10). Read about educators who examine benign and controversial. her for allowing such a controversial exactly what it is that students need The expression itself, message. to learn and create their own learning however, raises a host of The Outcomes standard from agendas accordingly. naïve questions. When the 2011 Standards for Professional As with all of the professional was it groundbreaking to Learning demonstrates the field’s learning standards, the Outcomes expect education to have evolution. The standard asks anyone standard doesn’t work alone, these outcomes? What is the responsible for professional learning articles show. Those educators stressing purpose of schools if we to make sure that the learning of outcomes often find that their best Hayes Mizell’s message was don’t have expectations for adults is guided by the many standards pathways are through learning forceful. some kind of results, even documents that define what students communities that