Building a Framework to Support the Culture Required for Student Centered Learning

Dr. DeeDee Washington, Associate Superintendent for AcademicsDr. Karen Sparkman, Director of Early Intervention and Student Support

Elementary Sessions, Fall 2015

Student Centered Learning

• Framework Components:• Culture• Professional Learning• Curriculum/Instruction/Assessment• Data-Driven Decision making• Leadership

• Session Goals:• Work-time with school teams• Strategic planning• Program planning• Protocols

Today’s Agenda…

Establishing and Maintaining a Student Centered Culture

ACTING”Let’s do it”;

likes to act, try things, plunge in

SPECULATINGlikes to look

at the bit picture and the possibilities before acting

Paying Attention to Detaillikes to know the who, what when, where and

why before acting

CARINGlikes to know that everyone’s feelings have been taken intoconsideration and that their

voices have been heard beforeacting

The Personality Compass Activity

Personality Compass Activity• Room is set up with four directions—North, South, East, West• Read the brief descriptors• Choose the direction that is most like you (most people will have

characteristics from multiple directions, but choose the most dominant)• Find your group and wait for instructions

Answer the Following Questions in your Group• What are the strengths of your style (4 adjectives)?• What are the limitations of your style (4 adjectives)?• What style do you find most difficult to work with and why?• What do people from the other direction or styles need to know

about you so you can work together effectively

Essential Question: What do you value about the other 3 styles?

Essential Question for School Teams: What can we take away from this activity to help us move our teams forward?

The Student Centered Learning Wiki

• All work for the next five sessions will be housed in the Student Centered Learning Wiki

http://gcsstudentcenteredlearning.wikispaces.com/

The Planning Guide

Establishing and Maintaining a Student Centered Culture

How do we create a positive culture focused on student centered learning?

“Every building has a culture. As a leader, you can create the culture or just allow it happen. The latter doesn’t always work out in your favor.”

What does Culture in a Student Centered Environment Look Like?From… To…

Independence Interdependence

Language of Complaint Language of Commitment

Long-Term Strategic Planning Planning for Short-Term Gains

Infrequent Generic Recognition Frequent Specific Recognition and a Culture of Celebration that Creates Many Winners

External focus on issues outside the school Internal focus on steps that staff can take to improve the school

Focus on Inputs Focus on Results

Goals related to completion of a project/activities SMART goals demanding evidence of student learning

Teachers gathering data from their individually constructed tests to assign grades

Collaborative teams acquiring information from common assessments

Planning Guide Work

• Complete the “Tracking and Assessing Cultural Shifts” Section of your Planning Guide • Each team member should individually determine where they believe the

school is based on the scale. • Jot down any thoughts about how your team can improve if you give a rating

below 5• Jot down any evidence supporting a rating of 6 or above

• As a team, come to consensus as to where your school is based on the scale.

10Minutes

10Minutes

20Minutes

Establishing Norms to Guide your Student Centered Learning Discussions• Why Norms?• Helps create groups that are able to have honest discussions that enable

everyone to participate and be heard.• Important part of establishing the culture you want. Every building has a

culture…you can create that culture or let it happen. • Prevents ineffective behaviors from becoming the ‘standard’.

Establishing your Group NormsEstablish your group norms for your team. Consider the following:

• Listening• How will we encourage listening?• How will we discourage interrupting?

• Confidentiality• Will what we say in the meeting be held

in confidence?• What can be said after the meeting?

• Decision Making• How will we make decisions?• Will we reach decisions by consensus?• How will we deal with conflicts?

• Participation• How will we encourage everyone’s

participation?• Expectations

• What do we expect from members?• Are there requirements for participation?

Determining a Consensus Protocol

• Simple is best (if you need a guide to come to consensus, it’s too complicated)!• Gives everyone a vote. All team members know how others feel about

the decision and everyone’s vote counts. • Helps cut down on “side conversations” when everyone has voted

and said their piece.

Thumb Up

Thumb Sideways

Thumb Down

I support this decision

I can live with this decision. Although I have some concerns, I’ll support the decision

I cannot support this decision

Using Agendas to Guide Productive Discussions

• Discuss: How do your teams/departments/grade levels currently structure their meetings? • How is weekly meeting content determined? • How can a structured agenda help guide the team meeting discussion

and move teams to a stronger PLC?

The Trust on Our Team - Homework• Individually complete the Trust on our Team Survey• This survey helps take a pulse of current team dynamics • As a team…• Discuss the importance rating of each indicator• Determine as a whole where the school stands on each indicator

Planning Guide Work

• Use the following data from your activities to complete the “Where do we go from here?” section under the Culture Session • Consider what steps you want to take to move your school towards a

student centered culture. These steps may by long term (multiple years).

20Minutes

Homework

• Individually…• complete the Trust on our Team Survey

• As a team…• Trust on our Team survey:

• Discuss the importance rating of each indicator• Determine as a whole where the school stands on each indicator

• Planning Guide:• Reach consensus on the “Tracking and Assessing Cultural Shifts” Section of your

Planning Guide • Complete the “Where do we go from here?” section under the Culture Session

• Optional: Use/revisit your SWOT analysis from last year for assessment.

Bring Planning Guide with you to each session!

Next Sessions

• October 27th

• December 8th

• January 19th

• February 9th

• All sessions begin at 3:30 pm!

Remember: Bring Planning Guide with you to each session!